You know what I hate? Writer's block. At the moment, I'm painstakingly trying to assemble words on immaterial labour and an aspect of it I've tended not to emphasise these last few years. I'm talking about the connective, networking, social part of our rising class of socialised workers. Or, to be more precise, how this is tending toward new forms of solidarity that have bypassed the traditional, conventional and semi-institutionalised means by which practical solidarity is usually achieved. In other words, is the solidarity we're seeing in the mass UK mobilisations supporting the Palestinians also rooted into a diffuse, collective empathy more or less spontaneously arising from the experience of immaterial labour and living at the sharp end of the class struggle, as outlined by the good Keir. Obviously, I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't think there was something in the idea of mass empathy.
But I can't write it. Blame the marking. Blame the imminent fourth edit of the book. Blame work. Blame the podcast listening matter. Blame my very slow reading of Anti-Oedipus. Seeing as the latter has a hand in my writerly paralysis, I'm going to inflict a bit of Deleuze on you in lieu of proper writing. In this excellent discussion at the ever green Acid Horizon podcast, the comrades cast their eye over the famous Postscript on Societies of Control (something we touched on recently) and unpack Deleuze's arguments, the relationship to Foucault's work, and what resistance looks at and how it manifests itself when surveillance is everywhere and nowhere. If you like what you hear, please support the podcast here.
"I'm talking about the connective, networking, social part of our rising class of socialised workers."
ReplyDeleteSo another post on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites then!
It is funny, I have never seen you show any empathy towards the Palestinians. I guess by writing about it you intend mocking/ridiculing/trivialising the idea in some way?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you will come over all George Carty, who resembles the old style Southern Democrat who thought complaining about civil rights made you a N-lover, pardon my unavoidable reference here!
In fact your big silence on all matters Palestinian leads me to assume that you in actual fact take the Blairite/Jim Denham/Lord Boffy/Sam Harris/fascist view that these backward natives need a bit of Western blood in their borders to civilise them.
Tsk, someone doesn't follow me on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteWell I dont do twitter, so no.
ReplyDeleteStill, even before this, your silence on such matters is noticeable, also your silence on Islamophobia is something I have pulled you up on before. You certainly have very little to say on imperialism, you are very much stuck in the Court of Versailles (my name for Britain) bubble it seems to me.
Maybe you are jumping on a bandwagon if you are now tweeting about these things. In which case I guess if people like you are showing an interest that at least is something I shouldn't complain about, but I cant help noticing!
I don't think you will make a reliable ally though. Let us hope that people like you don't try to water down the resistance with your very fragile sensibilities.
I don't know what the hell you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteThere's a simple reason why I don't write about the Middle East, Israel, Islamophobia, etc. very often and that's because I have no special insights. As a general rule, I think comrades are best advised to leave things they don't know a great deal about to others. Perhaps you should try it sometime.
@BCFG
ReplyDeleteI prefer Phil to tell me things I don't know, rather than express Nth hand opinions based on generalist, shallow reading of others who are often also just expressing opinions. I really don't want a list of causes to support and why. I can work out my own opinion.
What I come here to read are the insights Phil has into politics informed by sociology and experience. Because those are useful, original, knowledgeable and, I believe, reliable.
"What I come here to read are the insights Phil has into politics informed by sociology and experience. Because those are useful, original, knowledgeable and, I believe, reliable."
ReplyDeleteWell I don't!
I expect those on the left to be all over imperialist issues, I view his silence as support and consent for imperialism, not as silence because he doesn't have the time or academic interest. Everything I have read on this site over a number of years makes me think Phil is part of the pro imperialist left. This is a guy who supported Yvette Cooper for christs sake!
His musings on the comings and goings and carry on's of the Court of Versailles are not that interesting. Why I do read this site, well to see what the enemy within are up to I suppose!
Another thing, in 2014 the last time Israel massacred the Palestinians, Phil posted articles complaining about the rise of anti Semitism, and linking that rise directly to the pro Palestinian movement.
ReplyDeleteHe did this while Islamophobia was rife among the far right in Europe, something he was completely silent on and always has been.
There is a pattern here and it all points to the same thing.
So seriously, don't pretend you don't know what i am talking about, this is more disingenuous than Andy Burnham!
If this place is so beyond the pale, why do you hang out here?
ReplyDeletePeople can judge this piece from 2014 whether it capitulates to Islamophobia or not.