Read on Twitter
1/
hmmm
It's good to have terms for things - a term gives you a handle, and makes a concept easily reusable.
"Seeing like a state" is one good concept.
But there's a parallel one, which I think we need to pair with it: "Seeing like an economist" (or a CFO, or ...)
hmmm
It's good to have terms for things - a term gives you a handle, and makes a concept easily reusable.
"Seeing like a state" is one good concept.
But there's a parallel one, which I think we need to pair with it: "Seeing like an economist" (or a CFO, or ...)
2/
This is obviously not remotely a new concept. All the lefties ranting on about "late state capitalism", all the pithy "price of everything, value of nothing".
But I'm suggesting that giving it a label that is complimentary to "seeing like a state" label, creates utility
This is obviously not remotely a new concept. All the lefties ranting on about "late state capitalism", all the pithy "price of everything, value of nothing".
But I'm suggesting that giving it a label that is complimentary to "seeing like a state" label, creates utility
3/
And also, the number of things in a set is either 0, 1, or infinity.
Meaning that once you get to 2, you've REALIZED that there's a set, and you realize what the set looks like.
So the set "Seeing like a ____" consists of all of those ways of looking at the world w blinders
And also, the number of things in a set is either 0, 1, or infinity.
Meaning that once you get to 2, you've REALIZED that there's a set, and you realize what the set looks like.
So the set "Seeing like a ____" consists of all of those ways of looking at the world w blinders
4/
seeing like a state: disregarding local knowledge about mechanisms, preferring legibility in counting / enemueration / whatever
seeing like a CFO is similar, but not the same thing. A CFO with his spreadsheets is very happy to plant a forest with 20,000 types of trees
seeing like a state: disregarding local knowledge about mechanisms, preferring legibility in counting / enemueration / whatever
seeing like a CFO is similar, but not the same thing. A CFO with his spreadsheets is very happy to plant a forest with 20,000 types of trees
5/
...all of them RFID tagged, and managed by Tree Inventory Management Software (from Salesforce !).
...but a CFO sees a distinct set of things as costs, or as irrelevant.
Once you lay someone off, he's literally and figuratively off the books.
...all of them RFID tagged, and managed by Tree Inventory Management Software (from Salesforce !).
...but a CFO sees a distinct set of things as costs, or as irrelevant.
Once you lay someone off, he's literally and figuratively off the books.
6/
So a state might pay attention to unemployed people turning to drugs in their misery, but a CFO certainly wouldn't.
So a state might pay attention to unemployed people turning to drugs in their misery, but a CFO certainly wouldn't.
7/
...and part of the transition we've seen in domestic politics from 1970 to today is that USG has moved from "seeing like a state" to "seeing like a CFO".
...and part of the transition we've seen in domestic politics from 1970 to today is that USG has moved from "seeing like a state" to "seeing like a CFO".
8/
what other ways of seeing are in that set?
what things are those modes cognizant of? what things that the first two modes capture do these other modes miss?
what other ways of seeing are in that set?
what things are those modes cognizant of? what things that the first two modes capture do these other modes miss?
