A week or so ago, there was a really long winded article in the Guardian about the resurgence of Marxism in popular culture. I only got half way through – it was hard going, a bit unclear and, well… boring. But it seemed to be of the opinion that the new found popularity that dear old Marxism is experiencing is a good thing, something to be celebrated. Something that will eventually lead to some sort of political shift and the ultimate demise of capitalism.
Errrrm?
I’m all for a proletariat uprising, but lets face it, there isn’t going to be one. Even the most hardcore socialist drinks in Starbucks. Boris Johnson was voted back in as Sheriff Supreme. The Occupy movement disappeared from national focus. Tesco have been largely let off the hook for their part to play in exploiting the unemployed. All in all, nothing revolutionary is happening.
The fact that Marxism is fashionable – well, that’s exactly what it means, it’s just fashionable. Stranger things have been hijacked by the in crowd. Knitting. BDSM. Phony Dickensian accents. These fads come and go. Topshop will be selling “Karl is my Homeboy” t-shirts tomorrow, but they’ll be half price in the mid-season sale by the end of the month.
It’s sad, but all this egalitarian hype is 100% rhetorical. There was more interest in the annual Marxist Festival this year, but I’m certain that when it comes to revolutions, we’re all tweet and no action.
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Musings of Becky Shepherd
“Even the most hardcore socialist drinks in Starbucks”
And this is something that Slavoj Zizek have many jokes about and makes this as an example of the “lefts” impotence. He is mentioned in the article and exactly this sort of critique coming forward from the most popular contemporary philosopher is why the guardian can write “marxism on the rise again”.
No revolution coming, you seem stuck in the postmodernist mode and the fukuyamaist dogma. Look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtTXWJyVIpE
I don’t really get on with Zizek, I find him confusing and bordering sanctimonious. He offers nothing in way of a solution, just criticism after criticism after criticism. I’ve read a lot of Fukuyama, yeah. Is that a bad thing?
Firstly, thanks for the video. Secondly, aside from the fashionistas that jump on the band wagon of anything a bit controversial, I suppose my point is more to do with, what I see as a hijacking of ideas to establish something that isn’t there. I think, by and large, most of these new marxists aren’t serious about it, they see it as an alternative to a system they don’t particularly like, so they’re using it to create a ‘movement’. There isn’t one.
I’m not saying I’m any better. I’m not committed to the socialist vanguard. After the anti climax of the Occupy movement I think I’m just going to try and live a principled life and I think that’s much more realistic and worthwhile than dedicating your every waking moment to what is essentially, just another doctrine.