The politics of gaze

Author: Li Jingze
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Legend has it that there is a magical life spring in the world. It is crystal clear and sweet, capable of curing illnesses, strengthening the body, and keeping people eternally young. It gushes out from beneath the earth and flows gently somewhere on the surface. After people discovered the life spring, they flocked to share and receive its blessings. Later, the powerful in the area where the spring was located built a fence around it and locked the gate, strictly controlling those who went to fetch water and demanding payment. This practice went against the nature of the life spring, and it gradually lost its vitality and slowly dried up. The life spring began to flow in another hidden place. However, those who claimed ownership did not realize this change. They continued to monopolize that source, profiting from the imagined magical water. Eventually, some people sensed this change and started searching for new springs. The history of humanity keeps repeating this story.