TO BE OR NOT TO BE

to be or not to be
that is the question
whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
or to take arms against a sea of troubles
and by opposing, end them...
been re-reading a book called free to be human
by david edwards
one half of medialens
if you haven't read this fascinating enquiry
then do yourself a favour
go out and buy yourself a copy now
and peruse thoroughly
it will broaden your mind
it will knock your socks off
it will repay your investment in spades
assuming of course that you suspend judgement
and pay mr edwards' ideas due attention
F2BH has an eloquent subtitle
summing up the contents most succintly:
intellectual self-defence in an age of illusions
so what can i tell you about this illuminating thesis
in the bite-sized space of a blog post?
well, essentially so the theory goes
those of us living in a 'liberal democracy'
(that's me and very likely you, dear internet reader)
are cheerfully labouring under the illusion
that we have attained freedom in thought and deed
both political and personal
however it turns out that we are very much mistaken
this misplaced assumption being our single biggest obstacle to genuine freedom
for the sad reality is that vested interests keep us stupid
unaware
ignorant
disenfranchised
apathetic
self-obsessed
our understanding of personal, ethical and spiritual issues fatally compromised
but why should this be, you ask, unconvinced?
because the goals of society are formulated by a powerful elite
our business leaders and political masters
who create the rules by which we all shall live
the framing conditions of our society:
that economic growth must be maximised
that corporate profit must be maximised
that these desired outcomes must be fuelled by mass production
and stoked by endless mass consumption
with all its planned obselescence
in order to keep us co-operative and compliant
this growth imperative mantra
must be chanted endlessly by the fourth estate
shouted from the rooftops by our ever-informative media
no conspiracy theory required, folks
because the framing conditions ensure
that those who play by the rules
the journalists who tell us the 'right' things
the executives who maximise profits for their shareholders
at whatever cost
will thrive
while those who are not willing to play ball
will be ridiculed, marginalised and quickly dispensed with
is it little wonder that our natural environment is despoiled
unable to cope with this full-scale assault
unable to provide exponentially increasing quantities of resources
or replenish itself at the required rate?
ecology be damned!
people and animals exist as mere fodder for the industrial machine
only it's easier to spot among the factory farms
and in the sweat shops and slums of the third world
where the impoverished masses starve
as we liberal democrats plunder their resources
worse still
our search for religious truth has been waylaid
by the convenient red herring of atheism
a power religion that ensures a good buying environment
that encourages us to consume ever more voraciously
and discourages any genuine spiritual enquiry
into our relationship with the universe
our place in the cosmos
and as for our sense of morality
it has been corrupted by the mistaken notion
that if we can get away with a misdemeanour
in the absence of punishment by a vengeful god or by society
then why not?
what can be the harm in it?
we do not see that the mistake itself is its own punishment
condemning us to suffer chaos
for do we need to punish the child
for burning its finger in the flame?
(blair n bush beware!)
so here we are
basking in the bright sunshine of our freedom
reduced to an army of stupified zombies sleepwalking to oblivion
waiting for christmas
bored, deadened and alienated
as our despoiled world festers and dies around us...
but fear not, dear reader
as the tears flow down your cheeks
for mr edwards' conclusion is ultimately hopeful:
with effort and discipline
we can acquire the intellectual tools
to take up arms against our sea of troubles
and by opposing, end them...