Privileged perspectives

-My response after watching Slumdog Millionaire last year,
it is my opinion, which means it is highly debateable :) -

Truth is, we're all the same.
we all want to survive.
and we all kill and steal and cheat,
find loop holes
to get there.

It's just that,
when you are poor,
what you do is obvious and
can be
obviously incarcible,
often that is the only
choice you're left
with
if its illegal, then illegal it is,
no lawyers to sort you out
what you do is out on the street...
what you do to just survive,
and often what you have to do
to survive
seems so shocking and dirty
to those
who observe it on a screen, a newspaper, from the sidewalk
from behind their gate
from their car window

When you are protected by your privilege,
what you do to survive is subtle,
covered up by policy and cushioned by self-protectionist laws...
and the "ways of the market"...
and when not justified by suitable law...well,
white collar crime seems so inocuous, so clean...so
well hidden under nice and tidy
under "decent family"
under "good people"
under nice clothes and
clean bodies

While we are watching slumdog and think of ourselves
and our culture perhaps,
the developed or developing world
or your caste or class...
as better,
more moral perhaps?
it is because we are blind
by our privilege,
because it is made to seem natural,
a given,
not something earned by colonial greed and massacre,
noooooo
we earned it, we are worth it. we are wise capitalists
we worked hard
sweat of our brow
no?


This is what justifies
our lifestyle pursuits,
makes us feel better
when we want a good deal,
when we buy cheap goods made cheap by cheap labour,
materials and methods.

I do this.

But we are good, no?
yes.
and therefore whatever we the good do,
is not made criminal,
not really,
there are ways...
our market is God, no?
no question...

the priviledged are mostly
tourists in someone else's land?
or tourists in their own land.
as if on holiday
perpetual tourists,
touring around,
consuming the best like kings and queens,
luxury an every-day commodity

our mouths open for more... we are hungry, always hungry...

we are good

as are they,    

as are WE   

we are ONE
when the clothes fall off
when the privilege fades away

flesh and bones
spirit and eyes


but
the God of the market
the God of the privileged

doesn't

see it that way