... It does not even occur to him to think that work is something he does for his boss; no, to employ him is a favour that the boss does to him - a favour that may be rescinded at any time. Seeing as the unemployment rate in Polands is over 20% now- how can one expect the people to behave in any other way? They will tolerate abuse, lower payment, overtime for which they get no money at all etc. They just want to keep their jobs, because they know that if they start to whine or protest, there are 30 others already fighting for their place.
a tendency to think in terms of state provision rather than self-reliance and co-operation. A plague in my society, that is. People still think that the state "is obliged" to provide them certain things. When they don't get them, they say it's an outrage. That it's the state's *duty* to give them what they need, to help them and take care of them. If the state fails to do so, they don't do anything. Even though they could get these things by themselves, they're just too lazy to do it. Or maybe lazy is not te right word. The though that they could do it themselves does not even cross their minds. They suddenly start saying things like how it was great during Communism. How everything worked, how everyone had a flat, a job, how doctors were easier to get to- and so on. They develop a kind of false nostalgy, they vote for the ex-members of the former system's government, thinking they will solve all their problems. And when they don't, the people feel tricked, they are angry, they are miserable. But still they do nothing. I personally believe that this kind of anger and feeling of hopelesness has its limits. That one day it's going to burst. But of course I migh be wrong-
And I can't say much about Thatcherism, simply because I know nothing, or hardly anything about it. I agree that what most people now call "Communism" has really very little in common with the original ideology. The tyranny, abuse of all kinds- it all worked under the mask of equal chances, of self-improvement that theoretical Communism offered. But theoretical Communism is an utopia, be it then or now- it can never work out.
Is it possible, is it necessary, that the only alternative to revolutionary tyranny and massacre should be the brutal, vulgar, self-satisfied rule of the swindler and the thief? To this I of course don't have an answer. I think that what we see today means, sadly, that there is no other alternative. One way or the other- it's still a tyranny of some kind. Living outside it is impossible. Living your life how you yourself want it, trying not to take a side, trying to stay away from both of these alternatives- it is, I guess, impossible. But then I never claimed that I am right.
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Date: 2004-09-18 05:41 pm (UTC)It does not even occur to him to think that work is something he does for his boss; no, to employ him is a favour that the boss does to him - a favour that may be rescinded at any time.
Seeing as the unemployment rate in Polands is over 20% now- how can one expect the people to behave in any other way? They will tolerate abuse, lower payment, overtime for which they get no money at all etc. They just want to keep their jobs, because they know that if they start to whine or protest, there are 30 others already fighting for their place.
a tendency to think in terms of state provision rather than self-reliance and co-operation.
A plague in my society, that is. People still think that the state "is obliged" to provide them certain things. When they don't get them, they say it's an outrage. That it's the state's *duty* to give them what they need, to help them and take care of them. If the state fails to do so, they don't do anything. Even though they could get these things by themselves, they're just too lazy to do it. Or maybe lazy is not te right word. The though that they could do it themselves does not even cross their minds.
They suddenly start saying things like how it was great during Communism. How everything worked, how everyone had a flat, a job, how doctors were easier to get to- and so on. They develop a kind of false nostalgy, they vote for the ex-members of the former system's government, thinking they will solve all their problems. And when they don't, the people feel tricked, they are angry, they are miserable. But still they do nothing. I personally believe that this kind of anger and feeling of hopelesness has its limits. That one day it's going to burst. But of course I migh be wrong-
And I can't say much about Thatcherism, simply because I know nothing, or hardly anything about it. I agree that what most people now call "Communism" has really very little in common with the original ideology. The tyranny, abuse of all kinds- it all worked under the mask of equal chances, of self-improvement that theoretical Communism offered. But theoretical Communism is an utopia, be it then or now- it can never work out.
Is it possible, is it necessary, that the only alternative to revolutionary tyranny and massacre should be the brutal, vulgar, self-satisfied rule of the swindler and the thief?
To this I of course don't have an answer. I think that what we see today means, sadly, that there is no other alternative. One way or the other- it's still a tyranny of some kind. Living outside it is impossible. Living your life how you yourself want it, trying not to take a side, trying to stay away from both of these alternatives- it is, I guess, impossible. But then I never claimed that I am right.