Nov 20, 2023·edited Nov 20, 2023Liked by The Evolved Psyche
>Maybe popular sovereignty has always been a veil behind which a self-interested ruling class – in recent years, employing its ventriloquist techniques – has enriched and empowered itself at the expense of everyone else’s livelihoods, communities, and families.
Jouvenel explores in depth the idea of how "popular sovereignty" led to the concentration of power unparalleled in history.
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Here is what I wrote in another forum a few weeks ago that somewhat echoes what you are saying:
"I believe the term "terrorist" largely comes from a self-serving hypocritically moralizing war framing imposed by the Liberal West in the 20th century on the world and itself. Ditto "innocent civilians". The less we use those words the more clarity we would get.
The Gazan Arabs who participated in the attack are terrorists only in the very technical sense of the word. In the true sense they are soldiers. The Israelis killed and wounded are not "innocent civilians". They are enemies. Just by virtue of their living on the land that those Arabs consider theirs and want to (re)conquer. And by virtue of their supporting the enemy state and society. That goes for children as well, because ultimately the adults do what they do for the sake of their children.
>Maybe popular sovereignty has always been a veil behind which a self-interested ruling class – in recent years, employing its ventriloquist techniques – has enriched and empowered itself at the expense of everyone else’s livelihoods, communities, and families.
Jouvenel explores in depth the idea of how "popular sovereignty" led to the concentration of power unparalleled in history.
-------
Here is what I wrote in another forum a few weeks ago that somewhat echoes what you are saying:
"I believe the term "terrorist" largely comes from a self-serving hypocritically moralizing war framing imposed by the Liberal West in the 20th century on the world and itself. Ditto "innocent civilians". The less we use those words the more clarity we would get.
The Gazan Arabs who participated in the attack are terrorists only in the very technical sense of the word. In the true sense they are soldiers. The Israelis killed and wounded are not "innocent civilians". They are enemies. Just by virtue of their living on the land that those Arabs consider theirs and want to (re)conquer. And by virtue of their supporting the enemy state and society. That goes for children as well, because ultimately the adults do what they do for the sake of their children.
That framing works in the other direction, too."
Yes. Jouvenel's book on power had a huge impact on me back in the day.