Sayonara, Doha

After the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was established in 1945, World Trade exploded and grew to the behemoth it is today. To settle the many complications involved, countries went through many trades talks: there was the Dillon round in the 1960s, Kennedy round in the 70s, Tokyo round in the 80s, and the Uraguay round in the 90s. By 1993, the World Trade Organization was established for the sake of settling international disputes on trade, but due to the impacts of outsourcing and off shoring, labor unions and other groups have highly critical of it, making the WTO a subject of controversy. Yet since the creation of the WTO, international trade have only become more complicated as new members continue to join. The current round of trade talks, the Doha, started in 2001 and continued for seven years until just yesterday, it fell out.

To begin with, there is the tenacious issue of farm subsidies. The money generated from farming constitutes at least 1% of the GDP in the United States and 2% in the European Union. In both cases, farm lobby groups are well represented in the political arena and often rely on government subsidies to lower risk in crop production. These subsidies make farming groups powerful competitors in the global market since industrialized countries can produce great quantities of crops cheaply due to its technology. In other words, not only do the farmers have the economy of scale, they also have the technological edge and the government support to keep crop prices low but also make profit. Developing countries like China and India, on the other hand, do not yet have the same capacity as the farm groups in the Developed countries; as a result, the crops produced natively will face incredible competition from the cheaper imports and native farmers will be wiped out.

To protect its own interests, the developing countries have asked in the Doha round to keep certain tariff barriers against the foreign imports. Because tariffs raise the prices of imported goods, they balance out the price margins and thus make it possible for native farmers to compete. The developed countries have rejected this, claiming that the purpose of the Doha round trade talk is to promote free trade (no tariffs among agreed members) to improve the efficiency of the global economy, and not setting up tariff barriers to obstructing trade. Another way of leveling the playing field would be to reduce the farm subsidies in the U.S. and European Union. Unfortunately, this would be next to impossible considering the political clout of farm lobby groups. With both ‘fair trade’ options out and the countries stuck in gridlock, the representatives threw up their cards and walked out.

Ultimately, the talk came down to the balancing of incentives on both short and long term scales. The immediate incentive for a successful Doha includes promoting trade amongst countries (especially so for developing countries) and thus increasing the economies of participating nations. But at the same time, this agreement would let in a wave of competition that may be a disincentive on the long term. Not only are the foreign competitors better trained and more experienced, they have existing connections and better technology to produce cheaper, more efficient, and higher quality products. For the consumers of developing countries, this is good news. For the native businesses, not so much.

In the past, countries battled for resources, power and territory through war and colonization. Today, men are more loving, cooperative and culturally aware, and such senseless violence is considered savage and frowned upon. Instead of conquering other countries to gain power, the more civilized, ‘developed’ countries now ‘invest’ in other countries instead. It is true that free trade is simple and promotes the economy of everyone: just drop your tariffs, open up your borders, and let the companies go in and do their thing. Yet economics is just politics with a happy meal box wrapped around it. Money is still power, and power is still control. The playing field has evolved, and the tactics are different, but the mechanism is the same. If Doha is such a win-win economic policy, why did it fail? Because it’s not just about economics.

Lord of the Flies

Note: Possible spoiler to the book ahead.

To be sure, the cover of the book is misleading. The “Lord of the Flies” is not the young boy adorned in leaves on the front as one would assume; but rather, it is the severed head of a female pig. So what is the “Lord of the Flies”, and why is it a pig and not a man? As the “Additional Notes” mentioned, in Hebrew, the “Lord of the Flies” translates to Beelzebub, or “the devil”. Ultimately, the pig’s head is symbolic for the full manifestation of human savagery, the deterioration of human order, and the devil instinct inherit in human nature.

