The Common Denominator

What is the common denominator in all of this madness in the World today? (rhetorical question).

Is it…there’s just more people now? Nope.
Is it…liberal slanted media coverage? Nope.
Is it…these things always happened, there’s just more media coverage now? Nope.
Is it…video games like Call of Duty and/or Grand Theft Auto? Nope.
Is it…Christians, Muslims, or any other religion? Or, even anarchists? Nope.
Is it… …COVID? Nope.
Is it…Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats, or Replublicans? Nope.
Is it…Homosexuals, Transexuals, (whatever)sexuals? Nope.

With the possible exception of ‘covid’, these things have all existed for thousands of years.

What is the one thing which is different ‘today’ than ever before which has polarized our society so dramatically?

What is the one thing which everyday people (around the globe) have today, which they never had before in history? I’m not talking about World leaders here, or public figures, but rather everyday average ‘Joe’.

A voice. Think about it.

Never before in human history did virtually every single person have a ‘voice’ where they could speak to their entire community, their entire state, their entire country…and the entire World at large…at the same time. Never.

And what is it which facilitates this ‘voice’; what is it which makes this possible?

The Internet.

In order to solve problems, we have to first have to analyze and distill all the variables, all the noise, distractions, propaganda and rhetoric down to a root cause. That one difference is…The Internet.

Now, we obviously can’t just ‘ban’ the internet (if that were even possible, which it isn’t). Nor, would this even be a good and/or viable solution to societies ills. In fact, it would solve nothing. BUT, there are solutions out there, and part of figuring out the best ones is to understand the root causes of the problems we face.

I could probably start a very lengthy list here, but I’ll just cite a few ‘cause and effect’ examples here…

People have become increasingly anti-social. By this, I mean personal, face to face, interactions.
The Internet has created a virtual wall between one to the many. It has given people a voice, but more importantly, it has given people anonymity, something to hide behind.

Social Media has only amplified this virtual ‘wall’ exponentially. Now people feel emboldened to say things, and behave, in ways they never would have dreamed of before the Internet. And, Social Media could not exist without the Internet. Some might look to cellular phones here, but Social Media couldn’t exist even in the cellular world without the Internet, so it’s not cellular phones. It’s far more basic; it’s the Internet itself.

One might argue that the Internet provides a voice to segments of the population which, historically, have been under-represented in society. Okay, fine. However, in order to understand the bigger picture of a civilized society, we must accept that there must be order. Society without order is anarchy, and anarchy is not civilized, and therefore it is not society. In civilized society there will always be majorities and minorities. They may change positions based on population, but they will always exist. Civilized society cannot be…everything…that anybody wants…all the time. Yet, this is where we are headed.

Civilized society is governed by the majority of what the populace deem is acceptable behavior. Tolerance is a threshold of what the majority are willing to tolerate which is different from the majority rule. Where we are headed with society today is trying to give the minority the ability to make the rules. And, the minority is using the Internet to give them the voice to do it. ‘Reason’ isn’t that far out of reach for anyone, but the expectation that the minority of any population can establish the rules is…unreasonable.

Perhaps we start, as a society, looking at the real and bigger picture of the world which surrounds us, and “re”-establish order based on reason. And, let's use the root of the problem, The Internet, to do it, not perpetuate more of the same madness.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I don't know why, but it sounds desperate.

Like a ruling class that is loosing it's grip...

I agree with a lot of what you posted, but I believe this is a contributing factor as well

Children on Drugs

Can someone please explain to me, why children under 5 are prescribed psychiatric drugs?

There is a lot wrong with our society right now. And this policy of "We have a drug for that" for any type of mental issues, is a big part of it.

(BTW, Happy to see you back around, FCD)

Hi FCD,

You're on the right track IMO.

There have always been people who were 'off'. But pre-internet, they were often isolated, and the only social cues they got, reinforced to them that their thinking was, at the least, unconventional.

The connectivity of the 'net has provided a community for everyone, including those who are bat-sh** crazy and antisocial to the point of violence.

We're seeing so many people at odds with society now precisely because they are in contact with others who are more or less like them, and they feel the strength of numbers (without having to consider how few their numbers are in comparison to everyone else).

Couple that action with another internet effect ... that the speed with which change occurs has radically increased (a consequence of increased connectivity and rapidity of information exchange) ... and one has a recipe for the perfect social storm.

Cheers

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

That's all very true.

However I'm of the opinion that economics is the common denominator.

Sovereignty is something only an economic powerhouse enjoys.

