Chris Dillow: The Death of Politcs

Chris Dillow laments The Death of Politics.

What’s more, the Left too has largely lost the art of politics. Inspired perhaps by the epigones of 1960s feminists misusing the slogan “the personal is political”, a lot of what passes as “political” discourse is in fact the mere narcissistic revelation of personality. The possibility that there is or should be a difference between private and public selves — brilliantly described by Richard Sennett — has been forgotten. Also forgotten is the art of rhetoric; how many political writers start — as they should — with the question: how can I persuade sceptics or opponents to agree with me?

In this sense, politics is a dying, perhaps even dead, art. Most of those who claim to take an interest in it are not really interested in how to govern the public sphere: if they were there’d much more interest in the social sciences. Instead, they're mere spectators in a wrestling match who are booing baddies and cheering goodies.

The success of once-fringe characters such as Trump, Farage and even Corbyn are double symptoms of this death. On the one hand, their popularity is due in part to voters wanting people to speak for them, regardless of the question of whether their urges are implementable or practical. But on the other, it is due to the failure of the Establishment and centrists to make their case.

Sadly, though, all sides are so encased in their partisan narcissism that they can’t see this. Fish never know they’re wet.

Emphasis Mine

Dillow is making an assumption that politics independent of the political and economic system. The political discourse is limited by the economic power of the participants. The Capitalists want to constrain all political activity to support the Capitalist system. The system itself cannot be questioned.

The events of 2015/6 reveal that the Capitalist political system cannot contain the disquiet over the operation of the Capitalist system:

• SYRIZA
• Podemos
• Corbyn
• Sanders
• Trump
• Cruz

In the current US presidental primaries, there is only one (1) establishment candidate left: Hiliary Rodham-Clinton. All of the others are outsiders.

The Capitalist political system is failing. The establishment and centrists are not failing to make their case — they have ceased to have the ability to do so. Their case only makes senses within the Capitalist system. When people are looking outside of the Capitalist system (either at Socialism or a strong-man rule), the arguments from the establishment and centrists cease to amke sense.

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