Mallworld, Incorporated: Bound Together: Book II of the Mallworld-ReBound Trilogy

By Jeffery Zavadil

After winning Mallworld's first democratic election, Jime, Sam, and ReBound battle Executive propaganda in the media and crackdowns in the streets. Discontent seethes in the sprawling, dystopian shopping complex, which has oppressed humanity since the eco-collapse. Will the movement survive when a key leader is assassinated?

Exploring political theory through a fictional dystopia, Mallworld, Inc: Bound Together tries to answer the question, "How can people be free in a world of modern communications and information technology?"

The ReBound Party, now governing an entire section, begins to liberate Mallworld's people from overwork, overconsumption, and bloody spectacles. The greedy Executive oligarchs fight back with a smear campaign in the holographic media, but ReBound champions the common people, proclaiming their philosophy of interconnection and coexaltation—of mutual elevation rather than exploitation.

Fearing for their power, the oligarchs assassinate a revered activist, and ReBound supporters take to the streets but suffer a violent crackdown. When ReBound backs a labor strike against one of Mallworld's most powerful and abusive companies, the Executives threaten to burn down everything the movement has built. Can ReBound survive?

In the vein of 1984, Brave New World, and Ecotopia, Mallworld, Inc: Bound Together tells the story of a future struggle for democracy in order to explore the political ideas that can reverse our democratic and environmental crisis today. A dystopia for the 21st century, it tackles issues of power, economics, identity, and equality, envisioning the transformation of the world into one devoted to coexaltation and human dignity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098314712

Book preview

Copyright 2020

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-09831-470-5 (softcover)

ISBN: 978-1-09831-471-2 (ebook)

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Cover: ReBound organizers Sidney Bernard and Samantha Gomprez observe a protest against Mallworld President and CEO Ronald Ryan.

Cover painting by Stephan Martinière.

For my friend William Uncle Bill Kleist,

who saw through propaganda his whole life,

from the Nazis to Fox News.

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country . . . We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized.

—Edward Bernays, the father of public relations, Propaganda (1928)

Table of Contents

Preface

Media Skirmishes

Myths of the Outsider

A Lie Is an Assault on the Mind

Interconnection, Not Instrumentalism

New Edens

Categories

Identities

Coexaltation, Not Exploitation

Preface

We have lived in a dystopia for decades, a neoliberal, oligarchic, consumerist one, a Mallworld without an enclosed building. That our reality is dystopian is clear: ever-growing inequality feeds injustice, poverty, disease, violence, ignorance, polarization, and environmental crisis. This year’s pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in America’s privatized, marketized society. Despite repeated crusades for social transformation and even capitalism’s own need to reform or face self-destruction, we have been stuck in neoliberalism. How is this so?

We are, of course, mired in a swamp of pro-capitalist ideology, using that term in the Marxian sense that the ruling ideas of any epoch are the ideas of the ruling class. In the era of consumerism, the media—both mass media and now social media—are the primary cause of our stuckness. Corporate, oligarchic media shape consciousness on a mass scale, preventing democratic transformation in a variety of ways.

The blocking of the Bernie Sanders campaign is a case in point. A preponderance of polling from 2015 forward—for five years!—showed Sanders to be the most popular and trusted politician in America, and by his second run for the presidency his main policies had majority support—Medicare For All, a livable minimum wage, free college, a Green New Deal. But these all threaten capital’s reigning order, so the oligarchic media, including supposedly liberal cable television outlets, kicked into gear to undermine the movement that Sanders led. Sanders was either covered excessively negatively or received minimal coverage, despite his status as a leading primary candidate.¹ The pernicious, sexist myth of the Bernie Bros persisted, even though the facts revealed that his supporters were no more antagonistic than those of other candidates.² Despite a slew of polling showing Sanders could win, the media repeated the baseless assertion that he was unelectable until it became true—a self-fulfilling prophecy. Negative media, joined with Democratic party election maladministration, deprived Sanders of the positive momentum that early primary winners traditionally earn, and Democratic elite machinations then delivered the coup de grace on Super Tuesday. Ultimately, voters believed the fictions they were told on TV; disinformation and negative framing shaped their perceptions and beliefs so they would defeat themselves. Any fair, accurate process would have resulted in the nomination of the most-respected candidate with the most-approved policies. But the media, primarily, blocked the only candidate who was not a tool of the capitalist oligarchs, the only candidate capable of unifying a polarized nation, from the nomination.

