Geopolitics, Multipolar Disorder & the Collapse of International Law
The current geopolitical state where the US is no longer the sole hegemon, allowing for other powers like China to exercise post-colonial influence.
In his words 1
“a state which no longer can reproduce itself without openly relying on illegal gangster bandit forces”6:45 “Israel Needed War” Slavoj Žižek Meets Yanis Varoufakis (Part 3) · failed state redefined
The stories that teach it
the jokes and anecdotes he reaches for when he works in this idea, ranked by how many of its talks they turn up in; each card is one story, with every retelling on its page
Congo as the absolute human tragedy
Žižek invokes Congo's exploited as the paradigm case of human suffering that cannot be assimilated to the classical working class, demanding a broadened conception of revolutionary subjectivity.
gilets jaunes and Podemos
Massive popular dissatisfaction, the yellow vests in France, Podemos in Spain, that was impossible to translate into the normal multi-party political system.
Tony Blair as Most Unpopular Person
Žižek recalls a 2005 TV show in London where people voted Tony Blair as the 'most unpopular person' in England, despite Blair winning the actual election two weeks later. This illustrates the gap between popular sentiment and formal political results.
Benjamin Libet's Experiment
Libet's experiment showed neurons fire before conscious decision, apparently proving free will illusory. Žižek notes Libet himself argued freedom lies in the capacity to say 'no' in that split second, freedom as veto, not initiation.
Bolivia and Álvaro García Linera
García Linera told Žižek that organizing 'the multitude' via tribal connections in Bolivia resulted in corruption and tribal bosses seeking enrichment, proving that 'zero level of politicization' without state alienation is an illusion.
Roma girl and arranged marriage in Slovenia
A Roma girl in Slovenia escaped to police claiming her father sold her into an arranged marriage; the Roma community leader argued this practice is essential to their way of life's reproduction, removing it destroys them as a community. Žižek presents this as a genuine deadloc…
Where it comes up 33
39 moments located in the transcripts, click a timestamp to play from there