Sunday, November 8, 2009

Smith on Commerce, both psychological and economic

Sometimes the best way to be sympathetic is to stop right at the border or boundary of a person or place, whose incomprehensibility just asks to to be acknowledged and not understood. I don't think that this is an argument against sympathy, open borders (both psychological and political), or worldwide exchange and commerce, but an argument for open and permeable borders that sometimes need to express reciprocity and equality (self<->other relations) and sometimes need to express distinction (self<-other; self->other). And so freedom is sometimes maintained by the reciprocal attunement of two selves, but also sometimes by the discord between them, or sometimes it is only attained when these two things are allowed to occur simultaneously.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Political Work of Monuments: The Holocaust


Holocaust Memorial: Miami
Holocaust memorial in Budapest
Holocaust Memorial: Budapest








Holocaust Memorial:  Boston







Holocaust Memorial: Berlin








The Political Work of Monuments: the Gulag

Courtesy of the Memorial Museum of Political Repression History:

Perm-36 camp buildings before and after the restoration. Courtesy of the Gulag Museum at Perm-36.
Perm-36 camp buildings before and after the restoration. Courtesy of the Gulag Museum at Perm-36.

Perm-36 camp buildings before and after the restoration. Courtesy of the Gulag Museum at Perm-36.


Location of small monuments erected to commemorate the victims of totalitarianism:




Monuments in honor of political repression victims:

Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.








Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.Monuments in honor of political repression victims.




Plato's Cave and Sun Image

Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Plato's Allegory of the Cave

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The Political Work of Covers





1. Cabinet: Issue 31; Special Section: SHAME

What political work is being done by this cover in relation to its theme, shame?

Answers: it represents the fig leaf that covers what we Christians should be ashamed of.
2. It represents that part of the male anatomy that needs to be covered to avoid shame.
3. It represents that part of the female anatomy that needs to be covered to avoid shame.
4. It represents the key-hole that we should be ashamed to look through.
Others: