Philosopher Slavoj Žižek on the re-election of Donald Trump & his fears for Western values
Interview · OxfordUnion ·
2024-11-28 · 0:33:00 · 4,130 words
ideologypsychoanalysishegel-dialecticsreligion-theologycapitalismdemocracyfascism-populismgeopolitics-warsexuality-genderliberalism-political-correctness
Žižek delivers a dense political and philosophical critique, beginning with an unorthodox theological reading of Christianity that aligns with Hegel and Lacan, arguing for a materialist solidarity that erases the 'big Other.' He then pivots to contemporary politics, analyzing the 2016 US election, the rise of 'good extremism' exemplified by Bernie Sanders, and the ideological failures of the Democratic Party. He concludes with a critique of liberal democracy's inefficiency, the dangerous split between Western progressive values and anti-colonial struggles, and a cynical assessment of Trump's potential return to power.
every located moment in this recording, click one to read it
The ideas in it 7
in the order they first come up; click a row for what he does with the idea here
as “big Other”
The symbolic order or universe as a harmonious totality; Žižek uses Einstein's pantheism as an example of this theological belief in a rational, beautiful structure.
as “God of beyond”
Hegel's concept of what dies on the cross: not a representative, but the transcendent God itself, making room for immanent solidarity.
as “Holy Ghost”
Reinterpreted not as a spirit but as 'egalitarian solidarity,' a communal link where all hierarchies are suspended.
as “secretly theological materialism”
The critique that standard materialism (e.g., Stalin's dialectical materialism) remains theological because it believes in a global historical necessity or harmony, rather than true immanent freedom.
Extremism that openly states its position without the false moderation of centrism, exemplified by Sanders targeting Trump voters rather than fearing the 'middle.'
as “cynical ideology”
The modern liberal function where one acts according to ideological rituals (like the horseshoe) knowing they don't believe in them, because 'it works' regardless of belief.
as “de facto soft fascism”
The suspension of democratic procedures for efficiency, as seen in Macron's governance or China's long-term planning, which Žižek suggests may be necessary for crisis management.
Stories he reaches for 5
Bohr had a horseshoe at his country house to ward off evil spirits. When a friend asked why a scientist would believe such bullshit, Bohr replied: 'I don't believe it, but I was told that it works even if you don't believe in it.'
“because I was told that it works even if you don't believe in it that's how liberals effectively function today”
Žižek identifies the image of Bernie Sanders sitting alone on the stairs during Biden's inauguration as the 'absolute moment of truth,' embodying the fake nature of the Democratic Party's centrism.
“you remember the image Biden sitting alone on stairs... Bernie was sitting alone and just sitting there and this was the image he embodied”
The Ugandan parliament passed harsh anti-homosexuality laws, justifying it by claiming gay rights are a 'neocolonialist west' strategy, illustrating the split between Western progressive values and anti-colonial struggles.
“if you are for gay rights you are for the neocolonialist west this is what I find so terribly depressing”
Žižek references Chaplin's The Great Dictator, where Hitler demands the applause stop to restore his dignity, using it to frame his own speech as a demand for serious engagement over 'bullshit political jokes.'
“My God I want to be like Hitler you saw the greatest movie of Chaplin the great dictator... give me at least this dignity”
The governor of Kaliningrad claimed they don't celebrate Kant because he is the father of liberalism/socialism, arguing instead that Kant's radical duty (responsibility for one's duty) is opposed to modern democracy.
“we don't celebrate Kant here because Kant is the father of liberalism socialism and all these modern ideas of democracy”
Works invoked 4
Cited as an example of 'depravity by ordinary people' who secretly enjoy the humiliation depicted, despite claiming horror.
The Great Dictator film
Used for the scene where Hitler demands the applause stop, illustrating the demand for dignity/seriousness.
The Gospels book
Used to support the reading of Christ's death as the death of the 'God of beyond' and the emergence of Holy Ghost solidarity.
Nashville film
Described as a 'disgusting movie' by Robert Altman, referenced for a song about 'three reasons.'
People invoked 24
Kamala Harris negative
Criticized for seeking 'consensus' and changing positions, representing the empty centrism of the Democratic establishment.
Mahsa Amini positive
A Kurdish woman killed by police in Iran, whose death sparked feminism at its best, mobilizing the majority of the population.
Marine Le Pen negative
Represented the threat of far-right power in France, which Macron managed by suspending democratic norms.
Mentioned by Putin as the proper name for Ukraine; Žižek notes this but doesn't deeply engage with Lenin himself.
Charlie Chaplin positive
Referenced for The Great Dictator, specifically the scene where Hitler demands dignity.
Jacques Lacan positive
Cited as the source of the concept 'big Other'; Žižek uses Lacanian framework to analyze theology and ideology.
Referenced for establishing the Fifth Republic and including constitutional articles allowing government nomination without specified time limits.
