Bits and bobs

[trixtah]

Stupid Socialist Alliance assertion du jour (at least according to a banner I saw of theirs today): apparently capitalism is responsible for all the nasty ills of the world, such as wars, racism, pollution and something else I've forgotten now. Now, I'm not pretending that capitalism is not a very effective way of delivering various kinds of oppression, including the economic kind, but wow, I totally had no idea of the utopia embodied in absolute monarchy, feudalism, dictatorships (of the right and left kind) or even the good old days of tribes and their chieftains fighting over neighbouring hills.

There's nothing wrong with pointing plenty of fingers at capitalism, but correlation does not equal causation.

In other news, the new Connie Willis book, Blackout, has arrived in Oz, and what a disappointment. This review on Amazon summarises exactly how irritating it is. Such a shame. Anyway, I'm not bothering to go back for Part 2 - the whole "miscommunication" trope was wearing on me a bit in To Say Nothing of the Dog, but this book tipped it way over. It's also EXTREMELY irksome that there is no mention of the fact that the book - nearly 500 pages - is part one of two, until you get to the end and find a very subtle (not) advertising blurb to buy the next. No thanks.

And cocktail invention of the month:

In a cocktail shaker lid, lightly crush two cloves. At 1-2 Tbl of overproof rum and heat over a tealight until bubbles start to form. Flame the rum, allow to burn for a few seconds and extinguish by covering the lid (with the bottom of the shaker, a glass, whatever). Strain the rum over ice in a short glass. Pour over a shot of light rum (decent quality, plz), 1/2 a shot Grand Marnier and a shot of orange juice. Top up with pineappe juice and stir. To be classy, make a twist of orange peel, flame it and use it to garnish the drink.

Nom nom!

Comments

[khavrinen]

It's also EXTREMELY irksome that there is no mention of the fact that the book - nearly 500 pages - is part one of two, until you get to the end and find a very subtle (not) advertising blurb to buy the next

Yeah, I hate when they do that. I'm definitely going to pass on the next Karin Lowachee, because "The Gaslight Dogs" pulled that one. Not a clue anywhere that I saw that it was the first in a series until it ended abruptly in a spot that is blatantly "continued next book". Not only that, despite the fact that I heard it talked up by people who were vocal in the last "racefail" wank, it was about 70% "British-analogue male character" to only about 30% "Inuit-analogue female character", when I was expecting it to be all the latter.

[trixtah]

Gah, that really sucks. Both for dropping the story midstream, and the misrepresentation of the lead character ratio. Such a shame.

[vostoklake]

Firstly, I'm amazed and gratified that the SA are making themselves relevant enough to be bothered being pissed off by. Secondly - tribal cultures invented wars, but capitalism invented weapons of mass destruction that could wreck the planet. Tribal cultures invented greed, but capitalism invented a system designed to specifically accelerate greed to planet-threatening proportions. Pollution, similarly. And racism as we know it only exists since about the 16th century.

Thirdly, I think you're being unfair targeting a banner slogan of the type designed to get a very blunt point around to gormless idiots, for not being a subtle and nuanced article. I'm sure if you scour back issues of Green Left Weekly you will find plenty of arguments that capitalism was a good idea at the time and is still a step forward from being peasants living in mud huts... just that it's outlived its usefulness.

Fourthly, why am I bothering to write this when I just quit politics?

[trixtah]

It's more the fact that they -aren't- making themselves relevant by such sloppy logic that pissed me off. Elections are coming up fast here in Oz, and it irks me that alternatives to the major parties are making themselves so unappealing, especially for the yoof. It's all very well preaching to the already-converted, but conveying the message in an intelligible way to the fence-sitters is just as important.

As for capitalism accelerating many of the nasties of the world, I'm totally with you there (well, other than the racism thing - I have no idea how you're defining it, but I am having an extremely hard time believing that it/xenophobia in general are artifacts of colonialism. Crusades, anyone?). Capitalism totally serves to exacerbate in an extreme way (growth at all costs!) the problems that human beings (actually, animals in general) have with resource competition.

And I'm not being unfair at all to a stupid banner that can be shot down in flames using the most rudimentary knowledge of history - if they had said perpetuates or drives or even depends upon the various forms of exploitation, I'd have been right there with them. It doesn't have to be "nuanced", just not blatantly ridiculous - then more people might be more willing to read the more nuanced discussion in the paper itself.

[trixtah]

Oh, and quitting political activism is not quite the same as quitting politics in genera. :-) We're human beings, we care about our society, therefore, politics. How we engage with them is infinitely variable (me, I like to discuss - or "discuss" - things with my friends).

[elizathetroll]

From the review, it seems that the book has all I hated about the Doomsday Book and none of what I liked.

[trixtah]

Yes, the whole running-around-in-circles thing started to make me very tired in the Doomsday Book as well. This book is about 85% that crap, 15% meticulously-researched stuff about early WWII in England, and barely-discernible plot (other than "OMG I'm stuck, these people are weird, how do I get back to the future!!!1!") and fuck-all characterisation.

So I'm glad you're not going to race out and waste your money.