‘01
Sept 2015
The Importance of
Solidarity Politics Philosophies Art
02 E all about solidarity
Our Col l ecti ve Pursui t of Ha pp i n e s s
The Ideology of Solidarity
04 —
Rat Park
28
Why Capitalism will Kill Us All
06 —
Alienation
08
On Privilege and Oppression
32 —
On the Patriarchy
37 —
Relearn what you know about Poverty
10
On Freedom
41
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On Productivity and Value
13
Ideas of Self
44 —
On Depression
15
On Britney Spears
49
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The Myth of Sisyphus with the works and words of Ashley Yeo
22
Words and images in this periodical were created by Eve Yeo unless otherwise stated.
Ed i t o r ’s L e t t e r
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04 E all about solidarity
In a modern society that is founded on capitalism and meritocratic ideals, the value of a functioning member of society is now tied to their productivity. Under the capitalist agenda, the working population lives a routine life, seek materialistic comforts and yet at the bottom of it all, there lays a vaguely dissatisfied being. There seems to be a desire and need to satiate the emptiness that plagues modern mankind which simply cannot be filled with monetary comforts and tangible products. As society progressed in modern times, mankind’s pursuit for survival has extended from basic needs to self-actualisation. Capitalism has created an ideology that our productiveness as a functional member of society ties in to our inherent value of a human being. This has now become a system that removes all excuses for failures and increases the anxieties among the working class. It is important that we delve deeper into the complexities that lie within the worries and anxieties of the urban society. Despite being richer than ever, within the wealthy and opportunity filled society, human beings are more fraught than ever and are struggling to cope with their own worries and anxieties. So much so that we are now so adept at distracting ourselves from recognising these anxieties. Our individuality is only a by-product of our own selfcategorisation, caused by advertising and marketing in the media, and we need to understand this as a problem. Only then can we recognise our society as a whole and its problematic collective. We need to start discerning what our society has constructed us to desire. Attack deep structures of beliefs, question the powers in place, question what they produce and what we receive. Whether or not capitalism will carry on for the next decade or century,
the truth is that it is now seen as the default. No second thoughts are taken as Economics courses are taught about Capitalism as though it is the only viable economic model, where the free market runs supreme and people are happy. Unsurprisingly, trickle down economics and the ideas of meritocracy are lamented and people are now bitter and tired. Britney Spears’ Work B*tch beats on, that if you want wealth and fame, then you better work, b*tch. Well you know what? You will never get it. The layman will work menial hours for meagre fees and still, unless you are actually a CEO in a company or flashing your titties for the paparazzi, it is impossible to reap benevolent rewards from capitalism. You can be sipping Martinis but the Maserati will never be yours to own. How do we fight the system? So many members of the society are passive individuals. How many can say that we belong to a radical political group or fighting wars that are actually making a difference? Our consumer society has been distracting us with so many shiny attractive products. We have been brainwashed to think that these new shiny items will add to our individuality, make our quality of life better and thus (finally!) giving us the luxury and respect we have always been deserving of.
Meritocracy is a lie that we have been told. We are not all equal. There will be rewards for some and nothing for the rest. Sometimes hard work gets you nowhere and that is the way it is. Numbed down and distracted by our surroundings, we lose focus on what is really important and we allow ourselves to be controlled by the government and mass media. We have to stop this cycle. We are more than what we produce in our lifetime, more than what we are working for and we are more than what this society value us for. We are born here, it may not be the perfect place, but we have this education and you are holding on to my words. Our individualism binds us so strongly to the morals and values society has made us memorise. Individual consumption and values are disregarded in the realm of politics. Power lies not in the individual, but in the organised and focused majority. We need to leave the passivity that we have been conditioned to find comfort in and seek a gentler solution to our existence together. Solidarity is important, knowing that we are not alone and knowing that there is a togetherness can make all the difference.
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We were taught that tangibles spoke louder than us. We bought the lifestyles they sold us, and we became what they molded us to be. Why do you feel so alone? Are you chasing money, or are you chasing respect? Our society has been cruel to us, and we are crueller to ourselves. Relearn what you know and rethink what you have become.