Donald Trump negative
Viewed with horror but analyzed as a symptom of liberal democracy's failure; his 'vulgarity' is seen as more sincere than liberal lies.
Referenced via Hannah Arendt's analysis of his defense: 'I was just doing my duty,' which Kant prohibits.
Emmanuel Macron positive
Admired as a 'genius' for de facto suspending democracy to prevent chaos, though Žižek is not for 'soft fascism.'
Bernie Sanders positive
Admired for 'good extremism,' targeting Trump voters, and embodying the truth of the Democratic party's fake centrism.
Benjamin Netanyahu negative
Criticized for controlling the Supreme Court and needing the war in Israel to forget domestic protests.
Described as having made a 'disgusting movie' (Nashville), referenced for a song about 'three reasons.'
Mentioned as part of the mainstream, but not central to the argument.
Hannah Arendt positive
Cited for her analysis of Eichmann's defense of 'doing my duty,' which Kant prohibits.
Joe Biden negative
Criticized for the 'fake' inauguration image and for missing the lesson of Bernie Sanders.
Hillary Clinton negative
Represented 'big bankers corporations' and 'fatal inertia' in the Democratic party.
Niels Bohr positive
Cited for his formula of how ideology functions (the horseshoe anecdote); Žižek agrees with Bohr's pragmatic cynicism.
Vladimir Putin negative
Criticized for saying 'Ukrainians don't exist' and allying with the Taliban, despite opposing Western imperialism.
Joseph Stalin negative
Used as an example of 'secretly theological materialism' who believed in historical necessity and was a 'servant of the people.'
Mentioned briefly to contrast with Hegel, claiming Marx was more idealist than Hegel.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel positive
Admired for his reading of the crucifixion: 'what dies on the cross is the God of beyond itself,' enabling immanent solidarity.
Immanuel Kant negative
Criticized via the Kaliningrad governor's reading: Kant's radical duty (responsibility for duty) is opposed to modern liberal democracy.
Albert Einstein negative
Used as a foil for his pantheistic belief in a rational, harmonious universe ('God doesn't cheat'), which Žižek rejects as theological.
Transcript 10 turns
Slavoj Žižek
Liberal democracy the way we have it now is not strong enough efficient enough to cope with the problem we are confronted. Stop. My God I want to be like Hitler you saw the greatest movie of Chaplin the great dictator or what when they applaud and then Hitler says like this and they stop applauding give me at least this dignity so thank you very much for having us once again to the Oxford Union I wanted to start by
Liberal democracy the way we have it now is not strong enough efficient enough to cope with the problem we are confronted. Stop. My God I want to be like Hitler you saw the greatest movie of Chaplin the great dictator or what when they applaud and then Hitler says like this and they stop applauding give me at least this dignity so thank you very much for having us once again to the Oxford Union I wanted to start by
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asking about one of your books on Christian atheism you said in that book that the only way to be an atheist is
asking about one of your books on Christian atheism you said in that book that the only way to be an atheist is
unknown
through Christianity so what do you think is so unique about Christianity that gives it that quality that means that you have to be a Christian in order to be an atheist.
through Christianity so what do you think is so unique about Christianity that gives it that quality that means that you have to be a Christian in order to be an atheist.
Slavoj Žižek
It's a little bit complex but I'm very glad that we don't go just in this bullshit political jokes that you ask a serious question because this is of course the crucial question it's my pretty unorthodox reading of Christianity but I think it's all there namely for me to be truly an atheist it's not enough just this you know everything is nature we don't need spiritual values and so on no it's that here I again back to quantum physics I'm for Niels Bohr against Einstein because Einstein made that famous statement Gott ist raffiniert subtle but God doesn't cheat and Niels Bohr gave a perfect answer don't tell God what to do that is to say Einstein who was officially if not an atheist more a pantheist like there is some rational beautiful structure in nature this is perfect example of what Lacan would have Lacon Jacques Lacan would have called the big other if you look at it from a proper distance universe is a beautiful totality and so on for me this is the core of in bad sense theism religion this idea that sorry for vulgar expression even if we are here or in Sudan or Ukraine or where in deep shit nonetheless if you look at a total picture this is a beautiful harmonious universe I think that this is this argument which usually assumes the form of a reference to a painting you know the idea is look at the big classical painting if you look too close you see just a stain a dirty stain if you withdraw you see that what appeared to you as a stain really just contributed to the overall harmony I think the whole point of Christ as embodiment of Christ as a living God God as one of us is that it's strictly prohibited to take this general view as Hegel whom I of course admire Hegel you know the great materialist I think Marx was much more idealist than Hegel Hegel said that what dies on the cross is not a representative of God like God sent Christ we screwed each up okay God said come back to me son maybe in thousand years we will try again no as Hegel put it what dies on the cross is the God of beyond itself which is why my God read the gospels when Christ is asked how we will know that you will return his answer is when there will be love between the two of you I will be there the name of this love is Holy Ghost Holy Ghost is the solidarity egalitarian solidarity what do I mean by egalitarian another wonderful detail from the Bible you remember Christ is with his followers in a tent and somebody comes tell him your mother and family are out there waiting for you and he said sorry this is my family here don't read this literally the idea of Holy Ghost is that there is a possibility of a communal link of solidarity where all hierarchies are suspended so this is one and the other result this is how I read this statement that of some Christians that God gives us freedom not in this cheap sense he gave us