Exorcism in P o l i t i c s or the

Conspiracy of Imbeciles

T w o s i t u a t i o n s , e a c h equally critical a n d irresolvable: t h e w o r t h l e s s n e s s o f c o n t e m p o r a r y art; political i m p o t e n c e i n t h e face o f L e P e n . T h e r e i s a t r a d e - o f f b e t w e e n

t h e t w o a n d a r e s o l u t i o n b y transfusion: powerlessness t o m o u n t a n y political o p p o s i t i o n t o L e P e n i s displaced o n t o t h e t e r r a i n o f c u l t u r e a n d t h e c u l t u r a l H o l y
A l l i a n c e . So, w h e n i t c o m e s t o q u e s t i o n i n g c o n t e m p o r a r y art, this c a n b e t h e
p r o d u c t o n l y of r e a c t i o n a r y a n d i r r a t i o n a l - if n o t , i n d e e d , fascistic - t h i n k i n g .
H o w can o n e c o u n t e r this respectful c o n s p i r a c y o f imbeciles? Sadly, n o t h i n g c a n
c o r r e c t this m e c h a n i s m of intellectual p e r v e r s i o n , since it is inspired by b a d c o n science a n d t h e i m p o t e n c e o f o u r ' d e m o c r a t i c ' elites t o resolve b o t h t h e impasse o f
art a n d t h e political impasse o f t h e struggle against t h e F r o n t N a t i o n a l . T h e easiest
s o l u t i o n i s t o m e r g e t h e t w o p r o b l e m s i n t h e s a m e m o r a l i z i n g v i t u p e r a t i o n . T h e real
q u e s t i o n t h e n b e c o m e s : can o n e n o t ' o p e n u p ' t h e issue i n s o m e way, suggest s o m e t h i n g u n u s u a l , irreverent, u n c o n v e n t i o n a l o r paradoxical w i t h o u t automatically b e i n g
seen as c o m i n g f r o m t h e e x t r e m e R i g h t ( w h i c h is, it m u s t be said, a h o m a g e p a i d to
t h e e x t r e m e R i g h t ) ? W h y has e v e r y t h i n g m o r a l , c o n v e n t i o n a l a n d c o n f o r m i s t things w h i c h w e r e traditionally o n t h e R i g h t n o w g o n e over t o t h e Left?

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A painful revision. W h e r e a s t h e R i g h t e m b o d i e d m o r a l values a n d t h e Left, b y

