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Technology and Population Control, an Essay
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as a fore-word, this is my first thread on this forum. I've longed to enter certain conversations hoping to shed light on my perception of the world.
I've been hesitant to do so, mainly because I understand that it is hard to say one thing over another is definite. For every opinion, there is an
equally valid and logic point of view opposing it. It is not my intent to add to the chaos of our social order, and give half-baked ideas to the cause
and effect of certain scenarios. So in my attempt to avoid this, I've tried to compile all of my ideas and opinions into a focal point. Allowing
others to see the compartmentalized version of my thoughts. I was given the opportunity to write an essay for a general education class, that most
would barely glance at in passing. However, I ran with it. And allowed for my opinion, and my paper to become one in the same. However even with the
month notice I had before the paper was due, I ran out of time. I did not wait to the last minute. I worked on it for weeks, trying to compile valid
questions so that we can begin to ask, "How can this be?" So here, is my turned in work, which I honestly only consider to be a rough draft at best,
and is most certainly a work in progress. I hope you take the time to read it in full, and respond with constructive criticism, on but not limited to:
mental gaps, alternative topics, more reliable sourcing, inaccurate statements and grammar. I will defend my points to the best of my ability, but the
girth of the topic can be overwhelming to respond to in full. (Also, as a side note, there are pictures and videos that are meant to be incorporated
with this narrative essay that will not be included in this version, there may be brackets to indicate their place, but not all are there)
(In early adolescence through aged adulthood you make certain decisions, you may have picked up a name brand soda or snack from a convenience store, you might have bought a pack of cigarettes or some beer & liquor, you probably chose a car you wanted, you decided what job you wanted based on the market, you decided were to go to school, you picked who you wanted to date & marry, you decided where you wanted to live for various reasons, you decide how to eat and how to spend your money, you decide what kind of insurance you need, you have kids and make decisions and purchases for them. What if I told you that you made the majority of those decisions because of exterior forces and not by personal choice. What if there was a system that geared us towards making these decisions because it made us believe that these are the best choices we can make and that the lifestyles we live are best suited for spiritual, moral, and conscious growth. When in reality the system pushes our backs against the wall and makes us choose between the stick or the hammer. This ‘illusion’ of choice keeps us complacent and indoctrinated, and if we knew the truth behind this system, we would be furious.
The world we know is always expanding, technology is developing at a rate so fast that the average person cannot realistically keep up. We see production of food on a scale we’ve never seen before, the world’s human population has never reached such a lofty amount in our known history. Our governments nationally and globally have taken notice to this expansion.
Why have they taken notice? Why is it even valid to postulate on this topic? Why is it pertinent to dissect and critique the topic of population control, specifically through the means of technological mediums. It is necessary because it effects us as individuals, it effects this group, it effects your family, your education, how you travel, how you spend money, what jobs are available, what experiences you will have, it diminishes your chances in your pursuit of happiness, and not only the pursuit of happiness but your pursuit of purpose and meaning, it effects your prospective dreams, and ultimately it effects how you will die. These ideas are commonly thought to be left up to the individual, through personal choices they feel that they can be the determining factor, most people feel that the truly do have a choice, that they get to decide the outcome of these things, but they don’t, the majority of people living in post-industrialized totalitarian states masquerading as a capitalistic societies do not have a real choice. They are lead by the hand to accept certain values and authorities. They are given the illusion of freedom and choice, stepping outside these bounds rarely leads to prosperity and people that aren’t in sync with this mentality are castaways.
Thesis – The elite of our country, not the government, have forcibly created a network of social institutions to govern us on a day to day and long term basis, they manipulate the nuances of interactive media, advertisements, sports, all styles of the arts, and other forms of community convergences; they do all of this in such a way to control our unconscious decisions that inevitably alter the following concepts, but are not limited to them: human lifespan, the ability to propagate, personal financial security and indebtedness, the characteristics of our personalities and morals, and mainly, our conscious ability to recognize when we are being deceived.
The topics I will cover in an attempt to shed some factual light on this issue, are:
1. the indoctrination of children (creating educational and environmental circumstances for children that push them towards falling in line and accepting certain personas and values).
2. the abolishment of freedoms
3. the unavailability and degradation of nutritional foods.
4. the reliance on government and corporations.
5. ignoring popular opinion and the mass distractions,
Keep in mind that these topics are intertwined, and it is hard to talk about one and not talk about another. I will try to narrow down the scope of the topics to specific events, so we can contemplate the individual effects they have on us, which allow us to see the big picture.
Definition of Technologies in this essay
In terms of this paper, “Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of techniques, systems, and methods of organization in order to perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such procedures”. (edited Wiki definition en.wikipedia.org... )
Before I start talking about these topics, it is important to note that in coming to certain realizations there is colorful and positive language in certain quotes that is intended to misguide us from the truth. Words like, insurgents, humanitarian efforts, improve global health, prevent, avert, promote, among many others. Understand that these words are purposefully vague and ambiguous and are used to gain support for ulterior motives. Use your minds to strip fiction away from fact. I also realize that skeptical people will realize that most of what I say is speculation and assumption, backed by some fact. In doing this, I am simply attempting to give a view from the other side of the fence. [Working-in paragraph 3 strike through?]
Also understand that it is impractical to start a conversation like this and not talk about it to great lengths. It is relevant to do so to build a strong foundation for discussion.
Children.
Children are our lively-hood and our future, they are the reason for many of us to get out of bed in the mornings.
(In early adolescence through aged adulthood you make certain decisions, you may have picked up a name brand soda or snack from a convenience store, you might have bought a pack of cigarettes or some beer & liquor, you probably chose a car you wanted, you decided what job you wanted based on the market, you decided were to go to school, you picked who you wanted to date & marry, you decided where you wanted to live for various reasons, you decide how to eat and how to spend your money, you decide what kind of insurance you need, you have kids and make decisions and purchases for them. What if I told you that you made the majority of those decisions because of exterior forces and not by personal choice. What if there was a system that geared us towards making these decisions because it made us believe that these are the best choices we can make and that the lifestyles we live are best suited for spiritual, moral, and conscious growth. When in reality the system pushes our backs against the wall and makes us choose between the stick or the hammer. This ‘illusion’ of choice keeps us complacent and indoctrinated, and if we knew the truth behind this system, we would be furious.
The world we know is always expanding, technology is developing at a rate so fast that the average person cannot realistically keep up. We see production of food on a scale we’ve never seen before, the world’s human population has never reached such a lofty amount in our known history. Our governments nationally and globally have taken notice to this expansion.
Why have they taken notice? Why is it even valid to postulate on this topic? Why is it pertinent to dissect and critique the topic of population control, specifically through the means of technological mediums. It is necessary because it effects us as individuals, it effects this group, it effects your family, your education, how you travel, how you spend money, what jobs are available, what experiences you will have, it diminishes your chances in your pursuit of happiness, and not only the pursuit of happiness but your pursuit of purpose and meaning, it effects your prospective dreams, and ultimately it effects how you will die. These ideas are commonly thought to be left up to the individual, through personal choices they feel that they can be the determining factor, most people feel that the truly do have a choice, that they get to decide the outcome of these things, but they don’t, the majority of people living in post-industrialized totalitarian states masquerading as a capitalistic societies do not have a real choice. They are lead by the hand to accept certain values and authorities. They are given the illusion of freedom and choice, stepping outside these bounds rarely leads to prosperity and people that aren’t in sync with this mentality are castaways.
Thesis – The elite of our country, not the government, have forcibly created a network of social institutions to govern us on a day to day and long term basis, they manipulate the nuances of interactive media, advertisements, sports, all styles of the arts, and other forms of community convergences; they do all of this in such a way to control our unconscious decisions that inevitably alter the following concepts, but are not limited to them: human lifespan, the ability to propagate, personal financial security and indebtedness, the characteristics of our personalities and morals, and mainly, our conscious ability to recognize when we are being deceived.