Although the American media has never been critical of capitalism, after the debacles of Vietnam and Watergate it had at least become center-left in orientation. Then the right began a decades-long effort to work the referees, hectoring the media as biased, elitist, and unfair to conservatives; the right also established its own propaganda machines on cable TV and talk radio. By the turn of the millennium the American media’s range of acceptable discourse spanned from only far-right to center-right (which passes for centrist here). The far-right media spreads market ideology and identity-based hate, while the center-right media is committed to market ideology, technocracy, careerism, and a dash of bourgeois diversity. Each takes their narrow perspective to be neutral, objective, and true. While the far-right media fights leftism directly, right-centrists act as gatekeepers to bar the left from political power. Combined with the distractions of television spectacle and celebrity pop culture, progressive voices that seek to restore a healthy civic culture and advance thicker, richer versions of democracy are marginalized, discredited, or silenced.

Corporate capitalism thus prevents needed change, and we are stuck in a neoliberal dystopia.

The Mallword, Incorporated books are partly an exploration of ways that people might become free under the conditions of modern communications technology, given the power of media to shape society’s narratives and therefore the consciousness of individuals. Although this issue was addressed by the Frankfurt School decades ago, it remains under-problematized in political theory. It is not an easy problem to solve. I have put forth only exploratory, probably inadequate ideas: greater awareness through counter-advertising education of the power of advertising and its specific techniques; more deliberative democracy as a counter-force to mediated communications; a pro-labor political party unafraid to shift public discourse by explicitly and persistently advocating for progressive change.

Our stuckness in neoliberal consumer capitalism will persist as long as the media remains enslaved to delusional conservative dogma and centrist technocracy—both of which are anti-democratic ideologies. Progress will come only when the media accepts the legitimacy of the left as the rational, humanist, scientifically-oriented political faction. Hence, progressives must dominate as much of the public narrative as possible in order to un-stick public consciousness and begin to save the world. As the coronavirus pandemic shows, nature is not going to wait for us. We either get unstuck and create a better, even utopian future, or capitalism will create a deadly natural backlash even as it flounders to preserve its commercial dystopia.

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As with the first book in this trilogy, Mallworld, Incorporated, readers should be aware that Mallworld, Inc.: Bound Together is not genre fiction meant to entertain, but is political theory written as fiction. It contains substantive discussions of political philosophy that may be frustrating to readers expecting light entertainment. On the other hand, it is meant to challenge received political wisdom and, hopefully, make readers think more deeply about politics.

I want to thank the following for their assistance in improving the book, and in seeing it through to publication: Jim Williams, Terry Ball, Jon Shifrin, Matthew Idler, and the staff at BookBaby. Once again, Stephan Martinière has painted a beautiful cover image that I think captures the process of political change in Mallworld perfectly.

I also want to thank you, discerning and valued reader, and ask that if you find Mallworld, Inc.: Bound Together thought-provoking, please recommend it to others in your circles of interconnection.

Courage in solidarity,

Jeffery

Jeffery Zavadil, PhD

Alexandria, VA

May 2020

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1 Juan Caicedo and Sarah Lazare, CNN’s Coverage of Sanders Was 3X More Negative Than Biden Following Their Big Primary Wins, In These Times, March 9, 2020, https://inthesetimes.com/article/22354/cnn-bernie-sanders-joe-biden-media-spin-candidates-negative-mentions; Branko Marcetic, MSNBC Is the Most Influential Network Among Liberals—And It’s Ignoring Bernie Sanders, In These Times, November 13, 2019, http://inthesetimes.com/features/msnbc-bernie-sanders-coverage-democratic-primary-media-analysis.html; Julie Hollar, Here’s the Evidence Corporate Media Say Is Missing of WaPo Bias Against Sanders, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, August 15, 2019, https://fair.org/home/heres-the-evidence-corporate-media-say-is-missing-of-wapo-bias-against-sanders; Julie Hollar, CNN’s Industry Spin Shows Need for Independent Debates, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, August 2, 2019, https://fair.org/home/cnns-industry-spin-shows-need-for-independent-debates/; Katie Halper, MSNBC’s Anti-Sanders Bias Makes It Forget How to Do Math, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, July 26, 2019, https://fair.org/home/msnbcs-anti-sanders-bias-makes-it-forget-how-to-do-math/.