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Wh y Ca p ita lis m w ill k ill us al l . Capitalism seems to have become the default economic model in our society. I remember taking my ‘A’ Levels and studying the structures of Capitalism, unaware that there were other economic models, and up until I was in university, I believed that communism was this evil and implausible system. I encountered Marxism and ideas of communism during the course of my Masters degree. I read up on Marx’s theories and his criticisms on capitalism led me to realise how exploitative our society has become. People living under this system grow accustomed to the harshness of their reality and they don’t realise that they are in a system that’s working against them. With the top one percent of the population holding more than half of the global wealth, the inequalities of our world can hardly be overstated. The wealth gap has grown inexplicable amounts over the past century but the implications of it seem to be going under the radar. In fact, the majority underestimate the gap and the reality of the problem simply goes over their heads. Rising inequality is dangerous. Not only does it stunt economic growth, it is bad for governance. When there is an agglomeration of wealth acquired by the powerful, the middle and lower class are left without a voice and their interests are often neglected.
we know that big companies have no vested interest other than profit. We also know that these large forces are omnipresent, and individually, we cannot stop them, their influences and their presence. I felt anger and helplessness, I realised my passivity and even though I was aware of it, it was irrelevant, because I will never be able to dismantle the system. However, I learnt to forgive myself for it. It was not about accepting the status quo, it was just recognising that there are limits to what an individual can do, especially against Multi-National Corporations and big money. To incorporate a gentle philosphy into our lives, it is important to forgive yourself for being part of the machine. We can’t all disappear off the grid and restrict our exposure to mass media, things just do not work that way.
“The “mental health plague” in capitalist societies would suggest that, instead of being the only social system that works, capitalism is inherently dysfunctional, and that the cost of it appearing to work is very high.” Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism
Capitalism needs to stop being the default economic system in both our minds and reality. Ideas of capitalism, free markets, corporations, these are a human invention. It is ruining natural habitat, creating huge unbalances in our environment and society and possibly already inflicting irreversible harm on Earth. We need to stop distracting ourselves from the reality and face the fact that we, the human beings are actively killing Mother Nature. Capitalism is inherently evil, it creates poverty and runs on the sweat and blood of the less privileged. Capitalism is a system that withholds resources from the masses and dominates marginalised groups just to keep wealth and power in the hands of a few. There can be no rich people without poor people.
We cannot avoid all things evil, simply because the structures that are in place have been there since the past century and are constantly reinforced. We can learn to stay on top of social issues and recognise problematic government bodies, understand the importance of self-care and the necessity of rest. Realise that your intrinsic worth as a human being has nothing to do with how much money you earn and what work you do.
Let go of the pursuit of happiness. It is a lie built up by the unrealistic American Dream, sold to us by the generation before us. Instead, chose to be wholesome. Pursue the idea of life and the beauty of our experiences. Embrace sadness and know when to let go. Even if you can’t, understand that depression does not define you and you will eventually find your own path and recovery. Never neglect your well-being and always care for the people in your life because money cannot buy happiness. All of us know it is not about the money, it is about the security that money brings, and sometimes friends and family can do more than bring stability and security to you.
I used to wonder why I was constantly tired, and I realised that I was raised in a society that squeezed the life out of me. In his book Capitalist Realism, Mark Fisher states that capitalism in inherently dysfunctional and the cost of it appearing to work is very high.
Take small steps to redefine what gives you security; stop being over possessive with your lover or let go of those expensive bags that you hold so dear. Tangibles are temporary, they are not who you are and will never define you. Stop spending your whole life building up to a future where you are barely present.
It pains my heart to see members of society becoming the walking dead; passive and unmotivated, only doing what is needed to get by. My generation is educated, we are aware of the power of mass media and we are wary of it. We know how the media controls us,
We are individuals, but we can become a collective. Individually we are weak, which is why we should come together and create a kinder society for each other, making our short time here much more beautiful and stronger.
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50 E pursuit of betterment
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