TRASHFUTURE UNLOCKED Riley's Commie Book Club: Imagined Communities
Jul 4, 2019
Explore the fascinating concept of nations as imagined communities, highlighting Benedict Anderson's influential work. Discover how print capitalism has shaped national identities and the psychological power of nationalism. Riley contrasts anti-colonial movements with elite-backed official nationalism and examines the role of right-wing media in forming contemporary narratives. Delve into the implications of recent political events and the necessity for a global workers' community to challenge capitalism and climate crises.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Nation As An Imagined Political Community
- Benedict Anderson defines a nation as an "imagined political community" that is limited and sovereign.
- This explains why people intensely identify with distant strangers and act for the nation's imagined interests.
Print Capitalism Created Common Languages
- Anderson links the rise of nations to print capitalism and converging markets for language.
- Shared print media made common languages and stories possible, enabling modern national identity.
Newspaper Story Shows Imagined Solidarity
- Riley reads an Indonesian serial story where a reader imagines the suffering of a destitute vagrant from a newspaper.
- This exemplifies how print media fosters empathy for abstract, unknown compatriots and builds national solidarity.