Before its emergence, the “Lord of the Flies” was a big, happy, newly mothered pig resting comfortably in the shades of the forest feeding its new litter of babies. After her nap was disturbed by the two wooden spears that flew and stuck into her body, she was forced to flee for her life as a hoard of face-painted, blood thirsty child hunters stormed after her with promise of more spears to come. She kicked and sprinted, twisted and turned deep into the forest, but the hunters, led on by the trail of her blood, trotted closely behind. Finally, all energies exhausted, the sow collapsed and the boys were upon her with their pikes and knives, penetrating her with lustful fervor. In the end, they decapitated her and hung her head on a stick—a feast for the flies—and it became the “Lord of the Flies”.

In Freudian Psychoanalysis, the concept of the “Id” describes the basic animal drive in man that thrives on sex and violence. The head of the sow, then, represents of the full manifestation of Id desires and the breakdown of social values. Initially, the children were one and everyone followed the ground rules of the group, regardless of personal dissatisfactions. Gradually, however, the carnal instincts of some of the children were teased out by the acts of hunting and killing pigs, and a new faction formed as a result. This rising new group, led by a child named Jack, is symbolic for the intrinsic “Id” that is overtaking the unity of the whole, breaking it down and reforming it to operate under a new principle: pleasure satisfaction. On an island where the disciplines of society are not kept or enforced, the Id reins and consumes all traces of humanity until all that is left is the painted face of that which used to be children.

It’s Relative

Everyone knows Einstein’s famous General Theory of Relativity, E=MC2. It’s short, easy to memorize, rolls off the tongue, and makes people sound educated. For a long time, I have been a part of the general throng club of the General Theory of Relativity, knowing it by form but remaining ignorant about its implications. I remembered a scenario that Einstein gave regarding relativity. For example, there was the comparison between a person placing his finger on a hot stove versus a person plastering his lips to a hot lover—both events can take place for an equal amount of time (10 seconds, per say), but the participants of each will feel drastically different about the time that has lapsed. When I first heard of this analogy, I assumed it to be a piquant little example, a fun illustration of a psychological phenomenon, but nothing all that groundbreaking. Little did I know, Einstein was speaking to different levels of his audience, and this version was specifically designed for members of the general throng club.

The real version, the serious version, the version that launched him into global fame, was…well, essentially the same. It is the postulate that time is relative. This simple conclusion completely shattered the Scientific paradigm (Newtonian Physics) before him and reconstructed a new framework from which Science operates today. Before, time was thought of as being separate from space. You could move on a train or remain stationary next to the tracks, but either way, the time that ticks for both these instances would be the same. 10 seconds would be 10 seconds, 30 would be 30, and time will remain constant regardless of the motion or change in space. So it seems.

Before, the assumption was that time was objective, and the space and speed of light were relative. However, after Einstein established that the speed of light was actually NOT relative but constant regardless of situation or position, that resulted in the corresponding conclusion that time was relative. Ultimately, after all of the theories are worked out, the concept of “space-time” is formed in which space and time are both relative and intertwined with each other—a concept that remains as the standard for science today. So not only was Einstein able to prove the relativity of time on a hard-science level and revolutionize the entire understanding within the field, he also simplified this concept for laymen like me so that one day, if I did decide to read up on the specifics of his idea, his old analogy would serve as a bogey board for understanding his brilliance.

What is interesting is how this theory of relativity interacts with a philosophical problem called “Pluarlism and uncertainty”. Basically, the problem is this: every culture holds some values that differ from one another. People, hold different views and opinions from one another. The differences are all relative, as it is hard to claim that the values of one culture are more ‘justified’ than another because the values are not ‘better or worse’, but merely different. This results in the “loss of moral innocence” as morality becomes not objective laws, but relative rules. ‘Pluralism’, as championed by Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Satre, is a phenomenon exacerbated by the interactions of the many cultures today. The solution, in which philosophers try to find a universal set of moral values, is called the “Project of Modernity and Ethics”, and there are four main approaches: the sentimentalist (Hume, Mencius), rationalist (Kant), utilitarian (Locke, Hobbes), and Contractarian (Mill, Rouseeu, Rawls).

