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May 04, 2011

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Tom Matrullo

A rich set of models - strictly going on what is presented, and not being deeply versed in current philanthropic conversation: Gates' approach (distinct from his impact) seemed weakest; Schambra is (here) purely negative; Gary is most searching.

On a parallel (by certain geometries) track: The Jacobin Spirit - what is suggested about the gap between actual freedom and political means; about the illusion of democratic forms:

Badiou was right to claim that today the name of the ultimate enemy is not capitalism, empire, exploitation, or anything similar, but democracy itself. It is the “democratic illusion,” the acceptance of democratic mechanisms as providing the only framework for all possible change, which prevents any radical transformation of capitalist relations.

Phil Cubeta

Zizek's address to the Ft Lauderdale Rotary Club has yet to be written. Did you find Robespierre's rhetoric moving or convincing? I appreciate the link, a nice change from the dullness of the daily grind.

Jon Husband

""It is the “democratic illusion,” the acceptance of democratic mechanisms as providing the only framework for all possible change, which prevents any radical transformation of capitalist relations.""

Bingo !

I thought I heard somewhere that Citizens United carried out a friendly acquisition of the House and Senate, the SCOTUS being the deal broker.

Phil Cubeta

Government works better when considered as property. That is how Success works.

Tom Matrullo

Not moving, and curiously non-Enlightening. More like he's the Delphic Priestess, the special one alone capable of recognizing the voice of truth. The question is, who is producing that voice. How is it there. The curious formulation:

"an eternal right: to render audible the voice of truth.”

How do we understand this? Is the voice in need of a translator? a microphone? Facebook?

At Chris Locke's urging, I've started reading Wolin's The Seduction of Unreason. He seems to be talking about this.

Phil Cubeta

The King need not be guilty of any crime, by simply being King he is a crime incarnate and so must be beheaded out yonder in the courtyard. We can't ask the people, since they might say no, and that would jeopardize the power they gave to us through the Revolution itself, and render it questionable. Hence no referendum. We speak for the Republic. I do, in fact.

This is the logic of Bush's advisors who tortured the Constitution to prove that the President is not above the law, rather by law he is above the law. And so he can determine who is outside the law - as a nonperson, a stateless person, presumed to be a terrorist and tortured to validate that assumption.

The rule of men or the rule of law? "By law we decide on what is the law, we are the Tribunal, meeting in secret."

I find it hard to know whether Zizek is just
the Elvis of philosophy or the sophistical blood drenched spirit of the age.

raven tintype

The deal with ziz is that old resentments find new tarquets. he wasn't always a celeb in the eng-world, and he put alot of records out on race-labels before the he hit the top 40, thank Verso. But alot of inergy must be divested to be rid of im and is influence up the impressions.

Tom Matrullo

The iron ring of truth. Probably better to remain content with noserings and tattoos, and avoid the plastique.

Phil Cubeta

Sophistry is fun, if done in fun. Are you sure he does not want, as does playfully suggest, beheadings in the public square? Would you turn up to cheer, depending on whose death is made a spectacle of? As the headsman speaks for "the true America"? I would rather go Rotary.

tm

I thought I left a comment here the other day, but it didn't stick. To the effect: Maybe time to read Kia's Constant on usurpation. Zz finds violence in the state then what do we do with it? Must violence embodied in the state be countered with violence, or are there other means. How to efficaciously counter violence with a mode of truth that does not reach out to coercive blind force as its mode of assertion.

The institutions we have are probably not the ones we envisioned. Somewhere along the way, institutions develop combative, clusterfucked ways to perpetuate their power. Perhaps they should spend some time at the movies.

Radon Basement

Zizek a couple weeks ago talking about his elvis image, reputation for "violence" (says prefers "Ghandian Violence").

http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2011/05/slavoj-zizek-screening-thought-the-medias-philosophical-problem/

phil

Gandhi? And Robespierre? I feel like he is playing with ideas and with his readers, making a game of juggling some very sharp knives.

phil

Interesting link, though, thanks for providing it. "Philosophy as disturbance... as an offense against decorum..." Back to Diogenes and his dog.

Jon Husband

Back to Diogenes and his dog.

Plus ca change etc.

Yet another example of how we don't use history well as a guide ... 100 years from now there will be reminiscing about Diogenes and his dog, and it will be in response to the same issues and pressures as today, only more so (I fear).

Disturbance is not on the agenda .. distraction, confusion and apathy are the top priorities and philosophy is tracking towards becoming embedded in some video game or other. It will be up to you, the individual, to find it.

Tom Matrullo

We seem to have moved from Zizek saying the problem lies in "the acceptance of democracy itself" to his whining that intelligence is diddled into cliches by a "culture of sound bites."

If he'd only listen to true democratic media defining good government as it oughta be, he'd shut up and let the media serve him up like one of those wild and wacky Euro guys on SNL.

philcubeta

What might work better than democracy? An aristocracy might be good.

Tom Matrullo

An honest aristocracy vs the pretense of democracy might be the thing - if USians had any way to pretend to aristocracy.

Phil Cubeta

"They said you was high class, but that was just a lie; you ain't nothin but a hounddog." Elvis is elite, in fact a King. Princess Diana and he are peers of some bizarre realm. High culture? Well, David Koch funds the NYC Opera.

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