The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us.
Even now, in this very room.
You can see it when you turn on your television.
You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes.
It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
What truth?
That you are a slave, err, (insert your name here, unless it is Neo, then keep that one).
I watched it for about the twentieth time the other day. 1999, that film came out. My friends and I saw it at the cinema when we were 15. We hadn't seen a film like this before and were blown away by the special effects, the sounds, the slide down Nokia phone! Bullet time! And of course, the concept.
Now I don't actually think that we live inside a computer generated virtual reality. I'm also aware that I'm unlikely to be the first to compare the 'real' world to the Matrix. It still has a lot to say though.
As my walk through Ellesmere Port emphasised we are surrounded and bombarded by a world that is often out to hurt us, or at the very least, keep us quiet whilst bad stuff goes on elsewhere. Not all of it, not everyone, of course. The world is incredibly complex and everyone has their own set of incentives. The girl in the red dress isn't a computer program but has her own priorities and motivations.
But there is a system. Maybe multiple systems. Battling against each other. And it's hard to tell who is who. Companies have to make money. They have to make more money each year so people will buy their shares. They can grow their market, but if they have cornered the market then they have to make more money off each person. People within companies might care about your health, but most companies do not. They just need to sell you stuff. Maybe stuff you need, maybe not. Maybe they are selling booze, fags, takeaways, sugary drinks, time on the sunbeds or maybe healthcare itself. Either way, they care about profits. They care about your health if it is in line with their profits.
Now obviously companies employ people, but many don't care about their employees either.
On the other side should be the government, working for us, not for profit. National institutions such as the NHS are working for us, but bits are being snipped off and sold at an alarming rate. More and more contracts are going to private providers. This is often the more profitable end of an operation, leaving the NHS underfunded and having to cope with increasing disease with decreasing funding.
So let's break it down…
"You can see it when you turn on the television" –
'Television is the opiate of the masses'. The original quote was about religion by Karl Marx, not sure who coined the TV version. There is a lot of nonsense on TV. Watch it on Saturday night and you will gain little insight into the issues facing our world today. I asked someone if they were going to vote in the local elections. They said 'I don't know anything about politics, but how many Kardashians can you name?'
One, the one who married Kanye West.
TV is there to entertain us, but surely there's some room in there to educate us about what's going on. 15 million votes were cast for the final of series 7 of the X-factor according to the Wikipedia page (do not waste your time following that link). Yet only a third of eligible voters turned out for the local and European parliament elections this year. Some might say this was an argument for compulsory voting. I would say it's an argument for improved publicity and engagement, with options for online ballot casting. And compulsory voting.
Worse is the content between the programmes. If you watched TV for a whole day, how many adverts for unhealthy or high sugar foods, high interest short-term loans, gambling websites or booze would you see? How many would your children see? Advertising works, or they wouldn't advertise. I'm concerned when I see sexy young people 'vaping' on TV adverts. I'm sure e-cigarettes are better for you than tobacco, but that doesn't mean they should be promoted to young people as something cool to do.
"when you go to work" – Pretty broad this. How many people are trapped in low income or minimal wage jobs? Is there good job progression? Is there hope? Is childcare available and can you take advantage of training opportunities? Can you live an acceptable life on the minimum wage or are you still relying on benefits or debt? Employers have a responsibility to pay a living wage. If they won't, then the government has a responsibility to raise the minimum wage. Working full time should enable you to live.
"when you go to church" – Maybe you go, maybe you don't, but religious institutions still have an effect on your life. I went to Church of England schools and had to pray and sing with everyone else. I wasn't offered a choice until much later and it was never put to me that many people don't believe in Christianity and live perfectly fulfilling lives. 26 Bishops sit in the House of Lords and help decide our laws. Members of religious organisations are asked for their opinion on every topic under the sun and given a load of air-time.
Thought For The Day on Radio 4! What is that?! Programmes on Radio 4 should be either informative or entertaining. That is neither. Ditto The Archers.
"when you pay your taxes" – I've just read Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century and it describes thoroughly and brilliantly how our financial and fiscal system funnels money from the poor to the rich and functions to widen the gap. We should have a progressive tax system that prevents the increasing inequality and divergence of wealth that we see in this country and others. Our taxation system benefits those who have money and power and wish to increase it. And I bet that you don't have access to an expensive accountant and aggressive tax-avoidance schemes.
There is enough money in this country to fund the NHS. We have good outcomes and provide excellent value to the taxpayer. If everyone paid their fair share and the NHS was given the funding it needed, we could do even better (and it would still be cheaper than most private systems).
"That you are a slave, Neo." – Not literally, I hope. But you probably aren't getting a fair portion of the fruits of your labour. I do not wish to promote wealth envy, just fairness (and I'm definitely not a communist!). The world is set up in a way that it is easy to make unhealthy choices and give your money to people who already have plenty. It's not designed to improve our health and well-being.
Later, the Matrix talks about the prophecy of 'The One' – "a man born inside who had the ability to change whatever he wanted, to remake the Matrix as he saw fit." In some way we all have this ability. (Imagine quiet music) It's our voice and our vote. If politicians are doing something you don't like, vote for someone else. Make sure that they bring in regulation that is there for you, not for the businesses that lobby them. (Music starts to build) We can choose the products that are sold to us by buying something different. We can make small changes in our lives that will make us healthier and take responsibility for our own well-being (louder). Write to your MPs, register to vote, write to the papers, rant on the internet! (music climaxes in a thundering crescendo!) We are all The One!
Boom, big finish. I frickin' love that film.
Even now, in this very room.
You can see it when you turn on your television.
You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes.
It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
What truth?
