http://www.alternet.org/story/14452...against_the_forces_of_oppression/?page=entire
Interesting article. Thoughts?
Interesting article. Thoughts?
Are Americans a Broken People?
- Thread starter Makalakumu
- Start date
Nolerama
Master Black Belt
We are not broken.
And I don't think it's force, but more of a gradual nudging down the path of least resistance, into the comfortable realm of Easy.
It's easy to purchase our way to become more comfortable. An American family that buys in bulk at the nearest Sam's Club can purchase more in one trip than most families consume (in retail foods/household goods) in a year.
It's easy to drive down the block to drop off a movie, or get fast food, or brave the cold. It's even a cultural staple to consider one's vehicle an extension of the body, instead of what it really is: a consuming machine.
It's easy to hike the thermostat to 80 degrees in the winter, when there are people out there who are freezing to death; even in America!
It's easy to say how easy it is to live in America and constantly want more things... And get them almost immediately!
Along those lines is the perpetuation of ideas disseminated via the way we buy those Things. Think about it: politics (liberal or conservative or whatever) is packaged in a way where lines are drawn, yet people can (theoretically) peaceably discuss, argue and vote on based on their position on a certain subject. However, who controls those lines? Why automatically place a label on how one believes in this country?
It's the media nudging us down that path... But who has the power in this country? Rich (sorry to bring race into this) white males. They own corporations. Have stock in utilities. Directly control media outlets and set standards in their favor. They hold public office because they can afford to do so. And endorse political ideals that play to our animal responses in order to keep us deliberating (those of us who can) or regurgitating baseline ideals or both! Just so we can feel like we have an opinion, but that regurgitated path was already drawn out in a board room years ago!
While the populace is at bay with distraction of comfort (consumption- of anything) America's leaders are able to influence more countries through cultural invasion or outright invasion.
I'm not saying it's a totally horrible way to control a populace, but that's how it is from a certain perspective. I mean, look at how some totalitarian countries work. If given the choice, I'd choose inhaling 7-11 slurpees while watching CSI over forced, state-run manual labor any day!
But hopefully things might change. Maybe more and more Americans will remove themselves from that rabbit hole and start to ask questions (a Right which is technically still available to us) and act without concern over the maintenance of our insulation from reality.
American's aren't broken. Maybe misguided. But not broken.
And I don't think it's force, but more of a gradual nudging down the path of least resistance, into the comfortable realm of Easy.
It's easy to purchase our way to become more comfortable. An American family that buys in bulk at the nearest Sam's Club can purchase more in one trip than most families consume (in retail foods/household goods) in a year.
It's easy to drive down the block to drop off a movie, or get fast food, or brave the cold. It's even a cultural staple to consider one's vehicle an extension of the body, instead of what it really is: a consuming machine.
It's easy to hike the thermostat to 80 degrees in the winter, when there are people out there who are freezing to death; even in America!
It's easy to say how easy it is to live in America and constantly want more things... And get them almost immediately!
Along those lines is the perpetuation of ideas disseminated via the way we buy those Things. Think about it: politics (liberal or conservative or whatever) is packaged in a way where lines are drawn, yet people can (theoretically) peaceably discuss, argue and vote on based on their position on a certain subject. However, who controls those lines? Why automatically place a label on how one believes in this country?
It's the media nudging us down that path... But who has the power in this country? Rich (sorry to bring race into this) white males. They own corporations. Have stock in utilities. Directly control media outlets and set standards in their favor. They hold public office because they can afford to do so. And endorse political ideals that play to our animal responses in order to keep us deliberating (those of us who can) or regurgitating baseline ideals or both! Just so we can feel like we have an opinion, but that regurgitated path was already drawn out in a board room years ago!
While the populace is at bay with distraction of comfort (consumption- of anything) America's leaders are able to influence more countries through cultural invasion or outright invasion.
I'm not saying it's a totally horrible way to control a populace, but that's how it is from a certain perspective. I mean, look at how some totalitarian countries work. If given the choice, I'd choose inhaling 7-11 slurpees while watching CSI over forced, state-run manual labor any day!
But hopefully things might change. Maybe more and more Americans will remove themselves from that rabbit hole and start to ask questions (a Right which is technically still available to us) and act without concern over the maintenance of our insulation from reality.
American's aren't broken. Maybe misguided. But not broken.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
There's still a few Amercians with fires in their belly...
I have hope.
I have hope.
chaos1551
Blue Belt
Yeah, I have a thought. After a cursory glance, it all seems true to me. There was one aspect of the article that kept glaring out at me. The article seems to suppose that the "abuse" is completely deliberate. I disagree. There are those in power that reflect the abuse and recognize it as existing while doing nothing to affect change, but for the most part it is the power of money that leads us down this path.
I'd like to think this thread gathers a lot of momentum. Perhaps a "militia" group like the MA society would be a good control group to determine exactly how badly we are abused if we are at all. I will definitely be thinking about this article some more, reading it again, and thinking about it more. Thank you for bringing it to light, Maunakumu.
I'd like to think this thread gathers a lot of momentum. Perhaps a "militia" group like the MA society would be a good control group to determine exactly how badly we are abused if we are at all. I will definitely be thinking about this article some more, reading it again, and thinking about it more. Thank you for bringing it to light, Maunakumu.
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