Ginsberg’s and Burroughs' works, written 50 plus years ago, are still relevant in addressing the social turmoil these days. Just like how Burroughs states in Journey through time-space in The Job:
“Now translate the Mayan control calendar into modern terms. The mass media of newspapers, radio, television, magazines from a ceremonial calendar to which all citizens are subjected. The ‘priests’ wisely conceal themselves behind masses of contradictory data and vociferously deny that they exist. Like the Mayan priests they can reconstruct the past and predict the future on a statistical basis through manipulation of media.
Factors that can be controlled and predicted: 1. Layout: format of newspapers and magazines; 2. The news to be played up and played down; 3. Editorials and letters to the editor: letters selected in accordance with perceived policy; 4. Advertisements: subliminal orders.” (44-45, The Job, William Burroughs)
In the 21st Century, we are still susceptible to another reincarnation of the Maya control calendar through which we are unknowingly manipulated. The mode of human civilization has not changed much as what worked 2000 yeas ago is still applicable now. It all comes down to manipulation of people, thus gaining power, through media. The modern day comparables to the Mayan priests are the ruling business class. Clairvoyant as he was, Burroughs lists out the four factors we succumb our mentality to, making us aware of the information we choose to feed ourselves. Just lately I have seen a prime example of the second factor mentioned, the news to be played up and played down, on Time Magazine.
Same December 5, 2011 issue of Time magazine, the US cover chose a relatively mellow cover compared to the international issues. The importance of this example is how easily we could let our conscience run down the drain if we do not be openminded and begin thinking critically of our sources of news and information. so, thank god we have internet and our internet servers are not censored and blocked. Though as a student in London, I can have unbound freedom in serving whichever sites I wish, the power to knowing is still in my hands whether I choose to expand my scope; for example in hearing different opinions, reading not only the Time magazines. This sort of “openmindedness” is what Burroughs finds in touch with the Beat poets. They are both analytical and critical of their own times; while people pride themselves on the technological advancement achieved by human ingenuity, they remain critical of mankind losing their souls in the sea of machines and bubble wealth.
In Howl, the presence of Moloch foreshadows a soulless industrial age. Representing industrialization and modernization, Moloch:
“whose mind is pure machinery, whose blood is running money, whose fingers are ten armies, whose breast is a cannibal dynamo, whose ear is a smoking tomb!
whose love is endless oil and stone, whose soul is electricity and banks, whose poverty is the specter of genius, whose fate is a cloud of sexless hydrogen, whose name is the Mind!
whose eyes are a thousand blind windows, skyscrapers stand in the long streets like endless Jehovahs, whose factories dream and croak in the fog, whose smokestacks and antennae crown the cities!”
is nothing human. However it is specifically designed to employ humans. It is a model of production, a business mode and a mobilizing tool that the ‘priests’ employ to make people work for them, wittingly by using to capitalize on human nature, be it greed, hubris, desire and etc. The result is people “broke their backs lifting Moloch to Heaven,” worshipping what has consumed their humanity.
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