I just want to reflect on Zigmount Bouman interview on Al Jazeera talk show called Talk to Al Jazeera. I listened to it several times and I was mesmerized by the clarity and sharpness of the 90 years old polish philosopher. In his analysis of the current state of affairs of the world, Bouman makes a remarkable remarks with regard to his new book – Liquid fear. The following is some of the excerpts of the interview.
1. Liquid fear - the in ability to predict the future. The lingering fear of not knowing what and when it will hit next. He put it in a single world the “Uncertainity.”
2. According to him there are two basic values : security and freedom.
2.1. Security is the sense of feeling safe and secure.
2.2. Freedom, the ability to self-assert…show more content… We had freedom at the expense of security -- We paid price, shift of pendulum --
4. Two explanation of these : globalization and economic market
4.1. Globalization –the winners and losers are always the same.
4.2. Economic – people lose jobs and livelihood because of what happens at the macro level and because of globalization .
5. The most affected are people at the lower part of social strata. Or they are as Bouman (2016) called “Precariate” – the word came from the French word “Precarite” which means – stepping on the moving sand – thus this precarite group have just joined the middle class and they are doing well. They are well-off , but they are always scared to go back where they were.
6. In the middle of all these people come in – refugees. They were proud people, educated, with homes and had position in society. Now they are refugees who lost it all.
7. And, they are reality – they are visible and they are not going everywhere. They are at the backyard.
8. People see them and it remind them about own fear and…show more content… It is affecting ever element of social structure and humanity at large. In this case, refugees are symbolic reminds of the worst scenarios that is going to hit. They might be refugees themselves as well as their young once. Using this logic pseudo intellectuals and politicians instill fear. This fear has two sides, on the one hand, it is brining a worst nightmare that young refugees are crossing international unaccompanied. Thus, if the future is uncertain this might happen to them as well. On the other side, this fear that is implanted by pseudo politicians and policy makers who are always propagating the idea of having a strong men/women onboard. Their argument stems from the point that you need strong leadership and you need strong people. If you do not have that your youngest and your most loved once will be refugees as well. So is you. Lastly, the notion of liquid fear is eye opening concept which is really addressing the whole complexity behind displacement, dispossession and fear!
