Sunday, October 9, 2011

Bo La De La Ba

Life goes on, C'est La Vie, what will be will be.  That is just about the most powerless victim kind of attitude I have ever encountered and it is a bunch of crap.  I remember the cartoons of my youth:  "are we Men or Mice?"  We're MICE!
   In real life in the real world the only constant has been change.  Nothing remains the same.  There are reasons things are the way they are and there will be reasons for the future, always reasons for why things happen.
   I think we have lost our curiosity and don't even give a rip.  We are in encampments, circling the wagons.
We throw ideas away because we don't like the messenger.  We don't even know why we don't like the messenger, just a label without investigation.
   This is all pretty interesting to me because I think we are all after the very same thing.  We want to have a sense of power in what appears to be a powerless world.
   The "Teabaggers" and the Wall Street Protesters at first glance seems to be on the opposite side of the spectrum but they are not.  In a world where they feel powerless they want a voice.
   There is a danger to a society where more people vote for "American Idol" or "Dancing with the Stars" than do for a National Election.  There is a danger to society where more people read the "Twilight Series" than have ever even heard of John Stuwart Mill's "On Liberty".  Our libraries are closing and we have forgotten that a Democracy requires work.  Newspapers are going out of business every month.  It seems that we no longer read at all.
   The problem with not being curious is that we are easily lead.  It is so much easier to follow than to cut a path and easier still to sit and be do nothing people.  Our justification to our grandchildren will be "I didn't do that!"  But it is a pretty poor answer to claim you did nothing.  Didn't even read a newspaper.
   Yes, these are "interesting times".

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4 comments:

Rama Ananth said...

Yes Jerry nothing can remain the same, the change we all are looking for has to come, for the very fact that we all collectively want the change to happen, it is going to happen. In the mean time we should not allow our restlessness to divert our attention.

T. said...

Unfortunately most people are sheep. As sad as that is it's true. They don't want to be bothered, and it's so much easier to follow than to lead. I've never understood why this is, but it is.

The good news is every so often the masses start to think for themselves and come forward and put up a bit of a fight and when this happens we usually get some good changes in the world. Just wish it happened more often.

SooZeQue said...

I agree with everything you've said Jerry. The little lambs are being lead to the slaughter house and they think they're on a great journey. People are afraid - they feel powerless to start an uproar, but some are and hopefully that will bring more in slowly to start a change. Maybe when we pull all our money out of the banking institutions and put it in our mattress and tell the banks to jump off a bridge they will realize who THEY WORK FOR. Some how the masses think they work for them. It's a slippery slope, but I pray we are making it a few more steps up each time we ALL try. Enjoyed your post.

Kay said...

Having lived in Utah since 1973..I have truly learned the effects of sheep and refusal to watch the news or read a newspaper....It always angered me that the women in particular have been so willing to give up their rights and curiosity to feel safe and protected. If the outside world is not acknowledged then it doesn't exist. I meet women all of the time who are afraid to speak with confidence, afraid to ask for what they need, afraid the man in their life won't want them to be independent thinkers. The worse thing is the willingness of young teens to older women who think the most important thing they can do is breast enhancement.. I have heard them say it makes them feel powerful. This is all a result to refuse to be curious, read and know what is happening out in the world. So much easier to let someone tell them what to do. The reason I mention this is I see direct correlation between this weirdo lifestyle and the right wing wackos who so want to believe that their lives will be so much better if they take direction from political pundits, absolving them selves of having to actually know the issues. It certainly leaves them time to be one of the millions with American Idol on speed dial. I may disagree with the tea baggers..they seem to want better but are still directed by anti'govt. factions without seeming to know that. I still don't know what the wall street protesters hope will actually happen if they camp out in front of Main streets all over America...but I would defend their right to so . Maybe the economic debacle will accomplish something that politicos could never do...wake the sheep from their deep and comfortable sleep and see they have been sheared and are now naked in the rain....wakey wakey little sheep and see that the path you have blindly followed leads to no where good. You must make your own choices. ok I am done being mouthy!!!! for now.