The topics I will cover in an attempt to shed some factual light on this issue, are:
1. the indoctrination of children (creating educational and environmental circumstances for children that push them towards falling in line and accepting certain personas and values).
2. the abolishment of freedoms
3. the unavailability and degradation of nutritional foods.
4. the reliance on government and corporations.
5. ignoring popular opinion and the mass distractions,
Keep in mind that these topics are intertwined, and it is hard to talk about one and not talk about another. I will try to narrow down the scope of the topics to specific events, so we can contemplate the individual effects they have on us, which allow us to see the big picture.
Definition of Technologies in this essay
In terms of this paper, “Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of techniques, systems, and methods of organization in order to perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such procedures”. (edited Wiki definition en.wikipedia.org... )
Before I start talking about these topics, it is important to note that in coming to certain realizations there is colorful and positive language in certain quotes that is intended to misguide us from the truth. Words like, insurgents, humanitarian efforts, improve global health, prevent, avert, promote, among many others. Understand that these words are purposefully vague and ambiguous and are used to gain support for ulterior motives. Use your minds to strip fiction away from fact. I also realize that skeptical people will realize that most of what I say is speculation and assumption, backed by some fact. In doing this, I am simply attempting to give a view from the other side of the fence. [Working-in paragraph 3 strike through?]
Also understand that it is impractical to start a conversation like this and not talk about it to great lengths. It is relevant to do so to build a strong foundation for discussion.
Children.
Children are our lively-hood and our future, they are the reason for many of us to get out of bed in the mornings.
. The first few things we think about in the care for our children are: What are they going to be eating today? Do they have a roof over their head?
Are they sick? Are they getting a good education? What kind of friends are they making? What interests them? Let’s discuss the outside influences
that impact the decisions you make, and what influences your children to make their own decisions.
Scholars from the University of Minnesota wrote a very detailed paper on “Children’s Susceptibility to peer group purchase influence” in 1993. We are all familiar with the concept of peer pressure when it comes to the irrational child mind, especially when it comes to making poor behavioral decisions like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. What we aren’t so familiar with is the consumer side of it, which the paper outlines in detail. It states that we are mostly unaware of the adolescent decision making process towards publically consumed items. They say that many ideas children hold about consumer products come from their “social networks” or reference groups, which in consumer behavior contexts include their family, friends, and peers; but also includes inspirational figures, such as sports heroes, movie stars, and fictional characters. They reference Robert Selman’s study which suggests,” in order to role play a child must be able to take on another person's perspective, understand their thoughts and feelings, and anticipate the other person's reactions versus their own. “ (www.acrwebsite.org...)
They continue by essentially outlining the methods of influencing children. So I won’t go into the raw technical analysis of what they discussed, but what does this mapping of the susceptibility of children indicate? The thesis of this specific paper, says that they are analyzing behavior so they can create programs to promote critical thinking in children about consumer choices, however this isn’t the only paper of its kind, in fact I would go out on a limb to say this is one of hundreds of studies, and they aren’t all geared towards critical thinking in children. When you amass large amounts of research in a country driven by economic means, surely the end result becomes profit. So, what I see when I look at this fact, is a system that is being geared towards creating life time consumers of a product. Don’t believe me? Look at the bans on advertising cigarettes to children after deceptive practices for just that reason, and a $250 million dollar settlement in 1998 for violating these bans (chronicle.uchicago.edu... ).
“Increasing public scrutiny of the tobacco industry finally came to a head in 1964 when the U.S. Surgeon General, Luther Terry, released his Advisory Committee Report on Smoking and Health. The staggeringly comprehensive report was based on more than 7,000 scientific studies linking smoking with lung cancer, emphysema and other diseases. The report led a surge in restrictive legislation, including mandatory warning labels on packages and a ban on advertising on radio or television. Tobacco companies in return simply changed strategy, advertising to younger markets with candy cigarettes and mascots like Joe Camel — whom a 1991 study found was more recognizable among 5 and 6 year olds than Mickey Mouse.” (www.time.com...)
“Marketing to children is always different because they are far more gullible. FTC Commissioner Roscoe B. Starek summed up the FTC's positions in 1997, noting [..] interest in limiting the power of advertisers to target children. But the anti-regulatory climate of the late 1970s through the 90s led to a flourishing of deceptive practices, such as encouraging children to use a 900 number to call their favorite cartoon characters or the Joe Camel ads.” ( www.radford.edu... )
I’m not going to go so far to say that peer pressure is a sole influence to indoctrinating children. It’s more likely an accumulation of tactics, such as: persuasion, advertising, peer pressure, diluting accurate and important information with useless drivel, among other tactics.
How do these tactics influence your decisions as a parent? The documentary “Consuming Kids” talks about this subject in depth. They show that kids alone account for 40 billion of the US GDP, money that parents spend on children accounts for 700 billion, which is equivalent to the combined economies of the poorest 115 countries. In the documentary, Dr. Walsh, the founder of the National Institutes of Media & the Family, says marketers and advertisers realize that children control much of the purchasing power of their parents. The documentary shows that these marketers encourage nagging from children to get them to influence their parents. [clip of the misery of parents, consuming children 1/7 , nagging]
Advertising to children comes in all forms and most importantly in schools.
Scholars from the University of Minnesota wrote a very detailed paper on “Children’s Susceptibility to peer group purchase influence” in 1993. We are all familiar with the concept of peer pressure when it comes to the irrational child mind, especially when it comes to making poor behavioral decisions like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. What we aren’t so familiar with is the consumer side of it, which the paper outlines in detail. It states that we are mostly unaware of the adolescent decision making process towards publically consumed items. They say that many ideas children hold about consumer products come from their “social networks” or reference groups, which in consumer behavior contexts include their family, friends, and peers; but also includes inspirational figures, such as sports heroes, movie stars, and fictional characters. They reference Robert Selman’s study which suggests,” in order to role play a child must be able to take on another person's perspective, understand their thoughts and feelings, and anticipate the other person's reactions versus their own. “ (www.acrwebsite.org...)
They continue by essentially outlining the methods of influencing children. So I won’t go into the raw technical analysis of what they discussed, but what does this mapping of the susceptibility of children indicate? The thesis of this specific paper, says that they are analyzing behavior so they can create programs to promote critical thinking in children about consumer choices, however this isn’t the only paper of its kind, in fact I would go out on a limb to say this is one of hundreds of studies, and they aren’t all geared towards critical thinking in children. When you amass large amounts of research in a country driven by economic means, surely the end result becomes profit. So, what I see when I look at this fact, is a system that is being geared towards creating life time consumers of a product. Don’t believe me? Look at the bans on advertising cigarettes to children after deceptive practices for just that reason, and a $250 million dollar settlement in 1998 for violating these bans (chronicle.uchicago.edu... ).
“Increasing public scrutiny of the tobacco industry finally came to a head in 1964 when the U.S. Surgeon General, Luther Terry, released his Advisory Committee Report on Smoking and Health. The staggeringly comprehensive report was based on more than 7,000 scientific studies linking smoking with lung cancer, emphysema and other diseases. The report led a surge in restrictive legislation, including mandatory warning labels on packages and a ban on advertising on radio or television. Tobacco companies in return simply changed strategy, advertising to younger markets with candy cigarettes and mascots like Joe Camel — whom a 1991 study found was more recognizable among 5 and 6 year olds than Mickey Mouse.” (www.time.com...)
