[vegasmade]

Our minds have become the ultimate wasteland. Conditioning and convienence have eroded all advantages our advanced brains once held. We've gone from masters of our universe to beasts of the field, without realizing that we conceeded anything. The scope of our thought rarely exceeds the bad jokes of our must see tv. We bow at the alter of consumerism, worship our possesions, and praise conformisim. We spend our lives accumulating petty little trinkets of little actual purpose and even less real value. We fill our bodies with chemicals, watch our asses grow, and then wallow in our own misery, as a natural cycle of life. The people who actually claim health do it for the wrong reasons-sex appeal being the leading motivator. We work our 40 hours and then spend the other 100+/week trying not to work at anything. All the while thinking this is the pinnacle of civilization. What an illusion it is. And oh how our eyes decieve us. In the land of wealth and opportunity, we squander the wealth by snorting the opportunity.
But it's not our fault. Okay, maybe it is, but it doesn't matter, right? No, it no longer does. Our collective free will has abandonded us to unsustainable lives and a bleak reality. The future looks even worse, but at least some have shaken off the dream and actually opened our eyes. Kinda hurts that first time, doesn't it? The pain is so overwhelming, many will choose to close them again and humm their favorite theme song into oblivion. Those we cannot help. Hell, it's hard to make sense of all this with the lingering headache. We can pass along the information, but they still have that free will. And though we know which choice they'll make, we must stand by. The people who recognize reality were the ones already looking for it. It is us who are the future. We are the thinking, seeing, humans. They are robots, conditioned for nothing more than sucking the life out of living. Sure many have hobbies and interests that get them off their seat occasionally, but all are still too brain dead to search out truth and knowledge. They stiffle it with conditioning and the status quo. They allow themselves to be divided into parts, taking on unyielding positions, repeating party lines, and spreading their blissfull idiocy. All the while, the dividers fuel the hate. Hate of each other, and hate of oneself. Perpetuating the cycle.
The age of empathy is over. It is descision time. Either care or don't. The fewer who figure it out now the better. We can't save an already over extended planet by supporting the problem. All the easy descisions made and inherited have left the hardest ones for the present. Sacrifice is inevitable. I'd give my life to prevent the impending disaster, but that choice isn't available. I have only the choice to forward the information and let free will do the rest. Not a situation to enjoy, but it's the fun and games that got us here. Plan for the worst, and leave hope to the rest. Prepare yourself to face your fears. Most things are beyond your control, be responsible for those that are. And smile! Relish the idea of begining again. Rebirth is the circle of life. Embrace the world, it's beauties and wonders, but never forget the cause of our current dilema. Those of us who embrace the truth have an obligation to remake the world in a better form. We only lose by going the way of the dinosaur.
Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Embrace the future, no matter what comes of it. Embrace each other, those who've removed the blinders. Embrace freedom, the kind your mind will feel once you've shaken off the headache. Your heart will follow, and then you'll have it. The meaning of life may very well be progression. Progression of our souls and the enviornment that molds them. We are leaving a chapter of humanity while preparing to write the next one. At no time in history have the few held that power, and fathomed the responsibility that that power brings. We share this burden, the pain isn't felt by just one. And it's the pain that allows for pleasure.
Good Luck

[lorenzo]

I think you are describing a tiny micro minority of people on the planet, namely the average Anglosaxon Protestant.

I understand that you can only describe the world you know, but I can tell you that I don't recognize anything of what you write, neither would my friends or family.

So please don't generalize. You are describing a very specific culture (Anglosaxon Protestant consumer capitalism), not a series of general human traits or habits.

[lorenzo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vegasmade', 'O')ur minds have become the ultimate wasteland.

[Raxozanne]

I accidently got confirmed in an Anglosaxon Protestant church
What the hell does anglo saxon have to do with anything, is this anglo saxon thing a joke?

[vegasmade]

A great post and I agree fully. I realize some qualification was entirely necessary. I apologize at the generalization. I've seen so many threads from people who can't understand letting go. They were probably typical WASPs. It's refreshing to hear there are places not plauged by what I spoke of. Not that there shouldn't be, our delusion of grandeour is ours and I fit the form.
Your post is perfect for my intended audience. There are people living just fine outside of our twisted and limited reality.
Where is it you are at? I'm just curious. If you can't relate to my little rant it sounds like a delightful place. Best of luck to you postPO

[vegasmade]

