During the June days all classes and parties had united in the party of Order against the proletarian class as the party of Anarchy, of Socialism, of Communism. They had “saved” society from “the enemies of society.” They had given out the watchwords of the old society, “property, family, religion, order,” to their army as passwords and had proclaimed to the counter-revolutionary crusaders: “In this sign thou shalt conquer!” From that moment, as soon as one of the numerous parties which had gathered under this sign against the June insurgents seeks to hold the revolutionary class interest, it goes down before the cry: “Property, family, religion, order.” Society is saved just as often as the circle of its rulers contracts, as a more exclusive interest is maintained against a wider one. Every demand of the simplest bourgeois financial reform, of the most ordinary liberalism, of the most formal republicanism, of the most shallow democracy, is simultaneously castigated as an “attempt on society” and stigmatized as “Socialism.” And finally, the high priests of “the religion and order” themselves are driven with kicks from their Pythian tripods, hauled out of their beds in the darkness of night, put in prison-vans, thrown into dungeons or sent into exile; their temple is razed to the ground, their mouths are sealed, their pens broken, their law torn to pieces in the name of religion, of property, of the family, of order. Bourgeois fanatics for order are shot down on their balconies by mobs of drunken soldiers, their domestic sanctuaries profaned, their houses bombarded for amusement—in the name of property, of the family, of religion and of order. Finally, the scum of bourgeois society forms the holy phalanx of order and the hero Crapulinski installs himself in the Tuileries as the “saviour of society.”
—Karl Marx, The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, 1852
This is the essay that begins with “History repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second as farce,” right?
A friend showed me “18th Brumaire” in college to demonstrate that Marx did have a sense of humor. There’s a good deal of snark in that piece among the more unsettling observations… which remain pertinent, sadly.
Yes, it is the same, Ben.
Yes, the reason I put up this particular lit interlude is that I was struck by its pertinence, particularly with respect to those who scream “socialism,” etc. But I also like its rhetorical thrust, as it were. Even the VERY confirmed anti-Marxist Robert Conquest admits that Marx can be a pretty compelling stylist when he’s not playing amateur economist.
It has been years since I’ve read it, perhaps I’ll take it off the shelf again soon, but I remember enjoying Marshall Berman’s analysis of Marx’s language in his book “All That Is Solid Melts Into Air.” His last section, about NYC in the 60’s, 70’s, Robert Moses and more, the last chapter: “Bringing It All Back Home”, I also have fond recollections of. And, to go back a few days, a Christgau blurb to boot (they seemed to trade blurbs back and forth with regularity).
Also brings to mind George W.S. Trow’s closing of his criminally under read essay/book “Within The Context of No Context” with reflections on Moses.
Ah, so it was about the tea partiers. I suspected you selected the text inspired by current events, but I was wondering what it had to do with Nicholas Ray and mumblecore!
Socialism is the dumbest shit ever.
How would ugly and old dudes ever get laid? The AWESOMEST THING ABOUT CAPITALISM BAR NONE is that a bad-looking guy can just GET RICH and still bang models.
If we were all a bunch of collectivist tent-dwelling campfire Socialist assholes, the only ones scoring mad vag would be the good-looking, wool-cap-wearing, acoustic guitar-strumming Gael Garcia Bernal-looking motherfuckers.
Also: FUCK POOR PEOPLE. They’re usually poor because they’re STUPID. And if that sounds harsh, look deep within: Do you REALLY care about poor people? I know I don’t. I don’t care about ANYONE but myself or anyone who directly affects me.
Fuck the collective.
YAHOO, YA MOTHERFUCKER!
I can’t decide if I wish LexG being for real…
“Feed me T‑Moms pics! NOW!”
Lex is for real. He’s been like that on Wells’ blog for years. He was more fun when he tried to tie every conversation into how much he hated John Nolte, though. Which he doesn’t anymore because John accepted his friend request, or something.