Twilight zone: The past ghosts as the rulers of the present

Using the details in a personal note (“The Good Place”) and this grok chat. Not an ideal article, but took few hours compared to weeks...

Introduction: Contextualizing the Persistence of Modern Structures

In the twilight zone of our present reality, the ghosts of the past continue to rule, their specters haunting the structures of our post-Modern world. Despite the apparent shifts from the modern to the post-Modern era, the deep-seated structures of capitalism, control, and social hierarchies persist, often dressed in the rhetoric of progress and liberation. This article aims to explore how the modern era’s foundational elements have subverted or thrived within the post-Modern context, revealing that the more things change, the more they remain the same.

From social structures to religion and spirituality, each dimension of society has been transformed, yet the underlying power dynamics remain remarkably consistent. By examining these dimensions, we can see how the post-Modern era, while presenting itself as a break from the past, is in fact a continuation of the same oppressive systems, albeit in new forms. This analysis draws upon the insights of various thinkers and researchers, including Pierre Bourdieu, Yanis Varoufakis, and Shoshana Zuboff, to highlight how modernism’s legacy persists in our current age, challenging the notion that we have truly entered a post-Modern, liberated society.

In the modern era, spanning the 16th to 19th centuries, social orders were strictly hierarchical, with clear distinctions based on class, gender, and race. Aristocracy and monarchy dominated political and social life, enforcing rigid social boundaries. The post-Modern era, emerging post-World War II, is characterized by fluid and fragmented social identities, emphasizing personal identity, diversity, and fluidity in gender and class roles. This shift is marked by the rise of identity politics, race theory, and multiculturalism, suggesting a move toward greater inclusivity.

However, research suggests that this fluidity is often illusory, with new forms of social hierarchies emerging. Meritocracy, touted as a pathway to equal opportunity, frequently disguises entrenched class systems, where education and access to cultural resources act as new gatekeepers. Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital, detailed in Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (1984), explains how elites maintain their status through knowledge, skills, and cultural preferences, reinforcing social stratification even as class distinctions seem to blur. For instance, a study by Chetty et al. (2017), Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility, found that in the United States, only about 8% of children from the bottom income quintile move to the top, while 40% from the top remain there, highlighting persistent class divisions (Mobility Report Cards).

Michel Foucault’s notion of biopower, from Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1977), further suggests that even movements aimed at liberation, such as identity politics, can be co-opted to serve the interests of the powerful, maintaining the status quo under a veneer of progress. This co-optation is evident in how corporate diversity initiatives often mask exploitative labor practices, as seen in critiques by Anand Giridharadas in Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World (2018) (Corporate Diversity Critique).

Economic Structure: From Industrial Exploitation to Techno-Feudalism

The modern era’s economic structure was defined by industrial capitalism and colonialism, built on the exploitation of labor and resources. Imperial powers extracted resources from colonies to fuel industrial growth, creating vast wealth disparities. The post-Modern era, post-World War II, shifted to globalization and post-industrial economies, with a focus on service economies, information economies, and neo-liberalism, leading to the offshoring of labor and the rise of global elites.

However, the evidence leans toward this shift not fundamentally altering capitalism’s exploitative nature, with wealth extraction continuing through financialization and what Yanis Varoufakis terms “techno-feudalism.” In Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism (2023), Varoufakis argues that tech giants like Google and Amazon function as modern feudal lords, controlling data and algorithms to extract value from users and workers, creating a new feudal-like structure (Technofeudalism Explained). This is exemplified by Amazon’s criticized labor practices, with reports of low wages and poor working conditions, as detailed in a 2015 New York Times article (Amazon Labor Practices).

Furthermore, the legacy of imperialist exploitation persists through neocolonial economic structures, where global elites benefit from the labor of working classes worldwide. Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth (1961) and Malcolm X’s critiques highlight how post-imperialism involves transnational corporations and global elites exploiting both the imperial “core” and periphery, with offshoring ensuring continued inequality (Fanon’s Critique).

