The Spectre Is Still Roaming Around!Slavoj Zizek.Arkzin: Zagreb 1998. {{BSZ}}
The first, automatic reaction of today's enlightened [[liberal]] reader to The [[Communist]] Manifesto is: isn't the [[text]] simply wrong on so many empirical accounts, with [[regard]] to the picture it gives of the [[social]] [[situation]], as well as with regard to the revolutionary perspective it sustains and propagates? Was there ever a [[political]] manifesto that was more clearly falsified by subsequent historical [[reality]]? Isn't [[The Communist Manifesto]], at best, an exaggerated extrapolation of certain tendencies discernible in the 19th century?
So let us approach The firstCommunist Manifesto from the opposite end: where do we live today, automatic reaction of today's enlightened liberal reader to in our [[global]] "post…" ([[postmodern]], postindustrial) [[society]]? The Communist Manifesto slogan that is imposing itself more and more isthat of "[[globalization]]": isn't the text simply wrong on so many empirical accountsbrutal imposition of a [[unified]] [[world]] [[market]] that threatens all local ethnic traditions, with regard to including the picture it gives very [[form]] of the social [[Nation]]-[[State]]. And, in this situation, as well as with regard to is not the revolutionary perspective it sustains and propagates? Was there ever a political manifesto that was more clearly falsified by subsequent historical reality? Isn't description in The Communist Manifesto, at best, an exaggerated extrapolation of certain tendencies discernible in the 19th centurysocial impact of the [[bourgeoisie]] more actual than ever?-
So let us approach "The Communist Manifesto from bourgeoisie cannot [[exist]] without constantly revolutionizing the opposite end: where do we live todayinstruments of production, in our global "post…" (postmodernand thereby the relations of production, postindustrial) and with [[them]] the [[whole]] relations of society? The slogan that is imposing itself more and more is that . Conservation of the old modes of "globalization": production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the brutal imposition first condition of a unified world market that threatens [[existence]] for all local ethnic traditionsearlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, including uninter rupted [[disturbance]] of all social [[conditions]], everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the very form bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of Nationancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new -Stateformed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. AndAll that is solid melts into air, in this situationall that is holy is profaned, and man is not the description in The Manifesto at last compelled to face with sober senses, his [[real]] conditions of the social impact of the bourgeoisie more actual than ever? -[[life]], and his relations with his kind.
"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without [[need]] of a constantly revolutionizing expanding market for its products chases the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them bourgeoisie over the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition surface of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninter rupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier onesglobe. All fixedIt must nestle everywhere, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new -formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses, his real conditions of lifesettle everywhere, and his relations with his kindestablish connections everywhere.
The need bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world market given a cosmopolitan [[character]] to production and con sumption in every country. To the great chagrin of reactionists, it has drawn from under the feet of industry the national ground on which it stood. All old-established national industries have been destroyed or are daily [[being]] destroyed. They are dislodged by new industries, whose introduction becomes a constantly expanding market life and [[death]] question for its all [[civilized]] nations, by industries that no longer [[work]] up indigenous raw [[material]], but raw material drawn from the remotest zones; industries whose products chases are consumed, not only at home, but in every quarter of the globe. In [[place]] of the old wants, [[satisfied]] by the productions of the bourgeoisie over country, we find new wants, requiring for their [[satisfaction]] the whole surface products of distant lands and climes. In place of the globeold local and national seclusion and [[self]]-sufficiency, we have intercourse in every direction, [[universal]] interdependence of nations. And as in material, so also in [[intellectual]] production. The intellectual creations of [[individual]] nations become common property. It must nestle everywhereNational one-sidedness and narrow-mindedness become more and more [[impossible]], settle everywhereand from the numerous national and local literatures, establish connections everywherethere arises a world [[literature]]."
The bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world market given a cosmopolitan character to production and con sumption in every country. To the great chagrin of reactionistsIs this not, more than ever, it has drawn from under the feet of industry the national ground on our reality today? [[Think]] [[about]] Ericsson phones which it stood. All old-established national industries have been destroyed or are daily being destroyed. They are dislodged by new industries, whose introduction becomes a life and death question for all civilized nations, by industries that no longer work up indigenous raw material, but raw material drawn from the remotest zones; industries whose products are consumed, not only at homeSwedish, but about Toyota cars manufactured 60% in every quarter of the globe. In place of the old wantsusa, satisfied by about Hollywood [[culture]] that pervades the productions remotest parts of the countryglobe… Yes, this is our reality — on condition that we find new wantsdo not forget to [[supplement]] this [[image]] from the manifesto with its inherent [[dialectical]] opposite, requiring for their satisfaction the products of distant lands and climes. In place "spiritualization" of the old local and national seclusion and self-sufficiency, we have intercourse in every direction, universal interdependence very material [[process]] of nationsproduction. And as in materialThat is to say, so also in intellectual production. The intellectual creations of individual nations become common property. National on the one-sidedness and narrow-mindedness become more and more impossiblehand, and from [[capitalism]] entails the numerous national and local literaturesradical secularization of social life — it mercilessly tears apart all aura of authentic nobility, there arises a world literaturesacredness, honour, etc.":
