Now, maybe you can't tell from what I've said so far, but I love this fucking country.
And you wouldn't know from how hard I am on Hollywood, but I love our movies.
They don't have to be Kubrick stuff either, check my profile.
And you wouldn't know from how hard I am on TV, but I love a lot of TV.
The good is a thin trickle, but it's really good when it's good.
TV is an old technology, but still has such huge potential as a teaching tool.
It still manages to do a lot of good, despite the dogpile of insistent and relentless bullshit in the system that has to be wrestled through.
And maybe you couldn't tell from the rant that started all this, but I love a lot about our culture, and we DO have a culture.
It's just that the mainstream at large doesn't seem to give it a glimpse.
If a country doesn't embrace its own culture, is it a culture?
As for the culture this country DOES embrace, the shitty shows, the shitty movies, the shitty music, the dumbass slogans, the dumber-ass political soundbites, the outright horrible pundit books, I'm completely alienated from it.
I'm divorced from it.
If that's America, dead stop, then I just keep my stuff here, but that's the only relation I have to this scrap of dirt.
Fuck it all, throw in the towel, we're done.
It's a loveless marriage, and we're only together for the kids.
...but....no...the trickles of possibility keep me going.
I know deep down, the portrait of this country as a big Spring Break meets Dogpatch vomit and V.D. puddle is more media bullshit.
It's another product from Liars Inc.
And the evidence of that, is the laptop computer right in front of me.
I love our science, because I believe if ANYTHING can save us, it's science.
Superstitions, and superstitious wish-thinking, offer us NOTHING for rescuing our species from the jaws of oblivion by disease, or famine, or a doomsday rock, or whatever.
In the case of the latter, the chances may be slim closing in on none, but at least it's a chance.
See what prayers do.
And as hard as I am on on our economic system, I love the industries born of our science, that's why I get angry when the jobs born of those industries get outsourced.
And it's why I get pissed when our prosperity gets gets warped by advertising and political hustlers, and conspicuous consumption becomes a value, and equated with patriotism, and we're told this mindless and meaningless consumption is the lifeblood of our economy, and this economy is America's biggest asset.
No, the people are.
The innovation of people creates the wealth that strengthens our economy.
Making the economy a THING that's valued above all else is putting the cart before the horse.
Shit, if it's all about green pieces of paper, and the race to be the last robber baron standing, sell the country to the Chinese lock, stock, and barrell, and get it the fuck over with.
But don't dare spew patriotism at me out the other side of your mouth while you do it.
This chest thumping bullshit about our invincible economy our pundits and politicians constantly beat everyone over the head with is just more meaningless blather to shovel un-earned pride to the ignorant.
That's the real tragedy of this country that wastes its potential.
Arrogance, ignorance, greed, and fear.
That's the cocktail that's bringing us down.
And it's all fueled and oiled by, you guessed it, meaningless slogans.
And I even call it a tragedy, because it's something I give a fuck about, cuz I give a damn about this country.
I want us to be doing better.
And that brings me full circle to what I love most about America.
What I love most about this country, is every breath of freedom I draw within it.
And I don't need slogans, superstitions, and symbols in order to feel it.
That's why I get so FUCKING pissed at all the weasels trying night and day to peck away at that freedom.
And I'm sick to death of the cloud of bullshit they so feverishly and successfully hide themselves in.
And why I want to punch the jaw right the fuck OFF of pundit douchebags that play the "think my way, or you're a goddamn traitor!", card.
Or, the "we represent REAL Americans", card.
Please, go drink a bullet, swine.
"Blame America first", and "chattering classes", is some tiresome empty-headed shit that has to go too.
More mindless buzzwords.
More meaningless slogans.
A substitute for real thinking in every case.
Free people don't need these brain shackles.
THEY'RE the ones with contempt for your freedom in thinking you do.
Stop handing it over to them.
You know better.
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14 comments:
Rrrrr. CraZy good rant. Definitely sloganization is the root of all evil. Everything turned into repeatable sound bites that worm their way into people's heads. And like a horrible piece of xmas music, it sticks in there and is really difficult to get rid of.
Apologies for not approving your comment on my site sooner, a number of my websites have been criminally neglected as I've started career work.
How are you?
Cool...
sorry... I meant "Hell yeah"
Apart from I'm not American
Sharon-
Lol, interesting comparison, x-mas music.
Didn't think of that, but yeah...
*Legion*-
Eh, I've been keepin' on keepin' on.
Still misanthropic for the most part.
:P
Ya make any games yet?
Was that Force Unleashed thing one of yours?
Lee-
Glad you liked it. :)
And if anything I said about the bullshit in the US also applies to the cultural/political climate in Australia...my condolences.
Diacanu,
I've read this a few times now, trying to find something to pick at (just for the sake of a discussion) but I'm going to give up now and just cheer...
Mark_W
Me:
I've read this a few times now, trying to find something to pick at
Christ, that makes me sound like I go around trying to find fault with what people have written, doesn't it? Sorry, not what I meant to suggest at all; I merely meant that, at that time of night, I had failed to find anything constructive to say apart from, "Bravo!".
I shouldn't post after I've been drinking - in the good old days of dial up, it took me years to realise that "opening port" wasn't an order to start drinking...
:-)
Mark_W
Mark -
You're one of thE most thoughtful people I've ever *read*. The fact that you take so much time to read and think about what other people have written clearly shows your constructive intent, I think. Your imput in discussions is infinitely valuable. You've got me thinking on countless occasions just from your comments to a post.
Hope I'm not stepping on Mike's toes here on his blog, but I can't see where your comments could possibly not be welcome. You Brits are so adorably self-effacing. :)
Sharon,
Gosh, thank you for the exceptionally kind words, genuinely very much appreciated...
I do over-panic sometimes, when it comes to the interwebs, that, in the absence of helpful pointers like pitch of voice or body language, I'm going to be totally misconstrued (partly because I've totally miscontrued more than enough electronic communication myself, in my time!)
Of course, regular denizens of the intertubes know all this, and make allowances - it must be a British thing, as you say!
Thanks again, and your own blog is marvellous, too!
:-)
Mark_W
And if anything I said about the bullshit in the US also applies to the cultural/political climate in Australia...my condolences.
I'm not a 'true blue, fair dinkum Aussie' yet... so I just look around the place like a tourist still. Some culture is copied from the Brits, some the US - some is homegrown... all wrapped up with a "she be right mate - no worries"
Lee
Huzzah! I am sick of these endless slogans. I've heard that every time something is repeated your brain makes a copy of it. Argh! Stop wearin' grooves in me brain! Enjoyed your rant!
You know the stupid slogan I hate?
"Government wouldn't last on the free market, because it doesn't have stockholders to answer to."
:::Banging head on desk:::
I just want to grab morons who say this and scream, "VOTERS are stockholders, dumbass!"
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