freedom of choice that's why there is evil but in a much deeper sense he gave us freedom by erasing himself out of the picture what remains is not it's totally wrong for me to wait some second coming oh we'll no second coming is already here with the collective of believers that's all there is to it I will not go not to lose too much time but I think and I'm open to criticism here I think that in this sense why is this more radical than usual materialism because the usual materialism remains secretly theological in the sense that the vision it proposes is still what Einstein believed in this kind of overall harmony or necessity for example for me Stalin his dialectical materialism was in its basic structure deeply theological Stalin believed in a global order historical necessity which leads to communism and he even all the time emphasizes I'm just a servant of the people I'm a servant of historical necessity and so on this is what we have to renounce and to conclude so that I don't talk too much you will like this I loved it sometimes things happen in reality which give me sorry for the vulgar expression but truly an intellectual orgasm the last time I got this was a governor now a couple of months ago a governor of the province of Kaliningrad you know that small one between Poland and Lithuania which is still I don't know why part of Russia and Kaliningrad is ex Königsberg it's the place where Kant Immanuel Kant lived all his life he said something which is true but I'm totally opposed to it but he said we don't celebrate Kant here because Kant is the father of liberalism socialism and all these modern ideas of democracy human rights and so on in some sense he was right why in a much more radical sense you know Kant is remembered as do your duty like no excuse not to doing your duty no Kant goes a step further and that's human freedom at its most radical intended by Christianity it's not just do your duty you are also responsible for what is your duty because if you read Hannah Arendt you must remember what was Eichmann's basic defense Adolf that guy his defense was I was just doing my duty listening to orders no Kant prohibits this for Kant your duty you are responsible for I cannot tell to you or to you sorry sorry a must I'm tasteless cut off your balls it will hurt me terribly but it's my duty no you can never use duty as an excuse to do your duty this modern sorry I stop here I need a master I need a master I repeat I already did up my old joke you know what you really need that James Bond car from Goldfinger you know you have that red button if you press the button I please I'm sorry I apologize I want to move on from religion to politics Donald Trump won the American election he won the popular vote last week in you supported the idea of voting for Trump and you argued that Clinton represented a fatal inertia and you suggested that Trump winning the election would lead to some sort of social reaction socialist reaction sorry do you support Trump winning are you do you welcome are you crazy now I'm totally horrified and so on my wager was I know a little bit risky because one good argument that I heard years ago against myself is that am I not repeating the mistake of communists in Germany in when they said it's better that Hitler won now all these false intermediate positions fall away it's us and the real enemy in some sense they were right and at the end Hitler lost but I don't know how many millions with were the price so
It's a little bit complex but I'm very glad that we don't go just in this bullshit political jokes that you ask a serious question because this is of course the crucial question it's my pretty unorthodox reading of Christianity but I think it's all there namely for me to be truly an atheist it's not enough just this you know everything is nature we don't need spiritual values and so on no it's that here I again back to quantum physics I'm for Niels Bohr against Einstein because Einstein made that famous statement Gott ist raffiniert subtle but God doesn't cheat and Niels Bohr gave a perfect answer don't tell God what to do that is to say Einstein who was officially if not an atheist more a pantheist like there is some rational beautiful structure in nature this is perfect example of what Lacan would have Lacon Jacques Lacan would have called the big other if you look at it from a proper distance universe is a beautiful totality and so on for me this is the core of in bad sense theism religion this idea that sorry for vulgar expression even if we are here or in Sudan or Ukraine or where in deep shit nonetheless if you look at a total picture this is a beautiful harmonious universe I think that this is this argument which usually assumes the form of a reference to a painting you know the idea is look at the big classical painting if you look too close you see just a stain a dirty stain if you withdraw you see that what appeared to you as a stain really just contributed to the overall harmony I think the whole point of Christ as embodiment of Christ as a living God God as one of us is that it's strictly prohibited to take this general view as Hegel whom I of course admire Hegel you know the great materialist I think Marx was much more idealist than Hegel Hegel said that what dies on the cross is not a representative of God like God sent Christ we screwed each up okay God said come back to me son maybe in thousand years we will try again no as Hegel put it what dies on the cross is the God of beyond itself which is why my God read the gospels when Christ is asked how we will know that you will return his answer is when there will be love between the two of you I will be there the name of this love is Holy Ghost Holy Ghost is the solidarity egalitarian solidarity what do I mean by egalitarian another wonderful detail from the Bible you remember Christ is with his followers in a tent and somebody comes tell him your mother and family are out there waiting for you and he said sorry this is my family here don't read this literally the idea of Holy Ghost is that there is a possibility of a communal link of solidarity where all hierarchies are suspended so this is one and the other result this is how I read this statement that of some Christians that God gives us freedom not in this cheap sense he gave us freedom of choice that's why there is evil but in a much deeper sense he gave us freedom by erasing himself out of the picture what remains is not it's totally wrong for me to wait some second coming oh we'll no second