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Watching the left's reaction to the London Riots, I am reminded of a discussion between philosopher Michel Foucault and French Maoist militants in 1971. The Maoists argued in favor of setting up a "people's court" to pass judgement on the police whereas Foucault took the contrary position and insisted instead on uncoordinated, unconstrained brutal "popular justice."
Foucault theorized that any attempt to create a judicial system, even a judicial system purportedly run by the people, would simply replicate the power structure that we intended to oppose. Nor did he shy away from taking this argument to its logical conclusion. Foucault went as far as embracing historic examples of disturbing mob behavior, explicitly recalling, and implicitly endorsing, the rash of extrajudicial executions carried out during the French Revolution's September Massacres of 1792 when over a thousand people were murdered by revolutionaries. This, for Foucault, was what "popular justice" looks like and even the "moral ideology" that finds these illegal outbursts repellant "must be submitted to the scrutiny of the most rigorous criticism." The Maoists, on the other hand, insisted that the people's fury ought to be channeled into appropriate (albeit revolutionary) party structures.
What Foucault and the Maoists were debating goes to the heart of how we imagine revolutionary change will take place. Will the revolution be an uncontrolled insurrection – whose symptoms include looting in the streets of London, for example – where the people's rage against consumerism is fully released and their judgements implicitly trusted? Or, will we fear the mob and act, more or less explicitly on the side of power and the status quo, to quell and control the released flows – grabbing a broom to keep the streets clean for the next day's ecocidal shopping?
This is, for me, the fundamental point: at what point does a riot become a revolution? Must the London youth don Black Bloc attire and shout utopian anarchist slogans while burning cop cars before their acts are recognized as a kind of political rebellion? Must they be able to articulate themselves in a way that is intelligible to readers of Alain Badiou, Giorgio Agamben and Antonio Negri before their riotous flashmobs are acknowledged as the highest form of networked insurrection yet achieved? I suspect that when revolution comes, the ones who have been too long waiting for it will be the very ones who miss it. For they will be too accustomed to looking in the wrong direction, waiting for the wrong words, the wrong actors, the wrong kinds of political deeds.
We are in a revolutionary moment. Prepare yourself: this global insurrection will unfold in ways we lefties may not like. There might be violence, although we desire nonviolence, and there might be pillaging, although we desire the peaceful transfer of wealth. But, let us pause to consider before passing knee-jerk judgement on the forces unleashed even if they do not act as we would prefer. Before we rush to set up approved structures of dissent, we should ask ourselves why we are so invested in denying that rioting is a legitimate political act. Rather than trying to channel, control or dissipate these forces, we must learn to play off of the chaos of the released flows.
"It is from the point of view of property that there are thieves and stealing," Foucault insisted at the end of his discussion. When we always see looting as nothing but thieving and refuse to grant to it the status of a conscious political act, an outburst of "popular justice" against a corrupt and corrupting capitalist system, we are assuming the point of view of the very forces we are trying to overthrow. The same goes for when we condemn any insurrectionary act that is not accompanied by an insurrectionary tract.
The London Riots may not be pretty but as the old-lefty adage goes: "Revolution is not a dinner party, nor an essay, nor a painting, nor a piece of embroidery; it cannot be advanced softly, gradually, carefully, considerately, respectfully, politely, plainly, and modestly. A revolution is an insurrection…" And the London Riots are, whether we like it or not, what an insurrection might look like if the forces of capitalism do not peacefully, voluntarily relinquish their stranglehold.
Please email the following to
Please email the following to many organizations(including trade unions) in Europe and N. America
-------------------------------------------------
join the uprising (strikes, rallies, total halt) to destroy the bourgeois governments
in all over western Europe, beginning on Nov 15, followed by uprising in USA, Canada in Nov 19 (Arm yourselves; do not hesitate to shoot the police, if they attack you, by any means)
-----------------------------------------
Unprecedented Deception Tactics make copies and distribute
The Bourgeoisie has fooled people so
well that an average person (of lower class,
middle class) in response to the establishment
of a socialist State which will guarantee the basic
rights of employment, free education, housing,
adequate income, freedom of faith, among
others, gives the same answer that his abuser,
oppressor, the Bourgeoisie gives:
That is dictatorship (against the capitalists).
