Slavoj Zizek: ‘Now the field is open’

The philosopher discusses the momentous changes taking place in the global financial and political system.

From the Middle East to the streets of London and cities across the US there is a discontent with the status quo. Whether it is with the iron grip of entrenched governments or the widening economic divide between the rich and those struggling to get by. But where are those so hungry for change heading? How profound is their long-term vision to transform society?

Slovenian-born philosopher Slavoj Zizek, whose critical examination of both capitalism and socialism has made him an internationally recognised intellectual, speaks to Al Jazeera’s Tom Ackerman about the momentous changes taking place in the global financial and political system.

In his distinct and colourful manner, he analyses the Arab Spring, the eurozone crisis, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement and the rise of China. Concerned about the future of the existing western democratic capitalism Zizek believes that the current “system has lost its self-evidence, its automatic legitimacy, and now the field is open.”

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Break Out the Sharpies — Let’s Unofficially Remove the Official National Motto from our Money

. . . I DON’T spend money with the motto on it. I cross out the motto with a Sharpie on every dollar that passes through my hands. I’ve been doing this for years, and have heard from quite a few other people who are doing the same thing. But we need EVERYBODY to do it!

So, I’m now asking everyone to get a Sharpie and start crossing out “In God We Trust” on every bill that they can! I also think it would be cool for us to write our zip codes on these bills so we can watch them spread across the country.

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‘Hill’ Poll: Flat Tax Still Unpopular

Voters appear to be split almost exactly between the two parties when it comes to taxes. Democrats are pushing higher taxes for the rich and breaks for everyone else. Republicans are pushing a regressive flat tax, tax breaks for the wealthy and an end to tax breaks for working families. The choice is stark, but somehow it’s not clear.
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Up with Chris Hayes: TV that Deserves the Name “Journalism”

Chris Hayes’ new show on MSNBC provides a rare space for the expansive, non-partisan debates we need . . . “Up With Chris Hayes,” which broadcasts Saturday and Sunday mornings, purposely rejects the manufactured red-versus-blue mallet that bludgeons every issue into partisan terms. Instead, the program’s host is creating a space for more expansive discussions with voices typically deemed too unconventional, provocative or dangerous to be allowed anywhere near a television set.
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UNESCO Approves Palestinian Membership Bid

The Palestinian bid received 107 “yes” votes during a UNESCO meeting in Paris, with 14 countries voting against and 52 abstaining, enough to satisfy a two-thirds majority of those countries present and voting . . . Israel, not surprisingly, voted against the measure, as did the United States, Canada and several European countries, including Germany. The United Kingdom abstained, while France voted in favour. Ahmed Yousef, a Hamas official and the deputy foreign minister in Gaza, called it a “great achievement” and said the vote “shows that Israel and America are not dictating politics to the world anymore.”
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Quote: Carl Sagan

Carl Edward Sagan, Ph.D., (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996)
American Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Cosmologist, Author, Science
Popularizer, and Science Communicator in Space and Natural Sciences

You can’t convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it’s based on a deep-seated need to believe.