Hamlet Brutal Truth Essays (2177 words) - Situationist International

Hamlet Brutal Truth Annonymous For decades, Guy Debords The Society of the Spectacle was only available in English in a so-called pirate edition published by Black Red, and its informativeperhaps essentialcritique of modern society languished in the sort of obscurity familiar to political radicals and the avant-garde. Originally published in France in 1967, it rarely receives more than passing mention in some of the fields most heavily influenced by its ideasmedia studies, social theory, economics, and political science. A new translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith issued by Zone Books last year, however, may finally bring about some well-deserved recognition to the recently-deceased Debord. Society of the Spectacle has been called the Capital of the new generation, and the co mparison bears investigation. Debords intention was to provide a comprehensive critique of the social and political manifestations of modern forms of production, and the analysis he offered in 1967 is as authoritative now as it was then. Comprised of nin e chapters broken into a total of 221 theses, Society of the Spectacle tends toward the succinct in its proclamations, favoring polemically poetic ambiguities over the vacuous detail of purely analytical discourse. There is, however, no shortage of justif ication for its radical claims. Hegel finds his place, Marx finds acclaim and criticism, Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg add their contributions, and Debords own insights are convincingly argued. It becomes evident quite quickly that Debord has done his homewor kSociety of the Spectacle is no art manifesto in need of historical or theoretical basis. Debords provocations are supported where others would have failed. The first chapter, Separation Perfected, contains the fundamental assertions on which much of Debords influence rests, and the very first thesis, that the whole of life of those societies in which modern conditions of production prevail presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. All that was once directly lived has become mere representation. establishes Debords judgment; the rest attempt to explain it, and to elaborate on the need for a practical and revolutionary resistance. By far Debords most famous work, Society of the Spectacle lies somewhere between a provocative manifesto and a scholarly analysis of modern politics. It remains among those books which fall under the rubric of oft quoted, rarely readexcept that few ca n even quote from it. A few of the general concepts to be found in Society of the Spectacle, however, have filtered down into near-popular usage. For example, analyses of the Gulf War as a spectaclewith the attendant visual implications of representati on and the politics of diversionwere commonplace during the conflict. The distorted duplication of reality found in theme parks is typically discussed with reference to its spectacular nature, and we are now beginning to see attempts to explain how cy berspace fits into the framework of the situationist critique. (Cf. Span magazine, no. 2, published at the University of Toronto.) But this casual bandying about of vaguely situationist notions by journalists and coffee-house radicals masks the real prof undity of Debords historical analysis. Much more than a condemnation of the increasingly passive reception of political experiences and the role of television in contemporary ideological pursuits, Society of the Spectacle traces the development of the sp ectacle in all its contradictory glory, demonstrates its need for a sort of parasitic self-replication, and offers a glimpse of what may be the only hope of resistance to the spectacles all-consuming power. Fully appreciating Society of the Spectacle requires a familiarity with the context of Debords work. He was a founding member of the Situationist International, a group of social theorists, avant-garde artists and Left Bank intellectuals that arose from the remains of various European art movements. The Situationists and their predecessors built upon the project begun by Futurism, Dada, and Surrealism in the sense that they sought to blur the distinction between art and life, and called for a constant tr ansformation of lived experience. The cohesion and persuasive political analysis brought forth by Debord, however, sets the Situationist International apart from the collective obscurity (if not irrelevance) of previous art movements. Society of the Spect acle represents that aspect of situationist theory that describes precisely how the social order imposed by the contemporary global economy maintains, perpetuates, and expands its influence through the manipulation of representations. No longer relying on force or scientific economics, the status quo of social relations is mediated by images [4]. The spectacle is both cause and result of these distinctively modern forms of social organization; it is a Weltanschauung that has been actualized [5]. In the same manner that Marx wrote Capital to detail the complex and subtle economic machinations of capitalism, Debord set out to describe the intricacies

Spanish Words for Home

Spanish Words for Home Although the differences between the English words house and home are very roughly similar to the differences between Spanish casa and hogar, respectively, hogar is far from the only way that home can be translated. In fact, the concept of home can be translated dozens of ways into Spanish, depending (as usual) on the context. Key Takeaways: Spanish Words for Home In broad terms, the differences between hogar and casa are similar to the differences between home and house, respectively, with the latter terms putting more emphasis on the building rather than the feelings it evokes.Despite their differences, hogar and casa are often interchangeable when referring to a place where someone lives.House and home as adjectives can often be translated as casero or hogareà ±o. Hogar vs. Casa The reverse is also true, but to a much lesser extent: While hogar nearly always refers to a building in which people live, it can also refer to a fireplace (it is derived from the Latin word focus, which meant hearth or fireplace), a lobby or similar place where people gather, or to a family that lives together. When home does refer to a building where people live, usually hogar or casa can be used, with the latter sometimes placing more emphasis on the building itself: Our home is located in the heart of the Bellemont neighborhood. Nuestra casa est situada en el corazà ³n del Barrio Bellemont.Our home will be celebrating with your arrival. Con tu llegada nuestro hogar est de fiesta.We can build your home in Chile. Podemos construir tu casa en Chile.My mothers home is the perfect place for the children. La casa de mi madre es el sitio perfecto para los nià ±os.The country has prohibited there being statues in a Muslim home. El paà ­s ha prohibido que en un hogar musulmn haya estatuas. To refer to institutional residences, hogar typically is used (although casa isnt unheard of): The entry of a loved one into a home for the elderly or similar institution can be a traumatic experience. La entrada de un ser querido en un hogar de ancianos o institucià ³n semejante puede ser una experiencia traumtica.The Farmworker Youth Home is an alternative for child care. El Hogar Juvenil Campesino es una alternativa para dar atencià ³n al nià ±o. At home can usually be translated as en casa, while to go home is to go a casa: Im not at home. No estoy en casa.We are going home at 9. Vamos a casa a las nueve. Adjective Forms for 'House' and 'Home' The singular masculine adjective forms of casa and hogar are casero and hogareà ±o: Many choose to feed their pets homemade food. Muchos optan por alimentar a sus mascotas con comida casera.The nine-bedroom mansion includes a home theater with 12 seats. La mansià ³n de nueve habitaciones incluye un teatro casero con doce asientos.  His early home life was not the type that can produce a completely trustworthy person. Su vida hogareà ±a temprana no fue del tipo que pueda producir una persona completamente confiable.Nicotine is highly toxic for the most common house pets. La nicotina es altamente tà ³xica para las mascotas hogareà ±as ms comunes. Other Types of 'Home' When home refers to the center or original place, various translations can be used: Just as Hollywood is the home of movies, Nashville is the home of country music. Asà ­ como Hollywood es el centro de las pelà ­culas, Nashville es el centro de la mà ºsica country.Greetings from Idaho, home of delicious potatoes. Saludos desde Idaho, la tierra de las papas riquà ­simas.Wendys is the home of the square hamburger. Wendys es el creador de la hamburguesa cuadrada. In Internet usage, the home page is usually the pgina principal or pgina inicial. A link to the home page may be labeled Inicio, although sometimes the loanword home is used as well. In recreation, home has various meanings: A home game is typically un juego en casa, while the home team is often el equipo local.In baseball, the home plate can be la goma, el hogar, or el plato, among other terms. El jonrà ³n (obviously derived from the English phrase) is universally used for home run.In board games and some athletic contests, where reaching home is the goal of the game, it can be known as la meta or el final, among other terms. The most common term for homeless is sin hogar, although sin casa is used, as is, less rarely, sin vivienda. Homeless people can be known as los sinhogares.