This was ok, interesting, but not that thought expanding. I did like the idea introduced in the last chapter that we need to be open to political responses in the current moment as being events transported from the future, events that are the result of a different trajectory than the developing of current conditions. In other words, let's not constrain our imagination and activism to building relations and social structures that are simply naive, "better" versions of current conditions, but allow ourselves to make radical breaks that are moving towards the new relations of equity required to achieve a socially just, healthy world for all. ( )

Oh that 2011 was an eventful year. I can make other glib statements. For instance, that Slavoj Žižek, he's some guy, let me tell you. The Year of Dreaming Dangerously is a wonderful title, giving nods to a largely forgotten novel and film about Aussies in Indonesia. Mr. Z writes about 2011 in a concealed subjunctive, noting with what may be the future result of the worldwide tumult. Will 2011 be considered another 1968 or 1989? Ziziek isn't sure but he pens a number of essays which cite Lacan and Marx and through which Zizek brings attention to often ignored arguments about the world we inhabit.

Each essay is distinct and anyone expecting a narrative view of Egypt, Greece or Occupy Wall Street should probably look elsewhere. Anyone in the mood for incandescent thought on the state of the world should investigate.
( )

Reading this in 2017 was an interesting experience.

Zizek sets the subject of "The Year of Dreaming Dangerously," as the political-cultural year of 2011. While this book was published almost immediately following the transpiring of its subject matter, the 2017 reader may find that Zizek is predicting the future rather than analyzing the now. For American political historias, Zizek essentially proves that the "anomie" of 2016 was begot from forces outside of the recent past, and that a Hegelian-Marxist analysis is still relevant today. It was a fun read, and has a lot of insight from today's "hip" philosopher. ( )

Kept thinking I'd read this before ( impossible , just published this year ) Hm .... ( )

Kept thinking I'd read this before ( impossible , just published this year ) Hm .... ( )