The Early Days of a Better Nation

Monday, October 06, 2008



Annals of uneven and combined development

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke is computer-modelling the US economy on a Dell workstation. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao upholds Adam Smith's other book. The Taliban has its own ringtones. Who knew? Iceland says goodbye, and thanks for all the fish: 'When everyone was extremely rich in Iceland - you know, last month [...]'

Walk on two legs, dig trenches deep, and don't seek hegemony.

9 Comments:

It's not Matlab on a Dell that worries me: it's that they're doing this on a system that does not model the financial sector, which is what is screwing everyone up.

What about storing grain? Yes or no?

Store grain, yes. I knew I'd forgotten one of the maxims.

But if you go all Digger, who is going to "free the hell out of" us in the US?

... Guess that is our row to hoe.

Brian, the slogan 'Dig tunnels deep, store grain everywhere, and never seek hegemony' is attributed to Mao. I think it means 'hunker down for the nuclear war'.

It's not a slogan I'm putting forward myself, you understand. I'm sure the US working class will save us in the final reel.

Were you saying something? Check out that Palin chick, she's winking at me!

Speaking of "hegemony," a great account of the USA's current attempt at just that is HEGEMONY OR SURVIVAL, by Noam Chomsky. It's so good, and so important, that Penguin reprinted it in its Celebrations series last year. Although first published in 2003 it has an Afterword written in 2004 and is not at all dated.

I thought 'Hegemony' was a village in Co. Antrim?

No, hegemoney is obviously what you invest in hegefunds.

Ah, yes, Mao, one of those nutters who thought a global nuclear war might be winnable...

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