Helots and Elites

W e live i n a t h o r o u g h l y split political reality. O n t h e o n e h a n d , w e have t h e p o l i t ical class, a parallel m i c r o - s o c i e t y w h i c h has secretly b e e n m a d e r e d u n d a n t , g o i n g
a b o u t its business w i t h i m p u n i t y , a n d a p p a r e n t l y d o o m e d t o p e r f o r m t h e single task
of r e p r o d u c i n g itself in an e n d o g a m o u s c o n f u s i o n of all p e r s u a s i o n s - t h e i n c e s t u o u s alliance o f R i g h t a n d Left p r o d u c i n g a n e n t i r e p a t h o l o g y a n d d e g e n e r a c y
characteristic o f i n b r e e d i n g . O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , w e h a v e a 'real' s o c i e t y w h i c h i s
increasingly d i s c o n n e c t e d f r o m t h e political s p h e r e . B o t h o f these, m o v i n g a p a r t
from e a c h o t h e r a t c o n s i d e r a b l e s p e e d , s e e m d e s t i n e d m o r e o r less t o w i t h e r away
o r t o b r e a k u p e a c h i n t h e i r o w n little c o r n e r - d r i p - f e d a s t h e y are solely t h r o u g h
t h e u m b i l i c a l o f t h e m e d i a a n d t h e o p i n i o n polls. V i r t u a l i t y - i n t h e sense t h a t t h e
political will n o w o p e r a t e s o n l y o n t h e m e n t a l screens o f T V sets a n d t h r o u g h o p i n i o n polls - has t u r n e d t h e political f u n c t i o n a n d t h e political scene i n t o m o r e o r less
useless vestigial r e m a i n s . N o dialectic, n o t e v e n a dialectic o f conflict, keeps t h e t w o
opposing poles interacting.
We find the same situation in the e c o n o m y . On the o n e hand, the battered
r e m n a n t s o f p r o d u c t i o n a n d t h e real e c o n o m y ; o n t h e o t h e r , t h e c i r c u l a t i o n o f
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g i g a n t i c a m o u n t s o f v i r t u a l capital. B u t t h e t w o are s o d i s c o n n e c t e d t h a t t h e m i s f o r t u n e s w h i c h b e s e t t h a t c a p i t a l - s t o c k m a r k e t crashes a n d o t h e r f i n a n c i a l

d e b a c l e s d o n o t b r i n g a b o u t t h e c o l l a p s e o f real e c o n o m i e s a n y m o r e . I t i s t h e
same in t h e political sphere: scandals, c o r r u p t i o n and t h e general decline in
s t a n d a r d s h a v e n o decisive effects i n a split society, w h e r e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ( t h e
p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t t h e t w o p a r t i e s m a y respond to each other) is no l o n g e r p a r t of t h e
game.
T h i s p a r a d o x i c a l s i t u a t i o n is in a sense beneficial: it p r o t e c t s civil s o c i e t y ( w h a t
r e m a i n s o f it) f r o m t h e vicissitudes o f t h e political sphere, j u s t a s i t p r o t e c t s t h e
e c o n o m y ( w h a t r e m a i n s o f it) f r o m t h e r a n d o m fluctuations o f t h e S t o c k E x c h a n g e
a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l finance. T h e i m m u n i t y o f t h e o n e creates a r e c i p r o c a l i m m u n i t y
in t h e o t h e r a m i r r o r indifference. B e t t e r : real society is l o s i n g i n t e r e s t in t h e
political class, w h i l e n o n e t h e l e s s availing itself o f t h e spectacle. A t last, t h e n , t h e
m e d i a h a v e s o m e use, a n d t h e ' s o c i e t y o f t h e s p e c t a c l e ' assumes its full m e a n i n g i n
this fierce i r o n y : t h e masses availing t h e m s e l v e s o f t h e spectacle o f t h e d y s f u n c t i o n i n g s o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e r a n d o m twists i n t h e s t o r y o f t h e political
class's c o r r u p t i o n . All t h a t r e m a i n s n o w t o t h e politicians i s t h e o b l i g a t i o n t o s a c r i fice t h e m s e l v e s t o p r o v i d e t h e r e q u i s i t e spectacle for t h e e n t e r t a i n m e n t o f t h e
p e o p l e . F o r if, i n t h e past, t h e p r i n c i p l e o f p o w e r i n v o l v e d l a y i n g y o u r life o n t h e
line, t h e zero d e g r e e o f p o w e r m e r e l y involves a n artificial auto-da-fe. O n c e again w e
h a v e cause t o t h a n k t h e politicians, w h o free u s f r o m t h e t i r e s o m e o b l i g a t i o n o f
h a v i n g t o m a n a g e t h a t e m p t y p l a c e p o w e r has b e c o m e - m u c h a s i t falls t o o t h e r s
t o m a n a g e m o n e y , business, leisure, m o r a l s a n d c u l t u r e . All s u p e r f l u o u s tasks h a p p i l y left t o

