Episode 205: All That You Can Be

September 13, 2022

Central Thesis

Advertising perpetuates a dystopian society where young people, aware of the bleak future neoliberalism offers, are manipulated into seeking meaning through military service, a path that ultimately serves a rigged system and offers little hope of genuine upward mobility.

Key Arguments

• The "All That You Can Be" slogan is a manipulative lie. The U.S. Army recruitment slogan promises opportunity, but the reality is that social mobility is severely limited by socioeconomic background.
• Neoliberalism creates a sense of inescapable dystopia. Young people are keenly aware of the economic precarity, environmental degradation, and social inequality that define their future. Focus group research shows they envision a future of collapse and decay.
• The military preys on this dystopian awareness. The Marines’ recruitment ad, with its Blade Runner-esque aesthetic, acknowledges the bleakness of modern life, but then falsely offers the military as a source of meaning and belonging, exploiting the desire for camaraderie in a hyper-competitive, isolating society.
• The system is rigged against social mobility. Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, particularly the study of Terman's "termites," demonstrates that even exceptionally intelligent individuals are more likely to succeed if they come from privileged backgrounds with the right "soft skills" and social capital.
• Draft deferments exemplify systemic inequality. The historical practice of granting draft deferments to college students effectively protected the children of the elite from military service, highlighting how the system favors the privileged.

Notable Passages

• "Unlike John's perspective, today's young don't necessarily see one party or another screwing things up. Thanks to neoliberalism, there is going to be no way young people of today will be able, for a few obvious examples, to afford a house of their own. Get an education. Get a decent job."
• "That house that spouse that job to which you aspire that turns out to be far more important according to the lived experience of Terman's termites than all the book learning you can muster. This is an ugly ugly truth that neoliberalism tries desperately to hide."
• "Are we at the point where we can admit this openly now?" (referencing the ad-heavy dystopian world)
• "You could become cannon fodder maybe just maybe that's all that you can be."

Rhetorical Approach

Jim uses a blend of literary analysis, anecdotal evidence, and historical examples to build his argument. He uses Kevin's critique of the marine ad, Gladwell's research, and the historical context of draft deferments to support his claims. Jim adopts a cynical and sarcastic tone, expressing outrage at the manipulation of young people and the inequalities inherent in the system. He uses a conspiratorial tone to suggest that the elites are aware of the dystopian future they are creating but actively perpetuate it for their own benefit.

Connections

• Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers
• Ridley Scott's Blade Runner
• Steven Spielberg's Minority Report
• Mention of previous episode where Chuck Mertz argues people are dumb.