In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation.

This schism birthed several factions of Letterists one of which was decidedly led by Debord upon Gil Wolman's unequivocal recommendation. Debord then focused on filmmaking with financial backing from the movie mogul and publiGuy Debordr Gérard Lebovici (éditions Champ Libre) until Lebovici's mysterious death. He criticized both the capitalism of the West and the dictatorial communism of the Eastern bloc for the lack of autonomy allowed to individuals in both governmental structures.

He was also briefly a member of Socialisme ou Barbarie.