"Society ot the Spectacle" online reading group

Even if that were true, GDID - and I've never seen you offer any evidence or considered opinion on the subject beyond one-line dismissals with lotsa attitude and little substance - it wouldn't necessarily be a reason not to read what is an influential book. It's certainly influenced you and one or two others on here enough to feel obliged to bother regularly posting your dislike (not to mention your very name).

I'm reading it at the moment I would definently be intrested in someone trying to explain some aspects of the book to me as a lot of it goes right over my head.

Bin please!

Some situationism is fun to read. I do find much there relevant to revolutionary practice. But you gotta love this quote from Vaneigem:

"Today the promises of the old society of production are
raining down on our heads in an avalanche of consumer goods that
nobody is likely to call manna from heaven. You can hardly
believe in the magical power of gadgets in the same way as people
used to believe in productive forces. There is a certain
hagiographic literature on the steam hammer. One cannot imagine
much on the electric toothbrush. The mass production of
instruments of comfort -- all equally revolutionary, according to
the publicity handouts -- has given the most unsophisticated of
people the right to express an opinion on the marvels of
technological innovation in a tone as blase as the hand they
stick in their pants. The first landing on Mars will pass
unnoticed at Disneyland."

its not fun its funny

i read a pamphlet of it a while ago. i think im just going to put it on my bookshelf so i can look even more snooty and intellectual while watching surrealist films.

i agree with ret

damn, another thread ruined

Yeah, I'd be on for reading it as part of an online reading group as well. I read it quite a few years ago, after we left the SWP myself and others in Socialist Alternative used to have a PDF edition printed and table it when ever we were doing such things, more as an accessory than owt else - I would probably have a more engaged reading of it if I got into it now.

I'd be interested in partaking in more online reading groups around particular topics if others were too. There was one on Captial here recently I believe, and it provoked some lively discussion. A lot of Libcom discussion does stem from that reading group urge, someone reads something and pokes their head up and says "what do you think of so and so aspect?" It'd be interesting to have common readings and then discuss them specifically and move on in another direction garnered from how that discussion progresses and what topics arise within it needing fleshing.

Oh sweet Jesus, I meant to write I do NOT find much there relevant to revolutionary practice. ...