Today is the first day of August, 2008. I've always enjoyed the turning of months because it helps my mind locate where we are within the year. August always reminds me that the summer is finite- and that the end of fun and sun is near. That being said, it usually encourages me to cram as much in as I can before the inevitable "Labor Day Blowout." If asked I would have to say August 1st is usually a good day- a day to look forward to a month jammed with cool.
Along these lines, I spent part of the day reading outside. It was sunny, cloudless and not too windy this morning in Wisconsin. The beginning of a good day- until I got into the meat of the book I had chosen: Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism." First of all, this book is amazing. Being somewhat of a history buff (in that I like to know what has happened 'lest we repeat it') and also interested in what the hell really got us into Iraq and all the sticky international situations we now find ourselves- this book gets perfectly to the root of the problem: the theory of perfectly privatized, free-market economics.
Now, that may sound boring and overly technical but Klein's writing is engaging and clear. The bottom line is since the 50's economists in the US have been using Milton Friedman's theory of free-market capitalism (deregulation, privatization, elimination of social programs) to crack open previously unreachable socialist markets around the world in order to profit from them. What started as a brand new en vogue idea by economists, got the backing of politicians and philanthropists and think-tanks. The theory in itself is not the problem- it was (and still is) the implementation of it that promoted social upheaval, unemployment, riots, the suspension of human rights- and yes: thousands and thousands of needless deaths around the world.
From Brazil to Argentina, Bolivia to Russia, to China to Indonesia and Korea- death and disenfranchisement followed everywhere these "experts" went.
You will have to actually pick up the book to understand the intricacies, but suffice to say it doesn't paint a very nice picture of our politicians, media, or business people throughout history. There is blood on our hands we don't even know about.
It is so common to hear about this type of things these days- about things our goverment has either done or turned a blind eye to- that I really only let it ruin today; August 1st. Tomorrow there will be something else, but hey- we must smile on and try to make it better.
I wrote this to help diffuse my anger:
the terrorists have won, go out and beat a drum, the terrorists have won.
fear is their currency and blood is their ally
look around and see the signs- the terrorists have won.
too scared to speak up when our government lies
too afraid to stand up when our jobs jump over borderlines
too out of practice in defiance
too fat to exercise
the terrorists have won.
if you don't believe it just look at how your state is run
cameras everywhere- your cellphone is tracking every bit of fun
more prisons than schools, more TV than public pools
keep the kids inside until they pay taxes or can be drafted.
make no mistake, the terrorists have won.
the terrorists have won because you cannot help but drive
the terrorists have won because god forbid the market takes a dive
the terrorists have won because you can't remember what it is to be alive.
we are so afraid, we look away from all the mistakes we've made- the terrorist have won.
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Don't worry, (smile!) tomorrow is another day.
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