Jean Baudrillard - The Agony of Power

8/11/2019 Jean Baudrillard - The Agony of Power

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Baudrillard

e Agony of Power

uction by Sylvre Lotringer

Translated by AnnesHod9eS

semiotext(e)

intervention

series o 6

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Inside cover photograph: Jean Baudrillard

Design: Hedi El Kholti

ISBN8 92/"/74:7/!9/2

;istributed by T&e MIT 1ress.

6a#brid'e. Massand 5ondon. En'land1rinted in t&e


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ents

u-tion by Syl=re5otrin'er

;o#ination to

He'e#ony3&ite Terror

o+ 3orld Orderre >ood

>ro0sRoots o+ Eil

2

59

79

J O9


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.

'BN30 ATIO AD !E"#IT$DE

Yhin book gathers previousl% unpu&lished te'ts

in ())*+ t,o %ears &e-ore the authors death.

Baudrillard read the/ at various con-erences

/d the ,orld+ in "io de Janeiro+ 0ontreal+

e,Yiik, 1uito+ etc. B% then+ he had &eco/e

an itin2at philosopher3he never ,as /uch o-

a ho/e45:6iiJosopher an%,a% I 5oined hi/ in

0ontreal in lateOcto&er ())*+ ,here hedelivered the -irst te'tioduded here+ 7ro/

Do/ination to Hege/on%.4He ,as ta8ing a crac8

at the &e,ildering situationcurrentl% -acing us as

,e e'it the s%ste/ o-do/ina2tion 9&ased on

slaver%+ o&edience+ alienation andenter a /ore

e'pansive ,orld o- hege/on%+4 in,hich

ever%one &eco/es &oth hostage and acco/2plice

o- the glo&al po,er. It ,as a ver% po,er-ul te't+

and I o--ered to pu&lish it right a,a% in English.

Baudrillard ,as hoping to turn all the te'ts he ,as

; ,riting at the ti/e into a ne, &oo8+ so I held o--.


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,ith cancer/onths later he ,as diagnosedA -e,

and never regained enough strength to -ollo, Hhris Turner+ otido-l+ !eagull BO)8s ())s

' H ;

English ,ith a er/an2sounding accent. I a/ not

sure an%one understood ever%thing that ,as said+

&ut the audience ,as ecstatic. It ,as philosoph% &%

contact. This is the ,a% theor% ,as &eing acco/o2

dated in an age o- /edia spectacle. But ,h%

should

eor% &e spared the general deco/position o- all

values+ ,hich is turning culture+ politics+ not to/ention li-e itsel-+ into a carnival? Even !lavo5 ie8

s-avishl% said o- Alain Badiou+ pla%ing each other

up+ diai he ,as lato ,al8ing a/ong us.4 @h%

not 0ao hi/sei-i As Baudrillard ,rote: Histor%

that repeats ii'el-turns to -arce. But a -arce that

repeats itsel-ends up /a8ing a histor%.4 The event

,as histor%

Very earl% on+ Baudrillard /apped out /ost o-

the concepts that he ,ould ,or8 on -or

decades toco/e. As he recognied it hi/sel-+ a

philosopher /a%; onl% have uur idea in his li-e+

and &e luc8% thatlic has one+ &ut he could un-old

it in such a ,a%diat no one ,ould recognie it

,henever the% pnssed &% it again. Actuall%+

Baudrillard had t,o /n5or ideas: the -irst one+

critical+ ,as that realit% lins disappeared and ,as

replaced &% si/ulacraL che second one+ /ore

agonistic+ ,as to turn this disappearance into a

s%/&olic challenge.

The agonistic challenge ,as ,hat he reall%

cared a&out+ &ut si/ulation and si/ulacra is ,hat

pc'iple re/e/&ered hi/ -or /ost+ o-ten ta8ing it+c'oneousl%+ as an advocation on his part. It ,as in


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-act a jubilant diagnosis o- our civiliation.

Baudrillard could never Muite &elieve his e%es

,hen-aced ,ith ,hat ,e 8eep doing to ourselves

in the na/e o-3,hatever. i8e Anton in Artaud+

Baudrillard realied -ro/ the onset that our culture

,as getting divorced -ro/ li-e. B% the ti/e he ,as

,riting+ there ,as not /uch li-e le-t to &e divorced

-ro/. Baudrillard ,as hailed as the inventor o-post2/odernis/+4 a concept he re5ected. The sa/e

con-usion surrounded 0ichel 7oucault+ ,ho ,as

cast as the stern advocate o- control+ or aul #irilio

cast as the prophet o- speeNi. The pu&lication o-

Simulations gave Baudrillard instant pro/inence in

the e, Cor8 art ,orld. It got hi/ pigeonholed as

the denier o- realit%+ and he ,as adulated or hated

-or it. He ,as in -act alread% ,or8ing on other

concepts3seduction+ -atalit%+ ecstas%3&% the ti/e

si/ulation &eca/e the rage. !i/ulation4 never

,as Baudrillards signature concept+ the ,a% thesociet% o- the spectacle4 ,as -or u% De&ord+

although the t,o notions re/ain closel% related.

!i/ulation is spectacle ,ithout an agenc%. The

concept got out o- hand+ the ,a% the Oedipus

>o/ple' did -or 7reud+ ,ho onl% ,rote eight

pages all in all a&out it. The t,o parts that

/a8e up Simulations ,ere onl% put together in the

&oo8 Ipu&lished in English in the 7oreign Agents

series in=P. In 7rench+ the% &elong to di--erent

&oo8s. !i/ulation4 ,as -irst /entioned in The

Consumer

Serie pu&lished in =Q)+ a couple o- %ears aher

De&ords Society ofthe Spectacle. 7ittingl%+ Baudrillard

/anaged to turn 7erdinand de !aussures discover%

o- linguistic value 9signs as pure di--erences into a

structural revolution.4 It ,as a clinical assess/ent

o- a societ% that ,as losing all its /oorings.

Identi-%ing the code independentl% o- an% outside

re-erence allo,ed hi/ to read the sign on the ,all3

e -loatation o- value escaping into &oundless spec2

ulation. olitics aher that could never &e the sa/e.

The /a5or turn in Baudrillards thin8ing+ para2

do'icall%+ happened in A/erica. An invitation &%

0ar'ist 7redric Ja/eson to teach -or a -e,

/onths in !an Diego in =Q*+ together ,ith Jean2

7ranMois %otard+ 0ichel de >erteau+ ouis 0arin

and Edgar 0orin+ turned out to &e decisive. The

i,;o ca/ps didnt al,a%s see e%e to e%e+ and there

,;ere occasional tensions and /utual e'clusions+,;hich I happened to ,itness at the ti/e+ &ut it

certainl% ,as a learning process on &oth sides+ and

had lasting repercussions. Baudrillard too8 a huge

step -or,ard ,hen he discovered the !ilicon

RSalle%4 pheno/enon+ the ho/e2&ased co/puter

utopia+ ,hich he hailed as the c%&ernetic disinte2

gration o- the tertiar% /etropolis.4S U6*J $ntil

(2 Jan Baudrillard+ !%VeFNcExchange and Death, tons. Iain Ha/ilton

>Wiir. ondon+ !age u&lications+ ==P+ p. 6*. All the page nu/&ers

in d5s ioniX:Auction re-er to this &oo8.


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then+ he had seen the sphere o- consu/ption as a

/ere appendage o- the sphere o- production+ the

,a% superstructures sat on in-rastructures in

0ar'ist theor%. "egistering the >ali-ornia e--ect+

Baudrillard realied that production ,as /oving

into consu/ption. His anal%sis o- the consu/er

societ% hadnt &een a li/ited case stud%L it applied

everyhere. The consu/er process couldnt &estopped+ it ,ould engul- ever%thing. !oon+ the

entire ,orld ,ould &e consu/ed4 &% the

e'changea&ilit% o- capital. Ever%thing ,ithin

production and the econo/% &eco/es co/2

/uta&le+ reversi&le and e'changea&le according to

the sa/e indeter/inate specularic% as ,e -ind in

politics+ -ashion or the /edia.4 UY< >apital no

longer ,as a process o- productionL production

itsel- ,as dissolving into the code. U< He also

understood that there ,as no /ore gap le-t+ no

insiders distance that ,ould still allo, -or a cri2

tiMue o- societ%. An% counter2discourse -iltering

into the code ,ould i//ediatel% &e disconnected

-ro/ its o,n ends+ disintegrated and a&sor&ed4

li8e ever%thing else. U(o/pared to the 7rench lorious Three+4

1%30, 6 and the Q aris >o//une+ 0a%

SY ,as a -ailed revolution+ &ut it succeeded in

inter ,a%s. It de/onstrated that traditional class

s/MLgIe no longer ,as a via&le political alternative.

T$ revolutionaries4 re/ained on the sideline+a/d the re&els ,ere alread% engaged in repro2

d!tion. Italian autono/ists sa, the co/ing

"/-ordist paradig/ as radical utopia+ it ,as the

co//unis/ o- capital.4P Baudrillard ,asnt so

ni'e. oo8ing at it as part o- the revolution o-

vnlue+ he realied that ost-ordis/ and the ne,

i''linologies o- la&or could ,ell &e another step

in(ards an integral realit%4 that no one ,ould &e

rel%ing instead on collective

technological advances. Italian

intelligence and

autono#istssa0

7 R?ilo Virno. Grammar af the Multitude, trans IsabellaBertoletti.

the/selves as a ne, &reed o- co//unists+ and %et

the% ,ere open2ended enough to loo8 to A/erica

6as-aito. and Andrea 6asson. 5os An'eles.Se#iote$t(e).


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a&le to oppose+ short o- capitalis/ itsel-. The

intellectual split &eca/e unavoida&le. In the

=)s+ the ,inter %ears+4 Baudrillards

e'trapolations

&e read again in that light. It /a% ,ell have &een" /issed encounter.

,ere re5ected &% his peers as ,ea8 thought.4 1.ilCe 7oucaul

t+Baudrillard had &een deepl%

The conseMuences o- the paradig/atic change

indeed ere huge+ and the% could &e read in ;di--erent ,a%s. I//aterialiing la&or allo,ed the

-or/ o- capital to penetrate the entire societ%. It

invested ,or8ers &oth at ho/e and in the social

space as one /ight invest a to,n+ totall%

occu2p%ing it and controlling all access.4

U=


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ruthless in that it ,as /eant to o--sVt thV di!con2

sinuous hold o- po,er over societ%. STht( lTlh)

the net ,ere too &ig+4 and eluded his grasp6 Thl!

strategic vision o- do/ination ,enta long ,a% in

accounting -or the technological /utation o- po,er

in the @est at the da,n o- the industrialrevolution. @hile out,ardl% /aintaining thei/age o- sover2 eignt%+ a ne, t%pe o-

disciplinar% control san8 deeper into the social&od%+ do,n

tenuous ele/ents. @hat disappeared in the process

,as s%/&olic e'change. 7oucaults inversion o- the

s%ste/ o- po,er -ro/ the top do,n+ +ro# t&esoer/

eignt% o- death to the discipline o- li+e.

