Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E

 Nomadic artisans, merchants, and prospectors form an interconnected network that navigates smooth spaces and matter-flows. Their roles are defined by mutual dependence:

  1. Artisans (e.g., metallurgists): Follow the flow of matter, relying on prospectors to extract raw materials and merchants to transport resources and distribute finished goods.
  2. Nomadic Prospectors: Operate in smooth spaces, initiating the flow of materials like metals from mines, which connect nomadic and sedentary groups.
  3. Merchants: Act as intermediaries, linking prospectors and artisans by transporting materials and goods across nomadic and sedentary spaces.

Mines serve as critical points of connection, illustrating the dynamic interplay between these roles. Their collaboration highlights the adaptability and interdependence of nomadic and sedentary systems.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E: Illustrating the interactions between artisans, merchants, and prospectors

 Illustrating the interactions between artisans, merchants, and prospectors, emphasizing their interdependence and roles within the flow of matter:

1. Metallurgists and Prospectors

  • Artisans (Metallurgists): Metallurgists are itinerant artisans who follow the flow of matter, particularly metal from the subsoil. They depend on prospectors to locate and extract raw materials like tin or iron.
  • Prospectors: Prospectors initiate the flow by identifying and extracting metals from mines, which are often located in remote areas like deserts or mountains. Their work connects smooth spaces (nomadic) and striated spaces (sedentary).
  • Example: In ancient empires, tin for bronze was sourced from distant regions like Spain or Cornwall, requiring prospectors to locate and extract the material before it could be transported to metallurgists.

2. Merchants as Mediators

  • Role of Merchants: Merchants act as intermediaries, transporting raw materials from prospectors to artisans and distributing finished goods to markets. They reverse the flow of matter by bringing resources to artisans, enabling them to avoid traveling themselves.
  • Example: Merchants facilitated the movement of ingots and charcoal to metallurgists, allowing workshops to operate near forests for fuel while maintaining connections to distant mines.

3. Revolutionary Conversions

  • Hybrid Roles: In revolutionary contexts, the roles of artisans, merchants, and prospectors often blend. For example, during the Hussite Wars, peasants converted oxcarts (tools of agriculture) into mobile fortresses (weapons of war), demonstrating the fluidity of roles and objects.
  • Example: This conversion highlights how artisans, merchants, and prospectors can adapt their roles to meet the demands of war or resistance.

4. Nomadic and Sedentary Relations

  • Artisans and Nomads: Metallurgists often interacted with nomads, as mines were located in smooth spaces controlled by nomadic peoples. This required negotiations and alliances between artisans and nomads.
  • Artisans and Sedentaries: Metallurgists also relied on sedentary farmers for food and charcoal, creating a network of interdependence between different societal groups.
  • Example: The control of mines often involved complex politics, with empires, nomads, and sedentary communities negotiating extraction, transportation, and production.

5. Chain of Mobile Workshops

  • Collaborative Networks: Metallurgists, prospectors, and merchants formed a chain of mobile workshops, moving from hole to hole (mines) and creating a line of variation. This network connected distant regions and facilitated the continuous flow of matter.
  • Example: The ingot-form of metal was common to all segments, symbolizing the shared work of prospectors, merchants, and artisans.

Conclusion

These examples illustrate the interconnected roles of artisans, merchants, and prospectors in following and sustaining the flow of matter. Their interactions highlight the adaptability of their roles and the importance of collaboration in shaping production, commerce, and societal structures.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E: The relationship between artisans, merchants, and prospectors

 The relationship between artisans, merchants, and prospectors is deeply interconnected, shaped by their roles in following flows of matter and their dependence on one another within broader societal and economic systems.

 Here is an analysis based on the document:

1. Artisans as Itinerants

  • Definition: Artisans are defined as those who follow the flow of matter, embodying pure productivity. They are itinerants, moving to where the matter-flow leads them, such as metallurgists who work with subsoil materials like metal.
  • Dependence on Prospectors: Artisans are incomplete without prospectors, who locate and extract raw materials. The separation of artisans from prospectors diminishes their autonomy, transforming them into "workers" within a segmented system.
  • Dependence on Merchants: Artisans rely on merchants to transport materials and products, enabling them to avoid making the journey themselves. Merchants reverse the flow by bringing materials to artisans and distributing their finished goods.

2. Prospectors as Flow Initiators

  • Role: Prospectors are the first link in the chain, identifying and extracting raw materials from the earth. They initiate the flow of matter that artisans follow.
  • Connection to Merchants: Prospectors depend on merchants to transport extracted materials to artisans or markets. This creates a chain of movement that links the subsoil to production and commerce.

