Rats in a Maze...

Back in the 1970's, a famous experiment was conducted in which a large number of rats were placed in a big "rat house" and allowed to over-populate. The results were quite startling. What was found was that aggression levels and general anti-social behaviors became the norm. Where at first the occupants assisted each other to survive and performed acts that benefited the colony, when the population reached high levels, it became every rat for themselves. Then the colony collapsed and they all died. How do this apply to Humans? We are starting to see behavior like the results from this famous experiment in places with large human populations. With the expected rise of the world population to well over 8 billion in the next decade, this could be a bad sign.

We are seeing more instances of the general public performing outstanding cases of neglect and abuse. Whether this is a new thing or a result of increased media coverage is still unknown. On June 19th, a woman passed out and died in a King's County hospital waiting room, in full view of the hospital staff. Video caught her convulsing on the floor for at least 45 minutes before anyone stopped to help her. This story is simply one of many. Add to this the stories of pregnant women being killed for their babies, and other assorted vileness. It makes you wonder if any is connected or related to the rats in the collapsed colony. Are we all just rats in a large colony that is beginning to show signs of over-crowding?

The experiment's results are waiting to be seen...

The Poison of Modern Culture

I took a trip last week. I went back to the city where most of my relatives and in-laws live, for a wedding. Not an unusual event, but an expensive one I might add. While I was there, I made a few observations. These observations do not involve the wedding (though in a distant way it is tied to them). These observations pertain to the way the average American lives their life.

I live pretty far out, in one of the last remaining wilderness states, New Mexico. As such I am shielded from the daily life that most Americans consider to be their "normal" reality. While the normal American reality revolves around shopping, driving, and doing such things as going out to eat, my realities involve many things totally alien to this. Case in point, I have 25 chickens I have raised for slaughter fattening up in my yard. I live so far away from anything resembling "normal" America that it takes me at least an hour and a half to get there. My daily life is at a pace much slower and different than the average Joe, and it allows me to see things that are missed by people caught up in the Matrix of daily life. When I returned for this trip, this fact was never more clear to me.

We drove less on our 8 hour trip to get to our destination than we did just getting around in the 15 square mile area where we were staying. Very Sad. The Average American spends as much time in their car waiting in traffic than they do at their destination. If you want to get anywhere in the typical urban environment, you can count on at least an hour trip in the car as a minimum, even for a short 10 mile jaunt. 10 miles to me is a little less than 8 minutes where I live. And it is nearly impossible to do anything without a trip like this. It is very wasteful, bad for the environment, and expensive. I think the average person would be shocked at just how expensive and wasteful it really is. However, most people a pretty firmly connected to the "Normal" reality that says this is OK, and will never be able to see it. It would take a shocking event or a personal epiphany or some type to "unplug them from the Matrix". For most, it will never happen.

The average American has become pretty thoroughly poisoned against anything that does not support this "normal" world-view. Most of my relatives simply think I do not know any better. Because I live a simpler life that does not partake of the excesses and inadequacies of this world, they think I am "Simple". They look down upon me for choosing to live in a village with less than 1000 people, buying organic produce, and paying more for things that I feel do less damage to our world than the cheaply produced mass market garbage currently flooding the US (made by our enemies, I might add).

The world has become, to most Americans, a race to buy the cheapest things, the biggest automobile, or the flashiest stuff to impress others. The daily grind for most people is simply to make more money to spend in a world of loud, over the top, Big Box stores and own the biggest, most prestigious home in a sprawling generic suburban wasteland. Nothing means anything anymore. The old American values are fast disappearing, being replaced by a drive for excess consumption not seen before in modern civilization. The quest to acquire cheap consumer goods at all costs and the flashy throwaway lifestyle associated with it has become a drug to the American public. They literally cannot stop. They cannot stand being without it either. When these folks visit my house, they literally cannot stand-it. They typically leave after about two days, and complain about utter boredom the entire time. Nor do they understand why we choose to grow and prepare our foods the old fashioned way instead of buying more processed "dog food" from the nearest big box.

PS - Anything made of Gluten or High Fructose Corn Syrup is "Dog Food".

One other thing. Nothing is marketed for it's usefulness anymore, now you buy it for the experience, or for the lifestyle. Even the old standards of rebellion have been co-opted, as anyone who has seen such shows as LA Ink, or the Orange County Chopper guys can attest. Now anyone can buy into it. Loud flashy TV screens are set-up in the store to grab your attention. Most retail stores try to create an environment that is loud or flashy or noisy, to disrupt your train of thought, so that their advertising can deeply implant itself in the subconscious. Any Hypnotist worth his salt can attest to how affective this can be.

Everything is for sale.

One thing is not. The Soul of America. It is not for sale because it is already gone.

The Myth of Conservative America

If I hear one more conservative politician say they stand for the American family I think I will just vomit.

