Whilst I don’t agree with everything that Desmat says, this is a really good interview with Ivor Cummings. My apologies if its already been posted. I had a look and couldn’t find it.
I’m still scratching my head with regard to what’s happened over the last few years. ‘Insane’ doesn’t adequately describe it…
I’m not especially familiar with Desmet’s line of reasoning, mainly because it just doesn’t seem very original. Whenever I read about his study, and now his overpriced book, I soon zone out because this has all been said before. In particular by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, various Frankfurt School writers, Rene Girard, the Madness Of Crowds guy whose name I forget, John Ralston Saul, Ian Hacking, Michel Foucault, Gustav LeBon, and so on.
Well done to him for speaking out in the first place, not a risk free option in today’s Academy, but apart from the novel term “mass formation” and using CronyVirus as a case study… meh.
… oh and Hannah Arendt of course.
Very good interview, thanks for posting Rob. He explains the ideas very well. I also like his “transcending rationality” near the end of the interview.
And to be fair to him, he does quote Gustav le Bon and Hannah Arendt (repeatedly). I also think its very timely and pertinent while the example of Covid is very fresh in our minds; eg the attitude of someone like Chomsky to those refusing the experimental injections.
To paraphrase Patrick Henningsen recently: it’s a shame Chomsky didn’t read his own book.
Unkind? Yes probably. But funny.