{
  "id": 13454493,
  "title": "The Disease called Politics (1962)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/the-disease-called-politics-1962",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T15:53:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://www.panarchy.org/roszak/politics.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "One of the most fervent critiques of the insanity inherent in politics and why we must find a way out of this chaotic game surfaces in Paul Goodman's \"Seeds of Liberation\" (1964). Behind the veneer of words, policies, white papers and manifestos lies a sinister truth: politics is a suicidal pathology. The reason behind this is not hard to understand. War scares and crises, which typically cause the rational to flee, only serve to embolden those who hold power. These investors, believed to be epitomes of rational self-interest, remain glued to their telephones, instructing brokers to buy stocks, shouting \"Buy Martin!\" \"Buy Boeing!\" despite the impending doom. William Burroughs, in his journal for the protection of all beings, puts it succinctly: engaging in surface political conflicts is akin to a bull charging inside a ring— it is participating in the game of life itself. Gregory Corso poses a key question: \"Who manipulates the cloth?\" The answer, with chilling clarity, is death. This metaphorical understanding of politics as the organization of power, an enemy of life, suggests that power's measure lies in its ability to inflict harm, break, control, and crush life. Power seeks to inhibit growth, which is inherent to life itself. Anything that impedes the growth of individuals or things is aligned with death, regardless of its claims to legitimacy. In stark contrast, love nurtures life, sustaining it through suffering and mourning defeat. Love thrives in spontaneity, accepting moments as they are, without anticipating later benefits. Love resides in the immediacy of our experiences, being the gentle adversary of order, efficiency, and organization. Ironically, society's fixation on power is a manifestation of its obsession with death, essentially a quest for self-destruction. This obsession with power, in the name of political principles, perpetuates international tensions, fostering an atmosphere of fear, discontent, and hardship. Even as we possess the capability to ensure mankind's life is secure, clean, comfortable, and enjoyable for the first time in history, we continue to burden ourselves with tension, war, and hardship, all in the name of ephemeral political issues. These issues suggest an inherent reluctance to grant peace to our minds and bodies. The pursuit of power may often seem driven by cunning, but in reality, it is fueled by a morbid fascination with the abyss. The ultimate display of power, in this context, is the extermination of the race. Those who wield power—or those most immediately controlled by it—display a certain pleasure and satisfaction from their positions, evident in their words and actions. Notably, Khrushchev's threats of bombs capable of wiping out the world and generals who casually utter \"destroy\" exemplify this mindset. Their statements, devoid of regret or guilt, reveal a Faustian dream of omnipotence, ultimately leading to self-annihilation. In comparing past political shenanigans with those of today, one can clearly see the shift from madness to psychosis. In the past, politicians' antics existed within the realm of life, concealing their madness. However, today, politics claims to be the sole game, demanding total participation and control over life. The extent of political control and destructiveness is becoming all-encompassing, rendering politics totally insane. In Gregory Corso's poignant words, this situation sounds \"real doomy.\" Clearly, there will be no path to a better future.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Politics is a suicidal pathology, causing international tensions and fear",
    "Power seeks to inhibit growth, aligning with death regardless of legitimacy",
    "Love nurtures life, contrasting with politics' obsession with control"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}