thoughts on capitalism (ongoing)

Capitalism was theorized and implemented before the advent of modern advertising. Advertising, which dawned around 1910 (at least in the US), demonstrated (as was proven years later) that ads circumvent higher cognitive functions--that is, brands are interpreted by the brain at a nonrational level. Thus, capitalism unthreads itself, because it is founded upon the assumption that consumers are rational actors.

Advertising, in my view, removes agency: it replaces all options with what appears to be all options. It presents a small, visible market as the market that is available to the consumer. The latter is actually full of vendors that do not have access to advertising as well as those who do. Those who have access to advertising--those who already have the capital to create ads that reach the wide consuming public--alter reality by substituting a market that is artificial, a market that exists only in the reach of popular media.

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Violent Femmes embroiled in NY lawsuit

Stocks Extend Slide on Countrywide News -- Bubble has burst. Reverberating throughout rest of market. End transmission.

Global markets keep tumbling | World stock markets dive to new lows | Politicians preach calm as fear, panic rule

Rumsfeld resigned before election, letter shows

Suicide rate in Army at a 26-year high -- "More than one out of four soldiers who committed suicide did so while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. [...] Iraq was the most common deployment location for U.S. soldiers who either attempted suicide or committed suicide." After being redeployed how many times? Is this a surprise?

Study: Teen drug use at schools worsens

Halt to 'female' Camel cigarettes sought

Study Finds Abortion Pill Safe -- no effect on future pregnancies

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Alerted by DailyKos: Homeland Security Enlists Clergy to Quell Public Unrest if Martial Law Ever Declared

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Woman has rare identical quadruplets

Census Bureau wants to halt 2010 raids

Notes describe frail, upset AG Ashcroft -- This story doesn't die.

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I've been listening to The Remarkable 20th Century, a narrated history on CD. It reminded me that Birth of a Nation was released in 1915. Also during that year, as sophiaserpentia edified me today, the Armenian genocide took place.

I've been meaning to construct a timeline of the early 20th century. I think I must.

Sometimes the zeitgeist turns sharp.