Lorenzo-You're absolutely right. An extended vacation out of the waste land is exactly what i've always wanted. Even before the revelation of peak oil, I knew getting out of here was necessary for me. I do not watch tv, I try to live a minimalist/spartan lifestyle, and have been thinking tropical beach lifestyle longer than i've been an adult. Chilling out is my middle name, i'm with you there man. Raxozanne may have been the post I saw that, with others, pushed me to write all that. I live in a country dominated by the stated train of thought. Most of my family and so-called friends would have a hard time arguing with my statements. And it drives me bonkers. This enviorment strangles induviduals and zapps the resolve to change. I live in a state of intellectual isolation, not sure if my disintrest in the status quo is justified or certifiably insane. To seek help would guarantee head drugs, so I haven't. And though I'm not new to the net, only very recently have I had access like I now enjoy. It may have saved my life. The reminders from people like you-that this isn't the only way it's being lived are refreshing and motivating. Thank You very much

[Wildwell]

So first we generalise everything, then Lorenzo says its all Anglo-Saxons (is this racist?) who ‘We bow at the alter of consumerism, worship our possessions, and praise conformism.’, meanwhile posting on another thread about wanting to buy a cute little car.

*pauses*

You people worried about loosing credibility at any point? The negativism on this site is painful and actually quite destructive and certainly isn’t going to achieve much. Don't assume everyone is interested in money, taking drugs, having 12 sex partners, worships possessions and so on. Some people have an 'interest' in things they own, achieve and do, quite different from worship.

[Raxozanne]

Democracy is a lie that is designed to make us believe that we have a choice when in fact none exists. As long as the leaders make us believe there is choice then they can justify the way things are and keep us relatively under control. Big business and greed runs the real show. The figures show that ever more people are not bothering to vote, wonder why? Wonder why there are increasingly more people being locked up?

Society and our way of life ensures that everyone takes their place as a cog in this capitalist machine. This society makes me depressed, I will be a happy cog is the machine stopped and I fell out.

[Wildwell]

I’m not sure democracy works anyway; it just panders to people’s wants and the current ‘conventional wisdom’. Democracies are also high energy. If we had a dictatorship (I’m not saying we should!) it would cure the ‘peak oil’ problem, tomorrow.

But the beauty of a democracy is you have the power of argument and you can form your own political party, take part in one and persuade people to follow if you don’t like the current system.

[vegasmade]

Raxozanne-I agree. Your reality and mine jive pretty well, minus the pond and 2500 additional miles. Maybe we just need to leave the happy cogs behind and roll off to a more friendly locale. If you find us Lorenzo, the drinks are on me. Wildwell you're welcome too, same offer.

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', '
')Material convenience has made it possible for us to use our brains more effectively and more often. People used to be busy with hunting for food, cooking it, eating it, sleeping, having sex - nothing more. Today, we don't waste time on these things. Instead, we have more free time to think.

[lorenzo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Raxozanne', 'I') accidently got confirmed in an Anglosaxon Protestant church
What the hell does anglo saxon have to do with anything, is this anglo saxon thing a joke?

[Wildwell]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Raxozanne', 'I') accidently got confirmed in an Anglosaxon Protestant church
What the hell does anglo saxon have to do with anything, is this anglo saxon thing a joke?

[vegasmade]

First of all, this was directed to anyone who found it to apply. Everyone and no one. As far as classiffing by race, let's just chill with that. Call us whitey, call us whatever, don't target any definable group. And let's not get excited about fitting in or not fitting in, any named or unnamed group.
It's ruined the tone of a perfectly sour post. Besides, the whole point of this site is remembering we're all humans, we've all got a stake in what goes on here (earth), and only through knowledge can anything work. Here, there whenever! So on that note, I'd like to point out that if you actually read my post and this thread, and it didn't apply to you. Well you just got an idea why we re-elected the cowboy, they could have stole the vote and everyone's too hypnotized to care.
As far as the glowing reference to Catholics, you committed the same sin I did, not taking into account the multitude who reads this. American catholics don't even go church (50%+/- from a decade or two ago), the hiearchy either seems to be a pedophile or covering for one, and the pope seems to be against, hedonistic maturity. Whatever that means. They do like abstinence, no contreception, and life. Please no definition, much nicer for everyone to imagine.
So to return this to a psyche thread, how does PO affect your societies?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he age of empathy is over.

[Raxozanne]

I think that democracy started out meaning well: securing peace and rights for the public etc. but now it has become like Efrafa warren in Watership Down. Now that the country is overcrowded the emphasis is now on keeping people in line and in their place and making sure that they don't rock the boat. Making sure that people are controlled in every aspect of their lives. The thing is people don't like to be controlled, we weren't meant to be controlled. If you value freedom then you won't like democracy.

[rerere]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 't')ry to be a bit more Catholic.