Neue Debatte - Special Edition - Long Essay on Left Strategy #002 - 04/2017 | Page 31

5 On the people
cy been bleached out). Who ruled this demos-free democracy resp.
democracy where democracy was bleached out? Or was it oligarchy
or dictatorship and no democracy after all? See Yanis, you are confus-
ing matters considerably.
Thirdly, my commitment to the democratic movement sees DIEM
marching in the front line of the people who fight actively and offen-
sively for their basic economic and political rights against the Europe-
an oligarchic establishment. In your version DIEM activists claim in
the manner of advocates on behalf of the passive demos-clients to be
admitted again to democracy backed by DIEM’s irresistible “surge of
democracy” - as the Manifesto points out - but rather by courtesy of
the political establishment.
These differences of opinion are related to controversial perceptions
of the people, the demos, the majority.
5.2 On the “silent majority”
I absolutely disagree with how you describe the “silent majority” in
your Volksbühne keynote speech:
“Our radical message is very simple and is … directed to those
who are probably not watching the livestream. They are ex-
hausted after a long day’s work. They are depressed. They are
watching some reality show on television trying to drown their
anxieties and forget about their trials into relations. Those who
doubt that there are rulers, know what they are doing but they
don’t know where to turn to and don’t believe into politics. It is
them, the majority, suffering in quiet desperation that we must
reach out to, with a perfectly simple radical message …” 11
A very simple message (suitable for simple folks?) for exhausted, de-
pressed, anxious, lonely, weary of politics, suffering, desperate peo-
ple? Dear me, Yanis! What a sad and gloomy crowd of human beings!
Do you have recently read a novel by Emile Zola about the 19 th centu-
ry proletariat? Or you may have heard this old Beatles song “Eleanor
Rigby”. Remember the lyrics?
Father McKenzie,
Wiping the dirt from his hands
As he walks from the grave,
No one was saved.
11
Ibid., at 5:55-6:05.
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