Short-termism reigns. Today’s decisions lack a future horizon. A constant flood of snapshots feeds the fear of missing out. A never ending flood of new technologies promises to solve all our problems - until the next revelation of the impossibility of tackling deep-seated conflicts through technological management. 100 Years of Now combines diagnoses of our times with scopes of action, explores the potentials of the past, and unlocks alternative futures. Until 2018, HKW will be probing the countermovement to the dictatorship of the moment.
Appadurai's hope is achievable, unless the ability to do research is a means of empowerment, NOT a tool of power. It seems to me that universities hold important research knowledge, but often keep it to themselves (and often enough, resell it at a great price). This creates a situation in which students from poor communities and developing countries, who excel in research (as evidenced by their good grades at university), see this ability as a golden ticket to change their lives, move to developed countries, enter university (again) (and hope never to return to their home land)! Furthermore, the concept of the "politics of hope" evoked by Appadurai in this video can be described as "action research", a branch of research that wants to go beyond simply studying a situation, but also aims to create positive change. Unfortunately, in my experience, I've seen a lot of university research that hasn't chosen to follow this path and is content to only "describe" the situation of the communities or peoples they study, without going any further. They don't even want to clarify the purpose of the research for the participants (mainly poor and low-educated people in their point of view), nor take steps to "help", for fear of the long-enduring colonialist idea of "civilizing mission" and "development". In addition, the other major obstacle is the group interest that the research might share with local government. So many corruptions that have not been revealed are the main reason for the ineffectiveness of action research. Although it's a good idea, it seems unrealistic to me, at least at this stage, when universities consider that their guidelines do not pose any problems for the communities in question.
I'm a Mizo from Mizoram. We are one of the hill people groups discussed in Professor James C Scott's book. A lot of Mizos have come to treasure his work. His work is a gift to my community as we often struggle with the question of who we are as a people. Thank you, Mr. Scott. God bless.
What a fantastic lecture! The concepts of not living in the same time, local population as native informant or cheap labour, train without windows all food for thought. Too many deep thougths to caputere them all in one lsitening. Thank you, Boris Buden.
Amazing how this man achieved, though we have the same name as James Scott we have a different field, thank you for this inspiring video, though I am also focusing on technology with my project Artofthehak Project still this man is way far from me, I love your success man..
Claims to not be an artist for artists make myths, then immediate caricatures Marxism and speak all kinds of pagan nonsense of the horrors and original sin of our world! ahahah XD
Pepe, I call bullshit on the Ukrainian thing being a "misunderstanding". I suspect your being diplomatic, because you're clearly not that stupd. Despite this your still a legend in my eyes.
Some quotes from Society Against the State, by Pierre Clastres Book quotes September 13, 2013 "On the one hand, there are primitive societies, or societies without a State; on the other hand, there are societies with a State. It is the presence or absence of the State apparatus (capable of assuming many forms) that assigns every society its logical place, and lays down an irreversible line of discontinuity between the two types of society…" "There are several examples, in America and elsewhere, attesting that the absence of agriculture is compatible with sedentariness. This justifies the assumption that if some peoples did not acquire agriculture even though it was ecologically feasible, it was not because they were incompetent, technologically backward, or culturally inferior, but, more simply, because they had no need for it." ."The figures obtained, whether they concern nomad hunters of the Kalahari Desert, or Amerindian sedentary agriculturists, reveal a mean appointment of less than four hours daily for ordinary work time…" "Not only is man in primitive societies not bound to the animal existence that would derive from a continual search for the means of survival, but this result is even bought at the price of a remarkably short period of activity. This means that primitive societies have at their disposal, if they so desire, all the time necessary to increase the production of material goods. Common sense asks then: why would the men living in those societies want to work and produce more, given that three or four hours of peaceful activity suffice to meet the needs of the group? What good would it do them? What purpose would be served by the surplus then accumulated? What would it be used for? Men work more than their needs require only when forced to. And it is just that kind of force which is absent from the primitive world; the absence of that external force even defines the nature of primitive society. The term, subsistence economy, is acceptable for describing the economic organization of those societies, provided it is taken to mean not the necessity that derives from a lack, an incapacity inherent in that type of society and its technology; but the contrary: the refusal of a useless excess, the determination to make productive activity agree with the satisfaction of needs." Source: francoistremblay.wordpress DOT com/
As someone watching this lecture in 2023, it’s absolutely fascinating to see Pepe Escobar’s predictions play out in real time. He is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant journalists and geopolitical analysts of our time.
18:41 "friction of distance maps"… implicitly here, it's friction against humans and the means by which humans traverse distance… Makes me think of the motor-sensory homunculus - an analogy of human action in phenomenological terms - the texture (friction?) of human experience displayed in proportion.. (his side note concludes 20:11 )
Note to self: also recalls my visualization of a shuffled gradient - an analogy of the variety of human conversation sorted/ juxtaposed to self-situate adversely...
Do the "barbarians have to be banging on the gates" for the owner class to realize they're creating a system that will breed resentment and violence? I personally want no part of the violence, but don't expect me to protect you when they're storming your gated community. Sorry
It is unbelievable how arrogant, ignorant, shortsighted and blind these Neocons are to drive resources rich Russia in the arms of China. Russia will win a war against NATO/USA according militair experts. Moreover, 88 % of worldpopulation wants to get rid of 500 year western hegemony and will back Russia. And......where the USA has won a war?
"Industrial military, financial, media complex in the US... what we can call the true masters off the universe... the people who really run the business... these are the people who run the system"
Mr. Escobar understands China well, in fact China is ahead of his 10-year prediction. China has mobilized resources in BRICS countries to bring 'common prosperity' never dreamed of in Marshall plan or American imperialist's Monroe Doctrine.
@science212 states "But we need to be rational" **Posits an unsupported, irrational claim about a system they like** The irony is strong with this one.
