Climate Strike v. Occupy: Do Protests Matter? (Audio–Dreaming Dangerously 7)

September 7, 2019

Do protests and demonstrations accomplish anything? And, if they often don’t, why? Answering that question should determine what we choose to do, and how, in any particular call for action. Zizek’s Chapter 7 on Occupy Wall Street serves as a launching pad for some observations on political demonstrations, including the Climate Strike scheduled for September 20, 2019.\ … More Climate Strike v. Occupy: Do Protests Matter? (Audio–Dreaming Dangerously 7)

Climate Strike v. Occupy: Do Protests Matter? (Dreaming Dangerously 7)

September 7, 2019

Do protests and demonstrations accomplish anything? And, if they often don’t, why? Answering that question should determine what we choose to do, and how, in any particular call for action. Zizek’s Chapter 7 on Occupy Wall Street serves as a launching pad for some observations on political demonstrations, including the Climate Strike scheduled for September 20, 2019. … More Climate Strike v. Occupy: Do Protests Matter? (Dreaming Dangerously 7)

Unsafe and Alive in Zizek’s Post-Ideology (Dreaming Dangerously 5, audio)

August 24, 2019

I return to an interpretation of Zizek, The Year of Dreaming Dangerously, this time chapter 5: “Welcome to the Desert of Post-Ideology.” Zizek, through Lacan, distinguishes the controlled pleasures of capitalistic rationalism from the excessive enjoyment of the unsafe smoker and pointless rioter, and then evaluates what things like the UK riots of 2011 mean for advanced capitalism. … More Unsafe and Alive in Zizek’s Post-Ideology (Dreaming Dangerously 5, audio)

Unsafe and Alive in Zizek’s Post-Ideology (Dreaming Dangerously 5)

August 24, 2019

I return to an interpretation of Zizek, The Year of Dreaming Dangerously, this time chapter 5: “Welcome to the Desert of Post-Ideology.” Zizek, through Lacan, distinguishes the controlled pleasures of capitalistic rationalism with the excessive enjoyment of the unsafe smoker and pointless rioter, and then evaluates what things like the UK riots of 2011 mean for advanced capitalism. … More Unsafe and Alive in Zizek’s Post-Ideology (Dreaming Dangerously 5)

Not About the Market: Oakeshott on Friendship, Fishing and Tools (audio)

August 18, 2019

Classical conservative Michael Oakeshott identifies the marketplace and its attendant encouragement of trendiness as an area that runs counter to the conservative disposition. The conservative disposition can instead be seen in activities like friendship, fishing, a person’s tool collection and how he uses it. Sawzall meme included. … More Not About the Market: Oakeshott on Friendship, Fishing and Tools (audio)

Not About the Market: Oakeshott on Friendship, Fishing and Tools

August 18, 2019

Classical conservative Michael Oakeshott identifies the marketplace and its attendant encouragement of trendiness as an area that runs counter to the conservative disposition. The conservative disposition can instead be seen in activities like friendship, fishing, a person’s tool collection and how he uses it. Sawzall meme included. … More Not About the Market: Oakeshott on Friendship, Fishing and Tools

Don’t be Nostalgic: Oakeshott on Conservative Disposition

August 11, 2019

In this second reading from Michael Oakeshott’s essay “On Being Conservative” we get into what counts as a true conservative disposition and what does not. Two aspects of contemporary conservatism are questioned–the desire for rapid and ongoing change, supposedly for the better, and a sentimental nostalgia for an idealized past. … More Don’t be Nostalgic: Oakeshott on Conservative Disposition