The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
– Martin Luther King Jr
The concept of "scopic colonialism" (SC) is not widely addressed in scientific literature. However, there exists a rich body of research on capitalism, colonialism, scopic capitalism (Illouz, 2021), and colonial capitalism (Ulas Ince, 2018). By integrating these diverse perspectives and considering the available observations, we can posit the hypothesis that contemporary digital societies contend with a distinct form of SC. This phenomenon reproduces colonial ideologies at both individual and collective levels by perpetuating and reinforcing the power dynamics, hierarchies, and ideologies that were characteristic of colonial rule: control of representation, construction of otherness (the colonized "Other" as fundamentally different and inferior to the colonizers), reproduction of hegemony, normalization of colonial narratives, perpetuation of power structures, etc.
The logics of colonialism refer to the ideologies, social structures, political frameworks, and thought patterns that underpinned and justified colonial expansion. They are deeply rooted in the history of European expansion across the globe, where European nations conquered, occupied, and exploited vast territories and populations in the name of colonial power. Colonizers frequently justified their dominance through claims of cultural and racial superiority, economic exploitation, exertion of stringent political and social control over colonized territories, and assimilation of indigenous populations into the culture, language, and norms of the colonizers (Césaire, 2001; Fanon, 2001). Colonial logics were frequently rationalized by ideologies such as civilizing colonialism, which purported to bring civilization, progress, and development to colonized territories.
We assert that in the context of SC, the global dissemination of media and technology, viewed as colonial tools and weapons, yields narratives and ideologies that perpetuate colonialism across both mental and biological domains. This phenomenon no longer exclusively concerns territories and populations categorized as inferior and in need of assimilation into a process of civilization. Everyone is rendered inferior in the face of the unrepresentable and unpredictable advancement of artificial intelligence and corporate powers. We could even propose the concept of "reverse colonialism." With the invasion of digital culture, we are witnessing a reversal of colonialism: it is the populations of the wealthiest countries who are currently exposed to the SC we are describing. We could even propose the concept of "reverse colonialism." For it is highly likely that, with the invasion of digital culture, we are witnessing a reversal of colonialism: it is the populations of the wealthiest countries who are currently exposed to the scopic colonialism we are describing.
SC affects the entire global population, subjecting individuals to the dominance of economic powers through a prevailing logic of programmed and perpetual obsolescence. This compels individuals to adjust their aspirations, behaviors, moral values, etc., due to the fear of social and economic exclusion. Whether consciously or unconsciously, people internalize and reproduce these dominant narratives, thereby contributing to the perpetuation of colonial logics and power structures. Consequently, SC extends the influence of colonial logics beyond physical territories and populations to the mental landscapes of individuals, shaping their understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them.
L. Poenaru, Scopic Colonialism (work in progress).
Simulation in silico d’une future société et mise au point des stratégies pour y parvenir, déstabilisation progressive de notre environnement, connaissance de notre vie intime et de notre état profond mieux que nous-mêmes ou nos proches, accentuation des démons internes, stimulation de segments fragiles de notre personnalité, parasitage des mécanismes de défense de notre cerveau, substitution de notre self, manipulation des perceptions, des émotions et des comportements, création de communautés de colère et de paranoïa, excitation du racisme et des pensées conspiratrices à l’aide d’expériences psychologiquement abusives, activation par tous les moyens de l’engagement en ligne et de la recherche d’informations pour donner un sens au chaos sociétal induit artificiellement, culture de la catastrophe, imposition des modèles de récompenses fréquentes mais irrégulières obligeant à retourner « jouer-cliquer », militarisation des informations sur le modèle PSYOP* – cette science de la guerre totale et du perspecticide fondée sur des données de la vie réelle (in real life data) et sur l’intelligence artificielle peut être qualifiée de viol psychique global.
L. Poenaru, Inconscient économique (L'Harmattan, Paris, 2023).
One of the theses we defend concerns the vicious distraction-dissociation that manufactures "ordinary" hypnosis to better influence the unconscious. Indeed, the dominant culture of indispensable entertainment seems to offer recreation while simultaneously preparing the unconscious for the massive injection of consumption and propaganda codes.
Poenaru
Une des thèses que nous défendons concerne la distraction-dissociation vicieuse qui fabrique l’hypnose "ordinaire" pour mieux influencer l’inconscient. En effet, la culture dominante de l’indispensable divertissement semble offrir une récréation et préparer simultanément l’inconscient à l’injection massive des codes de la consommation et de la propagande.
Poenaru
