Baudrillard and War

In this episode, I try to explain Baudrillard's theories about war, paying specific attention to his writings on the Vietnam, Gulf, and Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Insta: @theory_and_philosophy

[swagcityclique]

Good stuff! One question though: You talk about the system eradicating the possibility of seduction, while I‘ve always understood seduction as being synonymous with reversibility, and therefor something that will always prevail and even gain energy through the attempted eradication of its possibility. Am I misunderstanding something here?

[pjeffries]

Started with Nietzsche in 1975, been reading and listening since (actually read "Being and Time" and "A Thousand Plateaus"). Yet, every one of your presentations never fails to surprise and inspire. Jaded and bored? No way, thanks to folks like you.

[ErForce]

I found this trying to revamp my undergrad memory of Baudlliard. Thank you so much for creating this video. Would you kindly reference the citation of Baudlliard's fear of the state being able to end terrorism? Thanks, a fearful Israeli

[wizard]

I found this channel about a year ago and have been watching ever since, great episodes on Baudrillard and you explain it coherently. Can you do one on non-euclidean wars and some of Baudrillard's later work? Love the channel by the way!

[thomasrivet]

5:15 Charlie Sheen was in Platoon, also a movie about the Vietnam war, coincidentally enough. Great video as always, David. I also prefer this setup!

[Megaghost_]

I've been thinking in seriously reading some books form Baudrillard in a few months and I suppose you save me from countless headaches, thanks! Your explanations sound very clear.

[fredwelf]

In 'Simulacra and Simulation, ' Baudrillard says, "Something else, then, took place. This war, at bottom, was nothing but a crucial episode
of peaceful coexistence. It marked the arrival of China to peaceful coexistence. The nonintervention of China obtained and secured after many years, Chinas apprenticeship to a global modus vivendi, the shift from a global strategy of revolution to one of shared
forces and empires, the transition from a radical alternative to political alternation in a system now essentially regulated (the normalization of Peking - Washington relations): this was what was at stake in the war in Vietnam, and in this sense, the USA pulled out of Vietnam but won the war."

This accords somewhat with what you said but surely you know that the South Vietnamese fought the North more or less on their own from around 1971 to 1975. The South finally lost when the US would no longer provide supplies or air support due to Congressional cutting off of funds. So, it looks like the US was against itself in getting to the Peking-Washington normal!

Also, you said Baudrillard claimed that the Gulf War resulted in 400, 000 Iraqi deaths. Gulf War usually refers to the 1990-1991 war. 400, 000 seems very excessive. Only in the Iraqi Freedom War of 2003-2011 would 400, 000 death be more meaningful but even there estimates range from around 100, 000 to over 1M. Can you indicate where the 400, 000 figure was stated by Baudrillard.

Lastly, do have any inkling about why there is a Gulf War syndrome that has resulted in a high suicide rate for military veterans?

[tranzco]

Album Cover is Universally Accepted as Terrifying.

[simonherckens]

Very interesting, recently I've started reading Simulacra & Simulation and I've just begun unraveling the details of this (to me) complex work. I am maybe a bit late to the party, but can somebody give me a more 'concrete' description of this all encompassing global system? Is this some kind of post ideological, technocratic, 'neoliberal' state (I know a lot of words) with its institutions in for example the UN or the World Bank. Or is this description too limited, not encompassing enough, still exclusive (probably)?

[karma__]

What do you mean by "vestiges that are challenging the system" ?

I didn't grasp it 100% .

You mean people? Or the system itself?.

[romanticplacebo]

Great talk! More and more I look at the wars in my lifetime and realize if they hadn't been broadcast in media, I might not have known they existed as world events. And how that makes the U.S. look from outside itself.

I've been thinking about Baudrillard's concept of seduction in French cinema, and like your observation in The Wailing I think I've found a couple films by Jean Rollin where a certain reversibility takes hold and creates an odd mood. You might check out Fascination (1979) Requiem For a Vampire (1971) The Grapes of Death (1978) and The Demoniacs (1974) and see if you agree.

[Zing_art]

Cool! Also your mannerisms and gesticulations :D

I feel the ‘suicide of twin tower ‘ is how Baudrillard probably extends Marx’s proposition of capitalism having in itself the seeds of its dismantling.

You have some interesting books in that collection, I see.