Pandemic! 2: Chronicles of a Time Lost
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- Create Date：2021-03-31 13:12:38
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Slavoj Žižek
- ISBN：1509549072
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Summary
What do sex doll sales， locust swarms and a wired-brain pig have to do with the coronavirus pandemic？ Everything--according to that "Giant of Lubliana，" the inimitable Slovenian philosopher Slavoj �Ži�žek。
In this exhilarating sequel to his acclaimed Pandemic！: COVID-19 Shakes the World， �Ži�žek delves into some of the more surprising dimensions of lockdowns， quarantines， and social distancing--and the increasingly unruly opposition to them by "response fatigued" publics around the world。
�Ži�žek examines the ripple effects on the food supply of harvest failures caused by labor shortages and the hyper-exploitation of the global class of care workers， without whose labor daily life would be impossible。 Through such examples he pinpoints the inability of contemporary capitalism to safeguard effectively the public in times of crisis。
Writing with characteristic daring and zeal， �Ži�žek ranges across critical theory， pop-culture， and psychoanalysis to reveal the troubling dynamics of knowledge and power emerging in these viral times。
In this exhilarating sequel to his acclaimed Pandemic！: COVID-19 Shakes the World， �Ži�žek delves into some of the more surprising dimensions of lockdowns， quarantines， and social distancing--and the increasingly unruly opposition to them by "response fatigued" publics around the world。
�Ži�žek examines the ripple effects on the food supply of harvest failures caused by labor shortages and the hyper-exploitation of the global class of care workers， without whose labor daily life would be impossible。 Through such examples he pinpoints the inability of contemporary capitalism to safeguard effectively the public in times of crisis。
Writing with characteristic daring and zeal， �Ži�žek ranges across critical theory， pop-culture， and psychoanalysis to reveal the troubling dynamics of knowledge and power emerging in these viral times。
Reviews
Jordan
，
Impressively slapdash， more a loose collection of meandering op-eds than a work of philosophical substance。 Was probably outdated and exhausted before it was even released。
Monika
，
Ta książka w większości składa się z krótkich felietonów o pandemii， szerzącym się populizmie， niepokojach społecznych， globalnym ociepleniu。 To już drugi tom pandemicznych kronik straconego czasu Slavoja Zizka （pierwszego tomu nie czytałam）。Dla mnie pierwsze rozdziały trochę zbyt powierzchowne （przeskakiwanie z jednego poważnego tematu na drugi co akapit - to według mnie zbyt powierzchowne potraktowanie każdego z tych tematów）。 Czyta się jednak te rozważania bardzo łatwo - autor ma umiejętność Ta książka w większości składa się z krótkich felietonów o pandemii， szerzącym się populizmie， niepokojach społecznych， globalnym ociepleniu。 To już drugi tom pandemicznych kronik straconego czasu Slavoja Zizka （pierwszego tomu nie czytałam）。Dla mnie pierwsze rozdziały trochę zbyt powierzchowne （przeskakiwanie z jednego poważnego tematu na drugi co akapit - to według mnie zbyt powierzchowne potraktowanie każdego z tych tematów）。 Czyta się jednak te rozważania bardzo łatwo - autor ma umiejętność łatwego tłumaczenia skomplikowanych zjawisk socjologicznych。 Ostatnie dwa rozdziały już zdecydowanie bardziej dogłębnie analizują omawiane zagadnienia， ale jednocześnie znacznie trudniej się je czyta - pojawia się tu sporo powtórzeń jednego pojęcia - tak jakby autor bardzo chciał， żebyśmy je zapamiętali。 Po kilkunastu słowach "obsceniczny" na jednej stronie było mi niedobrze。 。。。more
Andylay
，
Interesting as usual
Kyrill
，
He agamboned a bit and some stuff is already proving wrong
Mark
，
Got distracted with gaming but finally finished it and yeah it's great， even better than the first I think。Still very typical Žižek， who spends half of this book about the coronavirus pandemic reviewing the show Euphoria， talking about Gwyneth Paltrow's vagina candle and quoting Metal Gear Solid 4 before diving into a deep Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis， he's surely one of the left's finest。He'll also probably get to write at least five more of these before this is all over so definitely l Got distracted with gaming but finally finished it and yeah it's great， even better than the first I think。Still very typical Žižek， who spends half of this book about the coronavirus pandemic reviewing the show Euphoria， talking about Gwyneth Paltrow's vagina candle and quoting Metal Gear Solid 4 before diving into a deep Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis， he's surely one of the left's finest。He'll also probably get to write at least five more of these before this is all over so definitely looking forward to them。 。。。more
sahil
，
raccoon made a feel good book of the year？ unheard of， jk ofc， insightful and informative with names thrown around here and there， works less like a book and more like lecture pieces but nonetheless worth the time
สฤณี อาชวานันทกุล
，