That is suppression of individuals rights
(in favor of people’s collective rights).
Some say the genes of these people are
just too stupid to read the unspoken words.
Some know the heinous Bourgeoisie is
a clever fox.
Let’s destroy this fox once for all.
join the uprising (strikes, rallies, total halt) to
destroy the bourgeois governments in all over
western Europe, beginning on Nov 15, followed
by uprising in USA, Canada
in Nov 19 (Arm yourselves; do not hesitate to shoot
the police, if they attack you, by any means)
Copy, email, attach this in bathrooms, bus stations, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The End of a very Dark Era in Sight
Sex trade in millions (involving adults
and millions of children).
Divorce in hundreds of millions imposed
on people (to increase consumption).
Indecency, immorality, humiliation, sky
rocketing.
Indirect crimes: eviction, sweat labor, high
level of theft, bribery, etc, etc.
Child labor: 200 millions (5,6,7 year olds)
To survey everything will take long. Let’s
make the long story short by saying: Destroy
all the Bourgeoisie political parties to get
justice . attach this in public bathrooms.
Make copies and distribute
join the uprising (strikes, rallies, total halt) to destroy
the bourgeois governments in all over western Europe,
beginning on Nov 15, followed by uprising in USA, Canada
in Nov 19
Copy, email; attach this in public bathrooms, bus stations, etc.
From Liberation Front
----------------------------------------------
They have mastered the art of controlling
the people’s minds make copies and distribute
They have to expiate their crimes against
humanity, before God, and before that before
the people.
For every 4,5,6 year old child who has to work
for his family to survive(200 million child labour
in the world). For every innocent woman and girl
who has been deprived of her honour, forced
to sell her body (prostitution, pornography).
For every person, forced to leave his/ her dwelling
so the fat landlords get fatter.
For every student who had to drop out of school
or university because of poverty.
And many, many more injustices
We will need to arrest all the Bourgeois
politicians, bring them to trial, ask them piercing
questions—and then spit at their faces, while
pronouncing death penalty for them.
If you have any ounce of humanity, honor, gut,
in your blood, you will be there in harmony with
others off work in rallies/uprisings beginning in
Nov 15 in many European, and Nov 19 in
N. American countries.
Attach this in the bathrooms, walls, etc
From Liberation Front of N. America and W. Europe
---------------------------------------------------------
Time to kill the Bourgeoisie
Those who say that Stalin, and communists
killed many people, never say who did they kill.
They killed very heinous individuals, like pimps,
those who abduct children and girls, forcing them
into sex business, those who order the pension of
pensioners to be stopped, those who order the eviction
of the working class people, and like that.
Hence, the critics of the socialists by and large fall
in the category of these heinous, criminal individuals
who will be destroyed, abolished in the very near future.
And the remaining of the critics, (from among the
working class) are just brain washed lunatics who do not
even realize who is on their side, and who is against them.
join the uprising (strikes, rallies, total halt) to destroy
the bourgeois governments in all over Western Europe,
beginning onNov 15, followed by uprising in USA,
Canada on Nov 19 (Arm yourselves.)
Attach this in public bathrooms; email
From Liberation Front of N. America and W. Europe
the london riots were not
the london riots were not "the people's rage against consumerism." Quite the opposite. The riots had more in common with American 'black fridays' when people get crushed, stepped on and killed so they can get the newest product at a special low price for Christmas.
Burning those clothes and
Burning those clothes and electronics would have made them revolutionaries in 'rage against consumerism'. Taking it home makes them criminals.
