What sort of socialism is this?

[Rabble Rouser]

Are there any schools of socialist thought or critiques of capitalism that focus on what they see as capitalism's destruction of culture? One specific example from my own view point: I loathe televised advertisements and crass, idiotic programmes. I see such rubbish as a product of capitalism. Also, more generally, it applies to capitalism's reorientation of the world's cultures towards consumerism. Capitalism turns people towards greed and personal profit, destroying their morals. I feel that the many rich cultures of the world have been corrupted by modern capitalism/consumerism. What variety of socialism/anti-capitalism would I fit under if I place emphasis on this above all?

[Tatarin]

Actually, you could be a social democrat if you want. Socialism and communism isn't just about the hate of capitalism - but the understanding of capitalism, the understanding of that the world needs a new system of economics. A good start is to watch Manifestoon:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...earch&plindex=0 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4409577367323351432&q=manifestoon&total=25&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0)

[Faceless]

You are absolutely right about the fact that capitalism is at the root of all this crap television and all the other crap which is "popular culture". And there were a number of so-called marxists who spent most of their lives considering this side of things and who gave precedence above all to culture.

The reason that popular culture has degenerated to the extent that it has is because all items of popular culture are produced as commodities first. The fact that they are cultural consumer products is irrelevant to the company which produces them. This is the root of the problem. Those who are interested in producing culture are completely divorced from the people who consume it.

Amongst the "marxists" who criticised capitalism's destruction of culture were the Frankfurt school (prominent members of this school of marxists include Theodor Adorno). I will strongly warn you against bothering yourself too much with them. I spent a fair bit of time trying to get to grips with them, and thoroughly regret having wasted my time.

You will notice that this "marxism" is taught in universities today under the title "critical theory". This is because it has been gutted of all its revolutionary content and is now just another branch of bourgeois ideology. These "marxists" thought that culture moved history, when infact culture depends on the underlying economic forces.

This "cultural marxism" changes the focus from the struggle between worker and capitalist to the struggle between consumer and producer. It blurs the class struggle, and in fact distorts marxism from a revolutionary theory to a thoroughly counter-revolutionary theory.

You can see how academic "cultural marxism" has become by trying to read the work of the likes of Adorno. It is completely impenetrable. Compare this to the more readable works of theoreticians who were also active revolutionaries, such as Trotsky, and it imediately becomes obvious how far up their arses these academics were.

Here are some suggestions from me:

http://marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1923/art/tia23b.htm

http://www.marxist.com/art-politics-our-ep...ky080107-10.htm (http://www.marxist.com/art-politics-our-epoch-trotsky080107-10.htm)

[Janus]

There have been various radical leftist theorists and movements which have focused on current culture.

Check out Guy Debord, the Situationists, and Antonio Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony:

cultural hegemony (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=64318&hl=cultur*)
situationism (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=64537&hl=+cultural++marxism)
Guy Debord's society of the spectacle (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=62567&hl=situationis*)

[Raúl Duke]

Are there any schools of socialist thought or critiques of capitalism that focus on what they see as capitalism's destruction of culture? One specific example from my own view point: I loathe televised advertisements and crass, idiotic programmes. I see such rubbish as a product of capitalism. Also, more generally, it applies to capitalism's reorientation of the world's cultures towards consumerism. Capitalism turns people towards greed and personal profit, destroying their morals. I feel that the many rich cultures of the world have been corrupted by modern capitalism/consumerism. What variety of socialism/anti-capitalism would I fit under if I place emphasis on this above all?

Like everyone already said....you seem to be a either a "cultural marxist" (in the style of the Frankfurt school intellectuals) or/and a situationist.

Situationists use a lot of jargon like The Spectacle, detournment, etc. SO I suggest you look up in the internet the "Spectacular Times" series of introductory texts for starters. ;)

You maybe be interested in the concept on how culture is "appropriated" by consumerism/capitalism super-structure/system and "sold" back to us in a safe and artificial form designed for profit.

However. what do you mean exactly by "morals"? What kinds? <_<

Also, would you also support even the reactionary aspects of world culture ( <_< ) just for the sake of protecting culture? Personally I would like to see those aspects gone from the face of the universe.