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The US Entertainment Industry and Cultural Imperialism

TurnedTables the Funkinest Journalist | 04.04.2004 15:00 | Culture

A funky commentary on the Congress' recent decision to penalize internet file sharers.

- mp3 4.9M


This past week Congress fulfilled its function as members of the political wing of the economic superstructure. They willingly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from the entertainment industry so as to protect the ability of the latter to further exploit art and cultural expression while imprisoning those who would challenge this arrangement.

Called “bootleggers” or “pirates” internet and street-corner distributors of culture are in fact competitors of big business. Corporations, whose only true purpose in entertainment is as middleman and cultural gatekeeper, recognize this and have raised the level of their active self-preservation. First step: competitors must be removed. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, affectionately known as “Adolph,” popularized the removal of street-vendors in Black and Brown communities and now Congress has stepped up its own cyber version ethnic cleansing and protection of their business partners. This is the function of government. Offer the appearance or claim of democracy while in reality serving almost exclusively to protect the interests of an elite.

This is one funky commentary in response to what assuredly will receive little attention and insufficient explanation.

TurnedTables the Funkinest Journalist
- e-mail: tables@mac.com
- Homepage: http://www.voxunion.com