Social conventions are deeply imbedded in a culture. . .in every culture for that matter. For example. . .the ongoing convention in entertainment is enemies. You’ve got to have enemies for the good guys to capture or kill. America feeds on the fear of enemies. The government and the media by extension. . .see to it.
Did you notice how easily we slipped from worrying ourselves to death about those “commie bastards” in Russia to “muslim extremists” in America? All they had to do was change the type. As the English writer Bruce Robinson put it. . . “Hollywood is basically Yanks running from special effects. From the infantile end of Scooby Doo. . .right up to the mainstream. . .it’s the same ‘ethic’ of fear. There are monsters and madman and Arabs out to get you. . .and the only place there is no fear is in the ads.’’
To try and get nations to prepare for natural disasters. . .which we’ve proved here over and over would be outrageously cost-effective. . .I realized it would require a totally new social convention. Instead of responding to a disaster. . .ad hoc. . .like the government of Turkey did during their most recent quake (October 2011). . .those responsible for relief would make a single phone call. . .and "relief". . .real well-planned relief. . . would be on its way. . .in minutes. But alas. . .the nations simply don’t give a crap about their people. In private meetings they talk flippantly about the loss of life: “What we needed was a really big one. . .shrivel down the population a bit.”
RELIEVING FEAR THROUGH ADVERTISING
“Your government is working hard on this rescue effort. . .” Sound familiar? Here in America. . .the so-called “American Dream” only occurs now while people are sleeping. “The American Dream will become fear relieved by advertising. Only in the ads will people enjoy security and freedom and peace.” The current election cycle is cranking up for 2012. “The candidates running for President will spend an estimated $2 billion for this go around” (enough to provide disaster relief supplies for every country on the planet for an entire year). It’s still 2011, , ,and they’ve already spent $500 million. “Change is just around the corner. . .We know how to create jobs. . . Relief is just a vote away.” The promise is that government will rescue people from the world’s woes. When a child is frightened it runs to its mother. When a citizen is frightened it runs to its politician. . .who reps his government. And the politician will promise anything to get his vote. And then nothing really changes.
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| A latrine in Bangladesh |
So the social convention of election cycle. . .like winter storms. . .just keep on coming. Each one promising a chicken in every pot. . .a low-mileage vehicle in every garage. . .and a bright tomorrow. “Their is no more gullible person on the planet than a good citizen” said Ambrose Pierce. “The more fear you can induce in the masses. . .the more control you’ve got over them.” And on and on it goes. An awareness of this has caused me significant discomfort as I try to peddle my toilet kit to truly help disaster victims.
I mean advertising is paid communication through some non-personal medium in which the sponsor is identified and the message is obviously controlled. The “message” is manipulated and influenced through a lot of skill in generating a bad taste in your mouth for someone or something. . .while moving you toward a product or service or personality that will solve everything. I will say this. . .I’ve tried to cut out as much of that form of manipulation as possible. And that might be my problem. I want people to see the problem as common to all of us. . .to everyone around the world. Rich. . .poor. . .healthy and sick. . .all of us need to come to terms with the reality that natural disasters keep coming. . .year after year and to almost every country. And none of them know how to prepare for such disasters. Those that know. . .are ignored.
Such is the state of the world. . .as the poor now begin to aggregate in significantly large numbers. When a drought hits a nation today. . .millions are affected. If it lingers. . .such as in the Sudan. . .those millions have no choice but to start moving somewhere. . .where they believe they have a chance of surviving. Disaster after disaster. . .governments simply borrow and pay. . .borrow and pay. . .instead of preparing for such disasters. . .which this site has described in detail. Meanwhile. . .they bury their dead. . .and later make more babies.
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