+ollO3S t&68sa/e logic. The ne, s%ste/ o-po,er,hich replaced

tr!e the slave+ and dialectics ,as a con2ga/e.

Bothruled &% the -ear. Bataille ,ent on to

h%poth2

esie another -or/ o- sovereignt% that ,ould &e

i Y irrd; 5oin domination. The real sovereign is

@Ir+ in the ietschean sense. He doesnt derive

his po,er -ro/ his su&5ects+ &ut -ro/ his o,n

it$ndi. He onl% ,aits it to co/e+ i//une -ro/ an%

hunger save the one ,ho ,ill /urder hi/. It ,as

ii at ,a% that Bataille /anaged to reesta&lish a

s%/&olic e'change ,here there ,as none.

In =PP+ Bataille e'tended this sacri-icial

corn% to conte/porar% la&or through his reading

it i0arcel 0ausss The %ift. 0auss opposed the

n:/icted econo/%4 o- capital 9utilit% and use value

the old in the nineteenth centur% had its o,n

i-e replaced

-idi the orth,estern A/erican2Indian /odel o-

/$potlatch+4 a s%/&olic e'change in ,hich goods

death as a /eans o- controlling societ% at large.

Hegels /asterFslave dialectics ,as&:I!Vd on theslaves -ear o- death. iving it a perveT!V

cc rituall% destro%ed and rivalr% e'acer&ated to the

0#iiot o- ter/inal violence. 7or Bataille+ onl% uselesse'penditure ,as a&le to counter the deadening

e--ect

Bataille h%pothesied that there ,as not5ust

&ut r,o separate -or/s o- /aster%. The

one+

-irst+

c capitals e'changea&ilit%. The /ost lucid /an+ he

,rote+ ,ill understand nothing i-it does not occur

rel%ing on classical do/ination+4 is geared to pro2 to hi/ that a hu/an societ% can have+ 5ust as he

duce o&edient su&5ects. The /aster rules &ecause clries+ an dourest in considera&le losses+ in catastro2

the slave is a-raid o- death+ and he is not. But,ere

the /aster to actuall% die+ Bataille o&5ected+he

,ould lose his lTlil!ter%. The /aster ,as nodi--erent

6. 0ichel 7Ot-@t-iG+ es /ailles du pouvoir4 9=QY inDi& H cc-t)Z '

pg\+ alli/ard+ ==6+ p. =).

phe that+ iuhile conforming to ell(defined need,

p/vo8e tu/ultuous depressions+ crises o- dread+

and+ in the -inal anal%sis+ a certain orgiastic state.4

;2 eorges Bataille+ in Allo, af E'ude+ tr. Allan !toe8l+ 0inneapolis+

>oiversir% o- 0innesota ress+ =*+ p. Q.


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Bataille loo8ed upon capital as enslaving ,or8ers

as &eing the sa/e thing as the sovereign i/posing

o&edience on his su&5ects. Just &ecause the sover2

eign chose to !rt his su&5ects live didnt /ean he let

the/ -ree. The% re/ained su&5ected to hi/ in

,hatever -unction the% carried out. @hether a

prisoner o- ,ar+ ,hose li-e ,as sparedL a slave

serving in su/ptuar% do/esticit%L an e/ancipated

slaveL or a ser- in the -ields+ none o- their lives ,ere

scenario has never changed+4-on-urred. sin-e labor *o0er &as beentuted on death. Having converted his death

no a 0a'e. t&e 0or,er -ould only +reehi/sel- &% *@ ri' &is o0n deat& on t&eline

@hether the industrialists ,ould crush theirthe ,or8ers slaughter their /asters 9it

$>: lle//a in =PP er/an% didntNr t&at #u-& to &i# as lon' as a sa-ri-ial

their o,n. The% didnt have to die in order to &e

deadL their death ,as differed, 8ept in suspension+

no#ytoo,

neer

oer +ro# *oliti-al e-ono#y

until the sovereign decided other,ise.

And the sa/e holds true -or the -actor% ,or8er.

a&or+ Bataille /aintained+ ,as a unilateral gi-t o-

capital to the ,or8ers and ,as /ranr to conde/n

the/ to a hideous degradation.4 >ontrar% to ,hat

0ar' &elieved+ the process o- production ,asnt set

up to e'tract -ro/ the/ a surplus2value+ its real

purpose ,as to su&5ect the/ to a sacri-ice. And

Bataille dis/issed the A/erican su&ter-uge4 o-

co/pensating ,or8ers -or the de&ase/ent that had

&een i/posed on the/. othing could /odi-% the

-unda/ental division &et,een no&le and igno&le .

/en. The cruel ga/e o- social li-e does not var%

a/ong the di--erent civilied countries+ ,here the

insulting splendor o- the rich loses and degrades the

hu/an nature o- the lo,er class.4

is &onor. Baudrillard 0rote in t&e sa#eThe ,orst that capital could do to a ,or8er

@ to 8eep hi/ alive+ conde/ned to the inde-initeinCe-tion o+ a li+e o+ labor D:9

$nli8e Artaud and Bataille+ his older conte/21cs+ Baudrillard never %earned -or an innerOperience o- death reached through anguish+

eroti-is#. yet &e re#ained

-onin-eddt d form internal to the system ,as the

le+t to oFset it As labor 0as slo0 deat&.stant and iolent -&allen'e >Ould possi&l%

OGe +ro# it A'ainst eer% revolutionar%4

+ he insisted+ ,e /ust /aintain that the onl%ernative to la&or is not -ree ti/e+ or non2la&or+is sacri-ice.4 UP=olossus ,hose pedestal has &een

pulled a,a%+ -all o- his o,n ,eight and &rea8 inpieces.4 a Boetie sho,ed no respect -or the

sovereigns right+ divine or not+ let alone -or those

,ho su&5ected the/selves ,illingl% to it. There

,as so/ething that nothing could su&due+ even

under the /ost vicious tortures: the po,er that

death a--ords. 0ontaigne+ an e'ile li8e hi/ in

his o,n ti/e+ ,rote: re/editation o- death is

pre/editation o- -reedo/. . . Ac8no,ledging

death -rees us -ro/ ever% su&5ection and con2

straint.4 Onl% death resists do/ination.

#oluntar% servitude is a parado'ical state/ent

&ecause servitude is not e'perienced passivel%+ &ut

activel%3a-ter all+ it is ,illed. And an%thing that

is ,illed could &e un,illed. eople rather desire

their o,n oppression. O&viousl%+ the% /ust get

so/ething in return: identit%+ privilege+ securit%+

even pleasure+ ho,ever perverse. Jean27ranMois

%otard once asserted+ scandalousl%+ in 3ibidinal

Economy, that -actor% ,or8ers en5o%ed their lot.

The% ,ere!'ro!ei, and proud to &e. Didnt the pro2

letariat+ a-ter 0ar'+ &eco/e a value] The% ,ere

0 onl% ones ,ho 8ne, ,hat rough realit%4

,as.I;d:inch intellectuals+ Jean2aul !artre

included+

:8 deepl% illegiti/ate+ even d,ar-ed &% the/+

,ore their &lue overalls in de/onstrations to

priate so/e o- their po,er. hilosopher

One @eil couldnt care less a&out po,er+ she

,anted to &e cruci-ied. !he 5oined the asse/2&l% line to e'perience ,hat &eing a slave ,as li8e

roo8 hersel- -or one+ reinventing od in order

in seal her o,n -ate. 7actor% ,or8ers ,ere the

o- hu/an8ind3as i- slaver% could &ring

8g else than /ore slaver%. In the end

itt the dictatorship o- the proletariat that

&ought out a classless societ%+ &ut capitalis/3on

in:s oo,,;nn ter/s+ o- course+ and -or its o,n&ene-iit.

#oluntar% servitude ,asnt so/ething that one

; cnild ac8no,ledge+ consciousl% or notL it ,as

per er turned inside out+ ever%one -orever circling

'/ud each other. @hat ,as un-orgiva&le a&out

-ta:v Y re&els or a&out the Autono/ia /ove2

/ent at its pea4 in =QQ is that the% did nut ,ant

ii /8e po,er. 7ranco iperno+ one o- their leaders+

ad/itted to /e later on: @e didnt 8no, ,hat

,e ,ould have done ,ith it.4 As Baudrillard

(rites in The /gony of 5oer. o,er itsel- /ust

&eA&olished3and not solel% &ecause o- a re-usal to

&e eli/inated+ ,hich is at the heart o- all

traditional sO'iggles3&ut also+ 5ust as violentl%+ in

the re-usalto do/inate.4


18/90

Agony of Power


19/90

0 DO0 IATIO TO H E E IWO C

order to grasp ho, glo&aliation and glo&al

nis/ ,or8s+ ,e should distinguish

care-ull% n do/ination and hege/on%.

One could

that hege/on% is the ulti/ate stage o- do/i2

nion and its ter/inal phase. Do/ination is

eried &% the /asterFslave relation+ ,hich

a dual relation ,ith potential alienation+ a

nship o- -orce and con-licts. It has a violent

r% o- oppression and li&eration. There are

do/inators and the do/inated3it re/ains

lic relationship. Ever%thing changes ,ith

e/ancipation o- the slave and the internal2

on o- the /aster &% the e/ancipated slave.

on% &egins here in the disappearance o- the

personal+ agonistic do/ination -or the sa8e

integral realit%3the realit% o- net,or8s+ o- the

and total e'change ,here there are no

do/inators or do/inated.


20/90

Indeed+ it could &e said that hege/on% &rings

do/ination to an end. @e+ e/ancipated ,or8ers+

internalie the lo&al Order and its operational

setup o- ,hich ,e are the hostages -ar /ore than

rhe slaves. >onsensus+ &e it voluntar% or involun2

tar%+ replaces traditional servitude+ ,hich still

&elongs to the s%/&olic register o- do/ination.

HEE0O /eans the one ,ho co//ands+orders+ leads and governs 9and not the one ,ho

do/inates and e'ploits. This &rings us &ac8 to

the literal /eaning o- the ,ord c%&ernetic

9Ku&ernetil::V+ the art o- governing. >ontrar% to

do/ination+ a hege/on% o- ,orld 5=O@Vr i no

longer a dual+ personal or real -or/ o- do/ination+

&ut the do/ination o- net,or8s+ o- calculation

and integral e'change.

