Are we living in the most oppressive times ever ?

reply to post by KSigMason

Oh I dId work a lot to buy a land and build a house to live. Paid a lot of money to buy and insane taxes to buy and build but that is ok. What is not ok is one have to continue paying taxes per year on your own house (the place you live, not a 2nd or 3th house) even if you are unemployed and have no money for it, otherwise they take it from you and you have to go sleep in the street. Isn't this oppressive ?

Most oppressive times, now?

C'mon, really?

Are people being flogged in the streets for their beliefs, religious and political?

Are there debtor prisons?

Do you live on the land of a lord, toil on that land for his gain and subsist on 300 calories a day?

If you think now is opressive, you'd've wilted 400 years ago.

derek

BardingTheBard

MrSpad
I am sorry but this shows a complete lack of human history. You should at least know European history where farmers starved because of whatever army of the week was passing through and would take everything even if they were suppose to be on the same side. And that is just one tiny example.

This shows a lack of appreciation for the evolution of oppression. Of course the methods shift as the population becomes more sophisticated, but the goal/outcome is the same.

There are still farmers/people starving because the military budget to defend the people being starved is considered more important. Not all farmers starved at once then just as not all being "protected" starve at once now either. There is no fundamental difference if the army/government/empire has to take it in person, or via taxes/inflation. As you said... that is just one example.

People read history and project it like a movie... where all the dull parts are edited out and a flat hyper version is "sensed". Movies in particular have dramatically altered people's ability to sense beyond the supposed "key events" which usually are just symptoms of the more subtle activity going on.

People have no clue what it was like to actually live day to day in Rome or Germany as they transitioned into tyrannies. Well they do... they are living it now... but our sensation of history is so far removed from the actual LIVED history that we can't recognize when we're in the same spot.

That's why we keep repeating it... because we continue to fail to connect the condensed stories of our past that take the events and turn them into simple concepts... with the murky/shifting experience of the present.

The oppression of the mind is the clear glory hound of today though... all the more powerful because a mind that has never experienced anything else is incapable of perceiving it could be any other way.

If someone has only lived in rooms with colors yellow and below... they won't be able to ask for blue. Only a small minority will think to ask if there is anything beyond... to be promptly told no and punished if they keep asking such stupid questions.

edit on 24-11-2013 by BardingTheBard because: (no reason given)

Very well stated, and probably one of the most level headed, authentic posts I've ever seen on ATS. I wish more of the unwashed masses understood the simple truth you are stating. Powerful stuff. Serious.

reply to post by introspectionist


Or, quite possibly, it already has all been written and done. You are just living through it, thinking it is a 'new' day. Consciousness is a strange creature, indeed. And, it supposedly resides in many living beings...maybe even the ones we consider not. It is not about the books you read (although, at times it may help), nor is it about the things you've done, but rather, what is going on inside/outside/everywhere RIGHT NOW! That is the only thing that is 'real'. All else is nothing more than faded memory, and speculation. NOW, however, is REAL! (oh, yeah, and LOVE is nice, too...hehe) Have a great everything!

Finished a rewarding yet productive and fun day at work.
Stopped at the book store and looked at a few books about a couple different topics. Also looked at a couple of magazines.
Then got in the car I chose a few years ago.
Put on the music I wanted to and drove home.
Stopped on the way home at a store where I needed to buy a few things.
Came home and poured myself a glass of iced tea.
Now I am posting here.

Clearly this is the most oppressive time in history.

There are so many other eras in the world, so many other places that have or have had it worse then most of us will ever know.

reply to post by charlyv


Why is it that any 'truth' or anything 'good', here, in this place, is 'owned' by some theology, or religion, as if it were theirs, and perverted, or amplified, and it seems fairly consistent, for the purpose of causing others pain. I mean, if pain is the purpose of being here, now, can't TPTB (if they are actually a 'real' group) just be honest and tell the subjugated folks that 'this is just the way it is...We've consumed a troll...oops, I mean assumed control, and you and your simple, peaceful viewpoints are no longer relevant.' The fact that they cannot (if there is indeed a 'they') speaks volumes. We need to hold true to what is in our hearts, at the moment. It is very easy to get caught up in the parade, that we forget about all the clean up after the parade is done. Be true to no book, no false god, nor man. The truth is inside us all, and what is happening now is merely the truth we've created. Change starts inside. Love is truth. Suffering? It all depends on you! Your GOD(S) wish you the best, and hope you figure it out. As long as you breathe, it is never too late. I hope this helps.