“Marketing to children is always different because they are far more gullible. FTC Commissioner Roscoe B. Starek summed up the FTC's positions in 1997, noting [..] interest in limiting the power of advertisers to target children. But the anti-regulatory climate of the late 1970s through the 90s led to a flourishing of deceptive practices, such as encouraging children to use a 900 number to call their favorite cartoon characters or the Joe Camel ads.” ( www.radford.edu... )
I’m not going to go so far to say that peer pressure is a sole influence to indoctrinating children. It’s more likely an accumulation of tactics, such as: persuasion, advertising, peer pressure, diluting accurate and important information with useless drivel, among other tactics.
How do these tactics influence your decisions as a parent? The documentary “Consuming Kids” talks about this subject in depth. They show that kids alone account for 40 billion of the US GDP, money that parents spend on children accounts for 700 billion, which is equivalent to the combined economies of the poorest 115 countries. In the documentary, Dr. Walsh, the founder of the National Institutes of Media & the Family, says marketers and advertisers realize that children control much of the purchasing power of their parents. The documentary shows that these marketers encourage nagging from children to get them to influence their parents. [clip of the misery of parents, consuming children 1/7 , nagging]
Advertising to children comes in all forms and most importantly in schools.
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
. “Ads are now appearing on school buses, in gymnasiums, on book covers, and even in bathroom stalls.85 More than 200 school districts nationwide have signed exclusive contracts with soft drink companies.86 These agreements specify the number and placement of soda-vending machines, which is ironic given that schools risk losing federal subsidies for their free breakfast and lunch programs if they serve soda in their cafeterias. In addition, there are more than 4500 Pizza Hut chains and 3000 Taco Bell chains in school cafeterias around the country.87” (pediatrics.aappublications.org... )
So what does it say when children see these products in schools? It says that these products are good for them, that they are safe. But are these food good for them? Are they placing these consumer foods in schools for another reason other than just providing a product?
The head fake is one of the best ways to teach anybody about anything. The head fake is a technique where an instructor or medium will present information or activities for someone to do to teach terms, definitions, or concepts; when in reality the instructor’s lesson is to teach something else through symbolism. We are familiar with the concept from the Karate Kid movies. “Wax on, wax off” was the concept Mr. Miyagi used to teach Daniel Larusso karate. Once Daniel related the “wax on, wax off” idea to karate, he had an epiphany and the moves clicked, leading him to win the tournament. He was taught something simple, to provide a foundation for something complex.
What does this have to do with the quality of foods? Well the “Council for Biotechnology Information” (CBI) a non-profit organization which is funded by Dow, DuPont, Monsanto and other biotech companies (www.cspinet.org... ), recently released a children’s activity book about Biotechnology. The activity book, (www.whybiotech.com... ) introduces itself to the children on the first page with, [Show picture ]“This is an activity book for young people like you about biotechnology —a really neat topic. Why is it such a neat topic? Because biotechnology is helping to improve the health of the Earth and the people who call it home. In this book, you will take a closer look at biotechnology. You will see that biotechnology is being used to figure out how to: 1) grow more food; 2) help the environment; and 3) grow more nutritious food that improves our health.” The book goes on introducing biotechnology in the most positive light possible, even if it portrays inaccurate scenarios. They go on to talk about how they are making foods more nutritious. Which has never been done, or shown, or tested, and leaves a lot of room for conjecture. The final page provides a questionnaire about what the kids learned. The final question asks the children to, “Describe three ways that biotechnology can help people live better lives in a healthier world.” This right here is the head fake, they present opinionated information that their industry speculates upon, and has never tested or at the very least released case studies to the public showing what they are saying. They vaguely taught children about biotechnology, but the real lesson became that GMO foods are good for them. Because of the lack of information presented from both sides of issue, children grow up assuming that these foods they are ingesting as the majority of their diet are improving their health and preventing diseases. This false-hood of children’s speculations will be covered later.
Think about the implications, of this kind of product placement, in schools' education policies and curriculums.
It’s not just the consumer hungry nature of America that is affecting these kids, what about the education they are receiving? Is there blatant irony in the name of the “No Child Left Behind Act”? In 2008-2009 The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development places the United States 18th out of the 36 nations examined, [which is based on the average of being 14th in Reading, 17th in science, and 25th in mathematics. (Which is ironic, since the average of those numbers is 18.6, when rounded would be 19th)] (www.upi.com... )
The Sundance Film Festival wrote a synopsis of the documentary “Waiting for Superman” which follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, Guggenheim, [the director,] undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying "drop-out factories" and "academic sinkholes," methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems. (www.imdb.com... )
. “Ads are now appearing on school buses, in gymnasiums, on book covers, and even in bathroom stalls.85 More than 200 school districts nationwide have signed exclusive contracts with soft drink companies.86 These agreements specify the number and placement of soda-vending machines, which is ironic given that schools risk losing federal subsidies for their free breakfast and lunch programs if they serve soda in their cafeterias. In addition, there are more than 4500 Pizza Hut chains and 3000 Taco Bell chains in school cafeterias around the country.87” (pediatrics.aappublications.org... )
So what does it say when children see these products in schools? It says that these products are good for them, that they are safe. But are these food good for them? Are they placing these consumer foods in schools for another reason other than just providing a product?
The head fake is one of the best ways to teach anybody about anything. The head fake is a technique where an instructor or medium will present information or activities for someone to do to teach terms, definitions, or concepts; when in reality the instructor’s lesson is to teach something else through symbolism. We are familiar with the concept from the Karate Kid movies. “Wax on, wax off” was the concept Mr. Miyagi used to teach Daniel Larusso karate. Once Daniel related the “wax on, wax off” idea to karate, he had an epiphany and the moves clicked, leading him to win the tournament. He was taught something simple, to provide a foundation for something complex.
What does this have to do with the quality of foods? Well the “Council for Biotechnology Information” (CBI) a non-profit organization which is funded by Dow, DuPont, Monsanto and other biotech companies (www.cspinet.org... ), recently released a children’s activity book about Biotechnology. The activity book, (www.whybiotech.com... ) introduces itself to the children on the first page with, [Show picture ]“This is an activity book for young people like you about biotechnology —a really neat topic. Why is it such a neat topic? Because biotechnology is helping to improve the health of the Earth and the people who call it home. In this book, you will take a closer look at biotechnology. You will see that biotechnology is being used to figure out how to: 1) grow more food; 2) help the environment; and 3) grow more nutritious food that improves our health.” The book goes on introducing biotechnology in the most positive light possible, even if it portrays inaccurate scenarios. They go on to talk about how they are making foods more nutritious. Which has never been done, or shown, or tested, and leaves a lot of room for conjecture. The final page provides a questionnaire about what the kids learned. The final question asks the children to, “Describe three ways that biotechnology can help people live better lives in a healthier world.” This right here is the head fake, they present opinionated information that their industry speculates upon, and has never tested or at the very least released case studies to the public showing what they are saying. They vaguely taught children about biotechnology, but the real lesson became that GMO foods are good for them. Because of the lack of information presented from both sides of issue, children grow up assuming that these foods they are ingesting as the majority of their diet are improving their health and preventing diseases. This false-hood of children’s speculations will be covered later.
Think about the implications, of this kind of product placement, in schools' education policies and curriculums.
It’s not just the consumer hungry nature of America that is affecting these kids, what about the education they are receiving? Is there blatant irony in the name of the “No Child Left Behind Act”? In 2008-2009 The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development places the United States 18th out of the 36 nations examined, [which is based on the average of being 14th in Reading, 17th in science, and 25th in mathematics. (Which is ironic, since the average of those numbers is 18.6, when rounded would be 19th)] (www.upi.com... )
The Sundance Film Festival wrote a synopsis of the documentary “Waiting for Superman” which follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, Guggenheim, [the director,] undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying "drop-out factories" and "academic sinkholes," methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems. (www.imdb.com... )
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
The documentary says that instead of failing neighborhoods being the reasons for failing education, that instead failing education was the reason for failing neighborhoods.