2 Keith A. Spencer, There is hard data that shows ‘Bernie Bros’ are a myth, Salon, March 9, 2020, https://www.salon.com/2020/03/09/there-is-hard-data-that-shows-bernie-bros-are-a-myth/.

Chapter 1:

Media Skirmishes

A large plastic holobanner proclaimed the words Northgate Civic Day in bright, dancing holographic letters over the center of Piazza Plaza. Tied by guylines to floor and ceiling, it hung right over the central fountain where spectas were held. But around the fountain a circular cooking area had been assembled this day, filled with hundreds of auto-grills, auto-fryers, and beverage dispensers, where Civic Day volunteers worked to warm favorite dishes brought from home by the citizens of Northgate. Many people contributed to the giant communal potluck, and local establishments had donated breads, produce, desserts, and drinks. Percolate, a popular bistro, had even set up a temporary café. Around this voluntary civic food court, a ring of folding picnic tables accommodated a crowd of people, all eating, drinking, laughing, and talking with families, friends, and fellow residents of Northgate. New friendships were made and old ones refreshed as people spent a free day connecting with each other.

Civic Day, which was to be a monthly festival, was new to Mallworld: a public event open to everyone, dedicated solely to their social interconnection. It appeared to be working.

Other volunteers, who had been recruited by the Northgate Condominium Association Board, the governing body of this Mallworld section, organized games, comedy shows, and musical performances across the plaza. Local businesses and associations had provided supplies and equipment. Teenagers played 3-D boxing, skiing, and spaceflight hologames set up in rows in arcades, while young children jumped in bounce houses, scaled climbing structures, and made crafts at stations put up just for them. Meanwhile, adults in groups faced off to play holochess and cards.

Jime and Samantha walked through the plaza hand in hand, taking it all in. As leading members of the Northgate Condominium Owners Association, or COA, they had been instrumental in planning Civic Day. Both were dressed in business casual—Jime in a blue shirt and lighter blue sport coat that contrasted well with his dark skin, and Sam in white blouse and brown slacks that complemented her Latina complexion and brown hair. They were leaders of the new political party, ReBound, that had recently taken over the COA after Northgate’s first contested election in decades, and which was dedicated to reviving public life. Jime had a way of smiling that built an immediate connection with people. It had served him well in his previous career in Management, and did so now in his political career, too. But today he was smiling just because ReBound’s idea for Civic Day was going off well, and because he was here with Sam.

Jime, let’s go over to the bazaar, she said.

All right. Then I want to go see some of the games. As they walked, Jime noticed several signs that read, Civic Day—Organized by ReBound Volunteers. Although some people thought that any government advertisement was propaganda, he believed it was important for public authorities and civic groups to be able to claim credit for public events. How else could people understand that all this was not just the usual commercial activity of the square but was a civic festival—made for the public, and created jointly by government and a civic-minded party?

Jime looked around and noticed that most of the holoscreens that hung everywhere were turned off; normally they bombarded shoppers with the blaring lights and sounds of commercial advertising—a force more ubiquitous, subtle, and influential than any state propaganda. "It’s so . . . different without all the ads," he said. The only screens that were alive around Piazza Plaza displayed Civic Day logos or were casting announcements from the Northgate COA about public business.

I know, isn’t it? Sam said, sighing with a smile. It just has a different quality. She was sipping a lemonade she had bought earlier. While there were fees for the costs of, say, a sandwich or carnival game, Civic Day rules prohibited for-profit companies or organizations from marketing, peddling, or sponsoring anything. Civic Day meant people coming together in a public space for non-mercantile, communal purposes, not for commerce, of which there was plenty every other day.

A young couple recognized Sam and Jime and walked up to shake hands. We just wanted to thank you for the daycare subsidies, the man said. I know they’re not much yet, but it’s really going to help us.