Do/ination can &e overthro,n -ro/ the out2

side. Hege/on% can onl% &e inverted or reversed

-ro/ the inside. T,o di--erent+ al/ost contrar%

paradig/s: the paradig/ o- revolution+ transgres2

sion+ su&version 9do/ination and the paradig/

o- inversion+ reversion+ auto2liMuidation 9hege2

/on%. The% are al/ost e'clusive o- each other+

&ecause the /echanis/s o- revolution+ o- anti2

do/ination+ as histor% de/onstrated+ can &eco/e

the i/petus or the vector -or hege/on%. @e could

co/pare hege/on% to the &rain+ ,hich is its

&iological eMuivalent. i8e the &rain+ ,hich su&or2

dinates ever% other -unction+ the central co/puter

es the hege/onic hold o- a glo&al po,er

can there-ore serve as an i/age o- our present

ical situation.

other -eature distinguishes hege/on% -ro/

and si/ple do/ination is the co/ing o- a

ental event: si/ulacra and si/ulation.

on% ,or8s through general /asMuerade+relies on the e'cessive use o- ever% sign and

it%+ the ,a% it /oc8s its o,n values+ and

ges the rest o- the ,orld &% its c%nicis/

ivaliation4. >lassical+ historical do/ination

d a s%ste/ o- positive values+ displa%ing as

as de-ending these values. >onte/porar%

on%+ on the other hand+ relies on a s%/&olic

idation o- ever% possi&le value. The ter/s

acru/+4 si/ulation and virtual su//a2

this liMuidation+ in ,hich ever% signi-ication is

ted in its o,n sign+ and the pro-usion o-

parodies a &% no, uno&taina&le realit%. This

total /asMuerade in ,hich do/ination itsel-

ed. o,er is onl% the parod% o- the signs o-

^235ust as ,ar is onl% the parod% o- signs o-

including technolog%. 0asMuerade o- ,ar+

uerade o- po,er. @e can there-ore spea8 o-

hege/on% o- /asMuerade+ and the /asMuerade

hege/on%. All /eaning is a&olished in its o,n

and the pro-usion o- signs parodies a no,

vera&le realit%.


21/90


22/90

entertaining the/+ rela'ing the/ &et,een t,o

/essages. @hat ,e sell to >oca2>ola is rela'ed2

&rains ti/e. . . othing is harder than getting

the/ to open up.

@e should pa% our respect to this a/aing

ad/ission and pro-essional c%nicis/. It is ,idel%

shared+ as the -ollo,ing slogan -or oste

Teleco/testi-ies: 0one% has no se'+ &ut it ,illreproduce.And it could &e conde/ned -or the

sa/e reason+as it ,as &% all -ine /inds. But

this is not thereal pro&le/. Even those ,ho

conde/ned ea%s shoc8ing state/ent ,ere

-ascinated &% its insolence. Doesnt this

sha/eless -lippanc% /ani2-est a greater -reedo/

than the stone,alling o-critical contestation?

Bur this is the Muestion:ho, could truth &e

li-ted &% an arrogant4 dis2course that gets the

upper2hand &% short2circuiting an% critiMue]

Technocratic c%nicis/ is not scandalousper se,&ut &% the ,a% it &rea8s a -unda/ental rule o- our

social and political ga/e: corruption -or so/e and

protesting Evil -or others. I- the corrupt have no

respect -or this protocol+ and sho, their hand

,ithout sparing us their h%pocris%+ then the ritual

/echanis/ o- denunciation goes ha%,ire. The

privilege o- telling the truth eludes our grasp3in

the -ace o- capital unveiled &% the capitalists+

even.

In -act+ e a% ta8es a,a% the onl% po,er ,e

had le-t. He steals our denunciation. Thts is the

38


23/90

!>-idal. Other,ise+ ho, could %ou e'plain

theoutrage ,hen he revealed an open

secret?ead o- denouncing evil -ro/ the

position o-

good 9eternal /oral position+ he e'presses evil

no the position o- evil. It is the &est ,a% to

sa%&ut it re/ains inad/issi&le. Truth /ust

&e on:side o- ood. There can &e no intelligence on

!ide o- Evil. Cet all those ,ho outdo the/2,ith arrogance 9e en+ c%nicis/ 9e

+ pornograph% 9A&u hrai&+ /%tho/ania

ie . un/as8 the truth o- the s%ste/ in

a&use o- it. The e--ects are &oth -ascinating

revolting3and the% are /uch /ore

e--ectiveconventional critiMues.

A &itter truth: radicalness is on the side o- the

gence o- evil. >ritical intelligence no

longer res up ro the collapse o- realit%and to thee into total realit%. The truth+

or the inhu2it% o- this situation+ can onl% &e revealed -ro/

inside+ voluntaril% or involuntaril%+ &%

thets o- the e/&ele/ent o- realit%. Onl%

evilspea8 evil no,3evil is a

ventriloMuist.itical intelligence is le-t to 5u/p

over its o,no,: even in its radicalness+ it

re/ains piousdenunciator%. The curse o-

critical discourse isreconcile itself secretl% ,ith

those it criticies &%ouncing the/ 9and I a/

,ell a,are that ,hat

D a/ sa%ing here &elongs to this discourse.

unciation ,ill never have the shoc8ing


24/90

-ran8ness o- an unscrupulous discourse. @e /ust

loo8 to the side o- evil -or the clearest indications+

the harshest realit%. Onl% those ,ho sho, no con2

cern -or contradiction or critical consideration in

their acts and discourse can+ &% this ver% /eans+

shed -ull light+ ,ithout re/orse or a/&iguit%+ on

the a&surd and e'travagant character o- the state

o- things+ through the pla% o- o&5ective iron%.@hat is happening to critical thought3the

thought o- the Enlighten/ent and the "evolution+

the thought that drove the anal%sis o- capital+ /er2

chandise and spectacle throughout the nineteenth

and t,entieth centuries3is ,hat happened &e-ore

to religious+ ethnic and linguistic pheno/ena. @e

are presentl% ,itnessing their -or/al rene,al+&ut

,ithout an% o- their original su&stance. The reli2

gious revival is epigonal and has nothing to do

,ith the -ervor o- past centuries. It presupposes

the dilution o- -aith as s%/&olic organiation+ the

disappearance o- transcendence 9and /a%&e even

the death o- od. It is the speci-ic product o- a

disenchanted situation o- loss ,here ever%thing

that disappears is arti-iciall% revived. It is the a&re2

active product o- a ,orld ,here there is no reason

le-t to &elieve in an%thing.

>urrent critical thought continues along its

tra5ector% &ut it is no longer the critical thought o-

the Enlighten/ent and /odernit%+ ,hich had

their o,n o&5ect and their o,n energ%. It is /erel%

0 cpipheno/enon o- a ,orld ,here there is

8g le-t to anal%e in the hopes o-

su&verting@ thought is no longer current

&ecause ,e0 no longer in a critical4 situation+

li8e the his2do/ination o- capital. @e have

entered a

onic -or/ o- total realit%+ o- closed2circuit

po,er that has even captured the negative."" at is le-t toda% is the speci-ic product o- this

piisdiu/ous situation ,here it no longer has a

:orica reason to e'ist or an% e--ectiveness.

Cet it is all the /ore pro/inent. The critiMue o-

Ation and spectacle has &losso/ed and spread

@ e point that it has &eco/e the /ost co//on

'#4date&ecause it is the onl% discourse o- consola2

liii that ,e have. But its tone has changedL it has

&eco/e /ore /elanchol% as su&version and trans2

!ession have lost popularit% toda%.

Three si/ultaneous di/ensions -or/ the passage

-ro/ do/ination to hege/on%. It is a perilous

'iple 5u/p+ a three2part sacri-ice:

>apital surpasses itsel- and turns against itsel-

in the sacri-ice o- value 9the econo/ic illusion.

( o,er turns against itsel- in the sacri-ice o-

representation 9the de/ocratic illusion.

P The entire s%ste/ turns against itsel- in the

sacri-ice o- realit% 9the /etaph%sical illusion.


25/90

All three 5u/p over their shado,.

The shado, o- capital is value. The shado, o-

po,er is representation. The shado, o- the s%ste/

is realit%. The% respectivel% /ove &e%ond #alue+

"epresentation and "ealit%3in a h%perspace that

is no longer econo/ic+ political or real &ut rather

the hege/onic sphere.

>apital is &oth the total realiation o- #alueand its liMuidation. o,er is no, the -inal -or/ o-

representation: it onl% represents itsel-. The s%s2

te/ is the total version o- the "eal and at the sa/e

ti/e its liMuidation through the #irtual. This is

the hege/onic -or/.

The Econo/ic Illusion

In an% event+ the Muestion o- capital4 /ust &e

recon-igured. Does so/ething li8e capital stille'ist+ and+ i- there is a crisis+ ,hat is the essence o-

this crisis] @e /ust tr% to pass through the

loo8ing glass+4 &e%ond the /irror o- production.

Does e'ploitation still e'ist? >an ,e still tal8

a&out alienation] Have ,e &eco/e the hostages

9not the slaves+ &ut the hostages o- a glo&al /ar8et

under the de-initive sign o- glo&aliation] But can

,e still tal8 o- a /ar8et4? And hasnt capitalis/

reached the point o- destro%ing the conditions o-

its o,n e'istence]

One o- the pro&le/s o- generalied e'change

isin the /ar8et is &oth its ideal and its

strategicIn:ation. It /a% &e the -atal destin% o-

capital to to the li/it o- e'change3to the

total corr2uption o- realit%. In its historical

9and 0ar'ist

:- ruition+ capitalis/ presided over the

/ultipli2 c ion o- e'changes in the na/e o-

value. The/ni8et o&e%s the la, o- value and

eMuivalenc%.T1#$ li/it here is the li/it o- classic

capitalis/.ad the crises o- capital can al,a%s &e

resolved &%/gulating value.

This is no longer true -or the -inancial -lo,s

international speculation that -ar surpass the

lv2s o- the /ar8et. >an ,e still spea8 o- capital]

Ehi ,e 8eep the ter/ and the concept and there2

,e ac8no,ledge the e'ponential strateg% that

pushes capital &e%ond its o,n li/its+ into a ,hirl2

id o- e'changes ,here capital loses its ver%once ,hich is the essence o- the /ar8et3and

@2destructs in an un&ridled circulation that

Kings the ver% concept o- e'change to an end?

Orto ,e consider that it is no longer capital at

all &utething radicall% di--erent+ an e'change

that isonl% general &ut total3co/pletel% -reed

-ro/value and /ar8ets3an e'change that+

having lost

:s rational principle+ the principle o- value+

&e:co/es integral 5ust as realit%+ having lost its

entit% principle+ &eco/es integral realit%+ -ro/,hich there is no salvation?