Philosophy & Ideology: Co-opted Critiques and New Grand Narratives

The modern era was dominated by Enlightenment ideals, placing reason, science, and progress at the center of human advancement. The post-Modern era, however, is characterized by post-Modernism, relativism, and the critique of grand narratives, as advanced by thinkers like Jacques Derrida. This critique aimed to deconstruct traditional authority, promoting subjectivity and fluidity.

Yet, it seems likely that these critiques are often co-opted by powerful institutions to preserve the status quo. Theodor Adorno’s culture industry theory, from Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944), shows how mass media and entertainment manipulate public opinion, distracting from real issues and ensuring mass compliance (Adorno’s Culture Industry). For example, corporate advertising often promotes diversity and inclusion while maintaining exploitative practices, as seen in critiques by Giridharadas (2018) (Corporate Diversity Critique).

Moreover, liberalism, once a critique of tradition, is increasingly embedded in market-driven ideologies. David Harvey’s A Brief History of Neo-liberalism (2005) argues that the rhetoric of freedom and individual rights justifies economic policies favoring elites, masking perpetuation of inequality (Harvey’s Neo-liberalism).

Art & Culture: Commodification and Corporate Domination

Modern art was governed by classical ideals of beauty and form, later expanding into romanticism, with universal standards often linked to Western ideals. The post-Modern era is marked by eclecticism, irony, and media saturation, with a focus on pluralism, individual expression, and diversity.

However, post-Modern art, once rebellious, is now commodified in a consumer-driven market, where irony and deconstruction serve to disguise the commodification of culture. The art market thrives on exclusivity, with high prices for elite works, reinforcing social hierarchies, as Bourdieu notes (1984). Meanwhile, cultural products like films and music are mass-produced and marketed, controlled by corporations, reducing authenticity to a commodity. Jean Baudrilliard’s Simulations (1983) concept of hyperreality explains how mass media blurs truth and representation, making it difficult to discern reality from constructed images (Baudrilliard’s Hyperreality).

For instance, the art market’s focus on auction prices, as discussed in a Forbes article, shows how contemporary art has become a commodity, with buyers driven by potential value rather than aesthetic appreciation (Art Market Analysis).

Science & Technology: Hijacked for Control

The modern era’s scientific revolution provided the foundation for technological progress, with industrialization transforming societies. The post-Modern era, post-World War II, marked the rise of computing, biotechnology, and information technology, often viewed as tools of liberation.

However, research suggests these are hijacked for political manipulation and economic interests, leading to the privatization of knowledge and data monopolies. Noam Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988) critiques how state and corporations control knowledge to serve corporate and political interests, often at public expense (Chomsky’s Critique).

Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2019) describes how corporations collect vast data to predict and manipulate behavior, turning people into commodities. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, using Facebook data to influence elections, exemplifies this, as reported in a 2018 New York Times article (Cambridge Analytica Scandal). This creates a feudal-like power structure, with constant surveillance reinforcing elite control.

Political Ideology: Subverted by Neo-liberalism

Modern political ideologies were shaped by liberalism, nationalism, and imperialism, often justified as civilizing missions or economic domination. The post-Modern era saw post-colonial and feminist movements critiquing these, alongside environmentalism, seeking to address historical injustices.

Yet, these movements are often subverted by neo-liberalism, post-1970s, taking the form of global governance perpetuating inequality. Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2014) critiques how wealth is increasingly concentrated, while David Harvey’s The New Imperialism (2003) describes “accumulation by dispossession,” continuing imperialist exploitation (Piketty’s Capital, Harvey’s New Imperialism). Policies by the IMF and World Bank, imposing structural adjustments on developing countries, exemplify this, increasing poverty and inequality, as Joseph Stiglitz notes in Globalization and Its Discontents (2002) (Stiglitz’s Critique).

Technology & Society: Control Societies and Labor Displacement

The modern era saw mass production and early consumerism, with class divisions entrenched. The post-Modern era’s automation, information technology, and consumer culture transform work and leisure, with AI and digital platforms reshaping economies.

