Capitalist ideology works by concealment, not persuasion, and needs no advocates

Evidence

Voyou’s remarks on readings of The Dark Knight make some important points about ideology. Focusing on the supposed “message” of the film — as both neoconservative interpretations of the film, and their critics, including me, do — is in danger of missing the way in which ideology works in capitalism. The role of capitalist ideology is not to make an explicit case for something in the way that propaganda does, but to conceal the fact that the operations of capital do not depend on any sort of subjectively assumed belief. It is impossible to conceive of fascism or Stalinism without propaganda — but capitalism can proceed perfectly well, indeed better, without anyone making a case for it. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 580

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the established ‘capitalist realism’ theme from ch28 (CR restricts the horizon of political possibility) and ch33 (fascism disavows its own identity) — this is a core mechanism statement of why capitalism outruns propaganda-dependent ideologies. — connects to: Capitalism functions without anyone believing in it, unlike fascism — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: Is There No…, 29; Capitalism differs from fascism in requiring no propaganda or subjectively assumed belief — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: Is There No…, 29; Capitalism cannot function without its ideological disguises and myths — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: Is There No…, 96 (+4 more)
• DEFINE: Defines the specific, technical sense in which capitalist ideology operates: concealment of belief-independence rather than persuasion.

Broader Connections

• Capitalism cannot function without its ideological disguises and myths #corroborates (0.92) — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 96
• Capitalist domination is hegemonic construction, not self-deriving logic. #corroborates (0.85) — Ernesto Laclau, On Populist Reason, 463
• Capitalism co-opts opposition and must be escaped rather than confronted #expands (0.80) — Andrew deWaard, Derivative Media, 468