#frigga haug

[tibaert]

Socialistische stedenbouw

affiche     STEFAN HEYMS STALINALLEE-ROMAN Frigga Haug   Von den Verbrechen, die unter Stalin begangen wurden, von den vielen Opfern des Stalinismus weiß man inzwischen – »Zahlreiche völlig unschuldige Menschen, die in der Vergangenheit die Parteilinie stets verteidigt hatten, wurden zu Opfern … Massenverhaftungen und Deportationen vieler Tausender Menschen, Hinrichtungen ohne ordentlichen…

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[roamanov]

the four-in-one perspective: a manifesto for a more just life

to begin a political movement, one must first envisage what the “ideal” new society would look like

over the past 150 years, workers’ movements and women’s rights campaigners have begun to construct such a vision

feminists declared that not all labour was wage-labour, and that the “woman’s job” of maintaining the home and performing domestic chores should be recognised as work

karl marx supported this view, and believed that the betterment of individuals was necessary for the betterment of all. (in short: for liberation to be achieved, one must first realise one’s own individual potential, and use it to achieve change.) the liberation of humans can only come from humans; it cannot be bestowed from abive.

unemployment rates are rising, causing dissatisfied people to seek higher wages and workplace security. in effect, they are campaigning for more labour.

“I am outraged by the promise of governments to create more work – as if there was not already enough necessary work to be done. The problem is not one of magically coaxing new work out of a hat, but rather of distributing the work that we have in a just manner.” -frigga haug

the fact that a lack of jobs is seen as a crisis highlights the reductive/restrictive way in which we conceptualise labour. the focus should be on quality and necessity rather than repetitive movements.

human activity can be categorised into four spheres: reproduction, personal development, politics, and employment. if the average workday is 16 hours, then four hours should be assigned to each sphere to achieve balance; however, the balance is vastly skewed towards employment (or wage-labour). this shows that there is a fundamental disconnect in the way our society functions.

reproduction is not simply raising a family and caring for it, but caring for the whole human race and ensuring the survival of your fellow people. examples of reproductive labour include looking after the sick and elderly, respecting the ecology of the planet, and interacting socially.

personal development involves recognition of the fact that we all have the potential to achieve great things and learn new skills. “All humans possess a development potential which comes to life out of the slumber of that which is possible” -frigga haug

politics should involve everyone, as it affects everyone. major political decisions should not be the sole responsibility of the privileged few; they should be a matter of public decision.

the art of politics lies in weaving together these four spheres. none should be prioritised over the others, for they are all necessary if we are to live a balanced and healthy existence.

[atlas-bugged]

It's rather disappointing that so much of Frigga Haug's work has gone untranslated. I can read the German interviews, but it would be nice to post up some of them for an English-speaking audience.