Neue Debatte - Special Edition - Long Essay on Left Strategy #002 - 04/2017 | Page 32

5 On the people
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
The majority is not silent at all. They are most vivid, fun-loving, life-
affirming and unshakable despite their often poor circumstances of
life and a stressful, health undermining working life. Ther e have al-
ways existed two cultures. A sophisticated culture of the upper clas-
ses and the autonomous cultural life of the common people. In histo-
ry they were strictly divided from each other. Take the era of Abso-
lutism. A master race culture was sealed from the common man by
fine arts, literacy, conduct and descent. On the other hand the clever
lower classes also knew to live and have fun (take paintings of Pieter
Brueghel for instance). They feared the ruling classes’ power but
weren’t much impressed culturally. Enough was enough and one day
in Jan. 1793 they put the heads of Louis XVI and his Antoinette under
the guillotine.
Nowadays it is more complicated. There still exists a high society of
the operetta type. But we now face a capitalist culture producing in-
dustry for mass amusement and idolizations. I speak of this Holly-
wood-, Oscar-, and Hall of Fame stuff, not to mention the profit-
oriented and artistic skills wasting world of advertising. And yet the
people know about the gap to their everyday life. They suspect what
they are expected to behave and often give a damn. They are neither
depressed nor helpless. They organize their own social life by volun-
tary, unpaid work in so many sectors of society. They volunteer in fire
brigades and run most of the sports clubs; they help neighbors in
need and work on honorary terms in old people’s homes and hospic-
es, care for others in advice centers, engage in church charity organi-
zations, and organize refugee help. Ordinary workers are active as
shop stewards and trade unionists on company level and for direct
democratic campaigns, or nature conservation and protection organ-
izations. People of all age attend adult evening classes – and all this in
their spare time. Nobody can keep them off from enjoying life - just
think of the organization and performance of the Rhenish Carnival.
Yanis, some time you should visit a football match of one of Europe’s
top leagues to find 50.000 people of all kind laughing, crying, hoping,
winning and losing together. Or attend any open air festival to find
young people enjoying life although business making profit of it. And
you surely know better than me schools and universities crowded
with youngsters happy and eager to learn and find their way into so-
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