Oh my, I've gotta disagree. You're wrong on a couple of very important points. 1:- Every single person on Earth can have a voice, BUT, they aint all heard. Only a minority, the others are shouting against a hurricane. You know what I'm talking about. The "fact checkers" the "gatekeepers" etc.

The variables noise distractions, propaganda and rhetoric and even the internet. Non of them are the problem. It's all down to the power brokers. Stay with me. It's only the last couple of decades that these "problems" have blighted humanity and it comes down to the consolidation of people in power (and I don't mean politicians) people that in the late 1900s were international enemies. Since then they have discovered that if they collaborated, not by national reasons, in their eyes they could rule the World. All the variables they control, They ferment nations into dissent, all of it they control, covid, vaccines bank crashes, train crashes etc. etc.

Is it the IMF, NWO, WEF??? Don't know, maybe all of them, but it's global. I said it earlier, all these troubles and strife's for the people are happening World wide and it's as if ALL the governments are in lockstep with this agenda. BUT the biggest misnomer that you are alluding to is that the people have a voice. THEY DO NOT. Look at France, Holland, the UK, Canada, all those demonstrations and voices, all ignored.

a reply to: loveguy

Well, the point being raised in the OP is regarding the common denominator for the societal ills we are facing in modern society today, not so much the common denominator of what defines the actual basic foundation of society as a whole, more just things like behavior, violence and populist agendas.

a reply to: crayzeed

Well, you make an interesting point / angle. The difference is perhaps contained within the word "think"...as in people "think" they have a voice, and when they feel that voice isn't being heard they scream even louder, get more violent, burn more # down, murder more people and generally run amok in insanity.

So, maybe it's the 'perception' that they have a voice.

This would be pretty consistent with the notion that the Internet has created a false sense of reality also, which is part in parcel of my initial and overall point.

In the 80's, as part of negotiations for Reagan's financial reforms, Democrats demanded that all mental asylums be closed down. All but the most dangerous, criminally insane mental defectives were released to the public. We're talking a minimum of 10's of thousands, I've read estimates of upwards of 300k. I'm fairly certain that many of them procreated, some with other unstable individuals. The United States has literally been breeding insanity bringing societal shift to where we are now. Two, going on three generations in and we sit around wondering what's changed in the last 30 years. We've propagated crazy and society and the policies that govern it.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

So....

In a sense, the problem we face is similar, metaphorically, to the one faced by the folks who built the Tower of Babel;

One Language leads to Destruction?


Have we inadvertently built a modern "(Cell) Tower of Babel" wherein all, regardless of qualification or intent, can speak, and be acknowledged with equal import?



"The Greatest Curse of Mankind is that It Forgets!"

a reply to: crayzeed

I agree. Maybe we should take a closer look at who is allowed to speak and who is being censored? Who is being lauded and who is being denounced?

Maybe we could pick up some breadcrumbs showing us where they actually are trying to lead us.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

"Breadcrumbs"???

Careful! History is a "Bitch"! Especially, when it comes to things like this!

Right now, we are watching "history" repeat itself, almost verbatim...just pick the century / decade.

The only difference is the intensity. And, why is that 'intensity'?? Because everyone 'thinks' their voice matters (way) more than anyone else's voice...and why is that?

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

It's like Adam Smith's conspiracy of the merchant's all over again!

The connectivity of the 'net has provided a community for everyone, including those who are bat-sh** crazy and antisocial to the point of violence.

That might be the case sometimes, the internet is full of those types that'll happily wind up a nutter. Seems people who go on a rampage or have a breakdown of sorts and plan to "take it out on society" have a few things in common.

SSRI treatment or similar class of drugs.
Failing mental health symptoms.
In psychological treatment.
Access to deadly tools/equipment.
On relevent watchlists, safeguards.

Seems the simple fails There's options. Kill all the nutters but more will be born, eugenics could work... Yeah same problem. Society could treat nutters, nah that'll never work. Lock them up? Only criminals are criminals and acting a bit cookie is just free speech. Conundrums.

We're seeing so many people at odds with society now precisely because they are in contact with others who are more or less like them, and they feel the strength of numbers (without having to consider how few their numbers are in comparison to everyone else).

This.
There's plenty of people who would never consider themselves as the problem, do you think those types take tablets and visit Doc's to talk about feelings?
Do they blame society too?

I'm reminded of one of the Angel's whose sole purpose was to keep a record of every word, deed and action of each person, which would be referenced during the Day of Judgement. I forgot the Angel's name, but our internet history and contributions are probably in that digital database. Maybe Angel's use the internet too?