coming is already here with the collective of believers that's all there is to it I will not go not to lose too much time but I think and I'm open to criticism here I think that in this sense why is this more radical than usual materialism because the usual materialism remains secretly theological in the sense that the vision it proposes is still what Einstein believed in this kind of overall harmony or necessity for example for me Stalin his dialectical materialism was in its basic structure deeply theological Stalin believed in a global order historical necessity which leads to communism and he even all the time emphasizes I'm just a servant of the people I'm a servant of historical necessity and so on this is what we have to renounce and to conclude so that I don't talk too much you will like this I loved it sometimes things happen in reality which give me sorry for the vulgar expression but truly an intellectual orgasm the last time I got this was a governor now a couple of months ago a governor of the province of Kaliningrad you know that small one between Poland and Lithuania which is still I don't know why part of Russia and Kaliningrad is ex Königsberg it's the place where Kant Immanuel Kant lived all his life he said something which is true but I'm totally opposed to it but he said we don't celebrate Kant here because Kant is the father of liberalism socialism and all these modern ideas of democracy human rights and so on in some sense he was right why in a much more radical sense you know Kant is remembered as do your duty like no excuse not to doing your duty no Kant goes a step further and that's human freedom at its most radical intended by Christianity it's not just do your duty you are also responsible for what is your duty because if you read Hannah Arendt you must remember what was Eichmann's basic defense Adolf that guy his defense was I was just doing my duty listening to orders no Kant prohibits this for Kant your duty you are responsible for I cannot tell to you or to you sorry sorry a must I'm tasteless cut off your balls it will hurt me terribly but it's my duty no you can never use duty as an excuse to do your duty this modern sorry I stop here I need a master I need a master I repeat I already did up my old joke you know what you really need that James Bond car from Goldfinger you know you have that red button if you press the button I please I'm sorry I apologize I want to move on from religion to politics Donald Trump won the American election he won the popular vote last week in you supported the idea of voting for Trump and you argued that Clinton represented a fatal inertia and you suggested that Trump winning the election would lead to some sort of social reaction socialist reaction sorry do you support Trump winning are you do you welcome are you crazy now I'm totally horrified and so on my wager was I know a little bit risky because one good argument that I heard years ago against myself is that am I not repeating the mistake of communists in Germany in when they said it's better that Hitler won now all these false intermediate positions fall away it's us and the real enemy in some sense they were right and at the end Hitler lost but I don't know how many millions with were the price so
unknown
my point was that at that point and I will define precisely that point when Trump didn't yet have okay he had a vision but he didn't yet have a detailed program of how to reform change the whole texture of American life at that point it would be good to give him a chance so that people will see what he is and I think I was not wrong in that because my idea was that nonetheless American society was so rich in its texture different groups spontaneous that you cannot simply
my point was that at that point and I will define precisely that point when Trump didn't yet have okay he had a vision but he didn't yet have a detailed program of how to reform change the whole texture of American life at that point it would be good to give him a chance so that people will see what he is and I think I was not wrong in that because my idea was that nonetheless American society was so rich in its texture different groups spontaneous that you cannot simply
Slavoj Žižek
reform it in this radical right-wing term if you have the president today the and I was also I think right at another point look what happened as a reaction to Trump I claim was that we got they are weak I know but nonetheless we got so-called democratic socialists Bernie Sanders and so on and I don't think they would be possible and it was for the first time after long decades that an element of not marginal group but main politics refers to itself openly as socialists and here so it was this tension within the Democratic party itself between the Clinton big bankers corporations and Bernie Sanders and others the beautiful one AOC Alexandria she is I think she is already part of the mainstream there but what I want to say is that the fact that there was this other dimension is for me one image and I hope we agree here you will that fascinated me as the absolute moment of truth do you remember Biden inauguration all that that black poet lady she is establishment pure bullshit and so on blah blah but you remember the image Biden sitting alone on stairs sorry Bernie Bernie did I say Biden my God if you take power two years of Gulag for this mistake yeah Bernie was sitting alone and just sitting there and this was the image he embodied what was fake about the Democratic Party and they missed the lesson we can go on into it and many mistakes first mistake was and we should learn this from Trump extremism there is bad extremism but there is good extremism in the sense that you openly say what you think you are not too careful will I hurt this will I hurt that wasn't already Biden but then Kamala even more doing exactly this I remember I was ashamed one month ago she was asked by some black TV commentator she was simply asked you change a whole series of your positions four years ago or when you were against fracking now you are for where do you stand and her answer was I always think we should look for consensus and solidarity among the people and then the guy asked her okay but what does you know they should learn the lesson of Bernie which was ingenious now that he's old I will probably visit Burlington and try to meet him there now he's nice old guy walks every day there alone no where he said no don't focus on that old democratic fear are we too much to the left we will lose middle