Slavoj Žižek: Power, Betrayal and Brexit

As part of The Power of Power Festival, philosopher Slavoj Žižek returns to Southbank Centre with a talk on power and betrayal in the wake of Brexit. Žižek explores what the referendum result tells us about the rise of populism and the balance of power today. Žižek discusses one of his main concerns: the link between knowledge and power and how often those who control knowledge also keep power for themselves. Following on from Brexit and with populist movements gaining momentum around the world, how is this link between knowledge and power being manipulated to benefit elites?
Cultural theorist and philosopher Slavoj Žižek, author of The Sublime Object of Ideology, is regarded as ‘the thinker of choice for the Internet generation’ (The Guardian), extracting meaning from both high and low culture.
Known for his wide and provocative range of thought, he has established himself as ‘the most dangerous philosopher in the West’ (The New Republic).
The Power of Power Festival explores the nature of power in today’s world and features Opera North’s five-star production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
What can Wagner’s tale of the ‘all-knowing’ woman Brünnhilde, pitted against the gods of Valhalla, tell us about our modern struggle with power? And what is the cost of wielding supreme knowledge?
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Power, Betrayal And Brexit | Slavoj Žižek | Southbank Centre
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[@stacker42]

'Dank you very much.'

[@FinnishFuturist]

This man is a genius. Plain and simple.

[@ExploreLearnEnglishWithGeorge]

the never ending struggle of good and eeevel

[@BlakeSiefken]

Writing your comments in ALL CAPS makes it much more intellectual and relevant ;)

[@sterkvangeest9397]

Splendid!

[@yourfuneral]

wonderful

[@RogerMaesAmaesingTools]

True gentle man

[@davidsutherland6122]

Interesting and engaging (Zizek) as always, and thanx for posting. -Too bad the post didn't include Q & A.

[@chel3SEY]

You must be a total moron. This man is an obvious charlatan. A joke. Only a fool would be taken in by such pretentious pseudo-intellectualism.

[@davidsutherland6122]

No problem, sweetheart. Don't read his books if that's how you feel about it. What do you want from me? I can't help but notice that you've provided ZERO evidence for your somewhat rather broad claims. -You're really cute when you get mad. Want to go out for drinks?

[@chel3SEY]

It is impossible to refute someone like Zizek. His ramblings are just self-indulgent and groundless assertions that fools like you gobble up thinking they are profound, when they are just verbal diarrhoea. By the way, your attempt to be clever and witty falls as flat as Zizek's musings. No surprise in either case.

[@davidsutherland6122]

In other words, it's impossible for YOU (not surprisingly) to refute Zizek (or spell diarrhea correctly, apparently). "No surprise in either case", yeah?-I wasn't attempting to be clever, but dismissive, which you would have understood if you had even the slightest grasp of nuance/inference, and weren't so busy faking your clumsy, forced, not to mention unconvincing indignant outrage. So that makes 3 for me, and a well-deserved bitch for you, I'd say. Anything else you'd care to add, sweet-pea (while you're pulling your foot out of your mouth)?

[@chel3SEY]

Wow, you're even stupider than I thought, and that's saying a lot. It explains why you are so impressed by pseudo-intellectuals like Zizek. That makes 3 for you? How old are you? Eight, I assume. As I said (but must now repeat, as it appears to have escaped you), Zizek's declamations (that's all they are) are not susceptible to refutation, as they are either meaningless or groundless. That's why he appeals to half-wits like you who are unable to distinguish between real insight and intellectual garbage.Where I come from, it is spelled diarrhoea (it is diarrhea in the US). You should know that, as you should be an expert on it, given your taste for it. You'd know that spellings vary if you weren't such an obvious moron. Zizek's audiences are full of fools like you lapping up whatever drivel comes flowing out of his big mouth.

[@Grubbler08]

great intro.

[@SejfoBecirbasic]

Svjetski čovjek a naš!

[@videoarbeiter]

Good talk but why is the Questions and Answers part at the end cut out?

[@ngsq12]

Think of it: A conversation between Steven Fry and Zizek about Wagner.

[@Pay2winboi]

El clasico lmao

[@Nosiluminadimenso]

Excellent talk. Zizek in great shape. No, I don't agree with everything. Now: what was the date of the actual talk? Couldn't have been the same as publication date, July 2016, because Zizek still talks about Bernie Sanders.

[@ecp2014]

This was July 2, 2016.

[@Nosiluminadimenso]

ecp2014 Thank you. Do you happen to know when Bernie first stated or even mentioned that he was supporting Hillary? June, right?

[@Nosiluminadimenso]

ecp2014 I am anxious for another Zizek talk asap. Things move so fast these days, this summer. Will you send me a link if he has something new? Thanks again.

[@atwarwithdust]

@1:01:34 Shout out to Bernie Sanders!

