The Powerlessness of the Virtual

A r e c e n t e p i s o d e : s t u d e n t s d e m o n s t r a t e a n d h o l d u p t h e T G V i n A n g o u l e m e stat i o n . T h e y p o u r d o w n b o t h sides o f t h e train, past t h e passengers sitting m o t i o n l e s s

b e h i n d t h e i r t i n t e d w i n d o w s . A s h o u t h e r e a n d a slogan t h e r e . A n o c c a s i o n a l o u t b u r s t of rage b u t against w h o m ? It is as t h o u g h t h e y w e r e b a r k i n g at an artificial
satellite. F o r t h e T G V is v i r t u a l reality crossing F r a n c e in vitro - an e m b o d i m e n t of
speed, m o n e y a n d all t h o s e things w h i c h circulate c o n f r o n t e d h e r e w i t h their v e r y
real w o r l d o f p o t e n t i a l u n e m p l o y m e n t . A surrealistic c o n f r o n t a t i o n b e t w e e n time's
a r r o w a n d a y o u t h already s p e n t . All t h e y will w r e s t f r o m t h e t r a n s p a r e n c y o f t h e
r i c h i s this t e n m i n u t e s o f i m m o b i l i t y , this t e n - m i n u t e freezing o f t h e T V s p e c t a cle o f w h i c h t h e y are t h e v i c t i m s .
A s c a l e d - d o w n v e r s i o n o f t h e clash b e t w e e n t h e real a n d t h e v i r t u a l a n d its
fantastic c o n s e q u e n c e s a t t h e p l a n e t a r y level: t h e dissociation b e t w e e n a v e r y h i g h f r e q u e n c y v i r t u a l space a n d a z e r o - f r e q u e n c y real space. T h e t w o n o l o n g e r have
a n y t h i n g i n c o m m o n , n o r i s t h e r e any c o m m u n i c a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e m : t h e u n c o n d i t i o n a l e x t e n s i o n o f t h e virtual ( w h i c h i n c l u d e s n o t j u s t t h e n e w i m a g e s o r r e m o t e
s i m u l a t i o n , b u t t h e w h o l e c y b e r s p a c e o f g e o - f i n a n c e , t h e space o f m u l t i m e d i a a n d

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the information superhighways) brings w i t h it an u n p r e c e d e n t e d desertification

o f real s p a c e a n d o f all t h a t s u r r o u n d s u s . T h e i n f o r m a t i o n s u p e r h i g h w a y s w i l l
h a v e t h e s a m e effect a s o u r p r e s e n t s u p e r h i g h w a y s o r m o t o r w a y s . T h e y w i l l
c a n c e l o u t t h e l a n d s c a p e , lay w a s t e t o t h e t e r r i t o r y a n d a b o l i s h real d i s t a n c e s .
W h a t i s m e r e l y p h y s i c a l a n d g e o g r a p h i c a l i n t h e case o f o u r m o t o r w a y s w i l l
a s s u m e its full d i m e n s i o n s i n t h e e l e c t r o n i c field w i t h t h e a b o l i t i o n o f m e n t a l d i s tances a n d t h e a b s o l u t e s h r i n k a g e o f t i m e . All s h o r t circuits ( a n d t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t
o f this p l a n e t a r y h y p e r s p a c e i s t a n t a m o u n t t o o n e i m m e n s e s h o r t circuit) p r o d u c e
e l e c t r i c s h o c k s . W h a t w e see e m e r g i n g h e r e i s n o l o n g e r m e r e l y t e r r i t o r i a l d e s e r t ,
b u t social d e s e r t , e m p l o y m e n t d e s e r t , t h e b o d y itself b e i n g laid w a s t e b y t h e v e r y
concentration of information. A kind of Big C r u n c h , c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s with the
B i g B a n g o f t h e financial m a r k e t s a n d t h e i n f o r m a t i o n n e t w o r k s . W e are m e r e l y
a t t h e d a w n i n g o f t h e p r o c e s s , b u t t h e w a s t e a n d t h e w a s t e l a n d s are a l r e a d y g r o w i n g m u c h faster t h a n t h e c o m p u t e r i z a t i o n p r o c e s s itself. T h e t w o w o r l d s , t h o u g h
literally c u t off f r o m e a c h o t h e r , are e q u a l l y e x p o n e n t i a l . B u t t h e d i s c r e p a n c y
b e t w e e n t h e m d o e s n o t c r e a t e a n y n e w p o l i t i c a l s i t u a t i o n o r g e n u i n e crisis, for
m e m o r y fades a t t h e s a m e t i m e a s d o e s t h e real. T h e d i s c r e p a n c y i s o n l y v i r t u a l l y
catastrophic.
A n o t h e r catastrophic prospect, of w h i c h n o n e of the c h a m p i o n s of t h e virtual of
w h a t e v e r s t a m p h a v e any i n k l i n g ( w h e t h e r w e are t a l k i n g o f t h e o c c u l t m a s t e r s o f
w o r l d finance o r t h e p r o p o n e n t s o f a universal d e m o c r a c y o f i n f o r m a t i o n ) , i s t h e
p h e n o m e n o n of critical mass. We k n o w h o w this o p e r a t e s at t h e c o s m o l o g i c a l level:
i f t h e mass o f t h e u n i v e r s e i s b e l o w a c e r t a i n t h r e s h o l d , t h e u n i v e r s e g o e s o n
e x p a n d i n g a n d t h e B i g B a n g goes on to infinity. If it is above this t h r e s h o l d , t h e u n i verse i m p l o d e s a n d contracts i n a B i g C r u n c h . N o w , w i t h o u t w i s h i n g t o exaggerate,
t h e s p h e r e o f i n f o r m a t i o n ( u n d e r s t a n d i n g b y this, o n c e again, t h e orbital c i r c u l a t i o n
i n real t i m e b o t h o f m o n e y a n d i m a g e s o r messages) i s i n d a n g e r , g i v e n t h e p r o s p e c t

