Here’s a challenge: Using the inscrutable texts of an 18th century philosopher and the
pseudo-scientific musings of long-forgotten French psychoanalyst, revitalize
the single worst idea of the 20th century, and power yourself to global superstardom.
Sound impossible?
Well, then you don’t know Žižek.
Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher and unabashed communist blessed with a rare
gift for translating his radical politics into tasty pop culture analogies.
Žižek has produced an avalanche of books and starred in several movies, and his core
claim is that capitalism is sustained through mass ideological indoctrination.
No, no, no, no, no. Corporate hegemons didn’t teach you to love property rights and cheap air-travel,
and, like, at least half of what comes out of his mouth is absurd pseudo-intellectual nonsense.
You’re supposed to pretend that this is profound.
But Žižek's appeal isn’t coherence, it’s that punk rock philosopher swag.
Žižek has secured a global fame accorded to just a microscopic slice of academics.
The meme-able Mascot of the hipster revolutionary.
But, there is something sinister lurking underneath those intellectual pyrotechnics.
And salvation depends on the emergence of a steely supreme overseer...
November 1917.
The Bolsheviks overthrow the newly-formed democratic Russian government.
Their leader, Vladimir Lenin, unilaterally declares himself president and promises a
communist utopia of “peace, land, and bread.”
He delivers violence, death, and misery, erecting a ubiquitous surveillance apparatus,
imprisioning and murdering thousands,
Establishing a vast terror network well before Stalin came to power.
Žižek loves Lenin.
Fast forward to the mid 2000s.
Socialist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez responds to mounting public opposition with
a brutal crackdown, erecting a paramilitary goon squad and systematically dismantling
rival political parties.
Žižek said these steps “should be fully endorsed.”
This is the grand architect of our collectivist utopia.
He can’t be shackled by your precious democratic constraints.
Žižek preaches this poison to his groupies.
Here’s the message: Trust your righteous anger.
Fully commit to your utopia.
Embrace the strong man.
And burn down whatever, or whoever, stands in your way.