[@3leopardsblue]

i get it.when the [former rebels]pigs met the human farmers they all played cards an drank whiskey and laughed and joked..''we are all brothers we are weak too and the same''..and turned bit by bit into tenant farmers [treating the other animals even worse]..who were just as evil..we can think that orwell meant us to know the better pigs were quietly murdered..the power mad wont give up power..nor face punishment.. whatever the act..evil is contagious..true evil is hidden..they like secrecy..the dark..but i think he has misunderstood wotan..[odin]..

[@Math_oma]

No wonder he likes Hegel so much. Both Zizek and Hegel are master obscurantists.

[@Kwazkneeack]

58:20

[@RiksnDixn]

You can only denounce Wagner when you presuppose that siegfrieds enemy where indeed no enemies .

[@eclecticmethod]

SPOILER ALERT Do not watch this if you don't want Usual Suspects spoiled for you.

[@nacezavrtanik1149]

As well as Star Wars.

[@StealthElectronVIP]

"can I introduce you straight away" after waffling for nearly 4 fucking minutes.

[@newworlddoritos2955]

Wagner's work was inspired by Teutonic mythology. Originally the Wanderer is all-father Wotan (Odin) who transforms himself so he can travel freely amongst the nine worlds. This has higher meaning, and of course, it predates the Jews in Europe, therefore it has nothing to do with the Wandering Jew, a 13th century legend about a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion, and was later cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming. Even if you disregard this legend, it still has nothing to do with any tribe, it's about Odin's quest to discover the truth that exists in the nine worlds. Not many people know what exactly that means, after centuries of monotheistic brainwashing.

[@ChocloManx]

but Zizek isn't speaking of the original myth in this case. One could imagine that Wagner was also subject to those centuries of monotheistic brainwashing no?

[@wyleong4326]

Perhaps we are wanderers, in respect to that we hold within ourselves the imprint of The Wanderers (namely the planets), astrologically. It would explain the persistent idea of different realms and plane of existence as well as the other wanderers that live in them.

[@hayleyeasterlow3850]

Wheels on the Bus

[@nicolaasleach]

Who introduced him? What's her name?

[@abdifatahaden5785]

Mind your own business pervert, that's my girlfriend.

[@nicolaasleach]

LOL, my bad, the first thing she said was her name.

[@disssplay]

yau where is the subtitle ı am durnk

[@janklaas6885]

©️47:47

[@thetasworld]

The mad lad spoiled the first six star wars episodes and usual suspects :D

[@Citadin]

He sounds like Count Dracula with a lisp.

[@damianbylightning6823]

Scruton's treatment of Zizek is entertaining and informative. Read it and you'll feel justice is served in every line. Fools, Frauds and Firebrands: Thinkers of the New Left, by Roger Scruton.

[@damianbylightning6823]

No probs - what about lobster, ketchup, chocolate analogy? Hysterical! Found in The Uses of Pessimism.

[@UzerKerem]

In the age of information, we need shorter introductions

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Slavoj who?...does he have a book to sell?

[@rosastarbuxemburg]

*sniff*

[@3leopardsblue]

in fact britain has few white gentile males of fighting age left..just loads of older men..not many were ever soldiers ..[strangely]..who by a lifetime of 24/7 propaganda are very unlikely to become nazis..the british establishment has run a systematic anti -patriotism campaign for many years..even waving their own flag is punished....and in fact they have wildly over done it. british patriotism is now an adolescent non event. about the only people left in uk who are still to be found waving the union jack are these sweet little old ladies in their 80's..patriotism in uk is utterly vitiated an rather pathetic. so all this nagging about controlling nationalism is applicable.. ..but elsewhere..in uk if the people dont get off their bottoms about all this white genocide/EU etc etc crap..well bye bye the blasted british altogether...its not nationalism we need fear; its no nationalism whatsoever .

[@ARCTERYXSWEATSHOP]

brexit or die

[@sarahfraser2346]

Why is everything but everything about jews and anti Semiticsm! I read and listen to everything and nearly always it is about this subject! So tedious!

[@LeonWagg]

Because he is talking about Wagner, then of course, he is gonna talk about Jews and antisemitism. What the fuck do you expect?

[@lacanian1500]

@@LeonWagg absolutely! antisemitism was a prevalent thing in European classical music. i suggest you to read about how Mahler, or schoenberg. thank you for this comment.

[@LeonWagg]

@@lacanian1500 Yeah, I swear Sarah doesn't know shit about classical music. Also, I mean, how the hell can you talk about Wagner without talking about antisemitism? Lmao

[@MrLeaveitout]

I don't know how anybody listens to this bloke. His voice and constant fidgeting are so irritating. The transcript of his conversations and lectures and interviews should be read out by an actor's voice.

[@RYBATUGA]

57:08

[@avita2738]

56:50