Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id VAA19198 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 14 Sep 2000 21:17:04 +0100 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 13:13:54 -0700 From: "Scott Chase" <hemidactylus@my-Deja.com> Message-ID: <DPCIDPHJFCDBDAAA@my-deja.com> X-Sent-Mail: off X-Mailer: MailCity Service Subject: Re: the fuel crisis meme X-Sender-Ip: 209.240.200.114 Organization: My Deja Email (http://www.my-deja.com:80) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Language: en Content-Length: 5847 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
--On Thu, 14 Sep 2000 13:22:12 Vincent Campbell wrote: >Hi everyone, > >I've been checking various online newspapers today to see how much coverage >of the British fuel crisis there is , and also, how extensive protests have >been around the rest of the world. > >The French started it, of course, with their blockades of channel ports, >and subsequent blockades of refineries. Almost within minutes (or so it >seemed) of journalists, politicians and the public in the UK complaining >about the French and their dreadful methods of protesting, similar protests >began here as well (after the French efforts got some governmental rewards). > >In checking coverage elsewhere in the world, the presentation of events >seems pretty accurate: a government and PM angry at people protesting (Blair >seems to think it's somehow undemocratic for the public to protest- a bit >like Lieberman and Gore complaining about the US media recently, in the the >UK case a (nominal) socialist telling people to do what they're told, and in >the US, democrats trying to censor the media), and a general public very >sympathetic to the protestors despite the problems caused by fuel supplies >running dry. > >What's this got to do with memetics? > >Well there have already been some similar protests in other countries e.g. >Belgium, Holland, Germany, and in both Israel and Argentina (acc. to the >Jerusalem Post and Buenos Aires Herald respectively) possible action in >those countries as well. In Israel, for example, fuel prices are hitting >the airlines who are raising flight prices, which hauliers are complaining >about. > >Some speculation in the UK has begun about how such nationwide protest could >have occured outside of traditional routes, such as pressure group or union >action, with notions that new technologies- internet, e-mail & mobile >phones, have played a part in co-ordinating efforts (despite the recent >failure of a pump boycott in the UK, a la the US, which was also mainly >trailed via the new media). > >What I'm wondering is what's been going on here, from a memetic point of >view? Is it a case of Brits seeing French people protesting and getting >somewhere with their government, and thus deciding to do the same? But the >French protest about something every summer, and block the channel ports >every summer (most often the farmers, but also hauliers, fishermen etc. etc. >etc.), so why this year has their style of protest found itself being copied >in the UK extensively, and to a lesser extent (so far) elsewhere? > > I live in the southeastern US and we've gotten good coverage of the protests. Actually I watch the cable news netwworks more than local news so maybe that's why I notice. When I heard Tony Blair's stance on the protest I winced a little. We in the U.S. have had some increases in gasoline (petrol over there?) prices, but we still pay much less than people in other countries. Part of the prices stems from the OPEC aspect, but another portion from taxes. It's good to get revenues some how, but if the taxes start accounting for more of the at the pump cost than the fuel itself, people might get a little antsy. I'm not so sure about the memetic dynamics of the protests in France and Great Britain. On a somewhat related front isn't there a meme about how we'll be running out of fossil fuels soon (carrying a sense of urgency). Another meme might be in the vein of fossil fuels being environmentaly damaging. Either of these notions, however true they may actually be, could be exploited by a government trying to raise taxes on fuel.
I took notice of the recent moralizing by the Gores and Lieberman wrt the entertainment industry. This topic runs quite deep considering that Tipper Gore was involved back in the '80's with the PMRC capaign on music lyrics and parental advisory labels. I vaguely recall Frank Zappa and Dee Snyder among others tesifying before Congress. I also recall the stink raised over the lyrics of songs by Luther Campbell/2Live Crew and Ice T, not many years later. I admit that msicians sometimes push the envelope and take things a bit far, but how should the line be drawn or what actually should be done in response?
On another front has been the debate of violence in video games. Wasn't Mortal Combat the hot button issue back in the early to mid 90's, a video game where you see some blood spill and you use a finishing move on your opponent by ripping their skull and vertebral column from their body IIRC. I guess they've given the entertainment industry an ultimatum about cleaning up their act and ceasing to target kids. The rap star Eminem (Slim Shady) figures prominently into the mix if I'm not mistaken. Plus there's supposedly gratuitous sex and violence in movies and even South Park, an adult cartoon show, is going to be a target. It wasn't long ago, if memory serves correctly, that Mike Judge and the others making Beavis @ Butthead had to bow to pressure about Beavis uttering the words "Fire, Fire!" because some kid might burn down the house with matches.
Maybe there's substance to the assertion that these various forms of entertainment (movies, video games, TV, and music) have a major impact on kids. OTOH there's the issue of how much control goverment should be allowed to impose on entertainment. Tragedies like the shootings at Columbine become intimately intertwined with these efforts (and also gun control efforts). These issues are complex and many times one's views are heavily influenced by their polilitical affiliation, though interestingly the Democrats Gore and Liebermann don't seem to be too far from the moralizers on the right the Moral Majority.
So many memes, so little time :-)
Scott
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