Sam replied, It’s our job, as board members, to represent the interests of our constituents. We’re going to enlarge them in the future as the new business taxes kick in.

The woman added, The increase in minimum pay is going to help too—and the cut in working hours makes it so much easier to take care of the kids.

We hope it gives you a better work-life balance, said Jime.

The couple said goodbye and left, so Jime and Sam continued toward the bazaar. As they walked, people stopped them several times to praise ReBound’s new social and economic policies. Some praised the recent public deliberation meetings about rent control, and others the ban on Awkwards—the name of a type of office equipment that had proved dangerous to employees. Many also looked forward to ReBound’s signature public works project: a new public park to be built on the site of an abandoned shopping center and stocked with real trees and plants, not algaeplastic ones.

One young man and his elderly father sang the praises of ReBound’s most famous supporter and activist. I really love Dr. Dave! the younger man said as he helped his dad, who carried a cane but apparently preferred the support of his son’s arm.

Dr. Dave is someone you can trust, the older man said. He tells it like it is, and he doesn’t try to hide problems. He speaks to you with respect that way. And he also recommends how to improve things, just like a good doctor should.

I don’t see what ReBound would be without him, said the son.

Sam and Jime approached the Piazza Plaza bazaar. It was usually an open-air market where virtually any consumer good could be found, but today the stalls were being used by civic organizations of all kinds—volunteer groups, local schools and colleges, charities, even softball and bowling leagues—to raise public awareness about their activities and to recruit members. Sam tugged on Jime’s sleeve and exclaimed, Look who’s over there, by the Ronald Ryan mechaniman! Jime was surprised to see Dixon Cheton standing with several other Executives near the mechanical statue of Mallworld’s president and CEO at the market’s entrance. Cheton, whom Jime had defeated for the office of COA chairperson, looked paler and more agitated than usual. He was arguing with a Civic Day organizer.

Why is this mechaniman turned off? He should be greeting shoppers with his bright hello, like he always does! Cheton complained in annoyance.

I’m sorry, sir, said the organizer, attempting to placate him. But commercial advertising isn’t allowed in the Plaza on Civic Days. And by the way, sir, we’re supposed to refer to people today as citizens, not shoppers, since shopping is closed as well.

Jime and Sam couldn’t help but snicker as they strolled past and into the bazaar.

Jime wandered over to the booth for the Northgate Educational Libraries Association and picked up a holo-flyer to peruse. He had taken a great interest in the transformative power of books ever since his reading habits had changed a few years earlier.

After a moment, one of the staffers in the booth noticed him and said, Oh, you’re Jime Galilei, the new board chair.

Yes, hi, hello, Jime said, flashing his winning smile. Thanks for being here today. You’ve got a great booth and are really contributing to the success of the event!

Why, thank you. The staffer smiled.

Listen, I’m wondering what you do with old, used, out-of-print books.

Digital ones or physical ones?

Both, really.

Well, we have a digital archive, of course, and then we also have a warehouse filled with copies of ancient books, organized by genre and title.

Really? Jime’s ears perked up. How do I get access to that?

Meanwhile, Sam walked down an aisle of stalls representing different economic interests—trade associations, business groups, and even labor unions. Even though commercial buying and selling per se weren’t permitted on Civic Day, associations of businesses and workers, if nonprofit, were welcome to meet and talk with people, since they represented the interests of various groups within the community. Sam sidled up to a couple different booths and listened in on conversations, which turned out to be about mundane business issues like utility prices, sales projections, and adjusting to the new minimum wage.

Next, Sam moved over to the Chamber of Small Business kiosk, where a loud conversation was underway between the chamber representative sitting at the booth’s table and a couple of business owners.

I’m making money, but I don’t know how I’m going to maximize profits with the new ban on Awkwards, bellowed a rotund man with short hair in a plaid sport coat, his face reddening as he got louder. I can’t even make up for the shortfall by cutting my workers’ pay or lengthening hours, because of the new bylaws! He smacked his hand down on the table, irate.

We know, we know, said the chamber rep from the other side of the table. We’re collecting complaints from business leaders like yourself and will present them to Mall Central soon. Do you want to come in and meet with us—

Sure, but dammit, I’m not making what I should, and something has to be done now! barked the angry man.

