PUBLIC UPROAR
a journal for eclectic policy

Any comments or questions about the articles in this issue or past issues, feel free to E-mail me at dcr420dcr@hotmail.com. Thank you. - Darin Robbins, sole contributing author

PIMP ERADICATION 

Any discussion of crime leads to asking how can certain illegal acts be prevented in the first place. When all is said and done, most people would rather not have the crime committed at all, regardless of where they stand on punishment for the criminals. Added to this debate are the types of crimes that are classified as “victimless” where no harm to individuals or property occurs. In the United States, prostitution is such a crime and has brought about a discussion of whether it should or should not remain illegal. First though, the inclusion of moral standards has made the determination of legal justification murky, and so will be amputated from this discussion. The state of Nevada for example has legalized prostitution, arguing that in this case prostitutes can be medically screened to prevent the spread of diseases such as AIDS. However, both the conservative right and liberal left has argued that prostitution poses a threat and is not entirely “victimless”. The right claims that solicitation is a magnet for, and subsidiary of, other criminal behavior in communities, while the left argues that women who sell sexual favors for money are exploited by a male dominated business and treated as property. The reason that this has not been settled one way or the other is because both arguments are accurate. Though legalization would remove the organized criminal ownership of this business, there is still the question of exploitation of women by both customers and managers. These managers, more commonly known as pimps, are in fact the main obstacles to a humane practice of grown men and women having a business transaction where sex is involved in the privacy of the home. These men, and occasionally the women called madams, not only moonlight in other criminal activity but also terrorize their workers and force them to work under duress for small amounts of the profit. In order for prostitution to be legal for the sake of curbing the spread of disease, the pimp must be removed from the profession and identified as the source of illegality in the entire practice. This would require strong government regulation, and coinciding with the fact that sex in exchange for money on a volunteer basis is a victimless situation, it must be concluded that prostitution must be deemed a public service of sorts. Therefore, I propose that the only way for prostitution to be legal and safe is for it to be government-owned and operated such as the post office or school system. If a woman went about exchanging sexual favors for money, she would be guaranteed of doing this of her own free will if she worked through a government run agency. When this woman would decide to leave prostitution, she would have the freedom to do so since she would be the only one to receive the profits. The government’s incentive to manage the services of prostitutes would be to end exploitation and the spreading of disease, as well as make the act of prostitution less dehumanizing than within a profit-driven economic model. The capitalistic background of prostitution has made it possible for the abuse of the women involved to continue, while the criminalization of the activity has made the victims suffer more than those who reap the benefits. A socialist approach removes the constraints and makes the act of solicitation a free choice between the worker and client, and thus a personal matter between two truly consenting adults. Once prostitution has been socialized, then people could freely and openly discuss the moral issues of an act that does not cause physical harm, and can be considered a choice of personal freedom. Laws state whether certain activities are legal or illegal for other reasons than moral correctness, such as public safety or to insure the proper application of fair justice. Prostitution has been deemed a threat to public safety precisely because of its association with organized crime, as well as the harm of venereal diseases and the abuse of women within these sexual arrangements. To avoid the legal system making a moral judgement, which it is unable to do without a context of fair justice or public safety, the characteristics of prostitution which make the act so suspect must be pinpointed and removed initially. From that initial crime preventive measure the public would be able to see sex for money as something that could possibly be made legal throughout the nation, since it would be free of abuse and associative guilt. But for prostitution to be legal and safe, it must be publicly owned and operated as a socialized business enterprise.

BOOK WITH A KEY:
an analysis of “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchial Collectivism”

