Adbusters are a Canadian organisation dedicated to fighting rampant consumerism. They are fighting a case in the Canadian courts to insist the Canadian TV channels accept their ‘subvertisements’ (also called anti-ads.) The channels are refusing stating that it is against their charters whereas Adbusters are claiming denial of freedom of speech.
Kalle Lasn, the Estonian born head of Adbusters is an original thinker dedicated to culture jamming and overturning the central tenet of consumerism at the heart of materialistic behaviour. He says "Our mental environment is a common-property resource like the air or the water. We need to protect ourselves from unwanted incursions into it, much the same way we lobbied for non-smoking areas ten years ago".
He also says that the automotive industry has been many times worse than Big Tobacco. He sees the strategies that almost brought the tobacco companies to their knees in the 80s and 90s being successfully repeated in the future against the car and oil conglomeration.
I hope he is right but a lot of work will be required to wean people off their love and dependence of motor vehicles. And with China and India gearing up for major development and the Third World generally wanting to own cars and live at the same standard as the First, the problem will get a lot worse before it improves.
Exorcism
smogness echoed ego
crowned in accolade of you
reflection hideously deformed
malnutrition of the body view
border curse in blood abandon
its gates bitter and spiked
torn in harmony dysfunction
its pausal flow disliked
taking handiclapped answers
whispered from the side
onstage parrot ordered
feathered, tarred and tied
gagged but speaking tongues
a ventriloquist bedroom farce
by a clever puppet master
with a gloved hand up your arse
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