RSA Animate: "The Paradox of Choice" (their stuff is excellent!)

[OneGrassRoot]

10-minute video explaining the role of ideology, choice (false choice in the case of capitalism), and social change (the lack thereof).

The perception of choice (myriad brands in the supermarket, many cell phone plans, media options, etc.) lulls people into thinking they have choices. However, too many choices -- and especially false choices -- cause people to turn against themselves and blame themselves for everything rather than look outward at society itself and come together to affect true social change.

The "newest shiny object" distraction we're all familiar with is part of this phenomenon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bqMY82xzWo&feature=uploademail

:thumbsup:

[Bryan Buchan]

1. It most definately is...

n/t

[mmonk]

2. Grigory Gorin, Russian writer, 1993

"Pieces of a city cannot be auctioned off without taking into consideration that there are indigenous traditions, even if they seem odd to foreigners.....But these are our traditions and our city. For a long time we lived under the dictatorship of the Communists, but now we have found out that life under the dictatorship of business people is no better. They couldn't care less about what country they are in."

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Thanks for sharing that. :) n/t

[mmonk]

6. No problem.

I got the quote from Naomi Klein.

[Silent3]

3. The choices themselves aren't false...

...but in some cases (not all cases) the importance or significance of those choices is distorted or false.

I certainly wouldn't want someone trying to "improve" my life by setting up a committee to, say, run through my local supermarket and decide, for my supposed benefit, that they're going to reduce the number of different products there by a factor of 10 or 100.

I'd love for this video to be seen by everyone, but not because I have any desire to end capitalism, but because I'd like for people to simply think more about the realities and illusions of their lives. That awareness could make capitalistic economies function better.

(This is, of course, a perfect invitation for the standard anti-capitalist ranting which depicts every failure under capitalism as an inevitable failure, if not part of a deliberately decided-upon master plan to enslave us concocted by the capitalist elite.)

[OneGrassRoot]

5. I do believe some choices are false....

though perhaps it's more a matter of an uneducated populace not being aware due to media brainwashing and other influences which create apathy (though we as citizens also have to accept responsibility for allowing it, imho).

I'm not a big "ism" person. I think any ideology has the potential to be corrupted and morphed beyond the original positive intentions.

What we have now is capitalism run amok, in an obscene way, again, imho.

I agree with your statement: "I'd love for this video to be seen by everyone, but not because I have any desire to end capitalism, but because I'd like for people to simply think more about the realities and illusions of their lives. That awareness could make capitalistic economies function better."

It would make ANY system run better if people were truly more aware and engaged.

:hi:

[NYC_SKP]

7. The RSA series is terrific. There's even an iPhone app. Recommended.

I love the Ken Robinson pieces on education.

:kick:

[mmonk]

8. .

:kick: