Paulo Freire, from The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1970:
Any attempt to "soften" the power of the oppressor in deference to the weakness of the oppressed almost always manifests itself in the form of false generosity; indeed, the attempt never goes beyond this. In order to have the continued opportunity to express their "generosity," the oppressors must perpetuate injustice as well. An unjust social order is the permanent fount of this "generosity," which is nourished by death, despair, and poverty. That is why dispensers of false generosity become desperate at the slightest threat to its source.
In the Oppressor/oppressed or Master/slave or Donor/recipient relationship, the subordinate party generally identifies with the superordinate party, and hopes to please, placate, cajole, win over. The subordinate may aspire to someday be the superior, and this urge to replicate the system is encouraged by the superior as showing a good attitude. (In our nonprofit world this urge to be like the oppressor may take the form of getting an MBA. In politics it may take the form of a call to bipartisan comity, above the fray, in charge as moderator.)
Freire makes the deep point that the oppressor, or the whole system that we call good corporate governance, or wealthbondage, is thoroughly introjected into the oppressed, or menial, or cubicle denizen. He goes on to suggest that to liberate both oppressed and oppressor from this game of mirrors is the work of the oppressed, for the oppressor is too heavily invested in the dysfunctional/functional dyad to change it. Bringing Freire home to "our business and our bosoms," as Dr. Johnson used to say, can only mean that the worker must liberate the boss, the consumer liberate the producer, the disenfranchised liberate the owner. The prisoner liberate the jailer, the condemned man the judge. Such was the work of Jesus as depicted in liberation theology, now much reviled by the oppressor and eschewed by the oppressor's mild apologist. In America a black man can be President. What oppression can there be? What injustice? Why raise our voices? Why check our pay stub, or the rising cost of food?
In a weak moment, I asked my generous patron and long-time boss, Candidia, if I might liberate her from her oppression of me, that she might be more humane, less monstrous, more fulfilled, happier and more virtuous. Her boisterous response was not something I can print on this blog within our Style Guidelines. We maintain a high tone here in keeping with our subject matter and our highly educated, upper class audience, as well as out of respect to our Advertiser, Wealth Bondage, and their distinguished patrons. But when you are as rich as Candidia, you can say what you want, I guess. Hope I can have her corner office some day. Better mind my p's and q's in the meantime. Whatever she wants, she gets. I am sure she knows best or she wouldn't be where she is. "Be like Ombama," she said, "and someday, Sweetie, maybe you can maybe be my #1 Butt Boy." That part I can quote, I think, because while a bit salty it is clearly good advice.
Richard Atleo, in his book Tsawalk, writes about civilizations completing phases of growth, and likens the resistance to change or transformation to the reluctance of individuals to leave the comfort zones of womb, home, and immediate family as they mature and encounter institutions and ideas outside their infantile experience.
He specifically denotes the exhausted model of the colonial enterprise, and remarks on how it has changed the natural environment and the spiritual capacity of both indigenous and colonial peoples.
The need to make a spiritual connection in order to advance has him concerned that great harm might take place as we struggle to get unstuck from this unworkable arrangement of relationships.
Professor Atleo, an associate scholar of the Center for World Indigenous Studies, is the first aboriginal to earn a doctorate in British Columbia. An audio interview of Dr. Atleo is available in the CWIS media center archives.
Posted by: Jay Taber | June 26, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Thank you, Jay, very interesting.
Posted by: Phil | June 26, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Another goofy Canadian ... ;-)
Posted by: JJ Commoner | June 26, 2008 at 05:40 PM
Socialist mentality, but it is changing as American influence is felt.
Posted by: Phil | June 26, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Freire notes that in order to increase passivity, oppressors develop methods that preclude any presentation of the world as a problem, showing it rather as a fixed entity to which people must adapt. Keeping them passive, is “accomplished by depositing myths indispensable to preservation of the status quo"--myths perpetuated by what Jerry Sanders calls "the vast empire constituency".
Posted by: Jay Taber | June 27, 2008 at 12:45 AM
oppressors develop methods that preclude any presentation of the world as a problem, showing it rather as a fixed entity to which people must adapt.
This is key, and in my opinion rarely considered and even less understood ... and, I think, a sign of great peril on the horizon.
Thanks, Jay Taber, for surfacing this and pointing it out.
Posted by: JJ Commoner | June 27, 2008 at 01:48 AM
These myths enable mostly unhindered perpetration of perception management as documented in Truth From These Podia by Sam Gardiner, Colonel USAF (Retired). Information warfare by government against citizenries is also aided by unwitting public interest advocates who don't know the first thing about psychological warfare. Believing in the power of piety, they predictably are manipulated over and over to reinforce strategic operations. I am convinced that their arrogance is as much to blame as their ignorance. Many limit their studies of mass communication to public relations; how stupid is that?
Posted by: Jay Taber | June 27, 2008 at 01:01 PM
Psyops used with the media against the electorate is about right. Psychological warfare to cover economic warfare.
Posted by: Phil | June 28, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Agreed: we're all pretty much a bunch of dumb shits. What's our plan?
Posted by: Enrique the Gay Philosopher | June 29, 2008 at 06:29 PM
Live and learn, Enrique. Every successful political movement I've observed started with face-to-face instruction and discussion -- what some have called hedge schools -- basically unauthorized learning centers in homes, churches, or back yards. This built a base of informed and committed social support in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Palestine, and Mississippi. Meeting online is fine, but socializing new recruits and matching them up with mentors is an essential function that can't be done in virtual reality; distance learning only goes so far. With so much re-education to do, the sooner we start the better.
Posted by: Jay Taber | June 29, 2008 at 06:56 PM
A little like consciousness raising circles in the 60's?
Posted by: Phil | June 29, 2008 at 07:00 PM
Never encountered those, Phil. But as you possibly noticed in my proposal, what I'm suggesting is that people who've already made the decision to act on their convictions locally can become more effective by interacting with experienced organizers through a national learning center.
Personal growth is certainly part of acquiring perspective, but learning research and communications skills they can apply directly to the conflicts they're engaged in is more likely to motivate participation in the larger network.
Workshop course participants can in turn take these lessons and connections back home to share with others.
Posted by: Jay Taber | June 29, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Got it.
Posted by: Phil | June 29, 2008 at 09:06 PM