Ultimately, I have not finished exploring these various paths to explaining a solution that trumps ‘pluralism’, but I do find it interesting that Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity also happens to occur during the modern era when ‘pluralism’ is a hot topic. I’m sure there are theories under the branch of “philosophy of science” that will better connect the scientific advancements of today to the perennial philosophical questions, but I do feel there is something interesting about Einstein’s theory in relation to the Project of Modernity and Ethics. Namely, I feel that the concept of space-time, that time and space for forever relative but also intertwined, is similar to the relationship of the external environments and personal values we hold. Not only are environments and personal values also intertwined and relative, I feel that there is a comparable ‘constant’ that is like the “speed of light” to Einstein’s model, and that is the spirit.

The spirit, like light, is without mass; therefore, it can travel through different mediums and at speeds that are impossible for material objects. The spirit is also something that Philosophy is debating hotly about, but that discussion belongs to the Metaphysics, a branch I have little knowledge of. One thing I do know, is that the spirit is beyond the scope of rationality. It may or may not trek the earth we inhabit as we read about in fiction novels, and it may or may not be measurable with the tools we can ever wish to invent. It’s a paradox, really: how does one begin to even approach something that may be of another dimension? Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for that. In the mean time, I’ll go with my gut.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Today, I set a new record: for the first time since starting College, I was able to watch a full 3 hours of television. In fact, the record of watching no more than three hours of TV might have dated back even longer, perhaps going back to the good old days of Junior year in high school. Yes, it is quite an accomplishment, for I have since come to believe that television is an evil substance of the occult disguised in a friendly looking shape that is the box. To cut to the chase, today, I watched the animated version of the classic Chinese tale, The Romance of Three Kingdoms—a series I had watched many times before in its myriad varieties. It turned out, the show was actually much more substantive than I had initially thought not only on a personal level, but also on a historical, political, and philosophical level.

The character that evoked the most reflection was Cao Cao (the “c” is pronounced as “ts”, as in tsai). Not only was he physically strong and socially adept, he was confidant, cunning, and most importantly, ambitious. This ambition drove him. It was the flash in his eyes, the knowing pull in his smile, and it brought him to take great risks and do great things. He was fearless and he inspires great loyalty in his subjects because of the vision he has of the world. This intense drive as revealed in his character came as a brisk jab to my arm that hit a certain pressure point and numbed the limb. Such intensity, such daring spirit of leadership brought me to reflect upon my own outlook in life. This Cao-Cao character lived in a time of pure chaos, and he was able to emerge from the blood bath as one of the three major generals who vied for the empire.

Such leadership is not extinct. It is not a mythic quality that belonged in ‘once upon a time’. Today, we could see the qualities of Cao-Cao in their alternate forms, manifested as the standout traits of corporate executives who interact in a hyper-competitive Capitalistic market. Of course, the barbaric, testosterone rich glories of plunder and war no longer exist in the modern developed nation, but these are replaced by an equally fierce struggle for the wealth that exist in a much more complicated and sophisticated arena, one that involves finance, cultural diversity, human rights, modern ethics, and politics raised to an international scale. As if these weren’t enough, this global battleground must also be kept as non-violent as possible since national disturbances can rock the boat for everyone. Talk about being complicated.

Of course, I’m not saying Cao-Cao’s period of time had it easier than we did (they had killings on a regular basis and pure horror in daily chaos). I am simply observing that, regardless of the change in time, the leaders are always characterized by a forward thrust that pushes them to be revolutionary and risk taking. There is a vision and an inexhaustible energy that drives action, and that action makes history. Once again, upon reflection, I am quite embarrassed about my own passive, I’m-cool-with-anything persona. To be a leader is to lead. A leader who doesn’t lead is a follower. Simple as that. But leadership is not just about leading projects. It is reflected in one’s personality in daring to voice opinions. It is revealed in one’s expression in articulating ideas well. It is shown through one’s actions in willing to risk and move towards visions. In short, leadership is simply being as truly genuine and passionate as possible. Time to take action.

