Orwell's mentor
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- Mar 30, 2017
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Reading this, I'm reminded of what one of my professor's said when someone asked why people buy brand name clothing. His answer was, "...because they don't want to be alone". Such a succinct and poignant statement, I always thought. If you're interested, this documentary featuring Naomi Klein expounds on that notion further and what you've also stated:Imagine believing that by giving people tokens called “money” you could purchase the magical power to charm people by your appearance, through the means of displaying a certain “word of power” on your clothing. One would think such a belief very superstitious, something of a backward and primitive society from a jungle, not something which modern people would ever think of doing. But in fact this is exactly what we do, due to the fixation on the thing called “brand names”. People think that by displaying the word “Nike” or whatever they will be loved, appealing, attractive, have all the qualities they wish to display to the world.
Brand names are such a ubiquitous part of modern social life that a majority of people, or so it seems, are under their spell. I don’t doubt that there are people reading this who would actually find a person wearing them more interesting than a person who doesn’t. As if these clothes have some nobility about them, like something made in a sweatshop is actually a positive thing, suggesting the person porting it is of good character. Just a bunch of jumbled up words, assaulting our senses at all times, suggesting something while having no meaning at all.
Really, why on earth would a person buy Nike or other such brands? If you think about it clearly, those clothes are made in atrocious conditions. The people making them earn a meagre pittance, not even enough to sustain themselves despite living in countries with cheap basic commodities. They are forced to work long hours in hot factories with no fire exits, sewing away on their machines endlessly, repetitive meaningless labour. Exploited by corporations who have the resources to pay them equitably, but choose to let them starve for the sake of a few extra cents of profit. How could the beings who make them work in such hells, who do so for nothing more than their own paycheque, utterly without pity, possibly do such things to their fellow humans?
We call the system which permits and promotes this “Capitalism”. It uses the excuse that wealth will magically trickle down to poorer people to allow the unlimited accumulation of wealth by certain entities. These then use their financial might to avoid laws, demand tax breaks, and generally exploit their fellow humans and even countries to whatever extent they can pay for it, and in whatever way will ultimately lead to them becoming more profitable (and the cycle repeats, them ever ammasing illegitimate power).
It is essential that people consider before consuming these junk products which provide nothing more than an utterly meaningless momentary psychological high, whether it be in the form of personal sensations of happiness and conformity, or of the adoration of sycophants who can think of nothing better to admire than the fact that a person has branded themselves with the mark of psychological slavery. The slaves adore their masters, believing them benevolent, in the same way the slaves of consumerism adore a meaningless idol of words and logos which tyrannizes over them.
How primitive we really are! We struggle along, barely making enough money to live, and even in countries where minimum wage has a great deal of buying power, we still don’t have enough spare dinero to be blowing it on tshirts at £50 or more each. We could buy cheaper non-branded clothes and shoes, and look more unique and stylish to any person who isn’t brainwashed enough to be impressed by brand names. Of course some people do like to do this in the most self conscious and oddly conformist style, but it’s quite possible to do it sincerely.
Really we must just overthrow the tyranny of brand names. We must learn to appeal to people with our own personality and force of love, rather than through some other mysterious agency. It is like we are seeking the blessings of the saints – Saint “Nike”, Saint “Coca Cola”, Saint “Adidas”, like they will intervene before society’s judgement, which we fear. We must be ourselves, our most authentic personality, and this will naturally make us quite well-liked, because we are all unique and beautiful beings. Every bit of inauthenticity, especially when it promotes slavery and exploitation, is something which will detract from a happy and meaningful life.
No Logo: Brands, Globalization, Resistance (Featuring Naomi Klein)