Turning the lens around

Recently I told a good friend of mine about the concept détournement. I was quite amazed that he didn't know it, since it is a valuable contribution to anyone's mindset. Therefore I wish to share it on my blog. Détournement is a French term that translates as 'deflection' or 'distortion'. It was developed as a technique in the 1950s by a group of radical artists and thinkers called the Letterist International. Founder and exponent of this movement was Guy Debord. He described détournement as "using spectacular images and language to disrupt the flow of the spectacle". This sounds more difficult than it actually is, as it comes down to using imagery handed to you by common culture and deflecting its message so that it becomes critical of that culture.

Big corporations and their unethical practices are often the
target of détournement messages. Especially since the most
dominant field for this technique is anti-consumerism.

As an artistic technique, détournement is closely related to other forms of art you might know better. A parody, for instance, takes common imagery and symbols to construct a new message often critical of that which is parodied. Parallels can also be found with Pop Art, which expresses a critical attitude against a high arts-low arts division. To speak of détournement, however, something more is needed: the goal of the trick must be social change. Détournement is rooted in Marxist thought and as such it seeks to alter society for the better. While the filosofical concept might be marginal in terms of popularity, manifestations are nonetheless visible. Just think of so-called culture jamming; groups of activists who create satirical and cynical messages on consumerism and globalization.

For people who like heavy material on détournement and the surrounding structure of theory, I recommend Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle. This work deals with the idea that, in a state of advanced capitalism, mass media and dominant cultural patterns oppress human potential. The eponymous film is enjoyable if you're into Marxist social theory. For all the others I refer to more accessible - less radical - material of people such as Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein or even Michael Moore. They all make use of détournement or promote similar ideas.

My favorite piece of détournement art by street artist Banksy. If you have no idea what this is about,
check out this picture. It was taken during the Vietnam War, after an American napalm-strike...

'GOP' election fever

I apologize to those of you who came here expecting something on the upcoming US primaries. Indeed 'GOP' (Grand Old Party) is a nick for our dear fellows of the Republican Party. If you wish to read about those I recommend keeping an eye on this all-American blog. My post here will be about a more recent display of election fever: the election of a 'Good Old President' in Congo-Kinshasa. Tomorrow, monday October 28, the Congolese people will elect a new president. Or they can of course extend the mandate of the incumbent one. Not many people are familiar with Congolese politics, so first up is an overview of the main candidates:

Joseph Kabila is the incumbent president of the Democratic Republic Congo. He holds the office for the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy. Kabila has a considerable support base with the urban population, who profited from his policies. The president, however, has a lot of opponents too. And not without reason as you might expect. Congo still has trouble in strengthening its democratic institutions and obtaining a positive economic outlook. Did you know that Congo has the highest rate of extreme hunger while, at the same time, it holds the second highest agricultural potential? Until 2010, Congo didn't even have an agricultural policy!

Joseph Kabila of the social-democratic PPRD. Incumbent president of the Congo DR.

Main opponent of president Kabila is Étienne Tshisekedi of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress. Tsishekedi has some very militant supporters who feel that the current regime did not carry out its promises. Supporters who already announced not to stand idle if Kabila succeeds himself. A major issue for victory over Kabila is that the elections consist of just one round. This might strengthen the position of Tshisekedi as most likely of all opposing candidates, due to strategic voters. Though it is more likely that the opposition will be divided and that not a single candidate will gain enough votes to trump Kabila.

Étienne Tshisekedi of the liberal-conservative UDPS

Tshisekedi has been a 'constructive opposer' in former political settings. He even made it to Prime Minister on some brief occasions. Despite his liberal and conservative views he is my personal favorite. He has a sense for realism and wants to tackle issues of corruption. I thus named my post after this 'Good Old Premmy'. Other interesting candidates are the also very popular Vital Kamerhe of the Union for a Congolese Nation and the more radical François Joseph Mobutu of the Union of Mobutuist Democracts. Both of these candidates promote Congolese unity, though with very different accents.

As you might have noticed 'construction' and 'progress' are buzzwords. All parties have inspiring names, but their capacities are all too often overrated. That is why I set my hopes on the reasonable voice of Tshisekedi. Soon enough we will get an idea of what the Congolese future looks like. Even more important than a capable candidate to win is for all losing candidates to accept their defeat, and not resort to violence. The drama we saw in the capital Kinshasa the past two days is a shame. Unfortunately, Tshisekedi too negated the prohibition on gathering earlier today. I hope this was just a stunt in his campaign and not a prelude to actual destabilization.

A dragon and its younglings: State-owned enterprises

Today I finally present the second article in my 'dragon nation' series. As explained in the previous installment, the aim is to tackle some misconceptions surrounding the oft-mystified Chinese policy. This time I investigated the claim that reforms in China have made it a capitalist economy. Hereto I focused on the state-owned enterprises and their role in the Chinese economy. Well-aware that a complete image requires much more, I would still like to draw some conclusions.

