A new TV will make me happy. I should go into debt for it so I can have it now!
Each time history repeats itself, the price goes up...In civilizations, population always grows until it hits the bounds of the food supply, and all civilizations become hierarchical -- the upward concentration of wealth ensures that there can never be enough to go around. The concentration of power at the top of large-scale societies gives the elite a vested interest in the status quo; they continue to prosper in darkening times long after the environment and general populace begin to suffer.
That takes us to the present day, where the "concentration of power at the top" continues to hoard resources, steal from everyone else, ruthlessly suppress opposition, and prospers as the environment and the general populace suffer. And we, strange creatures of our disconnected and self-made culture, cling desperately to the hope and false assurances that we will be saved by our gods, or our ingenuity, that what we are doing to our world is beyond our control, is not our fault, not our responsibility, and is not so bad in the global scheme of things anyway.
That was a passage from the book “A Short History of Progress.” Why do we not see these trends happening? In an age of instant information it would seem that many people would be asking more questions and be more able to alter their apathy towards the incredible greed and inequity that defines our way of life. I believe that people willingly choose to accept a sweeter pill to swallow in the form of entertainment and ignore the gathering storm. Perhaps many suffer from an unconscious state of mild depression because of what can be seen and heard all over the media. The choice is made to ignore and place it outside their realm of control. If one takes a hard look at what has to be done to circumvent some of the problems we are compounding for ourselves, there is not much to be really positive about our collective action at the moment. The systems of consumerism and blind self-gratification are very satisfying and hard to deviate from, especially when it seems that it a normal worldly experience to go through 5 toaster ovens, 6 cars and 10 cell phones in ones lifetime. I was provided a wake up call when I realized that my childhood dreams of my imagined adult life were not right. They were sold to me as the necessary components for a happy life not complete without many possessions and personal luxuries. So how does one not buy into the manufactured dreams when going to work depends on the ownership of a car? Well, people can start by not buying swiffer products… what’s the catch phrase? glide, flick, trap, and toss…. How is there a market for such products?! … buy our shit and throw it away so you can buy more of our chemically engineered garbage. Well done to the idiots who don’t know what a broom or a rag looks like. Maybe it’s the physical effort they are afraid of… I know the types… people who use leaf blowers instead of using a good old rake and working up a sweat, then because they need to look good they get into their cars and drive to the gym…. Well done. Seeing that is depressing… so where do I start?? Maybe I should just relax and turn on the TV and be content with delusion.
posted by Stand Against Greed at 2:39 AM
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