However, automation and AI lead to labor hollowing, with wealth extracted from service economies, and tech monopolies like Apple and Google extracting rents from consumers, workers, and data. Gilles Deleuze’s “Postscript on the Societies of Control” (1992) explains how power shifts from disciplinary institutions like prisons and factories to pervasive, constant surveillance through technology, as seen in social media algorithms influencing behavior (Deleuze’s Control Societies). This creates a control society where individuals are “dividuals,” constantly monitored, as Deleuze notes, aligning with Zuboff’s surveillance capitalism.

Religion & Spirituality: Commodified New Age and Bio-power

The modern era saw a decline in religious authority in Western societies, with the Enlightenment promoting secularism, though Christianity remained dominant. The post-Modern era shifts toward secularism, with a rise in alternative spiritual practices like New Age movements, emphasizing pluralism and individual expression.

However, New Age spirituality becomes a form of self-commodification, marketed as products or services for personal transformation, such as self-help books and retreats. Michel Foucault’s The History of Sexuality: An Introduction (1978) concept of bio-power is relevant, showing how these movements can be co-opted to create individualized power structures reinforcing social inequalities by commercializing spirituality (Foucault’s Bio-power). For example, the emphasis on positive thinking can blame individuals for systemic issues, as critiqued in a 2010 article on New Age commodification (New Age Commodification).

Conclusion: Challenging the Ghosts of the Past

In conclusion, the post-Modern era, while presenting itself as a departure from the modern era, is characterized by the persistence and evolution of modern structures of power and control. From social structures to religion and spirituality, the underlying dynamics of capitalism, control, and hierarchy continue to shape our society, often in more subtle and pervasive ways.

By understanding how these modern ghosts rule the present, we can begin to challenge and dismantle these structures, working towards a truly liberated and equitable society. This requires not only critiquing the co-optation of progressive rhetoric but also addressing the systemic inequalities perpetuated by global elites and technological advancements.

Key Citations

Mobility Report Cards: The role of colleges in intergenerational mobility Mobility Report Cards
Amazon Labor Practices: Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace Amazon Labor Practices
Corporate Diversity Critique: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World Corporate Diversity Critique
Art Market Analysis: The Commodification of Contemporary Art Art Market Analysis
Cambridge Analytica Scandal: Cambridge Analytica and Facebook: The Scandal and the Fallout Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Piketty’s Capital: Capital in the Twenty-First Century Piketty’s Capital
Harvey’s New Imperialism: The New Imperialism Harvey’s New Imperialism
Deleuze’s Control Societies: Postscript on the Societies of Control Deleuze’s Control Societies
New Age Commodification: New Age Commodification and Appropriation of Spirituality New Age Commodification
Adorno’s Culture Industry: Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception Adorno’s Culture Industry
Baudrilliard’s Hyperreality: Simulations Baudrilliard’s Hyperreality
Chomsky’s Critique: Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media Chomsky’s Critique
Fanon’s Critique: The Wretched of the Earth Fanon’s Critique
Foucault’s Bio-power: The History of Sexuality: An Introduction Foucault’s Bio-power
Harvey’s Neo-liberalism: A Brief History of Neo-liberalism Harvey’s Neo-liberalism
Stiglitz’s Critique: Globalization and Its Discontents Stiglitz’s Critique
Technofeudalism Explained: Technofeudalism As Explained By Yanis Varoufakis Technofeudalism Explained

Summary

Research suggests modern structures like capitalism and hierarchies persist in the post-Modern era, often disguised by progressive rhetoric.
It seems likely that social mobility remains limited, with meritocracy hiding class systems, as shown by U.S. studies on income inequality.
The evidence leans toward tech giants like Amazon and Google creating a new form of “techno-feudalism,” concentrating power and wealth.
Post-Modern art and culture are often commodified, with corporations controlling access, reducing art’s potential for social critique.
Surveillance capitalism, as seen in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, shows how technology is used for control rather than liberation.