Viesczy
Most oppressive times, now?



"Are there debtor prisons?"

Unfortunately, yes there are, just not by that name.

reply to post by CosmicDude


If a majority agreed to change their perspective, and no longer respect these 'rules' they would cease. A better question is, "What am I doing to support these archaic ways of thinking?" RESIST, if you will. If you know that you are doing the right thing, deep inside, who can tell you that you are wrong? Suffer? Possibly. Change never seems to come without someone suffering, though. Just my 3 cents worth.

opethPA
Finished a rewarding yet productive and fun day at work.

When they came for the unemployed, I was at work.

Stopped at the book store and looked at a few books about a couple different topics. Also looked at a couple of magazines.

When they came for the illiterate, I was reading.

Then got in the car I chose a few years ago.

When they impeded public transportation, I was driving.

Put on the music I wanted to and drove home.

When they came for the musicians, I was grooving.

Stopped on the way home at a store where I needed to buy a few things.

When they came for the bankrupt, I bought things.

Came home and poured myself a glass of iced tea.

When they came for the homeless, I was at home.

Now I am posting here.

When they came for those who didn't know how to speak for themselves, I spoke for myself.

------------------

There have always been people in every era of tyranny who could write your daily schedule.

"Why are the commoners so upset... aren't they pleased with how beautiful the castle to their glorious kingdom is and how fast the royal roads are for carriages?"

Most of these are true of me too at one point or another, so don't think I'm writing from a high horse.

Don't think the Middle Ages was all "Mai Tais & Yahtzee".

BABYBULL24
Don't think the Middle Ages was all "Mai Tais & Yahtzee".

Are you suggesting these days are?

I'm willing to bet a lot of what you believe about the middle ages are modern myths, similar to the one about people believing the earth was flat.

It is VERY MUCH in the interest of whoever is attempting to control a population that the population believes they find themselves in a better place than everyone who has come before them. Doesn't matter if it's true, if they believe it's true... control is dramatically easier. It's much easier to repaint the past than improve the present.

I do not mean to keep hammering on this thread, but it has inspired so much thought, I composed the following:

You only know what you've been told, what you've actually experienced, or things you've made up, entirely. There is no proven WAY to know anything other than this. And, your belief about everything is entirely comprised from those three ways of input. For this is the way it is, or so you've been told. And so the same story is repeated, once again...

All history is a myth...a story, told by someone, or a group, that had some reason to try and pass their 'knowledge' to the later generations. Your thoughts, or rather your personal memory of past events is also, equally, a myth; A thought to promote your current ID/ego, if it makes the ID/ego Feel BIGGER! Better.faster.s t r o n g e r ... which eventually, by nature, it will fail to provide, returning you to the fold.

No one has an answer, because, simply, there never was need for an answer, to begin with. Just questions?

Why? Why ask? Now you understand? L o V e, my fellow travelers...that is all...l O v E!

This could have been posted here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Total control over the people is the final goal.

When this is achieved (soon) we`ll become slaves, not by force as in past times, but by dependence of everything "they" "own" and we won`t be able to run away as there will be no place we can hide from the controling power.

eatbliss
reply to post by introspectionist

 

Or, quite possibly, it already has all been written and done. You are just living through it, thinking it is a 'new' day. Consciousness is a strange creature, indeed. And, it supposedly resides in many living beings...maybe even the ones we consider not. It is not about the books you read (although, at times it may help), nor is it about the things you've done, but rather, what is going on inside/outside/everywhere RIGHT NOW! That is the only thing that is 'real'. All else is nothing more than faded memory, and speculation. NOW, however, is REAL! (oh, yeah, and LOVE is nice, too...hehe) Have a great everything!

What has been written and done? What do you mean, I think it's a new day?