Someone please explain to me how they stand for the family. I just don't see it. I can list how they do not, but other than a glossed over feel-good "Yay! America" and "Family Values" image they project, there is really nothing else. These folks are radicals who like to label everyone else a radical and not themselves. They have actually been running this country for the most part for nearly 30 years now. Let's see exactly how truly American these folks are...

1. Privatization - By this I mean privatization of EVERYTHING. That means basically very little government and free reign of whatever companies these government functions have been passed along to. In this system, everything has a price and all services are bought and paid for by the individual. Our government becomes a case of Corporate Externalization gone ape-shit. How will this affect the American family? What happens when there are no social programs for the poor or disaffected? What happens to those who cannot pay for the services provided by the businesses which have replaced the functions of government. Along these same lines, there are a core of Conservatives in our government who wish to relinquish all control to publicly owned entities, such as our National Forests, over to private interests. These skewed agenda's will basically leave nothing for the future Americans, placing all in the hands of private or corporate interests. We have already seen the results of this in the Water Riots in Chile which brought down their government. It seems the Chilean government sold the rights to ALL the water (even rain) to a large corporation from the US. They decided to charge everyone in Chile for the use of their water, initiating instant revolution by the poor Chilean population. It could happen here very easily and we would not even notice until it was already done. The American public has become quite numb to this type of thing.

How is this good for the American Family?

2. Health Care - The dire straits of the current Health Care system is quite apparent. It needs to be fixed. We have people too poor to pay for care, and normal working class people who have no health care who should. All Americans deserve decent health care. By the Gods, the CUBAN health care system is better than ours! Look how poor Cuba is. What does this say about our priorities? All the Conservative dogmatists can talk about is no socialized health care system. So having a system where people (who are too poor to pay for care now) support it by paying for care by privatized health care systems is better? Sounds like more of the same to me, just with greedy corporate claws dipped in the pot. Once again, these politicians are siding against the American people in my opinion. At least those wacky Liberals are actually trying to do something for the people in general (or at least they say they are, which seems to be better than the alternative). The prime example given by most Conservative politicians is the SCHIP program, and how it was just Socialized Health Care. If the government using my tax money to ensure poor children and kids from broken homes get care is socialism, then move me to the USSR.

Isn't that why we have a government? To take care of the people?

3. Environment - According to most die-hard conservatives, Global Warming is a myth. The entire scientific community disagrees, except for a few paid whores supported by corporate interests. It has actually become ingrained in the current rendition of the Death Cult religion most Americans are conditioned to follow that being for the Environment somehow places you in league with the Devil. What? One would think the great creator upstairs would want us to take care of this great creation we live upon? But no, it doesn't matter because he's coming back soon and it really doesn't matter if we take care of the world or not. It will be destroyed anyway. What the heck? People (most people it seems) actually believe this nonsense. Anyone espousing any interest in anything even remotely environmental is branded a "Radical" or a liberal and is maligned as being anti-American. I am not sure how protecting America and keeping it diverse and beautiful is un-American.

Someone please explain this to me, I don't get it.

I guess money is better than having a clean world. Imagine an old man sitting in the cess-pool holding a bucket of cash while his kids play with turds? That is our future. Can't eat turds either. They will eventually die if they do. It is unfortunate that turds will be all that is left.

The world we live in has been shaped by conservative "values" since Reagan became president. It is a world where 6% of the world's population holds 85% of the wealth. Wars are fought for trumped up reasons to expand corporate interests. The rights of the individual have dwindled to levels not seen even in a lot of Fascist states. Everything has a price and ethics mean nothing, only the "Bottom Line" counts. Our country spends $250 billion dollars a year to fight a war that was primarily sponsored for corporate profit, and idly stands by while billions die in the developing world due to the AIDS pandemic, or to things as simple as Malaria and Dysentery. The American lifestyle has become simply a lifestyle of consuming mass quantities of oil or cheap crap produced by our enemies, in the end making them stronger and selling us out. Is this what America is all about? Where is the shining light of Democracy and the paragon of American Virtues?

I am an American. I feel that our virtues and ethics should outshine the filth of rampant corporate capitalism. These "neo-cons" and other fellows are simply the face men for our real enemies, the uncontrolled growth of the consumer business world. They seek to keep themselves in the gravy train, and to keep the rest of us scared and ignorant, slaves to the business world they have sold their souls to.

We live in a Dystopia. It is a flawed world, somewhat like those found in books like "A Brave New World" and such. On the outside, it appears like it works OK and could potentially be a Utopia. However, if you look close enough, you will see we are a civilization that is plunging off a cliff. It is inherently flawed.

We will hit bottom someday. It is possible we already have and do not know it.

Of Invasions and Typhoons...

