Everything is political…
even your existence. Taking no action, or remaining neutral is political. Art is political. Art is also a container to capture the politics of our time.
We are so tangled. We are so enmeshed in one another. That it feels wild to understand when my thoughts end and yours start.
How do we untangle? How do we untangle me from you? How do we untangle capitalism and colonialism? Isn’t one a means to another? Where your health is now my health? Where conquering and colonizing was a form to derive wealth and amass power — the foundation of the capitalism we know today.
This entanglement is likely by design. The haiku of our existence. We are all composed of similar forms without even realizing that it is part of our base programming. Let’s call it assimilation.
interlude
short version : Let’s call it assimilation.
long version : Let’s call it assimilation. Because assimilation creates a monoculture and a monoculture is more profitable
longer version : Let’s call it assimilation. Because assimilation creates a monoculture and a monoculture is more profitable. When everyone wants and needs the same things, it is much easier for companies to profit off it. The desires of capitalism are deeply linked to our desires and decision making. So colonization is very profitable in the short term and even more profitable in the long term.
conquered
a statement of superiority
ignorant power
full of ego
like how British conquered India
extracting India’s culture, precious stones and spice
the outcome
was butter chicken and chai lattes
a wasted effort
and generations of Indians
impacted
for to conquer is to occupy a space,
because you can and you want to
then to discard it just it as if it were nothing
this
creates a fracture in humanity
it collapses
one’s sense of worth
to the weight
of external pressures
that is what we call
assimilation
our behaviours
our thoughts
molded by this facade
disabling our spirit
our essence
suppressed
oppressed
our identities are being compressed
let’s not assume the west is best
their rules
their regulations
remove humanity
from the equation
Wealth transmuted to social good creates nobles.
We observe how some of the world’s most powerful, wealthy people have donated absorbent amounts of money. Creating charitable funds, directing the movement of that money to charitable causes they see worthy and calling it philanthropy. Through their philanthropic work they become thought leaders in (1) giving, (2) the sector they choose to donate their money, (3) the cause that they are so far removed from.
We begin to see these (wealthy) people as noble because the act of giving is noble.
But it is truly fucked up. Rich, mainly white folks so deeply removed from social issues are steering social change with their money.
Thankfully over the last few years, especially over this COVID year, we have cracked this facade. Seeing systems and people more clearly. Seeing wealth hoarding, despite mass struggle. Seeing how government and corporations disable systems that would empower the individual (e.g. tax evasion, disbanding workers union, unpaid sick days, etc.).
Yet at the individual level we still carry this sense of giving as being noble. It is baked into our haiku, our base programming.
Giving = good, blessed, saved by god
Giving a lot = power, authority, positive visibility
Giving a lot when you too are in need, depending on scale = stupid, bad politics, devastating
Anand Giridharadas’ book Winner Takes All digs into the concept giving; expressing how the system is designed for the highest performers in capitalism to win. How there are many layers of socializing (aka brainwashing) that continue to reinforce the idea that wealthy people can help through philanthropy, rather than distribution of wealth, or real actions that would enable more ladders to equality.
Note: Do not read capitalism as money. When I use the word capitalism I am describing the modalities in which money and wealth are created — on the back of other human beings. The insatiable hoarding of wealth and blatant dismissal of human life and Mother Earth. It is truly terrifying.
to get a vaccinated, or not to vaccinated?
Is not the question.
Whether you believe in the vaccine or not. How the vaccine intellectual property has been handled by rich countries is a reflection of fucked up values and capitalisms priorities. This is deeply disturbing.
Facts:
October 2020 — India and South Africa wrote a letter to the World Trade Organization asking for the vaccine patents to be negotiated so the global south (poorer countries) could locally produce a generic version to serve their population.
This was denied by USA and other rich Western European countries. This has limited supply production and blocked affordable access to the vaccine for 100+ countries. Somehow the decision to share critical knowledge was contentious. It was only approved on Wednesday, May 5 after a much delayed and heated debate led by the United State and other rich countries.
Wild.
Wild that rich, western countries did not want to share intel to save billions of lives.
Wild that there was no moral imperative of sharing the intellectual property of the vaccine.
I guess not so wild? A continual demonstration of the tremendous irrationality of global capitalism.
The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. — Audre Lorde
I won’t draw lines here because life ain’t linear.
Complex systems have many inputs that create a series of outputs. It hard to relate one thing to another. It is not a linear correlation necessarily.
But shit is going down in India. On, May 5, India reported another record daily COVID-19 death toll today — 3,980 lives. According to the World Health Organization: India has accounted for nearly half of all reported global COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, many non-Indian folks make their primary source of income from ancient Indian technologies (e.g. yoga culture). Telling people to breathe in their yoga and breathework classes. Well guess what :
India cannot breathe. Literally cannot breathe. They do not have enough oxygen tanks, supplies, or vaccines.
Yah I heard. That sucks.
Right, so why do you care?
Oh, you don’t?
So… cultural appropriation or cultural sharing?
Guess we got our answer. It’s appropriation.
Cultural sharing requires an exchange to happen.
Appropriation demonstrates a lack of individual integrity and lack of embodiment of the practice you preach and prescribe.
Facts:
India houses the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India.
India is the largest pharma supplier to many countries in Africa. Selling generic drugs to African countries at one quarter the price (e.g. HIV/AIDS treatments)
Translation : India is the pharmacy of the world. The cascading effects of the COVID crisis in India will effect many African countries where they rely heavily on Indian medical supplies, expertise, and infrastructure.
We are a web of connections.
Yet, there is a disconnect.
Our systems are broken. And tbh so many of us feel broken.
conformity?
conformity provokes separation
of oneself
of the other
segregation
fracturing our beings
fractured beings
fracture beings
as they seek to find the light
in a place that feels dark
trapped
in a dimension
a time warp
a future
that’s not yours
and not mine
so let’s unite
and rewrite
all the scripts
for all colours
of humanity
How can we be so disassociated from making humane decisions?
Going back to a previous newsletter — our definitions of success are so crooked. Ideas of individualism has polluted our thoughts thanks to the propaganda of capitalism and ideologies of colonialism that are still embedded in our systems today.
We, coloured and white bodies, assimilate ourselves to the idea of unattainable perfection (wealth, beauty, power). Separating us further from ourselves and each other. Leaving us broken as individuals and as a collective.
Reminder : coming back to our true selves is part of collective healing; lifting the veil beyond the shoulds of our existence is part of collective healing.
Want to help India?
Well you can, by donating money to help them buy supplies. Here are some organizations doing good work:
https://www.kbfcanada.ca/en/projects/india-covid-19-relief-fund/ (Canadians you will receive a tax receipt)
Crowdfunding India - Best Crowdfunding Platform & Website - Ketto
Stay safe and healthy out there.
Much love ❤️ 🤎
Parul
@parulbee
letter 004: life is a giant cuddle puddle...? 🙄