by the Rev. Daniel Jantos, given at the Spirit of Life Fellowship, Kirrabilli.
Some of us may identify philosophically, politically, spiritually as progressives but generally, in Australia or the United States, we know that there is a line, of sorts, to our left that one crosses with caution. The clearest way to cross that line is to start talking about Karl Marx and Marxism …..or to throw around the words colonialist and imperialist. We may be progressive but many are wary of that leftist Marxist fringe whom we suspect are mostly idealogues gone too far – university students or academics who don’t really know enough about the practical world.
Well today I would like to bring up some Marxist critique and some colonialist conspiracies as a part of a reflection. This in connection to a term that has captured my imagination over the past few weeks and I hope might be of interest to you also. It is a term from the writer Peter Hershcock. It is the term “the colonization of consciousness.” I am using it this morning as a way to reflect on just how much information technology has invaded our lives and is plundering our attention. To use a Marxist phrase: it has made a commodity of our attention.
The full address can be found here.
Daniel l’m glad you brought up Marx as this year is the 200th anniversary of his birth. There is an interesting political assessment of his ideas in The Australian, May 5-6th p20. Despite the terrible application of his ideas by dictators who sort an excuse to eliminate opposition and twisted his writings to suit their purpose, it is good to have a more balanced debate and consider what may be relevant to us now.