c o n t r a s t , a c e r t a i n c o n t r a d i c t o r y h i s t o r i c a l a n d political resolve, t h e Left today,
s t r i p p e d of all political energy, has b e c o m e a p u r e c o u r t of m o r a l i t y t h e e m b o d i m e n t o f universal values, t h e c h a m p i o n o f t h e r e i g n o f V i r t u e a n d u p h o l d e r o f
t h e a n t i q u a t e d values o f t h e G o o d a n d t h e T r u e a c o u r t b e f o r e w h i c h e v e r y o n e
i s a n s w e r a b l e b u t itself. T h e political illusion o f t h e Left, d e e p - f r o z e n for t w e n t y
years s p e n t i n o p p o s i t i o n , has t u r n e d o u t , o n t h e Left's g a i n i n g p o w e r , t o b e p r e g n a n t n o t w i t h t h e m e a n i n g o f history, b u t w i t h a m o r a l i t y o f history. W i t h a
m o r a l i t y o f T r u t h , R i g h t a n d g o o d c o n s c i e n c e t h e d e g r e e z e r o o f politics a n d
e v e n , w e m a y safely say, t h e l o w e s t p o i n t o f t h e g e n e a l o g y o f m o r a l s . T h i s m o r a l i z a t i o n o f values i n w h i c h t h e h i s t o r i c a l t r u t h o f a p a r t i c u l a r e v e n t , t h e aesthetic
quality of a w o r k of art or t h e scientific p e r t i n e n c e of a p a r t i c u l a r h y p o t h e s i s can be
j u d g e d o n l y i n m o r a l t e r m s , i s t h e h i s t o r i c a l defeat o f t h e Left (and o f t h o u g h t ) .
E v e n reality, t h e reality p r i n c i p l e , is an article of faith. Q u e s t i o n t h e reality of a w a r
a n d y o u ' l l b e c o n d e m n e d for b e t r a y i n g t h e m o r a l law.
W i t h t h e Left as l a c k i n g in political vitality as t h e R i g h t , w h e r e has politics
m o v e d to? T h e a n s w e r i s simple: o n t o t h e g r o u n d o f t h e e x t r e m e R i g h t . A s B r u n o
L a t o u r p u t it v e r y well in Le Monde, t h e o n l y p e r s o n t a l k i n g politics in F r a n c e today
is Le P e n . All t h e o t h e r s are talking m o r a l i t y or civics; t h e y s o u n d like s c h o o l t e a c h e r s
o r i n s t r u c t o r s , m a n a g e r s o r p r o g r a m m e r s . L e P e n , c o m m i t t e d t o evil a n d i m m o r a l ity, snaffles all t h e political stakes, s c o o p s up all t h a t has b e e n cast aside or positively
repressed b y t h e politics o f G o o d a n d E n l i g h t e n m e n t . T h e m o r e t h e m o r a l coalition
h a r d e n s against h i m - a m a r k of political i m p o t e n c e - t h e m o r e political capital he
m a k e s o u t o f i m m o r a l i t y , o u t o f b e i n g t h e o n l y o n e o n t h e side o f evil. W h e n , i n
t h e past, t h e R i g h t w e n t over t o d e f e n d i n g m o r a l values a n d t h e established order,
t h e Left d i d n o t hesitate t o defy t h o s e s a m e m o r a l values i n t h e n a m e o f political
o n e s . It is itself t o d a y t h e v i c t i m of s u c h a slide, of s u c h a d e r e l i c t i o n : w i t h t h e Left

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o v e r t a k e n b y m o r a l i s m , t h e repressed political e n e r g y necessarily crystallizes elsew h e r e - i n t h e e n e m y c a m p . A n d s o t h e Left, b y e m b o d y i n g t h e r e i g n o f V i r t u e ,

w h i c h is also t h e r e i g n of t h e greatest hypocrisy, can o n l y fuel V i c e .
If Le P e n d i d n ' t exist, h e ' d h a v e to be i n v e n t e d . He it is w h o delivers us from a
w h o l e evil side of ourselves, f r o m t h e q u i n t e s s e n c e of all t h a t is w o r s t in us. F o r this
w e s h o u l d r i g h t l y a n a t h e m a t i z e h i m . B u t i f h e d i s a p p e a r e d , w o e b e t i d e us, e x p o s e d
to all o u r racist, sexist a n d nationalist viruses (we all have t h e m ) or, q u i t e simply, to
t h e m u r d e r o u s n e g a t i v i t y o f social b e i n g . I n this r e s p e c t h e i s t h e m i r r o r o f t h e
political class, w h o use h i m t o e x o r c i z e t h e i r o w n evils, j u s t a s w e use t h e m t o e x o r cize all t h e c o r r u p t i o n i n h e r e n t i n t h e o p e r a t i o n o f society. T h e s a m e c o r r u p t i n g
f u n c t i o n , t h e s a m e c a t h a r t i c f u n c t i o n . T h e desire t o r o o t all this o u t , t h e desire t o
p u r i f y s o c i e t y a n d m o r a l i z e p u b l i c life, to l i q u i d a t e all t h a t r e p r e s e n t s evil, s h o w s a
total m i s c o n c e p t i o n o f t h e m e c h a n i s m s o f evil, a n d t h u s o f t h e v e r y f o r m o f t h e
political.
T h e a n t i - L e P e n forces, e m p l o y i n g tactics o f u n i l a t e r a l c o n d e m n a t i o n a n d
s h o w i n g n o a p p r e c i a t i o n o f this r e v e r s i b i l i t y o f evil, h a v e e n t i r e l y a b a n d o n e d its
u s e t o L e P e n himself. A s a result h e is, b y his v e r y e x c l u s i o n , i n a n i m p r e g n a b l e
p o s i t i o n . T h e p o l i t i c a l class, b y s t i g m a t i z i n g h i m i n t h e n a m e o f V i r t u e , p u t s h i m
i n t h e m o s t c o m f o r t a b l e o f s i t u a t i o n s , w h e r e all h e has t o d o i s s w e e p u p t h e s y m bolic

