“For the first time, society now has a goal equally binding for all classes – achievement and merit – and a ruling class – the elite – instead of each class having its own ideology and political leaders. The price we pay is of course huge: All gifts and all talent are concentrated in the upper classes, while the lower classes are made up of idiots and losers. As a result, the lower class has neither the power nor the energy nor the intelligence to care for its own political lead but is degenerating into a dumb, adaptable mass. In the end, one must stop hallucinating that one’s inferior fate is society’s fault; instead it’s the lower class that is inferior.”
Hans-Peter Müller on meritocracy in his contribution to the red book of the Capitalism Tribunal
12 am to 5 pm – trial opening & hearing of all charges related to the respective topic with Alix Faßmann, Ingrid Gilcher-Holtey, David Goeßmann, Louis Klein, Ashish Kothari, Anselm Lenz, Guillaume Paoli, Rouzbeh Taheri, Fetewei Tarekegn, Winfried Wolf.
7 to 9 pm – The Seventh Internationale – Reflection, analysis, discussion featuring Ashish Kothari, David Goeßmann.
From 1 to 12 May, brut will be repurposed as a court of law, The Capitalism Tribunal, where charges are pressed against the ways and production methods of European capitalism. More than 250 charges have been filed on capitalismtribunal.org in the course of the past year. Following the tradition of the Nuremberg trials, the Russell Tribunal and the Ministries Trial, the Capitalism Tribunal wants to constitute an extrapositive procedure in which putative crimes of capitalism are negotiated to investigate what it is that must never happen again in a future economy.
The Capitalism Tribunal will sit on seven court days from 12 to 5 pm, with each day being dedicated to a certain topic, such as work in capitalism, property in capitalism or the role of the EU, the UN and the individual nations. In the evenings, starting from 7 pm, there will be discussions on the topics of the respective court days, collectively entitled The Seventh International. Numerous renowned philosophers, scholars and experts will participate in the discussions, including Saskia Sassen (sociologist), Wolfgang Neskovic (former judge at the German Federal Supreme Court), Louis Klein (thinker in systems theory and business consultant), Katharina Pistor (legal and economic scholar), Alexander Stefes (Club of Rome), Lucy Redler (social economist) and Alon Harel (philosopher of law).
During the opening on 1 May, brut will be declared a court of law in an official ceremony and the judicial and historico-cultural backgrounds of the Capitalism Tribunal will be set forth.
7 May 2016 | DAY 4: Media and Education in Capitalism
12 am to 5 pm – trial opening & hearing of all charges registered on capitalismtribunal.org related to the respective topic.
7 to 9 pm – The Seventh Internationale – Reflection, analysis, discussion featuring renowned philosophers, scholars and experts
Day 4 with
Alix Faßmann (Haus Bartleby, Initiator Capitalism Tribunal)
Ingrid Gilcher-Holtey (Historian, Professor)
David Goeßmann (Journalist, Filmmaker)
Louis Klein (Editor of agora42 and systems theorist)
Ashish Kothari (Enviromental Activist, Enviromental Scientist und Sociologist)
Anselm Lenz (Haus Bartleby, Initiator Capitalism Tribunal)
Guillaume Paoli (Philosopher, Writer)
Rouzbeh Taheri (Economist and Spokesman of Electoral Alternative and Social Justice)
Fetewei Tarekegn (Agroeconomist, Addis/Stuttgart)
Winfried Wolf (Journalist and Political Scientist)
A cooperation by Haus Bartleby with The Club of Rome, brut Wien, WERK X, Passagen Verlag, FluxFM, agora42.
Supported by Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the attending scientists, artists and operatives. The Capitalism Tribunal is presented as part of the project House on Fire supported by the Cultural Programme of the European Union.
The book Das Kapitalismustribunal is available for sale from 25 April 2016 at Passagen Verlag, Vienna.
brut
Karlsplatz 5, 1010 Wien
Court hearing from 12 am to 5 pm: Admission free
Evening discussions / The Seventh Internationale:
Admission for one evening discussion: 8 € / 6 €* / 0 €** (only available at the door)
seven-day ticket: 35 € / 30 €* (available via online-shop)
All revenues and donations go directly to Kulturverein Haus Bartleby Austria. Donations welcome!
* The brutkarte stays valid during the court week.
** for people in need