In the Moment

For a delivery speech I gave a few days back, I used the 2005 Standford Commencement Address by Steve Jobs. In particular, I chose his last story, the story about death, and I recited a quote, “If you lived everyday as if it was your last, then one day you will most certainly be right.” In his speech, Steve Jobs said that for the past 33 years, he would look at himself in the mirror every morning and remind himself of the quote, trying his best to live each day as his last. The speech had given me some thought about my own life, but ultimately, my habits triumphed and I remained huddled well within my comfort zone. Great quote, yes, great quote.

Today, at 6 AM in the morning as I was half awake and part lethargic, I had a flash of thought, “If today was my last day, would I continue to sleep in as I am doing right now or will I get out and do something with myself?” I laid in my sheets in a limbo state between consciousness and unconsciousness, thinking and trying to reach out to the idea I had rote memorized a few days back. In the end, I lost round two to my habits and slept. Upon waking up, though, I did remember a fleeting trace of having had the idea, of feeling with the tips of my fingers the fickle wisp of a potentially life changing mantra. It actually came to haunt me, I realized—it was intent on challenging my status quo and bringing a fresh vigor to my pampered condition.

And then, for the third time, I was hit with the same message at a lecture I was at today. “When is ‘tomorrow’?”, the speaker asked, “Is it when you wake up the next day? Is that ‘tomorrow’? No. By the time you wake up, that ‘tomorrow’ has become ‘today’.” So there is no such thing as ‘tomorrow’ other than as an abstract concept—what is most important is ‘now’. Steve Jobs spoke similarly a few days back, only I wasn’t ready or prepared yet to take in what he said. It’s interesting, really, the thoughts that emerge after such a conclusion is reached. Should I save the process of becoming more social until after all of my academics? Will I be more ready and prepared to speak at length about social issues after I take more classes? Can I make up the blogging/writing commitments of today tomorrow? Bull crap.

Is being an academic more important than being a socially functionable member of society? Academics is an important topic, but social interaction is at the crux of what it means to be human–keep the priorities straight. Why does there need to be certainty for there to be energy for action? Certainty is not a license to speak—no license is needed. What does it mean to make a commitment if these convictions are taken lightly and frequently left to the whims of time? To commit is to stand stalwart in spite of the tides of different conditions and unpredictable circumstances–time management is key.

“So say ‘yes’”, Colbert says in his Knox College commencement speech.

Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying “yes” begins things. Saying “yes” is how things grow. Saying “yes” leads to knowledge. “Yes” is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say “yes.”

It took a while, but the message finally got through. Conclusion: Live the moment (as literally as possible), Live in passion, and finally, say “yes” and enjoy life in its uncertainty.

China

What does it feel like to look into the mouth of the dragon and find faces staring back at you, looking into your eyes, drilling into your heart, splashing into your soul? It feels surreal–alien, even. Today, as I opened the National Geographic magazine titled “China: Inside the Dragon”, my eyes widened and I began flipping quickly through the images, unbelieving, like a man flipping through an empty checkbook. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, in which case, I am swimming in a pot of broken, blurred-out words that have given up their meanings to form a rorschach of pixels.

The landscapes captured my attention, a struggle between the China of yore and the China of lore. The red of stop lights against the gray of weathered walls, the white of billboards against the green of the moss—colors of the past and present battling for attention. The juxtaposition of ancient, tile-roofed houses and modern, neon-tech skyscrapers stand like a portrait, the tall buildings looking spiffy like millionaires towering over the sweeping mass of old buildings that are bent down low and struggling to keep up with the merciless time. “A new generation is here”, the portrait seems to declare, “Get out of the way, old houses. This is no country for old men.” Yet, the old houses stay, quiet, and with their heads bowed low looking at the ground at the brown dirt where everything started off equal.

The people too, caught my attention. They were so many, and varied, and they interacted in this landscape in the most matter-of-fact way—a simplicity that struck me. A worker was breaking up rocks for a new tower; a student had her hand raised in a rural-based classroom; a ‘twentysomething’ was in a bar sipping on a ‘flaming Lamborghini’—all of these seemed to be as ordinary as every, yet, there is something about them, something natural and organic and impalpable, that drew me from my chair and brought me into their world. It could have been the eyes, or the aura of the environment that cast its spell on me, or maybe it was the pig that did the trick, the one that was strewn on its back, charred roasted and burnt in multiple places with people poking at him. Yes, that must be it.

