posted on Mar, 7 2010 @ 09:54 PM
Hippies: We want the individual rights upon which America was founded! Equality, freedom of speech and action, and goodwill toward all humans. We want
equality for women, gays and Negroes. We want an open society.
Establishment man: And how to do that?
Hippies: Through strong government protection, and incorporation into ... the economy! Establishment man: Well, that's not far from our plan, so we
can work with you. In fact, we'll assimilate you, since our idea is a grandfather version of yours, which is that each individual be free to
accumulate wealth and thus have whatever life he or she desires. Not only that, but we'll use your Other-ness (self-defined, of course) to market
products for the next forty years. We make out like bandits and don't have to alter our course at all, although we do feel a sneaking suspicion that
society is breaking up... well (heh heh hehe) I guess the best will rise, and be able to afford gated communities, air filters, water filters, organic
foods, and private medical care. The rest of you... well, I guess you're the Negro now. These expenses will be absorbed by society resulting in not
only higher taxes, but higher bureaucratic expenses as we adopt layers of expensive government to fund them. Even more, the internal division in our
society is going to require that we replicate structures... different products for different lifestyles... constant conflict mediation... there's
endless possibilities for profit here. That's always been our model. In fact, we don't actually get inducted into The Establishment through a blood
ritual... all you have to do is get the picture, and then start piling up wealth for yourself. It's social breakdown but we're gonna come out on
top. Nothing to sign!
And so what happened? The hippies had their day of protests; token changes were made; government got stronger and business got stronger, and after
another ten years, almost all of the hippies figured they were up against a force stronger than they and bowed their heads and joined. Now they run
ethical coffee shops and pay their workers $8/hour, own stock portfolios, drive SUVs and pay for the fourth wife with salaries padded by corporate
excess.
You cannot fix a broken system through division, because whatever value is a step up on the pyramid from where you are assimilates you. You have to
invent a different kind of society, and that may mean giving up comforting concepts like economy as defining your place, pleasure and personal
happiness as the goal, or even that equality is possible. These concepts are the basis of the American (liberal democratic, capitalist) system and if
assumed in any form, will become the top of the pyramid and over years of conflict and debate, will return as a default. Every society which has
embarked on individualism as the top of its pyramid has followed this course and while it may take some years, as the hippies found out, ultimately
there is no deviation within it.
No, I don't believe that the CIA was behind the Sept. 11 attacks, and yes, I like living in America."