hidden in language

In 2010 Katharine N. Rankin cites that “(Ananya) Roy situates the onus for an ethics of postcoloniality on planning professionals and others empowered with the task of organizing space. She calls for a rejection of the seductive allure of liberal benevolence in favor of a ‘rearrangement of desire’ - a critical reflection on planners’ location(s) in the rubrics of imperial power that might inspire a ‘consciousness of crisis’” In this space is where people exist with the protections they get from emotional, physical, and economic harm.  The allure mentioned is based on the kindness expressed by non-comparative policies of equity and inclusion, for example. This “benevolence” is not good enough of ethics to live with and does not do enough to rearrange peoples’ desires effectively and truly include people emotionally, physically, or economically.  “Rearrangement of desire” leans us toward a position whereby all peoples get equity in their desire for all things, material and nonmaterial.  Roy’s model deals with “rubrics of imperial power,” how the policymakers go about designating power to others and themselves. The, and here we go, inspiring the “consciousness of crisis,” that involves a consciousness aware of inequality and that the inspiration will lead to action, according to Rankin. This action is the praxis of “relational reflexivity.” This new but academically oriented language leads to more than one would imagine since it comes only from a journal article in Planning Theory; innocent enough? Not really.  Embedded in this fancy language is equivalence to Marxist doctrine and is enough to call for “transformative redistribution through the kind of solidarity building described by Sangtin Writers” Rankin goes even further to say, “I have attempted to embed this theory as praxis while conducting recent work on commercial gentrification in Toronto's multicultural neighborhoods” Hence, there is in the guise of benevolence the agenda of the Left to redistribute material wealth through a theory as praxis. The theory sounds innocent enough, but the social crusade behind it pushes for a redistribution of your belongings to others who have not earned it, some of whom show up on the scene from who knows where. This is the derivation of the term “reflexive relationality” We are to be in an equal relationship with everyone else, not a matter of merit, but a matter of entitlement. Try to live with reflexive relationality and see where peoples’ desires will never be fulfilled.  There will be scarcity and wars on the streets over loaves of bread. Interestingly, Marxist ideology is implicitly and cryptically embedded in a typical and normative journal article. It certainly, as a postcolonial piece, which it sets out to be, carries with it the weight of policy setting needed to get a Marxist agenda propagated into the streets and halls of the communities in such a way as to make guilty those who have earned their way.