of Slavoj Zizek - March 10, 2011 Source: International
Ten years ago, when Slovenia was about to enter the European Union, one of our Eurosceptic paraphrased a joke about the Marx brothers' lawyers, we Slovenes have a problem? We enter the European Union! We will have even more problems, but there will be the Union to take charge!
Ten years ago, when Slovenia was about to enter the European Union, one of our Eurosceptic paraphrased a joke about the Marx brothers' lawyers, we Slovenes have a problem? We enter the European Union! We will have even more problems, but there will be the Union to take charge!
today is how many Slovenes see Europe: it is useful, but also brings new problems. And then it is worth defending the European Union? The real question, of course, is another, which the European Union?
A century ago, Gilbert Keith Chesterton explained clearly the fundamental impasse of the criticism of religion: "Men who begin to fight the church for the sake of freedom and humanity end up fighting for freedom and humanity but also to fight the church." The same applies to the defenders of religion. How many fanatical defenders of religion have begun attacking the secular culture and ended with the betrayal of any religious experience? Thus, many liberal advocates are eager to combat fundamentalism and anti-democratic end to get away from freedom and democracy. If the "terrorists" are ready to raze this world in the name of another, our anti-terrorist warriors are ready to raze their democratic world prey for the Muslim hatred.
Zeal xenophobic
A century ago, Gilbert Keith Chesterton explained clearly the fundamental impasse of the criticism of religion: "Men who begin to fight the church for the sake of freedom and humanity end up fighting for freedom and humanity but also to fight the church." The same applies to the defenders of religion. How many fanatical defenders of religion have begun attacking the secular culture and ended with the betrayal of any religious experience? Thus, many liberal advocates are eager to combat fundamentalism and anti-democratic end to get away from freedom and democracy. If the "terrorists" are ready to raze this world in the name of another, our anti-terrorist warriors are ready to raze their democratic world prey for the Muslim hatred.
Zeal xenophobic
You can not say the same of the defenders of Europe against the threat of immigrants? In their zeal to protect the Judeo-Christian tradition, the new zealots are prepared to betray the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition: that the opportunity for everyone to have access to the universality of the Holy Spirit (or, today, human rights and freedom) and to participate in this universal dimension directly, regardless of the place of the global social order.
The impasse, however, Europe has much deeper roots. The real problem is that critics of the wave of xenophobic, that is, those who would defend the precious European traditions, the ritual tends to be limited to humbly accept the limits of European traditions and celebrate the richness of other cultures. The words of the poem The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats makes the situation well: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." It is an excellent description of the division between liberals and fundamentalists timid lovers, both Muslims and Christians. "Best" are no longer able to work hard, while "the worst" combine religious fanaticism, sexist and racist.
Get yourself out of this predicament? A recent German debate can show us the road. In October, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that "the multicultural approach has failed." His words referred to the debate on Leitkultur (dominant culture) in which the German conservatives insisted that each state is based on a dominant cultural space that members of other cultures must be respected. The meaning of these words is that instead of complaining about the emerging European racist should be self-critical and ask ourselves what our abstract multiculturalism has contributed to the sad state of affairs. The cultures are different
convivereSe all sides do not share the same civilization, then multiculturalism becomes legally regulated mutual ignorance or hatred. The conflict over multiculturalism is already a conflict on Leitkultur: not a clash between cultures but between different visions of how different cultures can and should coexist, and the rules and behaviors that these cultures have to share.
So we should avoid being trapped in the game on "how much tolerance can afford." The only way out of this impasse is to engage and fight for a universal positive project shared by all. The battles are many possibilities in this respect, from ecology to economics. A few months ago in the occupied West Bank has been a small miracle: for some women Palestinians who were demonstrating against the wall joined a group of lesbians in Israel. The initial mutual distrust has vanished in the first clash with the soldiers, giving way to solidarity: the end of a Palestinian woman in traditional dress has embraced a lesbian Israeli with purple hair. A living symbol of what should be our battle.
And so, perhaps the sarcasm dell'euroscettico Slovenia has not grasped the meaning of the question. Instead of wasting time on costs and benefits of the European Union, we should focus on what the EU really is. Mainly acts as a regulator of global capitalism, sometimes flirts with the defense of the conservative tradition. Both roads lead to the marginalization of the continent. The only way out is to resurrect its tradition of radical and universal emancipation. We must go beyond mere tolerance of others and marry a real Leitkultur that can support a true coexistence. Do not limit yourself to respect others, but give them a common struggle, how common our problems today.
Translated by Andrea Sparacino.
International, 888 number , March 11, 2011
The impasse, however, Europe has much deeper roots. The real problem is that critics of the wave of xenophobic, that is, those who would defend the precious European traditions, the ritual tends to be limited to humbly accept the limits of European traditions and celebrate the richness of other cultures. The words of the poem The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats makes the situation well: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." It is an excellent description of the division between liberals and fundamentalists timid lovers, both Muslims and Christians. "Best" are no longer able to work hard, while "the worst" combine religious fanaticism, sexist and racist.
Get yourself out of this predicament? A recent German debate can show us the road. In October, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that "the multicultural approach has failed." His words referred to the debate on Leitkultur (dominant culture) in which the German conservatives insisted that each state is based on a dominant cultural space that members of other cultures must be respected. The meaning of these words is that instead of complaining about the emerging European racist should be self-critical and ask ourselves what our abstract multiculturalism has contributed to the sad state of affairs. The cultures are different
convivereSe all sides do not share the same civilization, then multiculturalism becomes legally regulated mutual ignorance or hatred. The conflict over multiculturalism is already a conflict on Leitkultur: not a clash between cultures but between different visions of how different cultures can and should coexist, and the rules and behaviors that these cultures have to share.
So we should avoid being trapped in the game on "how much tolerance can afford." The only way out of this impasse is to engage and fight for a universal positive project shared by all. The battles are many possibilities in this respect, from ecology to economics. A few months ago in the occupied West Bank has been a small miracle: for some women Palestinians who were demonstrating against the wall joined a group of lesbians in Israel. The initial mutual distrust has vanished in the first clash with the soldiers, giving way to solidarity: the end of a Palestinian woman in traditional dress has embraced a lesbian Israeli with purple hair. A living symbol of what should be our battle.
And so, perhaps the sarcasm dell'euroscettico Slovenia has not grasped the meaning of the question. Instead of wasting time on costs and benefits of the European Union, we should focus on what the EU really is. Mainly acts as a regulator of global capitalism, sometimes flirts with the defense of the conservative tradition. Both roads lead to the marginalization of the continent. The only way out is to resurrect its tradition of radical and universal emancipation. We must go beyond mere tolerance of others and marry a real Leitkultur that can support a true coexistence. Do not limit yourself to respect others, but give them a common struggle, how common our problems today.
Translated by Andrea Sparacino.
International, 888 number , March 11, 2011
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