charge of ambivalence,

o f r e j e c t i o n o f evil a n d h y p o c r i s y w h i c h h i s

r i g h t e o u s a d v e r s a r i e s o b l i g i n g l y p r o d u c e for h i m a l m o s t a s i f t h e y w e r e i n his
pay. H e d r a w s his e n e r g y f r o m his e n e m i e s t h e m s e l v e s , w h o r u s h t o t u r n his o w n
m i s t a k e s t o his a d v a n t a g e . T h e y h a v e n o t u n d e r s t o o d t h a t g o o d i s n e v e r t h e
p r o d u c t o f r o o t i n g o u t evil, w h i c h always e x a c t s a g l o r i o u s r e v e n g e , b u t o f s u b t l y
t r e a t i n g evil w i t h evil.
L e P e n is, t h e n , t h e e m b o d i m e n t o f s t u p i d i t y a n d w o r t h l e s s n e s s , a d m i t t e d l y , b u t
of the stupidity and worthlessness of the others, of those w h o , in d e n o u n c i n g h i m ,

205

d e n o u n c e t h e i r o w n i m p o t e n c e a n d stupidity, s i m u l t a n e o u s l y r e v e a l i n g t h e a b s u r d i t y o f f i g h t i n g h i m h e a d o n w i t h o u t a n y u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f this diabolical g a m e

o f m u s i c a l chairs - t h u s , i n a t e r r i f y i n g lack o f lucidity, f e e d i n g u p t h e i r o w n p h a n toms, their o w n negative doubles.
W h a t g o v e r n s this p e r v e r s e effect b y w h i c h t h e Left i s s t u c k i n d e n u n c i a t i o n ,
w h i l e L e P e n retains a n exclusive h o l d o n e n u n c i a t i o n w i t h t h e o n e profiting fully
from his c r i m e a n d t h e o t h e r h a r v e s t i n g all t h e negative effects o f r e c r i m i n a t i o n , t h e
o n e d e l i g h t i n g i n evil a n d t h e o t h e r b e c o m i n g e n t a n g l e d i n v i c t i m h o o d ? T h e
a n s w e r is a s i m p l e t r u t h : by c o n f i n i n g Le P e n to a g h e t t o , t h e d e m o c r a t i c Left has
w a l l e d itself u p ; it p o i n t s to itself as t h e d i s c r i m i n a t o r y p o w e r a n d exiles itself in its
obsession. I t a u t o m a t i c a l l y c e d e s t h e o t h e r party's c l a i m o f a d e n i a l o f j u s t i c e . A n d
L e P e n d o e s n o t shy f r o m a p p e a l i n g t o R e p u b l i c a n legality for his o w n a d v a n t a g e .
A b o v e all, h o w e v e r , h e cloaks h i m s e l f i n t h e illegal, i m a g i n a r y , b u t v e r y p r o f o u n d
p r e s t i g e o f t h e p e r s e c u t e d s o w e l l , i n d e e d , t h a t h e can enjoy t h e benefits b o t h o f
legality a n d illegality. F r o m this o s t r a c i s m he derives a f r e e d o m of l a n g u a g e a n d a
b o l d n e s s o f j u d g e m e n t w h i c h t h e Left d e n i e s itself.
A n e x a m p l e o f t h e m a g i c a l t h i n k i n g w h i c h c u r r e n t l y d o e s s e r v i c e for political
t h o u g h t : Le P e n is c r i t i c i z e d for r e j e c t i n g a n d e x c l u d i n g i m m i g r a n t s , b u t this is as
n o t h i n g c o m p a r e d w i t h t h e p r o c e s s o f social e x c l u s i o n w h i c h i s g o i n g f o r w a r d a t
all levels o f s o c i e t y ( e x c l u s i o n itself, t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e 'social f r a c t u r e ' , f o u n d
itself e x c l u d e d b y t h e d e c r e e dissolving t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y ) . A n d this c o m p l e x ,
i n e x t r i c a b l e p r o c e s s o f collective r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i s o n e w e are all accessories to, a n d
v i c t i m s of. It is, t h e r e f o r e , typically m a g i c a l t h i n k i n g to s e e k to w a r d off this
v i r u s w h i c h i s s p r e a d i n g e v e r y w h e r e a s a n effect o f o u r social a n d t e c h n i c a l
' p r o g r e s s ' ; t o e x o r c i z e this c u r s e o f e x c l u s i o n a n d o u r i m p o t e n c e i n t h e face o f i t
by vesting it in o n e execrable m a n , institution or group, w h o e v e r or whatever they
m a y b e ; t o treat i t a s a c a n k e r t h a t c o u l d s i m p l y b e surgically r e m o v e d , w h e n t h e