3. Merchants as Mediators

  • Role: Merchants mediate between prospectors and artisans, facilitating the movement of materials and goods. They follow a circuit rather than a flow, moving between points of departure and arrival (e.g., import-export, buy-sell).
  • Dependence on Artisans and Prospectors: Merchants rely on prospectors for raw materials and artisans for finished goods to trade. Their role is essential for connecting production to consumption.

4. Interdependence and Fragmentation

  • Interdependence: The three groups form a chain of productivity, with each relying on the others to complete the cycle of extraction, production, and distribution.
  • Fragmentation: The separation of these roles into distinct groups (prospectors, merchants, artisans) fragments the flow of matter and diminishes the holistic nature of artisanship. This segmentation aligns with the organization of labor under state or imperial systems.

5. Metallurgy as a Case Study

  • Artisans-Metallurgists: Metallurgists are the first specialized artisans, forming collective bodies like guilds and secret societies. They depend on prospectors for metal and on merchants for charcoal and transportation.
  • Nomadic and Sedentary Relations: Metallurgists interact with nomads and sedentary communities, bridging smooth spaces (nomadic) and striated spaces (sedentary). Mines, as sources of flow, connect these groups through shared interests in extraction and trade.

6. Broader Implications

  • Economic Systems: The relationship between artisans, merchants, and prospectors reflects broader economic systems, where specialization and segmentation create interdependence but also limit autonomy.
  • Deterritorialization: Metallurgy exemplifies the deterritorialized nature of matter-flow, connecting diverse groups and spaces through the movement of materials.

Conclusion

The relationship between artisans, merchants, and prospectors is one of mutual dependence, shaped by the flow of matter and the segmentation of roles. While artisans embody pure productivity, their reliance on prospectors and merchants highlights the interconnected nature of production and commerce. This dynamic also reflects broader societal structures, where specialization and segmentation influence the autonomy and roles of different groups.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E: War Machines and State Power

 

War Machines and State Power

  • The nomad war machine is not primarily about war, but about occupying and moving through smooth space.
  • States appropriate the war machine, transforming it into organized armies with war as their direct object.
  • This shift leads to total war, where entire populations and economies become targets.
  • The process is fraught with risks: nomads risk becoming part of the State, while States risk unleashing uncontrollable war machines.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E: Smiths: Hybrids of Space and Society

 

Smiths: Hybrids of Space and Society

  • Smiths are neither fully nomadic nor sedentary; they are itinerant, inhabiting 'holey' spaces like caves or underground huts.
  • Their social role is unique: mixed, endogamous, and often forming twin lineages.
  • Smiths communicate with both nomads and sedentaries, acting as technological and social bridges.
  • Their ambiguous status leads to complex affective relations—honored, feared, or scorned depending on context.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E: Artisans and Metallurgy - The Matter-Flow

 

Artisans and Metallurgy: The Matter-Flow

  • Artisans are defined by their ability to follow the flow of matter, especially metals, rather than being tied to land or animals.
  • Metallurgy reveals a 'material vitalism'—a life within matter, often hidden in other crafts.
  • Metallurgists are the first specialized artisans, forming collective bodies and secret societies.
  • Their work connects them to both nomads (for resources) and sedentaries (for sustenance), highlighting complex interdependence.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split E: Unveiling the Dynamics of Nomadology

Unveiling the Dynamics of Nomadology

Explore the intricate relationships between nomads, artisans, and the evolution of war machines.

  • Nomads & Smooth Space: Nomads are defined by their occupation of smooth, open spaces, shaping unique social and military structures.
  • Artisans & Metallurgy: Artisans, especially metallurgists, follow the flow of matter, creating a vital link between subsoil resources and societal development.
  • War Machine Transformation: The war machine, originally a nomadic invention, is appropriated by States, shifting its purpose from creative movement to organized destruction.
  • Smiths as Hybrids: Smiths bridge nomadic and sedentary worlds, inhabiting 'holey' spaces and forming unique social bonds.

Understanding these dynamics offers fresh perspectives on history, technology, and power—helpful for analyzing social change and innovation.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D

 Assemblages are dynamic systems that define the function and identity of weapons and tools by integrating them into broader social, economic, and technological contexts.

 Key points include:

  1. Function Determination: Weapons and tools share a technical sphere, but their purpose is shaped by the assemblage they belong to. For example, a sword can be a weapon in a war machine or a ceremonial tool in a different context.

