|
 Saturday, July 20, 2002
|
This flash animation is in a directory called "switchback" and the title of the page is "Fuck your Macintosh Lifestyle," which leads me to believe the creators of the page/animation are not Mac fans. The great thing is: their "parody" only makes the Mac sound better, in my opinion. Who wouldn't want to move to Iceland? I'm serious. At least part of the Mac fanbase (and let's face it, a lot of people who use Macs are more like groupies/fans than simple computer users) revels in the whole idea of wanting to escape the dominant culture -- particularly U.S. corporate culture -- so the idea that Mac fans might care about matching socks, hang out with movie stars, go hang gliding, and move to Iceland -- these are all good things in my book. Speaking of which, did you know there was a Mac Communist? I stumbled on his manifesto many moons ago, but it's nice to see him getting some press. Of course, if you're a serious communist the Mac is still corporate corporate corporate, but I'll still argue that Apple's corporate culture/ethos is still a damn sight closer than Wintel to being compatible with social progress. Don't you think?
(Later: The animation's creator explains the thinking behind the animation. No wonder I found the spoof ad so likable. We agree -- Apple's still corporate, it's still not open source, etc., but it's still the lesser of two evils...) 2:21:58 PM 
|
|
|
If you have any doubt about the truth of Madison's statement (below) that war is basically the root of all evil in a democracy, check out the Citizen Corps homepage, which features this quote from Shrub:
 "We want to be a Nation that serves goals larger than self. We have been offered a unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass."
President George W. Bush -
State of the Union, January 29, 2002 
Think about that for a minute. Who is the "we" to which Shrub refers? What is the opportunity? Who benefits? So far, the Bush and Co. agenda to remake the U.S. in its pro-business, militaristic image has been the greatest beneficiary of 9-11. This should come as no surprise. (Again, see Madison's quote, below. 1:31:05 PM
|
|
|
War is the Enemy
And if we're going to demand real change to make our world a better place, we need to add this whole "war without end" business to the top of the list. On April 20, 1795, James Madison said:
"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes. And armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended. Its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war...and in the degeneracy of manners and morals, engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."
As I said below, "the people," (that's you and me) have let ourselves become subdued, and Madison's predictions about the effects of war seem more true every day. For more on this, including suggestions for things we might do about it, see MoveOn.org (the source of the Madison quote, above). 12:51:09 PM
|
|
|
In his most recent DaveNet, A New Beginning, Dave Winer seems to be trying to muster up some enthusiasm to jump back into the fray of the working world after his recent heart surgery. The kind of hope and enthusiasm he's looking for is kind of in short supply these days, it seems to me, and for good reason. But Winer seems to be going with the "if we build it, they will come" approach. He writes:
From this point we'll get much better information about how companies are doing. Stock options as we knew them, are over. Salaries and benefits matter. Transparent management. Time to ride the Cluetrain, for real. Companies must make identifiable products for real people that they communicate with honestly, directly and openly. You can't view your customers, shareholders or readers as fat, dumb and happy; or they'll take you down the Enron-WorldCom road. It's time for the philosophy of the Web to become the philosophy of business. View your constituents as people with minds, and treat them accordingly.
That all sounds great, except for one thing: Corporate America (and our Corporate government in the form of Bush and Co., especially) treats customers, shareholders, and readers as fat, dumb, and happy because that's how they (we) have been behaving for decades now (since the 1960s, I'd say). We have become complacent and lazy, and far too trusting, which has forced us into the jam we're in today. All of which is to say I fear Winer's hopeful optimism about the changes we're going to see might do more harm than good. Nothing has changed, and nothing will change, unless and until we all actively demand that it does. And that means more than watching the news and saying "me too" when someone says he/she is shocked! shocked! about all this greed and fraud. Real, active demands for change mean marches on Washington, letter-writing campaigns, and voting only for candidates who really get it. For example, despite Winer's optimism, and despite the dueling bills in the House and Senate, there have been zero changes to "stock options as we know them." So what's changing, really? Nada. And what are "customers, shareholders, and readers" (we) doing about it? Nada, really. So where's the hope? 12:45:51 PM
|
|
|
|
|