John Hood speculates that, “Providing students opportunities at school does not guarantee success if students watch television rather than do their homework […]. By assuming that any set of reform ideas can magically create a well-educated citizenry, we oversell the role of policy-making. Education requires initiative, a trait notoriously difficult to create or impose.” (www.thefreemanonline.org... ) I agree with this speculation. I would also speculate that based on the amount of research studies on educational programs and school systems, and conclusions that Doctors and Scholars have come to based on these studies, that surely we tenants of the 21st century should have figured out this problem by now. We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t consistently give our children a good education. This seems unbelievable, and it should be. I don’t believe it. Certainly there must be an answer other than “it’s the parent’s fault”. [clip of waiting for superman part 4/11, Rhee & accountability] Could the education of targeted school systems be completely compromised, to the extent where the educational process provides meaningless educational experiences for the challenges of the real world, or provides a system where education is not the real goal, but instead the goal is to get children to accept a certain set of values? Would this surprise you? It wouldn’t surprise me, (especially since this is a problem that emerged slightly after the end of WWII, and it has only gotten worse since then.) I have no proof that the system does this and no way to convince you of it. I simply ask you, is it possible? And if it is possible, how do you address a problem like this as an individual?
(Crap ton of information still left on this topic, no space or time allowed to cover here)
We can definitively see that through behavioral sciences children are governed with advertising and educational systems to make suppressive consumer savvy choices, these choices also affect how their parents spend money. The characteristics these children develop from this process inevitably affect the majority of how they spend money throughout their adulthood. Now let’s talk about entering adulthood and the technical system that we are exposed to that dictates how we lead our lives.
Loss of Freedoms
The Network of Social Institutions
What does “The Network of Social Institutions” mean? A social institution refers to complex social forms that reproduce themselves such as governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, business corporations, and legal systems. So when I say the Network of Social Institutions I am referring to the interlocking features of the financially guided system that dictates what is important, and what is unnecessary. Examples of this network can be found in everyday life. For instance, why do you need car insurance from a private company, to get a driver’s license issued from a state government, so that you won’t be persecuted by the executive branch of our government? Think about how many different requirements there are for buying a house or a car, or getting a loan. (The main thing coming to mind, being a good credit score) Think about how difficult it is can be to get a LEGITMATE job if you don’t have a residence, car, bank account, or a good education. What kinds of things are required to get an education?
(Think about all the occasions where you need an ID… What do these occurrences show? ( ! more recently you need to have an ID on you at all times out of fear of detainment) ( www.oneangryman.com... ) Why has it becomes mandatory that we interact with private or public entities to maintain nearly every aspect of our lives. Why are we dependant on corporations?)
As we think about these interwoven systems we are reminded of our priorities, and why we involved ourselves with this so called Hydra. (The metaphorical hydra is a good representation of the Network of Social Institutions, whenever you chop off one head, two more spring from its place. Doesn’t that seem reminiscent of today’s problems? Whenever you fix one problem, two more arise. The monster in the story of Hercules was an image of an overwhelming force, and wasn’t defeated until it was crushed and buried. What would have happened if Hercules had ignored one of the heads? He would have lost. The same holds true for us, the moment we fail to deal with one of these problems it is a quick slope to the bottom.
The documentary says that instead of failing neighborhoods being the reasons for failing education, that instead failing education was the reason for failing neighborhoods.
John Hood speculates that, “Providing students opportunities at school does not guarantee success if students watch television rather than do their homework […]. By assuming that any set of reform ideas can magically create a well-educated citizenry, we oversell the role of policy-making. Education requires initiative, a trait notoriously difficult to create or impose.” (www.thefreemanonline.org... ) I agree with this speculation. I would also speculate that based on the amount of research studies on educational programs and school systems, and conclusions that Doctors and Scholars have come to based on these studies, that surely we tenants of the 21st century should have figured out this problem by now. We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t consistently give our children a good education. This seems unbelievable, and it should be. I don’t believe it. Certainly there must be an answer other than “it’s the parent’s fault”. [clip of waiting for superman part 4/11, Rhee & accountability] Could the education of targeted school systems be completely compromised, to the extent where the educational process provides meaningless educational experiences for the challenges of the real world, or provides a system where education is not the real goal, but instead the goal is to get children to accept a certain set of values? Would this surprise you? It wouldn’t surprise me, (especially since this is a problem that emerged slightly after the end of WWII, and it has only gotten worse since then.) I have no proof that the system does this and no way to convince you of it. I simply ask you, is it possible? And if it is possible, how do you address a problem like this as an individual?
(Crap ton of information still left on this topic, no space or time allowed to cover here)
We can definitively see that through behavioral sciences children are governed with advertising and educational systems to make suppressive consumer savvy choices, these choices also affect how their parents spend money. The characteristics these children develop from this process inevitably affect the majority of how they spend money throughout their adulthood. Now let’s talk about entering adulthood and the technical system that we are exposed to that dictates how we lead our lives.
Loss of Freedoms
The Network of Social Institutions
What does “The Network of Social Institutions” mean? A social institution refers to complex social forms that reproduce themselves such as governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, business corporations, and legal systems. So when I say the Network of Social Institutions I am referring to the interlocking features of the financially guided system that dictates what is important, and what is unnecessary. Examples of this network can be found in everyday life. For instance, why do you need car insurance from a private company, to get a driver’s license issued from a state government, so that you won’t be persecuted by the executive branch of our government? Think about how many different requirements there are for buying a house or a car, or getting a loan. (The main thing coming to mind, being a good credit score) Think about how difficult it is can be to get a LEGITMATE job if you don’t have a residence, car, bank account, or a good education. What kinds of things are required to get an education?
(Think about all the occasions where you need an ID… What do these occurrences show? ( ! more recently you need to have an ID on you at all times out of fear of detainment) ( www.oneangryman.com... ) Why has it becomes mandatory that we interact with private or public entities to maintain nearly every aspect of our lives. Why are we dependant on corporations?)
As we think about these interwoven systems we are reminded of our priorities, and why we involved ourselves with this so called Hydra. (The metaphorical hydra is a good representation of the Network of Social Institutions, whenever you chop off one head, two more spring from its place. Doesn’t that seem reminiscent of today’s problems? Whenever you fix one problem, two more arise. The monster in the story of Hercules was an image of an overwhelming force, and wasn’t defeated until it was crushed and buried. What would have happened if Hercules had ignored one of the heads? He would have lost. The same holds true for us, the moment we fail to deal with one of these problems it is a quick slope to the bottom.
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
. Fail in school, doomed to work miminum wage jobs, can’t pay your insurance, no more car, it then becomes difficult to maintain the job. If you can’t maintain the job, how long will you have a place to live? If you don’t have a place to live, or a job, or a car, how do you feed yourself in today’s age? These are the things that all of us worry about. We are lead to believe that we are in the pursuit of happiness, that this is all part of the American dream. George Carlin asks, “Do you know why they call it the American dream? Because you’d have to be asleep to believe it.”
Let us now think about the reliance and faith we place on these Social Institutions.
Reliance
We as a people, for the betterment of ourselves, create systems to aid and guide us and future generations in making beneficial decisions, although if these systems go unchecked and without public oversight and constant reform, the systems become more than an aid, and we become dependent on them. Also, without the reform of these systems we leave them undefended against those who would abuse them.
What are the things we rely on the most? What are technologies that provide us with the things we need to live?
We rely on this system for every aspect of our lives. The systems provides us with currency for trade, it provides food, shelter, jobs, cars, education and information, safety and protection, health care, communication, and technology. Without the systems past generations put in place for us, we would live in the Stone Age. However, what effects have these systems had on us as a whole? What effects have they had on us as individuals? Can we say that relying on these systems have been completely a good thing? Volti talks about the unforeseen consequences of developing technologies, and what happens when those technologies fail us.
