A first last note on politics

by Richard Reeve on October 6, 2009

in AziMuth

“The present day shows with appalling clarity how little able people are to let the other man’s argument count, although this capacity is a fundamental and indispensable condition for any human community.” Carl Jung, The Transcendent Function, CW VIII, par. 187.

In many ways politics is dead. We no longer hear each other. What does it mean to live in a post-political era? Is anyone asking?

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  • Jeb

    There was a time I was moving in the direction of entering the world of politics. An internship experience, as well as stories relayed to me by friends who were working for congressmen, made me change my mind.

    I don't see reasonable, informed men and women debating issues with respect and open minds. I see the wielding of power, the application of pressure, in pursuit of a predetermined goal.

    You're right Richard, that's not politics. It's closer to tyranny, actually. Only worse, because it claims to be otherwise.

  • Twitter simply wasn't long enough to make my case. I would say we live in a "Romantic" era in the historic sense of a society that values passions above pure reason. In my eyes, and this may just be a byproduct of my definition of politics, society necessarily breeds politics (the competition of personal brands, in a sense) simply because we're wired that way as humans.

  • I see your point, and of course I was pushing mine...but do you think
    that an understanding of the "other" camp has anything to do with our
    current culture? ...and if not, then that translates into something
    that looks and feels more like King of the Mountain than the "art" of
    politics.

    I'm interested by your sense of personal branding being a political
    move...would you elaborate?

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