voters no our true target should be those disappointed white people and not just white also many blacks and especially Latinos who who vote for Trump and they are our potential voters we should target them and he proved this he repeatedly won he was for I don't know how many times the governor of what's his state not Wyoming my God Vermont yeah but you know who were his voters precisely those who should have been Trump voters small farmers all armed with guns afraid and so on so there is I will not go on but you can just enumerate mistakes so I think it's wrong those who think that Kamala lost because she was woman and black no modern global capitalist system is much more intelligent you here got the lesson conservatives to cover up real everyday racism conservative party today the ideal leader is a black woman of course you have it now you know they they simply and there are I will not bore you but there are so many lessons that they didn't get and it's not simply that they didn't get they were told all the time but this is the true force of ideology today this I know very well but even if you are told the truth you ignore it so let me conclude so that you will not again with here again Niels Bohr you know it I used it even here many times he proposed the best formula that I know of how ideology functions today you must know the story I read it in a biography of Niels Bohr he had at the entrance to his country house a horseshoe in our primitive Europe this is a superstitious item allegedly it prevents evil spirits to enter the house and a scientist friend visited him said but aren't you a scientist do you believe in this bullshit you know what Niels Bohr answered of course I'm a scientist I don't believe it then friend asked but why do you have it there Bohr answered because I was told that it works even if you don't believe in it that's how liberals effectively function today it's utter cynicism they themselves do not really believe sorry I want to ask you what you think would be the impact of Trump winning on the global stage what do you think will happen in Ukraine what do you think is going to happen in the Middle East here very good question in it what I'm really afraid that will be the paradox it's a problematic position please attack me more but what I really I don't fear so much that Trump will now do some crazy things revolution blah blah no he already gives hints that he will act superficially much more modestly you know he will try to enforce some peace in Ukraine by putting pressure on Ukraine and here we can debate it but I know all that Ukraine is doing wrong corruption western capital for example do you know that percent now of the best Ukrainian earth agricultural fields earth is the best in the world for to grow plants and so on percent is already in western hands and others but nonetheless I think that it's I don't agree with this standard leftist idea Ukraine is leading a proxy for NATO a proxy war against Russia sorry first this is so humiliating for Ukrainians do you think really they are so stupid to say we could have lived in peace but hey why don't we lead a proxy war no they are desperate they are afraid the choice for them is not peace or war it's war or disappearance Trump is saying this all the time explicitly now Trump sorry now I'm confused second to put me in Gulag for to say but Trump's friend Putin is saying Ukrainians don't exist and I don't understand how leftists have sympathies here for Putin when you don't
reform it in this radical right-wing term if you have the president today the and I was also I think right at another point look what happened as a reaction to Trump I claim was that we got they are weak I know but nonetheless we got so-called democratic socialists Bernie Sanders and so on and I don't think they would be possible and it was for the first time after long decades that an element of not marginal group but main politics refers to itself openly as socialists and here so it was this tension within the Democratic party itself between the Clinton big bankers corporations and Bernie Sanders and others the beautiful one AOC Alexandria she is I think she is already part of the mainstream there but what I want to say is that the fact that there was this other dimension is for me one image and I hope we agree here you will that fascinated me as the absolute moment of truth do you remember Biden inauguration all that that black poet lady she is establishment pure bullshit and so on blah blah but you remember the image Biden sitting alone on stairs sorry Bernie Bernie did I say Biden my God if you take power two years of Gulag for this mistake yeah Bernie was sitting alone and just sitting there and this was the image he embodied what was fake about the Democratic Party and they missed the lesson we can go on into it and many mistakes first mistake was and we should learn this from Trump extremism there is bad extremism but there is good extremism in the sense that you openly say what you think you are not too careful will I hurt this will I hurt that wasn't already Biden but then Kamala even more doing exactly this I remember I was ashamed one month ago she was asked by some black TV commentator she was simply asked you change a whole series of your positions four years ago or when you were against fracking now you are for where do you stand and her answer was I always think we should look for consensus and solidarity among the people and then the guy asked her okay but what does you know they should learn the lesson of Bernie which was ingenious now that he's old I will probably visit Burlington and try to meet him there now he's nice old guy walks every day there alone no where he said no don't focus on that old democratic fear are we too much to the left we will lose middle voters no our true target should be those disappointed white people and not just white also many blacks and especially Latinos who who vote for Trump and they are our potential voters we should target them and he proved this he repeatedly won he was for I don't know how many times the governor of what's his state not Wyoming my God Vermont yeah but you know who were his voters precisely those who should have been Trump voters small farmers all armed with guns afraid and so on so there is I will not go on but you can just enumerate mistakes so I think it's wrong those who think that Kamala lost because she was woman and black no modern global capitalist system is much more intelligent you here got the lesson conservatives to