（อ่านต้นฉบับภาษาอังกฤษ）สลาวอย ซิเซ็ก ขึ้นแท่นเป็นนักปรัชญาสมัยใหม่ที่คิดว่า “ต้องอ่าน” อีกคน จะเห็นด้วยหรือไม่เห็นด้วยก็ตาม ความคิดของเขาก็ควรค่าแก่การคิดตามและกระตุกให้มองมุมใหม่ๆ ของประเด็นร่วมสมัยได้เสมอ （อีกคนที่เข้าข่ายนี้คืออาจารย์ ไมเคิล แซนเดล） เล่มนี้รวบรวมบทความของซิเซ็กที่เขียนระหว่างช่วงการระบาดของโควิด-19 เป็น “ไทม์แคปซูล” บันทึกภาวะทางความรู้สึกและอาการวิกลจริตต่างๆ （psychoses） ต่างๆ ของสังคมได้ดีเลยซิเซ็กมองปรากฎการณ์ต่างๆ โดยเฉพาะที่เกิดในอเมริกาและยุโรป （เช่น หลายคนออกมาประท้วงก （อ่านต้นฉบับภาษาอังกฤษ）สลาวอย ซิเซ็ก ขึ้นแท่นเป็นนักปรัชญาสมัยใหม่ที่คิดว่า “ต้องอ่าน” อีกคน จะเห็นด้วยหรือไม่เห็นด้วยก็ตาม ความคิดของเขาก็ควรค่าแก่การคิดตามและกระตุกให้มองมุมใหม่ๆ ของประเด็นร่วมสมัยได้เสมอ （อีกคนที่เข้าข่ายนี้คืออาจารย์ ไมเคิล แซนเดล） เล่มนี้รวบรวมบทความของซิเซ็กที่เขียนระหว่างช่วงการระบาดของโควิด-19 เป็น “ไทม์แคปซูล” บันทึกภาวะทางความรู้สึกและอาการวิกลจริตต่างๆ （psychoses） ต่างๆ ของสังคมได้ดีเลยซิเซ็กมองปรากฎการณ์ต่างๆ โดยเฉพาะที่เกิดในอเมริกาและยุโรป （เช่น หลายคนออกมาประท้วงการให้ใส่หน้ากากอนามัย） จากเลนส์จิตวิเคราะห์ของ ฌาคส์ ลากอง ตั้งคำถามว่า “new normal” นั้น “ปกติ” แค่ไหน， “เสรีภาพ” ที่หลายคนโหยหาอยากกลับสู่ “ปกติ” มีความหมายอะไรถ้ามันหมายถึงเสรีภาพที่จะเสี่ยงติดเชื้อโควิด-19 （จากการไม่ใส่หน้ากากแล้วพยายามออกไปใช้ชีวิต “เหมือนเดิม”） ขณะที่ผู้ช่วยแพทย์ คนทำงานสาธารณะจำนวนมากไม่มีทางเลือก ผู้ด้อยโอกาสเดือดร้อนจากโควิด-19 มากกว่าคนรวย บทความทั้งหมดยืนยันความคิดของซิเซ็กว่า วิกฤติโควิด-19 （ซึ่งเราเห็นแต่วิกฤติสุขภาพและเศรษฐกิจเป็นหลัก ยังไม่เห็นความขัดแย้งทางการเมืองและวิกฤติสุขภาพจิตที่จะตามมาติดๆ） เรียกร้องให้เรา “คิดใหม่” เรื่องระบบการเมืองและเศรษฐกิจตั้งแต่รากฐานอ่านสนุก ชอบที่ซิเซ็กเขียนหนังสือที่รู้เรื่อง（สำหรับคนนอกวงการปรัชญา）มากขึ้นเรื่อยๆ ด้วยการยกตัวอย่างร่วมสมัยทันทีที่พูดถึงมาร์กซ์ ลากอง ฯลฯ บทความขนาดยาวในภาคผนวกที่วิเคราะห์ความนิยมของทรัมป์และปัญหาของฝ่ายซ้ายก็แหลมคมเช่นกัน （เช่น เขาเสนอว่าความหยาบคายของนักประชานิยมฝ่ายขวาอย่างทรัมป์นั้นถูกใช้เป็นเครื่องมืออำพรางความกลวงเปล่าของเนื้อหา） 。。。more
Josh
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Scattershot in typical Žižekian fashion， but the Lacanian psychoanalysis of the current moment is a refreshing one。
Jacob Johnson
，
This is the first book I have read of Zizek's。 It is what I expected， jumping around a lot and a little hard to follow at times but funny and engaging。 The first section of this book is a series of observations on different phenomenons from the pandemic， like not being able to touch anyone， what happened to Bernie Sanders post-Covid， the George Floyd protests in summer 2020。 They are mostly interesting but only 3-5 pages。 Some points I liked from this section: Zizek points out that we are being This is the first book I have read of Zizek's。 It is what I expected， jumping around a lot and a little hard to follow at times but funny and engaging。 The first section of this book is a series of observations on different phenomenons from the pandemic， like not being able to touch anyone， what happened to Bernie Sanders post-Covid， the George Floyd protests in summer 2020。 They are mostly interesting but only 3-5 pages。 Some points I liked from this section: Zizek points out that we are being forced to choose between two options: keep everyone safe and let the economy fall apart or go out and work and save the economy while sacrificing our lives。 So it is economy vs。 life， and of course people choose life but now we have to suffer from this decision。 Zizek's solution is why not have both but to do so would require a global effort of solidarity between nations and the shifting of our economy from being blindly led by the market and instead conscious planning based around providing people with their basic needs。 So he is just describing a centrally planned economy which I don't think we will be getting anytime soon。 The second part of the book is two longer essays， one focused on psychoanalysis and people's reaction to the pandemic which I didn't really understand and one on the political situation of the world， focusing on the USA。 I liked how he described the populist right as not fascist because they have no coherent vision， "its ideology and politics is an incoherent bricolage"。 Their entire identity is created as the opposition to the "deep state" and the liberal establishment。 Without those things the populist right wouldn't know what to do with itself。 I think Zizek was proven correct with the January 6， 2021 "storming" of the US Capitol building。 What did these militant Trump supporters do when they entered the halls of power？ Did they declare themselves as the new government， make demands or propose any kind of alternative leadership？ No， they shuffled around and took selfies until they were escorted out of the building。I liked this paragraph on Left Liberals as well: "The PC stance remains within the basic liberal coordinates， it just wants to fully actualize them by abolishing the hidden biases - the problem is that it focuses on individual responsibility。 With moralist zeal， it analyzes the details of the subject's behaviour， searching for traces of racism and sexism。 But its domain is that of cultural and sexual identity， not of radical economic and social change; it extols you to get rid of racial and sexist cliches， not to analyze the society that gives birth to them。" Not really breaking any new ground but it is a clear description of them。He compares left liberals to the populist right in that they both have no vision for real change but want to engulf themselves in the endless conflict between puritan moralism and obscene populism。 They need each other to keep the cycle going。He also talks about Trump farting， Metal Gear Solid 4， Elon Musk treating people like pigs and needing Pornhub to keep an erection so there is something here for everyone！ 。。。more
