Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Why Las Vegas and Megachurches Are the Pinnacle of Human Achievement

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

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Why Las Vegas and Megachurches Are the Pinnacle of Human Achievement

Click here to access article by Stoya from Vice.

I'm posting this piece because it is rather cleverly and humorously written, but I think it also contains some serious messages. The writer throughout the article seems to be suggesting that debauchery is a significant part of human nature. However, there were a few brief indications that he/she thought another factor was operating to promote such behavior:

I'm not sure where capitalism comes into the equation, but (at least in the developed world) our lives are dominated by this set of rituals and laws surrounding pieces of paper and chunks of metal that only have value because we agree that they do… and the pieces of paper and chunks of metal are now secondary to intangible bank-account balances and debit card transactions.

But, in the very next paragraph this brief sentence-clause suggests that he/she does have some idea "where capitalism comes into the equation".

Vegas casinos are fueled by capitalism....

Otherwise, the writer stays safely on script according to journalistic formulas approved by the ruling class that always frame such pieces as describing human nature.

As I see it, Las Vegas and the whole casino industry--actually most of the entertainment industry-- illustrates the updated capitalist version of the infamous quote attributed to the aristocratic Marie Antoinette--"let them eat cake!" In other words, if you organize a society to serve only the needs of a small fraction of the people, you must serve the rest with cheaply produced fantasies of wealth and fun.