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September 16, 2007 · Filed Under Uncategorized · Comment 

If you would like to reach me, you can email me at morra [at] womenandwork [dot] org

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How do we practice citizenship?

September 6, 2007 · Filed Under Politics · Comment 

As a preface, this article on journalism education today is a must.

I saw Robert Reich tonight at the Kennedy School. He was discussing his new book, Supercapitalism- which I duly bought (retail) at the Harvard Coop, heh.

Reich opened with a discussion of the new wealth in Washington, DC. He talked about the pervasiveness of corporate lobbyists in the District, and how they shape public policy, and hence shape our Democracy. The huge growth of capitalism in the past 30 years has led to an “arms race” of business interests fighting to maintain supremacy. Wal-Mart, the PhRMA lobby, et al want to sustain shareholder value, which means sustaining the great deals we as consumers enjoy. But these great deals come at a cost- because basically, our government is bought and paid for.

I love this thesis. I love what Reich says about Americans being “out of practice” as citizens. I love that he says we have to clean up politics, lessen the power of corporate interests, if we want to regain our democracy.

He continued: We, as citizens, are torn: great deals at the superstore, or sustenance of weak worker’s rights, harmful environmental policy, loss of the little guy. Because, in Reich’s view, companies are not beings. They are contracts, slips of paper. There is no corporate social responsibility, because a corporation has no moral responsibility. If that is so, why is the advertising and PR industry stronger than ever, eh?
In this talk, Reich focused purely on the policy level in the discussion, and didn’t mention SPIN. PR. Media. The airspace that each and every American consumer lives and breathes in. Because the media is completely complicit in chipping away at democracy. And the Karl Roves of this world are its architects. The media’s messages encourage us to consume, to stay complacent.

The Policy level is crucial, but it’s only part of the game.

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Yes We Can (Rascal)