Episode 039: Class Workfare

In your quest to make your space in this world, inevitably you’ll encounter “class workfare”–that cross between warfare and working to get the things you want and need. You’ll be faced with survival decisions and pressure to pay your “fare” to gain access to higher levels in society’s hierarchical system. It’s not easy to navigate, but this extra-long version of this week’s episode of The Axiom Amnesia Theory with Heit & Cheri will get you started! Heit kicks off the show with a quick hip-hop history lesson on DJ Screw and his significance in Houston and beyond, and then it’s on to the heavy topics of discussion.

Other topics discussed include, the socioeconomic impact of the hierarchical structure of our society, possessions as status symbols, the psychology of leadership, respect for authority, protesters flipping off Reagan’s portrait at the White House, gang violence in Chicago and the request for National Guard intervention, Stella Foster’s open letter to Obama, failing to address the socioeconomic issues that lead to social ills (poverty, violence, etc.), discussion of the song of the week–Malik Yusef and Kanye West–”Not Love,” the media and credible “experts,” Sunday morning news shows dominated by white male Republicans, China outlawing consumption of cats and dogs, Egyptian elections, Florida floods, Colorado forest fires, reader feedback, and more!

Call us at 202-446-1886 and let us know what you think about the show!

Segment 1

• Heit gives a hip-hop history lesson on DJ Screw, and his rise to popularity in Houston, Texas by selling mix tapes out of his home.
• He made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling his mixtapes directly to consumers.
• Actually, so many people were coming to buy music that they thought he was selling drugs, and police raided his home.
• DJ Screw launched a bunch of careers with his mixtapes, referred to as Screwtapes or grey tapes. “June 27th” is one of his most popular mixtapes that features a 35-minute freestyle.
• The instrumental played in the opening was a song by Kriss Kross.
• Heit & Cheri say thanks to all of the people who have donated to Axiom Amnesia, because they help to make the projects a reality.
• Heit is annoyed by the way people speak about their problems–the attitude of being apologists. They state an issue, then follow it with, “…but I don’t have a problem with…”
• For instance, many people will say that they don’t have a problem with people being rich, but that they should pay their fair share. If, however, you feel this way, then you are supporting the idea of the imbalance of distribution of resources.
• Part of the problem is the hierarchical structure that exists in our society. For instance, taking money from the rich to give food and/or shelter to the poor does not solve the issue of poverty. It still reinforces the idea that these disparities are acceptable. It does nothing to improve the overall condition of the poor.
• The attitude people have is that they are doing a charitable thing for others when they help with basic needs, rather than view it as a right to have the most basic of needs met simply because they are other living beings.
• When there are people with a lot of excess, the consequence is people who are left lacking.
• Mention of the traditional Southern value of “respect for elders” simply because they are older, and for no other reason. It is their role in the hierarchical familial structure that dictates this ranking.
• More value is placed on people who are higher in the system.
• Mention of a photo posted on Axiom Amnesia’s Facebook page of a small cleaners that offered free cleaning of the suits of people who are unemployed and looking for work.
• Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our society didn’t pressure us to dress up in order to prove that we are worthy of the position?
• There are a lot of cliches that support this notion: “Dress for success!” “Dress for the job you want!”
• The system tells us that doing certain things will help those who are lower on the totem pole to move up within the system. This delusion, however, still does not address the need to eradicate a system that allows for such disparities to exist in the first place.
• When people talk about being “classy” or “having class,” they are talking about mimicking those who are hoarding the resources. And, if they are mimicking the resource hoaders, then their ideologies will follow because of their lifestyles.
• It’s the people who are higher in the hierarchical system who receive things for free–the ones who least need it and are most able to pay. How backwards is that?
• This has everything to do with how we view ourselves in comparison to others within the society. We challenge you to behave according to where you think you fall in the society, not where someone else decides to put you. If you don’t think you should bow down and lick the bootstraps of others who are higher in the hierarchical structure, then reject it! Don’t bow down!
• This idea of abiding by the rule simply because it exists is wrong.
• There is a minimal level of respect that people should have just because they are human living beings. This notion that you must earn that respect and that someone else is “better” because they have more money, power, or even intelligence is wrongheaded thinking.
• Discussion of the dynamics of leaders and followers.
• Institutions of “higher” learning have a hierarchical structure, where some are more respected and valued than others.
• Mention of the student with the 35-foot cheat sheet from last week’s show, in the context of how people respect educational hierarchical systems.
• Possessions are also representative of status and are an attempt by the individual to represent themselves as where they want to be viewed in the structure.
• People should recognize that these possessions don’t actually show their value. The issue is one where people seem to prefer the false sense of acceptance that the attraction of others based on their possessions provides.
• Mention of Drake (the rapper) tweeting that the first million is the hardest to make, and then T Boone Pickens coming along and disagreeing, saying that the first billion is the hardest to make.
• Discussion about the psychology of leadership, and how the leader is the object of love, admiration, and respect, yet they maintain the distance of being out in front by constantly reminding their followers that they are better than them, while at the same time making the followers feel good about staying in the position where they are–behind the leader.
• When you consider leadership and economics, all things are relative–your leverage with that particular monetary instrument is still the same compared to those at the top. You never get away from being subject to the rule of the leader.
• Groups promote the ideas of the leadership, not necessarily those of the majority in the group. People worship the leadership, so they bow down to the will of the leadership.
• Your worth is minimal compared to the worth of the group and its leaders, according to group philosophy.
• Discussion of Heit’s article about two activists who took pictures of themselves flipping bird in front of Ronald Reagan’s photo at the White House. The White House felt the need to respond to this “disrespect.”
• According to the predominant philosophy, presidents are worth more, and worthy of more respect than “regular” people.
• The White House addressed these folks flipping the bird at Reagan, but meanwhile they are guilty of doing plenty of disrespectful things to people in this country and abroad. The thing is, because of their position, they do not feel like they have to respect “regular” people, whom they view as damn near valueless.

