Comparing the reactions towards the deaths of Steve Jobs, a proponent of freedom and creativity, and Kim Jong-Il, a proponent of the complete opposite, as a Mac user I cannot deny the influence of Steve Jobs; however the North Korean public reaction towards the death of their leader is not much different from the former, and that of Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, Gaddafi and Bin Laden, regardless of their deeds, wrong or good, they had all demonstrated how power given by the mass could make great heroes.
The recent news of the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il has inspired me to conclude the Theory 750 coursework with a retrospective study of my blog entries so far in a hypothesis that, really, power is the backbone of society. According to the famous debate between Foucault and Chomsky aired in Dutch television in 1971, Foucault argued that human nature was trained; human value system differed in times and was a product of political and economic agenda, yet Chomsky supposed that people are born with creative power and would overcome the suppression and coercion imposed against their human nature.
Architects doubtlessly are given a role in society to create, thus also elevating their social status and placing them on higher ground. However much architects wish to go beyond the norm, they are still subject to the “Mayan Calendar”, facilitating the already pervasive system that continues to control the masses. The situation in North Korea interests me because it presents as an alternative to today’s democratic capitalist world. Though the world rejects Communism so instinctively and judgmentally, the world basically functions with the very idea of control to begin with. Communism attempts to explicitly control people both physically and psychologically but the relatively civilized Capitalist society does so subliminally. It is just this downright explicitness that puts the rest of the world off. Enslaved in one’s own value system and embracing it at all cost, two ideals seize to gain power by controlling the public. We think we enjoy much greater freedom compared to the people in North Korea and China; true that we could voice our opinions freely and could publicly make fun of stupid leaders, however, the irony is we are so engrained and trained in believing in one RIGHT system, a commonly accepted mode (like religion) of judging who is evil and who is right. Communism must be all evil because it denies human right and breeds tyrannical leaders. Accepting what is already known without critical thinking is dangerous.
All societies work on the basis of power and the success of a person is based on how well received or idolized by the public. Think of Zaha, Gaga, Roark, and even Dubai, they represent some common values desired by all. Their power and popularity allow them to preach and manifest their own worlds. People in power rule, and people are also in turn ruled by power. As mentioned in my fifth week writing, ‘To Reform, One must Conform’, to want to destroy the established power system one must first attain power. It is also the same irony presented in The Fountainhead. Once a rebel becomes a ruler, s/he at the same time becomes precisely what s/he has been trying to fight. Because of the fact that humans are social animals from where collective power is rooted, the singular creative mind of a thinker needs to be recognized publicly to manifest his/her creation. Free thoughts are actually trained thoughts. Independence is actually interdependence. The concept of freedom is an enslavement.
As long as we live in a society, we are no free men. So, what can we do when the world that we pride ourselves of collapses? Well, I think I or we just should be aware of the fallacy in the system and live with it, maintain our conscience and stay openminded and critical.
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