I think one of the biggest problems today is "digital materialism" -- everyone is subscribed to 20 streaming services, is on at least five different social media apps, has to have the latest and greatest phone (and maybe a smart watch or tablet or two), and of course must have a TV in every room. These things suck away our time and make us passive and subhuman. Throw them in the lake!
Yes! I left that out, but I truly see that in a lot of the younger people. They don't lust after the same materialism that their elders did. They want the latest wireless device with the latest apps and they are addicted to all of those apps. I do know some people who are just like you said... subscribed to numerous apps and streaming services and are being nickel and dimed to death and don't know why they can't afford food.
You're sorta right, FRI. But is "digital materialism" perhaps not a symptom, but rather a contributing cause of our societal descent into "passive and subhuman".
We have spent decades, at least since the 1960s, dumbing down the great unwashed. We cooperated, enthusiastically, as our schools were converted into socialist indoctrination centres. We stood by, in wilful, blissful ignorance, as libraries were removed from schools, and public libraries were closed. We stood calmly by as we watched our print and broadcast media devolve, from speaking truth to power, into organs used by power to distort or suppress truth. We stopped attending church, participating in, or even bothering with many 'community events'. We have even stopped having children! Birth rates in the 'Western liberal democracies” are far, far, below the levels from which no society has ever recovered.
For far too many, I suspect, their lives have become meaningless, pointless, without focus. They have turned, as you point out, to electronic diversions. Instead of family gatherings, or even family meals, people have turned to electronic babysitters, tools to help fill their empty hours, and empty brains.
Great observations AndyinBC. And, sadly, for some time I was one of those who kind of just "went along to get along" because I kind of gave up. I stopped speaking out when I saw things that I knew in my gut were wrong. If anything good came from "covid" it would be that all of the madness that went on surrounding that whole debacle reminded me of just how important it is to speak out when I see injustices and utter madness happening all around me. Same goes for things like "pride" month and other things that have been pushed on society to distract us and drag us into a false, dark "untruth". I don't know if this comment really adds to what you said or even fits with the topic of my post, but I think that all of these distractions have contributed to our societal destruction. It's a wonder people want to buy up all kinds of goodies and toys... if just to feel good... for just a little while. To numb their minds from the truth around them. But I truly believe we are in a time when the line is no longer blurred. We either see darkness or light. There's no in between. People are going to have to make a choice very soon as to which one of those to choose. Thanks for checking out my post! :)
I am one of those people who never hit 40K as a salary. I tried. I got an education, worked hard got outstanding job reviews but never made the big bucks. I lived in not great neighborhood, no kids, and it took a long time for me to find the right one. I am now retired and there are no trips abroad, no new gadgets, old car and even a move to another state in order to save money. I live in the country, so no need for fancy jewelry or clothes, gardening is out because we have to amend the soil. It is basically sand. We watch DVDs, I love Alfred Hitchcock, sci-fi, whatever. Our library is under siege and I expect it to close. Something is coming, a lot of us know this and we are as prepared as we can be. It won’t be enough but it is what it is. It will be a black swan event and it will be, “didn’t see that coming...”
A great amount of families, individuals, groups, are not going to make it. Many of us realize this and we prepare the best we can. We are just a ticking time bomb and we haven’t gone off yet.
I think that's all we can do. My mantra for a long time has been, "have a little bit of everything" because it's impossible to be completely prepared for dystopia. If I have any regrets about my life when I was chasing making money is that I missed out on so much *real* life. I missed family gatherings, funerals, births and more beautiful things than I can count. I often say, "if I had to do it over again, I'd choose family and friends over money." Thanks for your contribution Pbr!
Yes Anna. You know, maybe we will all be wrong and things will be just dandy moving forward. Actually, what I think will happen, is that people will be so numb they won't even know what's happening to them and they will *think* that things are fine as they march right into bondage. The monsters in the world have done a brilliant job of making a lot of people in the Western world think they are free and prosperous by pushing consumerism on them and figuring out ways to make sure that there are cheap toys for them to buy all while twisting the knife in our backs as they lead us into a dystopia where no one will have the ability to have *anything* anymore. I think we may be the last generation who can actually strive to buy large ticket items. If things don't change, the young people of today truly will "own nothing and be happy".... and they will be slaves. Thanks, as always, for stopping by!
I think people are waking up, but not to the Bigger Picture...
It's really unthinkable, isn't it? But I have NO problem with the idea of genocide... I mean, for some people, over and over and over in history, it's easy. So, there's that.