Ryan Smith
，
To those who've read Zizek's works before， there isn't a dearth of new material to be taken from it。 However， it is nice to get Zizek's thoughts on current （or at the time of its writing， somewhat current） events in the midst of the worldwide pandemic， and the ir/rationalisms that are at the core of it all。 If there was anything that I wish he would have expanded upon more， it would have been sections/chapters 7 and 8 with regards to the confrontation between privilege， technology， and labor in To those who've read Zizek's works before， there isn't a dearth of new material to be taken from it。 However， it is nice to get Zizek's thoughts on current （or at the time of its writing， somewhat current） events in the midst of the worldwide pandemic， and the ir/rationalisms that are at the core of it all。 If there was anything that I wish he would have expanded upon more， it would have been sections/chapters 7 and 8 with regards to the confrontation between privilege， technology， and labor in an increasingly moribund proposal for the future。As a first introduction to Zizek， it might not be as effective as one would hope in diving into his mindset。 If you can get it for cheap or even free， it could very well be worth your time -- as it stands， the amount of food for thought it has on hand leaves me more than a little hungry。 。。。more
valixt
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The pandemic brought out social and economic conflicts that were raging beneath the surface 。。。 we ignore a much greater number of people dying of other causes like cancer or a heart attack？ 。。。 racism 。。。 political correctness 。。。 Trump 。。。 “Another end of the world is possible。”
Hayden Berg
，
Much like the first "Pandemic！" book， this one feels a bit rushed and some of the ideas aren't developed as fully as they could be in a full work。 That being said， I am desperate to hear folks I respect intellectually try to make sense of the world right now， and that is exactly what I get from Zizek's latest。The earlier chapters are nice for quick reading and elaborate some basic ideas that （like I mentioned before） are maybe a little half-baked。 I really enjoyed the latter half of the book whe Much like the first "Pandemic！" book， this one feels a bit rushed and some of the ideas aren't developed as fully as they could be in a full work。 That being said， I am desperate to hear folks I respect intellectually try to make sense of the world right now， and that is exactly what I get from Zizek's latest。The earlier chapters are nice for quick reading and elaborate some basic ideas that （like I mentioned before） are maybe a little half-baked。 I really enjoyed the latter half of the book where Zizek， in a more long form context， gives his insight on where we "go from here" （i。e。 how we can see the chaos of the world today as an opportunity to radically change the structures that are breaking down in front of us） and his analysis of the current populist right and reactionary left and the missteps taken by both radical ends of the political spectrum。 Zizek critiques the alt-right for all of the obvious reasons （their nostalgia for a time when racist， sexist， bigoted opinions were better tolerated， their love of obscene politics， their lack of a positive ideaology to replace the liberal ideology they're so aggressively critical of， etc。， etc。， etc。）， but he's also critical of the sort of PC/alt-leftism that leads to a politics of individualism， "canceling" and symbolic self-flagellation as opposed to actual radical political praxis。While I don't love all of it， there is a core of really interesting ideas that feel very prescient and much-needed， in my opinion。 And， as always， Zizek is just a joy to read。 。。。more
Malcolm Ragan
，
Seems like editing this book involved running it through a spell checker and absolutely nothing else。 A whole lot of semi-connected ramblings about current events and how they demonstrate Lacanian psychoanalysis。 The final product turns out to be bafflingly entertaining。
Goda Januskeviciute
，
I personally prefer the first book as it is more related to the pandemic and has some very original intakes， also， was such a witty pleasure to read。 However， the second book is also worth the time。 I’d say， it’s more focused on new populism and critics of contemporary capitalism than pandemic itself， but worth a read。 Recently Žižek has become really very easy to read and as usually makes some strong points， I’d say， at this case especially at the appendix at the end of the book。 Some ideas （so I personally prefer the first book as it is more related to the pandemic and has some very original intakes， also， was such a witty pleasure to read。 However， the second book is also worth the time。 I’d say， it’s more focused on new populism and critics of contemporary capitalism than pandemic itself， but worth a read。 Recently Žižek has become really very easy to read and as usually makes some strong points， I’d say， at this case especially at the appendix at the end of the book。 Some ideas （some of the most interesting） can be found here， at The Philosophical Salon （Los Angeles Review of Books）， that actually convinced me to buy both books: http://bit。ly/philosophicsalon Before the conclusion: “For many liberals， the unexpected appearance of Trump was a moment of Kairos: something new that shattered the foundations of the established order。 