“On many occasions technological change has also produced social disruptions, as when automation destroys jobs in a particular industry or a new weapon upsets the balance of power between nations. And when technologies fail, some of them do so in a big way, as exemplified by the loss of the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles, the disastrous venting of poison gas at the Bhopal chemical plant in India, the massive release of radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Soviet Union, and the catastrophic breaching of the levees in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Despite all the crises, disruptions, and disasters that have accompanied it, modern technology is still viewed in a favorable light by the public. Although certain technologies like nuclear power and genetic engineering elicit considerable concern and even hostility, the positive achievements of technology as a whole seem to outweigh the negative ones.” (pg. 3. Paragraph 1-2. Society and Technological Change. Volti)
So can we definitely say that to rely on these technologies for acquisition of all necessities is beneficial for us, or will hindsight be the only thing to give us perspective? Have we fallen down the rabbit hole to far to see that we are leaving ourselves ripe for abuse or a complete collapse?
Malevolence & Repercussions of Reliance
What will happen if the system lets us down? For instance look at what occurs during natural disasters. Those systems break down, and people are left to fend for themselves. The public doesn’t do a very good job either, they are panicked and unprepared. They react poorly in these situations usually because they invest in the wrong things. This is just one example of how we have become utterly dependant, and when that dependency has been misplaced. Let’s talk about the impact of individual technological systems failing.
For instance, what would happen if gas sales came to a halt, and it became unaffordable for the shipping industry to distribute products? We would see, the trucking industry come to a halt, and because of this grocery stores would only have 4 days supply of food for the entire town or city. Since gas wouldn’t be readily available at gas stations for more than a day, people wouldn’t be able to get to work, school, or other social engagements.
What if the US experienced crop failure?
What if the US experienced social unrest?
What if the US experienced infrastructure failure? (Like Electrical grids, or communications)
One of the major things we need to reevaluate is our dependency on money. If our money were to become worthless in a matter of hours, days or weeks, we would experience a term referred to as hyper inflation.
What happens if the system abuses us? This system we interact with is not to be held accountable for its actions, we are the ones who made it, and shall in turn be us who is accountable. Here is one example of how the system is geared to potentially harm us, rather than help.
. Fail in school, doomed to work miminum wage jobs, can’t pay your insurance, no more car, it then becomes difficult to maintain the job. If you can’t maintain the job, how long will you have a place to live? If you don’t have a place to live, or a job, or a car, how do you feed yourself in today’s age? These are the things that all of us worry about. We are lead to believe that we are in the pursuit of happiness, that this is all part of the American dream. George Carlin asks, “Do you know why they call it the American dream? Because you’d have to be asleep to believe it.”
Let us now think about the reliance and faith we place on these Social Institutions.
Reliance
We as a people, for the betterment of ourselves, create systems to aid and guide us and future generations in making beneficial decisions, although if these systems go unchecked and without public oversight and constant reform, the systems become more than an aid, and we become dependent on them. Also, without the reform of these systems we leave them undefended against those who would abuse them.
What are the things we rely on the most? What are technologies that provide us with the things we need to live?
We rely on this system for every aspect of our lives. The systems provides us with currency for trade, it provides food, shelter, jobs, cars, education and information, safety and protection, health care, communication, and technology. Without the systems past generations put in place for us, we would live in the Stone Age. However, what effects have these systems had on us as a whole? What effects have they had on us as individuals? Can we say that relying on these systems have been completely a good thing? Volti talks about the unforeseen consequences of developing technologies, and what happens when those technologies fail us.
“On many occasions technological change has also produced social disruptions, as when automation destroys jobs in a particular industry or a new weapon upsets the balance of power between nations. And when technologies fail, some of them do so in a big way, as exemplified by the loss of the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles, the disastrous venting of poison gas at the Bhopal chemical plant in India, the massive release of radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Soviet Union, and the catastrophic breaching of the levees in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Despite all the crises, disruptions, and disasters that have accompanied it, modern technology is still viewed in a favorable light by the public. Although certain technologies like nuclear power and genetic engineering elicit considerable concern and even hostility, the positive achievements of technology as a whole seem to outweigh the negative ones.” (pg. 3. Paragraph 1-2. Society and Technological Change. Volti)
So can we definitely say that to rely on these technologies for acquisition of all necessities is beneficial for us, or will hindsight be the only thing to give us perspective? Have we fallen down the rabbit hole to far to see that we are leaving ourselves ripe for abuse or a complete collapse?
Malevolence & Repercussions of Reliance
What will happen if the system lets us down? For instance look at what occurs during natural disasters. Those systems break down, and people are left to fend for themselves. The public doesn’t do a very good job either, they are panicked and unprepared. They react poorly in these situations usually because they invest in the wrong things. This is just one example of how we have become utterly dependant, and when that dependency has been misplaced. Let’s talk about the impact of individual technological systems failing.
For instance, what would happen if gas sales came to a halt, and it became unaffordable for the shipping industry to distribute products? We would see, the trucking industry come to a halt, and because of this grocery stores would only have 4 days supply of food for the entire town or city. Since gas wouldn’t be readily available at gas stations for more than a day, people wouldn’t be able to get to work, school, or other social engagements.
What if the US experienced crop failure?
What if the US experienced social unrest?
What if the US experienced infrastructure failure? (Like Electrical grids, or communications)
One of the major things we need to reevaluate is our dependency on money. If our money were to become worthless in a matter of hours, days or weeks, we would experience a term referred to as hyper inflation.
What happens if the system abuses us? This system we interact with is not to be held accountable for its actions, we are the ones who made it, and shall in turn be us who is accountable. Here is one example of how the system is geared to potentially harm us, rather than help.
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
Jose Vargas-Hernandez (writer[?] for academicjournals.org) talks about partnerships between government, firms, communities and social movements. One of the first things he mentions is that “the public-private sector partnership collaboration between the Konkola Copper Mines wealth creation partnership with the government, the World Bank Group through the International Finance Corporation and other organizations and agencies and corporate partners, like British Petroleum have a social development plan.” The majority of the paper he talks about the partnerships between the government and private firms with a positive mentality and how they help society. Showing specific means of systematic interactions, and how they play a role for each other. The most interesting thing Jose Vargas talks about in his paper is the partnership between private business firms and non-profit organizations.
“A strategy of some firms is to establish long-term relationships and partnerships with the nonprofit organizations they fund to develop an identity as being affiliated with a cause, issue or group, or to share information, resources and technological support. Long term firm and nonprofit organizations partnerships related to core business interests bring benefits to both partners. Firms looking for new solutions in the new economy, invest in innovative partnerships with nonprofit organizations involved with community education and training.”
Private firms in a failing or “new” economy are investing large amounts of money to run non-profit organizations that are involved in the “community” education and training, so that they can develop an identity as being affiliated with a cause. (Who is the community?) (What it doesn’t mention here either is the huge tax breaks and incentives they are given for funding these programs.)
(www.academicjournals.org... )
CSPINET.org compiles 130+ non-profit organizations public records attempting to show who funds them, who sits on their board of directors, and what the organization’s goal is. Some organizations release very limited amounts of information on themselves and it can be hard to find these records. Mostly you’ll just hear about studies they release. There is little transparency in the corporate business world. The site also compiled a list on funding in Universities from corporate sponsors.
The result of this action assumingly leads to tampered or bought studies, which in turn allows for unsafe products in the consumer market that potentially have harmful effects on the human body.
Food Quality and Choice
Monsanto is a corporation that has come to light under the public’s eye. Even still, the majority of the public has never heard of them. As we know, Monsanto is the corporatized business that has created Round-Up and patents for nearly all of the Genetically Modified Seeds in the world. Monsanto speculates that there is no harm that can come from its products. It tells kids, food suppliers and the American people that there is nothing to fear from these crops.
