An errand took me into Wisconsin today, as the recall election was under way.
For more than a year the state has been in political turmoil, culminating in what will likely be a decisive and pregnant victory for one side or the other.
Yet I was struck by what I did not see: no brawling, no assaults, no riots, no assassinations.
The debates across Wisconsin have been vigorous — and often angry, unfair, and uncivil. But in the final analysis, the electorate will settle the matter by peaceful voting. That is healthy, and in historical context, something to be thankful for.
Meanwhile, a little humor from just across the Illinois side of the border, seen on the side of a building.
The marvelous summary of Stephen Hicks’s documentary brings me to this blog.
In its honor I offer this argument.
His conclusion: That Capitalism, which is comprised in his other 4 anti-Nazi fundamentals, is incomplete. We can see this argument by putting capitalism in a 3 dimensional matrix with the following continuums. X: Ignorance versus awareness; Y: Pleasure and Pain; Z: Benefit and Harm (to the species, other species, or any objective like the “Ubermench”.) Nietzsche can be shown sub optimal if we consider that organisms gravitate toward pleasure, especially the conscious. Awareness also gravitates toward Benefit. Finally, awareness is superior to ignorance it is also the pleasure that leads to benefit.
Nietzsche falls on the lower back quadrant of pain and harm. The Nazi fall into the lower left octant, since in practice they work for ignorance too. Similarly, unmanaged capitalism is suboptimal. It can fall into the same lower back quadrant.
On the other hand socialism can aspire, and be guided, into the front upper quadrant of pleasure and benefit. Since its ideal directs itself to the front right octant of awareness, benefit, and pleasure it is optimal. We can accommodate Nietzsche’s condition of direction of change, by allowing a 4th continuum of advancement from the hemisphere of benefit toward the octant of pleasure benefit and awareness, say by representing movement say in color from the hazy purple of the documentary to a pleasant yellow.
We all sense that naked Capitalism is far from ideal. In this matrix we can quantify its failings, by documenting values to each coordinate set. I’m not a Socialist (i’m and MBA), these are just the common terms in which we can share the idea.
The beauty of the documentary is that the art supports the argument. After watching it into 3 AM, and reviewing it 12 hours later, the beautiful imagery has imprinted the arguments so that one can remember and understand. Form me, for the first time. I used to hate Nietzsche because I could not understand him. Now I do, and appreciate the beauty of his arguments for the first time. Thank you S. Hicks.
Thanks, Atanacio. I appreciate the praise.