But I think that Trump is just a symptom of what was already wrong in our societies， and we are still waiting for the new to emerge。 If we don’t invent a new mode of social life， our situation will not be just a little bit worse， but much worse。 Again， my hypothesis is that the Covid-19 pandemic announces a new epoch in which we will have to rethink everything， inclusive of the basic meaning of being human—and our actions should follow our thinking。 Perhaps today we should invert Marx’s Thesis XI on Feuerbach: in the twentieth century， we tried to change the world too rapidly， and the time has come to interpret it in a new way。” And also， it’s a pleasure to read some of Žižek’s humour and the dedication of this book is “To all those whose daily lives are so miserable that they ignore Covid-19， regarding it as a comparatively minor threat。” 。。。more
Glenn S。
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The feel-good book of the year。
Ulf Kastner
，
Not as entertaining a read as Žižek's first COVID pandemic volume in my personal experience， but nonetheless enjoyable between its idiosyncratic insights and intermittent provocations。I was surprised to see Žižek stumble during a brief excursion into the how and why of Colin Kaepernick's NFL protest: "Many police officers， including NYPD chief Terence Monahan， "took the knee" alongside the protesters—a practice introduced in 2016 by American athletes during the playing of the national anthem at Not as entertaining a read as Žižek's first COVID pandemic volume in my personal experience， but nonetheless enjoyable between its idiosyncratic insights and intermittent provocations。I was surprised to see Žižek stumble during a brief excursion into the how and why of Colin Kaepernick's NFL protest: "Many police officers， including NYPD chief Terence Monahan， "took the knee" alongside the protesters—a practice introduced in 2016 by American athletes during the playing of the national anthem at sporting awards ceremonies。"Someone as comparatively knowledge-spongey as Žižek being apparently unaware of Americans playing their national anthem before just about every damn team sporting event out there made me both cringe and snicker。 "The performance of this gesture is intended to signal the existence of racial injustice within one's country and， since it is a sign of disrespect toward the national anthem， it indicates that one is not ready to fully identify oneself with the nation—"this is not my country。""Another pretty blatant miss there in regards to the meaning of the knee。 I didn't think Žižek's news media diet could lead to such gaffes in knowledge and comprehension， but I suppose that bit of ocean between North America and Europe hasn't been completely bridged by 21st century Internet connectivity and polyglot news media consumption。Should Mr。 Žižek ever come across this bit of nitpicking: you are welcome to run any future commentary on what happens around here—writing as an Austrian living abroad in the United States for two and a half decades and counting—by me。 That is if you are in fact concerned about avoiding the usual pitfalls of European chauvinism arising from half-baked informedness of goings on this side of the pond :-）p。s。 Two COVID-19 books and not a single reference or nod by the author to his own involuntary， early pandemic meme stint （https://twitter。com/matejpirnat/statu。。。）。 Sure it was unkind， but if I'm not mistaken its transgressional quality in relation to The Big Other offered a perfect opportunity for self deprecating humor in the appendix dealing with the obscenity of the current wave of rightwing populism。 。。。more
Ellen Lee
，
Love Slavoj's clear-headed insights which are always supplemented with the funniest and most interesting anecdotes from popular culture。 His "Pandemic！" series is a thoughtful， concise time capsule of 2020， covering most major events in this chaotic year。 I liked his additional conclusion and appendix at the end （I don't think anything so extensive was included in the first "Pandemic！"）， it tied up the loose threads nicely。 I will probably continue to return to these books as a reference。 Love Slavoj's clear-headed insights which are always supplemented with the funniest and most interesting anecdotes from popular culture。 His "Pandemic！" series is a thoughtful， concise time capsule of 2020， covering most major events in this chaotic year。 I liked his additional conclusion and appendix at the end （I don't think anything so extensive was included in the first "Pandemic！"）， it tied up the loose threads nicely。 I will probably continue to return to these books as a reference。 。。。more
Benjamin Britton
，
