Just Because You're Paranoid

  You have almost certainly heard about the reaction to the latest Supreme Court decision relating to the infuence of corporations. In a recent poll, around 80% of Americans (from both sides of the two-part divide) opposed the decision. When you listen to what Bill Moyers has to say about the current state of affairs, remember that this is not some alarmist ratings-grabber.



The Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, once said that "fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power".

  Unlimited lobbying power for those with unlimited funds means that the interests of the private citizen will no longer be considered (if we assume that has not been the case until now). I suppose some would argue that this is an extension of the so-called free market, or laissez-faire capitalism. In reality, the new rulers are emerging from the shadows.
  Credit card companies are busy changing their rules to sidestep new legislation. The big investment banks are laughing in our faces as they pay out huge bonus payments to their staff while the rest of the economy self-destructs.
  We have been willing participants in the creation of these monsters. Consumerism makes the task of separating us from our money so much easier. This over consumption burns through the planet's natural resources and leaves us in debt, not content like TV  and billboards tell us. Was it good for you?



I've just just completed a few new designs on similar topics, so take a minute or two to have a look at the latest arrivals here

The Living Dead

The topic of consumerism has been on my mind again recently, and I discovered an interesting (and short) film which i thought I'd share:



This topic of consumerism and indoctrination has been discussed on the big screen for decades. When we watch the classic, Network, it feels so relevant today because little has changed! Freedom of choice, when it is between 100 brands of fabric softener, is no choice at all. If our lives are centered on consumption, we enter into an endless cycle of work, shopping, and debt. We are complicit in the destruction and pollution of our natural resources. We are ignorant of what happens 'behind the scenes' while we are busy buying things we don't need.

I have been challenged to add something positive, and to give some resources for those who want to make a change.  I'll start with a couple of great websites. The first is Adbusters , and the second is Mother Earth News .
A positive step which anyone can take is, after reading a blog or watching a film or just drawing your own conclusions, to pass the message on. After all, consumerism is about illusions. Free (and truthful) information is a sign of true freedom, not the disease of mindless consumerism.

I've posted this before, but it fits this topic perfectly - The Story Of Stuff: