File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_2002/lyotard.0211, message 13


Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 21:49:52 +0000
From: "steve.devos" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk>
Subject: postmodernists and politics




R/all

I'm conscious that the following needs addressing/answering - how are 
"postmodernists" at fault for the rise of the new right?

It is an argument that is being made increasingly -

I'll try and put together a brief synthesis of some of the arguments and 
will forward. Tomorrow.

regards
steve

Thomas Taylor wrote:

>No, but you should check out Badiou's text in Theory and Event entitled
>"Philosophical Considerations of Some Recent Events".
>
>Question: how are "postmodernists" at fault for the rise of the new right?
>Maybe it's a specific reading of certain texts that you are pointing to
>here. As I call it, it is the concessions that have been made in order to
>appear moderate that are responsible for the success of the right (at least
>in the US). The first proposition of the right: these threats demand
>treatment quickly and without debate. The thoughts of the elected
>pseudo-left: I will not even have a foot in unless I appear to respond to
>this "threat" without really thinking. This sounds alot like invoking
>consensus as a form of terror to me, a notion coined by our friend Lyotard.
>If the pseudo-left in orthodox American politics would have stuck to their
>guns in the latest election, rather than conceding for the sake of
>electability, they may have gathered some support. Instead, they chose to
>emphasize the economy when the state of the world is at stake. Dissent is
>not marketable (they think). I am sure, however, that if several strong
>opponents to Bush policy came out, in full fistcuffs, they would have
>gathered more support than those who acquiesce in hopes running a moderate
>campaign in the presidential elections two years from now.
>
>To dispel in doubts in the above fragment, be it known that I hold that any
>authentic and honest american positon, if it is to be held by an american,
>must be anti-american. No Pax Americana.
>
>RT
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "steve.devos" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk>
>To: <lyotard-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
>Cc: "eric and mary salstrand" <ericandmary-AT-earthlink.net>
>Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 12:31 PM
>Subject: readings on the 11th september
>
>
>>  Eric/|All
>>
>>Following on from my emailing of the piece from the Guardian - I finally
>>got round to I've finally got round to reading Zizek's text 'welcome to
>>the desert of the real' published by Verso. Over the past year I've read
>>many texts that have touched on the WTC event and the responses of
>>postmodern global capitalism - few however have been as directly
>>political and as directed as the Zizek. (The general tendency seems to
>>have been some liberal hand-wringing, the dominance of the new-right
>>(post-modernists to fault) and the gradual emergence of
>>anti-colonial/anti-war alliances.
>>
>>However where Zizek's text gets especially interesting is in his brief
>>discussion of the fear that haunts europe - which he describes
>>remarkably well namely that "... the true oppostion today is not the one
>>between the First world and the Third world...." (The postmodern global
>>capitalism of America and its colonies ) "...and the remaining secound
>>world (Europe)..." The fear within the european states is of course the
>>reason for the avoidence of the developing conflict - evidenced by both
>>the supposed rise in anti-americanism and the associated lack of
>>sympathy with american suffering amoung some european intellectuals
>>(true - especially in my specific case) The true story is the opposite -
>>the lack of any european political initiatives - and compliance with the
>>US, everyone gave in to US pressure. The human costs for this behavior
>>being in the US third world colonies - Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan and
>>the future one of Iraq... but the lack of european political initiatives
>>- isn't this because of a fear of the inevitable conflict ?
>>
>>Has anyone else read this text - including the rather interesting
>>critique of Hardt/Negri on page 147?
>>
>>Steve
>>
>>
>>
>


HTML VERSION:

R/all

I'm conscious that the following needs addressing/answering - how are "postmodernists" at fault for the rise of the new right?

It is an argument that is being made increasingly -

I'll try and put together a brief synthesis of some of the arguments and will forward. Tomorrow.

regards
steve

Thomas Taylor wrote:
No, but you should check out Badiou's text in Theory and Event entitled
"Philosophical Considerations of Some Recent Events".

Question: how are "postmodernists" at fault for the rise of the new right?
Maybe it's a specific reading of certain texts that you are pointing to
here. As I call it, it is the concessions that have been made in order to
appear moderate that are responsible for the success of the right (at least
in the US). The first proposition of the right: these threats demand
treatment quickly and without debate. The thoughts of the elected
pseudo-left: I will not even have a foot in unless I appear to respond to
this "threat" without really thinking. This sounds alot like invoking
consensus as a form of terror to me, a notion coined by our friend Lyotard.
If the pseudo-left in orthodox American politics would have stuck to their
guns in the latest election, rather than conceding for the sake of
electabilit y, they may have gathered some support. Instead, they chose to
emphasize the economy when the state of the world is at stake. Dissent is
not marketable (they think). I am sure, however, that if several strong
opponents to Bush policy came out, in full fistcuffs, they would have
gathered more support than those who acquiesce in hopes running a moderate
campaign in the presidential elections two years from now.

To dispel in doubts in the above fragment, be it known that I hold that any
authentic and honest american positon, if it is to be held by an american,
must be anti-american. No Pax Americana.

RT
----- Original Message -----
From: "steve.devos" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk>
To: <lyotard-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Cc: "eric and mary salstrand" <ericandmary-AT-earthlink.net>
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 12:31 PM
Subject: readings on the 11th september


  Eric/|All

Following on from my emailing of the piece from the Guardian - I finally
got round to I've finally got round to reading Zizek's text 'welcome to
the desert of the real' published by Verso. Over the past year I've read
many texts that have touched on the WTC event and the responses of
postmodern global capitalism - few however have been as directly
political and as directed as the Zizek. (The general tendency seems to
have been some liberal hand-wringing, the dominance of the new-right
(post-modernists to fault) and the gradual emergence of
anti-colonial/anti-war alliances.

However where Zizek's text gets especially interesting is in his brief
discussion of the fear that haunts europe - which he describes
remarkably well namely that "... the true oppostion today is not the one
between the First world and the Third world...." (The postmodern global
capitalism of America and its colonies ) "...and th e remaining secound
world (Europe)..." The fear within the european states is of course the
reason for the avoidence of the developing conflict - evidenced by both
the supposed rise in anti-americanism and the associated lack of
sympathy with american suffering amoung some european intellectuals
(true - especially in my specific case) The true story is the opposite -
the lack of any european political initiatives - and compliance with the
US, everyone gave in to US pressure. The human costs for this behavior
being in the US third world colonies - Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan and
the future one of Iraq... but the lack of european political initiatives
- isn't this because of a fear of the inevitable conflict ?

Has anyone else read this text - including the rather interesting
critique of Hardt/Negri on page 147?

Steve






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