Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 9

             I do not prefer to begin anything with pessimism. Avoiding the less-than-optimistic truth would defeat the purpose of being optimistic in this situation, however. As Marxist David Harvey clarifies in his work “Neoliberalism as Creative Destruction,” there is not a utopia in history to return to; there is no quintessential, perfectly functioning governmental theory or system agreed upon by the masses that we can refer to for guidance. While I am being pessimistic, I might as well add that society does not seem to be developing into a utopia anytime soon. According to Harvey, the social classes that historically have had power and fortunes unfortunately want to protect their position from political and economic annihilation through privatization, or individualization (Harvey 147).

            This attempt to re-establish conditions for capital accumulation with “seductive rhetoric” and an institutional framework focused on free markets and individual freedom is termed neoliberalism. Because there is no previous utopia (that we know of), Harvey is not arguing that oppositional movements should strive to break down neoliberal institutions in order to re-establish a faultless system that existed before the industrial revolution and the formation of the modern/post-modern metropolises. Instead, he emphasizes finding an “organic link” between different class movements and thus responding to the class struggle in class terms (Harvey 157). Despite the frequent use of “free” and “freedom” in the neoliberal ideology, there is a cost associated with increased privatization. The neoliberal Though it may not have as much influence as it did during the late 20th century after the economic recession, it has, in a sense, influenced almost all countries in some form. Media has played a large part in naturalizing the ideals in the US. It has become “hegemonic” (Harvey 147). Home to many economic elites who likely assume that their freedoms are guaranteed by freedom of the market, I have observed during my travels some ways in which the naturalization of the neoliberal mode of governance manifests in Los Angeles—and some ways it does not.

On the bus!

   
Although I got on the wrong bus, I was not perturbed; the goal of my journey was to experience being on a bus in Los Angeles. The destination was secondary. At three o’clock, the bus was not full, but soon became crowded as we continued down Westwood Blvd. People of various ages, from young teenagers to elderly workers, entered the bus, taking a seat silently. No Caucasians rode the bus while I was on it, but many passed by in cars as I looked out the window. The idea of mass transit is contrary to neoliberal ideas, which rely on consumer choices, not collective political decisions. Therefore, even though the bus riders kept to themselves, they displayed less individualism than traveling in an automobile. For some, the choice between which form of transportation to take may not exist. Moreover, the ability to decide confirms that there are class differences highlighted by transit. As we traveled down Westwood Blvd, I saw a Nordstroms attached to a large mall, recalling an aspect of the neoliberal movement discussed by Harvey: individualized consumerism and entrepreneurism. Deciding it was best not to get lost, I yanked the wire, requesting a stop at the mall.

      The essay written by R. Cronk, found at http://www.westland.net/venice/art/cronk/consumer.htm, discusses the result of neoliberalism in terms of cultural values and economic worth. His concerns often parallel those of Harvey, who claims that neoliberal institutions have globally affected divisions of labor, social relations, welfare provisions, ways of life, and ways of thought. Cronk laments that product availability has become “justification for political oppression” and economic worth has “displaced traditional cultural values defining self-worth.” Stepping inside the mall, nothing was more apparent than a consumer-oriented society in which self-worth is largely depending on buying power. Inside the mall, consumption is glorified; decorations hang from every ledge, beautifying the expansive walkways. I was surrounded by stores like a fish surrounded by fish hooks, dangling their bait in my path. Similarly, neoliberalism glorifies individual consumption. In principle, the neoliberal ideals seem beneficial for all, promoting maximization of social good. However, the ability to consume—similar to the ability to own and drive an individual car—is not universal. No one from the bus, myself excluded, stopped at the mall in order to enter the mall. Collective planning may be viewed as a denial of freedom, but in a city of extreme economic gaps, a certain amount of state control may be more effective at stimulating economic growth.