Thanks for posting this transcript.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12212007/transcript1.html
Barber's analysis and comments are extremely salient. I've thought a good
bit about the loss of citizenship as the result of gross utilitarianism
permeating society. There are units of pleasure and units of "getting ahead"
in the lives of all consumers and very little life force left for
citizenship or genuine community spirit; those things which bring real joy
and real security.
But Barber's discussion of global capitalism was indeed illuminating and
thought provoking. And his discussion about "infantilizing adults" resonated
quite strongly with me, and concisely names a process which has been growing
since the backlash against the hope of the Great Society.
Locally. anyone who has gone to the unveiling of any corporate Penn project
in recent years has seen "the wish list" process; part of the manifestation
of the "infantilizing" process in action. Here, our community is repeatedly
told that inclusion, transparency, and accountability are not necessary in
the new University Consumer District(UCD). Good consumers and good neighbors
must dedicate their voice at "public meetings" or public places to shout out
their wish list.
This paradigm insists that the principals of democratic systems are
inefficient foolishness which will fail to make us "cleaner and safer."
Community members must not talk about their needs as a community but about
the community as a candy land destination. Yes, the community must be
converted to a candy land for tourists and all of us consumers are reduced
to yelling "gimme gimme." In this process, all the code words and phrases
all say to our addicted consumers: "if you keep your place, you will get
lots of trickle down corporate Penn wealth. "Historic preservation, cleaner
and safer, and improving the neighborhood" all have that same intended
meaning to the addicted. Like the sight of a needle excites cravings in a
heroin addict, the sound of these code phrases excites the UCD candy land
consumer.
The infantilized consumer views dissent as "sour grapes." Processaholics are
seen and reduced, not as citizens voicing a fundamental duty to preserve and
pass on a democratic system, but as losers who did not get "their way" at
wish list time. I would defer to Tony West's excellent explanation of
winners and losers in a "representative democracy."
The divisiveness that we have discussed on this list is simply another part
of the infantilizing process. By insisting on secrecy and back room deals,
the community is intentionally split by corporate manipulators and the
intentional divisiveness in our community is portrayed as squabbling infants
in a fight over candy, setting up the process to be used again and again by
anointed experts.
But I believe, that had too large a percentage of us not already been
infantilized; this community would have mobilized to put the brakes on this
repeating and consistent local process. Instead of shouting out wishes each
time like a candy addicted child and shouting code words like "historic
preservation" and "cleaner and safer", we would have one message for
corporate Penn: STOP TREATING US WITH CONTEMPT AS IF WE ARE NOTHING BUT
SPOILED BRATS. Take your "revitalization" and "historic preservation" back
to campus until your wolves conduct themselves like responsible citizens
rather than as the candy men and women.
I really hope everyone on the list reads the transcript and considers Barber's
analysis.
Glenn, a loud citizen
----- Original Message -----
From: "UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "University City List" <UnivCity@list.purple.com>
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 10:36 AM
Subject: Re: [UC] FCC dissenter speaks about process
Glenn wrote:
The thing that bothers me locally is, why do the anointed and Penn Real
Estate keep getting bolder rather than embarrassed? And more globally,
why do I hear the same stories about identical process problems repeating
across the country. In my opinion, we need to be more vocal about
demanding the fundamentals of appropriate process. Otherwise, the
blueprint that keeps showing up to subvert a democratic system; a system
being taken for granted, will eventually succeed.
I'm concerned about this as well. I believe one factor that contributes
greatly to this erosion of process is the erosion of citizenship (our
public civic life) -- which has become increasingly replaced by capitalism
(our private consumerist lives).
yes, you've heard me say all that before. but I recently heard bill moyers
interview an author who says the same thing. his name is benjamin barber
and he just wrote a book called "CONSUMED: How Markets Corrupt Children,
Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole."
listening to their conversation was illuminating -- it explores the
relationship between democracy and capitalism (both of which are in
trouble) on a local and global scale...
read the interview here:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12212007/transcript1.html
excerpt:
...Capitalism has put democracy in trouble. Because
capitalism has tried to persuade us that being a private
consumer is enough. That a citizen is nothing more than a
consumer. That voting means spending your dollars
spreading around your private prejudices, your private
preferences. Not reaching public judgments. Not finding
common ground. Not making decisions about the social
consequences of private judgments, but just making the
private judgments. And letting it fall where it will.
..................
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
[aka laserbeam®]
[aka ray]
SERIAL LIAR. CALL FOR RATES.
"It is very clear on this listserve who
these people are. Ray has admitted being
connected to this forger." -- Tony West
"Ray's falsehoods are more sophisticated,
more believable" -- Tony West
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