The situation is not hopeless， but a fast and internationally coordinated response is needed—much more than calls for volunteers to help in the fields。 Government organizations need to be involved in mobilizing people to avert the crisis。At this point， I can hear the laughter of my critics （as well as some friends） who mockingly note how the pandemic means that my time as a philosopher is over: who cares about a Lacanian reading of Hegel when the foundations of our existence are threatened？ Eve The situation is not hopeless， but a fast and internationally coordinated response is needed—much more than calls for volunteers to help in the fields。 Government organizations need to be involved in mobilizing people to avert the crisis。At this point， I can hear the laughter of my critics （as well as some friends） who mockingly note how the pandemic means that my time as a philosopher is over: who cares about a Lacanian reading of Hegel when the foundations of our existence are threatened？ Even Žižek now has to focus on how to bring in the harvest。But these critics couldn’t be more wrong。More and more， it has become a genuine conflict of global visions about society。In the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup， Groucho （as a lawyer defending his client in court） says: “He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don’t let that fool you。 He really is an idiot。” Something along these lines should be our reaction to those who display a basic distrust of the state by seeing the lockdown as a conspiracy designed to deprive us of our basic freedoms: “The state is imposing lockdown orders that curtail our liberty， and it expects us to police one another to ensure compliance; but this should not fool us—we should really follow the lockdown orders。The US libertarian Right claims lockdowns should be eased in order to give people back their freedom of choice。 That raises the question: what freedom？The “free choice” is， here， one between starvation and risking your life。it is reasonable to see the ongoing pandemic as announcing a new era of ecological troubles。The pandemic reminds us that we remain firmly rooted in bodily existence with all dangers that this implies。Does this mean our situation is hopeless？ Absolutely not。A new way of life will have to be invented。The first thing that strikes me is that， contra to the cheap motto “we are now all in the same boat，” class divisions have exploded。 At the very bottom of the hierarchy， there are those （refugees， people caught in war zones） whose lives are so destitute that Covid-19 is for them not the main problem。But nurses are only the most visible part of a whole class of caretakers who are exploited， although not in the way the old working class of the Marxist imaginary is exploited; as David Harvey puts it， they form a “new working class”:“The workforce that is expected to take care of the mounting numbers of the sick， or to provide the minimal services that allow for the reproduction of daily life， is， as a rule， highly gendered， racialized， and ethnicized。 This is the ‘new working class’ that is at the forefront of contemporary capitalism。 Its members have to bear two burdens: at one and the same time， they are the workers most at risk of contracting the virus through their jobs， and of being laid off with no financial resources because of the economic retrenchment enforced by the virus。This new working class was here all along， the pandemic just propelled it into visibility。They are the truly over-exploited: exploited when they work （since their work is largely invisible）， and exploited even when they don’t work， in their very existence。We perceived quarantine as a limited time of exception， an almost welcome standstill in our all-too-busy lives affording us some peace with our families， some time to read books and listen to music， and to enjoy cooking meals， in the knowledge that it will be over soon。Only now are we forced to accept that we are entering a new era in which we will have to learn to live with the virus。as the German virologist Hendrik Streeck succinctly put it: There is “no second or third wave—we are in a permanent wave。”This fascination with the numbers automatically makes us forget the obvious fact that many more people are dying from cancer， heart attacks， pollution， hunger， armed conflicts， and domestic violence， as though if we get Covid-19 infections fully under control， the main cause of our troubles will disappear。 Instead， human life will remain full of miseries and， in some sense， human life IS a misery that ends painfully， often with meaningless suffering。Furthermore， the link between the Covid-19 pandemic and our ecological predicament is becoming ever more clear。Greta Thunberg was right when she recently pointed out that “the climate and ecological crisis cannot be solved within today’s political and economic systems。”Just think about all the long-frozen bacteria and viruses waiting to be reactivated with the thawing of permafrost！The same goes for the link between Covid-19 and the anti-racist protests erupting around the world。 The only effective answer to the ongoing debate about the assertion that “Black lives matter” （e。g。， why shouldn’t we instead say， “all lives matter”？）， is a wonderfully brutal meme now circulating in the US， which depicts Stalin holding a poster that reads: “No lives matter。”The kernel of truth in this provocation is that there are things that matter more than bare life—is this not also the primary message of those protesting police violence against Black people？Does this mean that Giorgio Agamben was right when he rejected state-imposed lockdowns and self-isolation as measures that imply reducing our lives to mere existence—inThe problem with this stance is that， today， the main proponents of abolishing lockdowns are to be found in the populist new Right: its members see in all similar restrictive measures—from lockdowns to the obligatory wearing of masks—the erosion of our freedom and dignity。This brings us to the key point: the contradictory way the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the economy。 