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s e c o n d a r y i n f e c t i o n s h a v e already spread t o all p a r t s . T h e F r o n t N a t i o n a l i s m e r e l y

f o l l o w i n g t h e p a t h s b e a t e n b y t h e s e s e c o n d a r i e s p a t h s b e a t e n w i t h all t h e m o r e
v i r u l e n c e for t h e fact t h a t w e b e l i e v e w e h a v e e l i m i n a t e d t h e t u m o u r , a n d so, a s a
result, t h e g e r m s spread i n t o t h e w h o l e o r g a n i s m . N o t t o m e n t i o n t h a t this m a g i c a l
p r o j e c t i o n w h e r e t h e F r o n t N a t i o n a l i s c o n c e r n e d d o e s t o i t precisely w h a t i t d o e s
t o i m m i g r a n t s . W e m u s t b e w a r e o f this r u s e o f c o n t a m i n a t i o n i n w h i c h , b y s h e e r
t r a n s p a r e n c e o f evil, t h e positive c h a n g e s i n t o a n e g a t i v e v i r u s , a n d t h e d e m a n d for
l i b e r t y i n t o ' d e m o c r a t i c d e s p o t i s m ' . A s ever, w e see h e r e t h a t reversibility, t h a t
s u b t l e c o i l i n g a n d w i n d i n g , o f evil w h i c h c a t c h e s r a t i o n a l i n t e l l i g e n c e off its g u a r d
( w h e n t h e w h o l e o f m o d e r n p a t h o l o g y t e a c h e s u s s o m u c h a b o u t this a t t h e level
o f t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y , w e p a y n o h e e d t o i t w h e r e t h e social b o d y i s c o n c e r n e d ) .
T o r e m a i n w i t h politics, w e m u s t avoid i d e o l o g y a n d see t h i n g s i n t e r m s o f social
physics. O u r d e m o c r a t i c s o c i e t y is t h e stasis a n d Le P e n t h e metastasis. S o c i e t y as a
w h o l e i s d y i n g o f i n e r t i a a n d i m m u n o d e f i c i e n c y . L e P e n i s t h e visible t r a n s c r i p t i o n
of this viral state, its s p e c t a c u l a r p r o j e c t i o n . T h i n g s h e r e are as t h e y are in d r e a m s :
he is t h e b u r l e s q u e , h a l l u c i n a t o r y f i g u r a t i o n of this latent state, of this silent i n e r t i a
m a d e u p i n e q u a l m e a s u r e o f e n f o r c e d i n t e g r a t i o n a n d systematic e x c l u s i o n . S i n c e ,
i n this society, t h e h o p e o f r e d u c i n g social i n e q u a l i t y has (almost) definitively d i s a p p e a r e d , w e s h o u l d n o t b e s u r p r i s e d t o see t h e r e s e n t m e n t shifted o n t o r a c e
inequality. T h e b a n k r u p t c y o f t h e social p r o j e c t i s r e s p o n s i b l e for t h e successful r e e m e r g e n c e o f race (and o f all t h e o t h e r f o r m s o f fatal strategies). I n this sense, L e
P e n is t h e o n l y 'unofficial' analyser of this society. T h e fact t h a t t h e analysis is on t h e
e x t r e m e R i g h t is m e r e l y a sad c o n s e q u e n c e of t h e fact t h a t t h e r e is no s u c h analyst
o n t h e Left o r t h e far Left. A n d c e r t a i n l y n o n e i s t o b e f o u n d a m o n g t h e j u d g e s o r
t h e intellectuals. O n l y i m m i g r a n t s , a t t h e o p p o s i t e e x t r e m e , m i g h t also b e i n a p o s i t i o n t o analyse w h a t i s g o i n g o n , b u t a c e r t a i n f o r m o f ' r i g h t t h i n k i n g ' has largely
t a k e n t h e m over. L e P e n i s t h e o n l y o n e radically t o m i n i m i z e t h e RightLeft