26/90


27/90

In this light+ capital in its historical -or/

appears to &e a lesser evil. In relation to a virtual

universe+ realit% appears to &e a lesser evil. In

vie, o- hege/on%+ do/ination itsel- appears to

&e a lesser evil. Ta8e the e'a/ple o- the @e&+ the

Internet+ net,or8s+ &logs+ etc. It is all -ree+ li&2

erall%4 deplo%ed ,ithout econo/ic constraints+

&e%ond /ar8ets+ in a -ren% o- total co//unica2tion. This is a virtual catastrophe+ the catastrophe

o- total e'change that is not even protected &%

/one% or the /ar8et. @e -ind ourselves ,arring

it all to &e su&5ect to the la, o- value+ ta8en in

hand &% capitalist po,er+ to slo, its e'ponential

develop/ent+ to escape the ecstas% o- 9-ree+ secular

and o&ligator% co//unication3&ecause it is

leading to the dictatorship o- -orced e'change3

&ut no one ,ill escape.

The ne't stage+ ,hich can &e seen in these

/%steriousl% -ree net,or8s+ is /uch ,orse thanan%thing that ,as stig/atied as the /ercan2

tiliation o- e'change+ ,here ever%thing is

assigned a price and a /ar8et. This in-luence

9,hich is not strictl% spea8ing the in-luence o- a

person+ a capitalist4 po,er or an% political

po,er is the ascendanc% o- total+ integral -ree

e'change+ universal ,iring+ universal connection.

>apital+ /ar2 8ets+ surplus value+ /erchandise

and prices see/ li8e a lesser evil or protection

against so/ething ,orse. This is the virtual

di/ension o-hege/on%3

it is di--erent **o*Tl the do/ination o- capital anddi--erent -ro/ the di/ension o- po,er in itsstrictl%political de-inition.

The De/ocratic Illusion

/ight ,onder+ ho,ever+ i- hege/on% is act continuation orperpetuation o- do/ination.

h it the sa/e -or/ deplo%ed to its ulti/ate conse2Muences] Or is there a /o/ent ,here there is adiih to a noncritical -or/3&e%ond internal crises&ut not e'e/pt -ro/ internal catastrophe or sel-2dissolution through saturation 9li8e an% s%ste/ ate li/it o- its possi&ilities . A ,orld o- total+instan taneo us+ perpetual co//unicatio n isunthin8a&le and+ in an% case+ intolera&le.

Hege/on% corresponds to a phase o- the satu2

/uon o-po,er 9political+ -inancial+ /ilitar% andcWen culturalpo,er pushed &% its o,n logic&utuWa&le to acco/plish itspossi&ilities -ull%3a dire

l-ldVed 9the stor% o- the u/&rella3/a%&e the-ate o- realiing possi&ilities -ull% is the -ate o-

K'/an8ind]. Cet an% action that tries to slo,cnpiral or po,er+ that tries to 8eep the/ -ro/

/plishing all o- their possi&ilities is their last+ their last chance to survive 5ust short o- theirAnd i- ,e let the/+ the% ,ill rush headlong

@ eir end 9ta8ing us ,ith the/.


28/90


29/90

Is it&etter to let tht(/ dO it+ tO let thVT -OllO@

their -atal penchant -or sel-2destruction through

saturation and ultra2realiation3o r is it &etter to

slo, the/ do,n to avoid disaster] This is the

parado' ,e con-ront in the paro'%s/ o- pO@-?r.

9And+ once again+ the sa/e glo&al+ universal

pro&le/ -aces hu/anit% and its h%pertelic4 -ate

,hen it rushes to its end &ecause it is too success-ul

Utechnologicall%+ se'uall%+ de/ographicall%+ etc.


30/90

the drea/ o- revolution ,ould have disap2

peared long ago. Intelligence cannot+ can never

&e in po,er &ecause intelligence consists o- this

dou&le re-usal. I- I could thin8 that there ,ere

a -e, people ,ithout an% po,er in the ,orld+

then I ,ould 8no, that all is not lost4 9Elias

>anetti.

The 0etaph%sical Illusion

The rea&sorption o- critical negativit% is echoed

&% an even /ore radical -or/ o- denial: the denial

o- realit%.

In si/ulation+ %ou /ove &e%ond true and -alse

through parod%+ /asMuerade+ derision to -or/ an

i//ense enterprise o- deterrence. Deterrence

-ro/ ever% historical re-erence+ -ro/ all realit%

in the passage into signs. This strateg% o-

desta&ilia2 tion+ o- discrediting+ o- divest/ent-ro/ realit% in the -or/ o- parod%+ /oc8er%+ or/asMuerade &eco/es the ver% principle o-

govern/ent+ is also

a depreciation o- all value.

The Muestion is no longer o- a po,er or a

political4 po,er >Onnected to a histor%+ to -or/s

o- representation+ to contradictions and a critical

alternative. "epresentation has lost its principle

and the de/ocratic illusion is co/plete3not as

/uch &% the violation o- rights as &% the si/ulation

@values+ general uncertaint% and the derealiation

; @ all realit%. Ever%one is caught in the signs o-

$ser that occup% the entire space3and that are

Xiicd &% ever%one co//unall% 9ta8e -or

e'a/ple0 resigned+ e/&arrassed co/plicit% in

the rigged8gs o- the political sphere and

polls.

. 8onni there+ the s%ste/ ,or8s e'ponentiall%:

Knot startin' +ro# alue. but +ro#

t&e liLui/dation o+ alue

Knot t&rou'& re*resentation. butt&rou'&

e liLuidation o+ re*resentation

Knot +ro# reality but +ro# t&e liLuidation

o+n8a"ity

:Xcr5niiing in the na/e o- ,hich do/ination ,as

X $rised is ter/inated+ sacri-iced+ ,hich should

gIN:all% lead to the end o- do/ination. This is

dNX_ the case+ &ut -or the sa8e o- hege/on%.

The s%ste/ doesnt care a -ig -or la,sL it unleashes

deregulation in ever% do/ain.

K;ere'ulation o+ alue in s*e-ulation

K;ere'ulation o+ re*resentation in t&e

arious+or#s o+ #ani*ulation and *arallel

net0or,s

K;ere'ulation o+ reality t&rou'&

in+or#a/ tion. t&e #edia and irtualreality


31/90


32/90

Hro# t&at *oint on8 total i##unityKone -an no 'entsia t&at &as dedi-ated itsel+ to

t&elonger counter the s%ste/ in the na/e o- one! osophical and technical edi-ication o-o,n

principles since the s%ste/ has a&olished >it%. But ,hat can this concept /ean+ notthe/. The end o- all critical negativit%. >losure outside the hu/an race 9it is irrelevant -oro- ever% account and all histor%. The reign o- &e ani/al+ plant or cos/ic real/s+ the inhu/an&e'e#ony On t&e -ontrary. sin-e it is no lon'er 'eneral) but also in t&e #aCor-ultures or&erre'ulated by re*resentation. or its o0n -on-e*t. or 6an our o0n

(ar-&ai-. traditional orEastern or

the i/age o- itsel-+ the s%ste/ succu/&s to the 7in2Eastern

that do not even have a ter/ -or it or-inal te/ptation: it &eco/es h%persensitive to its in our

o,n societies outside the civilied and-inal conditions and casts itsel- &e%ond its o,n Xtreated

classes ,here hu/anis/ and universalend according to the in-le'i&le decrease o- thV

>IUles have &eco/e hereditar%. @hat does therates o+ reality ersal /ean in the e%es o- i//igrants+ popu2

The /ost serious o- all -or/s o- sel-2denial3 I-:ions le+t +allo0. entire Jones o+ +ra-ture

andnot onl% econo/icall% or politicall% &ut /etaph%s2 XXlusion in our o,n overdevelope d4societies]icall%3is the denial o- realit%. This i//ense even in the privileged -ringe+ the

high2techenterprise o- deterrence -ro/ ever% historical it%+ ,hat dOV! the universal

/ean -or all there-erence+ this strateg% o- discrediting+ o- divesting corporate people+4 all the

high per-or/ance+ro# reality in t&e +or# o+ *arody. #o-,ery. or #as/ 6ou*s or

individuals according to &oth a glo&alMuerade+ &eco/es the ver% principle o- govern/ent. T anincreasingl% corporate+ isolationist+ pro2The ne, strateg%3and it trul% is a /utation3is +

onist evolution]

t&e sel+/i##olation o+ alue. o+ eery syste# o+ N 6ontrary to 0&at %##anuel antsaid. t&ealue. o+ sel+/denial. indiFerentiation. reCe-tion s,y lau'&s at t&isuniersal la0. but so doesand nullit% as the triu/phant co//and. &eart o+ &u#an,ind8 riot only living

&eingst&e ast #aCority o+ &u#ans ri=Ver

obeyed itAnd t&ose 0&o

-lai#Moreoer. t&e -on-e*t o+ t&e uniersal is t&e 9 eir

sin'ular *assions

to o&e% it happil% put

&e-ore an% other ideal

speci-ic product+ ,ithin the hu/an race+ o- a 1ualit%3this is no dou&t+ despite the concept+ acertain civiliation called @estern+ and ,ithin are authentic ,a% to &e hu/an.4 ;O t&ey


33/90

that culture+ o- a privileged /inorit%+ a /odern !VR#t(! &elieve in this ideal -inalit%] No one


34/90

8no,sL the onl% sure thing is that the% clai/ to

/a8e others o&e%.

The discourse o- the universal descri&es a

tautological spiral: it is held &% the species that

considers itsel- superior to all others and ,ithin

this species+ &% a /inorit% that considers itsel-

the holder o- /oral and universal ends+ -or/ing

a verita&le+ de/ocratic4 -eudalit%.@hatever the case /a% &e+ there is a /a5or

inconsistenc% in continuing to use a discourse o-

the universal as a discourse o- re-erence ,hen it

has no /eaning or e--ect an%,here3neither ,ith

glo&al po,er nor in opposition to it.

To relativie our concept o- the universal: ,ith

the increasing glo&aliation o- the ,orld+ dis2

cri/ination &eco/es /ore -erocious.

The cartograph% should not con-use these

ones &e%ond realit% ,ith those that still give

signso- realit% in the sa/e hege/onic s%ste/ o-glo&al2 iation+ even though the% do not

-unction in thesa/e ,a%. @e could even sa% that

the gap separating the/ is gro,ing and

so/ething that ,as onl% a cultural singularit%

in a non2uni-ied ,orld &eco/es real

discri/ination in a glo&alied uni2 verse. The

/ore the ,orld is glo&alied+ the ,orst the

discri/ination.

The t,o universes+ the h%perreal and the

in-rareal+ see/ to interpenetrate &ut are light %ears

a,a% -ro/ each other. The deepest /iser% and

>#A! O- lu'ur% coe'ist in the sa/e geographic

Gpace 9ta8e+ -or e'a/ple the oil condo/iniu/sii !audi Ara&ia and the -avelas o- "io+ &ut these

V[tte/e cases. In -act+ the entire planet is6irgLinied on theprinciple o- de-initive discri/2

0ention &et,een t,o universes3,hi ch no

longerh/;e an% 8no,ledge o- each other. lo&al

po,er integral conrrol over the other,orld+ And has all the /eans necessar% -or its

e'ter/ina2tion. It is the tear in the universal.

As -or theOtnseMuences o- this tear+ theupheaval it can

9:t6&1te, ,e have no idea3e'cept -or ,hat is alread%5nesent toda% 9although it is onl% the &eginning:e onl% response to this increasingl% violentdiscri/ination is an eMuall% violent -or/+ ter2R[t-ls/. An e'tre/e reaction to this situation o-ii'ipossi&le e'change.

@hich leads us to Europe. In its current -or/+Europe is a nonevent. It ,as -irst an idea 9/a%&edarting in the 0iddle Ages+ a realit% &e-ore an-lea]. o, it is no longer an idea or a realit%&utX#irtual realit% re-erring to a /odel o- si/ulationto ,hich it /ust adapt. - ro/ the perspective o-pro5ection at an% price+ the ,ill o- the people is ano&stacle or at least an indi--erent para/eter or an1%li;. The %es4 vote co/es -ro/ on high+ and ,ec/ no, see that the people are Europes s8eletoniW the closet.


35/90

ii s regard. It is the &est e'a/ple o- a vital or

This virtual Europe is

po,er. It ,ants to -ind

order+ to represent an

a -ari-ature o+

'lobl its ni-&e in

t&e 0orld e-ono#i-*o0er t&at

rivals the ridiculous i/age o- its A/erican Big

Brother. Europe is organied according to the

sa/e li&eral principles+ and other than a-e, last

gasps O- senti/ental socialis/+ is aligned ,ith

the /odel o- -lu' and glo&al deregulation.It is

incapa&le o- inventing a ne, rule +or t&e'a#e

/scera reaction in de-ense against the consensual

:Xc8/ai o- the Ces+4 against the re-erendu/s

9,hich is also the struggle o- the

national level.

5e+t ont&e

ld/atu/ in disguise. There is no need to have a

political conscience to have this re-le': it is the

@ithout its o,n political structure or histori2

cal reason+ Europe can onl% desire e'pansion and

proli-eration into thV VOld through inde-inite

aro/atic re8indling o- negativit% in the -ace o-

c'N:essive positivit%+ to the coalition o- divine4

Europe+ the Europe o- good conscience+ the one

de/ocratic4 anne'ation+ 5ust li8e glo&al po,er. in the right side o- universalit%3,ith all others

O- course+ all o- the periphera l countries,ant IO cost into the shado,s o- histor%.

5oin this &%2prOduct o- glo&aliation+ Custas

The -orces o- ood ,ere co/pletel% ,rong

Europeans drea/ o- reaching the glo&allevel.

Europeans have the sa/e relationshipto

A/erican glo&al po,er as other countries 9li8e

$d#

Tur8e%+ -or e'a/ple have to Europe. Tur8e%! it a response to hege/on% that is not the ,or8 o-

entr% into Europe+ outside an% political consider2

ations+ /a% &e revealing in ter/s o- thisparado':

'lie negative or the result o- critical thought 9the

political reasons o- the o4 are no &etter than

Europeans -ro/ &irth4 are not reall% 1T1Odt6*&1 il#


36/90


37/90

@e have here the pro-ile o- the ne, t%pe o- con2

-rontation characteriing the era o- Hege/on%. It

is not a class struggle or a -ight -or li&eration on

the glo&al level 9since the li&eration4 o- e'change

and de/ocrac%+ ,hich ,ere the counterpoint to

do/ination+ are the strategies o- hege/on%. Ta8e+

-or e'a/ple+ Englands presence in ani&ar: &%

-reeing the slaves in the late nineteenth centur%+England ,as a&le to ta8e control o- East A-rica.

It is an irreduci&ilit%+ an irreduci&le antagonis/ to

the glo&al principle o- generalied e'change.

In other ,ords+ a con-rontation that is no

longer precisel% political &ut /etaph%sical and

s%/&olic in the strong sense. It is a con-rontation+

a divide that e'ists not onl% at the heart o- the

do/inant po,er+ &ut at the heart o- our

individuale'istence.

April 2005


38/90

THE @HITE TE""O" O7 @O"D O"DE"

or&ing the negative continues to &e the

&le/. @hen the e/ancipated slave internalies

/aster+ the ,or8 o- the negative is a&olished.

/ation &eco/es hege/on%. o,er can sho,

positivel% and overtl% in good conscience

co/plete sel-2evidence. It is unMuestiona&le

glo&al. But the ga/e is not over %et. 7or ,hile

slave internalies the /aster+ po,er also inter2

the slave ,ho denies it+ and it denies itsel-

che process. egativit% ree/erges as iron%+

ing and auto2liMuidation internal to po,er.

is is ho, the slave devours and canni&alies the

er -ro/ the inside. As po,er a&sor&s the

tive+ it is devoured &% ,hat it a&sor&s. There

ce in reversi&ilit%.

A catastrophic dialectic has replaced the ,or8

e negative. cal thought+ or an% atte/pt

artac8 the s%ste/ -ro/ the inside+ is in a co/plete


39/90

aporia. A-ter voluntar% servitude+ ,hi>h,as the

hege/on% is a /eta3sta&le -or/ &ecause it has

secret 8e% to e'ercising do/ination+ one could a&sor&ed the negative3&ut &% the sa/e to8en+

no, spea8 instead o- involuntar% co/plicit%+

consensus and connivance ,ith thV @orld Order-uc8ing the possi&ilit% o- dialectical &alance+ it

re/ains in-initel% -ragile. Its victor%+ there-ore+ is

&% ever%thing that see/s tO OUO-ltt(!


40/90

ativit% &eco/es

oris/. Thus

teras a ,hole is no longer driven

&% historical-'irces &ut is a&sor&ed

&% its -inal conditions3


41/90

hastened to its de-initive end 9li8e a tur&o engine

suc8ing in the space in -ront o- it+ creating a vac2

uu/ and the -orce o- attraction o- a vacuu/. It is

persed in an un&ridled circulation that &ringsdie ver% concept o- e'change to an end?

Having lost its rational principle+ the principlenot a progressive+ continuous evolution+ even i- it O #dlue+ e'change &eco/es total 5ust as realit%+is con-rontational and contradictor%. Instead+ it is

a vertiginous+ irresisti&le attraction to its o,n end.

I- negativit% is totall% engul-ed &% the s%ste/+ i-

there is no /ore ,or8 o- the negative+ positivit%

having lost lts realit% principle+ &eco/es total

realit%.h /a% &e the -atal destination o+ -a*ital

to 'o to-( >?Td O- e'change3to,

ard a total-onsu#*tiono- realit%. In an% case+ ,e are &ound -or this gen2

sa&otages itsel- in its co/pletion. At the height o- craliAed e$-&an'e. t&is +reneti6

-o##uni-ationits hege/on%+ po,er canni&alies itsel-3and the

,or8 o- the negative is replaced &% an i//ense

,or8 o- /ourning.

@e can even -orget a&out capital and capitalis/.

Didnt the% reach the point ,here the% ,ould

destro% their o,n conditions o- e'istence? >an ,estill spea8 o- a /ar8et4 or even o- a classical

econo/%] In its historical de-inition+ capitalis/

and in-or/ation that is the sign o- hege/on%.The di/ension o- hege/on% is di--erent -ro/

diat o- capital and di--erent -ro/ the di/ension

Ni- po,er in its strictl% political de-inition. It is nolonger a Muestion o-political po,er tied to a his2"or% and a -or/ o- representation. "epresentation

el- has lost its principle and the de/ocraticillusion is co/pI]te. Ot through the violation o-9 Tts &ut through the si/ulation o- values and

dle derealiation o- all realit%. The /asMuerade

presided over the /ultiplication o- e'changes again+ ever%one caught in t&e si'ns o+*o0er

under the auspices o- value. The /ar8et o&e%s the

la, o- value and eMuivalenc%. And the crises o-

capital can al,a%s &e resolved &% regulating value.

This is no longer true -or the -inancial -lo,s

and international speculation that -ar surpass the

la,s o- the /ar8et. >an ,e still spea8 o- capital

d co//uning in the ri''ed un+oldin' o+t&e

political stage.

the election o- Arnold !ch,arenegger ase/or o- >ali-ornia+ ,e are deep in the

,hen -aced ,ith an e'ponential strateg% that #asLuerade.

,here politics is onl% a ga/e o-

pushes capital &e%ond its li/its in a ,hirl,ind o-

e'changes ,here it loses its ver% essence and is

idolatry and /ar8eting. It is a giant step to,ard

e end ) thV !Qste/ o- representatio n. This is the


42/90


43/90

destin% o- conte/porar% politicians3those ,ho

live &% the sho, ,ill die &% the sho,. This is true

-or &oth citiens4 and politicians. It is the

i//anent 5ustice o- the /edia. Cou ,ant the

po,er o- the i/age] Then %ou ,ill die through its

repla%. The carnival o- the i/age is also 9sel-

canni&aliation through the i/age.

One should not conclude too hastil% that the

degradation o- A/erican political practices is a

decline in po,er. Behind this /asMuerade+ there is

a vast political strateg% 9certainl% not deli&erateL it

,ould reMuire too /uch intelligence that &elies

our eternal de/ocratic illusions. B% electing

!ch,arenegger 9or in Bushs rigged election in

()))+ in this &e,ildering parod% o- all s%ste/s o-

representation+ A/erica too8 revenge -or the

disdain o- ,hich it is the o&5ect. In this ,a%+ it

proved its i/aginar% po,er &ecause no one can

eMual it in its headlong course into the de/ocratic/asMuerade+ into the nihilist enterprise o- liMui2

dating value and a /ore total si/ulation than

even in the areas o- 7inance and ,eapons. A/erica

has a long head start. This e'tre/e+ e/pirical and

technical -or/ o- /oc8er% and the pro-anation o-

values+ this radical o&scenit% and total i/piet% o-

a people+ other,ise 8no,n as religious+4 this is

,hat -ascinates ever%one. This is ,hat ,e en5o%

even through re5ection and sarcas/: this pheno/2

enal vulgarit%+ a 9political+ televisual universe

&rought to the ero degree o- culture. It is also the-ret o- glo&al hege/on%.

