LIBERAL COMMUNIST

"Liberal Communist" seems to be the mot juste making its way around the blogosphere and the wider media at the moment. I'm not sure if it originated with this article from the LRB, but its purpose is to describe those philanthropic capitalists who get stinking rich through the exploitation of others, and then decide they will give a thin slice of their cake back to those people who, were it not for these so-called-altruists' merciless profiteering, may not have needed their patronising charity in the first place.

Anyway, liberal communists are apparently very keen on the Paris Revolution of 1968, or rather on the protagonists of that uprising who went on to get stinking rich through the exploitation of others etc etc etc. Unsurprisingly, they are not so keen on the current demonstrations in France. Of course they're not: if the protestors have their way, these capitalists will have a major source of fleeceable labour denied them.

Personally, I'm an 1871 man. These theses, written by some of the architects of the 1968 revolution (none of whom, I am pleased, became a capitalist, but at least one of whom did shoot himself in the head sometime later), explain why.

And here's Baudrillard on the current fightback against the French political classes, written after the uprising last October, but before the current protests.

Sorry, not the most inspiring of posts - am in need of sleep. More and better stuff is on its way later in the week though. Good night.