"Imperfect as it Was"

We notice how it has become standard practice to include a mea culpa when describing the present system: "imperfect as it is". Because only the fool expects perfection. And so yes, the status quo, the so-called "rules based order" of contemporary capitalist "democracy" may entail a bit of genocide, a bit of inequality, forever wars and ecological destruction, but c'mon, no one can expect perfection! Thinktankers express many opinions as they think deep in their tanks: "Cliff Kupchan, chairman emeritus of the Eurasia Group, a political risk assessment firm, said the risk of a months long shutdown of the strait was only beginning to “enter the collective mind of the markets.” And yet, imperfect as it still is, the Market's "collective mind" is still to be relied upon. We see much discussion about the "uncertainty index" and prediction markets, with insurance actuaries trying to parse the increasing chaotic tea leaves, yet day to day life in The West is an exercise in sublimating this anxiety and pathologically pushing ahead as if all was well. But all is not well. In the Manifesto, Marx presented history as the record of choices made, either "the revolutionary reconstitution of society at large or the common ruin of the contending classes." It is clear which choice we are making here in the 21st century. As Benjamin pointed out, there is already a massive pile of wreckage built up behind us, but it is nothing compared to what lies in store. This is why "imperfect" is such an obscene description of the current system, and such an incrdible example of disavowal, the ability to wake up so as to be able to keep dreaming. And why "woke" is such an ironic expression of our current historical conjuncture. The true nightmare is that we can't actually wake up and face head-on the traumatic reality of our situation. Of course the ruling elite believe they have the wherewithall to escape ruin; spaceships and private islands, and OH YEAH, private armies. Here is a new threat that could prove critical, from the WaPo: "Surging concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere, caused largely by burning fossil fuels, have produced potent changes in the way plants grow — from increasing their sugar content to depleting essential nutrients like zinc. Experts fear the degradation of Earth’s food supply will cause an epidemic of hidden hunger, in which even people who consume enough calories won’t get the nutrients they need to thrive."