prev smooth and striped
“The smooth spatial space itself has no emancipatory force, but there the struggle is transformed and life faces new stakes.” Rationale.
This sentence corresponds to the next sentence in the last paragraph of the text.
“Of course, smooth spaces are not in themselves liberatory. But the struggle is changed or displaced in them, and life reconstitutes its stakes, confronts new obstacles, invents new paces, switches adversaries.”
In other words, smooth spatial space space itself has no inherent power to lead to liberation. In smooth space, however, the struggle changes or moves to another place. It is also stated that life faces new stakes (stakes) in smooth space, confronts new obstacles, creates a new pace, and replaces enemies.
“In smooth spatial space, the struggle changes or moves to another place.” Why?
This is because smooth spatial space has different characteristics than striped space.
- A smooth space is a space that does not have a fixed center or direction and is constantly changing. Therefore, power relations are not fixed, and struggles can easily become fluid and unpredictable.
- Smooth space is based on tactile and rhythmic principles rather than visual and metric organizing principles. This also allows forms of resistance to unfold in the dimension of physical movement and sensation rather than direct confrontation.
- Smooth spaces are non-territorial spaces that are not bound by territorial boundaries such as nations. Therefore, struggles are not fixed in one place, but are likely to move and spread to other places.
- In a smooth space, it is difficult to establish a clear conflict structure (e.g., dominant/dominated) as in a striped space, and the distinction between friend and foe tends to become blurred. This can be expected to make the struggle more diverse and complex.
“The struggle will be fluid and unpredictable.” Any specific examples?
Deleuze and Guattari do not cite specific examples, but in light of their discussion, the following examples might be considered.
- [Nomadic Resistance: nomads resist the territorial domination of the state by moving around instead of settling down. Their movements are fluid and unpredictable, making them an elusive threat to the state.
- guerrilla warfare: Guerrillas have an asymmetrical fighting style as opposed to the military forces of a state. They do not have a fixed base, but rather fight with flexibility and mobility, making their movements fluid and unpredictable.
- Resistance in cyberspace: resistance on the Internet can unfold beyond the constraints of physical space. Hacker groups, for example, can move freely and carry out attacks on power without appearing to do so.
- Artistic Activism: The avant-garde resists existing values by creating new forms of expression. Its activities are constantly changing and have the unpredictable power to disrupt authoritarian control.
This page is auto-translated from /nishio/なめらかな空間では闘争のあり方が変容する using DeepL. If you looks something interesting but the auto-translated English is not good enough to understand it, feel free to let me know at @nishio_en. I’m very happy to spread my thought to non-Japanese readers.