I sa% it ,ithout iron%+ even ,ith ad/iration: thisB hO( A/erica+ through radical si/ulation+ do/i2-tales the rest o- the ,orld. It serves as a /odel&e ta8ing its revenge on the rest O- the ,orld+

,hich is in-initel% superior to it in s%/&olic ter/s.The challenge o- A/erica is the challenge o- des2

#$rate si/ulation+ o- a /asMuerade it i/poses oni-? test O- the ,orld+ including the desperate simu(-XrrX/ o- /ilitar% po,er. >arnivaliation o- po,er.And that challenge cannot &e /et: ,e have neither

a -inalit% or a counter2-inalit% that can oppose it.

In its hege/onic -unction+ po,er is a virtualcon-iguration that /eta&olies an% ele/ent to

serve its o,n purposes. It could &e /ade o-

countless intelligent particles+ &ut its opaMue

5uncture ,ould not change. It is li8e a &od% that

changes its cells constantl% ,hile re/aining theR /e. !oon+ ever% /olecule o- the A/ericannation ,ill have co/e -ro/ so/e,here else+ as i-

&v trans-usion. A/erica ,ill &e Blac8+ Indian+Hispanic+ and uerto "ican ,hile re/ainingA/erica. It ,ill &e all the /ore /%thicall%A/erican in that it ,ill no longer &e authentical2l% A/erican. And all the /ore -unda/entalist indiat it ,ill no longer have a -oundation 9even

ough it never had one+ since even the 7ounding7athers ca/e -ro/ so/e,here else. And all the


44/90

/ore &igoted in that it ,ill have &eco/e+ in -act+

/ultiracial and /ulticultural. And all thV lTlO*

i/perialist in that it ,ill &e led &% the descendants

o- slaves. That is the su&tle and unassaila&le logic

o- po,erL it cannot &e changed.

This glo&al /asMuerade o- po,er passes

through several phases. 7irst+ in the na/e o- uni2

versals+ the @est i/poses its political andecono/ic/odels on the entire ,orld along ,ith its

principle o- technical rationalit%. That ,as the

essence o- its do/ination &ut not %et its

Muintessence. Be%ond econo/ics and politics+ its

Muintessence relies on the hold o- si/ulation+ an

operational si/ulation o- ever% value+ ever%

culture3that is ,here hege2 /on% toda% asserts

itsel-. o longer through e'porting techniMues+

values+ ideologies &ut through the universal

e'trapolation o- a parod% o- these values.

$nderdeveloped countries 8eep align2 ingthe/selves on a si/ulacru/ o- develop/ent and

gro,thL the% get their independence -ro/ a

si/ulacru/ o- de/ocrac%+ and ever% endangered

culture drea/s o- a staged reha&ilitation3all -asci2

nated &% the sa/e universal /odel 9o- ,hl>h

A/erica+ ,hile &ene-iting -ro/ it+ is the -irst

victi/. Thus+ a-ter i/posing its do/ination

through Histor%+ the @est is no, i/posing its

hege/on% through the 7A">E o- Histor%. lo&al

po,er is the po,er o- the si/ulacru/.

: I values through consensus or -orce.

A-ter the sacri-ice o- value+ a-ter the sacri-ice o-

representation+ aher the sacri-ice o- realit%+ the

@est is no, characteried &% the deli&erate

sacri-ice o- ever%thing through ,hich a hu/an

&eing 8eeps/i/e value in his or her o,n e%es.

The terrorists potlatch against the @est is their

death. Our potlatch is indignit%+ i//odest%+

o&scenit%+ degradation and a&5ection. This is the

/ove/ent o- our culture3,here the sta8es 8eep

rising. Our truth is al,a%s on the side o-unveiling+i8su&li/ation+ reductive anal%sis3

the truth o-die repressed22222e'hi&ition+ avo,al+

nudit%3nothingis nue unless it is desecrated+

o&5ecti-ied+ stripped

ci- its aura+ or dragged onstage.

Indi--erentiation o- values &ut also indi--erence

ii ourselves. @e cannot involve our o,n death

liecause ,e alread% are dead. @e thro, this indi-2

8:rence and a&5ection at others li8e a challenge:

e challenge to de-ile the/selves in return+ to

n% their values+ to strip na8ed+ con-ess+ ad/it3

a giant pro5ect /eant to s%/&olicall% liMuidate


45/90

to respond ,ith a nihilis/ eMual to our o,n. @e

tr% to ta8e it all -ro/ the/ &% -orce: through the

hu/iliations o- A&u hrai&+ prohi&iting veils in

school. But it is not enough -or our victor%: the%

have to co/e on their o,n+ sacri-ice the/selves on

the altar o- o&scenit%+ transparenc%+ pornograph%

and glo&al si/ulationL the% have to lose their

s%/&olic de-enses and ta8e the path o- neoli&eral

order+ total de/ocrac% and integrated spectacle.

In this sense+ ,e can+ ,ith Boris ro%s+ con2

ceive o- the h%pothesis o- a dou&le potlatch: the

@estern potlatch o- nullit%+ sel-2degradation+

sha/e+ and /orti-ication opposed to the terrorist

potlatch o- death. But the deli&erate sacri-ice &%

the @est o- all its values+ o- ever%thing through

,hich a culture holds value in its o,n e%es+ in

thisprostitution o- the sel- thro,n into the -ace

o- the Other as a ,eapon o- /ass deterrence3

seduction through e/ptiness and challenge tothe Other 9Isla/+ &ut also the rest o- the ,orld

to prostitute itsel- in return+ to unveil itsel-+ to

give up all itssecrets and lose all sovereignt%3

does this i//ense sel-2i//olation constitute a

verita&les%/&olic response to the challenge o- the

terrorists] 9ets not spea8 o- ,ar or a -ight

against evil+ ,hich are ad/issions o- a total

ina&ilit% to respond s%/&olicall% to the

challenge o- death.

otlatch versus potlatch3does one &alance

the other? One /ight sa% that one is a potlatch &%

/cess 9the potlatch o- death and the other a

potlatch &% de-ault 9sel-2/oc8er% and sha/e. In

diat case+ the% do not /atch each other eMuall%

Od One should spea8 o- an as%//etrical potlatch.

Or should one thin8 that+ in the end+ no -or/+

not even the challenge o- death+ o- e'tre/e sacri2

-ice+ can &e considered superior+ nor can the ter2

rorist challenge &e seen as superior to rhe inverse@estern challenge+ and there-ore send each one

&ac8 to its respective deliriu/?

@hat is at sta8e in glo&al con-rontation is this

provocation to generalied e'change+ the

un&ridled e'change o- all di--erences+ the

challenge -or other cultures to eMual us in

deculturation+ the de&ase/ent

W- values+ the adhesion to the /ost disenchanted

/odels. This con-rontation is not Muite a clash o-

crviliations+4 &ut it is not econo/ic or political

cicher+ and toda% it onl% concerns the @est andIsla/ in appearance. 7unda/entall%+ it is a duel+

and its sta8es are s%/&olic: ph%sical and /ental

liMuidation+ a universal carnivaliation i/posed &%

tile test at the cost o- its o,n hu/iliation+ its

s5 ir&olic e'propriation3against all o- the singu2

larities that resist it. >hallenge versus challenge?

&tlatch versus potlatch] Does the slo,2death"rateg% or s%ste/atic /orti-ication eMual the sta8es

o- a sacri-icial death? >an this con-rontation co/e

cc an end and ,hat could &e the conseMuences i-one or the other ,ins?


46/90


47/90

T&e res*onse to do#ination is 0ell,no0n8slae reolt. -lass stru''le. all t&e

&istori-al +or#s o+ reolt and reolutionK

t&e #eta#or*&oses o+ t&e 0or, o+ t&e

ne'atie History. as 0e ,ne0 it and

re0rote it alon' its eolution to an ideal

endT&e res*onse to &e'e#ony is not as

si#*le8irredentis# . dissiden-e. anta'onis#.iolent

abrea-tionKbut also +as-ination and total

a#bialen-e Hor 0e all are *art and

*ar-el o+ t&is &e'e#ony (unli,e t&e

-lear distin-tion

bet0een do#inants and do#inated)3&en-e bot& a ital. is-eral

resistan-e to 'eneraliJed e$-&an'e. to

total eLuialen-e and-onne-tion. to ast*rostitution and a erti'i/nous attra-tion

to t&is te-&nolo'i-al +air. t&is s*e-ta-ular#asLuerade. t&is nullity At botto# it is

-lear t&at t&is a*o'ee o+ 'lobal *o0er is

alsot&e a*ot&eosis o+ t&e ne'atie. t&e

triu#*& o+ resi'nation. o+ t&e

renun-iation by t&e s*e-ies o+ its o,n

values. There is nothing /ore e'citing than this

vertigo3no longer the ,or8 o- thenegative &ut

the vertigo o- denial and arti-ice? @hence this

dual+ insolu&le postulate: opposing

this glo&al po,er and losing onesel- in it. An

a/&ivalence that ,e all e'perience at each

/o/ent and ,hich is the /irror in each one o-us o- the glo&al antagonis/.

T&is &e'e#oni- si#ulation. a

-on'uration t&at -#s triu#*&ant and

unyieldin'. &as its reerse.

8s reulsie eFe-ts By irtually yieldin'to t&is

'lobal dyna#i- and e$a''eratin' it

in seeral0ays. all o+ t&ese 0ould/be

e#er'in' -ountries'#dually be-o#esub#er'in' instead T&ey slo0ly0ade t&e

3estern s*&ere. not on a -o#*etitie

,el. but li,e a 'round s0ell

T&is inasion o--urs in #any 0ays. li,e

a iral ililtration It is t&e *roble# o+

'lobal. #ore or %ess -landestine

i##i'ration (His*ani-s are literally

#nnibaliJin' t&e


48/90

Kall o+ t&ese -ountries 0&i-& #a,e u*die

rest o+ t&e 0orldKt&ey 'ie us t&e

i#*ression (in BraJil +or e$a#*le) t&at

t&ey 0ill neer be a--ultured to t&is

e$o'enous #odel o+ -al-ulation #d

'ro0t&. t&at t&ey are dee*ly aller'i- to it

And


49/90

in -act do ,e+ @esterners+ /asters o- the ,orld+

still have its ends and /eans? Do ,e still /easure

up to this universal underta8ing o- /aster% that

no, see/s to surpass us in ever% do/ain and

-unction li8e a trap o- ,hich ,e are the -irst

victi/s]Histor% itsel- is a product -or @estern

e'port.

