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The Shallowness of Capitalism

 Here's three indications that the society you live in is in deep trouble.

The massive stadiums where your beloved bands play at are named after banks, department stores, products, or other designation representing commerce: Best Buy Stadium, Staples Center, Nikon Theatre, Continental Airlines Arena, etc etc.
(can you imagine Jimi Hendrix playing at Best Buy center - I can't)

Next:
The Thanksgiving Day Parade - The day we all give thanks, and Its to god but don't quote me on that. I got confused watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade's^TM inflatable orgy of product placement. And thousands of families bring their children to see the spectacle and... it's nice i suppose but it is commerce's wet dream, another salutation to the almighty consumption. One almost imagines seeing a giant inflatable can of spam floating down fifth avenue whilst Regis Philbin and whatever plastic cunt they team that tired geezer with provide the "family values" commentary.

Next:
You try to watch a movie on television. Its a deeply touching drama that is really moving your soul. Every ten minutes though the story cuts and a three of five minute parade of products and services interrupts the story.

These are a few of the ever present ways that we have come to accept the creeping tentacles of this giant octopus called capitalism and rarely even notice there might be something wrong about it. It is what it is so we accept it. But if you notice there's more and more of it - its creeping in everywhere. 

Will it ever end?

Why not just sell corporate sponsorship rights for the Pledge of Allegiance? Would anyone notice? A different corporation each month can sponsor the Pledge and the children in class every morning can learn and recite new pledges periodically. 

"I pledge allegiance to Walmart, for the convenience, low prices and availability. And to the electronics department for which the Playstations and wide screen televisions can be purchased, one nation, under commerce with billionaire bailouts and Fox news for all."

I guess it took me way to long to realize this, that no matter how used to idea we have become, the fundamental truth really is: Capitalism as a basis for a society, is not a basis at all! Capitalism is only a basis for a business, not a society. If you attempt to create a society that has as it's primary designation a word that stands for making as much money as you can - that society will end up a shallow and dangerous one indeed. Likely to end in tyranny every time.

A real social contract is much richer than this idea of self interested profit seeking unit  - as capitalism describes each person. That each of us seeks to maximize our material wealth and that somehow each of us working for our own profit in isolation from the greater society at large would create a better world. 

Should not the great poet laureates or prize winning physicists be as well paid as the banker? How is a banker worth more money in a capitalist society than a great scientist or architect? 

The social contract must support the rights to the health of our bodies and education of our minds, but these two things don't mix well when we exist as free agents in a capitalist society, many cannot afford health care and education costs are excluding many from affording it. And student loans are breaking the backs of generations of young Americans. 

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