cover up real everyday racism conservative party today the ideal leader is a black woman of course you have it now you know they they simply and there are I will not bore you but there are so many lessons that they didn't get and it's not simply that they didn't get they were told all the time but this is the true force of ideology today this I know very well but even if you are told the truth you ignore it so let me conclude so that you will not again with here again Niels Bohr you know it I used it even here many times he proposed the best formula that I know of how ideology functions today you must know the story I read it in a biography of Niels Bohr he had at the entrance to his country house a horseshoe in our primitive Europe this is a superstitious item allegedly it prevents evil spirits to enter the house and a scientist friend visited him said but aren't you a scientist do you believe in this bullshit you know what Niels Bohr answered of course I'm a scientist I don't believe it then friend asked but why do you have it there Bohr answered because I was told that it works even if you don't believe in it that's how liberals effectively function today it's utter cynicism they themselves do not really believe sorry I want to ask you what you think would be the impact of Trump winning on the global stage what do you think will happen in Ukraine what do you think is going to happen in the Middle East here very good question in it what I'm really afraid that will be the paradox it's a problematic position please attack me more but what I really I don't fear so much that Trump will now do some crazy things revolution blah blah no he already gives hints that he will act superficially much more modestly you know he will try to enforce some peace in Ukraine by putting pressure on Ukraine and here we can debate it but I know all that Ukraine is doing wrong corruption western capital for example do you know that percent now of the best Ukrainian earth agricultural fields earth is the best in the world for to grow plants and so on percent is already in western hands and others but nonetheless I think that it's I don't agree with this standard leftist idea Ukraine is leading a proxy for NATO a proxy war against Russia sorry first this is so humiliating for Ukrainians do you think really they are so stupid to say we could have lived in peace but hey why don't we lead a proxy war no they are desperate they are afraid the choice for them is not peace or war it's war or disappearance Trump is saying this all the time explicitly now Trump sorry now I'm confused second to put me in Gulag for to say but Trump's friend Putin is saying Ukrainians don't exist and I don't understand how leftists have sympathies here for Putin when you don't
unknown
remember this I think I was earlier here not last year remember when Putin started the aggression he gave two speeches 21st and 23rd of October
remember this I think I was earlier here not last year remember when Putin started the aggression he gave two speeches 21st and 23rd of October
Slavoj Žižek
whatever no sorry of it was February or March February yeah do you know that you can find them on YouTube immediately he mentions critically just one name two times Lenin he said the proper name of Ukraine should be Ukraine of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and then another time and so on so I just don't get this but let me return to so Trump is intelligent enough I think he will play this game because one thing is true he didn't start any wars he even eased the tensions with North Korea I think that even but this is too optimistic he gave an ambiguous hint even to Netanyahu that he should stop so what I fear is that he will not do any direct horrible things like new war whatever but that he will proceed in a much more cautious way just he learned this in his four years out of power taking over filling with his people institutions slowly step by step first it's limitations to abortion then now I read somewhere that in some states already if you are not yet a woman you have to have parents permission to get the pills and so on contraception pills so that we will think oh but lives go on listen where was all the fear and step by step all of a sudden we will find ourselves in a different universe just so that I finish another what fears me what is deepest in this fear is the following thing I think the most dangerous split today is the split between our western but it's not just ours struggle for gay rights women's rights and so on and so-called third world anti-colonial struggle the danger for which we are to a large extent even mostly in the west responsible is that in many so-called third world countries to fight for LGBT women's rights gay rights and so on is considered to participate in the cultural strategy of western imperialism for example my despair is here a year ago or when you know that the parliament in Uganda voted for the harshest laws against homosexuality if you are caught in a gay act it can be death or at least lifelong imprisonment and you know what was the reasoning I checked Uganda Times in English it's that they the speaker of the parliament who proposed this law put it very clearly if you are for gay rights you are for the neocolonialist west this is what I find so terribly depressing that that's why I don't trust BRICS the formula of BRICS is for me we are together against western imperialism but what you do to your people it doesn't concern me and so on for example Putin three or four weeks ago said officially Taliban are not a terrorist organization they are our important allies in the struggle against western terror he said this at the very point when there is now in Afghanistan a new law which prohibits women not only to address the public but even privately on the street to women to talk among themselves because a man might overhear it and woman's voice is as such seductive and so on am I now imposing western agenda no I think that in the same way you should never forget this that Israel you needs this war a proof do you remember what happened in Israel till the war literally the biggest demonstrations public demonstrations against the way Netanyahu wanted to control Supreme Court and so on this was forgotten it was the same in Iran don't you remember that Mahsa Amini a Kurdish young woman was killed by the police it exploded it wasn't just feminism it was feminism at its best feminism which mobilized the majority of population also the men this is my dream to somehow