Monday, August 01, 2005
What's wrong with corn
Normally, I'd let this slide, but it's a war, so what else can I do?
Anyway, Alex Stathopoulos goes into the usual tripe about how important it is to be activist. It's those evil corporations, you see, and they've infiltrated us from the shadows. What makes them evil?
We become angry when fast-food chains move into the neighborhood, but turn a blind eye to the monopolization of telecommunications—which has given corporations the power to control public opinion almost indefinitely.
Wow, that is bad! If only there was some kind of alternative to corporate media, easily accessible. I can imagine it now. There would be critics of all sorts with the ability to publish their views directly for viewing. No editorial staffs to stop them. No "standards of programming" for them to live up to. No, they'd be able to speak up directly, and the viewer could decide on her own about what's being said. Heck, just to make things even more impossible, maybe this alternative could have the easy means for critics to actually put sources and debates in easy reach of the readers, with the mere push of a button. These critics wouldn't just summarize what some other guy said, they could actually provide the full text. But that's absurd. It'll never happen.
Students, united by the principles that made this campus famous decades ago, need to realize the clout they wield united under a common cause.
The principles of "I want something! I'm going to try to get it!"? As fascinating as wielding clout is, I think it might be wiser to actually have a common cause of interest, rather than finding a common cause for the sake of wielding clout.
Though we may be momentarily appeased by the material luxuries we have acquired or the petty victory of having straight-A transcripts, I believe that sometime soon students will wake up and realize that injustice has been hypnotizing us into complacency.
Ah, more evil from the corporations. They make us complacent! Of course, no one can get complacent without being content. So I guess the evil the corporations have brought upon us is to allow us to be easily content. Such horror! Oh, wait. Actually, that's rather nice of them.
This answer, solitary and heartfelt, left me with an important question that I’d like to pose. If young people, the most daring people in any society—the ones who sacrifice their lives for their countries, the ones who rebel against stagnant institutions—if we feel helpless in the face of big business and corrupt politicians, then who will save us?
To your question, a question: Why do we need to be saved from contentment?
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