It seems that this video has gone viral lately, but if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is, in all it’s amazing-ness!
(warning, adult language)
George Carlin “American Dream” Video
He really hits it on the nose here, huh? The rumor is that this is the last 3 recorded minutes of his career or life, although I have no way of confirming that. I am so glad for this 3 minutes, though.
I just found out the BP bill is expected to go to a vote in the Senate tomorrow. It does hold BP a bit more accountable, although this is tough to do post-spill, but it does create more protections for the gulf and for the coastlines of the US. This is a great opportunity to let your elected officials know where you stand!!!! Please call your senators and ask them to vote YES for the BP bill!
If you live in North Carolina, call:
Senator Kay Hagan
Phone: 202-224-6342
Senator Richard Burr
Phone: 202-224-3154
If you live anywhere else in the US, you can use this link to find the numbers for your senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
While our elected representatives do not always do what their voters demand, they do often pay attention to the number of calls about topics. If they are flooded with messages to do something, they are more likely to do that thing. When you call, you will not be able to probably talk to the senator directly, but leave a message. They tally the calls, emails, letters, etc. It’s very not scary, once you do it. Just call, say “I’d like to leave a message for the senator” and then when they ask for the message, say, ” I want the Senator to vote YES for the BP bill.” They will then ask for your name and zip code, and that’s usually the extent of it. It goes very quickly.
I remember the first time I tried calling one of my representatives. It was while I was living in Chicago, about a year and a half ago. I blogged about it, too! You can check it out HERE.
Here is a great article I invite you to read and ponder. You will have to cut and paste the URL because i can’t hyperlink from my phone.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/mary-kaldor/reconceptualising-war
This way of looking at war, or even political conflict, makes a lot of sense to me. It’s about brokering power, not trying to win. By going to war with an “outside” force, you garner support and power from your own people. Sure, people suffer and even sometimes die, but power is worth the cost, right?
A point that I especially like in here is the idea that peace cannot be attained by trying to appease the so-called grievances of the warring leaders. These excuses for war are created and manipulated in order to establish a sense of “us vs them” mentality which keeps rulers in power. Instead, the article suggests, focus on the everyday people. Instead of engaging in the artificial ideological arguments, take care of human needs and cultural infrastructure and economies. Make it possible for regular people to meet their basic needs (clean water, food, shelter, health care).
It’s an interesting theory. It resonates within me although I can’t really say I know for sure if it is true or not (particularily the offered solution). I do agree that “spin” is one of the most powerful forces in shaping human events. Whoever controls the flow of information has the power to control everything.
These are some of the reasons I’m so fascinated by the nature of reality, or rather, interested in how perceptions of the nature of reality are shaped. The media has so much power in this realm, which is why I am so interested in mefia reform, media literacy education and even creating media myself.
I don’t buy the messages of “us and them” any more than I buy the illusion that we are all on our seperated, isolated journeys. We are all connected, and what happens to one person effects all people. If we can get past our fears of “other,” of “them” and see that they are *us,* we can bypass these stupid power games and reclaim our world!
One way of examining the merits of a system of thinking is to ask, “who benefits?”
For a very current example, the supposition that a public health care option is socialism. This spin technique takes advantage of our cultural paranoia of socialism. Our fear of socialism is of course linked with our fear of communism, which evokes memories of the Cold War.
Pundits and politicians scare up socialism fears because it’s an easy and effective button to push. By pushing this button, they bypass meaningful dialogue and yet stay afloat politically.
Who benefits from this negative hype? Who benefits from the cultural fear surrounding even the word socialism?
In this case, Insurance Companies. Lobbyists. Politicians who will receive campaign backing from Insurance Companies.
I think any policy choices should be examined against what we hold valuable.
See now, here is where it comes down to the shared dream. Here is the place our personal beliefs effect everything, not only about what is important but about how things actually work.
Say, I believe that all people should be able to see a doctor when they are sick. Ok, time for the public option, then? Well, maybe.
Say I also have the belief that in our country, anyone who wanted to find work can find it, and buy their own health insurance. According to my belief, someone who doesn’t have health insurance is obviously not trying hard enough, so it’s not my problem that they can’t get it.
The issue I have with a notion like this is that it assumes an amount of independance that I don’t believe ever really exists. I don’t believe anyone is ever really self-made (unless they are a recluse in the woods). Generally, people are vulnerable to shifts in the economy, are dependant on the government for things like basic law enforcement, keeping the roads driveable and all sorts of other things. Every person who is a financial success had things turn in their favor, often starting with their birth into a white and/or affluent family. There are, also of course success stories of people who started poor and “made it” but, as exalted as these stories are in our culture, they are not the norm. Class mobility is both more rare and more difficult than it is believed to be in this country.
I feel these things are often underplayed in public discourse. “The American Dream” of making it big is still a major part of our cultural tapestry, while the truth is that middle class and poor families keep getting poorer as the rich keep getting richer. In any economic system, policy helps determine how the money moves. Right now, the equation is still tilted towards those who already have plenty.
Who benefits from the belief that anyone can make it on their own? It’s not too hard to see! Now, when will we begin to dream up a new dream?