NO LOGO

Links
ZNet - ParEcon - http://www.zmag.org/parecon/indexnew.htm
CorpWatch - http://www.corpwatch.org/

No logo is presented as the “spirit of anti-corporate resistance”. Logos are the consistent mark, slogan, or symbol of a particular company or product. We are all familiar with the Nike swoosh, Pepsi circle, and MacDonald’s Arches in fact we can not possibly ignore them. These logos are presented to us in every aspect of our lives as Americans. We no longer have a choice not to see the marketing of products. All this marketing started with mass industry; when your friend or neighbor no longer produced the product it became distant and strange. Therefore, large manufactures used logos to comfort people and to let them know they were getting the same product in Alabama as they did in Virginia. Through time marketing has become more important than the product itself. Companies sell an idea or a lifestyle; family, peace, love, and the American dream become commodities. The tangible product is no longer the purpose. Companies have the intention of establishing cultural roles; essentially, they can sell us back to ourselves. The merge of culture and the market means there is not a public sphere outside the market. We can not be citizens with out being consumers. In order to be a consumer we must be within the market and the market is privately owned by the corporations, this means the corporations control the flow of information within the market. No one can pass out pamphlets, peacefully demonstrate, or publicly speak about the companies affairs without being sanctioned. Many times companies do not adhere to public values or even the ideals they market, however, the behind the scene business is censored and hidden from the public. Companies’ sales may go down if commercials aired showing sweatshops, and told the public about the restriction of unions and global auctions for the cheapest labor, which is the most abusive. Business is doing what is best for them, but it is not good for the overseas workers they ‘employ’ or for us as Americans. Corporations view profit as more important than human dignity or the environment. The ideals of democracy, choice, and power and rights of the people are rapidly slipping away in part due to the practices of large corporations. As American citizens we can inform ourselves and others of the corrupt practices of corporations. Then we will be able to make wise decisions within the market place.