On the one hand， it has forced authorities to do things that at times almost point toward Communism: a form of Universal Basic Income， healthcare for all， etc。 However， this unexpected opening for Communism is just one side of the coin。 Simultaneously， opposite processes are asserting themselves violently， with corporations amassing wealth and being bailed out by states。The contours of corona-capitalism are gradually emerging， and with them new forms of class struggle—or， to quote Joshua Simon， writer and curator from Philadelphia: “US cities have seen the largest rent strike in decades， at least 150 worker strikes and walkouts （most notably by Amazon warehouse workers）， and hunger strikes in refugee detention facilities。 At the same time， research shows that US billionaires increased their collective wealth by $282 billion in just twenty-three days during the initial weeks of the coronavirus lockdown。In these conditions， it is no longer primarily the capitalist who owns the means of production and hires workers to operate them: “the worker brings with her the means of production。Simon evokes the poster held by Sarah Mason at an anti-lockdown protest: “Social Distancing Equals Communism。”The paradox here is that both of the main variants of the corona-economy—working at home in lockdown and running deliveries of things like food and packages—are similarly subsumed to capital and imply extra-exploitation。But what we need even more is a new economic order that will allow us to avoid the debilitating choice between economic revival and saving lives。One can easily discern in such violent outbursts a reaction to the immobility imposed by social distancing and quarantine—it is reasonable to expect that more acts like these will followall around the world， and one should not restrain oneself from voicing the suspicion that the explosive worldwide anti-racist passion， although it is not just an outburst of meaningless violence but an expression of a progressive cause， obeys a similar logic: thousands threw themselves into anti-racist protests with a kind of relief that they were again able to tackle something that is not a stupid virus but “just” a social struggle with a clear enemy。We are， of course， dealing here with very different types of violence。There is a key feature shared by the three types of violence in spite of their differences: none of them expresses a minimally-consistent socio-political program。 It may appear that the anti-racist protests meet this criterion， but they fail insofar as they are dominated by the Politically Correct passion to erase traces of racism and sexism—a passion that gets all too close to its opposite， the neoconservative thought-control。The reason I mention this is that I think the recent urge to cleanse our culture and education of all traces of racism and sexism courts the danger of falling into the same trap as the Catholic Church’s index: what remains if we discard all authors in whom we find some traces of racism and anti-feminism？ Quite literally all the great philosophers and writers disappear。This is why， for a Cartesian philosopher， ethnic roots and national identity are simply not a category of truth。 This is also why Descartes was immediately popular among women: as one of his early readers put it， cogito—the subject of pure thinking—has no sex。Today’s claims about sexual identities as socially constructed and not biologically determined are only possible against the background of the Cartesian tradition—there is no modern feminism and anti-racism without Descartes’s thought。Modern feminism and anti-racism emerged out of this long emancipatory tradition， and it would be sheer madness to leave this noble tradition to obscene populists and conservatives。 The same argument applies to many disputed political figures。So， while we should be ruthlessly critical about our past （and especially the past that persists in our present）， we should not succumb to self-contempt—respect for others based on self-contempt is always and by definition false。 The paradox is that in our societies， the whites who participate in anti-racist protests are mostly upper-middle class whites who hypocritically enjoy their guilt。“Every time a man has contributed to the victory of the dignity of the spirit， every time a man has said no to an attempt to subjugate his fellows， I have felt solidarity with his act。Frantz FanonInstead of perversely enjoying our guilt （and thereby patronizing the true victims）， we need active solidarity: guilt and victimhood immobilize us。 Only when we all act together， treating ourselves and each other as responsible adults， can we beat racism and sexism。No wonder freedom-loving liberals are enthusiastic about the events in Belarus， seen as proof that even the threat of Covid-19 is no match for a good old-fashioned mass protest。 For a brief moment， at least， the pandemic was relegated to the background， and we returned to the well-known scenario of the masses toppling “the last dictator in Europe”—Minsk as a new Kyiv。However， this joyful enthusiasm for democracy has its own blind spot。Lukashenko achieved economic stability， safety， and order， with a per capita income much higher than in the “free” Ukraine， and distributed in a much more egalitarian way。That is to say， one should bear in mind the reason behind Lukashenko’s relative popularity in previous years: he was tolerated， even accepted in some circles， precisely because he offered a safe haven against the ravages of wild liberal capitalism （corruption， economic and social uncertainty，） Now the situation is clear: a large majority wants to get rid of the tyrant。