JamesMcElwain Old/NewMedia Wark Warkdefinesaweirdglobalmediaeventasbeingananomaly.However,morethana peculiarity,theweirdglobalmediaeventstandsoutsidetheframeofconventionalnews narratives(64).Regardlessofitseffectiveglobalreach,Warkarguesthattheweirdglobal mediaeventisglobalasitcallsaworldintobeingthroughitssingularity(64).Whiletraditional newsmediaseekstogiveasenseoforderorregularitytotheworld,theweirdeventannounces ofthepresenceofanunstable,ineffableworldthatisincapableofbeingabsorbedintoready madenarrativesthesourceofitsweirdness. However,itsnotthefeelingelicitedbyaweirdglobalmediaeventbutwhatitshowsthat interestsWark.Morespecifically,thespaceofitsownpossibilitythatisilluminatedbytheevent (68).Forexample,inthecaseofthemarketcrashin2008,Warkarguesthattheweirdglobal mediaeventrevealsthechaoticnatureofthemortgagesecuritiesmarketandthewaysinwhich banksareincreasinglyoperatingunderstrangelawsthatareonlypartlyunderstood(70).

As such,thereseemsasortofrevolutionarypotentialfortheweirdeventtouncoverorunveilthe strangelawsthatoperatebeneaththenormalstateofaffairs. Therelationshipofthisweirdnesstothepowerofthevectoralistclassislessclearfor me.AsfarasIcanunderstand,thevectoralistclassisaclassthatnolongersecuresits foundationthroughmaterialmeasures,industryetc.,butthroughthecontrolofinformationand morespecificallywhatWarkcallsvectors:informationasboththeinfrastructure,thecommodity, andthemovementofthecommodityitself(76).Yet,thetransitiontoinformationcomplicatesany revolutionarypoliticsonecannotconfrontavectoralpowerbyrenouncingtheuseofthe vector(78).Inotherwords,vectorsareheretostay. Warkseemsprettyboldinmakingtheclaimthatthereisnolongeracapitalistclassbuta vectoralistclassthathasdivest[ed]itselfofitsproductivecapacitycontractingouttheactual materiallaborofcapitalismelsewhere(142).WhileWarksemphasisontheprivatizationof informationseemsanaccurateassessmentofmodernpoliticaleconomy,itremainsunclearto mewhatmakesinformationasvectordifferentthansimplyinformationascommodity.AsfarasI cantell,Warkdoesntwanttoconsiderinformationmerelyasanothercommoditybecausehe alsoviewsitastheonedomaininwhichwecouldrealizeacertainutopianpromiseby escapingfrommaterialscarcity(146). Warkrevealshisintentionatacertainpoint:itseemstomethatWarkislessconcerned withdevelopingausefulframeworkforevaluationinformationcapitalism,butratherindeveloping hisownbrandofcriticaltheorythatresistsbecomingmerelyhypotheticaltheoryandhasto engagewithitsownmeansofproductionanddistribution(148).WhileIamsympatheticto Warksdesiretoexaminethefoundationsofcriticaltheory,Iremainunconvincedwhatthe specificbenefitofunderstandingtheworldasvectorsis.Warkseemstometoprivilegetoo muchtheimportanceofinformationwhileforgettingthatthematerialbaseofeconomystill existsattimes,heseemsconsciousoftherealeconomicworkgoingonsomewhereelse, whileatothertimesitseemsastherealmovementofgoodsandcommoditiesisentirely secondaryinthefaceofthevectorialistclass.