lpm wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:01 am
In some languages but not all, "envy" has a slightly different meaning to "jealousy". Envy has good overtones - "I envy you your nice new car and I'm going to strive to achieve similar success". Jealousy has the more destructive meaning.
This is why Thatcherites embraced envy, seeing it as a motivating factor, and why the American Dream is mythologised. There's a fundamental belief that inequality drives economic success through envy rather than social conflict through jealousy.
The problem here is that you can't have one without the other and denying the existence of jealousy in this equation makes the whole idea flawed. I'd argue that jealousy is just a more extreme and urgent form of envy.
A bit of envy is absolutely fine, but when it gets to the point that the envy is directed at basic human requirements like food on the table and a roof over your head. That's where the US is now and the UK is heading.
From start to finish the manifestation of this worshipping of envy is crime. Starting with pinching stereos to buy drugs, through to pinching a loaf of bread to feed your starving family.
What really grinds my gears is when (usually right-wingers) my preference of equality is framed as "the politics of envy". Mate, I don't envy any of your fortunes, cars, private jets, whatever, nor am I jealous, I just want everyone to get a fair shake and I don't want crime to be the only way people can keep their kids fed.
This is the same reason I had a lot of problems with Blair's "Aspiration, aspiration, aspiration", all that does is lead to more envy because aspiring to something does not mean you're going to get it, and if the doors to your social mobility are closed that leads to jealousy which leads to crime.
Obviously this makes me a communist and/or Yoda but, hey ho.