Under impulse of Deng Xiaoping, China moved beyond Maoist recipes and reformed its way out of Third World status. I will not discuss the Chinese economic reform into detail. Much more interesting is to see how much 'Chinese characteristics' there really are in Deng's socialist market economy. After all, once reform was initiated, liberal theorists expect(ed) the People's Republic to move ever-closer to the western model of capitalism. The attachment to ideological references they dismissed as futile shadow-discourse; a canalization of Chinese nationalism at most. How solid is this view?

The Chinese government protects the state-owned enterprises. Favored
companies are effectively shielded from competition by perverse policy.

In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). In this the Chinese establishment subjected itself to the liberalization of its international trade relationships. While this surely is a big move, the power of state-owned enterprises within China's domestic market is still overwhelming. Indeed, ten years after the country's admission to the WTO, state-owned enterprises are stronger than ever. The Chinese government ensures a dominant position for its partners; favored companies abide and in return their share in the market is protected. The authorities realize this by applying rules with a double standard and by obstructing the take-over of domestic companies by foreign ones.

For a detailed analysis of how the state shamelessly obstructs market forces I can recommend this article from The Economist. Now our focus shifts again to the WTO: while domestic suppliers have a guaranteed playing field, they have it easier to export their services/products. The WTO strives toward free trade between its member states and, while it is true a foreign company can access the Chinese market, it is shielded from actual demand. Meanwhile Chinese firms, enjoying subsidized/enforced demand at home, can well-compete for the demand in Europe and the United States. China is thus far from a capitalist country. Much more it resembles a covert form of state-capitalism or even modern mercantilism. Regardless of the label, the state and indeed politics are a most determining factor in China's enterprise environment.

Silly intermezzo (cartoon)

So much that needs to be done and so little time to do it in. It is a real pity I can't write a real post for now, but to give you something I have this fun comic starring Jesus. The clever cartoon is about how sometimes well-intended help can actually worsen the conditions of those who are supposed to benefit. I lifted the cartoon from this website, I do not own the rights to it. So please don't try to make a profit or whatever without permission from the author/artist. I totally suck at intellectual property rights, but you got the point. Enjoy!

The rise of social media: A conservative revolution

The title of this post is inspired by my love for the oxymoron: a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. After all how can a revolution be conservative? Well, consider the latest revolution in the way we communicate. There is the increasing importance of mobile communication, we have a proliferation of social network sites, and let us not forget the blog, of course. When you are just like me skeptic towards this digital (r)evolution people tend to classify you as 'conservative' or 'backwards'. Yet I dare to argue that not the critics but the revolution is conservative. At first this statement might sound silly but allow me to explain.

The communication revolution that brought about chat services and facebook is just a next step ahead on the road to modernization. I wont argue against that. However, it is just a next step down a certain road. It might be modernization, but it is mainly the intensification of an already existing process. Look at it from an historical viewpoint: way back, when man still had an oral culture, few individuals controlled the information stream trough tradition. Over time, various communication revolutions (writing, printing, etc.) have freed the individual from this control. The balance in society shifted from traditional/communal thought to more modern/individual modes of expression. New ways of communicating actually liberated the private sphere from community control and brought about the modern individual. So far so good. But now for more recent changes in our communication: the rise of mass media and, subsequently, of social media. In effect, this evolution is sucking us back into the communal world of before. Television and social network sites seem to stress the dominant value patterns in society. Two mechanisms are at work here: first of all our identity becomes increasingly fragmented. We have become hyper-individuals who associate with numerous groups at a time. This is not bad per se, since I like to see the influence of say religious or ideologic dogma waning. At the same time however this leaves us vulnerable for the second mechanism: the socialization of dominant values.

How contradictory it may seem, growing individualism brought us to a point where people become socially inert. The majority of us no longer questions things in a fundamental way. As a society we do not care for change or justice, we have become indifferent towards our own future. People are more empowered than ever, but at the same time they have lost a critical awareness. Therefore I advocate an alternative use of the tools that currently enslave us to a pensée unique; I want the digitalized media to be used for liberation and true empowerment. The essence of my plea is captured beautifully by this quote from Edward R. Murrow on television:

Unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late. [...] if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box.

Feel free to replace 'television' with 'twitter' or 'facebook'. I could go on for [p]ages, but this post is getting long and complex enough. If you feel the need to more thorough explanation, I can point to Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. Or you might enjoy the ideas of bright chaps like Herbert Marcuse and Antonio Gramsci. Feel free to use the comments section too!

The super soft and washable world of eco-plush

Today I was quite surprised to find a big package of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in my mail. As a supporter of the WWF I've had their member magazine send to me before, but that usually looks small and flat. Never did I receive any package this inflated and shapeless. Apparently I won with a member survey I had taken some time ago, so the attached letter said. A real aha-erlbenis remained distant as I take practically any survey I come across.

An eco-plush silver back gorilla. His real-life counterpart is
one of the so-called flagship species of the WWF. This
basically means that people regard the gorilla as cuddly.

