Stacks on Stacks on Stacks

What if governments, institutions, and NGOs treated us as users? Borrowing conservative jurist Carl Schmitt’s notion “nomos,” which describes the interactive forces of political geography, jurisdiction, and sovereignty as a whole, theorist Benjamin Bratton argues that planetary-scale computing is reconfiguring subjectivity. Schmitt’s conservative project was a lament for the nomos of the Jus Publicum Europaeum, a legal order that helped European nations consolidate into states and facilitate the golden age of colonialism. Bratton agrees that there is a new nomos on the way, but it is a nomos of the stack.

The Modern State (edited)

This post contained an draft version of a dissertation section. A more recent version is now available on the works page.

Modern State, complete

This post contained an draft version of a dissertation section. A more recent version is now available on the works page.

The Jurist-Priest, and the Priestly State (of Contract)

This post contained an draft version of a dissertation section. A more recent version is now available on the works page.

Archaic State — Complete, Final Version

This post contained an draft version of a dissertation section. A more recent version is now available on the works page.

Lines in the Sand

Replacing power/knowledge, I suggest the tripartite lines of rigid-supple-escape developed by Deleuze and Guattari in A Thousand Plateaus.  In their anti-essentialist ontology, Deleuze and Guattari posit that heterogeneous collections of elements come together in particular relations to form assemblages, contingent formations that produce certain effects.  Capitalism, for instance, is an assemblage.  One way to describe how assemblages are organized is by the lines that compose them.  For Deleuze and Guattari, there are three types of organizing lines: supple lines, rigid lines, and lines of flight. 

Luc Wander – Occupy the Futurepast

To the Communes: Tunisia to New York City; Egypt to Oakland,

I know, it’s a bit absurd, but *pop music has prefigured the rise of Occupy Wallstreet*, according to a dialogue entitled “Don’t Stop Beliebing”.1 Raided their songlist, cooked up a mix. Take it for a spin.

<3, Luc

escape

 The document will open with the statement that, “Escape is the oldest story of freedom. It is also the simplest.” But, rather than immediately explaining the statement, it will pair freedom with revolution. The general argument is that escape as a political concept is inextricably tied to the two general ideas of freedom and revolution. What follows is a conception of escape that does not ‘get away from it all,’ but dynamically constitutes a ‘tactical distance’ for the radical transformation of society.

The Only Good Fascist Is A Dead Fascist

He should be forgotten. In the best ab/use of history, we should let that sleeping dog lay in His cold grave.

Running to the Hills

Avoiding the state was, until the past few centuries, a real option. A thousand years ago most people lived outside state structures, under loose-knit empires or in situations of fragmented sovereignty.11 Today it is an option that is fast vanishing …