#25 What's Really Important
I am not an apocalypse predictor, a holy roller, or one of the many Americans that becomes hysterical about the declining state of the world or this country. Those people are motivated by fear and although I know fear can be a healthy thing and keep one alive it can also induce paralysis of body, spirit and good sense. That being said, I believe that fear is the American public morning meal and constant companion. It's also a great selling point, which is probably why fear is so ubiquitous in this society. This great nation is full of "fraidy cats" who watch the news for two things: the latest disaster and the which celebrity did what. Both the disaster and the celebrity are the fodder for water cooler conversation and the excuse to spend countless hours in front of TV sets which dispense more of the same.
What's really disturbing is that the public doesn't want to do much about the fear, at least in the long term. Americans want to panic and then have the government handle it. We don't care how the government handles it they just want to have a sense that someone official is thinking about it to. The catch is that whatever is done can't really impose on anyone or anything or even make a difference. Take the social security issue. The fear is that the money will run out and the elderly will be left without a safety net. The public, led by the media, went into a frenzy (or at least that's what the TV says) and the president and congress began a vigorous debate and campaign of one-upsmanship on which can save social security. The public soon gets sick of the debate and listen to the media for the new fear because the government is taking too long with the social security thing. The end result is that nothing changes and it doesn't matter anyway because in their heart of hearts everyone knows that social security payments won't support anybody anyway. If you don't believe me ask the nearest 75 year old working at Wal-Mart--surely you don't think people who are 75 take jobs like that just to get out of the house. They need the money b/c social security doesn't cut it.
The war scares people to, but not enough to make most do anything substantial about it. There are daily updates about bombings that reinforce the fear but it's an abstract distraction to most. Real life child murders or sniper killings or kidnapped brides (who incidentally turn out to be premeditated drama queens) are more striking and fear inducing. The American chorus of fear leaps off of the TV. Every centimeter of an issue is research and reported ad nauseum until I'm nauseous and anyone with an iota of consciousness wants to join me as I praise the nearest porcelain god with offerings of my regurgitated last meal. But the police get called in, press conferences are held, the man on the street gets to say how scared he is, parents escort their children to school and Americans hold each other just a little bit tighter at night while they watch the latest edition of American Idol, America's Next Top Model or Making of the Band 498.(Diddy sure is smart)
Meanwhile the things we probably should be scared about are nothing but faint blips on the outer edges of our mental radar screens. Education is in the toilet, global warming does exist, gas prices, unemployment and the cost of living are all rising uncontrollably (and that shit doesn't seem to be slowing down), corporations are on welfare and bale out on pension packages, our food is toxic, our children are fat&lazy&undisciplined just like many of their parents, Microsoft is a monopoly and neither the Democrats or the Republicans are really interested in much more than staying in office and lining their pockets. Even though those are generalizations that reflect my opinions they aren't untrue and they point to the heart of the problem. It isn't that the crime spree of the moment or the shock story aren't valid points of interest. It isn't that people don't have the right to their personal obsessions or fears. It isn't even to say that some of the drivel on the TV isn't entertaining or that the shock crime of the moment isn't disturbing but they are transitory. What scares me is that there seems to be little will in this country to truly address issues that concern us all. We have become a band-aid society. We think if something gets on the news someone will do something and we slap a band-aid over our conscience, divert our counciousness and hope for the best.
It would be funny if it wasn't true. I am very happy not to have children and with the world the way it is in general and America the way it is specifically I have no desire to.
What's really disturbing is that the public doesn't want to do much about the fear, at least in the long term. Americans want to panic and then have the government handle it. We don't care how the government handles it they just want to have a sense that someone official is thinking about it to. The catch is that whatever is done can't really impose on anyone or anything or even make a difference. Take the social security issue. The fear is that the money will run out and the elderly will be left without a safety net. The public, led by the media, went into a frenzy (or at least that's what the TV says) and the president and congress began a vigorous debate and campaign of one-upsmanship on which can save social security. The public soon gets sick of the debate and listen to the media for the new fear because the government is taking too long with the social security thing. The end result is that nothing changes and it doesn't matter anyway because in their heart of hearts everyone knows that social security payments won't support anybody anyway. If you don't believe me ask the nearest 75 year old working at Wal-Mart--surely you don't think people who are 75 take jobs like that just to get out of the house. They need the money b/c social security doesn't cut it.
The war scares people to, but not enough to make most do anything substantial about it. There are daily updates about bombings that reinforce the fear but it's an abstract distraction to most. Real life child murders or sniper killings or kidnapped brides (who incidentally turn out to be premeditated drama queens) are more striking and fear inducing. The American chorus of fear leaps off of the TV. Every centimeter of an issue is research and reported ad nauseum until I'm nauseous and anyone with an iota of consciousness wants to join me as I praise the nearest porcelain god with offerings of my regurgitated last meal. But the police get called in, press conferences are held, the man on the street gets to say how scared he is, parents escort their children to school and Americans hold each other just a little bit tighter at night while they watch the latest edition of American Idol, America's Next Top Model or Making of the Band 498.(Diddy sure is smart)
Meanwhile the things we probably should be scared about are nothing but faint blips on the outer edges of our mental radar screens. Education is in the toilet, global warming does exist, gas prices, unemployment and the cost of living are all rising uncontrollably (and that shit doesn't seem to be slowing down), corporations are on welfare and bale out on pension packages, our food is toxic, our children are fat&lazy&undisciplined just like many of their parents, Microsoft is a monopoly and neither the Democrats or the Republicans are really interested in much more than staying in office and lining their pockets. Even though those are generalizations that reflect my opinions they aren't untrue and they point to the heart of the problem. It isn't that the crime spree of the moment or the shock story aren't valid points of interest. It isn't that people don't have the right to their personal obsessions or fears. It isn't even to say that some of the drivel on the TV isn't entertaining or that the shock crime of the moment isn't disturbing but they are transitory. What scares me is that there seems to be little will in this country to truly address issues that concern us all. We have become a band-aid society. We think if something gets on the news someone will do something and we slap a band-aid over our conscience, divert our counciousness and hope for the best.
It would be funny if it wasn't true. I am very happy not to have children and with the world the way it is in general and America the way it is specifically I have no desire to.
posted by J.Bailey | 7:35 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home