Without further bothering what survey earned me this package, curiosity took over. My price? A beautiful plush silver back gorilla. Admittedly not entirely suited for a guy of my age, but then again one shouldn't look a gift uhm... primate in the mouth. Besides, he's totally free of 'chlororganics' (some type of nasty chemicals) and eco-friendly in any other imaginable way. The ticket says:

In buying WWF plush items you are supporting WWF - the global conservation organisation. For more information visit the WWF website. Carefully tested. High quality. Super soft. Washable.

Before you start judging the quality of my eco-plush gorilla I want to say I was a sceptic at first too. How can eco-plush measure up against any standard stuffed animal? Believe me, it can. My gorilla's ticket totally speaks the truth: he is super soft, but really amazingly soft. Not like any plush animal I felt before. It's also completely safe to put parts of the plush animal in your mouth as they are made according to leading safety standards. I wish I could transmit the feel of my silver back gorilla but sadly that isn't possible. Anyway, I'm totally into eco-plush right now as it is superior in all qualities, save the price. They are indeed a bit more expensive but they are sustainable and in buying them you support a good cause. Did I mention the 'free of child labor' guarantee already?

Writing on the conclusion, I realize that I am not sure what it is I hope achieve with this post. Maybe I'm only expressing how happy I am with my little gift? Or maybe I am making you aware of how awesome eco-plush is. Anyway, eco-plush animals make a wonderful gift. It would be good to keep this in mind considering the upcoming holidays. Finally something you can buy without the need of feeling guilty about consumerism ruining the planet...

SOME LINKS

- A selection of plush animals designed for the WWF

- Plush assortment on the WWF Shop website

- Become a supporting member just like me

- Or join the new adopt-an-animal program

Update

Followers might have noticed how my blogging activity dropped since the beginning of the month. I have been very busy collecting source material for my thesis, which got by the way approved already some time ago. This is a work in progress and it will be so for quite a while. Nonetheless I promise to shift not too much attention away from the blogosphere.

Earlier today, I published the first installment in my 'dragon nation' series. This series of posts aims to clear out some myths that surround China's economic rise. The one I gave you already was on China's monetary policy. I got two more in the making, one on state-owned corporations and one on China's environmental politics. You can expect those later on this month so make sure to pass by every now and then. Also, if you have any myths bothering you just let me know. I'd be more than happy to expand the series!

A dragon and its treasure: The Chinese yuan

The title of this post refers to the Chinese People's Republic as a dragon. Chinese economic policy is almost as mythical as the creature often used to portray the nation. Incredible growth, enormous exports, vast amounts of financial reserves and yet lead by a party that calls itself 'communist'. In a series of three posts I would like to examine some of the myths that surround Chinese economic policy. First up is the supposedly undervalued currency and its perverse effects on global trade.

The Chinese leadership is often accused of keeping the yuan, the currency of the China, artificially low. An undervalued currency holds a significant advantage: it suppresses domestic prices of raw materials and labor. In essence you make domestic production artificially cheap, compared to foreign production. This causes  Chinese rubbish to be priced too low and thus to sell better than American, Japanese or European rubbish. The Chinese government rejoices when it checks its export numbers. Other industrialized countries are less happy for they see their trade balance - the worth of export minus import - become less balanced.

The trade balance of countries around the world, based on IMF statistics for 1980-2008. Notice the high deficit for the United States, which is largely benefited Japan in the eighties and China since WTO-admission in 2001.

The question that keeps us busy is twofold: is China keeping its coin artificially cheap and, if so, then how do we deal with it? The grievances of China's trading partners are without a doubt legitimate. It needs however to be said that, ever since 2007, the Chinese government has taken measures to adjust its underpriced coin. Indeed since June 2011 the yuan has appreciated over 7% against the dollar. And considering the spread between China's inflation rate and the much lower one of its trading partners, relative costs in China have risen even more. All this show us that the yuan is not as much undervalued as it used to be.

Myth 1: "The Chinese yuan is kept artificially low
and thus the Chinese policy distorts global trade"

Yet China-bashing is more popular than ever, especially in the United States. On October 11, the US Senate approved a bill that allows its government to take measures against what it deems undervalued currencies. This strategy might be politically successful as it might get one votes from people who lost their manufacturing jobs allegedly due to cheap Chinese imports. Yet from an economic point of view the results would be devastating. A trade war between two economic behemoths, who are also each other's principal foreign debtor/creditor, will disrupt today's fragile economy even further. To ward cheap Chinese products from your market would by the way mostly harm the consumer. And China only needs to challenge such a policy before the WTO to enforce free trade. After all the international economic regime regards undervalued currencies to be a prerogative of the IMF.

Then should we stay inert and leave the matter be? There is something to say for abstaining from action. Though the yuan is far from flee-floating, it is steadily gaining in value. A more 'flexible' yuan offer chances for China to hasten the reorientation of its economy from exports to domestic consumption. This is something the Chinese authorities recognize and seek to achieve, even more so when a global recession might be just around the corner.