  2. Conversion: Objects can shift roles depending on the assemblage. For instance, oxcarts (tools) were converted into mobile fortresses (weapons) during the Hussite Wars.

  3. Movement and Speed: Assemblages influence the relationship between objects and movement. Weapons in war machine assemblages emphasize speed and projection, while tools in work machine assemblages focus on gravity and equilibrium.

  4. Social and Economic Context: Assemblages are shaped by broader systems, such as nomadic war machines prioritizing mobility and solidarity, or agricultural assemblages emphasizing stability and production.

  5. Aesthetic and Expressive Roles: Weapons in nomadic assemblages are linked to ornamentation and affects, while tools in work assemblages are tied to signs and organization.

In summary, assemblages determine whether an object functions as a weapon or a tool, highlighting the adaptability of technical objects within different systems of human activity.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D: Assemblage

 

1. Assemblages Define Function

  • Weapons and tools exist within a shared technical sphere, but their function is determined by the assemblage they are part of. For example:
    • Weapons: A sword becomes a weapon within a war machine assemblage, where its purpose is destruction, counterattack, and projection of force.
    • Tools: The same sword could serve as a ceremonial object or crafting tool in a different assemblage, emphasizing equilibrium or ornamentation.

2. Examples of Assemblage-Defined Objects

  • Hoplite Weapons: The two-handled shield and spear were specific to the phalanx assemblage, where their function was tied to organized combat and collective movement. Outside this assemblage, these objects lose their military significance.
  • Heavy Plow: The heavy plow became a tool only within agricultural assemblages that included communal economies, crop rotation, and the use of horses. Without these elements, the plow would not serve its intended purpose.

3. Conversion Between Weapons and Tools

  • Assemblages allow for the convertibility of weapons and tools. The same object can shift between roles depending on the assemblage:
    • Hussite Wars: Peasants converted oxcarts (tools of agriculture) into mobile fortresses (weapons of war) by integrating them into a war machine assemblage.
    • Martial Arts: Weapons like swords are "unused" in martial arts assemblages, subordinated to speed and mental discipline, transforming them into tools for personal mastery.

4. Assemblages and Movement

  • Assemblages also define the relationship between objects and movement:
    • Weapons: In war machine assemblages, weapons are tied to speed, projection, and free action. For example, the stirrup and saber emerged from nomadic assemblages emphasizing mobility.
    • Tools: In work machine assemblages, tools are tied to gravity, equilibrium, and overcoming resistance. For instance, the heavy plow is designed for slow, methodical work in agricultural contexts.

5. Social and Economic Context

  • Assemblages are shaped by broader social and economic systems:
    • Weapons: Nomadic war machines create assemblages that prioritize mobility, solidarity, and externality to state structures.
    • Tools: Agricultural and industrial assemblages emphasize stability, production, and hierarchical organization.

6. Ornamentation and Expression

  • Assemblages also influence the aesthetic and expressive aspects of objects:
    • Weapons: In nomadic assemblages, weapons are often linked to ornamentation and jewelry, emphasizing mobility and affects.
    • Tools: In work assemblages, tools are tied to signs and writing, emphasizing organization and stability.

Conclusion

Assemblages are the key to understanding the distinction between weapons and tools. They determine the purpose, movement, and social role of objects, allowing them to shift between functions depending on the context. This dynamic interplay highlights the adaptability of technical objects and their integration into broader systems of human activity.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D: The convertibility between weapons and tools

 The convertibility between weapons and tools, emphasizing their shared technical sphere and the role of assemblages in determining their function. Here are key examples:

1. Historical Overlap Between Weapons and Tools

  • Agricultural Implements and Weapons: For ages, tools like axes and plows were indistinguishable from weapons. The same object could be used for farming or combat, depending on the assemblage it was part of.
  • Percussion Tools: Andre Leroi-Gourhan noted that types of percussion (e.g., hammers) are found on both sides, serving as tools for crafting or weapons for striking.

2. Assemblages Define Function

  • Hoplite Weapons: The two-handled shield and other hoplite weapons existed only within the phalanx assemblage, which transformed their function into tools of organized combat.
  • Heavy Plow: The heavy plow became a specific tool only within agricultural assemblages that included communal economies, triennial crop rotation, and the use of horses instead of oxen.

3. Revolutionary Conversions

  • Hussite Wars: Peasants converted oxcarts into mobile fortresses armed with portable cannons, blending tools of agriculture with weapons of war.
  • Worker-Soldier Alliances: In revolutions, workers and soldiers often reinvent tools and weapons, creating hybrid objects that serve both resistance and counterattack.

