Corrupting Factors Contributing to the Decay of our Civilaztion

To many of us, it feels as if the countdown has begun. A countdown, but when it runs out, no one knows what to expect is going to happen. Some may argue Armageddon, or a Nuclear Holocaust, maybe even a polar shift, or who knows maybe George W. Bush will jump out of President Obama’s birthday cake. All I know is I feel there is a clock somewhere in the world that is ticking down and no one knows where it is or how much time is left. Maybe we do not know where it is because it is our ‘internal (biological) clocks’ that are counting down and could very well be responsible for the panic and the running-a-muck this country has become enslaved by.  Now as usual the irresponsible ‘I want it all and I want it now’ American people really, as predicted, are having such a field day with shifting obvious blame to obvious people (so obvious that I will not bother going into specifically at this time). However, there is a problem. We have a country that had leadership for the past 8 years which has proven to be so humiliating, second-rate, and indicative of country governing no different than the castaways in the ‘Lord of the Flies’ novel, that the end result is a spawned culture which expects the next administration to save them, say they way Christians believe Jesus will. See it is a sliding scale in my opinion, the worse a president was previously the more the people expect from the next without actually contributing themselves. Example, no one  expected anything, literally anything at all, from George W. Bush because, despite what you think of him personally and the 2 or 3 mistakes he made in office, Bill Clinton was the president who gave the United State a surplus in the budget and a country without a war when he left. I hope you understand where I am going with this. No, not yet? OK let me continue.

Honestly, I have had all the recycled news an optimist, rather a hopeful person not an optimist, could stomach in all of 2009 just in the first three months. The News…in fact side note, I think we should start referring to the term “News” as “Weather” instead, since weathermen get paid, very well mind you, for constantly for being wrong. I say let society deem “News” universally as the “Weather” for consistency sake. As I was saying, it seems lately the “Weather” literally has nothing at all to talk about. I mean our government, regardless if you are supportive of their measures thus far or not, truly has impressed me with just going to work, or creating the illusion of them working. Seriously, I do not remember so much activity by our worthlessly-elected Senators and Congressman since the Clinton impeachment. And our president, even though I did not vote for him, at least he has given more addresses to the people in an effort in keeping “us” involved and making government more transparent than say George W. Redneck Dumbass could ever possibly fathom. Honestly, I think this is far more important than governmental intervention in my life today. Now the content, hot air, repetition, and long-windiness of these addresses is truly up for debate in terms of it being helpful to the American people. But at least the effort is being put out there. My point is I think media, government, and more surprisingly the American people have taken their “eye off the ball” regarding what really caused their tragically destroyed livelihoods and worse, who is really to blame.

The answer lies in the shifts, changes, neglegence, and ignorance festering, growing, and eventually overtaking our lifestyles and changes in our environment (be it social or physical environment)  in the past 3-4 years that we as people were so busy prospering in a thriving economy truly built on house of cards that we were too focused on raking it all in as much as we can, while we can, before it was all gone. But the casualties are plenty, and no these casualties are not being reported on the “weather.” Here are some of the most overlooked contributing factors, that are still alive and well, roaming our society today like parasites (really in no particular order because its a cycle and everything is connected and related).

First the quality of television that we view. Now I did not say these were going to be direct causes, just contributing factors which creates a “who gives a shit” society. When I was a mere tot in the 80s, television seemed to be more wholesome, moral, or at least featured programming with a point. Please do not misunderstand me, I am not thumping a bible at you right now. My point is when I was 13 years old, I never saw topless women being advertised to tens of thousands of people in these ‘Girls Gone Wild’ commercials and even now as a 30 year old man I become more and more outraged every time that shit is on my television. But if I was 13 in the 80s in my room alone watching these commercials, I’d probably spend much more time in my room than say when I was actually 13 if you know what I mean. Shows like Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy (which are network shows) are the top rated shows in this country. These are shows dedicated to promoting infidelity in a rich suburbian neighborhood and a hospital where fornicating in any dark closet is far more important than say saving a life. And please do not get me started on cable shows like the “Rock of Love’s” or really anything MTV might consider important to poison our children with today teaching them what is wrong with them and not to be comfortable in their own skin. I would seriously argue that 95% of our programming in this country is completely useless garbage and creates a culture of people who need instant gratification constantly no matter how dumb it is.

