July 20, 2010
"The history of European atheism, from its Greek and Roman origins in Lucretius’ De rerum natura to modern classics like Spinoza, offers a lesson in dignity and courage. Much more than with occasional outbursts of hedonism, it is marked by the awareness of the bitter outcome of every human life, since there is no higher authority watching over our fates and guaranteeing the happy outcome. At the same time, atheists strive to formulate the message of joy which comes not from escaping reality, but from accepting it and creatively finding one’s place in it.

What makes this materialist tradition unique is the way it combines the humble awareness that we are not masters of the universe, but just parts of a much larger whole exposed to contingent twists of fate, with a readiness to accept the heavy burden of responsibility for what we make out of our lives. With the threat of unpredictable catastrophe looming from all sides, isn’t this an attitude needed more than ever in our own times? (…)

What makes modern Europe unique is that it is the first and only civilisation in which atheism is a fully legitimate option, not an obstacle to any public post. This is most emphatically a European legacy worth fighting for.” "

— Slavoj Žižek, Violence. Six Sideways Reflections, London: Profile Books, 2008, pp. 117-118. (via msodradek + amiquote)

1:45pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/836261226
(Notes: 15)
  
Filed under: europe religion politics philosophy history materialism 
May 26, 2010
"

In its current form, under the influence of the dominant social forces, the European construction may have produced some degree of institutional harmonisation, and generalised some fundamental rights, which is not negligible, but, contrary to the stated goals, it has not produced a convergent evolution of national economies, a zone of shared prosperity. Some countries are dominant, others are dominated. The peoples of Europe may not have antagonistic interests, but the nations increasingly do […]

Now, clearly, whether Europe works as an effective system of solidarity among its members to protect them from “systemic risks”, or simply sets a juridical framework to promote a greater degree of competition among them, will determine the future of Europe politically, socially, and culturally.

But there is a second tendency: a transformation of the international division of labour, which radically destabilises the distribution of employment in the world. This is a new global structure where north and south, east and west are now exchanging their places. Europe, or most of it, will experience a brutal increase of inequalities: a collapsing of the middle classes, a shrinking of skilled jobs, a displacement of “volatile” productive industries, a regression of welfare and social rights, and a destruction of cultural industries and general public services. This will precipitate a return to the ethnic conflicts which the European construction wanted to overcome forever.

We cannot, accordingly, but ask the question: is this the beginning of the end for the EU, a construction that started 50 years ago on the basis of an age-old utopia, but now proves unable to fulfil its promises? The answer, unfortunately, is yes: sooner or later, this will be inevitable, and possibly not without some violent turmoil. Unless it finds the capacity to start again on radically new bases, Europe is a dead political project.

"

— Étienne Balibar /via verso uk

2:36pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/634458196
Filed under: europe politics capitalism history nationalism law 
May 24, 2010
Re-Link: The Physcial Network of Data

“With an estimated 1,733,993,741 users and a global growth rate of 380% since 2000 , it is easy to think of the internet as a free-flowing cloud of information accessible by all. However, unlike popular belief, our connection to the internet is not mediated by an uber high-tech network of satellites (or any of the other usual suspects). In fact, satellite links account for only 1% of all internet connections. Automatically, and incorrectly, thought of as a complex metaphysical network of information, the Internet consists of a highly physical network of lines and nodes; a simple system with inherent complexities. […]

The lines and nodes of the internet, much like any other physical infrastructure, are prone to an array of politico-economic issues. Closely related to the politico-economic reading of the hierarchical structure of the world, much of this understanding of internet has to do with its very physical backbone. Areas with the least number of users get the best connections and others, like most of Africa, get nothing. We can clearly make out the users from producers. The redundancies of the submarine lines to North America and Europe have caused internet prices to plummet, which in turn has encouraged not only higher usage of internet but an active participation in the information world. Meanwhile, you can count the number of lines feeding Africa on one hand. As a result, prices are so high that even the lines that are already in place become meaningless, because of lack of use.” /via @endlesscities

3:42pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/628333922
Filed under: network data materialism history internet communication media technology visualization economics africa europe 
May 21, 2010
From ‘The Becoming-Minoritorian of Europe’ by Rossi Braidotti, in Deleuze and the contemporary world by Buchanan & Parr

