Thursday, July 26, 2007

Another Comment I Left

Here is my comment for an article that is worth reading:

Of Marx, Christ, and the Persecution of Radicals: How Will Humanity Survive the Capitalist Threat?


As always, I think your writing is "spot on" and eloquently written. It gives me hope to know that there are others out there that see the world the way it actually is. People that are fed up with the lack of free thought and compassion that they are actually craving but know not why they can never attain.

PROGRAMMED RESPONSES

This is part of our training in life; from cradle to grave, we are bombarded with images, sounds, literature and any other impulse that can have an affect. This is all designed to mold us into the "productive member of society" that feeds this parasitic system.

I know not of the moment that I attained freedom and sometimes, I think that it was far easier prior to my awakening. Then I remember what it was like; easy, boring, thoughtless but I always thought there had to be more.

THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO LIFE THAN THE QUEST FOR CASH

Jason mentioned "survival of the fittest" I must disagree. Survival of the Richest, maybe, but it does not take any survival instincts or intelligence to acquire money. It takes cunning and moral flexibility.

Free your minds and this is not just the U.S.; this is the world. (most of it, for those of you that think linear) Back away from Vista, the iPhone and all other forms of materialistically filling the void that you so crave to fill in your empty little lives.

Free thought is the only thing that will evolve us as a species.

And because it was so well written and so correct, thank you Jason and:

"I do not belong nor militate in any formal communist party in the U.S. Nor do I belong to any other political entity or party. Furthermore, I do not subscribe to a specific doctrine, ideology, or dogma. My allegiance is to my core principles and values, which are premised on honesty, justice, humanity, responsibility, critical thinking, open-mindedness, egalitarianism, compassion, a belief in a Higher Power of my understanding, and many of the teachings of Christ."

Friday, July 06, 2007

A comment I left

A comment in reponse to Alex Cockburn - Climate Denier

Firstly, whoohoo, total global destruction in 5 years; gotta mark that down on the calendar.

Second, if it were water vapor, wouldn’t the desertification effect that is been felt in some parts of Africa be reversing itself? More water vapor would create more rains, hence the soil would regain some much needed moisture making it heavier … would it not?

Alex, don’t be saddened by this event. This is the moment that you realize that a pundit is a pundit is a pundit. The illusion that they portray only fools some of the people all of the time. There are too many issues that Cockburn (sounds like he needs a good cream) could never always say what you wanted to hear.

This is their mandate, giving you what you want to hear, unless it is to change popular opinion; this would be propaganda. What could they be pushing? Oil, coal, ethanol, they still want to suck all that they can from the miles of parts and cars that are still not produced. They that make the decisions will suck us dry and the planet too; think about a spacial “Noah’s Ark”.

About fleecing the public, it’ll happen, wait. I can see laws for the public, forcing them to change their water tank for a solar one or a fine for using appliances older than x number of years. This would be something that our beloved Canada would do; all the while taking it’s cut.

The first thing that needs to be done is to take away the power, not only from the polititians and government, but also from the corporations (entities that have more rights than humans) and especially from MONEY (has more power than anything).

We have the knowledge to rebuild “smart”. We don’t have to die from work related stress. Stop all the bullshit; IT’S TIME TO EVOLVE

Follow the Lemmings

I know in a lot of comments and previous posts, that I may have referred to the masses as being easily hypnotized by the shiny and status power of gadgets. After viewing the following link, I had to re-think that statement:

Ubuntu running Looking Glass demo video


I have determined that it is not the mere wow factor that will influence a consumer, but a variety of factors, all just as ridiculous. Let's take two examples, Microsoft and Apple.


Microsoft - a trusted name? Not likely. If not a name then what? Ask "why Microsoft?" and most people will reply "because everyone else uses it." When presented with a superior and free option like Linux or OpenOffice, they are suspicious and fearful and dismiss it with this comment. This leads me to assume that due to the fact that everyone else uses MS Windoze, that they believe this justifies that they will not even consider another product. Is this the way that they go through life: just because everyone else is?


Apple - a trusted name? More so than Microsoft. Not the trust thing here as the cool thing here. Apples are cool, iPods, iPhones, i-yi-yi. They are all the latest craze and are cool, and they are expensive, more so than their counterparts. People line up for days to get these things; how did marketing gain such control? Media: the magazines, TV Shows, commercials, billboards, sponsoring; all designed to make you feel this is a cool purchase.


I believe this price differential also allows the consumer to feel an elevated sense of pride at enabling themselves the purchase of this expensive item. One might even say, "elevated above others". I suppose that one could get this feeling of elation, or entitlement, through various forms; driving an expensive gas guzzler, buying a new car every three years, living in a mansion with your wife and two kids, having summer/winter homes beside friend's summer/winter homes, constantly buying the latest phone. What are we missing in our lives? Why do we keep buying the crap. There is no dream capitalist system. It is based upon constant expansion and flow of money from one pocket to another.


When did we all have to compete and why? Who are we competing with? I used to think that it was just with everyone else, but a lot of the hordes seem to be actually competing with themselves.


I don't even have to go on about the environmental impact that this kind of lifestyle has. My mind boggles at the damage being done to the planet, so that we can compete (with whom ever we choose) and feel like we “came out on top”. On top of what? This shitpile that we, the civilized nations, call life? This lifestyle that we have the audacity to call “democracy” which we shove down developing countries throats with IMF and World Bank conditions and promises of riches? Consume until you die or the planet self destructs, whichever comes first.


I watch the Lemmings when I go out. I hear them talking about that other person, or the product that they just/would like to buy, their jobs, their homes, their families, TV shows, movies; all inane conversations in the desperate attempt to hold a conversation and convince themselves and everyone around them that they have a good life and enjoy it. I also see the sadness, loneliness, self-loathing and emptiness in their eyes. They are zombies, with no direction. Not able to think for themselves, they rely on the constant bombardment of information and direction to comprise of their education and purpose; they are Lemmings. Watch out for that cliff, it is coming.


I suppose that my biggest gripe is how can a sane person go through life without really thinking? I have had friends tell me things such as “you think too much”, or “happiness is (insert shite here)”, “just worry about your life”, or “you just need a good woman”. This baffles me, especially when I tell them that I have literally heard this exact comment from many others word for word (while explaining programmed responses and brainwashing in simple terms), to which they respond “well it must be true then”. (picture me with a stunned look) I admit, I may be new to brain washing, but did not realize that it also disabled any logic function from performing in the human brain. I suppose if one wanted to, one could try to define the word sane; as I am told, it is defined by society.


As we evolve as human beings (and I hope that I am not the only one here), we will require the use of that chunk of gray matter that rests on the shoulders of more than 6 billion of Earth's inhabitants. The species cannot evolve without it, are we meant to be the crazy little consumers that Corporate America wants us to be? I don't think so, I think we are destined for far greater things. First thing we have to do is take care of our own. We have the resources on this planet to feed, educate, house, clothe, etc. every person on this planet, we simply CHOOSE not to. Along with the first thing, we need to clean up our act; destroying the very thing that sustains our very existence is beyond stupidity. I know that death is the only true outcome to life, but I don't want the species to really end. We have to break down the obsessive competition that exists amongst us, we have to get rid of money.


I do not subscribe to society or it's system, I am Canadian by birth, not by choice. I claim my rights as a world citizen, as a natural being; I claim the laws of common sense. Don't follow the Lemmings, follow what's right; only then can a system be changed.



Thomas Paine's Corner published version http://www.bestcyrano.org/THOMASPAINE/?p=126