Sorry Canada is part of the hell... I would have spared you guys. xo
Thank you for your comment, Word Herder. It's no surprise that Canada is going through the same thing as the U.S.A. Just look at each of our governments, run by incompetents and narcissists who are probably controlled by certain others. That's part of the problem for both countries. I didn't have time before to ask but I am wondering what you meant about genocide for some people. Not trying to start anything. Just that I'm not sure what you mean.
Material goods will always be taken, get broken, or become outdated. Inner resilience and a strong, healthy body is way better to have than the latest toy for "adults". I'm with you, Rob. I am not seeing that Great Awakening in my neck of the woods yet.
I agree 100% Pancake Princess. And yes, I am eagerly awaiting this "great awakening" I keep hearing about. I don't know where all of these people are, but they sure aren't here. Thanks for checking out my post! :)
Agree wholeheartedly. In fact I really want to live in a tiny house. When I moved to my current place I downsized a heap and went for 12 months not buying anything except essentials. I don’t see any awakening going on in Australia either.
You know JJ... if there's one thing I've found over the last few years after I dramatically downsized my life is... "why in the heck wasn't I living this way all along!?" I'm so much happier and healthier physically, mentally, and spiritually. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for this "great awakening".... but I'm not going to hold my breath either. Thanks for reading, as always. :)
I think you're spot on, and I've been saying/feeling the very same way for a while now.
These "smart" phones are the Opium of the 21st century, and it's CREEPY seeing all these people staring at them like the JUNKIES they are.
I can't imagine the Bad Guys will shut down the Internet or any of that sort of thing, but I CAN imagine them shutting down our food supply, our heat, and so on... Then we'll have piles of dead people, their phones held up to their dead faces with their dead hands... the last thing they'll remember is a stupid little screen with some insanely idiotic crap on it...
I think one of the biggest problems today is "digital materialism" -- everyone is subscribed to 20 streaming services, is on at least five different social media apps, has to have the latest and greatest phone (and maybe a smart watch or tablet or two), and of course must have a TV in every room. These things suck away our time and make us passive and subhuman. Throw them in the lake!
Yes! I left that out, but I truly see that in a lot of the younger people. They don't lust after the same materialism that their elders did. They want the latest wireless device with the latest apps and they are addicted to all of those apps. I do know some people who are just like you said... subscribed to numerous apps and streaming services and are being nickel and dimed to death and don't know why they can't afford food.
You're sorta right, FRI. But is "digital materialism" perhaps not a symptom, but rather a contributing cause of our societal descent into "passive and subhuman".
We have spent decades, at least since the 1960s, dumbing down the great unwashed. We cooperated, enthusiastically, as our schools were converted into socialist indoctrination centres. We stood by, in wilful, blissful ignorance, as libraries were removed from schools, and public libraries were closed. We stood calmly by as we watched our print and broadcast media devolve, from speaking truth to power, into organs used by power to distort or suppress truth. We stopped attending church, participating in, or even bothering with many 'community events'. We have even stopped having children! Birth rates in the 'Western liberal democracies” are far, far, below the levels from which no society has ever recovered.
For far too many, I suspect, their lives have become meaningless, pointless, without focus. They have turned, as you point out, to electronic diversions. Instead of family gatherings, or even family meals, people have turned to electronic babysitters, tools to help fill their empty hours, and empty brains.
Great observations AndyinBC. And, sadly, for some time I was one of those who kind of just "went along to get along" because I kind of gave up. I stopped speaking out when I saw things that I knew in my gut were wrong. If anything good came from "covid" it would be that all of the madness that went on surrounding that whole debacle reminded me of just how important it is to speak out when I see injustices and utter madness happening all around me. Same goes for things like "pride" month and other things that have been pushed on society to distract us and drag us into a false, dark "untruth". I don't know if this comment really adds to what you said or even fits with the topic of my post, but I think that all of these distractions have contributed to our societal destruction. It's a wonder people want to buy up all kinds of goodies and toys... if just to feel good... for just a little while. To numb their minds from the truth around them. But I truly believe we are in a time when the line is no longer blurred. We either see darkness or light. There's no in between. People are going to have to make a choice very soon as to which one of those to choose. Thanks for checking out my post! :)
Word.
Actually, schools have ALWAYS been indoctrination centers!
And, HI, ANDY!! Long time no see!