4. Martial Arts and Weapon "Unuse"

  • Martial Arts: Weapons in martial arts are subordinated to speed and mental discipline, often "unused" to cultivate affects and counterattacks. This demonstrates how weapons can transcend their destructive function and become tools for personal mastery.

5. Metallurgy and Ornamentation

  • Metalworking: Nomadic smiths linked metalworking to both tools and weapons. For example, swords and jewelry were crafted with similar techniques, emphasizing mobility and expression rather than work or gravity.

Conclusion

The convertibility between weapons and tools lies in their shared technical sphere and the assemblages that define their use. A plow can become a weapon, and a sword can serve as a ceremonial tool, depending on the social, economic, or military context. This fluidity highlights the adaptability of technical objects and their role in shaping human activity.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D: Comparing Tools and Weapons

 

Comparing Tools and Weapons

AspectToolsWeapons
DirectionIntroceptive (centripetal)Projective (centrifugal)
Movement/VectorGravity, displacementSpeed, free action
ModelWork, resistanceFree action, counterattack
ExpressionSigns, writingJewelry, ornamentation
Passional RegimeFeeling, form of workerAffect, counterattack

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D: Nomadic Metallurgy and Innovation

 

Nomadic Metallurgy and Innovation

  • Nomads pioneered key innovations in war and metallurgy (e.g., man-horse-bow assemblage, socketed battle-ax, steel saber).
  • Metallurgy is a flow of matter and energy, shaped by singularities and operations, not just fixed laws.
  • Technological lineage is complex: inventions often diffuse between nomads and empires, challenging simple origin stories.
  • Metallurgists operated with autonomy and clandestinity, enabling adaptation and propagation of innovations.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D: Assemblages - The Heart of Technology

 

Assemblages: The Heart of Technology

  • Technical elements (tools/weapons) gain meaning only within social or collective assemblages.
  • The same object can be a tool or weapon depending on its assemblage (e.g., a plow in communal agriculture vs. a lance in cavalry).
  • Assemblages are driven by desire and passion, not just efficiency or rationality.
  • State apparatuses tend to standardize assemblages, but new alliances and mutations can arise, leading to technological revolutions.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split D: Unraveling the Dynamics of Tools and Weapons

 

Unraveling the Dynamics of Tools and Weapons

Explore the complex relationship between tools, weapons, and social assemblages:

  • Interchangeability: Tools and weapons are not intrinsically different; their roles shift based on usage and social context.
  • Assemblages Matter: The function and meaning of a technical object depend on the collective, machinic assemblage it belongs to.
  • Nomadic Innovation: Nomads revolutionized warfare and metallurgy, introducing new assemblages like the man-horse-weapon system.
  • Affective Dimension: Technology is shaped by passions and affects, not just rationality or utility.

Understanding these dynamics helps reveal how technology evolves and why its meaning is always tied to broader social and affective forces. Use these insights to rethink how you interpret technical objects and their histories.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split C: Challenges faced by nomadic war machines and digital activism

 Challenges faced by nomadic war machines and digital activism share common themes of resistance to control, co-optation, and survival in environments dominated by state or corporate structures. Here is a discussion of these challenges:

1. Resistance to Striated Spaces

  • Nomadic War Machines: Nomads operate in "smooth spaces" (open, undefined areas) but face constant efforts by states to "striate" these spaces, imposing boundaries, regulations, and control. For example, states build fortresses, regulate movement, and enforce territorial claims to limit nomadic freedom.
  • Digital Activism: Activists use the internet as a "smooth space," but states and corporations increasingly striate this space through censorship, surveillance, and data regulation. Examples include internet shutdowns during protests or the use of algorithms to suppress dissenting voices.

2. Co-optation by State or Corporate Forces

  • Nomadic War Machines: States often co-opt the war machine, integrating its tactics and organization into their military apparatus. This undermines the nomadic autonomy and transforms the war machine into a tool of the state.
  • Digital Activism: Movements risk being co-opted by corporations or governments. For instance, social media platforms, initially tools for activism, are now used for targeted advertising, surveillance, and even misinformation campaigns, diluting their revolutionary potential.

3. Vulnerability to Suppression

  • Nomadic War Machines: Nomads are often suppressed by states through military campaigns, forced sedentarization, or economic restrictions. The state seeks to eliminate the nomadic threat by controlling their movement and resources.
  • Digital Activism: Activists face suppression through arrests, cyberattacks, or legal actions. Governments may label activists as threats to national security, using laws to silence dissent and dismantle movements.