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o f infinite d e v e l o p m e n t - t h e universal c o n n e c t i o n o f all t h e n e t w o r k s w e are

promised of experiencing a brutal reversion of the same kind. W i t h the inform a t i o n s u p e r h i g h w a y s , i t w o u l d s e e m w e are d o i n g all w e c a n t o get b e y o n d this
critical t h r e s h o l d . W h e r e its d e w y - e y e d a d v o c a t e s see o n l y a m a r v e l l o u s c e n t r i f u gal e x p a n s i o n , are w e n o t m o v i n g t o w a r d s s u c h a d e g r e e o f s a t u r a t i o n a n d d e n s i t y
that a deflation a n d a u t o m a t i c collapse will ensue? A n d this e v e n t u a l i t y is no l o n g e r
t h e p r o d u c t o f a d i s c r e p a n c y b e t w e e n a n ultra-sophisticated, u l t r a - c o n n e c t e d s p h e r e
a n d t h e w a s t e l a n d o f t h e rest o f t h e w o r l d (the i n f o r m a t i o n F o u r t h W o r l d ) , b u t a
catastrophe internal to the virtual h i g h - t e c h world - an implosion by exceeding of
t h e critical mass.
W e m a y i n d e e d ask o u r s e l v e s w h e t h e r w e h a v e n o t a l r e a d y p a s s e d this t h r e s h o l d a n d w h e t h e r t h e i n f o r m a t i o n c a t a s t r o p h e has n o t already o c c u r r e d , i n s o f a r a s
t h e m u l t i m e d i a p r o f u s i o n o f d a t a c a n c e l s itself o u t a n d t h e b a l a n c e s h e e t i n
t e r m s of s u b s t a n c e of i n f o r m a t i o n is a l r e a d y a n e g a t i v e o n e . T h e r e is a p r e c e d e n t
h e r e i n t h e f o r m o f t h e ' s o c i a l ' : w e are a l r e a d y w e l l b e y o n d t h e t h r e s h o l d o f t h e
c r i t i c a l social mass w i t h t h e p r o f u s i o n o f p o p u l a t i o n s , c o n t r o l n e t w o r k s , s o c i a l ization, c o m m u n i c a t i o n , interactivity a n d w i t h t h e extrapolation of t h e 'social' as
a c a t c h - a l l c a t e g o r y a m o v e w h i c h i s e v e n n o w c a u s i n g t h e real s p h e r e o f t h e
social a n d its c o n c e p t t o i m p l o d e . W h e n e v e r y t h i n g i s social, s u d d e n l y n o t h i n g
is.
B u t p e r h a p s b e n e a t h this c r a z e d t e c h n o l o g i c a l o p t i m i s m , this m e s s i a n i c i n c a n t a t i o n o f t h e virtual, o u r d r e a m i s o f j u s t this critical t h r e s h o l d , a n d this phase-reversal
o f t h e s p h e r e o f i n f o r m a t i o n . N o t h a v i n g e x p e r i e n c e d this m o m e n t o u s e v e n t , this
g e n e r a l i m p l o s i o n a t t h e w o r l d level, w e m i g h t b e said t o b e e n j o y i n g i t e x p e r i mentally, at t h e level of a m i c r o - m o d e l . G i v e n t h e a c c e l e r a t i o n of t h e p r o c e s s , it
m a y n o t b e far f r o m actually o c c u r r i n g . W e s h o u l d , t h e n , h e a r t i l y e n c o u r a g e this
massive m e l t d o w n o f i n f o r m a t i o n a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n .

