One absurd complaint I keep coming across is that a political proposal based on analytical principles is contrary to art. Precisely the opposite is true. Note: This post is not an attack on art. It’s an argument that dry principles are better at defending art than art itself: Although some artists perceive them as beingContinue reading “Disagreement with ideas that pass for common sense, Part 2: A Critique of Pure Aesthetics”
Author Archives: kazisiddiqui
Zelāi Umnos
Update: Changed to fit the draft grammar. Ek brugó rudó zelān wisān pōiFrom the red fruit, drink all the wine sā esti esār Sabáziō, genton dēsōn,this is the blood of Sabazios, flesh of the gods, yos en Naktāi sersāi dēsos genése ta derése.who in black Night was born as a god and was torn apart.Continue reading “Zelāi Umnos”
Translation: আমি কান পেতে রই
My personal favorite song of all time (Rabindra Sangeet). আমি কান পেতে রইI keep listening ও আমার আপন হৃদয়গহন-দ্বারে বারে বারেat the depths of my own heart, again and again, কোন্ গোপনবাসীর কান্নাহাসির গোপন কথা শুনিবারে– বারে বারে ॥to hear secret stories of some secret flute’s smiles and sorrows, again and again. ভ্রমর সেথা হয়Continue reading “Translation: আমি কান পেতে রই”
Translation: সংসার যবে মন
Possibly the most beautiful tune in Rabindra Sangeet. সংসার যবে মন কেড়ে লয়, জাগে না যখন প্রাণ,When the world steals the mind away, when life no longer awakens, তখনো, হে নাথ, প্রণমি তোমায় গাহি বসে তব গান ॥Then, oh Lord, bowing before you, I will sing your song. অন্তরযামী, ক্ষমো সে আমার শূন্য মনের বৃথাContinue reading “Translation: সংসার যবে মন”
Translation: কেন চোখের জলে
Rabindra Sangeet on regret. কেন চোখের জলে ভিজিয়ে দিলেম না শুকনো ধুলো যত!Why didn’t I wet all this dry dust with my tears? কে জানিত আসবে তুমি গো অনাহূতের মতো ॥Who knew you would come in, my dear, like the uninvited? তুমি পার হয়ে এসেছ মরু, নাই যে সেথায় ছায়াতরু–You have come crossing the desert,Continue reading “Translation: কেন চোখের জলে”
Materialist Economics, Part 5: Concluding Remarks
This proposal is not fully communist in the way Marx imagined. It does not abolish all market exchange. It does not assume perfect social harmony. What it offers is a framework in which the productive capacity of society is directed by the people who depend on it, backed by empirical science. The disagreements with MarxContinue reading “Materialist Economics, Part 5: Concluding Remarks”
Materialist Economics, Part 4: Objections and Responses
If necessary goods are readily available, why would anyone work at all? The objection rests on the premise that necessary goods are freely distributed. They are not. They are produced by the government sector and sold at public stores in exchange for labor vouchers. A person who does not work does not receive vouchers andContinue reading “Materialist Economics, Part 4: Objections and Responses”
Materialist Economics, Part 3: Accountable Planning
Without protected human rights, it is impossible to know the will of the people. Any system of democratic production requires, as a precondition, constitutional protections for speech, assembly, and political participation. The rule of law must be upheld. Legal challenges must meet reasonable evidential standards, and accusations of wrongdoing must be resolved through due process.Continue reading “Materialist Economics, Part 3: Accountable Planning”
Materialist Economics, Part 2: The Problem
Consider a recurring pattern in international affairs. A major power backs an armed faction abroad. When that faction takes power, its human rights record becomes a pretext for military contracts and arms sales. The crisis generates jobs in the defense industry while destroying livelihoods elsewhere. This is job creation through destruction. A simple alternative wouldContinue reading “Materialist Economics, Part 2: The Problem”
Materialist Economics, Part 1: Mechanical Materialism
The theoretical framework behind this proposal is mechanical materialism, a philosophical system argued for by the economist Paul Cockshott and the philosopher Katerina Kolozova. It seeks to extend the Newtonian approach to science to sociology, unifying both under a combined framework that employs conservation laws, statistical mechanics, and information theory. Researchers associated with this programContinue reading “Materialist Economics, Part 1: Mechanical Materialism”
Snapshots of the Labyrinth 