4. Dependence on Local Conditions

  • Nomadic War Machines: Nomads rely on local conditions, such as the availability of resources in deserts or steppes. Changes in climate or geography can disrupt their way of life and weaken their resistance.
  • Digital Activism: Activists depend on access to technology and the internet. Digital divides, lack of infrastructure, or government-imposed restrictions can limit their ability to organize and mobilize.

5. Fragmentation and Lack of Centralization

  • Nomadic War Machines: While their decentralized nature is a strength, it can also lead to fragmentation and difficulty in sustaining long-term strategies. Nomads often lack the centralized organization needed to counter the state's cohesive power.
  • Digital Activism: Decentralized movements can struggle with internal divisions, lack of clear leadership, and inconsistent messaging. This can weaken their impact and make it harder to achieve concrete goals.

6. Misrepresentation and Marginalization

  • Nomadic War Machines: Historically, nomads have been dismissed as "barbarians" or "primitive," undermining their contributions and framing them as threats to civilization.
  • Digital Activism: Activists are often misrepresented in mainstream media as radicals or troublemakers, which can alienate potential supporters and justify state crackdowns.

7. Sustainability and Resource Constraints

  • Nomadic War Machines: Nomads face challenges in sustaining their way of life due to resource scarcity, environmental changes, and the encroachment of sedentary societies.
  • Digital Activism: Movements often struggle with funding, burnout among participants, and reliance on platforms that may not align with their values.

8. Adaptation to Changing Contexts

  • Nomadic War Machines: Nomads must constantly adapt to changing political, environmental, and social contexts to survive and resist state control.
  • Digital Activism: Activists must adapt to evolving technologies, new forms of state surveillance, and shifting public attitudes to remain effective.

Conclusion:

Both nomadic war machines and digital activism face significant challenges in resisting the dominance of state and corporate structures. Their shared reliance on fluidity, adaptability, and decentralized organization makes them powerful forces of resistance, but also leaves them vulnerable to suppression, co-optation, and fragmentation. Understanding these challenges is key to sustaining their efforts and achieving their goals.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split C: Comparison of nomadic war machines and digital activism

Comparison of nomadic war machines and digital activism, highlighting their similarities and differences based on the document's themes:

1. Space and Movement

  • Nomadic War Machines: Operate in "smooth spaces" that are open, undefined, and resistant to control. These spaces allow for fluid movement and adaptability, such as deserts or steppes.
  • Digital Activism: Functions in the "smooth space" of the internet, where boundaries are less defined, and information flows freely. Social media platforms and online forums provide spaces for decentralized and rapid mobilization.

2. Decentralization

  • Nomadic War Machines: Lack a central authority, relying on collective solidarity and dynamic organization. Leadership is fluid and situational.
  • Digital Activism: Often leaderless or decentralized, with movements like Occupy Wall Street and #MeToo relying on collective participation rather than hierarchical leadership.

3. Resistance to Striated Spaces

  • Nomadic War Machines: Resist the "striated spaces" of the state, which are controlled, regulated, and divided. They challenge state authority by creating alternative, non-linear paths.
  • Digital Activism: Challenges state and corporate control over information and communication. Activists use encrypted messaging, decentralized platforms, and anonymous networks to evade surveillance and censorship.

4. Speed and Intensity

  • Nomadic War Machines: Defined by "absolute speed," focusing on intensity and unpredictability rather than linear movement.
  • Digital Activism: Leverages the speed of digital communication to mobilize quickly, spread messages globally, and coordinate actions in real-time.

5. Deterritorialization

  • Nomadic War Machines: Deterritorialize by rejecting fixed boundaries and creating new, fluid territories. They reterritorialize on deterritorialization itself, making movement their defining characteristic.
  • Digital Activism: Deterritorializes activism by transcending physical borders. Movements like Black Lives Matter or climate protests operate globally, creating virtual territories of solidarity and action.

6. Rhizomatic Organization

  • Nomadic War Machines: Function like rhizomes—networks without a central root, where each node is independent yet interconnected.
  • Digital Activism: Mirrors rhizomatic structures, with decentralized networks of activists, local groups, and online communities working independently but toward shared goals.

7. Tools and Strategies

  • Nomadic War Machines: Use guerrilla tactics, ambushes, and non-linear strategies to outmaneuver state forces.
  • Digital Activism: Employs tactics like hacktivism, flash mobs, and viral campaigns to disrupt state or corporate narratives and mobilize support.