@e du/p on others a desire -or histor% 9through

national con-licts+ international institutions+ access

to the glo&al /ar8et ,hile -or us+ in realit%+ histo2

r% is over+ in the sense that it un-olds on its o,n+

and si/ultaneousl% resist it. A dou&lecontradictor%State#ent o+ 0&i-& Tur,ey is aline e$a#*le8 toCoin Euro*e +or t&e Tur,s

#eans leain' an ar-&ai-#u-ture to enter

/odernit%+ to &eco/e a part o-e technological universe o- consu/eris/ andsi#ulation. o+ the cos/opolitan e'change o-signs

Qod the -or/al li&ert% to use the/ at ones leisure.$! !lllTle ti/e+ it /eans parta8ing in a radical

critiMue o- this political econo/%+ a denunciationW- the culture that -ascinates the/ and re/aining

on auto/atic pilot and /ore o-ten than not in a deepl% allergic to the principle o- e'change and

loop. 7or us+ the /irror o- histor%+ the continuit%

o- histor% is shatteredL ,e live in an instant and

disincarnate currentness in ,hich ,e ta8e no /ore

trou&le+ according to Dosto%evs8%s phrase+ than to

prolong histor% or rather the end o- histor%+

i//ersed in the euphoric &analit% that Heidegger

called the second 7all o- hu/anit%. But the others+

those ,ho did not e'perience this historic stage+

this /irror stage+ can onl% ,ant to en5o% it the/2

selves3drea/ing o- the @estern po,er in ,hich

ever%thing that too8 the -or/ o- histor% cul/i2

nates+ and perhaps drea/ing to destro% its s%/&ols

and ta8e a stand against it. It is a strange situation

,herein all these peoples ,ho at the sa/e ti/e

drea/ o- entering histor%+ or rather toda% in the

paci-ied+ securied+ e'traterritorial+ e'tranational

one o- universal -ree trade+ in the @orld Order o-

undi--erentiated e'change that reMuires the sacri3

-i>t: O- their distinctive cultural traits.

In the end+ i- ,e loo8 closel%+ irs the sa/e situa2tion ,e are in as individuals at the heart o- /odern/cieties3,e all e'perience an irresisti&le urge -or

!O>iet% o- signs and si/ulacra that is at the end

ci- histor% and a deep resistance to this voluntar%Attitude So #u-& so t&at 0e #i'&t

retros*e-tielyTlde- @hether all this histor%+ allo- this @esternrationality and #odernityreally too, *la-e or,hether this is all a

parod% o- an event that had,i**ened. leain'us to s&are its spoils.T&is 0ouldI$ the

-arce4 o- histor% that 0ar' /entions andii

,hich ,e involved as acco/plices those ,ho didat een benet +ro# it

Hlstor% that repeats itsel- turns to -arce. But atree that repeats itsel- ends up /a8ing a histor%.

@el-are o- ,hich A/erica is o&viousl% the /odel+ This /eans that &% repeating and dou&ling


50/90

t&e#seles u*. een si#ula-ra end u*

+or#in' our #aterial destinyKt&e only

day o+ re-,onin' 0e have the right to no,.9And /a%&e the onl% retro2 spective truth o-histor% that+ in this h%pothesis+ didnot even ,ait to

&e repeated to beCOlTl a -arce.

@e can in this sense spea8 o- the ephe/eral+

insta&le and reversi&le character o- /odernit%

9and o- realit% in general+ and a di--erentrate o-

universaliation o- rational values and the principle

o- realit% that presides over the/.

One should not &elieve that realit% is eMuall%

distri&uted over the sur-ace o- the glo&e as i- ,e

,ere dealing ,ith an o&5ective ,orld that

eMual -or ever%one. :O&l, Vntire continentshave

not seen the appearance o- realit% and itsprincipIe:

the% are underdevelope d in this generic sense that

is #ore *ro+ound t&an t&e econo/ic+technical or

*oliti-al T&e 6&est. a+ter passing through a9his2 toric stage o- realit%+ entered the 9virtualstage o-

ultra2realit%. B% contrast+ a /a5orit% o- therest o+ the ,orld4 have not even reached thestage o+

reality and (e-ono#i-. *oliti-al. et-)rationalit%. Bet0ee t&e t0o. t&ere areJones o- realit%+ interstices+ alveoli+ shreds o-realit% that survive inthe heart o- glo&aliation andthe h%per2realit% o-net,or8s3a &it li8e thV !hredso- territor% that-loat to the sur-ace o- the /apin BorgVs -a&le.One could spea8 o- an inde' o-realit%+ a rate o-realit% on the planet that could &e/apped out li8e

&irthrates or the levels o- at/ospheric pollution.

Fhat ,ould the /a'i/u/ rate o- realit% &e?

It re/ains to &e seen ,hether this underdevelop2

/ent is a curse+ i- the non2access to the real and

e rational is an a&solute traged%+ or its contrar%.

One can as8 this Muestion ,hen considering the

advanced ones+ the h%per3/odern ones li8e

ouro,n that are alread% -ar -ro/ realit%+ that have

lost rinciple+ that have devoured it in a ,a%+ in the

space o- t,o centuries+ li8e an% /ineral -uel or

natural deposit 9/oreover+ the e'hausting o-

realit%goes hand in hand ,ith the e'hausting o-

naturalresources . H%per2real ones+ still su&2

lunar &utalread% e'traterrestrial+ at once

glo&alied and

deterritorialied.

Opposition to glo&al hege/on% cannot &e the

/ine as opposition to traditional oppression. It

inn onl% &e so/ething unpredicta&le+ irreduci&leto the preventive terror o- progra//ing+ -orced

circulation+ irreduci&le to the @hite terror o- the

,orld order. !o/ething antagonistic+ in the literal

use+ that opens a hole in this @estern agon%.

!o/ething that leaves a trace in the /onoton% o-

e glo&al order o- terror. !o/ething that rein3

troduces a -or/ o- i/possi&le e'change in this

generalied e'change. Hege/on% is onl% &ro8en

/% this t%pe o- event+ &% an%thing that irrupts as

an une'changea&le singularit%. A revolt+ there-ore+


51/90

t&at tar'ets syste#ati- dere'ulation under

t&e -oer o+ +or-ed -oniiality. t&at

tar'ets t&e totalor'aniJation o+ reality

The high point o- the struggle against

do/ination ,as the historic /ove/ent o-

li&eration+ &e itpolitical+ se'ual or other,ise3a

continuous /ove/ent+ ,ith guiding ideas andvisi&le actors.

But li&eration also occurred ,ith e'changes

and /ar8ets+ ,hich &rings us to this terri-%ing

parado': all o- the li&eration -ights against

do/ination onl% paved the ,a% -or hege/on%+

the reign o- general e'change3against ,hich

there is no possi&le revolution+ since ever%thing

is alread% li&erated.

Total revolt responds to total order+ not 5usr

dialectical con-lict. At this point+ it is dou&le or

nothing: the s%ste/ shatters and drags the uni2versal a,a% in its disintegration. It is vain to

,ant to restore universal values -ro/ the de&ris

o- glo&aliation. The drea/ o- rediscovered uni2

versalit% 9&ut did it ever e'ist] that could put a

stop to glo&al hege/on%+ the drea/ o- a reinven2

tion o- politics and de/ocrac% and+ as -or us+ the

drea/ o- a Europe &earing an alternative /odel

o- civiliation opposed to neoli&eral hege/on%3

this drea/ is ,ithout hope. Once the /irror o-

universalit% is &ro8en 9,hich is li8e the /irror

stage o- our /odernit%+ onl% -rag/ents re/ain+

scattered -rag/ents. lo&aliation auto/aticall%

Ottails, in the sa/e /ove/ent+ -rag/entation

and deepening discri/ination3and our -ate is -or

a universe that no longer has an%thing universal

a&out it3-rag/entar% and -ractal3&ut that no

dou&t leaves the -ield -ree -or all singularities: the

0orst and t&e best. t&e #ost iolent and

t&e#ost *oeti-

8#ontreal, 2ctober 9&&


52/90

HE " E OO D "O@!

0ar': :ntil noin philosopher ere

content uiith interpreting the orld. 7o

it has toe changed.

Against 0ar': Today transforming the orld

is not enough. ;t mill happen no matter iuhat.

that rue urgently need today is to interpret

this transformation8so that the iuorld does

not do it iuitht


53/90

o- ,orld po,er+ hu/an &eings have lost their

-reedo/+ &ut the% have also lost their i/agina2

tion. The% have &een /ade une/plo%ed in a

,a%that goes -ar &e%ond ,or8: it is a /ental

and e'istential une/plo%/ent+ replaced &%

do/inant /achines. These technical la%o--s

suggest the opposite o- ,hat the ter/ usuall%

/eans: the/achines are not de-ectiveL the% areso e--icientthat there is nothing le-t to do ,ith

ones li-e+

,hose ver% reproduction has &eco/e auto/atic.

The o&solescence o- hu/ans has reached its ter/i2

nal phase. Their -ate is de-initivel% &e%ond their

reach. In the end+ hu/an &eings ,ill onl% have

&een an in-antile illness o- an integral

technological realit% that has &eco/e such a

given that ,e areno longer a,are o- it+ e'cept in

its transcendental di/ensions o- space and ti/e.

This revolution is not econo/ic or political. It is

an anthropological and /etaph%sical one. And itisthe -inal revolution3there is nothing &e%ond it.In

a ,a%+ it is the end o- histor%+ although not in the

sense o- a dialectical surpassing+ rather as the &egin2

ning o- a ,orld ,ithout hu/ans. @hile histor%

had a su&5ect+ there is no su&5ect o- the end o-

histor%.o /ore ,or8 o- negative or historical

-inalit%. .

It is the -inal stage o- a ,orld that ,e have

given up interpreting+ thin8ing or even i/agining

in -avor o- implementing it+ instru/entaliing it

o&5ectivel%+ or+ &etter %et: launching ourselves into


54/90

e uni/agina&le venture o- per-or/ing it+

turning into a per-or/ance+ per-ecting it3at

,hich point` naturall% casts us out.

This ,orld no longer needs us. The &est o- all

possi&le ,orlds no longer needs us.

er-or/ance. Divestiture o- hu/ans and their

-reedo/. DisMuali-ication o- hu/ans in -avor o-

auto/atis/+ a /assive trans-er o- decision2/a8ingto co/puteried devices. A s%/&olic capitulation+

a de-eat o- the ,ill /uch /ore serious than an%

ph%sical i/pair/ent. Sacrifi*io dellintelletto, della

mluntii, dellimmagina*ione.

iinther Anders gives a stri8ing e'a/ple o- this

divestiture during the Korean @ar. 0acArthur

,anted to use the ato/ic &o/&+ &ut the politicians

roo8 the decision a,a% -ro/ hi/ in -avor o- a

&atter% o- co/puters that calculated the o&5ec2

tive4 &ene-its o- the operation in political and eco2

no/ic ter/s3and that -inall% decided against

using the &o/&.

uclear con-lict ,as avoided+ &ut as . Anders

notes+ s%/&olicall%+ /etaph%sicall%+ this a&dication

o- hu/an ,ill+ no /atter ,hat the conseMuences+

-or an i/personal concatenation+ this ;=idnapping o-

hu/an intelligence in -avor o- arti-icial intelligence

,;as a -ar ,orse disaster than nuclear devastation.

