Illusion of Choice

In Kenya (and most of the world really), we only have an illusion of choice. The only real choice you have Is whether to pick Coke or Pepsi. Mind you, these are products of some of the largest companies out there. I’m willing to bet CocaCola has a footprint in every fucking nation on this globe. Hadi those tiny humbly stocked shops in remote rural areas will have Coke but will lack bread. And what does The Coca Cola company sell you? Nothing but sugar, flavor, caffeine and colored water. For all you hawks out here, I know they have a diverse product catalogue. However, over 70% of their global revenue comes from products bearing the trademark “Coca-Cola” or “Coke”. And most of us (well, quite a number really. Most? Nah) know that this shit isn’t healthy. But why do we keep on consuming? Adverts. The company only sells due to advertising. Think about it. Since I was a kid, there has always been a coke advert. Either on TV, on radio, and on billboards – most times they ran concurrently.

I digress.

So the only real choice we have is whether to go with Coke or Pepsi. Did any of us choose to send our troops to Somalia? I know I didn’t. Our soldiers are still there though. Did any of us choose to borrow billions of money in the form of Eurobond – money from which a significant chunk cannot be accounted for? I know I didn’t. Though as a Kenyan, that’s my debt as much as the people who borrowed it. It’s my war as much as the soldiers fighting it. But I didn’t choose either of them.

There’s countless examples to these so I’ll rest my exemplification there.

The reality is in a society where everything is made and pre-ordained, you must have the illusion of choice. You must have the idea that the things you are doing affect the actual nation: whereas if you do actually affect change, that’s when the powers that be want to neutralize your power.