With all the misery happening in China at this moment, it is very easy to overlook the Typhoon tragedy in Myanmar, and it's proportionally larger death toll. China has grabbed all the media attention simply because systems are in place and access is available to the news media. This is almost totally lacking in Myanmar, one of the poorest most destitute countries on Earth. As I write this, People (mostly children and the injured or infirm) are starving or dying in full knowledge of their government. They are simply willing to let these people die to maintain their control over the country. The death toll is not in the thousands, but is in the hundred thousands.

Now flashback several years ago at the start of the Iraq war. Why did we invade this place? I know, a multitude of reasons were given, only one of which has proven to be true (to get rid of a dictator). I venture to guess, the secondary death toll from this typhoon will get up there to the toll Mr. Hussein exacted on his public during his years in office, yet nothing is being done about it. If the "Free World" (led by the US) was truly committed to freedom and democracy for everyone, why isn't there an outcry to do the same thing for them we did for Iraq? You can't tell me Myanmar would stand up to the might of combined UN forces for very long. In my mind, all these arguments about bringing freedom and democracy to other countries means exactly squat right now. These are the poorest people in the world who CANNOT help themselves and truly need someone to help them, yet the world stands by and watches them die.

No oil in Myanmar, must not be worth the trouble. It's a damn shame on our country and the world.

Child-Snatching Nightmare...

I do not know how many people out there in the blogosphere are following the situation in Texas right now, concerning the FLDS and their children, but there are several things I find disturbing to this whole fiasco. I in no way condone anything that this religious group has been accused of, but I am not sure the State of Texas' solution is any better either.

For those who are living under a rock, or in the wilds of Siberia, The FLDS otherwise known as the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (an offshoot of the Mormon Church), has had their children removed en masse by the State of Texas. This sect has been widely accused of many outragious things, including pedophilia, and in fact their leader has been convicted and currently sits in prison for crimes of this nature. I agree this sect is doing and has done many bad things in the past, and getting the children away from that place is something that definitely needs to be done. What I disagree with is the manner in which it has been done.

The State of Texas recieved a phone call from a young girl, presumed to be a member of the sect, implying that organized abuse was taking place and she wanted to escape. The state of Texas in it's infinite wisdom swooped in and took all 400 children from the sect, placing them in local gymnasiums until their identity could be sorted out. It was later determined that the girl who called was most likely NOT a member of this group, and was just seeking attention. I agree that something has to be done, but this is the equivalent of coming into a small town and taking everyone's children because a jealous neighbor, pretending to be a local child, says someone is abusing him. These women and children are victims, and should be treated as such. The latest move is to send these poor children to foster homes scattered throughout the state, and prevent all contact with the parents, a process that is in essence raping these abuse victims again. When will the abuse stop? These young children, AND their mothers need help.

The finger pointers and conformist zealots want these children to "save" them, and in the process these poor children will be destroyed. I do not condone any of the activities that the FLDS is accused of, but I think Texas deserves some blame as well. I do not believe they are truly acting in the welfare of these children and their mothers. I think many special interest groups and narrow minds want these children to mold them into good "christian" Texans, and to point blame instead of giving help where it is needed. These people should be treated as the refugees they are and should be given help, as many of them have never lived in the "normal" world of which they are being held accountable. It seems as if guilt has already been decided "en masse". It has become another case where the juggernaught of the child protective system is crushing the very children it was designed to protect, leading to more broken children and ruined lives which did not nescessarily have to be. I am not saying it shouldn't have been done, it just seems like they are using a sledgehammer, when maybe a smaller instrument is called for. A little sensitivity and victim advocacy should be the order of the day, but it appears to have been overlooked.

This also has other implications as well. If you are a member of a splinter group or alternate religion, what is to stop them from taking your kids if some crackpot decides to make a phone call? Your kids can be taken and placed in foster care, awaiting outcome of a multitude of trial dates over an undetermined amount of time. All the while, your kids will be exposed to goodness knows what, and told all sorts of stuff by individuals with seemingly good intentions that could damage them or their opinion of their parents. Even if you are found guiltless, they will be permantly affected and everyone's lives damaged.

I hate to see any inoccents hurt, whether it be from an abuser OR from the system which should be protecting them. Reforms of this rigid Child Welfare system seem to be called for.

What is Evil, really?

Evil. "Evil", just like "love", is one of the most over-used words in the English language. How often is it used do describe something we disagree with, or find unpleasant. It is often used when we are trying to convince others to dislike something we find disagreeable. But what is true evil? Yes, there is true evil in this world, but I think most would be stunned to find what they may consider evil, may not really fit the description.

