House of Jamie - All this hostility

All this hostility

2008-Aug-11

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In the 1930s, a German named Carl Schmitt came up with a concept, that I quite like.
Schmitt was a Nazi, which means, he was a bit of a cunt, but a clever cunt.
He explained his theory, that human beings, when relating to one another, use the terms "self" and "other". We look upon "others" as outsiders. The level of outsiders we determine ourselves. 'Other' doesn't necessarily mean evil, it just means different to ourselves. And because the other, is alien to ourselves, then conflict could potentially occur. That human existance is merely coming to terms with threats posed by 'outsiders' and wondering how to deal with such a threat.
If you think about it, it's logical.

Schmitt furthers his suggestion, by linking it to nationality. And I think it suits the mentality of alot of people in this country.
He suggests that like Religious belief, the only way a Nation can be "together" in it's truest form, is if a sovereign leader exists, to put into place strong binding laws and rules to govern, in the interests of the entire populace. Only a sovereign leader, representing such a group of people who's beliefs and customs never change. In Christianity, these people are drawn together, by the rules of God.

Schmitt critises Liberal Democracy, like we have in our Country, he suggests that we are governed by deliberation, and Parliamentary Democracy, that when a 'crises' or 'alien invasion', be it religious of racial, occurs, our Liberal Democracy cannot deal with it, that only a Sovereign leader could deal with it, and so Liberal Democracy only works, until it is tested. That Liberal Democracy has a series of rules, that prevent effective governing, because there are so many differing opinions, and so is deemed slow and ineffective.

I think this is quite true. Schmitt was writting about his experiences in the '30s. When the Jewish population's idea of "self" and "other" conflicted with the National German Pride, and so out of the turmoil, a sovereign leader appeared in Hitler, determined to destroy the 'other' in the interest of 'self'. The 'self' being Germany.
Similarly, in this country, we seem to scared of Asian immigration. When we talk about immigration, we automatically think of Asian or Eastern European. We don't consider America or Australia. Mainly because America and Australia aswell as speaking our language, have a similar concept of "self" as us. So we don't feel threatened. Whereas Asian and Polish people have a completely different concept of "self" as us, so our guard goes up. We ask our Liberal Democracy to provide answers, but Liberalism itself, as a concept, means it cannot deal with such a problem, and so we get evils like the BNP, much like Germany had with the Nazis, brainwashing people into thinking they are the Party to change the Country in the interests of British People.

Our Society is made to seem like the ideal society, and that anyone changing that norm is wrong. Which in itself, is wrong.
Schmitt, writting after the war, and after his remorse at being a self confessed Nazi during the war, suggests that all societies should work together, recognise differences, respect differences and not try to impose those differences on each other. In his book, "The concept of Political" he says of conflict of societies.....

"There exists no rational purpose, no norm no matter how true, no programme no matter how exemplary, no social ideal no matter how beautiful, no legitimacy or legality which could justify men in killing each other for this reason."

For all the evils his party committed, it made this man think about things in a different light after the war, it made his question society and the problems that lie in it. It's easy to see things very one sided. It's easy to say that Britain is becoming over run with foreigners, but it's more difficult to see the wider picture. The supporters of the BNP are happy to kick anyone with darker skin out of the Country because they feel these people, as "others" threaten British values, and yet they fail to see just how badly British Business ventures in the poor countries that these immigrants come from, deeply destroy every value these people hold close to them. Perhaps those Indians were happier before Coke made them work all day every day for such little pay? Maybe they don't want to be kicked and punched by Primark suppliers so you can have cheaper clothing and so that in the long run, the Indian economy might grown slightly over the next two hundred years? And when they do finally so "no more" and come to this country to get away from the pain, they get told they aren't wanted, and that THEY are ruining this country.
Schmitt recognised the hypocrisy in this ideal, thankfully, so do I.

2008-Aug-13 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Twist

Well said.

I'd just like to point out though, that just because Schmitt was a nazi, doesn't mean he was an evil man. Many people were forced to work for the nazi regime under the threat to their family's lives. My granddad was one of those men, and he wasn't a bad person. Even a lot of nazi scientists (the ones who escaped Germany went on to spawn a vast amount of America's top scientists, by the way) were only working for the führer under pain of death.

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All this hostility

2008-Aug-13 - Untitled Comment

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