Is this not"It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of [[religious]] fervour, more than everof chivalrous enthusiasm, our reality today? Think about Ericsson phones which are no longer Swedishof philistine sentimentalism, about Toyota cars manufactured 60% in the usaicy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into [[exchange]] [[value]], about Hollywood culture that pervades the remotest parts and in place of the globe… Yesnumberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, this is our reality — on condition has set up that we do not forget to supplement this image from the manifesto with its inherent dialectical oppositesingle, the "spiritualization" of the very material process of productionunconscionable [[freedom]] — Free Trade. That is to sayIn one [[word]], for exploitation, on the one handveiled by religious and political illusions, capitalism entails the radical secularization of social life — it mercilessly tears apart all aura of authentic nobilityhas substituted naked, sacrednessshameless, honourdirect, etcbrutal exploitation.:"
However, the fundamental lesson of the "critique of political [[economy]]"It has drowned elaborated by the most mature [[Marx]] in the years after The Manifesto is that this reduction of all heavenly ecstasies chimeras to the brutal [[economic]] reality generates a spectrality of religious fervour, its own. When Marx describes the mad self-enhancing [[circulation]] of chivalrous enthusiasm[[capital]], whose solipsistic path of philistine sentimentalismself-fecundation reaches its apogee in today's meta-reflexive speculations on futures, in it is far too simplistic to [[claim]] that the icy water [[spectre]] of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange valuethis self-engendering monster that pursues its path disregarding any [[human]] or environmental concern is an [[ideological]] abstraction, and that one should never forget that, behind this abstraction, there are real [[people]] and [[natural]] [[objects]] on whose productive capacities and resources the capital's circulation is based and on which it feeds like a gigantic parasite. The problem is that this "abstraction" is not only in place our (financial speculator's) misperception of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms[[social reality]], has set up but that singleit is "real" in the precise [[sense]] of determining the [[structure]] of the very material social [[processes]]: the fate of whole strata of the population and sometimes of whole countries can be decided by the "solipsistic" speculative dance of Capital, unconscionable freedom — Free Tradewhich pursues its [[goal]] of profitability in a blessed indifference to how its movement will [[affect]] social reality. In one wordTherein resides the fundamental systemic [[violence]] of capitalism, for exploitationmuch more [[uncanny]] than the direct pre-[[capitalist]] socio-ideological violence: this violence is no longer attributable to [[concrete]] individuals and their "[[evil]]" intentions, veiled by religious and political illusionsbut is purely "[[objective]]", it has substituted nakedsystemic, shamelessanonymous. Here we should [[recall]] Etienne [[Balibar]] who distinguishes two opposite but complementary modes of excessive violence in today's world 3: the "ultra-objective" ("[[structural]]") violence that is inherent in the social conditions of global capitalism (the "automatic" creation of excluded and dispensable individuals, directfrom the homeless to the unemployed), brutal exploitationand the "ultra -[[subjective]]" violence of newly emerging ethnic and/or religious (in short: racist) "fundamentalisms" — this second "excessive" and "groundless" violence is just a [[counterpart]] to the first violence."
However, the fundamental lesson The fact of the this "critique of political economyanonymous" elaborated violence also allows us to make a more general point about anti-[[Communism]]. The [[pleasure]] provided by the mature Marx in the years after The Manifesto is anti-Communist reasoning was that this reduction of all heavenly chimeras Communism made it so easy to play the brutal economic reality generates a spectrality [[game]] of its own. When Marx describes finding the mad self-enhancing circulation of capitalculprit, whose solipsistic path of self-fecundation reaches its apogee in today's meta-reflexive speculations on futuresblaming the Party, it is far too simplistic to claim that the spectre of this self-engendering monster that pursues its path disregarding any human or environmental concern is an ideological abstraction[[Stalin]], and that one should never forget that[[Lenin]], behind this abstractionultimately Marx himself, there are real people and natural objects on whose productive capacities and resources for the capital's circulation is based and on which it feeds like a gigantic parasite. The problem is that this "abstraction" is not only in our (financial speculator's) misperception millions of social reality[[dead]], but that it is "real" in the precise sense of determining the structure of the very material social processes: the fate of whole strata of the population for [[terror]] and sometimes of whole countries can be decided by the "solipsistic" speculative dance of Capital[[gulag]], which pursues its goal of profitability while in a blessed indifference to how its movement will affect social reality. Therein resides the fundamental systemic violence of capitalism, much more uncanny than the direct pre-capitalist socio-ideological violence: this violence there is no longer attributable to concrete individuals and their "evil" intentionsnobody on whom one can pin [[guilt]] or [[responsibility]], but is purely "objective"things just happened that way, systemicthrough anonymous mechanisms, anonymous. Here we should recall Etienne Balibar who distinguishes two opposite but complementary modes of excessive violence in today's world 3: the "ultra-objective" ("structural") violence that is inherent although capitalism has been no less destructive in the social conditions [[terms]] of global capitalism (the "automatic" creation of excluded human and dispensable individualsenvironmental costs, from the homeless to the unemployed)destroying aboriginal cultures… In short, and the "ultra -subjective" violence of newly emerging ethnic [[difference]] between capitalism and/or religious (Communism is that Communism was perceived as an [[Idea]] which then failed in short: racist) its realization, while capitalism functioned "fundamentalismsspontaneously" — this second "excessive" and "groundless" violence . There is just a counterpart to the first violenceno Capitalist Manifesto.
==Source==* [[The fact of this "anonymous" violence also allows us to make a more general point about anti-CommunismSpectre Is Still Roaming Around]]. ''Arkzin’’. Zagreb 1998. <http://www.egs. The pleasure provided by antiedu/faculty/zizek/zizek-Communist reasoning was that Communism made it so easy to play the game of finding the culprit, blaming the Party, Stalin, Lenin, ultimately Marx himself, for the millions of dead, for terror and gulag, while in capitalism, there -spectre-is nobody on whom one can pin guilt or responsibility, things just happened that way, through anonymous mechanisms, although capitalism has been no less destructive in terms of human and environmental costs, destroying aboriginal cultures… In short, the difference between capitalism and Communism is that Communism was perceived as an Idea which then failed in its realization, while capitalism functioned "spontaneously". There is no Capitalist Manifesto-still-roaming-around.html>
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