the

charlatans,

predators

and speculators,

not

to

m e n t i o n the

waxen-lipped philosophers.
T h e socialist e p i s o d e will have b e e n t h e finest illustration o f this l e u k a e m i a o f t h e
political s p h e r e . W i t h political will h a v i n g g o n e i n t o a b e y a n c e a n d w i t h t h e p o l e
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p o s i t i o n o f p o w e r virtually v a c a n t (since 1 9 6 8 perhaps?), t h e Left d a s h e d i n t o take

i t a n d i m m e d i a t e l y c r u m b l e d i n t o t h e v o i d . (In t h e s a m e way, w i t h t h e m a s c u l i n e
p o l e p o s i t i o n virtually u n o c c u p i e d - m a l e p r i v i l e g e h a v i n g d i s a p p e a r e d - f e m i n i s m
r u s h e d i n t o a s s u m e i t a n d , naturally, fell i n t o t h e trap t h a t i s t h e p o w e r v a c u u m
itself.)
W e s h o u l d , i n fact, c o n g r a t u l a t e M i t t e r a n d o n d o i n g a l a r g e p a r t o f t h e w o r k :
on ensuring, by a kind of p o s t h u m o u s sweep, the deep corruption of the w h o l e
political system, on mystifying a n d s w e e p i n g away the w h o l e of t h e divine
Left!

15

If t h e Left c o l l a p s e d in this way, far b e y o n d t h e a c t u a l p o i n t of its t r u e d e c l i n e w i t h i t g o i n g all d r e a m s o f p u t t i n g t h e i m a g i n a t i o n i n p o w e r - this was n o t

b e c a u s e i t l a c k e d a n y gift for e x e r c i s i n g p o w e r o r h a d c o m m i t t e d a n y fatal e r r o r s
( u n f o r t u n a t e l y , i t m e r e l y a c c u m u l a t e d b a n a l o n e s ) , b u t b e c a u s e , i n spite o f t h e
a d v a n c e d b r i t t l e n e s s o f its h i s t o r i c a l b o n e s , i t p r o v e d i n c a p a b l e o f s p e a k i n g for t h e
i n d i f f e r e n c e a n d i n e r t i a of t h e social b o d y . In a sense, it is a l m o s t to its c r e d i t t h a t
i t was n o t able t o s h a k e off its ideals t o t a l l y - e v e n t h o u g h i t h a d g i v e n u p p u r suing t h e m .
T h e R i g h t , for its part, identifies s p o n t a n e o u s l y w i t h this i n e r t g h o s t o f t h e social
b o d y a n d its d e e p r e s e n t m e n t o f t h e political sphere. I t is, i n this sense, n o t s o m u c h
political as transpolitical t h a t is to say, a l i g n e d w i t h t h e l o w e s t c o m m o n d e n o m i n a t o r of a politically disaffected society. It is t h e R i g h t w h i c h reaps t h e fruits of this
disaffection. B u t , s i n c e i t also has n o political p e r s p e c t i v e , t h e failings o f R i g h t a n d
Left c o m b i n e h a r m o n i o u s l y .
W h o s p o k e o f p u t t i n g t h e i m a g i n a t i o n i n p o w e r ? T h e r e n e v e r i s any i m a g i n a t i o n
in power.
15. See Jean Baudrillard, La Gauche divine (Paris:'Grasset, 1985).

