"The spectacle must deny history, because history
proves that laws are nothing, whereas process and
struggle are all. The spectacle is the reign of an eternal
present that claims to be history's last word. Under
Stalinism, it took the form of a systematic manipulation
and rewriting of the past. In countries where the diffuse
spectacular system holds sway, by contrast the mechanism
is subtler. To begin with, it eliminates all opportunities
for people to share experiences without intermediaries
or to recognize themselves in their own actions and in the
effects of these actions. To complete the disappearance
of historical intelligence creates socially atomized individuals
with no choice but to contemplate the seemingly unalterable
progression of blind forces. All those faculties that might
allow individuals to perceive the contrast between the fasifications
wrought by the spectacle and earlier forms are likewise eradicated."

*Guy Debord* by Anselm Jappe
University of California Press, 1999
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"There can be no freedom apart from activity, and within the spectacle activity is nullified — all real activity having been forcibly channeled into the global construction of the spectacle. Thus, what is referred to as a “liberation from work,” namely the modern increase in leisure time, is neither a liberation of work itself nor a liberation from the world shaped by this kind of work. None of the activity stolen by work can be regained by submitting to what that work has produced."

Guy Debord


The Society of The Spectacle by Guy Debord (Complete Text) {click here}*******************************************************************
UbuWeb | UbuWeb Papers

Ubu Web-Guy Debord's Comments {click here}



Comments on the Society of the Spectacle (February-April 1988)
Guy Debord

VII.
"With the destruction of history, contemporary events themselves retreat into a remote and fabulous realm of unverifiable stories, uncheckable statistics, unlikely explanations and untenable reasoning. For every imbecility presented by the spectacle, there are only the media's professionals to give an answer, with a few respectful rectifications or remonstrations. And they are hardly extravagant, even with these, for besides their extreme ignorance, their personal and professional solidarity with the spectacle's overall authority and the society it expresses makes it their duty, and their pleasure, never to diverge from that authority whose majesty must not be threatened. It must not be forgotten that every media professional is bound by wages and other rewards and recompenses to a master, and sometimes to several; and that every one of them knows he is dispensable. "
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*Note
A good contemporary illustration of the above took place last night
when Frank Rich-who is enlightened enough to know better-
on Chris Matthews MSNBC's *Hardball*
revealed his pathetic compliance with mainstream media's wimpout
on widespead demands for investigations concerning possible
vote count manipulations- Rich, in line with the media armies,
dismissed all such claims as "blogger conspiracty theories."
New York Times is Over If You Want It!