Žižek now more than ever

[frandroid]

sabotabby recommended that people watch The Pervert's Guide to Cinema; it's a great and fun lecture. Now it is my turn to make some Žižek recommendations.

First of all, Žižek seems to have a Twitter account. Maybe it's not really him, but if it isn't, this person enjoys cataloguing his zingers. Great entertainment all around. Let's see how long this stays up.

Why cynics are wrong, written a week after Obama's victory, attempts to explain to real impact of Obama's victory, regardless of whether he brings in a real agenda for progressive politics, or he is Bush with a human face.

Obama’s victory belongs to this line; it is a sign of history in the triple Kantian sense ofsignum rememorativum, demonstrativum, prognosticum. That is, it is a sign in which the memory of the long past of slavery and the struggle for its abolition reverberates; an event which now demonstrates a change; a hope for future achievements. No wonder that Hegel, the last great German Idealist, shared Kant’s enthusiasm in his description of the impact of the French Revolution
[...]
The reason Obama’s victory generated such enthusiasm is not only the fact that, against all odds, it really happened, but that the possibility of such a thing to happen was demonstrated. The same goes for all great historical ruptures. Recall the fall of the Berlin Wall: Although we all knew about the rotten inefficiency of the Communist regimes, we somehow did not “really believe” that they will disintegrate. Like Kissinger, we were all too much victims of cynical pragmatism.

This attitude is best encapsulated by the French expression “je sais bien, mais quand meme” (I know very well that it can happen, but nonetheless… I cannot really accept that it can happen). This is why, although Obama’s victory was clearly predictable at least for the last two weeks before the election, his actual victory was still experienced as a shock. In some sense, the unthinkable did happen, something that we really didn’t believe could happen. (Note that there is also a tragic version of the unthinkable really taking place: holocaust, gulag… how can one really accept that something like that could happen?)

The true battle begins now, after the victory: The battle for what this victory will effectively mean, especially within the context of two other much more ominous signs of history: 9/11 and the financial meltdown. Nothing was decided by Obama’s victory, but his victory widens our freedom and thereby the scope of our decisions. But regardless of whether we succeed or fail, Obama’s victory will remain a sign of hope in our otherwise dark times, a sign that the last word does not belong to “realist” cynics, be they from the Left or the Right.

Another article he wrote is Bring me my Philips Mental Jacket -
The philosopher welcomes the prospect of biogenetic intervention. It is through and through a psychoanalytical take on genetic manipulation, but it's interesting nonetheless...

Comments

[unemployia.livejournal.com]

as far as "the cynics are wrong" essay I think that is very true. I find it interesting, now, post election I am not as interested in obama because he is the president, as in I dont' find it as wonderful to watch him on t.v. or want to watch him all the time, it doesn't have the same thrill right now.

what I do want to do is keep on on politics, hows it going, so whats he doing, what is the commentary; and my daughter too as asked me to keep her updated (as I tend to be more hooked into that kind of thing) of the reality of what he does and how things are going.

its changed my reading some on preparing for possibilities if childrens issues ever got more funded, he said he favored the harlems children empowerment zone before, as a model to bring to 20 cities including baltimore, and I am not exactly sure about that, have initial criticisms of it, keep trying to ask people in nyc (who don't know or dont' answer me) what is this? So its changed some of my activism, to be aware or, and I had before hope, that there could me more energy for social good, to keep it abridge in my work.

i still like him, like in a personal way, and am currious, and not sure. but now he is a president, I dont' really like him in the same way as he was fighting for something that never happened before excitement.

just random comentary/reflection

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

I think that the image he was projecting during the election, of what he could do, and very much the images we projected onto him (and he deliberately left enough space for everyone to project their own desires unto him) are now being contrasted with reality; it's one thing to talk about "no blue states, no red states, but the united states of america", it's something else to bring this about now. Furthermore, now we're not analysis his words as much as we're looking at his actions, and we want results now, damnit. :) Personally, I'm waiting for his Middle East speech--will he really be addressing "the Middlle East", or will he be addressing the Mid-West and the South of the United States, from the Middle East? It'll be fascinating.

What's interesting with Obama is that once again the U.S. seems to be run by a man who doesn't think the country is a dictatorship that is his to run under God's Will, as is the basic Republican understanding, but rather a democracy that is accountable to citizens. That opens up hope in a huge way. Regarding children's issues funding, that creates spaces for change to come from both above and below...

I would tell your daughter to spend 30 minutes every day either watching or reading the news. :)