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At a n y rate, t h e r e is still an a l t e r n a t i v e h y p o t h e s i s . T h i s is t h a t t h e p i c t u r e we are

g i v e n o f t h e p o w e r o f v i r t u a l t e c h n o l o g i e s - from t h e irresistible p r o m o t i o n o f v i r tual reality t o t h e u n c o n t r o l l a b l e p o w e r o f t h o s e n e w m a s t e r s o f t h e u n i v e r s e , t h e
lords of M i c r o s o f t a n d t e l e - c a p i t a l i s m (Le Monde diplomatique, M a y 1995) - largely
r e p r e s e n t s m e d i a h y p e reflecting t h e s e l f - h y p i n g o f t h o s e m i l i e u s t h e m s e l v e s (the
w h o l e process is a s e l f - d r i v i n g l o o p ) .
O n e o f t w o t h i n g s m u s t b e t h e case. E i t h e r t h e w h o l e w o r l d i s i n thrall t o t h e s e
t e c h n o l o g i c a l b a r o n s , w h o m i g h t b e said t o b e c o n c e n t r a t i n g e v e r y k i n d o f real
power in t h e i r o w n h a n d s ; in this case, all we c a n do is d i s a p p e a r , s i n c e in this s c e n a r i o w e are already virtually w i p e d off t h e m a p - a n d t h e t e r r i t o r y . O r this i s n o t
t h e w a y t h i n g s are a t all a n d this w h o l e s t o r y i s v i r t u a l t o o . T h e p o w e r o f t h e v i r t u a l is m e r e l y v i r t u a l . T h i s is w h y it c a n intensify in s u c h a m i n d - b o g g l i n g w a y
a n d , m o v i n g e v e r f u r t h e r f r o m t h e s o - c a l l e d ' r e a l ' w o r l d , itself lose h o l d o f a n y
reality p r i n c i p l e . F o r t h e s e t e c h n i c a l forces t o e x t e n d t h e i r g r i p o v e r t h e w o r l d ,
t h e y w o u l d h a v e t o h a v e a p u r p o s e p o w e r m u s t b e p o w e r t o s o m e end - b u t
t h e y d o n o t . All t h e y c a n d o i s t r a n s c r i b e t h e m s e l v e s i n d e f i n i t e l y i n t o t h e i r o w n
n e t w o r k s , t h e i r o w n c o d e s . E v e n s p e c u l a t i v e capital rarely c o m e s o u t o f its o r b i t :
i t i s a m a s s e d a n d lost i n its o w n s p e c u l a t i v e v a c u u m . A s for t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f
this m e d i a p o w e r i n t o p o l i t i c a l p o w e r , w e h a v e s e e n , i n t h e case o f B e r l u s c o n i ,
t h a t it failed at t h e first h u r d l e , c o n t r a r y to t h e thesis of t h e m e d i a coup d'etat
(according to which, once you had gained control of the e c o n o m y and c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , i t was m e r e l y a f o r m a l i t y t o seize p o l i t i c a l p o w e r ) . W e w e r e f r i g h t e n e d
8

b y a n o v e r - e s t i m a t i o n o f m e d i a p o w e r , w h i l s t t h e m e d i a i n fact sap t h e reality o f

all p o w e r , for b e t t e r o r for w o r s e . I t i s a n i n e v i t a b l e c o n s e q u e n c e o f v i r t u a l i t y :

8. Berlusconi's g o v e r n m e n t lasted for seven m o n t h s , falling w h e n U m b e r t o Bossi's Lega N o r d

pulled o u t of the coalition.

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t h e r e can b e n o strategy o f t h e virtual, s i n c e t h e o n l y strategies n o w are t h e m s e l v e s

virtual ones.
S o t h e r e are n o ' m a s t e r s o f t h e u n i v e r s e ' . T h e r e are o n l y m a s t e r s o f transparency,
a n d j u s t b e c a u s e t h e i r m o n e y , p r o d u c t s a n d ideas cross t h e b o r d e r s o f a g l o b a l i z e d
m a r k e t u n h i n d e r e d , t h a t i s n o reason t o b e n d t h e k n e e t o this s u p r e m a c y o f t h e v i r tual i n w h a t w o u l d m e r e l y b e a n e w f o r m o f v o l u n t a r y s e r v i t u d e .
6June

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1995