may day

it is worth recalling that people died so we could have the eight-hour work day. It is also worth noting that for many of us the eight-hour work day has been eroded...

But today I want to say a few words about the insidious nature of capitalist propaganda

My sources are comments by my mother and students. The basic thought is: you cannot complain about a consumer product Any complaint is your fault--either because you didn't do consumer research (my mother's idea) or because you were cheap and bought a low quality product (my students' idea).

This is pernicious. It is a way to prevent any criticism of corporations or businesses.

Why, for example, should a cotton t-shirt have scratchy labels sewn into it?
Why, for example, must computers come with software packages that don't include such necessities as word processing?
Obviously, that's a necessity for me, but the general point remains.

Capitalism does not always produce more choices, as, in theory it is supposed to.

Of course, that's a polite way of saying that capitalism actually narrows our choices....