overcome this gap between what we in the west perceive as our LGBT and so on fights I fully support them and anti-colonialism although verbally we all agree here but here we have a very dangerous gap I wouldn't like to live in a society where to be for gay rights means you are imperialist. I want to move on from the American election before I do that I want to ask you what you think are the factors that led to Trump winning again he's a misogynist a liar a racist but he seems to be continuing to have a lot of appeal he's now winning the popular vote what if you could give three reasons why he won the election what would they be. Did you see that disgusting movie by Robert Altman wonderful Nashville when a guy wants to leave his wife Nashville by and then he sings three reasons why why is the kids so you're asking me now to sing three reasons why okay the main one is this don't I looked at the numbers maybe I'm wrong different but it's not that Trump won is that the Democrats lost Trump got the same number of votes as he did when he was defeated by Biden but Democrats lost some million or what of votes it's simply that then another thing which maybe I emphasize too much economy it's more complex I won't go into that but another thing is we still under sorry underestimate I will say something horrible the not moral corruption but the depravity of many ordinary people depravity by ordinary I don't mean poor people intellectuals are on average worse in the sense that you know how much we enjoy hearing dirty things stupidities and so on let me give you I will not talk too long I always talk too long an example I thought I am a crazy sadist here and but I ask my friends you know I read part is shit I read first part of Handmaid's Tale and then the TV series okay why was it relatively so popular I have a crazy theory we men and also some women you enjoy this new and new descriptions how they humiliate women you know they shouldn't read they shouldn't but since it's depicted as horror you can say okay of course I'm horrified and so on but you secretly enjoy it and I think
whatever no sorry of it was February or March February yeah do you know that you can find them on YouTube immediately he mentions critically just one name two times Lenin he said the proper name of Ukraine should be Ukraine of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and then another time and so on so I just don't get this but let me return to so Trump is intelligent enough I think he will play this game because one thing is true he didn't start any wars he even eased the tensions with North Korea I think that even but this is too optimistic he gave an ambiguous hint even to Netanyahu that he should stop so what I fear is that he will not do any direct horrible things like new war whatever but that he will proceed in a much more cautious way just he learned this in his four years out of power taking over filling with his people institutions slowly step by step first it's limitations to abortion then now I read somewhere that in some states already if you are not yet a woman you have to have parents permission to get the pills and so on contraception pills so that we will think oh but lives go on listen where was all the fear and step by step all of a sudden we will find ourselves in a different universe just so that I finish another what fears me what is deepest in this fear is the following thing I think the most dangerous split today is the split between our western but it's not just ours struggle for gay rights women's rights and so on and so-called third world anti-colonial struggle the danger for which we are to a large extent even mostly in the west responsible is that in many so-called third world countries to fight for LGBT women's rights gay rights and so on is considered to participate in the cultural strategy of western imperialism for example my despair is here a year ago or when you know that the parliament in Uganda voted for the harshest laws against homosexuality if you are caught in a gay act it can be death or at least lifelong imprisonment and you know what was the reasoning I checked Uganda Times in English it's that they the speaker of the parliament who proposed this law put it very clearly if you are for gay rights you are for the neocolonialist west this is what I find so terribly depressing that that's why I don't trust BRICS the formula of BRICS is for me we are together against western imperialism but what you do to your people it doesn't concern me and so on for example Putin three or four weeks ago said officially Taliban are not a terrorist organization they are our important allies in the struggle against western terror he said this at the very point when there is now in Afghanistan a new law which prohibits women not only to address the public but even privately on the street to women to talk among themselves because a man might overhear it and woman's voice is as such seductive and so on am I now imposing western agenda no I think that in the same way you should never forget this that Israel you needs this war a proof do you remember what happened in Israel till the war literally the biggest demonstrations public demonstrations against the way Netanyahu wanted to control Supreme Court and so on this was forgotten it was the same in Iran don't you remember that Mahsa Amini a Kurdish young woman was killed by the police it exploded it wasn't just feminism it was feminism at its best feminism which mobilized the majority of population also the men this is my dream to somehow overcome this gap between what we in the west perceive as our LGBT and so on fights I fully support them and anti-colonialism although verbally we all agree here but here we have a very dangerous gap I wouldn't like to live in a society where to be for gay rights means you are imperialist. I want to move on from the American election before I do that I want to ask you what you think are the factors that led to Trump winning again he's a misogynist a liar a racist but he seems to be continuing to have a lot of appeal he's now winning the popular vote what if you could give three reasons why he won the election what would they be. Did you see that disgusting movie by Robert Altman wonderful Nashville when a guy wants to leave his wife Nashville by and then he sings three reasons why why is the kids so you're asking me now to sing three reasons why okay the main one is this don't I looked at the numbers maybe I'm wrong different but it's not that Trump won is that the Democrats