Pulic Libraries
I went to the Minneapolis Public Library yesterday. It was the first time since I was a little kid that I had entered a public library. I was amazed by the feeling of happiness and awe that the library inspired in me. I'll explain. I've lately been disgusted with the nature of government. All government. It is something that in its origins is so pure and necessary; to empower the intelligent and conscientious among us to improve the lives and surroundings of all those living in a given country. However, since its shamanic inceptions the desire for the power that these positions hold has led to corruption and deceit. At this point in history it seems to me that in America the workings of our government are no longer decided by the desire to help the citizens at large, but rather to hold on to power and wealth by catering to those lobbies and individuals who can ensure more time in office or bigger kickbacks, depending on the specifics politician's willingness to compromise their morals, if they had any to begin with. But the public library is an institution that represents an affront to all of the corruption and lobbying that determine the politics of today. The public library stands as a monument to the democracy that was, that should be; the idea that all of the citizens of America have an equal right to access information. It is an example of tax dollars being used in a completely egalitarian fashion. The library is free because we as citizens pay taxes, and it houses information from the world over in all forms: video, audio, electronic, and written. Its only purpose is to offer everyone an equal chance to educate and inform themselves. There is no republican or democratic section. The information is not separated by the lobbies it represents. The more "endorsed" materials do not appear at the front of the library and there are no advertisements for the books which are approved by the administration. In fact, the only advertisements I noticed were encouraging people to read more, and to teach their children to read at a young age, so they too could become educated, informed citizens. Beautiful, no?
In an age of marketing, influence, corruption, and power struggles the public library stands as an affront to all of the forces motivating and dominated our globalized world system, and as a fortress defending the way our country should be run; for the people, by the people with liberty and equality for all.
I've been reading Joseph Stiglitz's "Globalization and its Discontents" recently. He talks about the corruption and hidden interests that have dominated and continue to dominate the IMF's decision making. A recurring theme is that the IMF always places their faith in the market, continuing to believe in the antiquated ideal of the "invisible hand". Government is viewed as an inhibiting force that can only slow and muddle the process of market liberalization. And as a result their projects have been met with overwhelming failure leading to the enormous success of several powerful investors at the cost of the impoverishment and death of hundreds of thousands of people. A point made by Stiglitz, and one I support, is that government plays a key role in market liberalization. As there is not, nor were there ever as far as I can tell, an equality of information and trade barriers, the invisible hand cannot work. Because of this inequality the role of government becomes essential to sequence, order, and pace the process of opening and reforming markets and economies. The IMF continually caters to the whims of its investors and Wall Street while forgetting the important social and cultural prerequisites that must inevitably precede a leap into the deep-end of the globalized world's pool. By allowing the flood gates to open on a developing market without building the appropriate institutions to regulate this new flow of trade and money, or creating a consciousness among the country in question's citizens about this shift, the IMF is placing these countries at the whim of investors whose motives are purely profit-based. Not exactly the way to pull a country out of debt and recession as far as I can tell. The construction of a school, library, or public transportation systems will be endorsed only if the investors can be convinced that they will make a profit off of these constructions. It should be apparent that the provision of basic public goods and tools for increasing the human capital and standard of living such as these will benefit all of the citizens and their economies in the long run. The problem is, the investors are not citizens of the developing countries in which they are investing, and their profits do not depend on the success of the countries in which they are investing. In many cases, their success can actually depend on a country’s failure to succeed. There comes a point at which we must realize that the world system today is necessarily imbalanced. The developed world is overdeveloped, considering the aggregate level of development in the world, and there are parts of the world that must remain underdeveloped to compensate for this overdevelopment. Our world cannot physically support the demands of twenty-five USA’s. Taking this into account, it is logical that the countries being bailed out by the IMF may be viewed by the investors doing the bailing as low-income, low-productivity inputs whose role in the world system is one of cheap labor, cheap natural resources, or cheap factories. I am not claiming there is a conspiracy among the Washington power elites, only that the profit motives running our current phase of globalization, which is painfully short on regulating institutions outside of the developed world, necessitate this sort of economic sabotage. And it is only occurring because it is allowed to occur. Were regulating and monitoring institutions implemented before the opening of markets, these countries in question would have a much better chance at retaining more of the money flowing into their countries and putting that money towards developing things like public schools, and public libraries. Tools to increase the human and social capital of these countries and ensure the future success and reduction of poverty of their citizens.
It is in this sense that I see the public library as a reminder, a beacon, showing us to where we must return. With the creation of the internet and the exponential growth of the speeds at which we communicate, we have become lost in our own greed and grabs for power and influence. I do not disagree with the idea that those who are more motivated and qualified should be able to improve their lot in life. I am not calling for communism. However, there is a role in this world for government, and the public library, to me, is the perfect manifestation of what that role should be; the equal provision of the tools necessary to get ahead. It is the role of the individual to exploit this access and use it to the best of their abilities. I hope that we will soon see a time when access to the internet is viewed as a global public good and is made accessible to all. At this point in time will we truly being to see the revitalization of democracy in its truest form, and hopefully, the rejuvenation of a more equal world. As has been shown by several of the great societies of the past, democracy is a system that is built on a relative level of equality, and when that system falls into an unequal state, the corrupt democracy is no longer tolerated.
In an age of marketing, influence, corruption, and power struggles the public library stands as an affront to all of the forces motivating and dominated our globalized world system, and as a fortress defending the way our country should be run; for the people, by the people with liberty and equality for all.
I've been reading Joseph Stiglitz's "Globalization and its Discontents" recently. He talks about the corruption and hidden interests that have dominated and continue to dominate the IMF's decision making. A recurring theme is that the IMF always places their faith in the market, continuing to believe in the antiquated ideal of the "invisible hand". Government is viewed as an inhibiting force that can only slow and muddle the process of market liberalization. And as a result their projects have been met with overwhelming failure leading to the enormous success of several powerful investors at the cost of the impoverishment and death of hundreds of thousands of people. A point made by Stiglitz, and one I support, is that government plays a key role in market liberalization. As there is not, nor were there ever as far as I can tell, an equality of information and trade barriers, the invisible hand cannot work. Because of this inequality the role of government becomes essential to sequence, order, and pace the process of opening and reforming markets and economies. The IMF continually caters to the whims of its investors and Wall Street while forgetting the important social and cultural prerequisites that must inevitably precede a leap into the deep-end of the globalized world's pool. By allowing the flood gates to open on a developing market without building the appropriate institutions to regulate this new flow of trade and money, or creating a consciousness among the country in question's citizens about this shift, the IMF is placing these countries at the whim of investors whose motives are purely profit-based. Not exactly the way to pull a country out of debt and recession as far as I can tell. The construction of a school, library, or public transportation systems will be endorsed only if the investors can be convinced that they will make a profit off of these constructions. It should be apparent that the provision of basic public goods and tools for increasing the human capital and standard of living such as these will benefit all of the citizens and their economies in the long run. The problem is, the investors are not citizens of the developing countries in which they are investing, and their profits do not depend on the success of the countries in which they are investing. In many cases, their success can actually depend on a country’s failure to succeed. There comes a point at which we must realize that the world system today is necessarily imbalanced. The developed world is overdeveloped, considering the aggregate level of development in the world, and there are parts of the world that must remain underdeveloped to compensate for this overdevelopment. Our world cannot physically support the demands of twenty-five USA’s. Taking this into account, it is logical that the countries being bailed out by the IMF may be viewed by the investors doing the bailing as low-income, low-productivity inputs whose role in the world system is one of cheap labor, cheap natural resources, or cheap factories. I am not claiming there is a conspiracy among the Washington power elites, only that the profit motives running our current phase of globalization, which is painfully short on regulating institutions outside of the developed world, necessitate this sort of economic sabotage. And it is only occurring because it is allowed to occur. Were regulating and monitoring institutions implemented before the opening of markets, these countries in question would have a much better chance at retaining more of the money flowing into their countries and putting that money towards developing things like public schools, and public libraries. Tools to increase the human and social capital of these countries and ensure the future success and reduction of poverty of their citizens.
It is in this sense that I see the public library as a reminder, a beacon, showing us to where we must return. With the creation of the internet and the exponential growth of the speeds at which we communicate, we have become lost in our own greed and grabs for power and influence. I do not disagree with the idea that those who are more motivated and qualified should be able to improve their lot in life. I am not calling for communism. However, there is a role in this world for government, and the public library, to me, is the perfect manifestation of what that role should be; the equal provision of the tools necessary to get ahead. It is the role of the individual to exploit this access and use it to the best of their abilities. I hope that we will soon see a time when access to the internet is viewed as a global public good and is made accessible to all. At this point in time will we truly being to see the revitalization of democracy in its truest form, and hopefully, the rejuvenation of a more equal world. As has been shown by several of the great societies of the past, democracy is a system that is built on a relative level of equality, and when that system falls into an unequal state, the corrupt democracy is no longer tolerated.
posted by Jay Boren at 9:04 AM
1 Comments:
Said and done... nice stencils and nice new design.
Regarding to public libraries, if we consider this single institution in America, one would think that the States is a socialist country. Just the amount of books in spanish in a single branch of the NYC library is more extensive than the collection of any public school over here.
B-bye
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