It /ar8s the point ,here hu/ans de-initivel%

renounced their destin% in -avor o- technological

authorit% and its unMuestiona&le superiorit%. It is

not a trans-er to a

divine

transcendence+ or an

ad5ust/ent o- the

,ill in -avor o-

chanceL it is apure

and si/ple

capitulation o-

thought in the -ace

o- its technological

dou&le+ reducing it

to a voluntar%

servitude -ar /ore

pro-ound than the

servitude o- a

people &e-ore their

t%rant. Thepassage

to electronic

calculation+ to

engineering andco/puterising is

disastrous: /ore

than a-ailure o- the

,ill+ it i/plies the

disappearance o-

ever% su&5ect+ &e it

the su&5ect o- po,er+

8no,ledge or

histor%+ in -avor o-

operational

/echanics and thetotal

deresponsi&iliation

o- hu/an8ind.

Toda%+ po,er

itsel- is an

e/&arrass/ent and

there is no one to

assu/e it trul%.

@e can no longer

/atch the per-ection

o- our tech2

nological devices.

@hat ,e produce is

&e%ond our

i/agination and our

representation.

Hu/anit%+

con-ronted ,ith its

o,n divinied

/odel+ ,ith the

realiation o- its o,n

ideal+ collapses.

Our a&ilities+ &oth

in the do/ain o- the

i/agi2 nation and

responsi&ilit% and in

the register o- desire

and pleasure+ are

co/pletel%

surpassec Those,ho &elieved in the


55/90

unli/ited

/orphological and

anthropological

adapta&ilit% o-

hu/an8ind and its

a&ilit% to change at

,ill ,ere ,rong.

Toda%+ hu/an

&eings have &eco/e

the ,ea8 lin8 in

technological

processes+ in the

orld(procesing(

The onl% choicele-t is &et,eendisappearing or

Yeing

hu/anengineeried.4 And the

/ore the

per-or/ance gapgro,s+ the /orehu/an &eings

co/pensate -or

this -ailure &%e'panding their

technological par8+even e'tending it

to !loterdi58shu/anpar84 and

the &iological/odeling o- theles. Asha/ed o-

theirinco/pleteness+

hu/anshave turned

the/selves into

e'peri/ental &eings.

@e are+ in our

ro/ethean

e'cesses+ the onl%

culture to have

invented the

perspective o-

ideal 1D@th+ O-

total

per-or/ance+ up

to the supre/e

!tage o- realit%.

But ,e can no

longer /easure

`tll-!elves againstthis vertiginousdi/ension.

0odernit% 9the

#est can no

longer respond to

its tlivn values o-

unli/ited

progress and

gro,th.rogra//ing

has trans-or/ed

progress+ ,hich,as an idea+ a

great historical

idea+ into a

technolog2ical

operation o- the

,orld in real ti/e.

And in-init%+cXice

an ideal a&straction+

is /aterialied as

,ell iniilnite

gro,th+ the

i//ediate vertigo

o- pro-usion.And ,e are no,prisoners o- this

irreversi&le

di/ension3una&leto reinvent a -initeuniverse.

Econo/ic thin8inghas al,a%s,agered on

in-inite natural

resources+ on anincalcula&lehorion o-/aterial energies3the /odernde-initio n o-


56/90

energ% &eing that it onl% de/ands to &e

li&erated9the li&eration4 o- hu/an &eings and

all o- their-aculties -ollo,s the sa/e /odel.

@ith the threat o- crises and the depletion o-

natural resources+ econo/ic thought has &een

touched &% the grace o- ecolog% and is rethin8ingits postulates on the possi&ilit% o- in-inite gro,tK

But it is not rethin8ing the other postulate on the

in-inite availa&ilit% o- hu/an &eings to increasing

a/ounts o- happiness and pleasure. This anthro2

pological illusion /a% &e even /ore serious

than the li/its on resources. Hu/ans are also

li/ited in their potential. @e i/agine that needs+

desires and de/and are all endless and ,e have

vigorousl%endeavored 9especiall% since =(= to

convince the/ to respond ,ith e'ponential

de/and to the e'ponentialit% o- gro,th. This is,here the &rea8

co/es in: hu/ans &rea8 do,n. Their li&idinal

and ps%chic resources4 are drained. Although

hu/an &eings can &e e'ploited at ,ill on the

level o- per-or/ance and production+ on the

level o- aspirations and pleasure+ the% have

li/its. These li/its dra, an i/passa&le line o-

resistance to the internal /achine o- gro,th.

o one can stand this e'crescence+ this in-inite

proli-eration3including the proli-eration o- the

species ,ith its si' &illion hu/an &eings.

"o-usion is a 8ind o- -atalit%3especiall% ,hen

people are over,hel/ed+ li8e the sorcerers appren2

tice.. Thee% are not overco/e &% the /alicious

-orcesdiat the% have unleashed+ &ut &% the &est

things

e% have created+ the -orces o- ood that the% have

unleashed.

This parado'ical situation is not a contradic2tion &et,een ends and /eans+ &et,een science

and /oralit%+4 or a lac8 o- &alance &et,een desire

and the /eans to -ul-ill it. On the contrar%+ it is

e h%perrealiation o- desire &e-ore it has even

had ti/e to appear that is the true curse.

It is not onl% happening on the individual and

collective level+ &ut on the level o- the species as

,ell. The entire species is passing through a

/o/ent o- panic in the -ace o- this overe'posure

to happiness and o- this e'travagant /aster% o-

e ,orld.

!tarting ,ith the irruption o- reason+ at the

da,no- /odernit%+ hu/an8ind launched itsel-

on an escape tra5ector% outside itsel-+ dra,n

&e%ond itspossi&ilities. !pace travel is onl% an

e'tre/e /etaphor o- this ta4=eoff, this escape

-ro/ /entalterritories.

This distortion+ this e'cess leads to a gro,ing

depression+ a deco/pensation+ not -ro/ an inacces2

si&le ideal+ &ut -ro/ a -or/ o- e'cess grati-ication.


57/90

8


58/90

The rule o- the ga/e -or the species+ the s%/&oli>

rule o- the ga/e+ is displaced.The trans-or/ation is too -ast -or hu/an

&eings to evolve and /ove -ro/ one -or/ to

another. @e are losing the secret o- all vital

energ%+,hich is never to go all the ,a%+ or to go

&e%ond the possi&le. @e are in the process o-

sacri-icing this s%/&olic reserve o-inco/pleteness in -avor

o- a totaliation o- li-e through technolog% and a

depletion o- all desire. It is the org%.4 But ,hat

happens a rr the orgyi> It &eco/es a schio2

phrenic -arce+ as >eronetti said. Or rather the

or'y turns into an ordeal. a Cud'#ento+ >od. decreeing thar ,e are incapa&le o-

-ul-illing our

+ ro#et&ean a#bitions

So-ialiJation itsel+ is in Luestion T&e*resent

crisis+ o- ,hich the disintegration o- the banlieiia

is onl% the spectacular -or/+ is the crisis o- general

disintegration in the -ace o- the ideal de/ands

o- socialit%. The distur&ances in the /argins

conceal the -act that societ% as a ,hole is resisting

the s%ste/atic coloniation o- socialiation. The

&ar o- total invest/ent in li-e through societ% and

econo/ics has &een set too high.

@hen did ,e discover that the deepest

de/ands ,ere social and econo/ic+ that the

onl% horion ,as the horion o- integration and

calculation] >apitals coup de force is to /a8eever%thing dependant on the econo/ic order+ to

su&5ect all /inds to a single /ental di/ension.

Ever% other issue &eco/es unintelligi&le. The

displace/ent o- all pro&le/s into econo/ic and

per-or/ance ter/s is a trap: the &elie- that ever%2

diing is granted us virtuall%+ or ,ill &e+ &% the

grace o- continual gro,th and acceleration3

including+&%; e'tension+ a universal li-ting o-

prohi&itions+e availa&ilit% o- all in-or/ation and+ o- course+

e o&ligation to e'periencejouissance.

$ntil no,+ ever%thing ,as organied &% the

tension &et,een desire and its -ul-ill/ent+

&et,een needs and their satis-action. This critical

situation ,as the source o- all o- our historical

con-licts: protests+ revolts+ revolutions. Toda%+

i//ediate consu/ption has /oved -ar &e%ond

e -aculties o- nor/al hu/an &eings to

e'periencepleasure. othing tells us that people

,ill no, &ea&le to &ear insatia&le desire a-ter a

/illenniu/ o- shortages3nothing tells us that

the% are read% -ortotal li&eration. othing is less

certain.

This is the true &rea8+ not a social -racture &ut

a s%/&olic one: in the advent o- an integral realit%

at a&sor&s all aspirations to,ards drea/ing+

surpassing or revolt.

8The despair of having everything.

8Th5 depair of being nothing.

8The despair of being everybody.

8 The despair of being nobody.


59/90

current political events+ including the /ost vio2

It is hard -or us+ ,ith our reductive 9econo/ic and

rational anthropolog%+ to i/agine that &eing can

shrin8 or revolt &ecause it has &een given too

/uch. I- lac8 and servitude characteried earlier

societies+ opulence and -ree /ar8ets characterie

our societ%+ ,hich has entered its ter/inal phase

and is read% -or intensive care.

@e are not succu/&ing to oppression ore'ploitation+ &ut to pro-usion and unconditional

care3to the po,er o- those ,ho /a8e sovereign

decisions a&out our ,ell2&eing. 7ro/ there+ revolt

has a di--erent /eaning: it no longer targets the

-or&idden+ &ut per/issiveness+ tolerance+ e'cessive

transparenc%3the E/pire o- ood. 7or &etter or

3O&solescence o- the Other.

3O&solescence o- realit%.

3O&solescence o- death.

In -act+ to descri&e this anthropological &rea8+,here all old values are o&solete and ,here allevents ta8e on another /eaning+ ,e ,ould

have tointroduce the idea o- a non(Euclidean space3thespace o- hege/onic ,orld po,er+ ,ith itsunprecedented /achiner%+ &ut also the space o-another t%pe o- eveIt!3Even ts o- another orderchan historical events3unpredict a&le events+,ithout continuit% or re-erence3and ,hich aree radical sign o- a counter2po,er at ,or8.

,orse. The o&solescence o- Histor% opens a spaceo, %ou /ust light against ever%thing that

,ants to help %ou.

e, challenges+ ne, conte't. Ho,ever+ the general

at/osphere surrounding this ne, era+ this ne,

con-iguration is the o&solescence o- hu/anit% and

its values.

3O&solescence o- "eason and the Enlight

Jean Baudrillard - The Agony of Power

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