This VISA ad, I think, is a really direct allegory for capitalism:

It shows that what we take for individualism, or freedom of choice (i.e., of consumption), is actually highly regulated and highly limited (the appearance of post-modernism?). And on top of that, it’s entirely mechanized, and that’s what it expects of us — to be cogs in a well-oiled machine of consumption and credit, and little more. This ad seems to celebrate that. Any actual individualism or actual break from the status quo and order of things is severely frowned upon.

The thing about this ad is that it just comes out and shows it for everyone to see. What’s really fun is looking for all of that where it isn’t apparent.

How long till you realize, or admit to yourself, that what (or who) you’re angry with the most is yourself?

Michael G from Cincinatti sent me the following in response to my post on evolution:

Evolution of man, the question has been made

Evolution and Creationism, dualities of ignorance,
Visit a curry house and you may find another answer,
Enlightenment there for both scientist and fundamentalist,
The idea that man, the poor creature he had been,
was given the spirit, gods uplifting his soul,
no conflict here with either side’s part the answer,
for both are right, but maybe not right enough,
consider the knowledge, the creatation who we are,
men who could always do with a little more work.

For Scientist only, have you considered
intelligence is out there? Or do you think
we are the only ones with a test tube?

For Fundamentalist only, do you think god(s)
do only their own work? Or do you think the work
is done with a plan through god’s creations?

For both look at the moon,
two eyes, a nose a mouth,
the face with a slight smile.

MichaelG
Cincinnati, Ohio

Of course, it is my blog, so I’ll comment on this. Firstly, the “dualities of ignorance” are not quite so simple.

There are creationists who believe that evolution is the vehicle that god chose (for whatever reason), or that god guides evolution. There are evolutionists who believe that god is the first cause. Okay, if that’s what floats your boat, fine.

To assume that there are scientists who are “ignorant” of god, well, I’m not so sure that’s always the case, either. Many may be, but many still have actively questioned and pursued the question of god without arriving at any kind of satisfactory answer. And thus, they’ve rejected god.

I can’t say the same about creationists who have pursued the question of evolution. Most of them read surface-level analyses like those of Harun Yahya and other “intelligent design” advocates, which are full of lies, misinformation and whatnot. Being a bona fide scientist and rejecting evolution is not quite so easy.

Pinochet, of course, was the man who so virtuously saved democracy from … democracy.

Tetris teaches us that even if life is not like a box of chocolates (i.e., in so far as you do know what you’re gonna get), it doesn’t mean that you’re going to be prepared for it or that you’re going to plan it well.