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As for t h e t y p e of events this split s o c i e t y p r o d u c e s , E u r o p e is a fine e x a m p l e . It

is the archetype of the c o n t e m p o r a r y event, the v a c u u m - p a c k e d event, the
v a c u u m - p a c k e d p h a n t a s m a g o r i a . E u r o p e (at least t h e c u r r e n t E u r o p e a n project) will
n o t have h a p p e n e d in the heads, dreams or natural inspiration of anyone w h a t s o ever. If it has h a p p e n e d , it has b e e n in t h e s o m n a m b u l i s t i c space of t h e political will,
o f t h e dossiers a n d s p e e c h e s , t h e p r o g r a m m e s a n d calculations - a n d i n t h a t artificial synthesis of o p i n i o n that is universal suffrage, a process strictly g u i d e d a n d
controlled by the c u n n i n g idealism of politicians a n d experts. E u r o p e , as it is
e m e r g i n g , is, in a way, a s i m u l a t i o n m o d e l p r o j e c t e d i n t o a s c e n e of social d e s e r t i fication - an o b l i g a t o r y v i r t u a l reality, to be slipped i n t o like a data suit (the G u l f
W a r was already h a n d e d to us as a v a c u u m - p a c k e d w a r - also for us to slip i n t o like
v i r t u a l reality).
W e shall n o m o r e b e s p a r e d E u r o p e t h a n w e shall t h e I n t e r n e t , t h e single c u r r e n c y o r t h e c h a i n s selling d e e p - f r o z e n f o o d s . T h e s e t h i n g s h a p p e n c o m e w h a t
may. T h e y f o l l o w o u t t h e i r c o u r s e i n s p i t e o f a n y o p i n i o n s t o t h e c o n t r a r y .
D e c i s i o n s w i l l g o o n b e i n g m a d e , c i r c u l a t i n g a m o n g t h e elites, e x p e r t s a n d s t r a t egists, h e e d l e s s o f a n y c o l l e c t i v e o p i n i o n . W e are t o t a l l y p o w e r l e s s i n spite o f o r
a s a c o n s e q u e n c e o f - t h e i n f o r m a t i o n i n w h i c h w e are s t e e p e d . W e saw this i n
R w a n d a . All t h e m e d i a said c l e a r l y w h e r e t h e k i l l e r s w e r e t h e i n s t i g a t o r s
( w h i c h i n c l u d e d us) a n d yet t h e w h o l e b u s i n e s s w e n t o n h a p p e n i n g . W e h a v e
t o t a l i n f o r m a t i o n , b u t i t has n o effect. T h e c o n s e n s u s , t h e c o l l e c t i v e c o w a r d i c e
find a n alibi i n this g e n e r a l i z e d n e w s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n . I n f o r m a t i o n plays t h e role
o f a scalpel, forever s e p a r a t i n g t h e j u n t a s i n p o w e r i n all t h e c o u n t r i e s o f t h e w o r l d
from any collective will, and cicatrizing, as if w i t h h o t irons, t h e contradictions
which may ensue.
I n this f r a c t u r e b e t w e e n h e l o t s a n d elites, i t i s silly a n d senseless t o w r a p o n e self i n t h e flag o f t h e d i v i n e Left a n d its d e m o c r a t i c a r r o g a n c e a n d d e p l o r e t h e

