Surviving Capitalism (Not) : The N.Y. Times Imagines Post-Sandy Looters

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The N.Y. Times Imagines Post-Sandy Looters

Click here to access article by Mickey Z. from World News Trust.

The One Percent's media love to feature the most luridly sensational news stories about individuals committing heinous acts against their fellow citizens. They never go into any depth to tease out the circumstances that might have created such incidents. Obviously, the object is to keep citizens from trusting, relying on, and cooperating with one another so that they will never pose an organized threat to the ruling One Percent. After having lived mostly out of the country from 2002 to 2006, upon return I noticed that my fellow Americans seemed significantly more suspicious of each other.

In this article the author provides the latest illustration of this tactic.

Thanks to the corporate media and some imaginary looters, much of the 99% will remain more suspicious of their neighbors than of the global criminals that helped create the impact and aftermath of Sandy.

Corporate media outlets like the New York Times have a vested interest in shattering the links cultivated by solidarity and mutual aid. The 1% maintains power by using its propaganda wing to sow fear, distrust, and paranoia amongst the huddled masses.