Resist
by Jesus Ali
I'm fed up. Pissed off. Disillusioned. ... I'm going through changes,
let's put it that way. Changes in the way I see the world, in the way I
imagine my future, in my values, and in what I perceive to be my
enemies.
I am a filthy poser. I know. At the release of Bulls on Parade I jumped
with both feet onto the Rage Against the Machine Bandwagon and rode it
strong all day long everyday for about six months, learned all the
lyrics, bought a tee-shirt, supported the Zapatista Movement, and
explored Communism. Then other bandwagons soon followed. But RATM left a
definite mark on me. I didn't realize how definite until a few weeks
ago. All of the sudden I've become disenchanted with the entire "become
a graphic designer-work hard making the new Hefty Cinch Sack logo-repeat
until I'm rich" meme. All of the sudden out of nowhere, I find myself
demanding substance out of my life.
The term "corporate" keeps pounding at me. "Can't sell out to the
corporate Man!" "I can't become a cog in the
capitalist corporate machine!" "There are things in the world, causes,
children, people, [who and/or which] mean more [cosmically / in the long
run / on the greater scale / when I die and go to God and have to be
accountable for my life] than some corporate letterhead or logo." I have
tens of condemnations for all the ways that capitalism has poisoned the
world [and tens more ways each of those poisoned things relate to us
living in the world{America}] bouncing around in my head and I thought
that writing this would put those tens of indictments in some straight
orderly rows that would lay out a complete and succinct manifesto of my
new world order inside my head. So far it isn't happening...
[and try again...] Capitalism.
[start at the beginning] destroyed the Native Americans [buffalo carry
bacteria that was lethal to cows]. We had to have the American cattle
industry to populate and economically invigorate the West and fulfill
Manifest Destiny [census of 1890 and the like]. [Native Americans were
absolutely dependent upon the buffalo. Without the buffalo they will
perish] America must fulfill Manifest Destiny.
"Buffalo are killing our cows, gentleman! Now, I don't need to tell you
that cows is money. So when I say ride the transcontinental railroad
that was built on the broken backs of Asian imi[slaves]grants and open
the window when you see that buffalo and take your rifle and shoot that
fucker right between the eyes, [I mean, it's a long train ride, what
else are you going to do to entertain yourself?] and you get too queasy
to senselessly kill that animal and help expedite the Native American
holocaust, I'ma tell you that it's US or THEM, boy! Our cows or their
buffalo. What if that buffalo you don't shoot ends up months later
infecting one of my cows with that damn bacteria?! Huh, boy? What then?
Are you going to get square with me about that cow of mine you killed?
YOU killed. Because you wouldn't put that damn buffalo out of its
misery. Boy you just cost me and yourself a hell of a lot of money."
Capitalism. It killed the Indians. It's killing us [Americans, American
Youth, Gen Xcetera, etc.] right now. For example, when asked to describe
a person to someone who doesn't know that particular person, what tidbit
of information do we communicate? The person's looks? Their
achievements? Their goals in life? What their job Jobs are given too
much undue respect in this society. Even here at MIAD. A LEARNING
institution. The goal is to make us profitable. Marketable. Of course
poverty is a bad thing. Ignorance is worse. I'm not branding MIAD
with a blazing "A", on the contrary, I developed this hate for
capitalism largely while at MIAD. Being surrounded by the beautiful art
and men and women who want to devote their lives to making beautiful art
makes the thought of growing up in a world full of worthless, hungry
Capitalist Hyenas that much more bitter.
I am thoroughly sickened by those who wish to squander their time on
earth getting rich whenever I imagine all
that can be accomplished in a lifetime. Two people are jobless. One
person was a drunk-drug addict in high
school-parent in high school-drop out in high school take your pick.
Person b is a college grad. BA of Arts.
Highly marketable person. Could be earning high five figures courtesy of
the corporate Man. Person A has two
children, lives in the inner city, casual drug addict. Years later, goes
insane from to much Crack. Years later, semi straightens out. All along,
on government assistance. Jobless. Person b turns down offers from the
Man. Hops a flight to Mogadishu to change the diapers of war orphans.
Years later, teaches inner city youths how to use computers. Years
later, earns MA, joins the peace core. All along, on government
assistance. Jobless. Two very different lives. Three. Person c. College
grad. Greedily and readily suckles the corporate phallus. Years later,
passed over for promotion. Years later, promoted. Family. Casual
alcoholic. Spouse and child mental and physical abuser. Years later,
promoted, decides what children watch on television. Decide the Ninja
Turtles don't fight long enough or eat enough pizza or aren't making the
company enough money. Takes the stress home and smacks up the kids, hits
the bottle.
Years later, the world reaps six year-olds in Switzerland who beat a
young girl to death playing Power Rangers
and stuffed-crust-triple-decker-chicken-on-top-pizza-pizza. A, b or c,
who gave more to the world? If it wasn't
for Capitalism's hold on the America and the world, it might be
somebody's "Job" to raise their children into
decent human beings. Somebody's bills might get paid by that person to
educate, one on one a fellow human being.
But instead some people pay over US $14,000 a year to be trained in the
ultimate capitalism, the selling of
themselves. The Man is buying so why not? Supply = [Demand = Supply]
while human decency lays at
[sub]subsistence. That is what I see. I want to benefit the earth for my
being here. I want to add up to something that mattered. People
shouldn't be measured by title, but by how they treat other people, what
they accomplish, and what they leave behind. So far the only people who
had it right were the Sophists of Ancient Greece. Look up Sophist. If
you were a Sophist your purpose was to find truth to benefit human kind.
The new Hefty cinch sack logo doesn't do shit for me, you, or humankind.
(
geocities.com/capitolhill)