Much has been said and explained concerning the novel “1984”. However, hardly anything has been commented on with regards to the book within a book that happens inside of the plot. It is my belief that “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchial Collectivism”, the book found by the main character Winston, holds the instructions to understanding George Orwell’s work as a whole. The primary context for this book is the novel “1984”, which is the environment that this book exists in. The book is a treatise by Emmanuel Goldstein, one of the founders of the ruling Party who has become an enemy of the same Party years later. Later on in the novel we learn that the book was fabricated by the Party in order to lure those who would rebel either in thought or deed out into the open. The irony is that though a falsehood, the book is actually a window of truth about the Party and explains how the Party works to continue its reign. This is the world of “1984”, placed like a diagram before the reader and the characters in the novel, where reality and lies coexist. Some terms need to be flushed out in order to follow the premise of the book within the book. IngSoc is the political system and method by which the future of the novel is governed, and the word is an abbreviation of English Socialism. The act of a thought-crime is one where a person would consider going against the Party, which is simultaneously the state, and therefore would be already committing a crime by thinking about it. The language of newspeak is such that vocabulary is cut down to a bare minimum in order to prevent any act of speech that could be rebellious such as words with threatening connotations alone. “Ignorance is Strength, Slavery is Freedom, War is Peace” are three slogans which are phrased in newspeak and sum up the conditions of the society in “1984” where whatever is best for the Party is best for the people. In the novel, states span continents to such a degree that there are only three of them; Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia; all in a state of war. The Ministry of Truth is where Winston works, editing books and newspapers to such a degree that truth is completely dissected, and it is his superior that gives him the book. The practice of doublethink is where two truths exist side-by-side within one’s mind in order to safeguard against committing a thought-crime. The book that Winston discovers, titled “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchial Collectivism”, presents not only the history of the revolution but themes by which the Party is able to stay in power. Later on, Winston is apprehended and told by his superior that the book was created by the Party as bait for those who would act against the government. Even though the book, and its author, does not exist there is valid truth in how it depicts the structure of power. The government institutions conduct the eradication of time as well as the eradication of facts. The Ministry of Truth personifies this action, constantly changing all written fiction and nonfiction on a daily basis. History, as part of this written information, exists only as text that is attacked by the editing process. The sole goal of the Party is the artificial continuation of the status quo, which is a continuation of an immortal present tense. The state Winston is in is at war, with one of the other existing states, and allied with the third. When the enemy changes, the facts are changed to make it seem that the present situation has always been this way. The society under the Party accepts that it is their duty to obey the state in this war effort, a state of emergency that is an excuse for limited resources and liberties. There is a dependency on Big Brother for the status quo. The status quo is whatever the Party says, and people learn this from the constantly changing facts of the media. Big Brother, as the personification of the Party, is himself a fiction. The entire system is made to appear to flow from Big Brother, and therefore a fiction is responsible for a fiction. The use of trauma to achieve pseudo-mind control is the method for this status quo, making the people have a victimized mentality. However, as victims, they can only seek relief from the attacker and strengthen the dependency. The attacker, the Party, punishes the people if they believe “2+2 = 4” or even if the Party tells them “2+2 = 5” and the people believe that. The Party leaves the people in suspension as to what to believe until The Party tells them. The eradication of language stalls the flow of information. It works with the continual editing process by making it impossible for the change in time and facts to be made apparent and fully realized. The sense of meaning that is made possible in language is extracted in order to disrupt basic communication that is normal within social systems. The combination of trauma, dependency, and the eradication of a sense of time and place allow for the recreation of man for the Party. Individuals are broken down by upsetting any foundation that is formed by history, language, common facts, or security. There is instead the emergence of a complete and exclusive existential base, seamless in its control and proficient in its maintenance, that is subject to the Party and its own needs for stability. In other words, the people exist only as a reflection of the Party and must be uprooted from reality itself to be in this position. It is the epitome of an industrial form of motivational purpose, a closed functional machine in which individuals are as nodes of the Party. On a basic level, this means that social bonds are eradicated and there is constant warfare by the Party on its members. The importance of this book is to bring out the details of the novel in general. The book substantiates the main character’s doubts about the system since it is a lie that also tells the truth. In this way, the book imitates the novel since a work of fiction is not true but may have an important message that can be true on its own. The book lures the character into false hopes, whereby he thinks that there is a rebellion that can work behind the scenes and stop the control by the Party, only to be shown that the Party is responsible for the illusion of a rebellion that is used as a public scapegoat. The themes of the book reveal the underpinning of reality, as well as the fact of it being a lie and tool of manipulation proving the themes. On its own it is a plan for pre-fabricated society, which is purely artificial. There would be no chance of any natural social or political growth because the foundation of reality would be revised constantly against the interests of the people. Like the novel, and other examples of Orwell’s work, the book is an analogy for Stalinist ideology and chronology. In Stalin’s regime, historical records were constantly modified to suit his whim to such a degree that Russians now find it hard to know what actually happened in the middle decades of the 20th century. The book, existing as a plot element in a novel, is a work as simulacra of an actual nonexistent treatise. The book could have been written after the novel was published to explain the political method of power, but instead is part of this novel of fiction as a work of fiction. The validity of the work is its residing in pure simulation, yet functional in capturing the ways and means of the exercise of power in this world. On another level, the book is a stimulus for the main plotline, allowing Winston to briefly rise above his situation and make an attempt at freedom. In summation, the book within a book describes an epitome of modernist attitude to its logical extreme. The party has reduced everything to function, and is willing to tear apart reality to do so. It is also a concise overview of the political meaning in the macro-plot, which would be the plot solely of the novel. In other words, what was implied in the action of the fictional characters is made explicit in a scholarly sense. The book within the plotline depicts all individuals as sources to be doubted, since it is through individuals within the structure that Winston both receives the book and is betrayed by the eradication of facts. The lesson that the book concludes with is that citizens in this order of power are defined as harassed subjects in suspension of deception, waiting for reality to be created for them for the moment. The personal cohesion erased in favor of the Party is the lesson that the book was originally created to convey, but within its pages there is a more in depth appreciation of the entire work that is “1984”.

ASSOCIATIVE INCORPORATION

Whether for a township or a college campus, associative incorporation is a new organizing approach that is from a grassroots perspective while extending to a broader national arena of power and activity. Put succinctly, it is a methodology for small communities and place-based groups to reinvent themselves for the sake of their own stability and potential. The initial requirements for such a method would include the Rochdale Principles of cooperation, corporate investment without corporate control, and guidance by a statement of purpose. Relevant modifications must stress internal improvements as important overall, teledemocracy for the political process, and coalitions and consortiums for social and cultural projects. Achievements that should be sought after would be cultivation and specialized projects within the structure, long-term diversification and reputation in terms of the community’s identity outside of the structure, and networking for globalization and autonomy which would strike a balance between external influence and internal influence. An example for this type of organization could be the American University in Washington, D.C.. In order to stress the final goal of an academic institution in a national context, a pledge to produce professional workers out of the students would emphasize the wide range of skills needed in the workplace within the new economic order. This would encourage the investment of the public business world in educational institutions with corporate endorsement and advertising at events as a visible sign of the partnership. Having logos on uniforms for the sports teams would be a small form of this advertising, but the university administration would determine the rules of sponsorship in all cases. The development of a medical school facility would expand the teaching parameters of the university in partnership with the local hospital. A neighborhood outreach program can unite the internal campus community with the surrounding municipal community and interweave their mutual interests through shared civic projects that would benefit the educational process as well as public relations. An expanded consortium that would include art, research, and labs with other colleges would free the learning experience and increase the effectiveness of training in specific fields with more resources at hand. A communal goal of educational achievement sought by universities in the consortium replacing competition between them. Development of student resources in sports, such as latin soccer teams using the latin students who are semi-professional in their own country, would increase the public image of the university and make it more promising as an investment for turning out skilled citizens. In terms of a city, another example could be Corning, New York. First, a cooperative business act should be enacted whereby all enterprises and companies working within city limits must adopt the Rochdale Principles of cooperation as standard daily practices to insure the control of one’s own economic fate. From this initial start, there would be a gradual phasing in of the R.I.C.H. economic plan. Standing for “Rising Income through Cybernetic Homeostasis”, this plan created by Robert Anton Wilson reevaluates the process by which citizens are given an income when technology is able to relieve people of their labor. They are paid a dividend from the Gross Domestic Product as if they were stockholders in the country when less employment results from increased automation. Also, subsidies would be given to those who are able to find new ways of making their own employment redundant, thereby rewarding true innovation without punishing those who would no longer need to work at that job. A small redistribution tax can be tested in order to deal with the national case of income disparity on a local level and create an equal starting point for economic endeavors. A citywide local area network would be a necessity in order to have a stable Internet access and realize that connectivity is a public service. There would be a need for an interconnecting monorail system so that the small town character of the city is not hindered by rural isolation, but mobility of individuals is increased throughout the area. To insure that the social and cultural institutions are secure in terms of funding, a partnership of institutions for general goods would create an informal support network between the churches, schools, the hospital, library, and local businesses where resources could be shared if one was to falter in its operations. The sponsoring of global events, such as raves or a film festival, would connect the local culture to the international community directly for the sake of societal well-being and to prevent stagnant isolation. Hydroponic public farms would not only directly deal with the issue of environmental damage and agriculture, but create an efficient harvest that is communally shared by all city citizens. Made possible by cooperative business standards, community business enterprises could be created whereby each resident of the city could be an owner by way of the joint-stock system. This would not only create jobs as well as a sense of unity, but also insure a recurring cycle of funds and capital within the city. General adult education would arise with the emphasis on reevaluating work and the promotion of cultural vitality. Programs that recognize that education and the attainment of knowledge are a lifelong project will be part of the social fabric on an everyday basis. Looking forward to the time of retirement, combined pension funds would share the resources that are at hand for workers with those who are self-employed, so that self-enterprise would not be discouraged in favor of a financially secure old age. This would involve self-employed individuals joining the pension plans of the combined local businesses in order to insure that all are covered but there is no imbalance in payments. The long-term goals for a city or a university would include it being a cultural center and preserving its non-metropolitan status such as its small town appeal or close-knit campus life. Identifying the city or campus as a self-referring suburbia would mean seeking the original purpose of suburban development without the drain or abandonment of an urban economy and infrastructure. In terms of a social structure, there would grow a free-floating peer group whereby mutual interest would connect across lines of race, class, and ethnicity and act out global multicultural trends on a local scale. An available reference in this work would be “17 steps to community”, written by Wendell Berry who is a community activist concentrating on small towns. The use of corporations in our history was in order to unite people in a specific legal group in order to be successful in their enterprise, in this case the world of business. Associative incorporation is the application of the original purpose of corporate organizing, but in terms of communities which emphasize the communal success of the group’s life rather than a simple profit. The viability of the community, whether municipal or academic, is the first priority in any decision made by the incorporated organization.