I agree though. It's
I agree though. It's absolutely political to claim the streets (e.g. occupy Wall St) and march for ideals. Rioting for the sole reason of personal gain is counterproductive. And I am not saying that social repression is not at the very root of this problem, but claiming that looting flat-screen TVs is political is ridiculous. It's not food they are stealing because they are hungry...
yeah because a flatscreen you
yeah because a flatscreen you can fence for a hundred pounds or so can buy you more groceries than you could carry
God forbid people actually
God forbid people actually make use of things!
criminals are terrible!
criminals are terrible! Property is not theft! It is hard produced concentrated SIN that must be destroyed by fire! WE must lock them up or send them back! never mind that they probably came here/got the right to come here because of their enslavement/colonialization!
You are an ignorant and what
You are an ignorant and what you are saying is purely and simply racism. Have you actually seen the rioters, were you in the streets by then? Because I was there and I can tell you there were people from all ages and colors... Now we should send YOU back to where you are from and I believe it is a tree or maybe a cave....
ugh! immigrant criminals are
ugh! immigrant criminals are what I cannot abide! These dirty brown apes must take place in the spectacle of 'rage against the consumerism' in order to get my armchair approval! I do not understand what this author was getting at at all!!!
That is a very racist and
That is a very racist and closed-minded opinion.
t-t-t-they wanted objects
t-t-t-they wanted objects that show status? what apes!
ugh! you don't understand!
ugh! you don't understand! these blacks! they wanted stuff! it was awful!
These comments sound like a
These comments sound like a bunch of bitter pedantic white people, thank god the revolution isn't in their hands
I was under the impression
I was under the impression that you needed a double-digit IQ to be a revolutionary.
I live in Brixton, I know the kind of people who rioted, and they're not smart people committing ideological acts. They're kids who spend their dole money or minimum wage pay packet on BlackBerrys, trainers.. status symbols in general. Which is what they robbed.
It would be great to turn the riots into something positive, and say it's a time when the people took the law into their own hands, but it truly wasn't. Have you seen any of the mass messages sent via BBM? It was incoherent babble; same goes for any of the rioters who allowed themselves to be itnerviewed ("It's the government, innit, like.. Conservatives or whatever, whoever's in power. We're robbing the shops 'cause, they's rich?" - bearing in mind there were a lot of Greggs / JD Sports looted, but also small newsagents, people who couldn't even afford contents insurance)
yessir poor people are dumb.
yessir poor people are dumb. having shoes that allow you to run faster and phones that allow instant encrypted communication, what use will those have in the revolution!?
A lot of the rioting that i
A lot of the rioting that i came to know about was dissapointing from the organised political viewpoint.
But political it was, an outpouring of Extreme Consumerism. This was inscribed in the very action sof the rioters.
But now its the time of reterritorialisation.
Watch how their fear represents itself though their sentencing.
National courts cannot be permitted any longer to have a monopoly on justice.
People's courts can also be full of Sh!t too though.
what morans, they didn't even
what morans, they didn't even sing the intnernational, wtf?/
totally missing your point
totally missing your point here WHY the riots are a political act as claimed in the headline. cant see a single argument. if you say one should consider them as a political act pls explain. ty
because it was in effect a
because it was in effect a citizen army taking to the streets to attack and pillage their enemy? I don't know I don't have any reading comprehension skills either
Rob a bank and you get 10
Rob a bank and you get 10 years The Bank robs you and they get a seven figure pension.
Factors that contribute to rioting are population size, the breakdown of respect for social order, poverty, the lack of opportunities for personal advancement and Debt.
Today the people that led the world into debt by their corrupt practises within the Banking, Insurance, and Financial sector have been reappointed by President Obama to head his financial team. No one has been brought to justice for the debt all the world is now paying and rioting about.
All the banks had AAA status just before they collapsed from Standard and Poor the same people who have just downgraded USA economy?
University Professors who advised the governments were working without declaring their paid interest for these corrupt banks etc. just before the crash.
If you check the facts you will find a transfer of wealth from the poorest to the top one percent and these crooks are still running all our economies.
