Slavoj Žižek on Refugees, Conservatism, and Cultural Incompatibility
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Slavoj Žižek examines the situation out of which refugees are created, and criticizes conservatives and liberals alike for their "conspiracy theories". examines the situation out of which refugees are created, and criticizes conservatives and liberals alike for their "conspiracy theories". Žižek's latest book is "Refugees, Terror and Other Troubles with the Neighbors: Against the Double Blackmail" (https://goo.gl/m2Aj7S). Read more at BigThink.com: http://bigthink.com/videos/slavoj-zizek-on-refugees-conservatism-and-cultural-incompatibility Follow Big Think here: YouTube: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkdotcom Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigthink Transcript - We who try to be decent people are bombarded by some kind of moral political pressure from two sides: First there is the worst one, of course, this anti-immigrant populous side like why should we even allow refugees in; it's their fault; third world travel and so on, there are enough poor people here; they come from another civilization; it means conflict and so on and so on. So there is all the time this pressure of we are defending our way of life; refugees are disturbing it. And it's interesting how in some radical right wing circles we really have already new conspiracy theories, which always fascinate me in their madness. A couple of weeks ago the main Slovenia, I'm a coming from Slovenia, right wing weekly journal something like, Slovene Time Magazine, published a comment by a guy, which was a ferocious attack on George Soros, the humanitarian billionaire, claiming that he's the most disgusting despicable and dangerous person today in the world because he's a Jew who is organizing Muslim invasion into Europe. The guy uses totally open brutal terms like Negroid Islamist hoards are invading Europe. Claiming that the Jewish plan is to destroy Christian Europe and they're using Muslims to do it. Why do I like, I mean don't misunderstand me I'm horrified at it, But why do I "like" this fantasy? Because it goes to the end and it brings together two different levels of conspiracy theory. One is Muslim invasion of Europe and the other is anti-Semitism. Read Full Transcript Here: https://goo.gl/Eh5bBA.
Comments
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Very lucid analysis of the refugee crisis facing Europe. I wonder who of the other public intellectuals could pull off anything similar. I think that nobody comes near to Zizek in terms of potential audience size anyways. Besides, Big Think looks like a great platform for Zizek, allowing him to articulate his thoughts in an understandable manner.
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One of his most important points is his criticism of western liberal centrists who tend to overemphasize identity politics over economic issues. This is not casual since they are simply the human cosmopolitan face of neoliberal economics. As such this is why the real left wing is also critical of these liberal centrists like Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, and the rest of the liberalized social democratic parties in europe. If the left wing in the US and Europe wants to have a chance it needs to come out openly againts this corporate liberalism and the disasters and tyranny of the EU. Otherwise the far right and the racists will be seen as the only real alternative to this "rainbow" neoliberalism
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the only problematic is the culture of muscling into other people's property. this is how you create the Castro's, kaddafis, or the bin laddens, MLKs, chaveses, ...
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The U.N. should publish an Annual Human Rights Almanac in all languages for purchase...
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spain was invaded by muslims and had to end up kicking them out 700 years after. the story reapets again in whole europe
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Zizek is the only leftist thinker nowadays I respect.
I would add, however, that there are not 2 but three fights ( switch to 21:00). The truth is the right of poor people in the first world are totally different from the fight for the rights in people in the third world. They might even be opposed. -
Europeans didn't do anything in the Middle East. A small cabal of detached leaders did it. Never met an European who agreed with any intervention, and no European citizen EVER voted for any intervention. This is all USA's dirty affairs being imposed on a few stupid EU leaders, who to be fair don't really have a chance to say no to the USA's demands. Now, blaming the regular EU citizen is a colossal intellectual mistake.
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i would like to translate the subtitles in italian, my native language, and add them to the video? can someone tell me if it is possible or what is the best way to do it? tnx..
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Europe are gonna be Islamic soon you stupid commie.
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Best drinking game- Take a shot every time Slavoj rubs his nose.
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if one looks at the issue in an anthropological angle, communities are in decline if they cannot keep up their population.
western 'civilization' needs refugees more than the other way around. -
nobody talks about the fact that germany needed these refugees, their financiers talked about it openly about a year or so before the syrian crises.
hey slavoj, remember 'the reserve army of labor' -
i love this guy
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I absolutely love this man. But seriously, if a puddle of mud could talk, it would sound like this guy.
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I did not know Zizek supported Islam o.O
What a shame :(
But... what can we expect from a marxist?... -
I don't see how me, a guy who wakes up at 4h00 in the morning to work in a dehumanized job, is responsible for the elites' wars on Africa and Middle East.
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I can't help but laugh when he starts his aggitated ticks when he gets worked up.
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read Ishmael, it's great.
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true but uncontroversial
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