Sure, there are the obvious evils, like murder, child molestation, and their ilk but I propose some other more unorthodox ones as well. If we accept the definition of evil as being something which causes harm, limitation, ignorance, or leads to the downfall of man, this list becomes much bigger and encompasses a lot more than the traditional evils. Most people see evils as some vague medieval concept of the Devil trying to tempt man to be bad, or of demons trying to wrest control of man's souls. This IS the 21st cenury, I think we should broaden our horizons a bit. Demons exist, but they are not what most people think they are. Believe me, I know. So what is on my list of evils?

1. Money - While money itself is not evil, the busines of money has a particular demonic spirit which seems to bring out the worst in man. It is the root of all the world's problems, and the solution at the same time. Money is not an evil until this greedy spirit takes over, rendering the fiscal bottom line as the most important achievement. If you doubt this, look at the current state of the US economy and people like Ken Lay of Enron.

2. Religion - For something that was originally intended to illuminate mankind, modern religion has become one of man's biggest limitations. Originally, religion was based upon mythic teachings intented to promote harmony between man and his world. It was supposed to connect man with the creative spirit inherent in the world from which we all sprang, freeing man's mind and bringing him closer to the creator. The end result of this being the promotion of love and human compassion. Religion, being a very close brother to Art, in this respect. Centuries of maniplulation and misunderstanding, has given rise to a strict set of dogmas in most cases, and lead to the death of millions martyred as unbelievers, heretics, infidels, witches, or just plain enemies of religion. In the current state of affairs, Christianity has denigrated to a conformist death cult, and we all know about the current state of affairs between the Jewish and Muslim religions. Just about every religion has it's stories of massacres, and wars fought in the name of religious views. If religion does not fit the definition of limitation and ignorance, I don't know what does. Anything to me that promotes limitation and blind obedience is evil to me. They are doing the exact opposite of what religion was originally intended for. It has simply become a way to manipulate the masses by people seeking power. Real religion exists, but it is not found in a church.

3. Consumerism - This evil is directly related to the first one on the list. It is, in fact, a tool utilized to feed the insatiable desire for money, and it is directly leading to mankind's impending doom. Freedoms have been replaced with the desire for comfort and cheap consumer goods at the expense of the world we live in. The point of existence has been reduced to the acquisition of more and more disposable consumer items. The meaning of life is now known; it is mindless shopping. No thought is given to the consequences of this lifestyle by the consumers. Endless millions are enslaved for pennies a day, to support this lifestyle. If you don't believe me, look at China. 16 hour, 7 day a week work schedules for less than a dollar a day (sometimes by children), all to feed the insatiable American consumer market and to line the pockets of the corporate entities with more money for as little expenditure as possible. These poor souls are living as veritable slaves so we can have such worthless things as electric hand lotion warmers, or coffee filter dispensers at the local Big Box for a dollar less than a US made item, etc. The whole effect of this is a vicious cycle, with the end result of losing American jobs and making us weaker. Sounds like evil and limitation to me. It is also destroying the Earth. We are the living dead and we do not know it. Unless we change the current dead-end consumer society that is being adopted world-wide, the Earth's resources will be totally consumed in as little as the next few centuries. Thus will mankind's reign end. (Funny the Bible does not mention this, and most religious people do not see how any of this is evil).

On the evil scale... Very evil, simply because it is self-generating and tied to core of all the other evils.

At this point, I think some mention should be made of our society, and how it views evil. Most accept evil as some vague fire and brimstone concept of demons and things out of the movies. Typified as being the source of what ails mankind. This squarely places the blame for man's ills on things that are alien to man, thus removing the blame in the eye's of most people. If it is alien, then it is not like them, and they do not have to change because they do not see themselves as part of the problem. People must be taught to see evil as something different, and not all inclusive black and white as taught by most religious demogogues. The true forms of good and evil are not black and white, but shades of gray containing elements of both. The only true evil is what hurts or limits us.

As a sideline, being a proponent of an alternative religious view, I would be seen as a minion of evil by most orthodox religious folk. I have been accused of this many times, by many different people. Yes, I like the dark side of things, and take the left hand path on many things, but this is simply because I do not follow the more restrictive Right Hand. My actual religious views being more of an anti-religion, but definitely not atheism.

Do I hurt anyone? no.
Do I limit myself or anyone? no.
Do I challenge long held orthodoxies and blind dogmas? yes.
Do I hope to enlighten and free the minds of others? yes.
Does this fit the definition of evil? no.
Does the priest on the pulpit fit this definition? yes, in most cases.

Am I evil? In the eye's of conservative society, I am, since I do not play their game and represent all that they seek to limit.

Just Found on the WWW...

http://www.riprense.com/Jesushchrist.htm

Very interesting web site, the Rev says to check it out...

I leave you with this quote, as it relates directly to this site;

"The whole foundation of Christianity is based on the idea that intellectualism is the
work of the Devil. Remember the apple on the tree? Okay, it was the Tree of Knowledge.
'You eat this apple, you're going to be as smart as God. We can't have that.'"
--Frank Zappa