Segment 2

• Discussion of a person in a Faacebook group’s take on people not being valued the same. The quote was as follows:
  

  An entertainer (some who sings and dances and uses the N** word) is on a completely different class level than a President of the United States where the people voted and elected their leader.

• Just because Kanye West uses “bad” words, and people have an objection to hip hop, then the president is worth more than him–the president should be respected more, regardless of all the suffering presidents have caused.
• Isn’t it disrespectful to perform land grabs, topple regimes, and kill innocent people in drone strikes?
• People also place different values on human life, depending on where they are from.
• In general, the United States thinks that other places aren’t worthy of respect, because it and its people are entitled to be number one in everything.
• People who say that the president is more important that other people, also seem to subscribe to the notion that the president should also be able to get away with disrespecting people who are “not on his level.” For instance, Barack Obama called Kanye West a jackass on two separate occasions.
• In the hierarchy of races respected by the United States, and who’s expendable, you have whites, followed in order by Asians, Latinos, and Blacks on the bottom of the list. You see the same thing in their respect of religions, with Catholics and Protestants at the top, and Muslims at the bottom.
• Discussion about the worth of American lives as compared with Afghan and other Middle Eastern lives.
• Remember to download the app and listen to us on Stitcher Radio from your cell phone or other mobile device.

Segment 3

• Discussion of the violence in Chicago. There have already been 240 murders in the city this year.
• On June 15-17, six people were killed and 31 other people were shot. This was the same weekend that President Obama was in town for Valerie Jarrett’s daughter’s wedding.
• Discussion of Stella Foster’s open letter to Barack Obama, begging him to speak out on the violence.
• Foster ends her letter with the following statements:
  

  BUT, Mr. President, if you can’t make it, I will certainly understand and will continue to catch you whenever you are on the news and on talk shows. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Supt. Garry McCarthy are working overtime trying to make it safer in this city for all citizens. And even if you never read or see this plea, just know you are so loved in Chicago and the thugs just might listen to you.

  Yeah, I said it!

• It is appalling that there was a begging tone, followed by a “we’ve got your back” message. Should we have his back if he doesn’t have ours?
• Chicago was just a stepping stone for Obama to get to Washington D.C. His administration addressed the protesters flipping off a White House painting, but he won’t speak out on the rampant violence in the city he called home.
• Discussion about how people are failing to address the socioeconomic issues that are leading to this violence. Why do people get involved in gangs and drugs? The people are fighting over resources. When you are pretty much shut out of society, then you must go through other avenues to survive.
• Discussion on the issues of gang territories and how the people are not just ignorant thugs, but people trying to survive. The gang culture also has a hierarchical structure.
• These fights also have a lot to do with drugs, and we know that it’s not the street corner hustler who is importing the drugs.
• Discussion about the fact that people are calling for the National Guard to come to Chicago to control the violence. It makes no sense to go to the power structure that allows these issues to exist, and even facilitates them, and then expect them to solve an issue of which they are a part.
• Discussion of calling in a violent force to control the violence with more violence.
• A reminder of what it was like when the military rolled into New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
• The National Guard cannot solve the issue of poverty by pointing their guns at all citizens, because you too will be patrolled by the National Guard. You’re giving up your freedom to feel somewhat secure, and this is the trick–the idea that these things help to maintain security.
• When you look at it, your enemy is your oppressor, and they’re not in the Middle East.
• They can bring in the National Guard, but they cannot help to provide people with the essentials of life? Foolishness…
• In her letter, the apologetic end was an acknowledgement that Obama’s worries are more valid than her own. Thus, if he doesn’t speak out on the violence in Chicago, it meant that it wasn’t important enough.

