For Jack N.

The transformation of lies to unquestionable truth
is a surprisingly easy task. All it takes is convic-
tion and a willing subject. Therefore, we find in
these trying times, that for every liar there is a
world of believers, and for one very simple rea-
son: we can't handle the truth.

It would be wrong, in light of recent world events,
not to acknowledge that power is the currency of
global capitalist societies. This has been made
apparent by our culture's complete lack of
respect for those who embody powerlessness:
the poor, children, and the elderly. Indeed, even
in the last month our fine provincial government
has produced more than enough legislation to
support this statement: cuts to kindergarten,
threats of cuts to welfare, etc. Therefore, just as
we know who is forced to the bottom of the
social ladder, we instinctively know who occupies
the top: white middle to upper class straight men.
Their position on the social ladder is based on
capitalism's predetermined system of value i.e.
white over racial minority, rich over poor, men over
women, straight over gay, able bodied over dis-
abled, adult over child, and so on.

Yet, at the same time, capitalism's billboard
preaches our right to self government. We are all
our own autonomous beings, fully capable of suc-
cess - of moving up the social ladder - all it takes
is hard work. Therefore, if we don't succeed in
improving our social status - in becoming more
like white straight men - it is simply because we
haven't tried hard enough; we have failed.

We accept this to be true. This belief in our
autonomous being is internalized, as a result,
every human encounter is an active power rela-
tionship. Once again our place on the ladder in
reinforced in the context of a social situation. We
are all marked, not autonomous being but pawn.
In our social groups we remain static until moved.
A glance at the progress of women, racial minori-
ties and lesbian and gay rights in the past twenty-
five years is evidence enough.

We remain static because or our belief in yet
another truth: Media, capitalism's bitch, tells us
that the only way up is through consumerism. To
buy is to assert our autonomy. Power is equated
with tangible, material objects, effectively making
invisible the predetermined social order of value.

Because we define and embody these truths, we
in turn believe that to question them would be the
demise of our own autonomy. Granted, to ques-
tion them would result in a realization of our own
powerlessness due to the construction of capital-
ist society, but regardless of our position on the
social ladder, if we have just been placed there,
rather than earned such a position, we are
reduced to plastic dolls, playing roles. Such a
power is false as we have no control over it.
Ironically, it is an innate fear of powerlessness
which prevents us from questioning our fixed
positions. Such an act could only empower, if not
for our great fear of the truth.

Historically, truth was determined through duality-
right or wrong, bad or good, true or false. These
very rigid boundaries of human behavior were the
basis of control for both the church, and later the
state. It takes a very shallow scratch to the sur-
face of our culture, to know that these polar defi-
nitions are still largely intact. Due to our colonial
nature, we in the West find duality comfortable
and easy to digest. Our identity is constructed
on the basis of Other: that which we are not, and
there is always someone who fits the position of
other- remember the social ladder.