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Living in the End Times (According to Slavoj Zizek)

Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, akaThe Elvis of cultural theory, is given the floor to show of his polemic style and whirlwind-like performance.
The Giant of Ljubljana is bombarded with clips of popular media images and quotes by modern-day thinkers revolving around four major issues: the economical crisis, environment, Afghanistan and the end of democracy.
Zizek grabs the opportunity to ruthlessly criticize modern capitalism and to give his view on our common future. We communists are back! is the closing remark of Slavoj Zizeks provocative performance.
Our current capitalist system, that everyone believed would be smoothly spread around the globe, is untenable. We find ourselves on the brink of big problems that call for big solutions.
Whatever is left of the left, has been hedged in by western liberal democracy and seems to lack the energy to come up with radical solutions. Not Zizek.

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  1. Communism killed 150 million people so far. Terrible track record.

  2. interesting & thought provoking…ty….bsp

  3. Tottaly agree.

    Capitalism over years turned into corporatisem, what is in other words fascism (similar to communism)_big corporations and goverments working together for their own benefits. They simply don’t give fuck about us, the sooner we’re dead the happier they’ll be!

  4. I wonder if anyone will ever realize that there’s a difference between Capitalism and Corporatism?  Perhaps someday in the future?

  5. Say what you will about Slavoj Zizek his book “First as tragedy, Then as farce” was a very insightful read on ideology. If you don’t agree on everything he has to say fine, but he has a lot more to talk about than just communist ideals. Remarkable thinker/philosopher should be considered by anyone who really enjoys philosophy.

  6. Some more of communist, socialism, fascism, jihad-ism and liberalism drivel ad nauseam… Never mention recent living memory, history or experience, just arguments. Modern Capitalism has a prosperous history of at least 300 years, communism a miserable modern history of lets say about 50 years Ok lets give them another 50 years. Want to compare 300 years of success to 100 years of misery , failure and mass genocide. Amazing that well meaning people fall for this false brotherhood, more bluntly, “garbage”. Let me repeat, all the above does not build anything of value or substance, the record speaks for itself. Besides they control the world now so why do they continue their propaganda.

    Ask yourself… they have succeeded in their one world order, you would think that all the world’s problems have been been solved. No they must continue to hide their utter failures…world social programmes, aid charities, daily media propaganda news, UN resolutions on famine and wars to advance their cause, WHEN WILL THEY BE HAPPY THAT THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED. The sad truth, is you cover miseries and lies with yet another lie.

    THEY ARE INDEED A BLITE ON THIS PLANET AND IT’S PEOPLE, until we we defeat them completely. OH i forgot global waring to boot,

    • You got some fuzzy math my friend.  So, you’re calling the period that encompasses the entire Industrial Revolution a capitalistic endeavor?  Most of what we now know as the Industrial Revolution was a time during which the means of agricultural production which replaced much of the slave and indentured servant labor by machines.  This period was formally known as Feudalism.  It wasn’t until after WWII that wealth started to be concentrated in forms other than land ownership, which started Capitalism in earnest.  And, no Capitalism is not the prosperous heaven you make it out to be.  For a few in our world, it has been a god-sent.  For the vast majority of the earth’s population, it has been pestilence of no proportion. 

      There, some much needed fact for your hot air.

      • So, post WWII capitalism you say? How about point 2,5,6 and 10 bellow?

        From the Communist Manifesto –

        http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch02.htm

        …, in most advanced countries, the following will be pretty generally applicable.

        1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
        2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
        3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
        4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
        5. Centralisation of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
        6. Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
        7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
        8. Equal liability of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
        9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.
        10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, &c, &c.

    • You got some fuzzy math my friend.  So, you’re calling the period that encompasses the entire Industrial Revolution a capitalistic endeavor?  Most of what we now know as the Industrial Revolution was a time during which the means of agricultural production which replaced much of the slave and indentured servant labor by machines.  This period was formally known as Feudalism.  It wasn’t until after WWII that wealth started to be concentrated in forms other than land ownership, which started Capitalism in earnest.  And, no Capitalism is not the prosperous heaven you make it out to be.  For a few in our world, it has been a god-sent.  For the vast majority of the earth’s population, it has been pestilence of no proportion. 

      There, some much needed fact for your hot air.

  7. Thanks for this great exercise in thinking about and challenging many ideas!