8. Opposition to State Apparatus

  • Nomadic War Machines: Exist outside the state, challenging its monopoly on power and creating alternative systems of governance.
  • Digital Activism: Resists state and corporate control over information, advocating for transparency, accountability, and alternative governance models.

9. Vulnerability to Co-optation

  • Nomadic War Machines: Can be co-opted by the state, as seen when states integrate war machines into their military apparatus.
  • Digital Activism: Faces the risk of co-optation by corporations or governments, such as the commercialization of social media platforms or the use of digital tools for surveillance.

10. Globalization and Smooth Spaces

  • Nomadic War Machines: Smooth spaces like the sea or desert can be reconstituted by state forces, limiting their revolutionary potential.
  • Digital Activism: The internet, as a smooth space, is increasingly striated by state and corporate control, such as censorship, data regulation, and surveillance.

Conclusion:

Both nomadic war machines and digital activism represent forces of resistance that challenge hierarchical control and operate in fluid, decentralized spaces. While nomadic war machines are rooted in physical movement and territoriality, digital activism transcends physical boundaries, leveraging the virtual realm to create new forms of solidarity and resistance.

 However, both face the challenge of maintaining autonomy in the face of state and corporate co-optation.

Deleuze - Nomadology - Split C: How the concept of nomadic war machines influences modern social movements

How the concept of nomadic war machines influences modern social movements, based on the document's themes:

1. Decentralization and Fluidity:

  • Nomadic war machines operate in "smooth spaces," emphasizing adaptability and decentralization. Modern social movements, such as Occupy Wall Street or Extinction Rebellion, mirror this by rejecting hierarchical structures and embracing fluid, leaderless organization.
  • These movements thrive in open, undefined spaces (e.g., public squares, digital platforms) that resist state control and allow for dynamic, collective action.

2. Deterritorialization:

  • Nomads are described as "deterritorialized," creating their own spaces and resisting fixed boundaries. Similarly, modern movements like Black Lives Matter or global climate protests transcend national borders, focusing on universal issues and creating global solidarity.
  • Social media acts as a "smooth space," enabling movements to bypass traditional state-controlled communication channels.

3. Resistance to Striated Spaces:

  • The state seeks to "striated" (structure and control) spaces, while nomadic war machines resist this by creating non-linear, unpredictable movements. Modern protests often disrupt urban order (e.g., blocking roads, occupying spaces) to challenge state authority and reclaim public areas.

4. Esprit de Corps and Collective Identity:

  • Nomadic war machines rely on solidarity and collective spirit rather than rigid organization. Modern movements foster a similar "esprit de corps" through shared values, symbols, and decentralized networks, uniting diverse participants under a common cause.

5. Speed and Intensity:

  • Nomads are associated with "absolute speed," focusing on intensity rather than linear movement. Modern movements leverage the speed of digital communication to mobilize rapidly, spread messages, and coordinate actions globally in real-time.

6. Opposition to State Apparatus:

  • Nomadic war machines challenge the state's monopoly on power. Social movements like anti-globalization protests or indigenous rights campaigns resist state and corporate control, advocating for alternative systems of governance and resource distribution.

7. Rhizomatic Organization:

  • Nomadic war machines are likened to rhizomes—networks without a central root. Modern movements adopt similar structures, with interconnected nodes (local groups, online communities) that can operate independently while contributing to the larger cause.

8. Cultural and Ideological Nomadism:

  • Nomadic thought resists fixed ideologies, embracing fluidity and adaptability. Modern movements often reject rigid political affiliations, focusing instead on intersectionality and inclusivity to address diverse issues simultaneously.

9. Guerrilla Tactics and Nonlinear Strategies:

  • Nomadic war machines employ guerrilla tactics, striking unpredictably and avoiding direct confrontation. Modern movements use similar strategies, such as flash mobs, hacktivism, and decentralized protests, to outmaneuver state responses.

10. Globalization and Smooth Spaces:

  • The document notes that smooth spaces like the sea or digital realms can be reconstituted by state forces. Modern movements must navigate the dual nature of globalization, using its tools (e.g., the internet) while resisting its co-optation by state or corporate powers.

Conclusion:

Nomadic war machines provide a framework for understanding the dynamics of modern social movements. Their emphasis on fluidity, decentralization, and resistance to state control resonates with contemporary struggles for justice, equality, and environmental sustainability. These movements embody the spirit of nomadism, challenging traditional power structures and creating new spaces for collective action.