Monday, 19 November 2012

The Revolt of the Elites

Perhaps the next revolution won't be of the masses but of the elites, and it is already happening...

“The educated man pictures a horde of submen, wanting only a day's liberty to loot his house, burn his books, and set him to work minding a machine or sweeping out a lavatory. 'Anything,' he thinks, 'any injustice, sooner than let that mob loose.' He does not see that since there is no difference between the mass of rich and poor, there is no question of setting the mob loose. The mob is in fact loose now, and -in the shape of rich men- is using its power to set up enormous treadmills of boredom, such as 'smart' hotels.” - Orwell

And as Lasch wrote about in The Revolt of the Elites, those who pay the piper call the tune, control the narrative, and simply float above and away from the masses...

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Controlled Distraction

Hey, Max?’
‘What, Max?’
‘Do you think that we are dominated by particular sectors of society that function primarily in their own interest?’
‘No.’
‘Do you think that we are fed spectator spectacles like mass media and sports as an opiate to keep us contented and docile?’
‘No.’
‘Do you think that we are offered elections which give the illusion of choice but really do nothing to change the social order?’
‘No.’
‘Do you think that as a result we have become pacified, complacent and aimless?’
‘No.’
‘OK, just asking.’
‘Can I go update my Facebook Timeline now?’
‘Sure.’