Thoughts on spectacles

16

The spectacle is able to subject human beings to itself because the economy has already totally subjugated them. It is nothing other than the economy developing for itself. It is at once a faithful reflection of the production of things and a distorting objectification of the producers.

Members of the band Rage Against the Machine mockingly saluting the flag on stage after a free protest concert right outside the 2008 Democratic National Convention. DeBord's aphorism applies because he is discussing the economy and the relationship between the working man and the governments and organizations that "regulate" their labor. The members of this band use music as a form of protest for better economic policies in America and the world. They represent the fed up and frustrated middle class laborers who otherwise feel disconnected from and resentment toward the deciders. This protest show was a demonstration and a cry out for fair treatment.