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s t u p i d i t y o f t h e masses, d u p e d b y t h e m e d i a a n d t h e e l e c t o r a l s y s t e m a p o s i t i o n
w e h a v e r e c e n t l y s e e n a d o p t e d t o w a r d s B e r l u s c o n i i n Italy o r L e P e n ' s a d v a n c e s
i n t h e F r e n c h local e l e c t i o n s . T h a t i s m e r e l y a s h o r t - s i g h t e d , c o n v e n t i o n a l a n a l y sis o f p o l i t i c a l r e a s o n . I n t h e e n d , t h e ' b l i n d ' masses s e e m t o see t h i n g s m o r e
s u b t l y t h a n t h e ' e n l i g h t e n e d ' i n t e l l e c t u a l s : t h e y see t h a t t h e seats o f p o w e r are
e m p t y , c o r r u p t p l a c e s o f despair, a n d h e n c e l o g i c a l l y o n e s h o u l d p u t c h a r a c t e r s
o f p r e c i s e l y this t y p e i n t h e m : e m p t y i n d i v i d u a l s , b u f f o o n s , h a m a c t o r s a n d
c h a r l a t a n s t h e ideal p e o p l e for t h e s i t u a t i o n . T a k e B e r l u s c o n i for e x a m p l e . T h e
p o l i t i c a l w o r l d , as it is, r e p r e s e n t s t h e o n l y p o s s i b l e ' r e a l ' e v e n if it is n o t r a t i o n a l . I f y o u w a n t t o c h a n g e s o m e t h i n g , t h e n y o u h a v e t o set a b o u t r e a l i t y itself,
w h i c h i s q u i t e a n o t h e r m a t t e r . B e r l u s c o n i a n d L e P e n are w h a t t h e y are, a n d all
r e c r i m i n a t i o n s a g a i n s t t h e ' i r r a t i o n a l ' m a s s e s are m e r e l y t h e p r o d u c t o f a n a i v e
illuminism (both c u n n i n g and politically correct). H o w e v e r , it is equally u n d e n i a b l e t h a t w e find this state o f affairs u n b e a r a b l e w h e t h e r i t b e B e r l u s c o n i , L e
P e n o r t h e c u r r e n t d e l i q u e s c e n t state o f p o l i t i c s . W e h a v e , t h e n , t o c o m e t o
terms w i t h a c o n t r a d i c t o r y situation in that we b o t h have the system we deserve
a n d e q u a l l y n o n - n e g l i g i b l y w e c a n n o t b e a r it. T h i s i s a f o r m o f i n s o l u b l e
d i l e m m a . Y o u c a n h a v e a visceral a n t i - m a s s , a n t i - y o b , a n t i - r e d n e c k r e a c t i o n . B u t
an equally visceral anti-elite, anti-caste, a n t i - c u l t u r e , anti-nomenklatura reaction.
S h o u l d y o u b e o n t h e side o f t h e m i n d l e s s masses o r o f a r r o g a n t p r i v i l e g e ( a r r o g a n t p a r t i c u l a r l y i n c l a i m i n g a n affinity w i t h t h e masses)? T h e r e i s n o s o l u t i o n .
W e are c a u g h t b e t w e e n t w o i n t e g r i s m s : t h e o n e p o p u l i s t (or I s l a m i c a n d f u n d a m e n t a l i s t ) , t h e o t h e r liberal a n d elitist, t h e i n t e g r i s m o f e n f o r c e d d e m o c r a c y a n d
t h e u n i v e r s a l . F o r this l a t t e r a n E n l i g h t e n m e n t f a n a t i c i s m w h i c h n o l o n g e r
k n o w s w h a t values to subscribe to, t h e o t h e r f o r m t h e populist, Islamic type
p r o v i d e s a p r o v i d e n t i a l t a r g e t . B u t it is itself a f a n a t i c i s m , w h i c h I s l a m i c f u n d a mentalism, w i t h equal intolerance, does n o t recognize as having a moral and

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p o l i t i c a l r i g h t t o exist. A n d t h e t w o o p e r a t e against t h e s a m e b a c k d r o p o f a n
i n d i f f e r e n t N e w W o r l d O r d e r . I s t h e r e still a p l a c e b e t w e e n t h e t w o for a p r o fane p r a c t i c e o f f r e e d o m ?
4

84

September

1995