Grounded
2021
The state
Client: Pritličje
No matter what an individual does, they are involved with the state and its institutions, and their life is shaped by the rights the states do or do not grant them.
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State is a concept of many definitions and even more connotations. To some, it represents a central battleground for a better world. Others would abolish it, or at least make it more “slim”. On the one hand, the state is a space of political action, necessary for human life in a (political) community, and on the other hand, nothing more than a bureaucratic mastodon that grants and erases rights and statuses, decides which life has worth and how much is that worth, suppresses human spontaneity and joy to life.
When we think about the state, we should not overlook George Orwell’s warning that every relevant reflection includes continuous monitoring of what is happening “in front of our nose”. This is why we are looking at the Slovenian state at its thirtieth anniversary of existence. It was created at a time when capital was already eroding the sovereignty of countries and igniting a race to the bottom between the two. Thus, states have been humiliated into a servant of the market for almost half a century, while their executive power is diminished in the context of reckless globalization.
“pessimism of the intellect and the optimism of the will”
After thirty years, the disintegration of the commons is taking place in front of our nose. Privatization of the welfare state, disintegration of spatial planning, erosion of legal and political culture, ignorance of the authorities towards green policies and the will of the people. The market does not save, but on the contrary, it reduces the quality of life; market principles in health, education, science, culture, etc. are a sure path to the breakdown of social ties.
The state is a collection of institutions, and institutions are a rigid reflection of interpersonal interactions. Therefore, in accordance with the “pessimism of the intellect and the optimism of the will”, we will look for alternatives to guide our interactions in a different direction.
