Through human history, there have always been the few who are sustained by the labors of the many. They have never been able to retain their privilege by force, because, after all, they are the few. So they have relied on ideology, mythology and religion to vindicate their legitimacy, to convince the many that it is not in their own interest to unite and assert their claims, or to seize power from the few.
In the 21st Century, the divine right of kings will no longer fly. What we have instead is the mythology of the Free Market, and Invisible Hand that transmutes selfishness into the greatest good for the greatest number. We have Social Darwinism, that conflates natural selection with moral legitimacy, and creates a specious association of social benefit with pecuniary success.
It's bullshit.
We have no free market, but rather a system that is rigged to the advantage of international cartels.
We have no meritocracy, but a system of nepotism and purchased influence.
And if we did have a free market, there would still be no "invisible hand" to protect us from global warming, mass extinction, depletion of fisheries, or other tragedies of the commons .
We have no democracy, but a system that funnels our votes into the the Party of Business, as the only alternative to the Party of Madness.
We have no free press, outside those brave souls who invest their time freely in investigative reporting, and offer their findings on independent Web sites.
The ideology of the Invisible Hand and the myth of the meritocracy have no intellectual integrity and no scientific merit. They persist for one reason only:
To convince you that the reason that you live frugally while they live in ostentatious extravagance is your personal failing. You have made poor choices, while they have made better ones.
It's a nasty, self-serving deceit. It's the Big Lie.
Hold your head high, and tell your story to your friends and colleagues. You have everything to be proud of.
Don't believe what you read in the papers and hear on the radio.
Ally yourself with others who are in comparable circumstances to yours. Find common ground for asserting your right to dignity, education, comfortable surroundings and healthy food, basic medical care, a caring community, and meaningful work.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
6
6
5