Problems begin after the people win—against whom do you protest in democracy？ Since there is no clearly visible tyrant， the temptation is to search for an invisible master who pulls the strings （like the Jews who control the “deep state”）。Lacan is evoking here the phrase “le pere ou pire （the father or worse）， implying a dire warning of how the final outcome of anti-patriarchal rebellions can be a leader worse than the deposed patriarch。If we replace Achilles by “forces of democratic uprising” and the tortoise by the ideal of “liberal democratic capitalism”， we soon realize that most countries cannot get close to this ideal， and that their failure to reach it expresses weaknesses of the global capitalist system itself。Additionally， we are forced to realize that while pro-democracy protesters strive to catch-up to the liberal capitalist West， there are clear signs that， economically and politically， the developed West itself is entering what can only be called a post-capitalist and post-liberal era—a dystopian one， of course。The true choice is thus: what kind of post-capitalism will we find ourselves in？For this reason， the new US TV series Euphoria （described in publicity materials as following “a group of high school students as they navigate drugs， sex， identity， trauma， social media， love and friendship”） almost portrays the opposite of the life of today’s high schoolers。 It is out of touch with today’s youth and， for this reason， weirdly anachronistic—more an exercise in middle-aged nostalgia for how depraved the younger generations once were。But we should take a step further here: what if there never was an entirely “real” sex with no virtual or fantasized supplement？On the set of a porn film an actor lost his erection mid-scene—to coax it back， he turned away from the woman， naked below him， grabbed his phone and searched Pornhub。 Which struck me as vaguely apocalyptic。”To this I would add the lesson of psychoanalysis: something is constitutively rotten in the state of sex—human sexuality is in itself perverted， exposed to sadomasochist reversals and， specifically， to the mixture of reality and fantasy。We cannot reduce this gap between the bodily reality of my partner and the universe of fantasies to a distortion opened up by patriarchy and social domination or exploitation—the gap is there from the very beginning。 So I quite understand the actor who， in order to regain an erection， searched Pornhub—he was looking for a fantasmatic support for his performance。When one makes love with someone they truly love， touching their partner’s body is crucial。 One should therefore invert the common wisdom according to which sexual lust is bodily while love is spiritual: sexual love is more bodily than sex without love。For a typical married couple， all the usual excuses for avoiding sex are invalidated when they are quarantined （“sorry， no sex tonight， we have to visit friends or I have to finish some work”），and in a desperate search for an obstacle to the sexual duty， they interpose between themselves a plastic doll。 The paradox is that what serves as an obstacle to the sexual relationship is a sexualized object par excellence。Hopefully， however， a new appreciation of intimate bodily contact will also arise out of the pandemic， and we will learn again the lesson of Andrei Tarkovsky for whom earth—inert， humid matter—is not opposed to spirituality but is its very medium。 In Tarkovsky’s masterpiece Mirror， his father Arseny Tarkovsky recites his own lines: “A soul is sinful without a body， like a body without clothes。”Masturbating to hardcore images is sinful， while bodily contact is a path to the spirit。Both extremes are to be avoided in interpreting the significance of Neuralink: we should neither celebrate it as an invention that opens the path toward Singularity （a divine collective self-awareness） nor fear it as a signal that we will lose our individual autonomy and become cogs in a digital machine。Even if we ignore the technical feasibility of this dream， just think what would happen to the process of erotic seduction if human minds directly （outside of language） shared experiences with one another。Imagine a seduction scene between two subjects whose brains are wired so that one’s train of thought is accessible to the other: if my prospective partner can directly experience my intention， what remains of the intricacies of seduction games？ The whole thing would be over in seconds。More fundamentally， the distance between our inner life （the movement of our thoughts） and external reality is the basis of our perception of ourselves as free: we are free in our thoughts precisely insofar as they are at a distance from reality，Once our inner life is directly linked to reality so that our thoughts have immediate material consequences （or can be manipulated by a machine that is part of reality） and are in this sense no longer “ours，” we effectively enter a post-human state。We mustn’t forget that if I can directly regulate processes in reality with my thoughts （I just think that my coffee machine should prepare a latte macchiato and it happens）， the implication is that the causal link also works in the opposite direction: those who control the digital machine that “reads my mind” can also control my mind and implant thoughts into it。