[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', 'I')'ve been reading some of John Taylor Gatto's stuff and finding it very interesting. It suddenly occurs to me why some children win many awards in school and others don't receive any.

[128shot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('neocone', '
')
I mean who under 18 post in this forum?

[Baldwin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', 'I')'ve been reading some of John Taylor Gatto's stuff and finding it very interesting. It suddenly occurs to me why some children win many awards in school and others don't receive any.

[Rob_0126]

Well, as the title suggests, it's much worse. The puppet masters of the government want to make total idiots out of our kids. Then it will be easier to control them. Simple?

[max_power29]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Baldwin', '
') A) village government B) faculty/administration C) owners of prominent town instutions (the best restaurant for example) D) helicopter PTA parents who were usually on the selection committee

In my Catholic high school, the award list for seniors reads startingly like the list of highest contributors to school fundraising.

[mercurygirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheDude', 'T')hat's in Surely You're Joking! isn't it? Great stories in there about lockpicking at the Manhattan Project, and the guys who were storing cases of uranium seperated by merely a thin wall...

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'M')ost of the dopers I knew in high school landed exactly where everyone expected them to, nowhere. Some of them were among the smartest, most talented kids I knew.

[Rob_0126]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'M')ost of the dopers I knew in high school landed exactly where everyone expected them to, nowhere. Some of them were among the smartest, most talented kids I knew.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '
')My brother went the straight-arrow-honors-and-corporate-monkey route. He's set to retire this year, and I gotta tell ya, he is one of the angriest, most disillusioned people I know. Oh sure, he's got his "benefits", and most of his stuff is bought and paid for, but I have rarely throughout my entire life seen him smile.
.

[max_power29]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '
')My brother went the straight-arrow-honors-and-corporate-monkey route. He's set to retire this year, and I gotta tell ya, he is one of the angriest, most disillusioned people I know. Oh sure, he's got his "benefits", and most of his stuff is bought and paid for, but I have rarely throughout my entire life seen him smile.
.

[I_Like_Plants]

If you're rich, why ain't ye happy? Linky: linkl

[jboogy]

mom and dad work, work, work to get the huge house , the fancy car . meanwhile the simple pleasures of the past thousands of years , walking through the woods with your kids , helping mom bake cookies , playing monopoly or parcheesi etc. , fall more and more by the wayside 'cause parents are either always working or too tired after work to do more than stare at the boob tube and dread the next days grind.

[I_Like_Plants]

Exactly.

[shakespear1]

Yepp, not too far from the situation the landless had when kings ruled.

I remember when I was small majority of my friends parents and mine would be home by 4 PM. That is long gone now. People spend more time commuting and working then being at home relaxing.

[gg3]

"The colonization of time" goes hand-in-hand with "the war on subsistence." The goal of both of these being to monetize 100% of everyone's life, so there is nothing one can do without having to get permissions or spend money to do it.

And the worst part is that it is nearly impossible to just continue living by the old rules. The system is rigged to force people to adapt to changes that are destroying their lives. Next time you hear the phrase "movers and shakers," ask yourself what happens to those who are moved and shaken.

[oowolf]

A life of voluntary poverty and simplicity for 35 years. I still don't carry "I.D.", pay income taxes, drive/support ICE powered vehicles, fly in planes, wait in lines, or anything else I don't want to do. I call it "freedom". Strange thing is...it was amazingly easy.

It's pathetic that there exist so many that have accepted the lie that "life" consists primarily of mindless consumerism.

Where have you people been all your lives?

[ECM]

I came across this article and thought that it gives a decent look into the consumer culture. This is a Word document and is 4-5 pages of reading.

Consumer

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')As you read the following two paragraphs, picture a Northern/Western consumer in your minds’ eye. You will find it alarming how readily one can apply the characteristics of a narcissist to a Northern/Western consumer. Narcissists need attention, admiration, affirmation, and applause from others to reinforce their false sense of themselves. They have a grandiose sense of entitlement. They only care about appearances. They lack empathy. Everything and everyone are mere objects, unconditionally and uncomplainingly available for their pursuit of instant gratification. They are perniciously exploitive, using, abusing, and discarding people in a chilling manner. They have convinced themselves of their superiority, omnipotence (unlimited power), and immunity. They feel a deep need to “put people in their place” as a way to reinforce their regal sense of self. Narcissists are firmly convinced of their self-importance, making them feel entitled to special treatment, immediate gratification, and leniency (indulgence) (Vaknin, 2002).

Still with the consumer in mind, narcissists are impervious to the consequences of their actions, feel above reproach, feel protected, and believe they will be saved at the last moment; hence, the audacity and transparency of their consumption behaviour. They rarely cover their traces and are convinced that they are above moral laws. Since they tend to get away with it, they tend to feel immune to repercussions. They lack self-awareness and feel like a mere spectator; hence, they do not own their actions. Therefore, they cannot understand why they should be punished, feeling very wronged when they are reprimanded for their actions. Being held accountable is always a huge surprise and a nuisance but also proves to them that strong forces are out to get them. When made to pay for any misdeeds, a narcissist is always disdainful, bitter, and feels mistreated (Vaknin, 2002)

[undertaker]

Great find! I downloaded it, read and saved it. Thanks!

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'T')he best consumers are techtopians. They believe in the progress of the human mind applied to toys. They buy the lastest cameras, cars, mp3 players. Especially rich techtopians because they buy cigrareette racers, fast cars, private jets and yachts. And they order in from fancy restaurants (but that food is not packaged!!) and they use little LEDs.

The next best consumers are travelers. They believe in the power of multiculturalism and finding deals in small native villages. They believe that the simple agrarian folks, in New Mexico or Vermont, or in ancient cultures in 3rd world countries, or even in your older european areas, can teach them about humility, thrift, localism, native foods and crafts, kultures,and especially community because these simple natural people are closer to the earth mother, the ultimate source of wisdom. They bring back stuff and then they open stores like Pier1 Imports.

The next best consumers are rednecks. They like burning up shit whether it be gasoline, forests, plastic-styrene cups, or the wrong neighbors. And they do it for the Gipper, the country, and the flag because they know (in what is left of their intellectual command) that buying shit is good for the economy

The next best consumers are fat people. They just like bulk.

oh and teens.