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Hands of the King
Left and right in a political context originally referred to those who sat to the left or right of the king during the French Revolution, with those seated to the right supporting the king’s power, and those to the left supporting the revolution.
While I find myself squarely on the left in this theoretical sense of desiring power to be in the hands of the people and not monarchs, nor the elite, nor any sort of centralized few; nevertheless, through the media-machine, and the seeming endless ability of distorted power to capture even our dreams and contort them for its own purposes, it often feels like the left and right are played off one another in ways the end up only reinforcing centralized power and control.
Distorted power ends up twisting even the most beautiful liberatory potential. And so often, especially via media distortions, our politics ends up fuelling divide and conquer strategies that serve neither the left, nor the right, but those who have enormous power and seek only domination and control. These days, in terms of the body politic, the left and right might be seen as extensions of the king himself; the left and right hands of the king: both end up serving the king, even if that wasn’t the original intent.
This episode is an experiment in considering a different approach to politics. Is it possible to shake free of some of the codified modes and strategies associated with the left and right, but without giving up our beliefs and values? Is there a way to shift the focus, alter the frame, or consider different variables so that we might collaborate with rather than fight against people who may have different politics, but yet, at the end of the day, want so many of the same things that we do?
...Continued on Substack...
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By Spirituality & CultureLeft and right in a political context originally referred to those who sat to the left or right of the king during the French Revolution, with those seated to the right supporting the king’s power, and those to the left supporting the revolution.
While I find myself squarely on the left in this theoretical sense of desiring power to be in the hands of the people and not monarchs, nor the elite, nor any sort of centralized few; nevertheless, through the media-machine, and the seeming endless ability of distorted power to capture even our dreams and contort them for its own purposes, it often feels like the left and right are played off one another in ways the end up only reinforcing centralized power and control.
Distorted power ends up twisting even the most beautiful liberatory potential. And so often, especially via media distortions, our politics ends up fuelling divide and conquer strategies that serve neither the left, nor the right, but those who have enormous power and seek only domination and control. These days, in terms of the body politic, the left and right might be seen as extensions of the king himself; the left and right hands of the king: both end up serving the king, even if that wasn’t the original intent.
This episode is an experiment in considering a different approach to politics. Is it possible to shake free of some of the codified modes and strategies associated with the left and right, but without giving up our beliefs and values? Is there a way to shift the focus, alter the frame, or consider different variables so that we might collaborate with rather than fight against people who may have different politics, but yet, at the end of the day, want so many of the same things that we do?
...Continued on Substack...
Support this work
Subscribing is one of the best way to support this show. Not only will you contribute to my ability to continue to do this work, but you’ll receive:
-Early access to new episodes
-20% off readings
-Occasional bonus content
-And access to the full archive
Subscribe now
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secretart.substack.com/subscribe