Survive the cull and let's share a sunny day sometime. ^_^
I am one of those people who never hit 40K as a salary. I tried. I got an education, worked hard got outstanding job reviews but never made the big bucks. I lived in not great neighborhood, no kids, and it took a long time for me to find the right one. I am now retired and there are no trips abroad, no new gadgets, old car and even a move to another state in order to save money. I live in the country, so no need for fancy jewelry or clothes, gardening is out because we have to amend the soil. It is basically sand. We watch DVDs, I love Alfred Hitchcock, sci-fi, whatever. Our library is under siege and I expect it to close. Something is coming, a lot of us know this and we are as prepared as we can be. It won’t be enough but it is what it is. It will be a black swan event and it will be, “didn’t see that coming...”
A great amount of families, individuals, groups, are not going to make it. Many of us realize this and we prepare the best we can. We are just a ticking time bomb and we haven’t gone off yet.
I think that's all we can do. My mantra for a long time has been, "have a little bit of everything" because it's impossible to be completely prepared for dystopia. If I have any regrets about my life when I was chasing making money is that I missed out on so much *real* life. I missed family gatherings, funerals, births and more beautiful things than I can count. I often say, "if I had to do it over again, I'd choose family and friends over money." Thanks for your contribution Pbr!
The same thing is going on in Canada, maybe even at a faster rate.
And most aren't prepared for what's coming.
Yes Anna. You know, maybe we will all be wrong and things will be just dandy moving forward. Actually, what I think will happen, is that people will be so numb they won't even know what's happening to them and they will *think* that things are fine as they march right into bondage. The monsters in the world have done a brilliant job of making a lot of people in the Western world think they are free and prosperous by pushing consumerism on them and figuring out ways to make sure that there are cheap toys for them to buy all while twisting the knife in our backs as they lead us into a dystopia where no one will have the ability to have *anything* anymore. I think we may be the last generation who can actually strive to buy large ticket items. If things don't change, the young people of today truly will "own nothing and be happy".... and they will be slaves. Thanks, as always, for stopping by!
I think people are waking up, but not to the Bigger Picture...
It's really unthinkable, isn't it? But I have NO problem with the idea of genocide... I mean, for some people, over and over and over in history, it's easy. So, there's that.
Sorry Canada is part of the hell... I would have spared you guys. xo
Thank you for your comment, Word Herder. It's no surprise that Canada is going through the same thing as the U.S.A. Just look at each of our governments, run by incompetents and narcissists who are probably controlled by certain others. That's part of the problem for both countries. I didn't have time before to ask but I am wondering what you meant about genocide for some people. Not trying to start anything. Just that I'm not sure what you mean.
Thanx, Anna. What I meant was, psychopaths seem to not mind killing others, most especially when they think they can get away with it...
I would have responded sooner, but I've been dealing with a couple of guys kinda in that category lately!! Cheers, m'dear.
Material goods will always be taken, get broken, or become outdated. Inner resilience and a strong, healthy body is way better to have than the latest toy for "adults". I'm with you, Rob. I am not seeing that Great Awakening in my neck of the woods yet.
I agree 100% Pancake Princess. And yes, I am eagerly awaiting this "great awakening" I keep hearing about. I don't know where all of these people are, but they sure aren't here. Thanks for checking out my post! :)
Agree wholeheartedly. In fact I really want to live in a tiny house. When I moved to my current place I downsized a heap and went for 12 months not buying anything except essentials. I don’t see any awakening going on in Australia either.
You know JJ... if there's one thing I've found over the last few years after I dramatically downsized my life is... "why in the heck wasn't I living this way all along!?" I'm so much happier and healthier physically, mentally, and spiritually. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for this "great awakening".... but I'm not going to hold my breath either. Thanks for reading, as always. :)
Nope, you don't sound arrogant at all!
I think you're spot on, and I've been saying/feeling the very same way for a while now.
These "smart" phones are the Opium of the 21st century, and it's CREEPY seeing all these people staring at them like the JUNKIES they are.
I can't imagine the Bad Guys will shut down the Internet or any of that sort of thing, but I CAN imagine them shutting down our food supply, our heat, and so on... Then we'll have piles of dead people, their phones held up to their dead faces with their dead hands... the last thing they'll remember is a stupid little screen with some insanely idiotic crap on it...
Help. I'll never be part of that!
Thanks for staying grounded, Rob. It helps.
Oh wow. :) Thanks for being here Brian! I haven't seen you in a long time.
When I need a dose of straight up sanity, I check out your Substack.
'24 promises to be a turning point. Hang on tight my friend, I don't think the brakes are working.
OK?! Yep, yep.