comments on the society of the spectacle

I think the unstoppable juggernaut which is global warming demonstrates that processing natural materials on an industrial scale is a suicidal practice. I think this would certainly be a big improvement over the way our current society is run, but my biggest objection to Marxism has been the presumption that industry should exist at all. Not a centralized Communist government, but local, autonomous collectives. Strangely enough, The Situationists married Marxist thinking with avant-garde art.ĭebord advocated for businesses and industry to be run by individual workers' councils-the employees run their own companies, not executives or managers. Yes, it was grounded in Marxism, but it was quite opposed to both Communism and Capitalism. The students and workers in ’68 were primarily revolting against modern consumerist and technologist society the movement was anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist. The closest thing that has occurred today is the revolution in Egypt. This was roughly 2/3 of the French workforce. It's rather amazing to think, from the current perspective of a relatively inactive, uninspired and uneducated American society, that an esoteric book of political theory inspired student to lead a mass strike involving up to 11 million workers for two weeks. Debord and his fellow movement leaders were called The Situationists or Situationist International.

But if you can accept not understanding everything, it’s worth it.)ĭebord was of course French and the original work inspired the student/union workers revolt that occurred in France in 1968. (And admittedly somewhat difficult in its degree-of-esoteric-jargon. SotS is one of the most politically astute grand visions of the social order ever written. Although it enhances your understanding to read Society of the Spectacle first, it's not absolutely necessary. With the primaries in progress, and the battle approaching to save the pale semblance of a democracy that we live in from the fascist tyranny of Trump and the Republican party, I elected to repost this review that fits the spectacle of Trump oh so precisely.Ĭomments on the Society of the Spectacle is a must read.

Comments on the society of the spectacle