In the modern era, society was rigidly hierarchical, with clear class, gender, and racial distinctions. The post-Modern era emphasizes fluid, fragmented social identities, focusing on diversity and personal identity. However, research suggests that social mobility remains limited, with meritocracy often masking entrenched class systems. For example, a study by Chetty et al. (2017) found that only 8% of U.S. children from the bottom income quintile move to the top, while 40% from the top stay there, highlighting persistent class divisions (Mobility Report Cards).

Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital explains how elites maintain status through education and cultural preferences, reinforcing hierarchies. Michel Foucault’s biopower idea suggests even liberation movements can be co-opted, maintaining the status quo under a progressive veneer.

Economic Structure: Techno-Feudalism and Global Exploitation

The modern era saw industrial capitalism and colonization, built on exploitation. The post-Modern shift to globalization and post-industrial economies, like service and information sectors, hasn’t changed this fundamentally. Instead, it seems likely that wealth extraction continues through financialization and “techno-feudalism,” where tech giants like Amazon and Google act as feudal lords, controlling data and extracting value from users and workers (Varoufakis, 2018).

This mirrors past hierarchies, with global elites exploiting labor worldwide, continuing imperialist legacies through neocolonial structures, as Frantz Fanon and Malcolm X argued. For instance, Amazon’s criticized labor practices, with low wages and poor conditions, exemplify this new feudalism (Amazon Labor Practices).

Philosophy & Ideology: Co-opted Post-Modernism

The modern era championed Enlightenment rationalism and progress, while post-Modernism critiques these with relativism and deconstruction. However, the evidence leans toward powerful institutions co-opting these critiques to maintain control. Theodor Adorno’s culture industry theory shows how mass media manipulates public opinion, distracting from real issues (Adorno, 1944). Liberalism, once progressive, now supports market-driven ideologies, masking inequality, as David Harvey notes (Harvey, 2005). This co-optation is evident in corporate diversity campaigns that hide exploitative practices (Corporate Diversity Critique).

Art & Culture: Commodification and Corporate Control

Modern art followed classical and romantic ideals, but post-Modern art is eclectic, ironic, and media-saturated. Yet, it seems likely that this art is commodified, serving capital’s interests. The art market, with high prices for elite works, reinforces social hierarchies, while mass media turns culture into consumer products, controlled by corporations. Jean Baudrilliard’s hyperreality concept shows how media blurs truth and simulation, reducing art’s social critique potential (Art Market Analysis).

Science & Technology: Control Through Surveillance

The modern era’s scientific revolution drove industrialization, and the post-Modern digital age brought information technology and automation. However, research suggests these are often used for control, not liberation. Surveillance capitalism, as Shoshana Zuboff describes, sees corporations like Google collecting data to predict and manipulate behavior, turning people into commodities (Zuboff, 2019). The Cambridge Analytica scandal, using Facebook data to influence elections, exemplifies this (Cambridge Analytica Scandal), showing technology’s role in maintaining power.

Political Ideology: Subverted Progress

Modern political ideologies like liberalism and imperialism dominated, but post-Modern movements like post-colonialism and feminism challenge these. Yet, the evidence leans toward these being subverted by neo-liberalism and global elite control, concentrating wealth and perpetuating inequality. Thomas Piketty and David Harvey critique this, with Harvey’s “accumulation by dispossession” showing continued imperialist exploitation (Piketty’s Capital, Harvey’s New Imperialism).

Technology & Society: Control Societies and Labor Hollowing

Mass production and early consumerism marked the modern era, with entrenched class divisions. Post-Modern automation and AI transform work and leisure, but it seems likely they hollow out labor, with tech monopolies extracting rents from data and consumers. Gilles Deleuze’s control societies concept shows power shifting to pervasive surveillance, as seen in social media algorithms influencing behavior (Deleuze’s Control Societies).

Religion & Spirituality: Commodified New Age

The modern era saw declining religious authority, with the Enlightenment promoting secularism. Post-Modernity brings New Age spirituality, but it’s often commodified, marketed as self-improvement products. Michel Foucault’s bio-power shows how this can reinforce inequalities, with practices like positive thinking blaming individuals rather than systems (New Age Commodification).

Mama Lapalu machang.!!

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