Sure, grasping the right understanding of the terms remains a major task
Solo coloro che anno tempo per la sapienza dispongono del loro tempo
Of all men they alone are at leisure who take time for philosophy
(Seneca)
Categoria: quotes
This World
This world is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy to those that feel.
(Horace Walpole)
Footnotes on modern Social Policy
Never forget reading footnotes, like this one, in chapter 25 of Marx Capital, volume I
To one of these gentlemen the taste of his rent was so grateful that he indignantly declared to the Commission of Inquiry that the whole hubbub was only due to the name of the system. If instead of —”gang” it were called —the “Agricultural Juvenile Industrial Self-supporting Association,” everything would be all right.
root of history
Die Wurzel der Geschichte aber ist der arbeitende, schaffende, die Gegebenheiten umbildende und überholende Mensch. Hat er sich erfasst und das Seine ohne Entäußerung und Entfremdung in realer Demokratie begründet, so entsteht in der Welt etwas, das allen in der Kindheit scheint und worin noch niemand war: Heimat.
attempted translation:
The root of history is the working, producing (in terms of creating) being, changing and overhauling the conditions. If he understands himself and founded his existence without kenosis and alienation in a real democratic process, something emerges in the universe that all experience during their childhood but where nobody had been yet: home.
[Ernst Bloch, deutscher Philosoph (1885-1977)]
Valdivia – Leftraro
It is some time ago that I published a poem here – and if I remember correctly it had been then as well a poem written by Rayen Kvyeh. We do not have much contact – Rayen, Mapuche, living in an area that is occupied by Chile, myself living somewhere in Europe. But contact is a strange thing … – as strange as time is a rare thing.
However, dedicating some time to her beautiful poems may give actually provides some time, gives energy for the daily struggles, and reminds us of things that are important.
So I translated another of Rayen’s poems – for her, but also for Leyla Zana who had been recently sentenced by a Turkish Court for her brave engagement for the Kurdish people.
There is a link, a rather close link – and a wide arch spanning over this:
I met both last year in Munich, Orhan, a German-Kurdish friend, introduced me to Rayen and to Leyla (though I actually met Leyla already earlier that year). Pride – pride founded on the knowledge of injustice. And conviction going hand in hand with openess. I hope this poem will be some support in what we can only achieve by going together…
And perhaps all this is also something where one may draw a little link to the upcoming referendum in Ireland ….
Valdivia – Leftraro
Eye to eye
Europe – Indo-America
The empire – the People
Ruling – Freedom
Gold – Roots
Palace – Tree of the World
Death – Life
Don Pedro de Valdivia,
Leader of the army
Of the empire of Carlos the Vth.
Impressing
In a shiny armour
Made from silver and gold.
Leftraro…
Son of the earth.
Valdivia, experienced strategist,
Vanquisher from Flanders and America.
His sword knows
Fame and honour of the empire.
Leftraro …
Energy and knowledge
Of the forest
Valdivia stares at him, full of hatred
But she doesn’t understand anything.
The flunky, the bondsman,
Educated
Instructed
Civilised
In favour of the defence of the Spanish crown,
Challenges him, to fight
Face to Face
Brings extreme danger into his life,
Danger for his rule,
The empire.
Valdivia
She understands within a blink of an eye,
That his ideology of subordination
Did not fall on a fertile ground.
He tries
With all his power
To defend faith and power.
At the end of the day,
Forgotten for ever,
The stars make a deep bow,
Kissing the earth.
Leftraro and Valdivia
They are fighting with lasting strength
For their life.
Valdivia succumbs.
A rainbow
Welding together never ending melodies
Endearingly it overframes the earth
… The birds are chirping
Heralding the message,
The new chorus of freedom.
From: Rayen Kvyeh: Wvne Coyvn Ñi Kvyeh
(Moon of the first blossoms)
No fool like an old fool – or old age brings wisdom
Just reading again one of these trashy books – The Poverty of Philosophy, the answer Marx gave in 1847 to the Philosophy of Poverty by M. Proudhon. – Unfortunately some still didn’t understand it, though the old sentences are well worth to be remembered, e.g.
Those who, like Sismondi, wish to return to the true proportion of production, while preserving the present basis of society, are reactionary, since, to be consistent, they must also wish to bring back all the other conditions of industry of former times.
I had been made aware another time of the deep truth by having a look here – “Manchester today” (sorry, it is in German language, showing extrem exloitation in India)
Possibilities Thrown Away
The development of the means of production would allow, the mode of production does suspend …
Spare the hand that grinds the corn, Oh, miller girls, and softly sleep. Let Chanticleer announce the morn in vain! Deo has commanded the work of the girls to be done by the Nymphs, and now they skip lightly over the wheels, so that the shaken axles revolve with their spokes and pull round the load of the revolving stones. Let us live the life of our fathers, and let us rest from work and enjoy the gifts that the Goddess sends us.
(Antipatros Sidonios, 2nd century BC)
(Taken from Karl Marx, Capital, volume I)
the bible as textbook in economics
For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
David back on stage
Returning from Athens – a visit in solidarity with the …, well actually perhaps better to say: in search for an overall European and global solidarity – reading something about Donatello’s David, surely one of the most felicitous pieces of art. Originally standing in the Medici palace in Florence the capture read:
The Victor is whomever defends the fatherland.
All powerful God crushes the angry enemy.
Behold, a boy overcame the great tyrant.
Conquer, O citizens.
The Medici: as usurper suggesting to defend the liberty of the subject.
– looking from here at the EU/IMF/WB-Troika, may be we are really back to New Princedoms?
the world we live in …
Money! Nothing worse in our lives, so current, rampant, so corrupting. Money – you demolish cities, rot men from their homes, you train and twist good minds and set them on to the most atrocious schemes. No limit, you make them adept at every kind of outrage, every godless crime – money.
(Sophocles [496-406])
COMMEDIA DELLA VITA OR PÁNTA RÊI'S FIRM GROUND 