Jack Semancik’s Reviews > Surplus-Enjoyment: A Guide For The Non-Perplexed > Status Update

Recalls Lenin’s gradual economic liberalisation after the initial struggles of Soviet economic policy (framed, in Lenin’s terms, as a tactical “retreat”). In highlighting this moment, Zizek reframes Capitalism as either a pipeline from feudalism to socialism, or from feudalism to corporate neo-feudalism (Hegelian). Asserts the importance of the state; uses Deleuze to critique the idea of anarchist society.

Noting the “self-revolutionising” aspect of capitalism (i.e. incorporating non-capitalist elements into a capitalist framework to preserve the structure of capitalism), Zizek depicts a social disintegration. He details the Chinese state response (via Wang Zhen) to combat this phenomenon through neoconservative patriotism and capitalist reform (promoting small cap business interests, lowering working hours, etc.).

Critiques Marx for neglecting ecology, asserts that capitalism is self-revolutionising (e.g. in the transmogrification of the welfare state), charts the post-capitalist transition towards neo-feudal corporatism, examines the necessity of authoritarian controls for preserving capitalism (e.g. CCP), and begins to discuss social disharmony as a result of capitalism. This is a whirlwind of a few pages.