Michael Albert's Remembering Tomorrow, Harvard Coop (11/12)

Michael Albert speaking on his political memoir:

Remembering Tomorrow:
From SDS to Life After Capitalism

Filmed and Edited by Jonathan McIntosh
At the Harvard Coop, Cambridge, Mass.
May 8th, 2007

http://www.sevenstories.com
http://www.zcommuncations.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Michael
• Albert
• Remembering
• Tomorrow
• SDS
• Parecon
• Participatory
• society
• radical
• left
• movement
• alternatives

[tokotokotoko3]

Oh wait, isn't there something missing? It's a very interesting point, where I would like to know what it led to. Because in my view it sounds like a conspiracy theory. I mean who plans this? Who says "oh they have to work on assembly line, so lets build a loud place". I can't imagine that it is that way.

Granted it somehow works out to turn out like he explains - I just don't believe in "evil masterminds". I find the topic exciting though - how society forces us into certain types of people.

[Chomskyan]

I don't think he is saying that someone is in the background planning these things, not consciously.... I think his main point is that the effect of the institution is so pervasive that it's even in the layout of an institution.

It's something I am very interested in, actually, the relationship between institutional factors and the individual; the interplay is very complex.

[anonymity11]

And as for doubt whether there are things wrong in the world, its like a truism that the US invaded the middle east for oil, though no one seems to think they can do anything about it. Then why is it farfetched to think about these things. Of course its pretty hard to think about these things when nobody reinforces you, if you seek reinforcement from society then you wont get support. They look at you like youre a lunatic.

[anonymity11]

You don't say things like "Oh this can't be because if it would be true then it would be too horrible." That's not the way you evaluate things, the way you do it is you actually search to see if it's true or not. Just check how things around you are. Why do you think most people's parents are so conformist to institutions and it's all their is on their mind. "Oh go to school". Why cant my parents think of other things other than money?

[anonymity11]

I'm not a conspiracist, I hate fanatic conspiracy, though I strongly believe this is very true. Listen to Chomsky, he says it.Or just go out in the street and look around, it's there.Talk to someone who is indoctrinated, if you have at least some kind of critical mind youll see it.Institutions are in place to create highly conformist people, where their criticism is limited so that it will not harm the people on top, and these people are created to serve the world of capitalism.

[anonymity11]

I would like to comment on tokotokotoko3's comment. No I don't think it's a conspiracy, I think it's highly true. You know why? Because it's logical from a business elite's point of view. Another reason why is that the people on the very top are very cult-minded, immoral, selfish and even stupid people. The people who run our society are like that. The relationship is actually inverse, as you go higher in power the people tend to be more irresponsible or stupid.

[anonymity11]

Wow I can't believe there is an awareness for this question at the beginning of the vid, this is something that I've been struggling to find out as I am in high school and I have to decide what to do with my life soon. Seriously it's a very big question, though I don't feel Michael answered it much. Yes I'm definetly not going to go to an elite institution and neither choose an occupation that requires high levels of conformity like accounting. Still, I don't know the answer, and I am scared.