But ultimately, I would have to say that the last three pages near the end of the magazine struck me the most. They were full front face portraits with soft colored backgrounds. First there was a man, then a woman, and then there was an entire mosaic of people of all different ages. Most were cast with a red background, and some had gray instead, but all of them stared at you with varying expressions. It was an unexplainable feeling, looking at them looking at you. What did they think? How did they live? Why did they stare? And then, you turn the page and set the magazine down and take a deep breath. China.

Summer School Memories

A few posts back, I mentioned how, like using the John, writing must be an everyday practice in order to be a smooth, natural process. Otherwise, materials cramp up in the stomach and will have a hard time coming out–a phenomenon known as constipation. This week was finals week and I didn’t post everyday like I should. Naturally, I am now constipated and have to bang my head on the keyboard to crunch out a few words here and there, only to be disappointed anyways with the final result. It is terrible trying to set things back to normal, but here I am, trying to do just that. Here goes:

Summer school is out, finally, but also reluctantly. I’ve met some fun faces I will miss, learned some interesting concepts I will implement, and made some memories I will now store away in dusty boxes, stacked and piled somewhere in the back of my head.

Memories are terrible things. When not taped under a lid and put away, they slosh nosily around, interfering with all the chores and duties that must be done for the day, spilling over and mixing the mind in a muddy soup of confusion called nostalgia. Now, if I secure those memories in time under air-tight boxes and move on to the myriad of things I want to do, those memories will slowly fade into the shadows and be forgotten. Moths will grow and spider webs will form, but those memories will remain locked. However, these memories will continue beating against the walls that trap it until one day, the lid gives away and the entire collection of prehistoric, ancient, old, current and new memories flood out and overwhelm one’s senses, drowning everything in a dazed stupor.

Ultimately, memories simply weren’t meant to be capped but allowed to crash and flow and precipitate with all the other thoughts and emotions held at every given moment. The memories will mingle with other, older memories, and they will become acquainted with one other and form memories of their own. As the memories befriend each other, a sharp pang will be felt, an unspeakable emotion will rise, and the roaring mass will continue to grow and swirl out of control. A few days may pass like this. Maybe weeks. Maybe months. But hopefully, one day, out of this jostling chaos, chemistry will happen and new sediment will sink to the bottom.

It is a bitter substance, this sediment—something grainy, gray and unpleasant. However, it is a growth factor, and it promotes development in the heart and soul. As crazy as it was to create, this unattractive pulp resulting from the swirling mess of memories and emotions is actually sedative. It settles the roiling waters that have disturbed the peace, smoothing the currents until everything becomes a flat, silver plate. And then, slowly at first but progressively quicker, the water drains downward, down the body into the blood and veins until the memories fill every crevice, every tube, every organ, until the entire body is filled and the serene waters become an inseparable part of existence. Such is the beauty of life.

Vanilla Ice Cream

A family of four, sitting around the bottom left corner of the dinner table, bodies slack and hands each holding an ice-cream cone—vanilla flavored—licking slowly, passively, without much thought, minds and bodies numb from the activities of the day—no thoughts, just licking. I stared dumbly at my ice cream, watching the sides of the cone slowly materialize from the white of the pure chill of the vanilla as the warmth of my tongue lapped away at the sweet, sweet cream.

Then, I had a fleeting thought. A quiet drone in the background that warned me that I was wasting time—an internal alarm I had installed since high school in order to make sure I was up to pace with all of my other friends who were having more ‘productive’ summers. Sitting there, I watched my family through my misty, tired eyes, how similar their slouch was to mine. Then, I turned the annoying alarm off and gave the finger to all the “keeping up with the Joneses” crap.

