Pessimism in the Age of Mass Manipulation and Plutocracy…

At what point is it acceptable to give up on our society? Why does our society insist that people must keep trying when it is evident that no matter what some try their lives will still be bad by current definitions or not what they want or that nothing WILL change?  Life is NOT wonderful for many people, for some it’s just a drudgery,  it’s just the way it is and that sucks. Some people are simply unlucky and some people simply are NOT cut out for the “dog eat dog” world that we have created. It is unfortunate? Most definitely. It is sad? No doubt. Is it fair? No, life isn’t fair. Is a change of attitude enough? NO, sorry but sometimes  it’s not enough.

Pretending everything is “ok” doesn’t help FIX the situation. Neither does ignoring it or not talking about it or trying to change perspective. At some point no matter HOW you look at some situations, there is no “bright side”. NOT everything HAS a bright side, unfortunately.

I’ve often heard people say “life is what you make it” or ” that it isn’t the situation but how one reacts to it” or my personal favorite “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”..and many other such pithy comments about how to deal with the trials and tribulations of life.  Some of those adages seem even somewhat condescending and kind of rather a form of propaganda. All the cute idioms in the world can’t make a bad situation better. Some situations are simply just bad, pretending otherwise is devoid of reality.   Now, I’m not saying these bad experiences cannot provide a learning opportunity, or provide an ability to empathize or even grow in wisdom, but even with the long term benefits in emotional growth, the situations ar still BAD, and create much suffering for individuals dealing with them.  Not to forget,  in a society such as ours, that is heavily influenced by crony capitalism, wisdom doesn’t pay the bills or keep a roof over ones head.

What is the point? I mean, really, WHAT is the point of living a miserable existence? Change in attitude can only help to a certain extent. AT some point, some losses are simply too much to bare and are such that life is NOT REALLY worth living under the circumstances.  NOW, I am not suggesting ‘offing’ oneself.  Nor am I suggesting drinking or using drugs to cope with the situation, although I see no problem with that IF that is what a person REALLY wants from life.  (THAT is not my position to judge.)

WHAT I am suggesting, IS,  WHY should we just accept this is “how it is” and take it no further?  WHY do we feel we must accept what “it is”?  WHY do we feel the need to live within these constructs that society has created and which we accept without question?  WHY can’t we just ‘drop out’ of the game? WHY can’t we chose to change our own world and lives ?  Now, with that said, dropping out of our society is not really possible, because  one cannot live without food, shelter and other basics required to sustain life and since we as a society have determined that one must have money to buy basic necessities, unless one has a substantial trust fund or access to money…dropping out is not really an option, is it?

Poverty is NOT a choice, not really.  I tried it…doesn’t work.  (Thoreau was wrong.  Simplifying still requires SOME money, in our current society. ) NO one REALLY chooses to live in poverty…contrary to popular mythology. Some don’t possess the SKILLS and abilities to get out of it, whereas other do have the ability , in spades.  Yet others simply don’t want to succumb to changing their values to survive.   We live in a Capitalist society. Thus without capital or access to capital it is VERY difficult and sometimes JUST impossible to climb out of poverty. Horatio Alger stories are rare and ARE stories, that ARE NOT indicative of actual reality for most.  AND for those whose moral compass won’t allow them to take advantage of others, or who have an aversion to ‘the systems’ as they stand, there is another obstacle.

NOT everyone has a MARKETABLE talent or ability  that is able to provide a means to make money and thus survive. Some people are NOT MARKETABLE. The market will only pay what the market DEEMS of value. Or put another way, people will BUY something they think they want for a price they think the item is worth. Thus unless a human being has the the certain skills or talents which society deems of value, that human being WILL NOT be able to sell themselves to ANYONE regardless of what they do.

NO one likes to admit these things. WE all like to pretend any obstacle CAN Be overcome, but that is simply NOT true. Man is limited in his abilities. MAN is NOT omnipotent or omniscient. Therefore, MAN is LIMITED by what is in his mind and within his talents. NOT everyone possesses the same abilities and values.  DUH!. Yet we as a society insist that “everyone” can do “anything”…that is utter BULLSHIT!

No matter what I do, I will NEVER be able to do certain things….I cannot for example, look at body fluids without gagging and vomiting. ,a career in medicine IS OUT OF THE QUESTION for ME!   NO matter what I do, I will NEVER be able to make a career out of playing sports, as I am a KLUTZ, and most sports are MALE dominated, and I’m not a male. Not matter HOW a male tries, he will not be able to give birth naturally, of course, he doesn’t possess the necessary equipment. Shouldn’t this go without saying? AND some people can’t give up their values to make a buck.  THESE values may seem alien to some or maybe out of the ‘norm’ but they DO exist.  EVEN in the gang culture of the ghettos.  THE people who live on the fringes of society have their own set of values and for THEM, doing things against their VALUES is not acceptable.

FOR me, MY talents lie in my ability to think and reason. WOW…that sounds great doesn’t it? I mean, doesn’t it sound good to be intelligent and possess critical thinking skills? One would think…but the truth IS our society does NOT value intelligence. WE pretend we do, we act like we do, we pay lip service to the concept….but we really don’t.  How else does one explain Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin?  None of these three people are Mensa candidates, YET all three are paid handsomely for their ability to manipulate, AND that my friends is the true “intelligence” our society pays for and values. WE don’t value true intellect or artistic talent…we value those who can tell us a story that we like. NO matter how much evidence there is to the contrary, we as a society believe the con artists, always have.   Which actually lends credence to concept that our is slanted to reward narcissists and sociopaths.   I have read some studies and articles that allege just that idea.

Thus, people who have ethics and morals that are contrary to the mythology we have created, who ALSO see the world for WHAT it really IS and not what everyone PRETENDS it is, have a very difficult time surviving in our society. Throughout history, we have been told the stories of artists, writers, politicians, philosophers, etc, such as Van Gogh, Tolstoy, Nietzsche, Hemingway, Thoreau, Shakespeare…even Einstein, who although THEIR works have been lauded for their genius, at the same time have been riddled with socially deemed emotional and mental  issues, as well.   Does it not occur to anyone that because of their extreme intelligence they UNDERSTOOD how truly FUCKED up the world was and they COULD see it CLEARLY? These people didn’t have MENTAL issues, they JUST didn’t accept society as it was and were chastised for it… they were simply able to COMPREHEND what most could NOT…they simply SAW the WORLD in all it’s ugliness and realized that LIFE is full of lies, manipulation and BULLSHIT, and made the mistake of trying to get others to SEE their perspective.  Isn’t that the reason we all appreciated George Carlin so much?  He saw it for what it was…and told it like it is!

Understanding the world and it’s bullshit makes living in the world honestly VERY difficult if NOT impossible. Doesn’t that stand to reason? Seriously, if one has certain ethics that say it is wrong to lie and cheat another, than a career in sales is PROBABLY going to cause some conflicts. SALES is NOT an “honest” profession…it’s the epitome of manipulation. Our society ACCEPTS it as an “acceptable type of manipulation” but manipulation  just another word for LYING ….ergo its  NOT honest.  However, most don’t ACTUALLY think about it…they just do, because they need money.

Why do I even HAVE to spell this out???? I shouldn’t have to tell people that SALES people don’t CARE about THEM..they care about SELLING THEIR PRODUCT and making THEIR COMMISSION….PERIOD. THEY will say and DO whatever it takes to GET YOU TO GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY. When a sales person tells YOU you look lovely today, DON”T BELIEVE THEM…they say that to just about EVERYONE…the art of sales is to tell someone something plausibly true that the person WANTS to hear.   My goodness…I’m AMAZED at how many ACTUALLY believe sales people!  Anyone who has made their living at sales…especially commission sales, KNOWS that honesty IS NOT the best policy, especially when one has bills to pay and a quota to meet!  A sales person who has a salary MAY be more honest…however, IF he gets a good bonus based on his volume…it’s iffy.

Marketing is another career rife with manipulation. Corporations spend literally BILLION, NAY TRILLIONS of dollars getting YOU to think their product is the best thing since sliced bread…they do it because IT WORKS…and MOST people FALL for it….again manipulation=lying.

There is another career an ethical, intelligent person CAN’T do. Politics….OBVIOUSLY. That one I shouldn’t have to SPELL out! SEE the many, many less than honest politicians as an example.  HOW can one REALLY survive or REALLY make it to the top as a politician without being deceitful, even IF one initially goes into that vocation, with an honorable intent?  It seems to me, the system itself does NOT lend itself to complete and honest disclosure of anything.  VERY few politicians have been able to secure their position honestly.  Al Franken and Bernie Sanders are rarities.  Heck, look at what happened to Grayson…OK…he was a tad over the top, but he was basically trying to stick to his values and “tell it like he saw it”.

Debt collection? That one too seems to be OBVIOUS. Lawyer? Another OBVIOUS disconnect. Law is interesting and is great for an intelligent person to study…but for an honest, ethical intelligent person to practice….it has WAY TOO many complications.

Business as a whole is difficult for honest, ethical intelligent people because it is rife with manipulation, back stabbing, double dealing,etc. ONE has to be devoid of ANY REAL moral values to TRULY succeed BIG  in business.  BUT here’s the catch…everything has become a business, EVERYTHING.   SO, regardless of what vocation one chooses, business and the way it has been bastardized in recent decades to become, is at the heart of any profession.  Thus, the ideals, that it has come to espouse…specifically ‘profits above all else’ has totally derided almost ALL professions.

