He speaks to the resistance our culture and society has had to the Occupy movement and its powerful new messages. Certainly there has been State resistance, not the least of which has been epitomized by the now-ubiquitous use of force to remove physical encampments. We have also witnessed the complicit and voluminous media resistance to Occupy; whether through slander, misrepresentation, or active deception. But the distilled brilliance of Rockstroh's message, the core piece that has been working through my mind for seven days now, lies in his addressing the deeper core issues at the personal level. Rockstroh takes us straight to the mat when he dares present the question: What is it in each of us that resists the messages of Occupy, and why do we resist so strongly?
A difficult question, and likely an even more difficult answer. Some believe that the dark parts of our lives helps direct us toward the light. In this case, is it possible that by tackling the really tough questions, we might come to know better the true nature our own predicament?
Excerpt from "By Imbeciles Who Really Mean It": Lost Verities and Dirty Hippies - by Phil Rockstroh
"Yet, often within a declining empire, even as the quality of life grows increasingly degraded for the majority of the populace, questioning sacrosanct beliefs, such as, the myth that capitalism promotes societal progress and personal advancement, by means of the possibility of upward class migration, proves to be a difficult endeavor for many. The reason: Even given the degraded nature of life as lived under late capitalism, the act of taking stock of one’s situation–beginning to question how one arrived at one’s present station in life–will engender anxiety, anger and regret.
Apropos to the shame based Calvinism of the capitalist state: If I was duped in a rigged game, what does that say about me? The narrative of capitalism insists that if I work hard, applying savvy and diligence, at fulfilling my aspirations then I would, at some point, arrive in the rarified realm of life’s winners.
But if success proves elusive, then my flawed character must be the problem–not the dishonest economic setup–and miasmic shame descends upon me. Yet I can count on rightwing media to provide the type of provisional solace proffered by demagogues i.e., imparting the reason that folks like me can’t get ahead is because scheming socialists have hijacked my parcel of the American Dream and delivered it to the undeserving thereby transforming my shame into displaced outrage.
And that must be the case; otherwise, it would behoove me to make the painful admission that I have been conned…have co-signed the crimes committed against me. Worse, I would be compelled to question all my verities and beliefs–all the convictions I clutch, regarding, not only the notions that I possess about myself and the methods I’ve adopted in approaching life, but also, the social structure that influenced my character.
Imagine: If you had to re-imagine your life. Imagine, how the act would unnerve your loved ones, threaten friendships, even endanger your livelihood.
What an unnerving task that would prove to be…an ordeal certain to deliver heart-shaking anxiety, devastating regret and nettling dread directly into the besieged sanctuary of what is suppose to be the inviolable precincts of my comfort zone".
Excerpt By Phil Rockstroh - Full article here
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