The European and Asian governments are however taking notice and banning these crops (India has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto for biopiracy). The American government has not cared so much and allow for these foods to be the majority of our diets.
Unfortunately for Monsanto, their products are beginning to damage the surrounding ecosystems. This might not seem like a major problem, except, if these ecosystems fail, they will eventually effects everyone. More and more examples of this are popping up around the globe. Failing Bee Colonies, mutating pests, mass pesticide ingestion by children, birth defects.
A honeybee tagged with an RFID microchip for tracking its movements. Photo © Science/AAAS.
“Commonly used pesticides may be a primary driver of the collapsing bee populations, finds two new studies in Science. The studies, one focused on honeybees and the other on bumblebees, found that even small doses of these pesticides, which target insect’s central nervous system, impact bee behavior and, ultimately, their survival. The studies may have far-reaching repercussions for the regulation of agricultural chemicals, known as neonicotinoid insecticides, that have been in use since the 1990s.” — Jeremy Hance (www.occupymonsanto360.org... )
"A National Academy of Sciences report last fall documented a crisis among North American pollinators – especially honey bees and native bumblebees. European studies – which benefited from better scientific data about population trends – have documented similar declines in pollinators there."
Jose Vargas-Hernandez (writer[?] for academicjournals.org) talks about partnerships between government, firms, communities and social movements. One of the first things he mentions is that “the public-private sector partnership collaboration between the Konkola Copper Mines wealth creation partnership with the government, the World Bank Group through the International Finance Corporation and other organizations and agencies and corporate partners, like British Petroleum have a social development plan.” The majority of the paper he talks about the partnerships between the government and private firms with a positive mentality and how they help society. Showing specific means of systematic interactions, and how they play a role for each other. The most interesting thing Jose Vargas talks about in his paper is the partnership between private business firms and non-profit organizations.
“A strategy of some firms is to establish long-term relationships and partnerships with the nonprofit organizations they fund to develop an identity as being affiliated with a cause, issue or group, or to share information, resources and technological support. Long term firm and nonprofit organizations partnerships related to core business interests bring benefits to both partners. Firms looking for new solutions in the new economy, invest in innovative partnerships with nonprofit organizations involved with community education and training.”
Private firms in a failing or “new” economy are investing large amounts of money to run non-profit organizations that are involved in the “community” education and training, so that they can develop an identity as being affiliated with a cause. (Who is the community?) (What it doesn’t mention here either is the huge tax breaks and incentives they are given for funding these programs.)
(www.academicjournals.org... )
CSPINET.org compiles 130+ non-profit organizations public records attempting to show who funds them, who sits on their board of directors, and what the organization’s goal is. Some organizations release very limited amounts of information on themselves and it can be hard to find these records. Mostly you’ll just hear about studies they release. There is little transparency in the corporate business world. The site also compiled a list on funding in Universities from corporate sponsors.
The result of this action assumingly leads to tampered or bought studies, which in turn allows for unsafe products in the consumer market that potentially have harmful effects on the human body.
Food Quality and Choice
Monsanto is a corporation that has come to light under the public’s eye. Even still, the majority of the public has never heard of them. As we know, Monsanto is the corporatized business that has created Round-Up and patents for nearly all of the Genetically Modified Seeds in the world. Monsanto speculates that there is no harm that can come from its products. It tells kids, food suppliers and the American people that there is nothing to fear from these crops.
The European and Asian governments are however taking notice and banning these crops (India has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto for biopiracy). The American government has not cared so much and allow for these foods to be the majority of our diets.
Unfortunately for Monsanto, their products are beginning to damage the surrounding ecosystems. This might not seem like a major problem, except, if these ecosystems fail, they will eventually effects everyone. More and more examples of this are popping up around the globe. Failing Bee Colonies, mutating pests, mass pesticide ingestion by children, birth defects.
A honeybee tagged with an RFID microchip for tracking its movements. Photo © Science/AAAS.
“Commonly used pesticides may be a primary driver of the collapsing bee populations, finds two new studies in Science. The studies, one focused on honeybees and the other on bumblebees, found that even small doses of these pesticides, which target insect’s central nervous system, impact bee behavior and, ultimately, their survival. The studies may have far-reaching repercussions for the regulation of agricultural chemicals, known as neonicotinoid insecticides, that have been in use since the 1990s.” — Jeremy Hance (www.occupymonsanto360.org... )
"A National Academy of Sciences report last fall documented a crisis among North American pollinators – especially honey bees and native bumblebees. European studies – which benefited from better scientific data about population trends – have documented similar declines in pollinators there."
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
"Of about 240,000 flowering plants in North America, three quarters require the pollination of a bee, bird, bat or other animal or insect in order to bear fruit. Since many of our food crops – with the exception of grains – are imports, the imported honey bee is key to our food supply. Beyond that, no other pollinator can be collected, moved and unleashed to pollinate fields of crops like commercial beekeepers can do with honey bee colonies."
"So losing bees would have repercussions throughout the food supply chain."
“They are so integrated into so many different markets that I imagine there would be all kinds of collapses,” said May Berenbaum, who was chair of the NAS committee that developed the pollinator report." (www.thedailygreen.com... )
“To illustrate how pervasive the honey bee is, consider a Big Mac,” she said. “All beef patties, the pickles, onions, lettuce, the cheese, the sesame seeds on the bun – that’s a lot.”
So Monsanto is carelessly using technologies, that are being pushed through the government, that unfortunately are causing dire outcomes. The Monsanto corp has been getting lots of negative light over the past few years because of their policies towards patents, lawsuits, and trampling of local farmers crops. They do all of this in fighting world hunger, yet have made no noticeable difference, because their goal is profit, like all American based corporations. This is just one more example of how our technologies are hurting us rather than helping us.
Restriction of Constitutional Freedoms
There is slowly becoming an overwhelming force in our government that cannot be swayed or petitioned against that has and continues to diminish the rights we consider to be our only hope for a better world. This is all part of the web of social institutions.
The Patriot Act
The Patriot Act was one of the first and most devastating to our rights. It infiltrated our right to privacy and search by warrants, it nearly eliminated the police states' need for probable cause. It was responsible for many questionable policies being used by state and federal governments and paved the way for acts being passed into legislature under the guise of war for the protection of the American people. After all, what American citizen could stand against a bill named, "The Patriot Act". It's name even suggests a duty for us to allow it.
NDAA
“Each year, Congress authorizes the budget of the Department of Defense through a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA of 2012, however, is unlike any previous ones.” It was finalized by President Obama
The wording of the NDAA implies that any domestic or foreign terrorist may be detained indefinitely without trial or due process. The term domestic terrorist is loosely defined and can be interpreted by the military whichever way they want. This is a violation of the 5th Amendment to the constitution, which says, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, [except in time of War and only if they serve the military,][…] nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.“ ‘Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) remarked that “what this bill does is it takes a wrecking ball to the United States Constitution.” Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) described this bill as a threat to “the inalienable due process rights afforded to every American citizen under the Constitution.” (www.counterpunch.org... )
SOPA/ PIPA and now CISPA
The Stop Online Piracy Act & The Protect Intellectual Properties Act, got a lot of attention in 2011. Thanks to many groups getting the word out about these acts, popular opinion finally overcame policy making. Unfortunately, this is the side of an issue that our government feels must be passed into law. International Policy groups have been pushing this issue in Europe, in forms of international treaties. Any international treaties supersede constitutional and national law. So if we were to inherit the agreements of binding international policies, they would overrule privacy laws we have in place.
A more realistic constituent for the US is the newly drafted CISPA which could impede on the same rights the former acts sought to impede.
"Of about 240,000 flowering plants in North America, three quarters require the pollination of a bee, bird, bat or other animal or insect in order to bear fruit. Since many of our food crops – with the exception of grains – are imports, the imported honey bee is key to our food supply. Beyond that, no other pollinator can be collected, moved and unleashed to pollinate fields of crops like commercial beekeepers can do with honey bee colonies."