That you are a slave, err, (insert your name here, unless it is Neo, then keep that one).
I watched it for about the twentieth time the other day. 1999, that film came out. My friends and I saw it at the cinema when we were 15. We hadn't seen a film like this before and were blown away by the special effects, the sounds, the slide down Nokia phone! Bullet time! And of course, the concept.
Now I don't actually think that we live inside a computer generated virtual reality. I'm also aware that I'm unlikely to be the first to compare the 'real' world to the Matrix. It still has a lot to say though.
As my walk through Ellesmere Port emphasised we are surrounded and bombarded by a world that is often out to hurt us, or at the very least, keep us quiet whilst bad stuff goes on elsewhere. Not all of it, not everyone, of course. The world is incredibly complex and everyone has their own set of incentives. The girl in the red dress isn't a computer program but has her own priorities and motivations.
But there is a system. Maybe multiple systems. Battling against each other. And it's hard to tell who is who. Companies have to make money. They have to make more money each year so people will buy their shares. They can grow their market, but if they have cornered the market then they have to make more money off each person. People within companies might care about your health, but most companies do not. They just need to sell you stuff. Maybe stuff you need, maybe not. Maybe they are selling booze, fags, takeaways, sugary drinks, time on the sunbeds or maybe healthcare itself. Either way, they care about profits. They care about your health if it is in line with their profits.
Now obviously companies employ people, but many don't care about their employees either.
On the other side should be the government, working for us, not for profit. National institutions such as the NHS are working for us, but bits are being snipped off and sold at an alarming rate. More and more contracts are going to private providers. This is often the more profitable end of an operation, leaving the NHS underfunded and having to cope with increasing disease with decreasing funding.
So let's break it down…
"You can see it when you turn on the television" –
'Television is the opiate of the masses'. The original quote was about religion by Karl Marx, not sure who coined the TV version. There is a lot of nonsense on TV. Watch it on Saturday night and you will gain little insight into the issues facing our world today. I asked someone if they were going to vote in the local elections. They said 'I don't know anything about politics, but how many Kardashians can you name?'
One, the one who married Kanye West.
TV is there to entertain us, but surely there's some room in there to educate us about what's going on. 15 million votes were cast for the final of series 7 of the X-factor according to the Wikipedia page (do not waste your time following that link). Yet only a third of eligible voters turned out for the local and European parliament elections this year. Some might say this was an argument for compulsory voting. I would say it's an argument for improved publicity and engagement, with options for online ballot casting. And compulsory voting.
Worse is the content between the programmes. If you watched TV for a whole day, how many adverts for unhealthy or high sugar foods, high interest short-term loans, gambling websites or booze would you see? How many would your children see? Advertising works, or they wouldn't advertise. I'm concerned when I see sexy young people 'vaping' on TV adverts. I'm sure e-cigarettes are better for you than tobacco, but that doesn't mean they should be promoted to young people as something cool to do.
"when you go to work" – Pretty broad this. How many people are trapped in low income or minimal wage jobs? Is there good job progression? Is there hope? Is childcare available and can you take advantage of training opportunities? Can you live an acceptable life on the minimum wage or are you still relying on benefits or debt? Employers have a responsibility to pay a living wage. If they won't, then the government has a responsibility to raise the minimum wage. Working full time should enable you to live.
"when you go to church" – Maybe you go, maybe you don't, but religious institutions still have an effect on your life. I went to Church of England schools and had to pray and sing with everyone else. I wasn't offered a choice until much later and it was never put to me that many people don't believe in Christianity and live perfectly fulfilling lives. 26 Bishops sit in the House of Lords and help decide our laws. Members of religious organisations are asked for their opinion on every topic under the sun and given a load of air-time.
Thought For The Day on Radio 4! What is that?! Programmes on Radio 4 should be either informative or entertaining. That is neither. Ditto The Archers.
"when you pay your taxes" – I've just read Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century and it describes thoroughly and brilliantly how our financial and fiscal system funnels money from the poor to the rich and functions to widen the gap. We should have a progressive tax system that prevents the increasing inequality and divergence of wealth that we see in this country and others. Our taxation system benefits those who have money and power and wish to increase it. And I bet that you don't have access to an expensive accountant and aggressive tax-avoidance schemes.
There is enough money in this country to fund the NHS. We have good outcomes and provide excellent value to the taxpayer. If everyone paid their fair share and the NHS was given the funding it needed, we could do even better (and it would still be cheaper than most private systems).
"That you are a slave, Neo." – Not literally, I hope. But you probably aren't getting a fair portion of the fruits of your labour. I do not wish to promote wealth envy, just fairness (and I'm definitely not a communist!). The world is set up in a way that it is easy to make unhealthy choices and give your money to people who already have plenty. It's not designed to improve our health and well-being.
Later, the Matrix talks about the prophecy of 'The One' – "a man born inside who had the ability to change whatever he wanted, to remake the Matrix as he saw fit." In some way we all have this ability. (Imagine quiet music) It's our voice and our vote. If politicians are doing something you don't like, vote for someone else. Make sure that they bring in regulation that is there for you, not for the businesses that lobby them. (Music starts to build) We can choose the products that are sold to us by buying something different. We can make small changes in our lives that will make us healthier and take responsibility for our own well-being (louder). Write to your MPs, register to vote, write to the papers, rant on the internet! (music climaxes in a thundering crescendo!) We are all The One!
Boom, big finish. I frickin' love that film.
And as for the Royal Baby...
ReplyDeleteAll over TV and the papers yesterday, another mouth to feed! Bringing together the media, the establishment, religion and our unbalanced tax system in one 'story'.