Thanks for such a clear summary of a very difficult book. I liken it to a Zen master interpreting Marx.

The clincher for the Spectacle is the degree to which representations of power have eviscerated the actual exercise of power in the political sphere towards achieving societal progress. 'The system' is the societal manifestation of the Spectacle; the Spectacle is the means by which the system preserves itself against any challenge to it.

That has created a political culture in which the last thing most people are interested in is an actual solution to anything. That would require real change of some kind to the system.

Politically oriented people want only to be allowed by the authorities--and left alone by people who are serious about changing things for the better--to go through the motions that accord with representations of power. The Spectacle in the form of the system does allow for actual success for those who would advocate for 'change' that reinforces the grip of the system on society.