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Synopsis
On September 11, the USA was given the opportunity to realize what kind of a world it was a part of. It might have taken this opportunity - but it did not; instead it opted to reassert its traditional ideological commitments: out with feelings of responsibility and guilt towards the impoverished Third World, we are the victims now! In the months following September 11, mainstream commentators bombarded us with histrionic claims that the event marked 'The End of the Age of Irony' or the conclusion to America's 'holiday from history'. Now, according to these pompous pundits, the time for playing games was over and the hour had struck to take sides in 'The War on Terrorism'. This temptation to choose one's camp is, Zizek argues, exactly the temptation to be resisted. For it is precisely when we are confronted with such apparently clear choices that the real alternatives to the situation are most obscured: in being asked to choose between 'democracy' and 'fundamentalism', is not the real problem one of democracy itself - as if the only alternative to 'fundamentalism' is the political system of liberal democracy?

Welcome to the Desert of the Real takes a step back from the hype, hysteria and rhetoric, in order to problematise the options we are being offered. It proposes that global capitalism is fundamentalist and that America was complicit in the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. It points to our dreaming about the catastrophe in numerous disaster movies before it happened, and explores the irony that the tragedy has been used to legitimate torture. Last, but not least, Zizek analyses the fiasco of the predominant leftist response to the events.

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3 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   16 of 17 people found the following review helpful: At last! Someone who isn't taken in, 28 Jan 2004 By  ldxar1 "ldxar1" (UK) - See all my reviews    There's been so much nonsense written about September 11th, it's refreshing to read something on the subject which is not dragged along in the emotional currents unleashed by the US state and its allies. Zizek portrays the attacks as an inadvertent wake-up call for the west to recognise that the world in which we live is awash with atrocities and that we don't live in an isolated sphere, innocent and separated from this world. He emphasises the eerie similarities between the attacks and imagery which has abounded in American cinema for some time, likening the attacks to Morpheus's announcement to Neo when he escapes from the illusory world in the original Matrix film: "welcome to the desert of the real". A few words of warning are in order, however. Firstly, for all his criticisms, Zizek does not really have much to offer as an alternative to the present world order; he oscillates frustratingly between nihilism and reformism without ever making many serious suggestions about what we should do once we "wake up". Secondly, only a small portion of the book is actually about September 11th - although Zizek sticks to the subject of the book more closely than is usually the case. Thirdly, the Lacanian ontology underpinning his positions is not very tenable, especially when he tries to combine it with revolutionary posturing. If (as Lacan claimed) we're always necessarily in the desert of the Real, the subversive force of this revelation in terms of changing the world is largely lost. In any case, this is a worthwhile read and certainly far better than most of what I've come across about September 11th.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: Excellent, 18 Sep 2007 By  sparky "M" - See all my reviews "A reader's" paraphrase below is wrong, a little bitter and somewhat stupid. This is a very good introduction to the author, full of insight, witticism, analysis, and enjoyable digression. Whilst not necessarily agreeing with all of his conclusions, this has certainly taken to my mind to some new areas. Highly recommended.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   1 of 42 people found the following review helpful: Zizek..., 24 Oct 2004 By A Customer from the fictional state who sold his soul for rock 'n' roll. To papraphrase massively "if it happened on TV, then it didn't happen".  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 3 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews