The Beast

War, soil erosion, cultural extinction, pollution, global warming, deforestation, famine, economic oppression, malnutrition, biological extinction, cultural homogeneity, over-consumption, poverty, misery, indifference, hunger, climate change, political repression, totalitarianism, social inequality, over-production, eradic weather patterns, illiteracy, ignorance and military occupation. These are just some of the symptoms which, when considered together, paint a very frightening picture of the health of our world. Although our cynical nature tends to trivialize what deep down we know to be true, we are in fact heading down a dangerous path. All the great thinkers of our time think so. Even the economic lords of our time are aware of the catastrophe that awaits us. The development model our political authorities in Latin America prescribe to (with an increasing number of exceptions), and whose mantra gets repeated over and over again in all the media to a point where it gets nauseous, is blinding us to the big picture; and even the small picture escapes our grasp. The compartmentalization of our world, where reality is cut-up into "realms of intervention" ("the economy", "poverty", "the environment", "crime",etc) prevents us from seeing, as clearly as we should, the malfunctioning of our societies; we have an obligation to start thinking about the underlying causes of our current predicament and becoming active participants in change.

Since the first summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 where the world’s leaders agreed that this dire situation owed its existence to the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, especially in the first world, things have actually gotten worse. As a direct result of the acceleration of “free-market” policies (key word:"globalization"), social inequality has reached levels never before seen since the Egyptian pharaohs. Chile, by the way, ranks obscenely high on the list in this category. The world’s 3 richest people are worth more money than the combined population of its 48 poorest countries. The environment (ie. where we live) is one of the first victims of this stubborn adherence to the frenzy of corporate capitalism. Carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 9% (18% in the US). A billion people on this earth do not have access to safe drinking water (3 billion have inferior quality) which is responsible for 30,000 deaths each day. Billions people live in "absolute poverty", a term with little meaning but we get an idea, lacking the means to nourish their bodies with even the most minimal of nutrients. 17 million hectares of forests disappear each year, aggravating global warming. 25% of mammals have become extinct due to human economic activity. Quality of life has become a bad joke of sorts. Most people on this planet are overworked, stressed, mistreated, victims of violence and drug abuse,etc. I won't go on. These are just a few of the very loud indicators we cannot afford to ignore any longer. The indisputable fact that there is something very wrong, and it's not going to simply go fix itself, least of all if we insist on giving those ultimately responsible for such devastation the freedom to regulate themselves, it's just not gonna happen.

All of the afflictions mentioned at the outset can be attributed without a doubt and with little hesitation to our capitalist industrial system of production and the culture of consumption it creates to reproduce and expand. Most of the decisions that affect the system of production (and capital accumulation, investment,etc) and consumption are made by people you only read about in industry magazines and that have so much power and money they live separate from the world they control. Our democracy, in case there was a doubt, is just an illusion; the things that really matter will never, unless there is serious change, be influenced by you and me. The capitalist industrial system of production and consumption touches every corner of the earth, its sole purpose is profit and it is simply unburdened by empathy. It is exempt from social obligations and it changes, it shifts, and it can become something else right before your eyes. It is unconstrained by space or time, and it employs science and creates harmful technology. It listens to no one, and it is never responsible. It co-opts and destroys, it creates profitable inequality and helps to foster new generations of racism and classism, sends you your bills and keeps track of your spending habits. It is a very considerable force and somehow we are all part of it, but we never know just how we are a part or why, and we never hear people on TV refer to it as something more than the normal "market"… as if it were, for all intents and purposes, as natural as the mountain spring water sitting in your fridge.

But by far, the most important thing to know about this industrial system of production and consumption is that it is controlled by very few corporations who operate undemocratically in search of profits and who disregard, outside of public relations circles, all the other interests represented by the whole of humanity. This lack of democratic control over the human system of production and consumption is both a cause and a consequence of it success. This is why it is absolutely crucial that we regain control over our own lives and over our own economy.

The second most important thing is that these agents of the production system, the corporations, are enterprises that for all intents and purposes, are institutionally insane. They are set up on the assumption that there are an infinite amount of biological, mineral and human resources that if not immediately available, can be with well-intentioned and well-organized strategies. They also assume that there is an infinite consumer market potential that, if not immediately available, can be with the help of a well-intentioned and well-organized marketing strategy. More importantly, and equally disturbing, is that they have an implicit understanding that they have a God-given right to fight for their existence using any means necessary and disregarding any and all human or environmental rights in the process- this last character trait is often defended by a strange appeal to “freedom” which presumably refers to the freedom enjoyed by corporations to do as they please with little interference from democratic institutions which, if they worked, could protect the people who get squashed by these agents of industry on their road to financial success. These agents who control the nature of the system of production and consumption (referred to as the economy on television programs) are coming from a point of view which does not, cannot, represent the reality of our world, and hence, are delusional. Their relationship with the outside world and its people can only be described as paranoia.

Because of the system’s expansion into every facet of life, we are no longer in control over what we consume, and how we attain our most basic necessities. Our impotence in the face of such power and control is one of the first things we have to address before we can embark on a truly sustainable development. We need true democracy as a means to regain control of the system of production and consumption. If there is true global democracy, one that is fueled by a truly democratic education, accessible by all, then people will be able to make decisions that will positively affect their lives and the well being of their communities. But we are so far from that.

If people lack anything, it’s first of all power, and those who do control the system that is responsible for their exploitation will never willingly hand over their power to them. So what do we do? Are we too dependent on this system, have we passed the point of no return? Let us explore these questions.