His friend tried to calm him. Hey, hey, this is a problem, but we’ll take care of it.

Who does the COA think they are? The red man huffed. "This is my business, I own it, but they think they can tell me how to run it? They’ve got no business experience!"

No experience? Sam thought. She had years of experience working in offices—as did all her colleagues, collectively. And many ReBound members, like Jime, were Management-trained and had supervisory experience.

And what is with that Dr. Dave? the man ranted on. I used to watch his holovision show for the medical advice, but now I just hate him.

Okay, okay, his friend said soothingly. Look, tomorrow we’ll hit the links at the country club and have a nice, relaxing day of golf.

I mean, I just want to take my golf club and whack him in the head, y’know? The friend and business chamber agents all laughed at that.

I mean it, the angry red man said. Don’t be surprised if things end badly for him. Big mouths like him make enemies in high places. At that, the chamber representative raised an eyebrow.

Now, now, his buddy said, smiling nervously and patting his shoulder. No talk like that here. Let’s go get something to drink.

Alright, alright, fine, the red man said, throwing up his hands. Sam looked after them as they walked off in the direction of the entrance where the Ronald Ryan mechaniman was. A few stalls down they passed a booth supporting a unionization drive by retail workers. The stall’s banner read, Saleys in Solidarity Union.

The angry businessman stopped, looked the booth up and down, and welled up with anger. Unions! UNIONS! You are the worst—you punks—you ruin business and you’ll ruin Mallworld! You’re going to cost me so much money! he screamed. You can just fuck off! He then reached under the stall’s table and flipped it over, causing a great clatter and sending the union workers scrambling. Sam covered her mouth in shock.

In a moment, Jime came running around the corner to see what the commotion was, and Sam told him what had happened even as the angry man kept ranting at the union organizers. Then a couple of Mallcops showed up and separated him from the union reps.

Sam approached one of the officers. Sir, I witnessed the whole incident, and can make a statement.

Thank you, ma’am, but we’ll take care of it, the Mallcop said. The angry businessman dusted off his jacket while another officer chatted with him.

No, no, Sam said firmly. I’m a member of the Northgate COA, I witnessed all of this, and I’d like to make a statement.

I’m aware of who you are, ma’am, said the Mallcop. Like I said, we’ll handle it. The other officer then walked over to the union organizers and pulled out his handcuffs.

Wait, are you arresting that union man? Sam asked in surprise. Why are you putting cuffs on him? The businessman, meanwhile, was quietly walking away.

We can’t have trouble like this in public places, ma’am.

"But that large guy there, he was the one who assaulted them. Oh, and I also heard him make a threat against a ReBound member."

Ma’am, if you interfere in our investigation, I’ll have to take you to the precinct for questioning. The Mallcop put his hand on his burner and scowled at her.

What? Sam said, stunned.

Be careful what you say, or you’ll get hauled off yourself. False accusations are a detainable offense and can result in a Time Out, ma’am, he said sternly.

Sam’s jaw dropped, and she was speechless. Jime stepped in and put his hand on her shoulder. Let’s talk to one of our lawyers, Sam. We can go through the legal team and file a statement tomorrow—as well as a complaint about the arrest procedure. He glared at the officer.

Sam’s eyes narrowed in anger and she tensed up, thinking whether she should confront the Mallcop or not.

Jime reassured her. There’s no use getting arrested over this. No one was hurt. This is not the sword to die on. We can still file your statement later.

She looked at him, paused, and relaxed a bit. Yes, I think you’re right. But we need to make sure those union guys have a lawyer tonight.

Yes, of course. Let’s go back to headquarters and take care of that right now.

They strode off briskly, Sam glaring back over her shoulder at the police officers. As they walked out of the bazaar and back on to Piazza Plaza, Sam frowned and threw up her hands.

I can’t believe how that cop acted! she exclaimed. He arrested completely innocent people! And the guilty guy walked off scot-free!

I know, Jime said. Businesspeople have a special status in an oligarchy; they have privilege and receive lots of deference.

But still! Sam cried out in exasperation.

"That’s why we formed