Friday, December 24, 2010

Our Dumbed Down Society.

Four years ago I cut off cable TV and have not looked back since. After all, we paid the bill for years prior and didn’t really watch it anyway, since I use the internet instead like a lot of people do for entertainment and educating purposes. It’s also a great place to network and talk with friends on the other side of the planet. The internet is an amazing tool if you know how to use it.
Without  it I would not even have the luxury of doing what I love for a living, so I am dependent on it more so then most of you reading this. I must say that when it comes down to a majority of my time online, 80-85% of it is just networking and learning as much as I possibly can, and it has changed who I am today.  After all, if you want to know something about anything, and I mean anything! you just have to look it up online. Over the last few years doing this, it feels like I have been sleeping for the last 30 years of my life.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized I didn’t know anything about the "real" world concerning our two most important topics, the political issues regarding human rights and animal rights. I’m not saying I am an expert, but I can say that this world scares the shit out of me, right up to the point that it’s made it a positive change. It makes me want to do more, to help, to change things, and to stand up and say, as Howard Beale said in the 1976 film NETWORK "I’m Mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore"!
What I have noticed is that there are so very few others who even care to look or help with the current issues in our society regarding Human Rights and Animal Rights; both can not be separated, since one issue leads into the next and vice versa. What I mean by this is, if our right to protest is taken away from us, then how can we possibly stand up for animal rights unless we confront those who plan to keep us quiet, so we are fighting for our human rights as well.
What I have come to learn Is that in the end, it all comes down to Power, which is all generated by our media and has been going on since TV was invented, and this issue now carries on into the internet, except here we are free to look up whatever we want, but this will not last long. And why is that? Because the internet is too open, too free, and it’s waking people up to the reality of what’s going on and they are getting pissed about it and standing up, and when this happens, guess who steps in? That’s right, Big Brother!  I can see that 30% of our society thinks they are "middle class" and the rest are just trying to survive day to day.  Middle class or not, we are all in the same boat. Comfortably numb.
To  change our world and the future our children are going to inherit, we will need to be more involved in waking others up as well, getting involved in these topics and off the high horse of thinking we are better then anyone else, and the idiot mindset that, I’m a MAN! I like sports and drinking beers with my buddies and that guy is a sissy because he likes fluffy animals. the same goes for woman battling it out for makeup and who is hotter then the next etc. The list goes on, who has the bigger house, who is better then who, fast cars, iPods, iPads, Xbox, Gaga, American Idol,  DISTRACTION! ADDICTION!
I for one do not have children and will not have any, not because I can’t, but because I have chosen not to. But I do have plenty of nephews and nieces and the friends I have here have kids and the many friends I have made online over the years have children, and what we are leaving them is a piece of shit planet to look after when we are all gone, and it bothers me that I have been “asleep” for the last few years unaware of the seriousness. What I mean by this is the "societal dumbing down" our media has fed  us our entire lives, thanks to governments and corporations (they are one in the same) who would like to keep us at a lower level, or as some say, keep us as "sheep".
At first I didn’t believe it, but it’s not hard to check the basic statistics, and I find that the dumbing down for most people just carries into the internet world as well. I did some research on this lately so let me show you what I mean on some topics.
Google and Youtube, the biggest free open information sites in the world, Google has been around since 1998 and now owns Youtube who has been around for 5 years. So I’m just going to give the stats for Youtube alone, since anyone who has a computer uses it, especially our youth.
The most watched Youtube videos
ENTERTAINMENT:
Justin Bieber -  416,051,105 views
Lady Gaga -  322,756,931 views
Charlie bit my finger – again -  261,517,708 views
NEWS/POLITICAL:
Dear Mr. Obama - 14,204,825 views
Crush On Obama -20,622,039 views
Collateral Murder - Wikileaks - Iraq -  10,311,097 views
If you haven’t seen these videos, I’m sure you can see what I mean just based on views alone. First off I am not even going to cover the entertainment category, it has obviously won by a long shot, so let’s look at the top 2 Political videos.
The “Dear Mr. Obama” video is a war veteran sending the president an important message about the war In Iraq. The “Crush on Obama” is a music video about a girl who has a crush on Obama. To me, something is seriously wrong with these stats, a video parody of the President is more important then other issues in the world, why? Because its entertainment. I mean, even Bieber, Gaga, iPods, kitten videos and people in accidents, top over any other video online then any real educational Information, I could go on forever but I’m not, its all out there and its all free, until our Governments decide to restrict websites and important content, making the Net not much different then TV, but with more ads and commercials as I’m sure you are starting to notice already. You know those ads that come up before you watch the cute kitten videos on youtube?  You know the 8 commercials you see before you watch the movie you paid $12.00 to see at the theatre. We are so dumb we need commercials reminding us to not drink and drive. And warnings labels reminding us not to not drink bleach.
If you go back and look at the Great depression it’s the same thing, mass entertainment, so guess where we are at this point and time but don’t really know it, or want to pretend it doesn’t exist. History repeats itself, always has, so know its going to get a hell of allot worse. My point is, we need to do something, all of us need to do something to make things change, to get out of the materialistic, brain-numbing, side track and busy lives we live, because we are so taxed, and  get lower pay checks as our rent, mortgages, hydro, gas and everything else goes up in price. And what I believe is that if more people were aware, it would piss them off enough to want to do something about it, and every little bit helps, even if its taking 10 min out of the day to pass along some links online, or educate yourself, friends and your children on REAL issues, and REAL truth, Because I can tell you that tomorrow will be too late.
We have been denied the truth for years by media blackouts on more then just the topics I am referring too in this article, but it only takes some people a few days or weeks to see what is really going on out there, and I can tell you people are waking up fast, and our media and governments see this and will eventually start to not only limit out freedom online but also our freedom in our cities,  making it illegal even to have a garden in your backyard, or collecting rain water to water your plants, so you only use the water you pay for, seriously look it up, these bills have already passed in some places. I am not stupid enough to believe that just because I live in Canada that nothing happens here because it does, I just think as Canadians we are more laid back which in turn, does make us more gullible as a whole.
This is my first write-up, blog I am not a writer by any means, I am an artist, but this world around us is just so heavy that I need to say it out loud now, and hopefully someone will understand where I’m coming from or maybe even wake up to these issues, this is all I have to offer for today, but It is at least something that may help. But sometimes I just want to give people a slap up side the head or force them to swallow the Red Pill to get them out of the Matrix. But unfortunately, that’s not how reality works and force will only turn people away, which is why we have a choice to read or look at what we want.
In the mean time, the Fight will never end for me. I swallowed the red pill so I can’t go back now, so  I believe it’s important to at least try to make a difference in this world, because in my case it’s the only thing I will be leaving behind, and when Human and Animal Rights are threatened  and I see my brothers and sisters are in distress, I will do all I can to be there, and  I will be online to help spread the word for today’s important topics, and be at the Front lines in person to stand in protest against the injustices towards us and our sentient being friends. Our world is like setting up a maze of domino chips, its takes time to do, but it only takes one person and one second to start the effect, the rest of the chips just fall into place. Don’t believe for one second that you can’t be the one to start.

8 comments:

  1. There are so many controls on us by all levels of gov't and it seems that the only roll elected officials have lately is to raise more revenue, enact more bylaws to license everything! Things that were free are now dropped and a cost or license is involved. Less service, less accountability more taxes from expanding costs for all things. Corporate greed, CEO golden parachutes, be a member of parliament for 6 years in Canada and get a full pension would be nice woudn't it? As the reality of it all finally hits us in the pocket book we'll see. The restricting laws and bylaw controls all strangling us. So what can we do. Get the word out? Will that really work or is the general population to cowed by Gov't and the police state powers for any change to happen.
    Look at the Unites states with the GOP and the Dems fighting for their agendas and pork for their states. Trillions owed to China, the GOP protecting the rich, Obama a lame Duck President from the get go! We keep electing the same officials hand picked by their party and if they want change end up as back benchers or scorned by their elected peers. (Look at Ron Paul) "CHANGE" more retoric to get elected. Political correctness, millions spent on ads telling us not to do childish things.
    Sad to say this but 9/11 has been the excuse for taking away the rights we all used to take for granted. Torture condoned by a Gov't by the people for the people with a never ending erosion of freedom. I remember my Grandfather protesting Photos on licenses. Seems trivial now with the intrusive gathering of personal information today. What to do? Get the info out and see what the sheep will do, probably not much till they can't aford a slice of bread. Then maybe Madame Guiotine will come out of retirement and head a great cast of the new blade runer!
    Those haves will always need sheep and when they try to break out of their fenced enclosures the cowboys will show up and corral them again for the greater good of GREED!

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  2. Ah yes and one more thing! The abuse of power eg.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibSwITK4jjQ
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPRrHYn3TiU
    Yes let the police police themselves! Ya right! Who is supposed to ulitimatly be in charge US the people and the longer we put up with this the worse it will get...

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  3. Superb! Well done, Pete! I am honored to even comment here.

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  4. I have watched Pete for years become better and better. When he puts him mind towards something he studies and refines till he masters it! From anamatronics, sculpting, painting and fabricating camera shhot acessories he has done amazing things. T.V. Film, editing commercials and crating such magnificent things from his imagination check out this link on Youtube with his demo reel watch and be astounded!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2WpmUffU2M

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  5. There will not be any freedom of speech on the net if the U.S. Gov't has anything to do about it!The power corporations don't want certain things posted understood and read. My god it would be terrible if the common sheep opened their eyes... What freedon? There are so many laws bylaws license fees and erosion of speech it's insane. Remember how anybody was blacklisted for saying anything against g. Bush and the War even after all the lies the Dixie chicks for instance were dropped from radio play and vilified in the media. Yes within the U. S. you have freedom of speech as long as you toe the line to the official version you are OK! Look how the media is one sided not fair and balanced as it is supposed to be. It's not news it's a story to get more viewers and add to their revenues! Sad comment on our society.

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  6. if not for the internet i'd feel like an alienated monad swimming in a sea of enemies. i have the odd vegan friend, but none are activists. the internet woke me up to what goes on behind closed doors and with that information i chased leads, going further and further down the rabbit hole till there was no turning back. i had to be vegan in order to live with my conscience. i wish i had a network of friends around me who were active and who resisted the obvious abuses of power by governments, corporations and animal abusers. but i dont. this makes my online networks all the more important to me.

    pete, writing with passion trumps the drivel most 'experienced' writers produce any day :-)

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  7. We are going into 2011, Obama will be stymied by the GOP at every turn and vilified by that party. But who is a choice it doesn't matter who is elected President if there are opposing parties in the house and Senate same old same old. With such an apathetic public we will lose all contol of our limited freedoms and self determination.Animal abuse by the non caring companies for experimentation, slaughter houses, and sociopathic animal owners that take it to the extreme. Dog fighting, betting, to name a few wrongs.
    Banks , stock brokers who are only there for profit and everybody else be damned! A Gov't of secrets, secret societies, black ops a CIA that can kill with impunity. National security the great tag line. Doesn't paint a pretty picture does it! So much for the good news lol.
    So if all of us sheeple continue along this path to 1984 what will you do then?
    Wars based on lies wars for profit for the big contactors, starvation around the globe. Finite resourses gleamed from mother earth when it is gone what will you do. Extinction will be mans lot, pollution, overpopulation, dwindling arable land, climate change YES a lot to think about. So what species of man have we evolved into? Ostridge comes to mind as all of us bury our heads in the sand because after all what can one person DO? Well it only takes one to start a movement. It won't be easy, just think of the Ghandi and what he accomplished and it was non violent. Think about it! Before it is to late...

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  8. nft memes Thanks to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), memes have recently turned into something no one ever really expected: assets that anyone can own.

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