Explain That

When I spend time trying to understand how the economic crisis that came to a head in 2008 started, I come to realise that in fact nothing new has happened. When I see how successful the perpetrators are in escaping the consequences of their actions or even the insinuation of responsibility, I start to understand what is meant when you say that history is written by the victors, by those in power. When I realise that the current struggle between the 1% and the 99% is as old as time itself, when I begin to understand how thoroughly the instruments of state have been and are being used to serve the interests of the very few and to negatively impact the interests of the very many, then I start to realize that there is something very wrong with the system.

This is a very troublesome conclusion to come to, especially if you are an active and willing participant in the system, a “law-abiding” citizen, a productive member of society. To suddenly realize that you are aiding and abetting in negating those very things you believe by trusting the state.

But what does this make you, this realization? What is one to do with this understanding that the whole system is corrupt? When you start seeing the conspiracies, how do avoid becoming a conspiracy nut?

I see tweets like this one from @JAMyerson:

“The goal in capitalism is the endless accumulation of wealth. An excellent way to get wealth is cronyism. The tendency is reliable.”

and think to myself, if it is so obvious that this system is not working, that the people in power are bought and paid for, then why does it not bother more people? Why do we allow this to continue?

I think the answer lies in one of the common responses to the realization that the system is gamed, which is burying yourself in work, consumerism and reality television. Ignorance really is bliss. Most people, when they are fed and entertained will not bother to notice that they are being robbed blind. This is something that the powers that be have relied one for as long as there have been powers that be. There really isn’t much difference between free bread and gladiatorial games in ancient Rome and Big Macs & Big Brother nowadays, is there?

But what do you do when can’t or won’t ignore the reality of what is going on? When I realize that the way I believe the world works and the fact that I believe that I must actively participate in changing the way the world works is very much a minority opinion; when I realize that the more time I spend learning about how the economy works, how our politics work, how our societies work I am becoming increasingly radicalized; when I on the one hand dismiss the conspiracy nuts as just that, nuts and at the same time sometimes find myself quietly thinking that some might have a point, that is when I feel least comfortable with my thoughts and convictions.