Segment 4

• The song of the week is from two Chicago natives, Malik Yusef and Kanye West–”Not Love.”
• Discussion of the song of the week. Both Heit & Cheri’s favorite line was, “They bone us by giving us a bonus.” Employers use raises and promotions to keep you beholden to them. They use your love of what the money can do for you as leverage to get what they want–to continue to own you.
• Cheri relates the song to corporate life experiences, while Heit draws parallels with experiences in the military. The idea is you don’t belong to yourself, but instead are owned by the employer.
• Discussion about how the military uses bonuses to get servicemen and women to reenlist.
• Discussion about the media and the notion of “experts” and credibility. Who would be a better expert on poverty than a person who must live with poverty every day?
• Discussion about the following graphic:

• These shows depict who these media shows feel is the credible “expert.” Specifically that is the white male Republican.
• Discussion about how Axiom Amnesia fares in the media against some of the major networks.
• Discussion about Cheri’s run-in with another journalist over confirming the facts in a particular article.
• There is a tiered value system placed on human lives, but this also extends to different species. People place some species at a higher value than others.
• Discussion of the news story about China possibly outlawing serving cat and dog meat for human consumption.
• People are outraged because some people in the world eat cats and dogs. However, this tends to be cultural. Beef is popular in America, but not India, so what’s the difference? This is yet another example of the push to assimilate into the predominant world culture, which happens to be Western.
• The thing that stood out the most in this piece was when their academic “expert” suggested that if China outlaws serving cats and dogs, it will be an indication that the country has “reached a new level of civilization.”
• People eat all sorts of plants and animals, so what is the issue of preference of one over another for consumption–or the judgement of people who eat certain animals?
• Discussion about whether plants have feelings.
• Heit describes a nightmare–the only nightmare he had up into his 20s–where a plant bit him.
• Discussion of the snobbery involved in some people who stick to certain vegetarian diets. There is a new trend of elitism in these food choices.
• Discussion about the zombie attacks in the news, and a discussion about people eating humans.
• Mention of Egyptian elections. The Muslim Brotherhood candidate was elected, and the U.S> isn’t happy because they worry they won’t be as easy to control.
• Discussion about the floods in Florida and Colorado forest fires.
• The “fire” we need to put out is poverty and despair. We’re constantly dealing with the symptoms and outcomes of the root causes, rather than the causes themselves.
• If you take the philosophy of society, then you fail because those problems exist within the society. So, the ideas of that society have failed.
• Discussion of a photo posted on Axiom Amnesia’s Facebook page of the best bookstore in the world, because it allows people to give and take as they need. Axiom Amnesia advocates the idea of give and take as you need. Imagine what the world would be like if this philosophy extended beyond this bookstore…
• Discussing a wonderful message from Henry, an Axiom Amnesia supporter!

I admit I don’t always agree with you on the fundamentals of the case and at this point I do feel this was self defense. With that said I truly appreciate the energy and detail in which you are following this case and with you providing this content to the public commercial free and unedited. You are providing a service to our community and I am grateful and will continue to support you as I can.
Thank you,
Henry

• Despite all of the things we’ve said, with all of our strong opinions about the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case, there are people who are willing to support Axiom Amnesia even when they don’t agree with some of our conclusions. This is truly Axiom Amnesia in action!
• Please support independent media by supporting Axiom Amnesia today!

Audio Credits:

“June 27th Freestyle (Instrumental) – Kris Kross – Da Streets Aint Right” – DJ Screw
“All Falls Down” – Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson
“Not Love” – Malik Yousef
“Inside the Cat and Dog Meat Market in China” – via YouTube

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