While "most oppressive times ever" sounds a bit over the top, we ARE living in a time of ever shrinking places to live in real freedom.

To me the USA feels like it has embraced "passive oppression" in a sense. Rather than outright suppressing peoples rights, they have slowly, steadily eroded our ability to strike out and create our own happiness. Basically the people in power in the US just don't actively protect the interests of the people anymore. (I don't know exactly how long that's been trending) but at least to me (32yrs old) it seems to be getting much more obvious. I'm sure part of it is also me taking notice more, but I have visited over 20 other countries and very few seem to regard their citizens as low as the USA regards it's people.

We need to remember that we are as great as any other nation, and we are a great people. With pride in one's work and self respect we need to rise up and take our country back from the people who have sold our jobs, our intellectual property and our dignity to 10c on the dollar to nations who are laughing as they watch us in freefall.

I firmly believe that certain powers have achieved what Khan, Napoleon, Stalin and Hitler tried, and they have done it essentially without ever firing a shot! In a psychotic genius sort of way, they have taken over the world via financially bringing us all to our knees.

introspectionist

eatbliss
reply to post by introspectionist

 

Or, quite possibly, it already has all been written and done. You are just living through it, thinking it is a 'new' day. Consciousness is a strange creature, indeed. And, it supposedly resides in many living beings...maybe even the ones we consider not. It is not about the books you read (although, at times it may help), nor is it about the things you've done, but rather, what is going on inside/outside/everywhere RIGHT NOW! That is the only thing that is 'real'. All else is nothing more than faded memory, and speculation. NOW, however, is REAL! (oh, yeah, and LOVE is nice, too...hehe) Have a great everything!

What has been written and done? What do you mean, I think it's a new day?

Meaning that WE or They, or anyone, may not have any real control over what happens, nor what the outcome is, but that we have the illusion of being in control, or being controlled. I'm just saying that this is a possibility.

CosmicDude
reply to post by KSigMason

 

Oh I dId work a lot to buy a land and build a house to live. Paid a lot of money to buy and insane taxes to buy and build but that is ok. What is not ok is one have to continue paying taxes per year on your own house (the place you live, not a 2nd or 3th house) even if you are unemployed and have no money for it, otherwise they take it from you and you have to go sleep in the street. Isn't this oppressive ?

edit on 26-11-2013 by CosmicDude because: (no reason given)

Not trying to cause a problem, but technically, wouldn't the system that you are complaining that is oppressive, the same system that you believe in when it comes to the ownership of your house/land/etc. Who told you that you own anything, if not the system? Couldn't someone who does not believe in this same system say that you are oppressing them by taking 'ownership' of land, thereby denying them access. Like I said, not trying to start anything, rather, just curious regarding your thoughts on this.

Oh, and just for the record, I do agree with your OP on this.

reply to post by eatbliss


Well, what I think is we all have born thus have the right to occupy a certain space without paying anything for it. I agree there must be a system and taxes but unfortunatly this is far from a fair and ethic one.

reply to post by CosmicDude

Well that isn't oppression, just bad luck as I'm not going to say whether you planned properly or not (since I don't know). When you or those you know are imprisoned or assassinated for their beliefs come back to us.

Asktheanimals
What is worse now than ever are the mechanisms of control and surveillance.
They have never had a larger or better tool kit with which to control whoever they choose to.

Well said.

But I think what worries me more than anything is not what they are doing (that is what they have admitted they're doing). What really scares me is the potential. What they CAN do as they get better and better at mastering and using all this stuff technology has brought.

Who would have ever thought a simple device such as a camera could be such an effective tool of oppression? I mean, OK. Orwell thought of it but really, reading 1984, you can see that he really didn't go far enough with his imagination of how bad things could possibly get.

The "Telescreens" in 1984 were primitive compared to what exists right now on the desktop of every citizen. It's not an exaggeration to say they are not far off from being able to make a good guess at what you are thinking at any given moment, recording it, archiving it and analyzing it with AI software. That's a far cry from the primitive tech Orwell describes.

The most frightening thing of all is that we're not really looking at science fiction anymore. These are things that are very close. If you have children, they will probably be living under constant surveillance within the next 20 years.