For once, I am going to eat ice-cream and eat it like I mean it; not some half-hearted, sloppy, mechanical eating to get things over with and move on to books. No, not this time. I’ve spent the entire day speed dashing between events to keep the agenda as smooth as I could dare ask for. An entire day dedicated to helping children learn a few important lessons in life, so they can grow up and think back to the Habit Rabbit and make better decisions. Tonight, I am going to engage my Ice-cream in a long, prolonged kiss and let my taste buds slow dance to the faint sensation of vanilla.

The Habit Rabbit

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, fluffy rabbit. He had a funny habit of pointing out the habits of others and he dreamed of becoming the greatest habit finder in the whole wide world. Whenever he saw people do certain things over and over again, he would point and say, “That’s a habit!” Then, if he saw that people were doing good things, he would add, “That’s a GOOD habit.” And if he saw others doing bad things, he would squeal, “That’s a BAD habit!”. Either way, he was an energetic little rabbit, and every morning, after he had a big cup of refreshing carrot juice, he would skip from his house, go down the street, and wander around the neighborhood.

One day, as he was singing and trotting down the street next to the park, he met Rubber C. Duckie Junior the First, a sugar loving, chubby duckie. “Hiya, Habit Rabbit”, the rubber duck squeaked, “How’s the habit spotting going?” “Good, Good’, the Habit Rabbit replied, “What’s that in your hand?” “Oh, it’s just a triple layered, extra sweet cream cake”, the Rubber Duck said. “I just had my Super Duper Sundae, but I just HAD to have this cream cake. Later, I’m thinking of having two or three chocolate fudge lollipops and skipping dinner for some apple pie. Honestly, I don’t know how I could possibly live without sugar!” At that, Rubber Duckie the First plowed his fleshy face into the sea of cream and began to make loud slurping noises. “AHA! That’s a habit!”, the Habit Rabbit yelled, “and a BAD one too!” Startled, the Rubber duck shook and the cake slid from him and plopped on the ground with a final “Slop”. With tears and cream on his cheeks, Rubber C. Duckie Junior the First turned and ran crying.

The Habit Rabbit shrugged and continued on his way. As minute later, he met Rubber C. Duckie Junior the Second, a super social duckie who loved to play all day and all night. “Hiya, Habit Rabbit”, the rubber duck squeaked, “How’s the habit spotting going?” “Good, Good’, the Habit Rabbit replied, “What’s that in your mouth?” “Oh, it’s just a party blower”, the Rubber Duck said. “I’ve had it in my mouth since Piggy’s party, but I’m keeping it on for Teddy’s social event. Later, I’m thinking of sleeping over at Jimmy’s House and we’ll play ALLLLLLLL night. Honestly, I don’t know how I could possibly live without playing all day!” At that, Rubber Duckie the Second puffed his cheeks like a yellow balloon and began to blow loudly on his party blower. “AHA! That’s a habit!”, the Habit Rabbit yelled, “and a BAD one too!” Shocked, the Rubber duck dropped his party blower and a strong wind took it away in a swirling dust. Rubber C. Duckie Junior the Second turned and chased after his party blower crying.

Now the Habit Rabbit was feeling a little uneasy, but he continued on his way. As little while later, he met Rubber C. Duckie Junior the Third, a mean looking duckie who always looked angry. “Hey”, the Habit Rabbit said as the two met face to face, but the Rubber Duck just moved on. “Wa-it, Wait a second”, the Habit Rabbit called, “I said ‘hey’ to you!” “Oh…”, replied the Rubber duck, and he just kept walking. “You…Y-ou, You know, that’s a B-, BAD habit, right?? Not talking to people when they are trying to talk to you.” Finally, Rubber C. Duckie Junior the Third turned around. He stopped and gave the Habit Rabbit a blank look, “Well, guess what, YOU have a bad habit too.” And then he walked away.

