Friday, June 02, 2006
The Absence of Compassion:
Compassion. The thing that separates us from the lower species. So what happened to it? The Divided States of America has lost its national compassion and Americans as individuals have lost their compassion.
The drug war is one factor. The so-called “Office of Drug Policy” propaganda turned people who suffer from the disease of addiction into criminals, as well as people who simply use drugs but don’t fall victim to addiction. That’s when it became okay to throw sick people into prison for using medical marijuana. Even in California there is an atmosphere of contempt among academics towards medical cannabis, college professors turned toady for the new Dispassionate Divided States of America. They call themselves “progressive” while tacitly standing by as our country turns into a police state.
As corporate culture takes over too many aspects of our society compassion becomes disposable. Politicians driven by the Radical Right divide us by labeling some of us as “less than,” undeserving of the respect and dignity all human beings have an right to receive.
Arrogance and ignorance:
That is the combination of ugly behaviors Americans display constantly. Their actions and attitudes assume they know what’s right and wrong for everyone but themselves. Education, art and culture are devalued. Ego and false pride exert themselves in a desperate attempt to hide our abhorrent behavior. Shame no longer exists. It’s okay to ride the bumper of the driver in front and endanger their safety, because arrogance has convinced us the other guy should be speeding or pulling over because our time is more valuable than theirs. They are not another human being trying to safely get to their destination, they are just in our way.
And if we are called on our dispassionate and uncivil behavior we merely get indignant, offended because we have been called on our abhorrent actions and attitudes. We have no shame or guilt because we have been taught never to admit we might be in the wrong. We pretend at morality when we really don’t give a damn about the next guy. Our gas-guzzling SUV (Selfish Urban Vehicle) is our right. We have no responsibility towards the environment and we refuse to listen to anyone who challenges our right to mindlessly consume.
Shallow and empty:
Without compassion we are soulless, devoid of any depth or feeling towards anyone but ourselves. Even our children are merely reflections of our ego, their loss more about our fear than their welfare. Any relationship that becomes inconvenient is abandoned. We chase our desires heedless of the suffering of others. We are “hollow suits.” There is nothing truly civilized about us, yet we think we are the shit.
What’s a Darfur?
Genocide in Africa? That is not news. $3.00 a gallon gasoline is news. Our economic inconvenience is more important than the wholesale slaughter of an entire civilization. Maybe it would mean something if the victims had white skin. Our mass media reflects our selfish and soulless view of the world. Men who we would not invite into our homes because they are mindless, violent bigots are lauded on TV news for the hatred they scream at the top of their lungs.
There is no pride, only ego. We don’t care about any aspect of our world unless it affects us directly, interferes with our mindless consumption. If the truth is inconvenient we create a lovely fantasy and push reality far away. We don’t volunteer of our time and talent. We never give of ourselves. Our community means nothing to us because other human beings mean nothing to us.
Hate and division:
The order of the day. We violently oppose the right of others to live in peace, imposing our will on others becomes paramount. Freedom only applies to those who believe the same things we do. Privacy is a luxury reserved for the wealthy. The suffering of others is irrelevant. The guy who disagrees with you becomes anti-American. Division and polarization are the rule in America today.
Those who care:
Outnumbered. Shouted down. Dismissed. People who call for compassion are labeled “hippies” or “bleeding hearts” and cast aside as radical and out-of-touch. The mass media is dominated by cruel and egoistic people and Americans support them. Fox news gets the ratings. Good people are marginalized and intimidated by physical and verbal violence.
Hope for the future?
Maybe. It depends. We have to grow tired of behaving as raging animals. It could be we need a new leader like Dr. King, somebody outside politics who has no personal agenda. A person who we will listen to when they call us on our arrogant, casual violence. A person to tell us we must stop our mindless consumption. How said leader would overcome our poisoned mass media is a major question.
When we realize the folly of the death penalty, the folly of a drug war that has turned us into the world’s largest jailor, the folly of our insatiable need for fossil fuels, when we are truly ready to change our behavior – only then will we be willing to change. I have grave doubts. Arrogance and violence feels too good to us. We are addicted to our selfishness and lack of compassion. We enjoy acting like rutting animals. Self-examination repulses us.
Until, or if this behavior ever changes – don’t expect compassion or civility from others. We get off on the fear of others. We enjoy blaming people for problems beyond their control because that alleviates us of our responsibility. We are more than reluctant to give up our selfish ways. We continue to make humanity a joke. Those who care are on the point of giving up. We are fast becoming the architects of our own destruction.
And when our behavior comes back to bit us on the ass we will be outraged and surprised. 9-11 is a prime example. We want to be the outraged victim, completely unwilling to look at our part, our imperialistic behavior for the past hundred years. Assigning blame to everyone but ourselves gives us permission to keep behaving in an abhorrent manner. Then we can increase our violence on the rest of the world, increase others contempt and hatred of our society and our government.
We love our hate and we are loathe to surrender it.
