The Graduate Center, CUNY
Eminent literary and political theorist Fredric Jameson, of Duke University, gives a new address, followed by a conversation with noted cultural critic Stanely Aronowitz, of the Graduate Center. Jameson, author of Postmodernism: The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism and The Political Unconscious, will consider the practicality of the Utopian tradition and its broader implications for cultural production and political institutions. Co-sponsored by the Writers’ Institute and the Ph.D. Program in Comparative Literature.
Source
An American Utopia: Fredric Jameson in Conversation with Stanley Aronowitz
Would salting the military with DSA members be a step in the right direction?
Too comfortable/weak on the real topic: 'politics is agency'.
I am flabbergasted by the ignorance of human nature, of anthropology, of social relations I hear in these presentations, discussions, exchanges. It would be comedic were it not taken seriously by participants. This ideology is truly 'wirklichkeitsfern.'
Does anyone have an image of the political cartoon FJ talks about around the 26:00 mark?
I don't think he's doing anyone any favors by blending satire and philosophy.
How can you tell when he's joking and when he's sincere?
I'm assuming he's not doing a really complicated right-wing send-up of the ivory tower.
Did I hear micky mouse at 16:45 – 16:50?
So is the goal de-growth,destroy,and then rebuild in a nutshell?
How can these men not see that the faults they complain about, including corruption, are just as much part of any system that refuses to follow and support virtue and the rule of law that was imagined and instantiated by the founding fathers? They blithely babble on about negative Utopias and "peoples movements" as if these people and themselves are the first ones to figure out how to support their fellow human beings. The hubris of these clowns after so many examples on every front over the last 200 years just baffles me. Oh, but your revolution sir is the human one. We see around us this fever dream being realized, in our public universities, the federal government, and military being transformed in an attempt to "relegate the state to a coordinating agency" Forgive me for thinking that i don't need to be indoctrinated out of anti-utopianism by self-interested pods of the woke all acting somehow in concert. Don't you think we are killing enough of our own people already? Do we have to experience a billion deaths at your alters in this century?
Religion no good for that state within a state; "only the army" is satisfactory.
I started out tonight revisiting a Mark Fisher lecture- he mentioned Fredric Jameson, who I've never read or heard speak. I'm glad I searched his name on YouTube, this is a great conversation.
9:15
Gibberish. These people want to enslave us into "equality".
We can have freedom or equality. We can't have both. Even siblings often differ tremendously in talents and abilities.
In an "equal" society, Elon Musk could not exist.
The issue is that leftists ideas were tried in many places and never worked. It only produced poverty and terror. Think Russia, China, Cambodia, Cuba, N. Korea, Venezuela.
Everywhere where rightists ruled, there was prosperity: Pinochet, Franco, Mussolini, Hitler. The latter two went too far and wanted wars.
We need someone like Hitler today, minus repressions, wars and concentration camps. Germany in 6 years from 1933 to 1939 turned from terrible social, political and economic situation into great prosperity. The growth was unprecedented before and since.
This is a great lecture to share with anyone who (still) believes in cápitalism, communism and infinite economic growth … Smashed the hoaxes
Rather prophetic considering "Operation Warp Speed."
every comment on this video except mine is wrong. i am very smart.
Aside from claiming that social democracy is dead, Jameson's only other point, which Aronowitz did not comprehend, was about reinstituting the draft. No reasons given other than General Flynn's lamebrain efforts in tandem with Trump's bumbling. Historically, a draft is instituted when a war needs to be fought, otherwise, it is not necessary and a small professional military is sufficient. Both of these leftists however are no really aware of soldiers' views and believe that soldiers during Vietnam protested, whereas it was usually only Black Panther aligned soldiers who acted improperly, i.e. fragging, drug dealing. Usually, the left amps up hype about 'babykillers.' Jameson and Aronowitz both seem to think that reform is impossible in government, but they give no examples. There is no reason why problems cannot be identified and addressed to produce solutions and remedies. At best, their call for new forms of social organization is appropriate and not beyond the typical student's ability to understand despite the repression of organizational dynamics in corporations and cultural institutions.
It’s remarkable how after 170 years of failure and smart people (self declared anyway) still call themselves Marxists. The horrifying butchery that comes with these ideas, without exception, makes these people not just laughable but also peddlers of an ideology that oppresses and results in concentration camps. I suspect they had socializes medicine in the Gulag Archipelago.
So many chickenheads in the comments that one has to wonder if there has been some sort of radiation leak resulting in all those mutated retards.
Good talk. It's as if there's something here that converges upon ideas similar to that of Murray Bookchin and the Christian anarchists of Basque that led to Mondragon Corporation and of Leo Tolstoy.
I agreed almost entirely with Jameson and disagreed almost entirely with the second speaker.
53:12 is Charles Fourier (not Jean Ferrier) – error in subtitles
If you want to know why Liberal arts academia deserves its current fate, look no farther than academic introductions. “I will give a few words of introduction before i introduce the introducer.” Jesus fucking CHRIST! STFU man!
9:46
When people are able to work to serve to sustainable, not for employed, exploit and exploited. People are able to sense and access the collective practical information and wisdom knowledge for self-awareness and qualified qualities.
I was expecting Jameson, homme d´lettre, instead I got Commandante Jameson. At least he tricked me into thinking this for a moment – scholar and entertainer that he is.
Another Marxist windbag.
Nothing is more pathetic than listening to high payed american left wing university profesors. They love to listen to themself, travel (with grant money) to congreses all over the world that nobody, but themself enjoy (after their interventions they are invited to "argue about profound subjets" in nice restaurants) However, they tell us how concerned they are with use of money.
This discussion of utopia landed in the territory of very urgent & practical matters…
Total and absolute jerk. One of the fruits of the MLA.
This guy is the personification of yada yada yada.
This is a great audience. They strike a perfect balance between comedic response to Prof. Jameson's subtle jokes and serious attention to his rallying cry.
Fred would draft the entire population. It is not really a conversation.
Capitalism doesn't care what Fredric Jameson thinks of it.
Who's the writer he mentions at 45:18 re. the concept of development? Robert Courts?
Heard "renationalization of the army" and had a flash of what Trump's deportation force will look like. Probably just post-election ptsd.
"I SPEAK REALLY LOUD AND then I mumble mumble mumble mumble" slurps water "fumbles with cap*
Awesome!
To be here listening to Frederic Jameson speak is almost unbelievable for a twinkly eyed undergrad, and despite the temporal, spacial and digital removal it makes being alive right now feel like an honour.
11:42
Strong plan.
"Everyone their own bureaucrat."