This was achieved by getting companies like standard and poor to give false assessments of bad debt which was then sold to our pension funds as triple A.
Whilst ever these crooks go unpunished and are rewarded by huge golden handshakes and top government jobs, riots will get worse.
We all have a remedy it is our vote and a free press.
Make sure you give your vote wisely and all the politicians who supported crooked bankers, insurance companies, are swept from power.
To the press it is time to expose these crooks. Name and Shame
taking part in the spectacle
taking part in the spectacle will only give it the fuel it needs to surivive
"If you check the facts you
"If you check the facts you will find a transfer of wealth from the poorest to the top one percent..."
Actually, I think it was a transfer from the middle class to the rich. The poor didn't have much to steal. The middle class had houses and pensions...and jobs.
Now many in the middle class have been relocated to the ballooning poor class.
The top 1% are so much richer...
You talk about popular
You talk about popular revolution, a disengaged youth acting against consumerism and commodification of rights. I disagree. These people are not fighting against consumerism or capitalism or authority. They are a holy army of consumers. They didn't attack the shops they looted, they swarmed them in a spontaneous and violent shopping spree - the same cathartic outburst expounded by the media we consume. This isn't 'popular justice' it's an extreme expression of popular culture.
August has new sale season. What's up for grabs? The very things you normally treat yourself with: clothes, shoes, consumer electronics.
The people have spoken, and they speak the language of advertisers. "Be an individual, choose this brand of shoes" "Express yourself with this TV". They're taking part in the discourse that we are all encouraged to and they are speaking with their purchases.
This is a symptom of the failures of capitalism. Not a stand against it.
you speak the language of
you speak the language of advertisers. looters live in material reality. you are the one so tied up in theoretical language that you are not no longer taking part in real life.
Of all the things I've read
Of all the things I've read about the London riots, this reply has hit the nail on the head. How the rioting manifested itself is uncomfortable, it sits ill with our paradigms of the left but we're going to have to find a way to engage/change it (hell if i know?) and move forward.
I went to the revolution but
I went to the revolution but all I got were these trainers
The argument made here is
The argument made here is mindblowing in its intellectual laziness: "precisely because the London riots do not meet our standards of what revolutionary action should look like, they are revolutionary".
It is indeed highly likely that the revolution will not look like you expect it to look. But that doesn't mean that any public order disturbance that fails to conform to your idea of revolutionary action is, by its very failure to do so, in fact revolutionary.
Give me a break. You can do better than that.
See no problem with the
See no problem with the intelligence of the argument. He may presuppose that the actions qualified as protest and merely puts forth that the form they take are departures from the forms that most people are accustomed to. In this sense the actions are revolutionary in that they don't follow your prescribed notion of what a revolution "should" look like. I tend to agree. The concept of "tolerant repression" is to "sanction" a protest by having people file for permits and stay with in very narrow bounds of permissible behavior, etc thereby rendering the efficacy of the protest null. These protests are a revolution precisely because they don't adhere to "permissible behavior.' Another word for permissible protests is "excorporation" which plays directly into the hands of the power elite and is even comodified.
Perhaps the authors intent was to point out this all too familiar dynamic. Who'll be the next retailer to use protestors to sell us jeans?
Nah. Fuck American Apparel and all the bean counters who attempt to 'excorporate' serious grievances into their capitalist agenda.
Burn it I say, before the capitalists consume everything. What do the fire fighters call it? "Back-burning" I think. Fight fire with fire..
Sorry dude, can't be there
Sorry dude, can't be there with you. Go start your back-burn. I'll bring a hose.
Uh-huh well I'm gunna bet
Uh-huh well I'm gunna bet that where ever you are so privileged to live was granted to you by way of a whole hell of a lot of "back burning". This is the nature of revolt. Burn - until the much greater holocaust of say imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, apartheid, etc changes course. Bring your hose if you want, you'll only prolong the inevitable.