The fragile balance between communal life and the private sphere characteristic of pre-pandemic society is replaced by a new constellation in which the diminishing of space for actual/bodily social interaction （due to quarantines， etc。） doesn’t lead to more privacy but gives birth to new norms of social dependency and control—don’t forget that even drones were deployed to control us in quarantine。What we need now is not only more physical proximity to others but more psychic distance from them。As Naomi Klein explains， the project announced by Cuomo and Schmidt proposes “to reimagine New York state’s post-Covid reality， with an emphasis on permanently integrating technology into every aspect of civic life。” Klein calls this proposal the “Screen New Deal”; it promises safety from infection while maintaining all the personal freedoms liberals care for—but can it work？Here is Klein’s critical description of this vision of a “permanent—and highly profitable—no-touch future”: “It’s a future in which our homes are never again exclusively personal spaces but are also， via high-speed digital connectivity， our schools， our doctor’s offices， our gyms， and， if determined by the state， our jails。 [。 。 。] for the privileged， almost everything is home delivered， either virtually via streaming and cloud technology， or physically via driverless vehicle or drone， then screen ‘shared’ on a mediated platform。 It’s a future that employs far fewer teachers， doctors， and drivers。 It accepts no cash or credit cards （under guise of virus control） and has skeletal mass transit and far less live art。 It’s a future that claims to be run on ‘artificial intelligence’ but is actually held together by tens of millions of anonymous workers tucked away in warehouses， data centers， content moderation mills， electronic sweatshops， lithium mines， industrial farms， meat-processing plants， and prisons， where they are left unprotected from disease and hyperexploition。”First is the paradox that those privileged enough to afford to live in the no-touch space are also the most controlled: their entire life is transparent to the true seat of power， an “unprecedented collaboration between government and tech giants [。 。 。] with public schools， hospitals， doctor’s offices， police， and military all outsourcing （at a high cost） many of their core functions to private tech companies。”In short， as Klein proposes， should they not be transformed into nonprofit public utilities？ Without a similar move， democracy in any meaningful sense is de facto abolished， since the basic component of our commons—the shared space of our communication and interaction—is placed under private control。Second， the Screen New Deal intervenes into class struggle at a very precise point。The Screen New Deal plans to minimize the visible role of this caretaker-class who have to remain non-isolated， largely unprotected， exposing themselves to viral danger so that we， the privileged， can survive in safety。New forms of class struggle will erupt here 。。。more
Ahsanul Karim
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বেশ অনেকদিন ধরে আর সবার মত আমি আর আমার ওয়াইফ প্রায়ই প্ল্যান করি প্যানডেমিক চলে গেলে আমরা কি কি করব， কোথায় কোথায় যাবো， কি খাবো ইত্যাদি। সেদিন হঠাৎ সে জিজ্ঞেস করল， আচ্ছা একটা সময়ে যখন প্যানডেমিক চলে যাবে পৃথিবী কেমন হবে？ কি কি চেঞ্জ আসবে？ প্রশ্নটার মধ্যে একটা ব্যাপার আছে বলে মনে হল। যেন এই সময়টাকে ভুলে গিয়ে শুধু আগে আর পরের পার্থক্যটা নিয়ে আমরা ভাবতে চাইছি। উত্তর খুঁজতে গিয়ে আবিষ্কার করলামঃ সেই মার্চ মাস থেকে প্রথমদিকে যেন ট্র্যাক রাখার চেষ্টা করছিলাম পরিবর্তনগুলোর। তারপরে একটা সময় ক্লান বেশ অনেকদিন ধরে আর সবার মত আমি আর আমার ওয়াইফ প্রায়ই প্ল্যান করি প্যানডেমিক চলে গেলে আমরা কি কি করব， কোথায় কোথায় যাবো， কি খাবো ইত্যাদি। সেদিন হঠাৎ সে জিজ্ঞেস করল， আচ্ছা একটা সময়ে যখন প্যানডেমিক চলে যাবে পৃথিবী কেমন হবে？ কি কি চেঞ্জ আসবে？ প্রশ্নটার মধ্যে একটা ব্যাপার আছে বলে মনে হল। যেন এই সময়টাকে ভুলে গিয়ে শুধু আগে আর পরের পার্থক্যটা নিয়ে আমরা ভাবতে চাইছি। উত্তর খুঁজতে গিয়ে আবিষ্কার করলামঃ সেই মার্চ মাস থেকে প্রথমদিকে যেন ট্র্যাক রাখার চেষ্টা করছিলাম পরিবর্তনগুলোর। তারপরে একটা সময় ক্লান্ত হয়ে চোখ সরিয়ে নিলাম নানান ঘটনাপ্রবাহ থেকে এবং সেইসাথে এ বিষয়ে চিন্তাভাবনা থেকে， ইউটিউবে রান্না আর খাওয়ার ভিডিও দেখতে দেখতে， যেহেতু বইপড়া， মুভি দেখা ইত্যাদি বিষয়গুলো ক্লান্তিকর হয়ে উঠছিল। ভুলে থাকা প্র্যাকটিস করতে করতে একসময়ে ঘরের বাইরে যাওয়ার সাহস হয়ে গেল। প্রতিদিন মৃত্যু আর নতুন আক্রান্তের হিসাব অর্থহীন হয়ে উঠল। অনেকটা সময় যেন হারিয়ে গেল।প্যানডেমিক শেষে কি ধরনের চেঞ্জ দেখা যাবে বা আদৌ শেষ হবে কিনা কিংবা এই প্যানডেমিক শেষে পরবর্তী প্যানডেমিকগুলোর জন্য মানুষ কিভাবে প্রস্তুত হবে অথবা কিভাবে মানুষ নতুন নতুন দুর্যোগ ডেকে আনবে কিংবা ডেকে না আনতেই মুখোমুখি হবে - এসব নিয়ে ভাবতে গিয়ে বইটা পড়তে বসা। যদিও এর আগে ঠিক করেছিলাম জিজেক সাহবের পরবর্তী বইটি পড়ার আগে 'ছোটদের জন্য হেগেল' এবং 'শিশুদের জন্য লাকাঁ' টাইপ দুয়েকটা বই পড়ে নিতে হবে， সেটা করা হয়ে ওঠেনি। দৈনিক পত্রিকার কলাম স্টাইলে বেশ সহজবোধ্য করে লেখা। মার্কিন নির্বাচনের ইন্টারেস্টিং সময়ে পড়া হল। এই কারণে বলছি যে ডোনাল্ড ট্রাম্পের পপুলিস্ট জনমোহিনী রাজনীতির অবসেনিটি আর তার মানিকজোড় একে অন্যকে পুষে রাখা প্রতিপক্ষের রাজনীতি নিয়ে বেশ চমৎকার আলোচনা পাওয়া গেল। সেইসাথে বর্তমান প্যানডেমিক， জলবায়ু বিপর্যয়， আন্তর্জাতিক রাজনীতি， বর্ণবাদ ইত্যাদি বিষয় নিয়ে সাইকোএনালেটিক আলোচনা থেকে ব্যক্তিগতভাবে নতুন একটা দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি （ভাসা ভাসাভাবে হলেও） অর্জন করলাম বলে মনে হল। 。。。more
Ben
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