From ‘The Becoming-Minoritorian of Europe’ by Rossi Braidotti, in Deleuze and the contemporary world by Buchanan & Parr

10:26pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/620111977
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: capitalism discourse europe language materialism nationalism philosophy politics society identity 
April 21, 2010
Is the progressive case for migration truly progressive? > openDemocracy

“There is in truth nothing progressive at all in a ‘laissez faire’ approach to migration which relies for its logic on an extreme neo-liberal position that people should fight ‘dog eat dog’ for economic opportunities wherever they can find them in an unregulated global economy. A new fairer world economic order is not going to be built on this approach. Neither is it persuasive to take the line that because developed, former imperialist powers like the UK have helped to create such an unjust world, mass migration would solve the problem. Research by ippr ‘Development on the move’ to be published in May, shows that migration has largely beneficial development impacts, but the report is quite clear that it does not amount to a development strategy. It is through the pursuit of trade justice, improved governance and economic redistribution that a fairer world will be achieved, not through huge disorganised movements of people.”

Strange to argue like a neoliberal (development, development, development!) using anti-neoliberal arguments… Having said that, it’s still interesting to read something that shuffles ideological cards, even if only for argument’s sake.

P.S. Question: is this “mass migration” an actual phenomenon? Are the huddled masses really swamping Europe? I have a feeling this straw man needs burning…

6:52pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/538674113
Filed under: capitalism racism europe politics ideology culture 
November 21, 2009
After 1968

On the notion of the political in postmarxist theory.

via federicoariasr

3:15pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/251937452
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: politics marxism theory history europe capitalism 
October 23, 2009
Language Map of Europe via @neatorama

Language Map of Europe via @neatorama

7:52pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/221128996
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: language europe graphics 
September 7, 2009
Rebranding History: 'Vote 1916 for a better Europe'

“While it’s toe-curling to see Coir’s holy joes lament socialist leader James Connolly and an English nationalist like Farage suck up to an Irish audience on a rebellion that would be one of the first nails in the coffin of 20th century British imperialism, it’s also ironic to hear leading architects of the crisis-ridden, disillusioned state that is contemporary Ireland reclaim a revolutionary tradition their governments have ever been at a pains to bury, particularly in the form it took in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.” (via @Presseurop)

12:54pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/181914192
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: history europe uk ireland rhetoric politics 
September 3, 2009
I look to the day when such documents can be admired for their aesthetic beauty, artifacts of a 1.0 historical quirk + http://tinyurl.com/me6zn8 via EP

I look to the day when such documents can be admired for their aesthetic beauty, artifacts of a 1.0 historical quirk + http://tinyurl.com/me6zn8 via EP

5:44pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/178887395
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: travel culture europe 
July 12, 2009
EuroNotes : Wordle

found this app via @unmodern

7:12pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/140276702
Filed under: literature visualization academia europe media me 
July 6, 2009
"The Central European style of “enlightened absolutism”, of top-down reforms devised by scientifically and philosophically trained elite planners has not changed since the 18th century. “Communist” economic planners were painlessly transmogrified into neoconservative monetarist planners. For them, in a characteristically positivist manner, “socialism” was but an error in economic calculus. Marginal utility seemed more “modern” than the labour theory of value—and bureaucrats go more willingly with the prevailing fashion than couturiers."

—

GM Tamás

5:33am  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/136206187
Filed under: europe history marxism politics capitalism 
June 20, 2009
Euronews has changed. Taken at London Heathrow, that day I missed my flight.

Euronews has changed. Taken at London Heathrow, that day I missed my flight.

