Whenever I turn on the television I am reminded that I live in a nation full of idiots. With so much going on in the world to be reasonably pissed off about, I can imagine those people in world governments simply saying "Just keep them entertained, and they'll never know." While I doubt that they actually think that, or say it rather, it definitely seems to be the truth. Countless people throughout the country sit glued to their television sets to find out what's happening on American Idol or what the latest celebrity gossip is, and completely forget that there are things going on in this world that shouldn't be happening -- things which could have been avoided, and could be changed were people aware of them. There are possibly even things going on within our own country that if people were paying attention would cause them to get so upset that a revolution takes place.
But no, they sit in front of their televisions day in and day out, ignoring the world around them, ignoring the injustices that take place, some of which could be happening in their very own households. I have witnessed a mother tell her own son to be quiet because she was trying to watch TV, when he was simply trying to get her attention. That is an injustice. Yes, that's it, just keep watching your precious television and you'll never have to face the reality that seeks to drag you down into the deep, dark chasms of depression and anger. Keep watching the mindless drivel that spews from your TV and listening to the mind rotting swill coming out of your radio so you can dumb yourself down to the point that if you were to ever hear the truth, or to see it, you would forget about it instantly.
One of the biggest problems I see in American society is that many of us no longer treat each other as human beings. If we ever did, I cannot claim to know. What's unfortunate is that some people seem to care more about money than they do about their own families -- than they do about their own children. Some people care so much about money that they don't care if they have anything else. I was browsing images on Google when I found one that was a blue background with white text that simply stated this: There are some people who are so poor that the only thing they have is money.
I read that and laughed, although it's rather saddening since it's true. There really are some people who are so obsessed with money that they would kill their own mother -- or father, or son, or daughter -- if the price was right. There are some people who are so involved in attempting, yet failing, to fill their own greed that they lose their family, friends, and all the things that truly mean anything; losing all those things that truly have value.
I can just imagine it now, the year 2196, the American motto is changed from "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" to "Get Rich...Or Get Trampled Along the Way." But wait, that's already happening now. People are so caught up in the illusionary value of money that they step on those people under them on the financial ladder. It's a neverending cycle of "I need more money" when you forget that money can't buy anything when you're buried in the grave. This is the problem with capitalism: it creates a dog-eat-dog mentality in which people only care about themselves and their immediate household, viewing no one else as being their responsibility when the truth is we're all human beings, and we're all each other's responsibility.
The only reason money has any value is because we're told we cannot survive without it, or rather that we cannot get those things which we need such as food, clothing and shelter if we do not have it. I can tell you from my own experience that that is a load of rubbish. There were times in which I was unemployed, homeless, and had no one I knew that could turn to, and yet I survived without monetary income and without theft; but I could not have survived without human kindness and generosity -- I could not have survived if it weren't for the fact that there are some, although seemingly rather few, people in this world who realize that there are some things more important than money, including the needs of a complete stranger.
But don't take my word for it, ask yourself whether or not you would have those things you value the most if you had no money; if your answer is no, then you may try asking yourself if your priorities are genuinely in order.
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