A Present of the Present.

OK yesterday spent four hours watching “The Century of The Self”
http://archive.org/details/AdamCurtis-TheCenturyOfTheSelf
a BBC doc about the rising use of psychology and psychoanalytic techniques to govern society and boost demand by tapping into and using our irrational unconscious needs. It’s frightening to realise ‘your’ desires for an iPad etc and your democratic votes were designed, manufactured and provided by teams of guys in Uxbridge or where ever. Basically create a statement that includes ‘your’ desire, a link that is obviously true and an outcome that ‘they’ desire. The link needn’t be relevant just true so that it creates an equivalence between your desire and theirs. To enact ‘your’ desire you must then obviously perform ‘their’ desired outcome. To do anything else would appear counter to pursuing your own desire. Wouldn’t it?
A few moments ago a beautiful friend posted this on FB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZsz0Nkg2tQ
It describes a thousand moment where one could be fully present but often aren’t. One engages through a muffling blanket of considerations trying to hear a single voice in a crowd of a thousand voices. This is largely the outcome of Freud’s discoveries of our unconscious put to manipulative use by his nephew, Edward Bernays in the US in the 1920’s. Since then our unconscious has become an apple of a thousand worms. Do we need a new kitchen when the old one is worn out or when we ‘desire’ a new one? Do we vote for a government that offers benign intelligent management or one that promises to meet our desires? Am I present as me myself or a walking talking carrier of worms? For sure we spend on the latter and vote for the latter to the point where I wonder if I should make up my mind and do the opposite. In fact another friend recently asked, “Why can’t Stiffmouse be kind to himself?” meaning why can’t he buy stuff, he’s got enough money? I guess my own kindness is wanting less not wanting more. That way I’ll always have all I want, which will be nice. Our old period films of pre nineteenth century life barely touch on the cognitive freedom of the ordinary people, just the hardship and drudgery of a life without new kitchens; it must have been terrible. Wouldn’t we be surprised if they felt pity for us if they could do the reverse! Maybe they could present us with the present of being present.