"So losing bees would have repercussions throughout the food supply chain."
“They are so integrated into so many different markets that I imagine there would be all kinds of collapses,” said May Berenbaum, who was chair of the NAS committee that developed the pollinator report." (www.thedailygreen.com... )
“To illustrate how pervasive the honey bee is, consider a Big Mac,” she said. “All beef patties, the pickles, onions, lettuce, the cheese, the sesame seeds on the bun – that’s a lot.”
So Monsanto is carelessly using technologies, that are being pushed through the government, that unfortunately are causing dire outcomes. The Monsanto corp has been getting lots of negative light over the past few years because of their policies towards patents, lawsuits, and trampling of local farmers crops. They do all of this in fighting world hunger, yet have made no noticeable difference, because their goal is profit, like all American based corporations. This is just one more example of how our technologies are hurting us rather than helping us.
Restriction of Constitutional Freedoms
There is slowly becoming an overwhelming force in our government that cannot be swayed or petitioned against that has and continues to diminish the rights we consider to be our only hope for a better world. This is all part of the web of social institutions.
The Patriot Act
The Patriot Act was one of the first and most devastating to our rights. It infiltrated our right to privacy and search by warrants, it nearly eliminated the police states' need for probable cause. It was responsible for many questionable policies being used by state and federal governments and paved the way for acts being passed into legislature under the guise of war for the protection of the American people. After all, what American citizen could stand against a bill named, "The Patriot Act". It's name even suggests a duty for us to allow it.
NDAA
“Each year, Congress authorizes the budget of the Department of Defense through a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA of 2012, however, is unlike any previous ones.” It was finalized by President Obama
The wording of the NDAA implies that any domestic or foreign terrorist may be detained indefinitely without trial or due process. The term domestic terrorist is loosely defined and can be interpreted by the military whichever way they want. This is a violation of the 5th Amendment to the constitution, which says, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, [except in time of War and only if they serve the military,][…] nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.“ ‘Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) remarked that “what this bill does is it takes a wrecking ball to the United States Constitution.” Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) described this bill as a threat to “the inalienable due process rights afforded to every American citizen under the Constitution.” (www.counterpunch.org... )
SOPA/ PIPA and now CISPA
The Stop Online Piracy Act & The Protect Intellectual Properties Act, got a lot of attention in 2011. Thanks to many groups getting the word out about these acts, popular opinion finally overcame policy making. Unfortunately, this is the side of an issue that our government feels must be passed into law. International Policy groups have been pushing this issue in Europe, in forms of international treaties. Any international treaties supersede constitutional and national law. So if we were to inherit the agreements of binding international policies, they would overrule privacy laws we have in place.
A more realistic constituent for the US is the newly drafted CISPA which could impede on the same rights the former acts sought to impede.
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
Taxation without representation
In the occurrence of the presidential election, the popular vote does not matter. The popular vote should reflect the voting of the Electoral College, but many times, it does not. We have limited representation at the polls, only in the community and state levels do we remotely get a say. So it can be said that we only have representation through loose mean of elected officials, that we as individuals do not have absolute say. What I mean is, if the president of the SGA in our school were to participate in finalizing funding decisions for extra-curricular school programs, would you say that your concern for the issue was represented? The majority of student to no part in the election or assertion, we took no part in the development process of allocating funds, and we had no say in the outcome. What if we applied this same concept to the governing of the state and country, do the elected officials really represent your opinions, or even the opinions of your community?
If we were to look closer to the problem and see that children can start working here in the US, at the age of 14, with a workers permit. The children, even if filed as dependents under their household, pay income taxes on their wages. The voting age is 18, so do we not have a portion of the population that is being taxed and is not represented by their elected officials, after all they signed no ballot, they checked no boxes, yet they supported a portion of the government’s spending. Of course no right minded person would hand over the decision of the Commander in Chief of our country to a 14 year old, especially not with the education they are receiving. Are we starting to see the interlocking pattern? Most certainly this cannot exist out of coincidence. There must be a cause, there must be something to hold accountable for this irreverence of national policy. Let’s look at all the things our fore-fathers sought as reasons to remove themselves from the British empire, and from under the control of King Charles.
Correlation for Present Day Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is what started this country as a sovereign nation, and could be considered one of the most highly regarded technological advances in governance since the beginning of our written history. Let’s focus on the last portion of the document where the colonists described their authority to leave the empire, and why.
They stated, “---That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving THEIR just POWERS from the CONSENT of the GOVERNED.
( www.archives.gov... )
[The next portion is paraphrased to make it understandable using modern English]
*(He made it impossible for people to contest laws by making them travel great distances to do so)
*(He went around "Congress" to make laws that he knew violated moral rights)
*(He payed judges to rule only in a way that he saw fit)
*(He prevented interaction with the higher courts/offices by muddling the system with many smaller offices that handled individual issues, instead of relying on a single system; which harrassed the people)
*(He kept armed forces among the people during times of peace)
*(The military did not have to listen to the public's rights or concerns)
*(He gave certain offices power over the people and allowed them certain questionable freedoms)
Including (current reflections only):
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
*(Establishing arbitray goverments in adjacent provinces.)
For [], and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
*(He enlisted foreigners to fight in his behalf)
*(He inlisted citizens by "diress/force" to fight other citizens)
*(He excited political "civil war", so that we would fight battles for him against people of all ages, sexes, and conditions)
Were these restrictions intended solely for land owners or for the people as a whole?
Can we see the similarities between today’s society and that of the 1700’s? Are our rights fading away in the same manner as theirs? Certainly by now, if this were the case, people would have been speaking out in protests to these violations. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are people speaking out about it, but the system guides us in such a way were we consider these things to be irrelevant, so their words fall on deaf ears. We have become overly distracted with personal concerns to mount an assault against this creeping legislature.
Taxation without representation
In the occurrence of the presidential election, the popular vote does not matter. The popular vote should reflect the voting of the Electoral College, but many times, it does not. We have limited representation at the polls, only in the community and state levels do we remotely get a say. So it can be said that we only have representation through loose mean of elected officials, that we as individuals do not have absolute say. What I mean is, if the president of the SGA in our school were to participate in finalizing funding decisions for extra-curricular school programs, would you say that your concern for the issue was represented? The majority of student to no part in the election or assertion, we took no part in the development process of allocating funds, and we had no say in the outcome. What if we applied this same concept to the governing of the state and country, do the elected officials really represent your opinions, or even the opinions of your community?
If we were to look closer to the problem and see that children can start working here in the US, at the age of 14, with a workers permit. The children, even if filed as dependents under their household, pay income taxes on their wages. The voting age is 18, so do we not have a portion of the population that is being taxed and is not represented by their elected officials, after all they signed no ballot, they checked no boxes, yet they supported a portion of the government’s spending. Of course no right minded person would hand over the decision of the Commander in Chief of our country to a 14 year old, especially not with the education they are receiving. Are we starting to see the interlocking pattern? Most certainly this cannot exist out of coincidence. There must be a cause, there must be something to hold accountable for this irreverence of national policy. Let’s look at all the things our fore-fathers sought as reasons to remove themselves from the British empire, and from under the control of King Charles.
Correlation for Present Day Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is what started this country as a sovereign nation, and could be considered one of the most highly regarded technological advances in governance since the beginning of our written history. Let’s focus on the last portion of the document where the colonists described their authority to leave the empire, and why.
They stated, “---That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving THEIR just POWERS from the CONSENT of the GOVERNED.
