For Independence Day Fannie and I drove to Detroit Lakes, had lunch overlooking the lake, took a stroll along the beach, drove around some lakes, and over to visit a couple that we knew were Republicans and remembering our last visit, we were not especially looking forward to this encounter. We quickly marked the territory and I was surprised that he was hesitantly against Trump and she seriously against Clinton. The mention of Sander’s name brought scorn to their faces and so the territory had been properly marked. I had gone to their cottage determined not to let things get out of hand as they had several years ago discussing politics.
Do this I entered their cottage with the intent to listen to what is important to them. At 88 years young, the fellow’s children in their 60’s and his grandchildren had all completed university degrees. He seemed to hold education in high regard, had attended a university but had not gradated, deciding instead to start a business. He is successful and had passed the daily operation of his businesses to his children, but still kept involved. He said that if he had gotten his university degree it would have made no difference to the outcomes in his life. “If I had gotten a degree,” he said, “I would have gone on to become as successful being a GM or GE executive. Either way I would have reached the same point as now – I am perfectly happy with my life!” He seems set to meet his maker, whatever his level of consciousness.
However, he had a concern with one of his grandchildren in that after graduating with a university degree he was not properly employed in his field and was searching for something different. After his grandchild had not taken up his introduction to a proper job, he indicate he was no longer taking an active interest in his occupational decision. In other words, his grandchild was not fulfilling the designated role his capitalistic education had planned for him.
I sensed that I was looking through a window into the interior of this unfolding experience. I took special notice of his comment on “being equally happy” with his life whether he had or had not received a university education. Either with or without a degree, he reasoned, he would have been equally well-off (happy) working as a capitalist either in his private business or for General Motors. He is saying that formal education would have made no difference in his monetary success (happiness) and apparently no difference in his level of consciousness – one way or the other he would have lived his life equally successful in America’s capitalistic system.
As we drove home from the lakes, I realized that what we had just whiteness was Pinky’s series on Globalization. Here is the first clip of Pinky addressing how globalization is the colonialization of the past, with the same objective to control. Pinky says that “Military force is only the most obvious way to control. Maybe even more important is to dominate the areas that shape consciousness and define relationships: media, technology, law, education – we have to always appear to have progress, authority, and civilization itself on our side.” This hit me as I reflected on my 40+ years in higher education as I remembered writing about some of it in Modern Times the University Factory Scene.
This second clip Defending globalization – A mission for the educated and the enlightened, describes the system producing our friend’s privileged stuff, his beautiful cottage, cars, and boats, which is invisible to him and as Mimi says concluding this clip, “there’s really no incentive for [him] to seriously want to examine any of this….”, to which Pinky concludes, “Someone told me fish can’t see water.” There is no use discussing any of this with our hosts, since swimming with awareness in the fish bowl of global capitalism takes a special kind of lens to see through the muck. However, even if one is able to grind such a lens, there is the daunting task of using it, getting out of the fish bowl, and then making a living to support one’s family. At the end of a future clip a university professor tries to explain this to his wife – this is me and this effort is committing class treason – which we will address next. In the mean time, as an enemy of the state, I am not looking up!
SA Scherling
Transcript
The Pinky Show presents: Defending Globalization …a mission for the educated and enlightened. Narrated by Pinky.
Mimi: Geez, those anti-globalization zealots are really out of control. I mean, I usually wouldn’t care but it’s scary how these people are just SO irrational…
Bunny: They just want someone to blame for their own miserable situations. Don’t worry – we’ll get it under control.
One of the most useful tools we have is what I like to call ‘the invisible hand of privilege’. Here, let me explain – if you look at this map, you’ll see all the nations of the world spread out in front of you as if they’re all equal. But what doesn’t show up on a map are relationships of power…
…and it’s power that makes the voice of a single privileged First Worlder ten times louder than the voice of a single Third Worlder!
For most First Worlders, concerns about globalization tend to be expressed as something like “Is my Sony flatscreen TV still going to be awesome if it’s built in Mexico?” A consumer mindset is not going to understand why people at the bottom of the food chain are pissed off. And honestly, that inability to understand is really good for you and me.
On this side, smugly self-assured First Worlders congratulate themselves on inventing and mastering a system they see as fair and efficient. Economics and business departments teach the theory and practice of global capitalism to the virtual exclusion of any alternatives. And for the most part the students are smart enough to know that going along with it all is both easier and more profitable…
Contrast this with the situation produced in the Third World. These people have to actually live the consequences of practices and policies imposed from the top down. No one who hasn’t experienced this first hand is going to have the perspectives or knowledge produced in such an environment. And in the end, we’re going to use this against them too.
Mimi: It’s kinda ironic how this privilege stuff ends up being basically invisible to those First Worlders who reap the most benefits from these relationships… I mean, there’s really no incentive for them to seriously want to examine any of this….
Pinky: Someone told me fish can’t see water.
<end transcript>
Source: The Pinky Show
