Dawns false and true
"There is no denying that bourgeois society has for the second time experienced its 16th century, a 16th century which, I hope, will sound its death knell just as the first ushered it into the world. The proper task of bourgeois society is the creation of the world market, at least in outline, and of the production based on that market.Since the world is round, the colonisation of California and Australia and the opening up of China and Japan would seem to have completed this process.
For us, the difficult question is this: on the Continent revolution is imminent and will, moreover, instantly assume a socialist character. Will it not necessarily be crushed in this little corner of the earth, since the movement of bourgeois society is still, in the ascendant over a far greater area?"
Not often enough pondered, this passage -- at least for one of my kidney. A few fragmentary notes to start a chat round here (perhaps):
1) seems bourgeois society has had at least one more 16th century, eh? By which of course I mean the post-WWII decolonization and subsequent intensified globalization.
2) The word "crushed" has a nice ring. I wonder what sort of mechanics the evil Doctor had in outline in his head as he penned that bit?
3) How often in the past 150 years have good and bright spirits had something like this in their brain's gut: "revolution is imminent and will, moreover, instantly assume a socialist character" -- about some advanced "little corner of the earth "?
4) It still appears to be the case that "the movement of bourgeois society is still, in the ascendant over a far greater area," and if one stares long enough at Chindia alone, the solar god of capital does seem exceeding bright.
Lesson for today: despite these endless orbits of darkness, Clio every once in a blue moon of blue moons likes to pull off a fast quake-like jerk from deepest midnight to a new dawn. We just had one in the Arab world, eh?
