Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Festschrift for the Happy Tutor (and Wealth Bondage)

(Thanks to White Courtesy Telephone for organizing this tribute)

"Interesting that raping the worker, consumer, and planet are not presented as examples of immorality in corporate life. No, what is immoral is sexual misconduct. A good capitalist keeps it in his pants. His wallet, I mean."

The Happy Tutor on "Ordered Liberty in Corporate Life"


I first came across Wealth Bondage in 2004 as I began my forced transition/transformation from decadent, depraved doctoral student to pedantic professor of pataphysics in the capitalist-knowledge factories. I was immediately provoked by the wickedly funny postings (think of laughter in its subversive manifestation) that provided intelligent insights and critical analysis. Those who made a comment, whether from the left or the right, risked abuse of the most depraved nature (probably why I returned often). Wealth Bondage quickly became one of my favorite sites because they (the crazy collection of characters that inhabited this world) forced readers to assess and reassess their interpretations of their creative posts and the juxtapositions of sources/stances/voices that bring-to-light contemporary absurdities. In their wild satire and relational-thinking they recognized the power of linking as a form of creative and critical meta-commentary.

They helped me adjust happily to my new position as an insignificant cog in the industrial-military knowledge factories. It did not matter if I was unfulfilled, besides that is why we have the pharmaceutical industry, what mattered was that I was training new elites to have happy dysfunctional lives so that a precious few, no doubt those who are most deserving, could truly experience life to its fullest (TV, fast food and pornography for the rest).

I will miss the Happy Tutor and Wealth Bondage--capitalism never had such an honest voice!

For more tributes to the Happy Tutor and Wealth Bondage:

Festschrift for the Happy Tutor

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