Blurred edges and Blue Rondo á la Turk

We live in a world of blurred edges with political string pullers trying to convince us that the edges are clearly defined. The world according to me is very grey. It is not black and white. I like living deep within these grey edges–weaving in and out of a reality that is defined by happen chance and not coercion. Like “Blue Rondo á la Turk” we have to listen very carefully to the way we are being herded into a consumer package. This world we live in is orchestrated by a small group of capitalist string pullers that love it when we sleep walk and believe we are making our own choices. Name brands are just that: NAME and BRAND. Do you want to have your life defined by some group of back room boys (ala Noam Chomsky’s great book of the same name)? Try living 1 week without buying anything with a brand name on it. Really try. If you succeed your edges will soften and get blurry. Your personal uncertainty will be a strength–not, as the back room boys want you to believe, weakness. Uncertainty and fear are your friends–but they are the essence of 21st century marketing. You will discover a subterranean world of self dependence that releases you from the capitalist grip and political manipulation of fear based marketing and brand building.

A perfect example, here in the Yucatan, is Cancun. Virtually non-existent 40 years ago, it now has an airport bringing in 16M people a year. Most (I can not cite actual numbers) head for sanitized and sealed resorts, ride AC busses, and never venture into the streets. Restaurants use the dollar as a currency–and prices are not at all related to the cost of service. What is their main selling points: safe (personal and food); predictable; and comfortable. What is really taken away: a sanitized and compartmentalized view of Mexico. These folks might as well go to Florida.