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d i s t i n c t i o n a d m i t t e d l y , b e c a u s e i t i s o f little i m p o r t a n c e t o h i m , b u t t h e u n c o m p r o m i s i n g c r i t i q u e o f t h a t d i s t i n c t i o n m a d e s i n c e t h e 1 9 6 0 s a n d i n 1 9 6 8 has
u n f o r t u n a t e l y d i s a p p e a r e d f r o m political life. He benefits, t h e n , f r o m a de facto situ a t i o n t h e political class refuses t o face u p t o ( i n d e e d , t h e y d o all t h e y can t o m a s k
i t w i t h e l e c t i o n s ) , b u t o n e day t h e e x t r e m e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f t h a t s i t u a t i o n will have
t o b e d r a w n . If, o n e day, political i m a g i n a t i o n , political will a n d resolve h a v e s o m e
o p p o r t u n i t y t o b o u n c e b a c k , t h e y will d o s o o n l y o n t h e basis o f t h e radical a b o l i t i o n o f this fossilized d i s t i n c t i o n w h i c h has, over t h e d e c a d e s , revealed itself t o b e
an e m p t y sham, and w h i c h only holds up n o w by c o r r u p t collusion. It is a distinct i o n w h i c h has v a n i s h e d i n reality, b u t w h i c h , b y s o m e i n c u r a b l e r e v i s i o n i s m , i s
c o n s t a n t l y b e i n g revived, t h e r e b y m a k i n g L e P e n t h e b e g e t t e r o f t h e o n l y n e w
political s c e n e . I t i s a s t h o u g h e v e r y o n e w e r e i n v o l v e d i n s c u p p e r i n g w h a t r e m a i n s
o f d e m o c r a c y , doubtless t o give t h e retrospective illusion that i t o n c e existed. M a n y
t h i n g s t o d a y h a v e n o o t h e r e x i s t e n c e t h a n this s t a g i n g o f t h e i r d i s a p p e a r a n c e .
P r o v i n g t h a t t h e y e x i s t e d b y a p r e m a t u r e act o f m o u r n i n g , L e P e n h e r e b e i n g t h e
agent of that w o r k of m o u r n i n g and the m a n carrying out the 'contract'.
I s t h e r e s o m e c h a n c e o f d r a w i n g t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f this e x t r e m e (but original)
s i t u a t i o n o t h e r t h a n t h r o u g h t h e h a l l u c i n a t o r y m e d i u m o f L e P e n t h a t i s t o say,
o t h e r t h a n b y a m a g i c a l c o n j u r a t i o n w h i c h saps all energies? H o w are w e t o avoid
s u c c u m b i n g t o this viral e x c r e s c e n c e o f o u r o w n d e m o n s , o t h e r t h a n b y g o i n g b a c k ,
b e y o n d political m o r a l i s m a n d d e m o c r a t i c r e v i s i o n i s m , t o t h a t unofficial analysis
w h i c h L e P e n a n d t h e F r o n t N a t i o n a l h a v e i n a sense s n a t c h e d f r o m us?
7 May

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1997