Hi!

[kingdom]

Hello, I'm a first-time poster on Revleft. Not a supporter of any particular political idea or philosophy, and do not support Marxism. I consider socialism and Marxist ideas to be products of capitalism and now for sale as a consumer good. Uh oh... hope I don't get banned already ;)

Unlike Jameson's idea of 'Late Capitalism', I believe capitalism is taking off into a new golden era that will continue indefinitely. This is because a consumer society encourages, and to some extent satisfies, luxuries for all. This includes the production of socialism as a consumer good. To define better, consumer goods are no longer simply two or three dimensional objects, but exist in the fourth dimension too. We can buy and sell history, as we already buy and sell memory. (ie. "Treasured Moments at Your Saga Holiday. visit Saga-holidays dot com" etc)

A Marxist may point out we only offer images of luxury to the downtrodden. The rich acquire 'real' property. I would argue that there is no longer much of a difference. The development of technology, including the internet, has developed virtual space, virtual territory and virtual power. This makes things so much easier for the status quo. Socialism now exists within a circular narrative of discussion. This is, I argue, its consumption by capitalism; it is unable to fulfill its end goal of Communism, because it has already happened, and its anatomy of philosophy is quite accessibly for sale.

..Anyway, that's just me and probably drivel to you lot. I have a few questions about Marxism, and lots of things to learn about it - no matter how many books I read, I still consider myself a beginner. Thanks for reading!

[Q]

Welcome :)

If you have political questions, you can ask them in the Learning forum. That's why it's there after all!

If you have questions about your account, don't hesitate to send me a PM or ask here.

I find your philosophical musings interesting and I'll keep and eye out for them.

[Skyhilist]

Unlike Jameson's idea of 'Late Capitalism', I believe capitalism is taking off into a new golden era that will continue indefinitely.
I can't really prove this false, but I certainly hope you're wrong.


To define better, consumer goods are no longer simply two or three dimensional objects, but exist in the fourth dimension too.

Not sure fourth dimension is really the best word. Fourth dimension usually refers to either time, or the 4th spatial dimension, both of with are totally different than what you're describing (at least from what I've read so far).

Anyways, welcome :)

[Fourth Internationalist]

Welcome to RevLeft! :D

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

See, there's a difference between ideas and "the real movement which abolishes the present state of things." Coincidentally, have you read "The Rebel Sell"? It basically says exactly what you just said, but book length. It's pretty pop-politics garbage, and features some of the worst surface readings of Debord and Marx placed along side liberal drivel like Naomi Klein and is like, "Look! You got what you wanted!"
Of course, for all the (pseudo-)academic discourse to this effect, it rings pretty hollow when a) the polar ice caps are melting, b) there are reservations in Northern Alberta where the air is unbreathable, and c) over the last three weeks, in my city, there have been at least five occasions where hundreds or thousands of people took the streets, attacked cops, destroyed property, etc. while chanting explicitly anticapitalist and pro-class warfare slogans.
It's like, seriously, it's time to get over the 90s "End of History! Liberal democracy has triumphed!" shit.

I have a pretty high tolerance for differing opinions, generally, but I can't stand this pretentious Undergraduate Cultural Studies Liberal crap.

[kingdom]

See, there's a difference between ideas and "the real movement which abolishes the present state of things." Coincidentally, have you read "The Rebel Sell"? It basically says exactly what you just said, but book length. It's pretty pop-politics garbage, and features some of the worst surface readings of Debord and Marx placed along side liberal drivel like Naomi Klein and is like, "Look! You got what you wanted!"
Of course, for all the (pseudo-)academic discourse to this effect, it rings pretty hollow when a) the polar ice caps are melting, b) there are reservations in Northern Alberta where the air is unbreathable, and c) over the last three weeks, in my city, there have been at least five occasions where hundreds or thousands of people took the streets, attacked cops, destroyed property, etc. while chanting explicitly anticapitalist and pro-class warfare slogans.
It's like, seriously, it's time to get over the 90s "End of History! Liberal democracy has triumphed!" shit.

I have a pretty high tolerance for differing opinions, generally, but I can't stand this pretentious Undergraduate Cultural Studies Liberal crap.

My area of thought isn't "pop-politics", so I haven't read 'The Rebel Sell'. My area of study covers: the destruction of identity, meaning, and language. I intend this to be the formation of a much larger study that will be at the indulgence of myself. I do not believe that meaning is transferable. Feelings and instructions, however, are. (For the time being...) Whereas Marx is concerned, the worker is strangely now deceived to subjectivity, and the prey to their own predatory ability. Your dismissal is the delight of the capitalist; now you are chasing your tail.

It is stressful to believe that the pollution and destruction on the earth caused by man is a problem. You forget: you live in consumer society; pollution is a consumer good. Work, art and history, have all been consumed by consumerism. A world drowned in poverty, global warming, and war, is stitched to the socialist theme of individual freedom. "Africa in Aid" is a consumer market. "Sudan in Need" is a consumer market. Dead cops lying next to your feet are a consumer market. The end of the world? As you have so well narrated - a consumer market. It's all for sale.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Yes, my bad, consumerism as an absolutely totalizing discourse that has subsumed everything, and nothing exists outside of its discursive field. Consumerdom is the new Christiandom. You know, the last time history ended and the subject was fixed immutably within an order that tied the activity of subjects their reproduction within that order.

Probably capitalism will be just like feudalism and never end. Thank-you for your brilliant insight.

You are pretty much the next Baudrillard, and I'm sure your contributions to discussions of communist praxis will be wildly relevant.

[slum]

A Marxist may point out we only offer images of luxury to the downtrodden. The rich acquire 'real' property. I would argue that there is no longer much of a difference. The development of technology, including the internet, has developed virtual space, virtual territory and virtual power.

Yeah, sure, but I'm hungry and sick and can't grow my own food or go to the doctor.

Let me know when wikipedia starts heating people's homes and we can talk.