5min chapter

Slavoj Žižek - Collected Recordings cover image

ZIZ297 UNHOLY ALLIANCES TODAY (17.03.2023)

Slavoj Žižek - Collected Recordings

CHAPTER

The Paradox of Opportunism

I think we simply shouldn't accept this as a choice yes. We don't have time to see it and wait for the big authentic revolution, says Rosalaximbo. I'm an absolute opportunist here do everything you can but with the awareness that at the end they will not be enough so then why do it? "We are approaching really hard times ecologically militarily and so on"

00:00
Speaker 1
from very come from after from I love you within within
Speaker 2
within
Speaker 1
within within
Speaker 3
within within the existing institutions or from the new form of institutional maybe that's
Speaker 1
a very good question you know why because this is the big problem and now I'm sorry is my answer will sound almost Stalinist I think we should fight here right wing and left wing the vehicle the right wing the vehicle is that you say oh radical can't is a utopia we need to do it step by step the long mark through the institutions and so on let's be a realist then but there is also what I call left winged principle of optimism you think to your pure principles and whenever there is an actual revolution that movement you say no this is part of the ruling ideology don't take it seriously this is how for example my friends many of them reacted to series in Greece now that's nothing and so on or even with a moralist in Bolivia and so on I think we simply it's very common sense answer that I will give you I think we simply shouldn't accept this as a choice yes we don't have time to see it and wait for the big authentic revolution and Rosalaximbo a great marks is set if you wait for the right moment the right moment will never come you have to do now whatever is possible in whatever way I don't exclude violence I don't exclude parliamentary action whatever and here for total opportunism look whatever you say about Joe Biden but within the United States he is the most social democratic president that they ever had he he put some real money into ecology helping the poor health care and so on and so on of course it's very limited but it would be totally crazy to leave the initiative to the right you know and to say no no no let's not try let's just react I think again my answer is paradoxical compromise one do everything you can engage in all reformist dressers possible but but with the awareness that at the end they will not be enough so then why do it I believe in this you start with a small gesture which may appear reformist but then you see because the system is complex interconnected that to really do this you have to change something more it always goes a step further and so on and so on but at the same time I mean very seriously what I said we should be aware that here I'm a moderate pessimist that we are approaching really hard times ecologically militarily and so on and we should get ready for it we should get ready to live in a state of emergency and state of emergency is not always a reactionary thing we have this idea people are moving the reactionary power into the state of emergency no state of emergency is also what happened when a more radical movement takes over of course it cannot last forever but I'm absolute okay to end I'm an absolute opportunist here do everything you can don't allow the enemy to determine your terrain you know like what do you want to do this or that your inquisitance yes my answer is yes I will not pronounce the vulgar F you yes I mean coz distance so what everything that work
Speaker 3
next question is from Dr.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode