This is not what I imagined

When I was about 17 or 18, and coming into adulthood I remember thinking about the future. What things would be like when I was older. I was a 90s kid and graduated in 95. I was one of the outkast kids; the misfits, the black sheep, the different than others. And you know, the people around me embraced those people. We were a bunch of kids who admired the weird, the unique; we celebrated individuality. It did not matter to us if you were black white rich or poor. We were a huge hodgepodge of differences and we let our freak flags fly proudly. We were a breakaway from the "obedient sheep" of the world and did not trust our leaders back then. Things like racism, gay or straight, up or down, left or right didn't exist much at all. Sure, here and there, but it wasn't a major issue in my environment. And we had a good mix of all nationalities creeds and colors. To us you were cool for simply being yourself.
I always thought my generation would be the one to shake things up, to spread out voices loud and far. We just wanted to live our lives without the constant threat of "the man" interfering. We were quite capable and didn't need anyone holding our hands telling us how to live our lives....let alone forcing us. I knew back then that things were really messed up with those in power and that they did not have the best interest of the people in mind. So, we knew we would have a fight in front of us. Anarchist was a big thing back then. People were pissed even back in the 90s. I thought my gen would stand up to these entities and push hard enough, and voice ourselves enough that we'd have a comfortable prosperous future. Free of racism, bigotry, gay bashing, straight bashing and free of big brother treating us like serfs instead of the people. And for a time it seemed like we were heading that way. Remember this was about the time the internet hit homes.
Time marched on...
Fast forward to today. I'm half a century old and as I look around it's like we peaked and then fell backwards.
All the people I thought would make a difference just slid comfortably in their serfdom. Social media came out and my generation acted like it was the end all be all. They all go caught up in social media admiration and from what I see just bitch and complain about things as they sit in their nice cushy homes and argue politics thru social media. Posting "we support ukraine" and other garbage like this, and it seems they think this is "acting." That their insignificant fb comment is doing something that matters. From my observation what has come to matter is, did I look cool on social media. That's it tho. That's as far as I've seen my gen (the people I grew up with and "fought the power" with) go with anything. Outside of their social media accounts they are all good little serfs doing what they are told. IMO that has only exasperated things. Somewhere along the line we came to believe that we were changing things by posting about it. We have grown into a false sense of everything. We let things continue to get out of hand...
And look at us now!
This is not what I expected for my (and all of ours) future (which is now the present).
Back then it was hard to imagine what the future would be like. One thing is for certain, I never envisioned this nightmare of a world and people. None of this makes any sense. I see thousands of words a day, but no action. Sheep who think they aren't sheep. Everyone thinks their eyes are open, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, we are learning more and more about the destruction of everything that our leaders are marching us to. To know a thing and do nothing about it is weak af and makes us part of the problem. If I see a murder going down, and I take out my phone so I record it for my precious social media fame, and only post about it---well that makes me just as guilty as the murderer. Why? Because I could have done something and yet I did nothing. And to make me even more of sheep drone fk I post about it! This disgusts me.
We had a saying, "put up or shut up."
Today that saying would be, "post it."

This is not what I imagined. And I am ashamed. I let things happen. We gave an inch and another inch and then another inch...and now they are using it all against us. Do you realize they use your own ego against you? No? Two words: social media. They have used your own ego.....to distract you. To give you a false sense of reality. A reality where you ain't doin sh** but getting fatter and lazier as you scroll with your thumb, but all the "likes, checks, stars and flags make you feel like you're something you're not.
They beat us. A fact that needs to be faced. We will be eating bugs one day. You will own nothing, and stay quiet about it or your family will starve. All the things you worked for, you're whole life can and will be taken from you. You're social security, 401k, and everything you've scraped up to get you through your elder years will be gone soon. There won't be "elections." The migrants evil is coming to your town soon. You won't be safe anywhere. But hey, as long as you're popular on social media that's all that matters, right? Fyi they will take that from you soon too...

I could not have envisioned any of this, and I gotta say, I'm extremely disappointed in this three ring circus sideshow bull sh...

What's really important? I bet that'll be harder to answer than you think. Keep up the fake ass facade that has kept the masses pacified just enough to make sheep think they're "eyes are open."

Hard pill to swallow but I'm sick of watching this garbage go down and all these "words on a screen" and all these "saviours" who act like they have an answer....while they never actually do anything. And keep on worshipping them too. They'll lead you nowhere. Proof is in the pudding, my friends.

This is my angry rant. We live in puppet land and the strings are obvious when you step back and take a better look.

Thanks for reading. I imagine this will ruffle some feathers. I'll be leaving ATS soon. Thought this place would be different. It's not.

It all started way back when I was a kid. It started with giving out loans for the vacumn sweeper. Electrolux it was. That was the being of " you'll own to rent only"

This " you'll own nothing and be happy " IS NOTHING BUT CRAP (BS)

YOU WILL RENT EVERYTHING OTHER THEN FOOD AND CLOTHING AND OWN NOTHING INCLUDING THAT LARGE OCEAN SIDE ESTATE. The idiots who have designed this will also fall into their own state of stupidity.

If you ever watched the real old kung fu movies in China, you get to really see how the Chinese actually lived before the 1970's. This is what the real world would look like if people own nothing, they simply don't want to work for the govt. or any large company. There's more to this story, but I'm not going to write about how and why China changed its direction to a freer society, and now how it is changing back. These days the young don't really want to have children. ( not 100% true ) If you see the local govt. parks there, there are thousands of little children playing, but where are those locations?

I just recently bought 2 chinese made computer mouses. They only lasted for about 3 hours each. Today I have to buy another chinese made mouse. Yes, in one way or another the world got trapped into the "chinese spider economic web trap " .

a reply to: AOx6179

I'm sorry you didn't find ATS to be to your liking, as I've enjoyed your posts. Good luck to you wherever you go and whatever you do.

a reply to: AOx6179
I too have been reading and enjoying your posts, and am sorry you will be leaving!
I'm sure Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs had no idea how their 'personal computer' invention would completely change our world, but it does have some great points as well. Perhaps it is encouraging to know that others have the same concerns?

I'm responding to the both of you. I'm not savvy enough to do a double reply on here.

Ya know, I wasn't angry when I started writing this OP. But about halfway through it the anger/frustrations started to kick in. As I thought about the words and what brought me to them, I admit, I got angry. Which is rare for me in my writing.
I am changing that sentence to, leaving soon. I have a few more things I've been working on and will put them here on ATS.
I keep wanting to just throw my hands up and stop trying.
Thanks for the kind words, nugget1 and RonnieJersey. I appreciate that.

originally posted by: RonnieJersey
a reply to: AOx6179
Perhaps it is encouraging to know that others have the same concerns?

It does, actually.

a reply to: AOx6179

I share a lot of your frustrations/disappointments.

I am a tad bit younger but also had my coming of age in the 90s and could never have envisioned how far things would go downhill (and at such a rapid pace)...

Surprisingly though, as a cynic I'm actually more optimistic now than I was over the past 2 years. I do think there is momentum growing and increasing number of people who have had epiphanies after what we've all witnessed since SARS-nCov and ways government & figureheads treated the masses (while enriching themselves and being hypocrites).

I am sorry to hear you'll be leaving ATS soon - I too have enjoyed your posts but am thankful for what you have contributed while here. Best wishes on your journey...

a reply to: AOx6179

90's kid you say?


So you didn't grow up under "duck and cover". You didn't feel the utter shock, horror, and helplessness that followed "This just in from Dallas, Texas...". You didn't enter your teen years watching the body count reports on the nightly news, knowing that if this war kept going like it was, and you didn't get into college for a deferment, you could end up in Vietnam, or the VA, or in one of those black bags.

You didn't watch the wheels come off your "last hope for a better world" when first Dr. King, and then just months later Bobby Kennedy, were assassinated.

You didn't watch hours of testimony given before the committee investigating the Watergate break-in and the efforts by the then President of the United States to cover up the crimes.

You didn't know the fear that spread when AIDS first made its appearance, or the mixed feelings of relief and disgust when it became apparent that it was determined to be a disease "mostly affecting the homosexual and IV drug using communities"; relief that "you" were likely to be spared, disgust that you actually were so uncaring of those who might be at risk.


All I can say is "Oh, Child...!"

So many of us have lived through so much, much, much more!

And we continue to live. And to fight for what is good, for what could be.

For what will never be, unless we of tougher stuff, keep on keeping on.

a reply to: AOx6179

I think that mantiss was trying to say, bluntly which is more my style…ha, is that you’re not the first to feel this way and that things could be far worse.

Every generation feels that things are really turning around and they will be at the leading edge of a Star Trek utopia only to be disappointed when reality sets in.

I rarely do this... but here is something which may help you center your disillusionment.

www.youtube.com...

It is a bit longer than your average Youtube distraction, but within it you may find something that speaks to you.

It is entitled "Best Lessons Learned from Jordan B. Peterson | Afterskool" and is really a few segments from his talks.

I hope you don't think I'm being pretentious in presuming you might receive this well, I mean it with all due respect.

You are not alone in your perceptions. Many reach the place where you are. You are not alone.

I'm sorry you feel that leaving the ATS membership may be called for. But this life is yours, and no one will fault you, or begrudge you your decision.

And when or if you become ready to ... we'll be here, still talking, still hoping to learn from one another, still willing to try.

I wish you well... be good.

a reply to: AOx6179

"People were pissed even back in the 90s."

Man. We were pissed in the 1960's. Nothing if anything, changed much. We tried. You tried. You see now? Its not gonna change in our lifetimes.

Hey, God Bless tho......MS

a reply to: AOx6179

I wish I could say that I am surprised by where we are, but I am not.

Humans are idiots. The patterns are there, but every generation refuses to see and carry the rest of us along with them as they persist in thinking all the old things are wild and new and they are evolving into something awesome all while they dash headlong over a cliff. And we get taken for the ride too because how do you fight the stampede crush?

You can't. You can only try to minimize the impact when it comes.

No one listens, and if they do, they tell you this time will be different even as they dash to death on the rocks.

originally posted by: Maxmars
I rarely do this... but here is something which may help you center your disillusionment.

www.youtube.com...

It is a bit longer than your average Youtube distraction, but within it you may find something that speaks to you.

It is entitled "Best Lessons Learned from Jordan B. Peterson | Afterskool" and is really a few segments from his talks.

I hope you don't think I'm being pretentious in presuming you might receive this well, I mean it with all due respect.

You are not alone in your perceptions. Many reach the place where you are. You are not alone.

I'm sorry you feel that leaving the ATS membership may be called for. But this life is yours, and no one will fault you, or begrudge you your decision.

And when or if you become ready to ... we'll be here, still talking, still hoping to learn from one another, still willing to try.

I wish you well... be good.

Great video, thank you. It did hit home and did speak to me. Thank you.

this is my perspective as a millenial influenced greatly by boomers: Yes, things look bleak, but you just got to keep pushing on. I have a dream that one day I can finally do something really good, I want to help out the people in Argentina.

Toast, why not America?

yes, I wish i could MAGA, but it's just too far gone for me. Down here, people are concerned with real problems instead of pronouns and microaggressions (well, maybe in the cities like Buenos Aires), and thats what I prefer.

It’s nice to see the ATS community showing it’s common bonds. If anything your OP let that happen (again)

Take heart and wherever you go, when you leave, leave it better than you found it.

a reply to: AOx6179

a reply to: AOx6179

Many feel the frustration, I know I do.

You feel like you are caught up in a "Groundhog Day" loop.

At some point you stop and ask yourself, why bother? You realize that there are usually three groups. Those that see. Those that don't. And those that see but choose to pretend to be blind.

Status quo is the safe zone, where they keep encouraging people to want to be. A place where you go into a kind of stasis, just going through the motions, and following the script.

You feel that you are just singing to the choir or beating a dead horse. But maybe there are still a few folk that are truly unaware and are interested in being awakened.

Ran into a couple at church today that would fit into that category. They have only been married about a year. The husband said to me, "I think it is time that we start spending more time in fellowship". He said, " S. and I have been spending so much time merging the houses, in between work and sick parents, that we have not been seeing what is right in front of our faces".

I should add that his wife is a school teacher.

Though we are just voices screaming into the dark, and we are often sharing our own personal opinions and our personal experiences, it sometimes helps to have another viewpoint, since we don't know what we don't know.

It is sometimes less about right and wrong, and more about perspective.

Anyway, you are not alone. You have a lot of company.

a reply to: AOx6179

ATS is diffrent but it also is just a reflection of the world, although it is more reflective of one segment of the dichotomous setup. There seems to be an intent of radicalisation by TPTB, which will also reflect on a board like this. After all we are just humans being worked by an incredibly sophisticated prooaganda machine, can't really blame them....

originally posted by: Dalamax
It’s nice to see the ATS community showing it’s common bonds. If anything your OP let that happen (again)

Take heart and wherever you go, when you leave, leave it better than you found it.

a reply to: AOx6179

This one humbled me, for sure. In a good way.
I am thankful for what was displayed here.

It’s frickin cool eh?

a reply to: AOx6179