I've never head of him. It's interesting that he quotes Zizek: "is the impact of the ... information revolution on capitalism not the ultimate exemplification of... Marx's thesis that: 'at a certain stage of their development, the material productive forces come into conflict with the existing relations of production...'? ..."
The key word being conflict. Sullivan can't seem to make up his mind about the growing World Wide Web.
At one point he says it's a salve: "Of course, the deep problems that Marx identified -- the problems of alienation and inequality -- are not solved by dot-communism, but they are certainly salved by it, and in ways we are only beginning to appreciate. "
And then he continues: "So let the capitalist classes and the Recording Industry Association of America tremble." Why would they tremble if everyone - except of course those involved in the Seattle or DC or sweatshop (etc.) protests - is being salved?
I'm on this salve kick because of a letter today http://www.suck.com/fish/ in Suck's The Fish:
Points well made on the death of standup, but you forgot to give some much-deserved heckling to cable channel Comedy Central as a prime suspect. Notice how, when CC bothers to run taped standup anymore, it always seems to be reruns of routines from years back? Oh, look, there's Drew Carey ca. 1994!
Ralph Ward <rward at boardroominsider.com>
Most days I agree with you. Others, I'm absolutely certain that Gallagher re-runs are the only thing that stands between America and a major class war.
40th Street Black