Sunday, January 11, 2009
beaten to the punch
Looks like Derrick Jensen has already crafted the rudiments of The Corporate Media Styleguide. Two premises from his book Endgame:
Both apply perfectly to the Oscar Grant murder and subsequent riots as well as the attack on Gaza.
posted by Scats : 1/11/2009 03:50:00 AM
Premise Four: Civilization is based on a clearly defined and widely accepted yet often unarticulated hierarchy. Violence done by those higher on the hierarchy to those lower is nearly always invisible, that is, unnoticed. When it is noticed, it is fully rationalized. Violence done by those lower on the hierarchy to those higher is unthinkable, and when it does occur is regarded with shock, horror, and the fetishization of the victims.
Premise Five: The property of those higher on the hierarchy is more valuable than the lives of those below. It is acceptable for those above to increase the amount of property they control—in everyday language, to make money—by destroying or taking the lives of those below. This is called production. If those below damage the property of those above, those above may kill or otherwise destroy the lives of those below. This is called justice.
Both apply perfectly to the Oscar Grant murder and subsequent riots as well as the attack on Gaza.
posted by Scats : 1/11/2009 03:50:00 AM