lost Trump got the same number of votes as he did when he was defeated by Biden but Democrats lost some million or what of votes it's simply that then another thing which maybe I emphasize too much economy it's more complex I won't go into that but another thing is we still under sorry underestimate I will say something horrible the not moral corruption but the depravity of many ordinary people depravity by ordinary I don't mean poor people intellectuals are on average worse in the sense that you know how much we enjoy hearing dirty things stupidities and so on let me give you I will not talk too long I always talk too long an example I thought I am a crazy sadist here and but I ask my friends you know I read part is shit I read first part of Handmaid's Tale and then the TV series okay why was it relatively so popular I have a crazy theory we men and also some women you enjoy this new and new descriptions how they humiliate women you know they shouldn't read they shouldn't but since it's depicted as horror you can say okay of course I'm horrified and so on but you secretly enjoy it and I think
unknown
it's something of the same with Trump what so-called liberals didn't get is that the very features that they think will ruin Trump for example when he is caught lying improvising and so on idiots don't they see this helps him
it's something of the same with Trump what so-called liberals didn't get is that the very features that they think will ruin Trump for example when he is caught lying improvising and so on idiots don't they see this helps him
Slavoj Žižek
Trump has this paradoxical situation that the more he is vulgar the more he is lying and so on the more people identify with him they simply measure him that's the tragedy by different standards if Kamala is caught lying she is simply lying if Trump is caught lying he is at least sincere he speaks openly like one of us and so on and so on so let me conclude now really with something horrible you know we will have to think literally about some form of limitation of our not democracy as such of our type of democracy western liberal multi-party democracy in France there was a real possibility that Marine Le Pen will come to power and I think maybe some of you know my texts I've written about it that Macron I almost admire him was a genius but you know how he do it by de facto almost suspending democracy when de Gaulle established the Fifth Republic in he was afraid of instability so he included in the constitution some article which says that the president of the Republic nominates the government and then proposes to the Assemblée Nationale to the people's assembly to confirm or reject the government but it's nowhere specified for how long a time does he have to wait it's not specified so now he changed the government there was no vote in the parliament about the government it was pure manipulation de facto and you know what was the result if Macron were not to do this there would probably economic crisis chaos and so on now somehow people accepted it life goes on I'm not of course not for Chinese version of soft fascism or whatever but it's obvious that in view of the crisis that we are approaching now a much stronger much stronger global cooperation and long-term political thinking will be necessary I met a high-ranking we are not friends Chinese guy who it was cynical what he told me but he was right he said you see the problem with you in the west is that you think in the terms how we will survive if you are the ruling party next two years or four years and he told me cynically you know in China we don't have this problem we know that's why we think about what will happen in and so on if we I don't know how but liberal democracy the way we have it now is not strong enough efficient enough to cope with the problem we are confronted thank you very much Slavoj we will now move on to audience questions were you a good Stalinist did you distribute the questions before or you are a filthy liberal who really allows people sorry sorry talk too much please
Trump has this paradoxical situation that the more he is vulgar the more he is lying and so on the more people identify with him they simply measure him that's the tragedy by different standards if Kamala is caught lying she is simply lying if Trump is caught lying he is at least sincere he speaks openly like one of us and so on and so on so let me conclude now really with something horrible you know we will have to think literally about some form of limitation of our not democracy as such of our type of democracy western liberal multi-party democracy in France there was a real possibility that Marine Le Pen will come to power and I think maybe some of you know my texts I've written about it that Macron I almost admire him was a genius but you know how he do it by de facto almost suspending democracy when de Gaulle established the Fifth Republic in he was afraid of instability so he included in the constitution some article which says that the president of the Republic nominates the government and then proposes to the Assemblée Nationale to the people's assembly to confirm or reject the government but it's nowhere specified for how long a time does he have to wait it's not specified so now he changed the government there was no vote in the parliament about the government it was pure manipulation de facto and you know what was the result if Macron were not to do this there would probably economic crisis chaos and so on now somehow people accepted it life goes on I'm not of course not for Chinese version of soft fascism or whatever but it's obvious that in view of the crisis that we are approaching now a much stronger much stronger global cooperation and long-term political thinking will be necessary I met a high-ranking we are not friends Chinese guy who it was cynical what he told me but he was right he said you see the problem with you in the west is that you think in the terms how we will survive if you are the ruling party next two years or four years and he told me cynically you know in China we don't have this problem we know that's why we think about what will happen in and so on if we I don't know how but liberal democracy the way we have it now is not strong enough efficient enough to cope with the problem we are confronted thank you very much Slavoj we will now move on to audience questions were you a good Stalinist did you distribute the questions before or you are a filthy liberal who really allows people sorry sorry talk too much please