1:16am  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/126725257
Filed under: europe media photography stories 
June 19, 2009
@MXML: Did you study Euronews before or after their rebranding in June 2008? If you studied it after, did you take into account 'aesthetic/design' factors in your analysis?
Garcia-Blanco: Our analysed period actually covered the rebranding period. The rebranding did not mean anything but an aesthetic change. There were not any changes in the journalistic practices nor in the contents of the channel. A white circle appeared in the corner, that is all.
@MXML: If yes, what do you think is the significance of the 'Euronews: Pure' concept + the loungey/jazzy music motifs used throughout + the hyperurban bumper sequences/graphics?
Garcia-Blanco: I do not really think it means anything. Personally, I think it is quite vacuous. The same concept could be used to advertise water, whisky, a spa, a hotel, a restaurant, shower gel...
12:37pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/126403075
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: europe media academia graphics 
June 8, 2009
the strange fruit of democracy (via @guardiannews)

  1. EU voters take a turn to the right: Centre-left parties find economic woes and protest votes for extremists.. http://tinyurl.com/p23tv2
  2. Lebanon’s ruling coalition claims election win: • Saad Hariri expected to become prime minister • Vote deemed fai.. http://tinyurl.com/qo7ofs
  3. BNP wins first seat on EU parliament: Nick Griffin prevented from reaching Manchester count by demonstrators as .. http://tinyurl.com/p7ml2f

5:51pm  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/120023236
Filed under: lebannon uk europe politics 
June 5, 2009
I learned a lot about #EU09 today. A few friends went to vote; one was told she wasn’t eligible (no idea why, seeing as she’s French), and the other two were surprised to find out that they supposed to vote for British parties (even though they were French and German). The worst part was how the people in charge didn’t really know what they were supposed to do/say in the circumstance. They were kind/helpful, but ultimately ineffectual, even after calling the Electoral Office (ta-da-da!), which was as ineffectual. One of them voted since she has dual-nationality (lucky cow)… but generally, we all left learning a whole lot about Europe… My two cents? The EU needs to drop the communitarian basis for voting; Europeans should be allowed to vote for any European party, running anywhere. If nations must have quotas in the parliament, then they should be treated as quotas; i.e. even if half of the citizens of the UK choose to vote for Italian parties, British parties would still be represented because there would be a quota to fill. The inherent unfairness of this (i.e. parties with massively higher support having to share the parliament with parties with much less support but who are there anyway to represent national interests) would eventually make people and parties realize that European politics should be fundamentally different than national politics i.e. the EP would be a chamber of ideological movements, and not national representatives. In this system, even the BNP could find a way of getting representation by forming alliances with neo-Nazis elsewhere in Europe. Only then would the EU become more than a Union of European Nations, and actually be a Euro-polity of ideas. The basis of my very rough sketch of EU reform as I see it at this very very late hour is, of course, based on the kind of thinking advocates of Lebanon-as-single-voting-district promote for overcoming sectarianism/communitarianism.

I learned a lot about #EU09 today. A few friends went to vote; one was told she wasn’t eligible (no idea why, seeing as she’s French), and the other two were surprised to find out that they supposed to vote for British parties (even though they were French and German). The worst part was how the people in charge didn’t really know what they were supposed to do/say in the circumstance. They were kind/helpful, but ultimately ineffectual, even after calling the Electoral Office (ta-da-da!), which was as ineffectual. One of them voted since she has dual-nationality (lucky cow)… but generally, we all left learning a whole lot about Europe…

My two cents? The EU needs to drop the communitarian basis for voting; Europeans should be allowed to vote for any European party, running anywhere. If nations must have quotas in the parliament, then they should be treated as quotas; i.e. even if half of the citizens of the UK choose to vote for Italian parties, British parties would still be represented because there would be a quota to fill. The inherent unfairness of this (i.e. parties with massively higher support having to share the parliament with parties with much less support but who are there anyway to represent national interests) would eventually make people and parties realize that European politics should be fundamentally different than national politics i.e. the EP would be a chamber of ideological movements, and not national representatives. In this system, even the BNP could find a way of getting representation by forming alliances with neo-Nazis elsewhere in Europe. Only then would the EU become more than a Union of European Nations, and actually be a Euro-polity of ideas.

The basis of my very rough sketch of EU reform as I see it at this very very late hour is, of course, based on the kind of thinking advocates of Lebanon-as-single-voting-district promote for overcoming sectarianism/communitarianism.

3:01am  |   URL: http://micro.maximalis.me/post/118207078
Filed under: politics lebanon uk europe photography