Madame:
I am recovering, slowly.
I believe the good English
gentlemen would comment that we have diminished ourselves.
The gas guzzler truck
mania is well in swing around here as well. Self-delusion and self-justification are in
full swing. Plus there’s a lot of mental
and emotional unresolved issues to boot I’m guessing.
Time capsules are always
a bit problematic because what we truly should store—massive data—does not hold
up well typically for long, unrefreshed storage, for a variety of reasons. That’s a pity, because everyday life needs to
be depicted. Social history is needed,
but often the most shortchanged.
What definitely should
be included are measurements of where we are.
Soil, air, water, resource depletion, reserves, etc. A long listing of where exactly things stand
at the moment in history. And what we
value—and no longer value. What we’re
concerned about—and no longer concerned about. How we communicate, and how we no longer
communicate.
We also need the words
of every day people and their concerns,
hopes, plans, etc.
They might despise us a
little less if we include an apology to future generations as well. That we didn’t take action, better action,
sooner action.
Our mistake,
unfortunately (mine too especially), has been thinking that “changes” could be
“fit in” among ALL our entertainment—sports, games, shows, movies, etc. The
result? We have “fit in” little or
nothing. Neil Postman was right—we have
amused ourselves to death, and in the process let ourselves become near
defenseless and near powerless against the corporate and individual oligarchs
(and the politicians and judges who serve them) who dictate to us with near
impunity.
My father always said I
had too many hobbies and not enough focus.
I truly, magnificently, deeply enjoy games, movies, entertainment, and
other recreation. It’s just that I now
realize I can’t really enjoy them like I want to when I know that American and
maybe world civilization appear to be sinking towards a dark abyss. It’s like trying to enjoy dinner and dancing
aboard the Titanic when one knows ahead of time what’s about to happen. I would much rather right our course so I could
truly enjoy my hobbies, without guilt, without that terrible feeling that I am
sinning against my children and their future.
The oligarchs hold a
great weapon over us—fear. Of jobs, of
security, of personal safety, and other Maslow hierarchy basic needs. There is a small amount of time yet to resist
and reverse the slide toward overt totalitarian control. But it can’t be mere intention. It has to be that action thing.
Those who can be
activists, great, engines like you are sorely needed. For the rest of us, two things:
1. Make your choices fit your values, even in
little things when you can. Here’s an
example I used in my choices. I like
green tea. Since I’m going to buy green
tea, I decided if necessary I would buy less of it if what I did buy supported
values I agreed with. There are probably
several that do. The one I settled on
was Organic India. Why? Listen to their story—“At the heart of
Organic India is our commitment to be a living embodiment of love and
consciousness in action. We work with
thousands of small farmers in India to cultivate sustainable organic
farmland. All our products produce
health and True Wellness and are made with loving care. Each product is one link in a chain of love
and connectedness between Mother Nature, our farmers, and you. By choosing Organic India you are actively
participating in our mission to create a sustainable global environment,
provide training and a life of dignity to our farmers, and bring health and
happiness to you while supporting well being and respect for all beings and for
Mother Nature.”
2. Simply starting a new conversation with those in
your social circle is the second thing you can do. And especially those of you who are skittish
about being labeled “weird” or “radical,” there is a method to use. Socrates gave it to us over 2000 years ago…
Ask questions. It raises fewer defensive barriers and elicits
fewer defensive reactions. Questions
like: “Did you hear about X? Have you ever thought about X? Have you ever thought about why X? What do you think we should do about X? Does it bother you that X? Have you ever
spoken to your friends and family about X? Do you think that Neil Postman was
right? Does it ever make you
uncomfortable that X is happening while we amuse ourselves? Have you read Aldous Huxley? Have you read George Orwell? Does that ever scare you? Do you ever get uncomfortable when people you
know know more about sports figures, sports teams, and celebrities than they do
about all these things happening? Am I
making you uncomfortable now? If so, why
do you think that is? What should we do
about it? Do you think we’re part of the
problem?”
The alternative is to
watch 1984 put into place.
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