Wednesday, November 03, 2004
(3:18 PM) | Adam Kotsko:
Zizek is right
As I read it, the recent election is yet another example of the ways that Zizek is substantially right. For instance, his idea that Benjamin's first thesis on the philosophy of history must be reversed so that historical materialism is pulling the strings of theology is obviously correct -- for the left to have any hope in America, and therefore in the world (as long as America remains the hegemon), it must tap into the resources of religion. This is obvious even to the normally douche-baguish Nicholas Kristoff recognizes this, in his uniquely tepidly liberal way:I'm writing this on tenterhooks on Tuesday, without knowing the election results. But whether John Kerry's supporters are now celebrating or seeking asylum abroad, they should be feeling wretched about the millions of farmers, factory workers and waitresses who ended up voting - utterly against their own interests - for Republican candidates.The struggle isn't merely to have a reasonable person in the White House, though that's certainly right. It's a struggle over flesh-and-blood issues of whether people are going to be fooled into living stunted lives.
Furthermore, Zizek is right that the classic Marxist idea of "false consciousness" needs to be filled in with a theoretical account of desire, of the reasons why people vote against their own interests and refuse to listen to those who advocate their own interests. Thomas Frank's book is, I'm sure, very wonderful, but I'm with Berube on this one -- the vulgar Marxist version of "false consciousness" that seems to be operative in his book (haven't read the whole thing, but I read the pre-release exerpts in Harper's) do not constitute an adequate analysis. Tim Burke's piece on how he hopes leftists get their wish and gain total control of the channels of information, which annoyed me deeply at the time, is really true -- it's not just a matter of information, though it is also that. It's a matter of desire. It's a matter of the ways that people really do get off on believing they're helping to save babies or preserving the structure of traditional marriage or whatever else we're going to chalk up as "irrational" as compared with their desire for food, shelter, and medical attention. Norm Geras's "minimal utopia" is much to be desired -- but there's really no glamor in it. And Zizek says, the left needs not to be afraid of glamor (OWB).
I'm sorry I didn't link to all the things I refer to above -- maybe later. For now, I have to brew some coffee, fix a late lunch, maybe read some Benjamin. If anyone has any of those pieces ready to hand and can send me the links, I'd love that. (Tim Burke's one was hard -- I really wanted to find it, but it was taking forever, and I was getting nowhere.)
