Rent madness – apartment question: If consciousness stands in the way

At this point, Peter Nowak recently complained about the lack of solidarity spirit in the political discussion about the question of housing. In view of the polemical proposal of Frank Jörike to end the dependence on tenants through home ownership, Nowak was concerned about the impending depoliticization of living. In the fear of petty bourgeoisie, he escapes to what extent a really mass redistribution of residential property would actually contribute to the abolition of German conditions. Nowak may recognize ideology that leads to the demise of all “communist and solidarity consciousness”.

The discouragement and romanticism of Nowak’s argument – solidarity together to defend the “good right” of rental rebels beats arbitrariness of property – should be shaken off. Because this is rebellious, when it remains more conservative than the idea of ​​the condominium: The structure of the property and its political position remains untouched in Novak’s idea of ​​the rental rebellion.

The “Deutsche Wohnen & Co” initiative shows that there are other ways. This enjoys a rather high popularity precisely because it declares the change in the property structure priority. No less than the beginning of the end of a certain historical practical and traffic form could be on the program.

Such a perspective is more valuable than any abstract solidarity. Because true solidarity makes itself unnecessary in the long term: where it is possible to set up the world in such a way that people are no longer systematically dependent on solidarity. Housing policy plays an enormous role in this, as a large part of the capitalist metabolism is organized. Finally, the profitability expectations of the capital are expressed directly here, which society cannot (yet) avoid.

The social compromise of our time is based on the availability of artificially desirable, global consumer goods, because of course nothing left for a sustainable vacation, slow food and high -quality clothing when half of the salaries regularly flows back into the accumulation machine called housing market. No solidarity in the world will be able to pre -bend behind this process; You have to pick it up.

That it will take a few decades of experimenting with different forms – socialization or nationalization? Private or collective property? Cooperatives or other legal forms? – Free tradable shares or residence obligation? – Gift! Even the 21st century will not be able to cope with the structure of the property without significant upheavals. The discourse should therefore be based on the question of how it can really be achieved, instead of only concerning the revolutionary awareness of the future.