The countless revolutions of today

If a Martian was to look at TV commercials on earth, it would get an impression that the world would soon break into revolutions. Almost all commercials exhort the youth to be a rebel, to be different. And the companies behind these commercials are willing to provide arms a plenty, coke cans, mobile phone talk plans, and of course, t-shirts and jeans.

And what are the causes for which everyone is asking us to rebel? No, it’s not land reforms or women’s rights. After all, why should corporations, the key ideologues behind today’s revolutions, instigate its followers to disrupt the daily tedium of economic activities? As such, they are asking us to fight for our right to have a tattoo, to have an unconventional hairstyle or to participate in extreme sports. Accordingly, the act of rebellion is not to go into the jungles to fight class enemies or to stage a protest in front of the parliament. Rather the act of rebellion is best expressed now through purchase of consumer goods.

After the 70s, the only big causes that cause some stir are gay rights and Islamic movement against western hegemony. After all, just as religions explained economic disparities as a result of unknown sins committed by those worse-off, the current explanation of those disparities being a welcome result of high speed economic growth has been well accepted. Conservative values have regained the hyena jaw grip that they always had on society. In India for example, among the highly educated people, the most elevating thing to do is to join post-modern spiritual coaching programs like the Art of Living Courses. For women, the best expression of woman’s rights is considered to be the ability to dictate to a maid; in other words, outsourcing the age old male-defined roles for women to another woman. No wonder, the most revolutionary slogans for today are such banal affairs such as “Just do it” and “Impossible is nothing”; that at best arouse a response like changing sitting posture in the couch while watching TV.