Finding Strength in Contradictions



Deleuze and Guattari write in Anti-Oedipus, “...socialists have abandoned belief in the possibility of capitalism’s natural death by attrition. No one has ever died from contradictions. And the more it breaks down, the more it schizophrenizes, the better it works, the American way.” (page 151). This is evidently shown in the contradiction of consumer interest and producer interest. An example of this would be the spying features of most online technology, which should inherently go against the consumer’s interest, but the consumer seemingly never does anything about this, strengthening the seller of the tech product. These socialists who reject capitalism’s attrition are the Marxist-Leninists, the left communists, the Maoists, the anarchists, and the majority of other supposed anti-capitalists out there. This doesn’t mean that only socioeconomic systems find strength in contradiction, but that even an average person can find strength this way. For example, an addict can improve their life by introducing a contradiction to his addiction.

Many accelerationists believe by accelerating capitalism, they can point out its flaws. In reality capitalism’s limit isn’t contradictions, nor is anyone else's. The contradictory writings of the holy men such as Moses and Nick Land only create support for them, schizophrenic support as it seems, for the autist would never allow a contradiction in his flawless world. As a lifestyle, filling oneself with contradictions can benefit them, because it’s Hegelian or something.