Next, technology. There are two kinds of technology in this world in my opinion. There is technology which literally increases the quality of life, in general as whole, be it through innovation and creating new jobs or simply creating devices that people honestly thought could or would never be created, say like Blu-Ray quality HD. Then there is bastardized technology. This is technology that preys on addiction and isolation. Case in point, the iPod. I got one you got one we all love our iPods but seriously Apple has created a monster through this one breakthrough by creating new and useless other technologies in the form of accessories making you feel that your iPod experience is always lacking if you haven’t purchased all the bells and whistles and also have cleverly figured out a way to make only Apple products compatible with your iPod. You throw that in the pot with cell phones and that irresponsible high schoolers who couldn’t even handle 8th grade algebra now have the luxury of texting during class, or messing around with their cell phone interfaces and ring tones, say even spend money which is not theirs downloading new and stupid applications to pimp out their cell phones, anything to avoid paying attention to their lesson in class. Even further, take the alienated, nerdy, disenfrachised, high school teenage boy who gets picked on and has no dates. 10 or 20 years ago this guy might be crying his eyes out and studying daily in order to make a better life for himself later, but today, this kid could not give a shit about his social nonacceptance because he is running home after school to play on his X-Box and Playstation meanwhile ignoring his parents who he blames for his social awkwardness. Also, when did it become socially viable to be in a Starbucks on a Wednesday at 11am playing on a laptop and sipping a latte. 20 ago years that person would not have had enough money to even afford a laptop let alone a cup of coffee. Now we have cars with GPS’ (which do not get me wrong, I believe a world without GPS is world not worth living in) taking the thinking and intelligence out of remembering a route or god-forbid being able to read and use a map. There are far more many more types of  distracting technologies than I mentioned above but I feel the problem here lies in the ratio between useful technology vs. technology used to exploit the consumer. I feel everyday the useful technology loses and the exploited technology prevails.

Let us also take a minute to examine the impact of authoritative figures in the lives of children, teens, and young adults and the role they themselves play in society. More than the stock market, or the budget deficit, I think if anything has plummeted in our culture, it is proper (or at least just an attempt at proper) parenting. In this have and have-not society the youth suffers more than anyone. Why are people in today’s modern post-Doris Day era rushing off to the altar to get married when they honestly, no matter how in love they are, know there is a chance they may not be either financially or even psychologically ready for the responsibilities that are attached. Sure, I understand being in love and wanting to confirm your commitment in front of God’s eyes, but what is the rush, if it truly is love, it will be there forever, right? Not to mention, these impulsive couples usually end up starting their married existence in a $50K  hole from the cost of their lavish “big day.” So then the honeymoon is over, reality sets in, and the problems and arguments are a plenty. So much so that instead of counseling, or patience and compromise in an effort to work it out, most of you decide that just because you have the physical ability to so but not the intelligence or patience to fix a failing marriage you all go ahead and get pregnant, don’t you?  Just because you have the capacity to bear a child does not mean you have the where-with-all to raise one. Some of us can do math, some of us can do science, some of us only know how top drop fries in the deep fryer. Why would parenting be any different. I cannot believe in a country where we need a license to drive a car, buy a gun, or even check a book out of the library, any drug addicted, physically abusive, unemployed through deficiencies all brought on by themselves, self-righteous, person could become a parent whenever they wanted, just because. It truly sickens me and makes me want to contribute to society by not bearing children even though I think I would be a pretty awesome Dad, just like mine was. But why would I want to subject my kids to the same social environment with kids who have spawned from tainted so-called parents who cannot even look out for themselves. But see just as many ill-equipped parents exist, so do as many overachiever-never-have-time-for-my-kids-raised-by-the-housekeeper-and-nannies parents exist too. Which is one worse, I honestly could not tell you. But thankfully today’s kids have the joys of technology to resort to instead of quality time spent with Mom and Dad who are either out at the club or working late at the office with their “secretary.”

You know in a world of people who are completely underpaid and under appreciated for the good and hard work they do, I would say teachers would make the top of that list. But unfortunately the way our country looks at education says that we seem to be quite alright with mediocrity. Now this is a harder issue to scrutinize because finding the teachers who really want to make a difference is usually far more difficult than the teachers who contemplate suicide before returning another day to their demon-seed students at school. Personally, I can name all the teachers in my life who are worth remembering and I know you can too. Today politiquing inside our Education Boards has become an art all to its own. Tenure weighs more than performance now and many 60 year old hags will never get fired becuase of it. Meanwhile, today’s standards of earning your credentials to legally teach honestly in my opinion rivals that of a lawyer or doctor, even though the material is easier, the commitment is just the same. Today’s future teachers are required to go to graduate school, and that does not even assure them a job. When I was in school, I was impressed when I had a teacher who even went to college. And the children suffer because there are so many eager future mind-shapersout there desperate to teach meanwhile indifferent windbags stand at the dry erase board counting down the clock like their distracted students playing on their cell phones. You factor that in with the misappropriation of funds and resources between schools in good and bad areas, and all you are left with is a youth who graduates nearly 50% of the time every year.

Why does the United States have the fattest people on the planet? In countries where families may call sharing a cup of cooked rice between 4 people a lavish over-the-top dinner, we here have the audacity of ordering food, actually it isn’t food, its product made from substances designed to taste, again, addictively so good and have the same affordability as a packet of lunch meat from the supermarket, that making it home in time to cook just seems like a ridiculous notion now, never once having the regard or curiosity to find out that nutritionally it has the same value of say maybe consuming your iPod for dinner. But is this enough to create a nation of obesity? No, not until I explain to you that with the invention of the drive-thru a breed of amenity was created in that people now can order portions and quantities made to look like it was feeding a family, but really was all for themselves, and at that price why the hell not, right? But in the old days, pre-drive thru, you had to go inside where the watchful eye of the public would force you to succumb to the right sized meal for who you were. People are pigs now, straight gluttonous martians from the Planet Pig Fat! There is no other way to explain it but by simply acknowledging the blatant disregard for our health versus the satisfaction of having 20 chicken mcnuggets when really you should be eating 10. Maybe self-control and will power were never taught to these people or maybe the skill of cooking at home was never passed down their gene pool, either way I think the way America eats is our strongest example demonstrating how we just do not care about anything at all.

Lastly, let’s discuss credit and credit cards and how easy they were to get 10 years ago all the way up to 10 months ago. Did anyone besides me notice that after the Internet boom of 90s, everyone just started receiving credit card invitations from Visa and Mastercard, damn near daily. I am sure by now you realized that it was because the only way you could purchase anything off the web was through credit cards. And once people realized the Internet was not a fad, everyone could not wait to start buying useless shit online. Yes, in my opinion this is how far back it goes. People being sold on the concept that establishing credit with free non-existent money creating more and more bills and debt for yourself every day,month, and year for the next 10 years was actually a good idea, in hindsight, was just amazing to me, especially since I was one of them. Too many irresponsible people trusted with money they did not have. How did the credit moguls feel about this? They were probably too busy laughing their fat rich white asses off at the American people meanwhile patting our pal Capitalism on the back for a job well-done (the country not realizing Capitalism was tied, bound, and gagged and being held for ransom for the past 10 years probably in Wall St.’s basement). Are you disgusted with yourself yet? I sure am.

Ladies and gentleman what I have just demonstrated is scientifically unfounded and has not been proved but are simply my opinions of what is different in my line of sight now instead 20 years ago when I was just a kid. You are more than welcome to disagree with me but many of you won’t. Because none of us are innocent. I am not an angel people, trust me, my life was a life of apathy for more than half my life. But people will not take responsibilty for these things publically because it first demonstrates what horrible people they truly are and secondly robs them of what they perceive being an American really is all about, being able to do what you want whenever you want. Don’t you see that is exactly how Wall St. behaved, mortgage brokers who contributed to the housing bubble behaved, and how our government has and still does behave. Which is why getting out of this mess is much harder than throwing 1 trillion imaginary dollars at welfare and city programs and thinking that will do the trick. We need to change our ways as human beings. A president is just a man, a man checked by many rules and laws preventing him from having any real power. Why in the world would any of us have our hopes in him. It just is not fair to him and ourselves. Lesson #1: take some fucking accountability, Lesson #2: If you have children, throw away your television, Lesson #3: learn how to cook for godsake (cavemen figured it out), and last Lesson #4: Cut up all your credit cards whether or not your are in debt, you just don’t need it. Thanks for reading and go make a real contribution to society by changing yourself instead waiting for your government to do it for you!

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