Ok, I never thought I'd utter that phrase in that manner, but it fits for this one. No, I'm not going to run out and buy a lifted truck and sticker it with bad copies of Calvin pissing on a fordodgevy logo and No Fear BS. This is about something I saw out there in Social Magnificence land yesterday and thought was fascinating.
It was an article that you can find HERE by some guy named Mark Morford, and it was a reaction to yet another article (or email - HERE) that was being passed around as we are prone to do these days. The funny thing is that instead of actually offering anything of important rebuttal or even a tidbit that people could take to counter the email in question, it simply lambasted the "conservative" and "religious" nature of the offending digital message. Not too long ago, I wrote that as long as this type of "journalism" (both pieces in question) is allowed to permeate our lives, that we'll remain in this stalemate of junk information and complacent non-activism.
The fact that the author used a reference to the difference between Liberal and Conservative brain size and function is also quite odd. I can only assume that he used this article as the foundation for his argument. He's basically taking the liberty to use factoids that have very little basis in real, scientific proofing to further an agenda to debase someone else's thoughts. Sounds exactly like what the author of the email he was attacking was doing doesn't it? Both use common tactics and shaky facts to push an idea they want you to cling to so you feel good about joining their club.
There's the real truth. As long as we believe and support a system of life where two groups sit on opposite sides of a river and toss rocks back and forth, we will miss the flowing of the real important stuff right at our feet. Yes, fear-mongering is bad. Tapping into the bad stuff and using it as a mechanism to control and direct people's actions is no better than simply enslaving them and forcing them to do your bidding. But, pushing the reality of bad issues to the side and telling people to look the other way is equally as enslaving. It's simply another form of control. "Don't worry, we got this" doesn't make me feel any better these days.
I trust that people are actually smart enough to figure this stuff out, but I'm continually proven wrong. This self-proclaimed liberal, Mark Morford is spreading the fear of conservatives equally as much as the email was spreading fear of events and situations that may or may not exist in the world right now. What's the difference? One is saying the world will end, and the other is saying that Conservatives will end the world. I see very little difference. One is wrapped in clothes of darkness and fear and is easy to point the evil finger at, while the other addresses happiness and "love making" to make his agenda seem pure and white and good. Somewhere in the middle is the gray area that we need to dig into and figure out. Not all good guys wear white, and not all bad guys wear black, that you can bet your life on.
I say pay attention to the things that are going on around you. See them for what they are. Realize that there is very little that is sustainable in the world around you at the moment and then realize what that really means. Ok, here, I'll tell you - It means that we CANNOT continue the way we are going and be successful. Period. Unsustainable manufacturing, fuel consumption, food production, economic abuse and water usage are at the top of the list, but there are a ton more. Yes, there are bad things happening. Yes, there is still plenty of opportunity to fix it all. No, it won't happen by sitting on your duff watching TV and pretending that as long as you focus on happy stuff that it'll all be OK. Don't get me wrong, there is also a lot of good going on. Embrace that good when you are lucky enough to participate in it and use it as the energy that will drive you to ACTIVELY overturn the bad things as well. But you have to get out there and pay attention, and commit to making these thoughts important to you.
Go find real data and not editorial dribble. Believe what you want, but when you stake your claim, go do something about it. Don't just sit and wait it out. Don't pretend that blaming conservatives or liberals will fix anything. Don't believe that only seeing the good makes all the difference. Talk to friends, family, coworkers, enemies, or whomever you can and get to spreading some sort of action, even if it's simply getting brain cells moving around. Remember, focusing on the bad things and actually working to turn them into something better, is the only method to actually achieve the "good life" you keep saying you want.
See ya out there.
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