( www.archives.gov... )
[The next portion is paraphrased to make it understandable using modern English]
*(He made it impossible for people to contest laws by making them travel great distances to do so)
*(He went around "Congress" to make laws that he knew violated moral rights)
*(He payed judges to rule only in a way that he saw fit)
*(He prevented interaction with the higher courts/offices by muddling the system with many smaller offices that handled individual issues, instead of relying on a single system; which harrassed the people)
*(He kept armed forces among the people during times of peace)
*(The military did not have to listen to the public's rights or concerns)
*(He gave certain offices power over the people and allowed them certain questionable freedoms)
Including (current reflections only):
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
*(Establishing arbitray goverments in adjacent provinces.)
For [], and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
*(He enlisted foreigners to fight in his behalf)
*(He inlisted citizens by "diress/force" to fight other citizens)
*(He excited political "civil war", so that we would fight battles for him against people of all ages, sexes, and conditions)
Were these restrictions intended solely for land owners or for the people as a whole?
Can we see the similarities between today’s society and that of the 1700’s? Are our rights fading away in the same manner as theirs? Certainly by now, if this were the case, people would have been speaking out in protests to these violations. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are people speaking out about it, but the system guides us in such a way were we consider these things to be irrelevant, so their words fall on deaf ears. We have become overly distracted with personal concerns to mount an assault against this creeping legislature.
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
Mass Distraction and Turning a blind eye to Popular Opinion
Marketing is needed to create an awareness of products, if we never heard about a product we may have never decided that it would be something that interests us. If you never heard of bungie-jumping would you go strap a rope to bridge and jump? If you had never heard of cell phones, would you as an individual try and make a pair? Marketing certainly does have it’s place in the world of markets. Markets are going to exist no matter what world we live, people will always want to trade, buy and sell goods. We all understand the basic concept of marketing, but when has it simply gone so far that it not just persuades or informs us, but subconsciously makes our decisions.
Have the American people been systematically spread apart to destroy a sense of community? Look at the clustered nature of large cities, there is certainly more interaction between every day commuters, where there is heavy foot traffic and public transportation, than there are in rural areas, where carpooling is almost nonexistent and everyone drives a separate car.
How do consumer products (i.e. TV’s, cell phones, computers, video games, alcohol, etc.) affect our lifestyles?
What was the most recent family gathering related too? Consumer Holiday’s? New Year’s Eve? The Super Bowl? The Olympics? Where there important events that took place while we were all away? For instance the NDAA was passed into law on the January1st 2012, when most people were in their beds hung over. Were there controversies that arose from these irrelevant events, removing scrutiny from relevant affairs? Like Janet Jacksons wardrobe malfunction just 5 days after President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution of Afghanistan, this allowed for corrupt politics to take place in Afghanistan, which got little coverage. There are other examples.
Consumers become consumed by their consumptions, immersed in a plethora of aesthetic nonsense.
Conclusion
There are mountains of information that could still be explored in this paper, but for now, there is simply not enough time left to cover them. It is the goal of this paper to shed light on how I view the world, and what I see is wrong with it.
We have transitioned from the pre-industrial monarchies to dictators of debt, where our leaders are no longer put in place by divine right, but by survival of the economically fit. We have traded one dictator for another.
The rest of the world has grown tired of our egotistical ways, they are fed up with it. We have encroached on the doorstep of too many peoples. Remember the phrase, “Oh how the mighty have fallen” ? If we look back on to the beginnings of WWI and WWII we would see many similar foreign tensions that are arising today. When we become blind to ways of ourselves we have lost sight of enlightenment. The military and corporate dictators that have become the leaders of the world have sequentially and methodically dominated the majority of Earth over the past century and continue to do so today under the ruse of a better world.
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” –Thomas Jefferson
We the people are the only power strong enough to stop this system of control, however the government no longer fears us, we have become indignant and callous, indifferent to the ways of others, guided by our decisions that keep us guided towards the materialistic, too weary and battered by the system to make an effective stand.
“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. The loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad.”
— James Madison
We must keep our fore-fathers words in our back pockets as we enter this new age of distortion. Are we really living in a better world than the generation before us? “Don’t confuse change with progress”. Will you continue to sit complacent as your freedoms are abolished? Or will you make a stand that is considered to be our God given right by the constitution
I’ve always been told it’s wise to choose your battles wisely. Sometimes it’s better to let stuff go. This is not one of those times, do not let this go.
I ask you to think about the impact you have on this world, and if and how you are realistically contributing to it, or if you are just falling in line.
Mass Distraction and Turning a blind eye to Popular Opinion
Marketing is needed to create an awareness of products, if we never heard about a product we may have never decided that it would be something that interests us. If you never heard of bungie-jumping would you go strap a rope to bridge and jump? If you had never heard of cell phones, would you as an individual try and make a pair? Marketing certainly does have it’s place in the world of markets. Markets are going to exist no matter what world we live, people will always want to trade, buy and sell goods. We all understand the basic concept of marketing, but when has it simply gone so far that it not just persuades or informs us, but subconsciously makes our decisions.
Have the American people been systematically spread apart to destroy a sense of community? Look at the clustered nature of large cities, there is certainly more interaction between every day commuters, where there is heavy foot traffic and public transportation, than there are in rural areas, where carpooling is almost nonexistent and everyone drives a separate car.
How do consumer products (i.e. TV’s, cell phones, computers, video games, alcohol, etc.) affect our lifestyles?
What was the most recent family gathering related too? Consumer Holiday’s? New Year’s Eve? The Super Bowl? The Olympics? Where there important events that took place while we were all away? For instance the NDAA was passed into law on the January1st 2012, when most people were in their beds hung over. Were there controversies that arose from these irrelevant events, removing scrutiny from relevant affairs? Like Janet Jacksons wardrobe malfunction just 5 days after President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution of Afghanistan, this allowed for corrupt politics to take place in Afghanistan, which got little coverage. There are other examples.
Consumers become consumed by their consumptions, immersed in a plethora of aesthetic nonsense.
Conclusion
There are mountains of information that could still be explored in this paper, but for now, there is simply not enough time left to cover them. It is the goal of this paper to shed light on how I view the world, and what I see is wrong with it.
We have transitioned from the pre-industrial monarchies to dictators of debt, where our leaders are no longer put in place by divine right, but by survival of the economically fit. We have traded one dictator for another.
The rest of the world has grown tired of our egotistical ways, they are fed up with it. We have encroached on the doorstep of too many peoples. Remember the phrase, “Oh how the mighty have fallen” ? If we look back on to the beginnings of WWI and WWII we would see many similar foreign tensions that are arising today. When we become blind to ways of ourselves we have lost sight of enlightenment. The military and corporate dictators that have become the leaders of the world have sequentially and methodically dominated the majority of Earth over the past century and continue to do so today under the ruse of a better world.
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” –Thomas Jefferson
We the people are the only power strong enough to stop this system of control, however the government no longer fears us, we have become indignant and callous, indifferent to the ways of others, guided by our decisions that keep us guided towards the materialistic, too weary and battered by the system to make an effective stand.
“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. The loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad.”
— James Madison
We must keep our fore-fathers words in our back pockets as we enter this new age of distortion. Are we really living in a better world than the generation before us? “Don’t confuse change with progress”. Will you continue to sit complacent as your freedoms are abolished? Or will you make a stand that is considered to be our God given right by the constitution
I’ve always been told it’s wise to choose your battles wisely. Sometimes it’s better to let stuff go. This is not one of those times, do not let this go.
I ask you to think about the impact you have on this world, and if and how you are realistically contributing to it, or if you are just falling in line.
reply to post by wishful1gnorance
Thanks for reading. I know there are some gaps, but I intend to remedy them. I intentionally cut about two pages out of it at the last minute to make it a paper worth turning in. So there are some topics I'm aware that are missing
Thanks for reading. I know there are some gaps, but I intend to remedy them. I intentionally cut about two pages out of it at the last minute to make it a paper worth turning in. So there are some topics I'm aware that are missing
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