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we
need a new
symbol
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No pro sports. Stock
market closed. No airlines
disturbed the sky. Did
anybody miss these things?
People, all of a sudden,
had time to think. Scary.
They came out of their
homes, their cozy consumer
hidey holes, to light
candles and be in each
other's presence.
Wordless. Nothing to do
but feel and reflect, free
of PINs, passwords, and
fear of debt.
This was the revolution.
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The
Plutocracy
scrambled, seeking the best
way to ensure its wealth.
Missile defense? Troop
mobilization? Increase
surveillance powers of
police? The problem is not
security leaks, but greed.
The mayor of New York City
encourages people to get
over their grief: "If you
would like to go out and
spend money, I encourage
that. It's always a good
thing." Vice President
Cheney seconds the opinion
and Greenspan lowers
interest rates again, a
desperate bid to maintain
the illusion. The brokers
cross their fingers--"We're
not on the brink!"
They're hosing the dust off
the neoclassical columns of
the Stock Exchange. It must
look good for re-opening
today. The dust is an
unwelcome reminder that
empires crumble. Clean up
the facade—hey, presto!,
business as usual. In the
newspaper I am reading,
someone's written WHITEWASH
over the picture, THE REAL
CRIME IS CAPITAL.
The New York Times and CBS
poll 959
people, then print the
conclusion for all of
America: "A majority support
military action even if
thousands of innocent
civilians abroad could be
killed." Have we learned our
lesson? As few as 480
people--the minimum to be
most of 959--becomes
the "majority," and so mass
media does its part to sow
the seeds of war sentiment.
So subtle they make you
think you thought it
yourself, united in deadly
opinion. Color photos of the
flag on all the front pages.
In a bar last Friday, I saw
a flier calling on us to
unite as fellow Americans. I
crossed out that last word
and pencilled in "Humans."
That read a lot better.
There's more future in it. |
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