The Habit Rabbit was stunned. He stood there quietly on the sidewalk as Rubber Duckie the Third slowly disappeared beyond the street corner. “What is this he says to me?”, the Habit Rabbit thought, “I am the HABIT RABBIT! I find the habits and I know perfectly well which ones are good and which ones are BAD. How could that… that… duck tell me that I, the Habit Rabbit, have a BAD habit that I don’t know about?” Puzzled, the Habit Rabbit slumped to the ground and thought hard about what BAD habit he could have possibly missed. He didn’t eat too much sugary/junk foods like Rubber Duckie the First, he didn’t play all day like Rubber Duckie the Second, and he was nice to people, unlike Rubber Dukie the Third. So what could it be? What could it be?

Then it hit him. How could he have possibly missed it!? He was the habit rabbit, yes, but he was always looking for OTHER people’s habits! He never really looked at himself or examined his own actions. The fact that he had a habit of finding other people’s habits and ignoring his own IS THE BAD HABIT that Rubber C. Duckie the Third was talking about! From then on, the Habit Rabbit began to find his own habits, pointing out the GOOD habits and the BAD habits and changing all that is bad. Ever since his change, the Habit Rabbit got better and better, better and better, until one day, he truly became the greatest habit finder in the whole wide world.

Dawn of the Dead

Zombies are creatures that are both dead and alive, but in being both, they are neither. Regardless, even the ‘undecidables’ remain members of a universally inclusive class: consumers. In the horror film, Dawn of the Dead, the zombies are cast as masses surrounding a mall, almost as if they were a throng of anxious shoppers ready to invade the stores on Black Friday. This new schema that the zombies inhabit intentionally or unintentionally depict them as ‘consumers’, creating an interesting role play that speaks to the social mechanisms that govern society today.

In the earlier parts of the film, as the survivors were escaping from the relentless dead, one character voices an ingenious plan: “We have to go to the mall.” Throughout the film, the mall is portrayed as a haven, a stronghold, a shelter, a house of mirth—anything nice you want, so long as it keeps the zombies out. Interestingly, as revealed at the end as the survivors drive away on a reinforced bus, the zombies are all crowded specifically around the mall and are virtually nonexistent elsewhere. Like classic consumers, the zombies are also infested with a ‘mall obsession’, and they have the patience to loiter outside for months waiting to get their hands on their desired product.

The mall is a center of extravagance that consumers visit to indulge their senses. The zombies then, represent a class of ultra-consumers infatuated with satisfying their pleasures—“Id monsters”, essentially, that run on a hyper-accentuated consumption impulse. When there is no impetus around, the zombies drift moronically outside like herds of sheep. The moment an object of desire (human flesh) appears, however, this seemingly retarded bunch breaks into an Olympic-paced sprint with mouths stretched wide and innards trailing behind. When a human is caught, he/she is also turned into one of them—a grotesque, pathetically irrational consumer who will then go on to pursue and convert others into consumers.

Ultimately, the zombie metaphor is quite an exaggeration of the realities and complications of being a consumer; however, it does also comment on the panoptic community we live in today. In his Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault compares the architectural structure of the panopticon to the enforcement of social norms in a democratic society. The panopticon is a device that controls the masses through constant, perennial surveillance. Likewise, the norms of a society are kept, maintained and operated by all who function within. In other words, every member of society acts as a surveillance camera in keeping every other member in line with the norms, and ‘outliers’ must be “re-educated” and disciplined.

In its own way, the zombies in Dawn of the Dead are like members in society, and they enforce their ‘norms’ by biting, killing, and converting all those who are not ‘like them’ into ‘proper’ members. It’s almost as if the Zombies are trying to create a Utopia—after all, the zombies appear to be quite a cooperative race of creatures. They do not eat each other, they do not steal, they do not covet the wives of their neighbors—heck, besides the savagery of their initiation ritual, they seem to be one of the most docile creatures around. They could be the ultimate moral race! Not only are zombies self-sustainable, they are also environmentally friendly, animal loving, respectful of one another, and incapable of starting wars. So relax, enjoy a swift bite, and voila, peace on earth is right around the corner. It might take a while to get used to be concept, but think about it: in a world where everyone is a zombie, no one is.