We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Capitalism's intellectual sell-outs

Click here to access article by Gary Engler from Rabble (Canada). 
The choices offered young writers, journalists and academics who aspire to earn a decent living at their craft are not great today. There are many more opportunities to voice opinions supporting the system than to criticize it. If you do get a job in a shrinking newsroom or social science department the best way to get ahead is always to support the existing power structure, not oppose it. Arguing in favour of the rich and powerful certainly pays better.
Those who sell their integrity to intellectual pimps of the ruling class are serving the criminal organization of capitalism. But, it pays well and offers promising career prospects along with social status--what more could a young man or woman want? (sarcasm)

In contrast, for young writers, journalists and academics who choose to maintain their integrity and their humanity, they can only look forward--at best--to low paying jobs, rented apartments, being single with no family, and low social status in the dominant culture. Such people have two choices: 1) drop out of society or 2) if they want to live meaningful lives, they must choose to become revolutionaries by dedicating their lives to destroying the organized criminal organization known as capitalism, by any and every means possible and effective, and building a new society based on truth and people power.