Re: AUT: Negri and Charleton Heston?

[Thiago Oppermann <difference_3ngine@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 30/11/2004 5:09 PM, "Lowe Laclau" <lowe.laclau@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>> My point was a more general one: that class political formations, without
>> the benefit of remaining on paper, tend to take on identity overtones. And
>> so they should. Identity politics is without question the most progressive
>> sector of social struggle, and is the only viable model of organization at
>> present.  Hardt pretty much said so in that recent interview. What do you
>> think this 'joy' is? Self hatred?
>>
> I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to with respect to joy.
> What I was critiquing was rather this idea that I think you were
> saying with respect to the composition of the multitude falling back
> upon identity politics, which I don't think it does.

Look, all I want you to explain to me is why some workers are part of the
multitude while others aren't, and why it is that this division happens to
coincide with the difference between the republican, christian masses on the
one hand and your funky polyphormic swirl of struggles on the other.

Hardt mentioned in a recent interview that he thought that left politics was
too often based on feeling bad. He was impressed by the Zapatistas, who had
a politics stemming from joy. Oddly enough, he also thought this was present
in the slogans of ACT UP, which I am supposing reveals he has a very
sinister sense of humour. Surely, though, you can see what he is getting at.

You shouldn't project your negative perceptions of identity politics, I
think - but that is only to easy,  as I said, it needs to be rescued from
its devotees. Identity poltics isn't something you 'fall back on' - its a
reality, you can fail to appreciate it, or you can deal with it.


Thiago



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