Victimhood and rent

With the "decline of labour society" and its transformation into the "rental society", the political struggle comes down to a struggle for the redistribution of rents. Political ideologies and movements also undergo a transformation into a "rental format", as evidenced by the growth of right and left radicalism and populism. The article shows how exactly the transformation of social liberalism into the rental format of "victimhood liberalism" occurs. The article describes the most characteristic features of the "victimhood culture", under the influence of which this transformation takes place. In the "vic-timhood culture", subjects insist on their victimisation. Thus, they acquire a higher moral status than criminals. In a situation where violators are oppressors and victims of the oppressed, it also increases the moral status of victims. This reinforces the incentive for new complaints and means that oppressed parties are particularly inclined to emphasise their victim status. The "victimhood culture" combines high sensitivity even to hints of "insult" and greater dependence on third parties. One perceives any form of "domination" as an insult. Victimisation of the "insulted" is the main way to attract sympathisers. Therefore, instead of emphasising one's strength, or internal dignity, victims emphasise their oppression and social marginalisation. This study regards "victimhood liberalism" as an ideological rationalisation for the search for political rent by various kinds of "minorities". In it, the status of the victim is a resource that gives rent. The mutation of modern social liberalism lies in the fact that this kind of liberalism simultaneously considers its subjects as "suffering classes" and accepts them as social and political subjects who are obliged to use their position of victims to solve their problems. The political design of this strategy, based on an appeal to state arbitration, turns it into a search for political rent. But now this search is becoming a strategy of an increasing number of people from the lower classes, and not just from elite groups and their close associates.

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