Compassion. The thing that separates us from the lower species. So what happened to it? The Divided States of America has lost its national compassion and Americans as individuals have lost their compassion.
The drug war is one factor. The so-called “Office of Drug Policy” propaganda turned people who suffer from the disease of addiction into criminals, as well as people who simply use drugs but don’t fall victim to addiction. That’s when it became okay to throw sick people into prison for using medical marijuana. Even in California there is an atmosphere of contempt among academics towards medical cannabis, college professors turned toady for the new Dispassionate Divided States of America. They call themselves “progressive” while tacitly standing by as our country turns into a police state.
As corporate culture takes over too many aspects of our society compassion becomes disposable. Politicians driven by the Radical Right divide us by labeling some of us as “less than,” undeserving of the respect and dignity all human beings have an right to receive.
Arrogance and ignorance:
That is the combination of ugly behaviors Americans display constantly. Their actions and attitudes assume they know what’s right and wrong for everyone but themselves. Education, art and culture are devalued. Ego and false pride exert themselves in a desperate attempt to hide our abhorrent behavior. Shame no longer exists. It’s okay to ride the bumper of the driver in front and endanger their safety, because arrogance has convinced us the other guy should be speeding or pulling over because our time is more valuable than theirs. They are not another human being trying to safely get to their destination, they are just in our way.
And if we are called on our dispassionate and uncivil behavior we merely get indignant, offended because we have been called on our abhorrent actions and attitudes. We have no shame or guilt because we have been taught never to admit we might be in the wrong. We pretend at morality when we really don’t give a damn about the next guy. Our gas-guzzling SUV (Selfish Urban Vehicle) is our right. We have no responsibility towards the environment and we refuse to listen to anyone who challenges our right to mindlessly consume.
Shallow and empty:
Without compassion we are soulless, devoid of any depth or feeling towards anyone but ourselves. Even our children are merely reflections of our ego, their loss more about our fear than their welfare. Any relationship that becomes inconvenient is abandoned. We chase our desires heedless of the suffering of others. We are “hollow suits.” There is nothing truly civilized about us, yet we think we are the shit.
What’s a Darfur?
Genocide in Africa? That is not news. $3.00 a gallon gasoline is news. Our economic inconvenience is more important than the wholesale slaughter of an entire civilization. Maybe it would mean something if the victims had white skin. Our mass media reflects our selfish and soulless view of the world. Men who we would not invite into our homes because they are mindless, violent bigots are lauded on TV news for the hatred they scream at the top of their lungs.
There is no pride, only ego. We don’t care about any aspect of our world unless it affects us directly, interferes with our mindless consumption. If the truth is inconvenient we create a lovely fantasy and push reality far away. We don’t volunteer of our time and talent. We never give of ourselves. Our community means nothing to us because other human beings mean nothing to us.
Hate and division:
The order of the day. We violently oppose the right of others to live in peace, imposing our will on others becomes paramount. Freedom only applies to those who believe the same things we do. Privacy is a luxury reserved for the wealthy. The suffering of others is irrelevant. The guy who disagrees with you becomes anti-American. Division and polarization are the rule in America today.
Those who care:
Outnumbered. Shouted down. Dismissed. People who call for compassion are labeled “hippies” or “bleeding hearts” and cast aside as radical and out-of-touch. The mass media is dominated by cruel and egoistic people and Americans support them. Fox news gets the ratings. Good people are marginalized and intimidated by physical and verbal violence.
Hope for the future?
Maybe. It depends. We have to grow tired of behaving as raging animals. It could be we need a new leader like Dr. King, somebody outside politics who has no personal agenda. A person who we will listen to when they call us on our arrogant, casual violence. A person to tell us we must stop our mindless consumption. How said leader would overcome our poisoned mass media is a major question.
When we realize the folly of the death penalty, the folly of a drug war that has turned us into the world’s largest jailor, the folly of our insatiable need for fossil fuels, when we are truly ready to change our behavior – only then will we be willing to change. I have grave doubts. Arrogance and violence feels too good to us. We are addicted to our selfishness and lack of compassion. We enjoy acting like rutting animals. Self-examination repulses us.
Until, or if this behavior ever changes – don’t expect compassion or civility from others. We get off on the fear of others. We enjoy blaming people for problems beyond their control because that alleviates us of our responsibility. We are more than reluctant to give up our selfish ways. We continue to make humanity a joke. Those who care are on the point of giving up. We are fast becoming the architects of our own destruction.
And when our behavior comes back to bit us on the ass we will be outraged and surprised. 9-11 is a prime example. We want to be the outraged victim, completely unwilling to look at our part, our imperialistic behavior for the past hundred years. Assigning blame to everyone but ourselves gives us permission to keep behaving in an abhorrent manner. Then we can increase our violence on the rest of the world, increase others contempt and hatred of our society and our government.
We love our hate and we are loathe to surrender it.
# posted by Phillip T. Alden @ 12:55 PM 
