Post by Stallit 2 de Halfo on Dec 13, 2008 13:43:04 GMT
I came across this interesting part on wiki about slavery in ancient rome:
"Freed slaves were called liberti, and formed a separate class in Roman society at all periods. The Phrygian cap was their symbol. The number of liberti were not large, but Rome needed to demonstrate at times the great frank spirit of this civitas, so the freed slaves were made famous, as hopeful examples." - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Rome
So here you had a 'justification', a 'legitimator', of slave society in ancient rome. A process which maintained the dominant ideology in society, that of slavery, amongst the slaves and oppressed.
What does it remind you of in the present day?
What is the 'common sense' way of thinking in this society?
We are constantly bombarded with shows like the apprentice, dragons den. There is a constant parade of entrepreneurs who "worked" their way up from nothing, to become millionaires - Alan Sugar, Bill Cullen, Richard Branson etc - the list is endless. We are told their stories of how they lost it all, only to work hard and build their empire up from scratch, once more. They are shown as the 'living proof' that the rest of us plebs may some day make it - if we work hard. Schools drill it in, family drill it in and the media, drill it in.
The ideas that "we can all make it", and that those "who have "made it" worked hard" to get to their position - has become "common sense". It has been normalized. People's perception of the world and the economic system in which they participate, are in harmony. They accept the dominant ideas.
But look how similar it all is to that of slavery in ancient rome. In reality, only a very small minority (and I suppose exluding small time business people), actually 'make it', in this society. Most people maintain a hope of becoming rich, or 'freed'. For the young, its the idea of working and making something of themselves. For the old and middle aged, its the lottery. "It could be you".
Yet those who make it recieve a disproportionate amount of media time, and influence. Be it, an entrepreneur, or a person who wins the lottery.
Even celebrities and sports people are promoted as examples of 'ordinary' or talented people 'making it'.
Its a delusional state of false consciousness the people are under. Only when people's ideas and views conflict with that of the dominant ideology, will society be in a state of open class consciouse warfare.
The justifications of the slave wage system today are a revamped version of those that justified slavery in ancient rome.
"Freed slaves were called liberti, and formed a separate class in Roman society at all periods. The Phrygian cap was their symbol. The number of liberti were not large, but Rome needed to demonstrate at times the great frank spirit of this civitas, so the freed slaves were made famous, as hopeful examples." - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Rome
So here you had a 'justification', a 'legitimator', of slave society in ancient rome. A process which maintained the dominant ideology in society, that of slavery, amongst the slaves and oppressed.
What does it remind you of in the present day?
What is the 'common sense' way of thinking in this society?
We are constantly bombarded with shows like the apprentice, dragons den. There is a constant parade of entrepreneurs who "worked" their way up from nothing, to become millionaires - Alan Sugar, Bill Cullen, Richard Branson etc - the list is endless. We are told their stories of how they lost it all, only to work hard and build their empire up from scratch, once more. They are shown as the 'living proof' that the rest of us plebs may some day make it - if we work hard. Schools drill it in, family drill it in and the media, drill it in.
The ideas that "we can all make it", and that those "who have "made it" worked hard" to get to their position - has become "common sense". It has been normalized. People's perception of the world and the economic system in which they participate, are in harmony. They accept the dominant ideas.
But look how similar it all is to that of slavery in ancient rome. In reality, only a very small minority (and I suppose exluding small time business people), actually 'make it', in this society. Most people maintain a hope of becoming rich, or 'freed'. For the young, its the idea of working and making something of themselves. For the old and middle aged, its the lottery. "It could be you".
Yet those who make it recieve a disproportionate amount of media time, and influence. Be it, an entrepreneur, or a person who wins the lottery.
Even celebrities and sports people are promoted as examples of 'ordinary' or talented people 'making it'.
Its a delusional state of false consciousness the people are under. Only when people's ideas and views conflict with that of the dominant ideology, will society be in a state of open class consciouse warfare.
The justifications of the slave wage system today are a revamped version of those that justified slavery in ancient rome.