Machiavelli would be SO happy to see how everything has turned out!  He was SO proven right!  I would think think the Marquis De Sade, is rather pleased, as well…he too has seen his beliefs about mankind come to fruition.  WHY have we espoused, in theory the good IDEALS espoused by the age of enlightenment, YET embraced (behind the scenes) those of the most jaded?

What is wrong with our society?  Adam Smith’s writings are often misquoted and bastardized to fit an agenda.  HOW many have actually READ “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”?  I’m actually thinking very few in terms of percentages of the American populace has ACTUALLY READ the book.  I’m thinking most Americans have read very few of the writings of the ‘Age of Enlightenment”.   While on that subject….of the “age of enlightenment’ why does it seem that we haven’t progressed any further than all those concepts from the 18th century?  WAS that period  humans pinnacle of understanding?   CAN’ T we continue evolving and providing REALLY new philosophies and ideals?  I mean seriously…yes those WERE great ideas for their TIME…but did we stall out and stop thinking further? THOSE ideas were great ideas to BUILD on…not to stay strictly focused on.  While there have been some who have taken it to a new level….such as Martin Luther King, Gandhi,  FDR and believe it or not…Hitler (although his ideas were rather BAD) Still those I mention, were thinking outside the box and creating NEW concepts.

WHAT the the hell is wrong with us, TODAY?  WE don’t seem to WANT to push ourselves to really think about what we should be striving to attain.    While the internet and the concepts it provides are fabulous….we still allowed it to become a business and framed by capitalistic ideals, and in time it will become like ALL other corporate controlled mediums…strictly for profit.  Is that what this technological advance should be about?  Business?
Somewhere along the line…the reason for business to EXIST got skewed.  Instead of existing to provide a product or service TO PEOPLE,  business morphed into an entity solely to produce PROFIT and MORE PROFIT AND EVEN MORE PROFIT.  PROFIT has become the only motivator (or incentive) nothing else seems to matter.  Creating a better product or servicing customers  OR creating NEW innovations to BENEFIT mankind is NOT really important.

The motive NOW is simply to make a  PROFIT;  not a living, not just the  ability to survive or thrive OR to provide man with a better existence; but a substantial maximized  profit for the OWNERS of THE business.  Nothing else matters.  Regardless of whether the business is privately owned or publicly traded…the MOTIVE is money…nothing more. Ergo,  business has became something ugly, that exists solely to make wealth for its owners at the EXPENSE of PEOPLE, and the EARTH and all it’s inhabitants.   I’m sorry, but something about this so called sophisticated “civilized” system seems sick to me.    There really were times in history in various cultures,  where money was NOT the sole motivating factor.  I point to the ideals espoused by most Native American cultures, BEFORE Europeans invaded, as an example.

I’ve been fortunate to have tailored my formal studies around various components of history, politics and economics, in such a way, that I was studying the specific concepts at the same time, and AFTER 21 years IN corporate America.  This combination has proved to be SO valuable, and has helped me develop many of the ideas I put forth on this forum.

BUSINESS was developed as a means to provide for mankind.  MANKIND did NOT come into existence to provide a means for business to exist.  We, people, seem to have forgot that simple concept.    More simply put…BUSINESS exists to benefit mankind, mankind DOES NOT exist to benefit business.   BUSINESS did not always exist nor did capitalism, communism, socialism or even monarchies.  THEY developed over time, but as man progresses, so must our systems of allocating resources.  Are we at that point of creating new ideas again?

In this current world view, someone who is intelligent, moral and ethical, who CAN’T STAND body fluids,  has few vocational choices, if they wish to be outside the corporate paradigm;   writing books (which still has to be marketed and sold, so it’s still has a corporate element ) , journalism is OUT, these days, as it was taken over by big business…(no ethics there, and besides doesn’t pay enough to pay the bills), writing blogs, (very fulfilling…but I don’t know how to make a living at it), working as a public servant (and THAT one is seriously under attack these days, and DOES involve a bureaucracy) volunteer work (but that DOES NOT pay the bills) artist(again doesn’t pay until after one is dead, or unless one sells out to corporate sponsorship), philosopher(not really in high demand these days AND requires at the very least a masters…which is very expensive…the ROI on that one is kind of bad…unless one was BORN to money)  stay at home parent(THAT too doesn’t pay…can be extremely rewarding BUT requires a spouse with money), comedian (and that one too, has it’s perils).  That’s about  it. Those are the only real career choices available for a person with those particular skills,  talents and values . WOW…not a lot of opportunities to REALLY make money in order to live, and in which provides the ability to enjoy what life has to offer and still live by one’s principles, are there?

Even teaching is no longer immune to the effects of our immoral unethical society. Sad…as that one always seemed to be a good one, too. Or at least it should have been…but it too has been taken over by manipulation and ‘market forces.  The whole “no child left behind” thing seems to have destroyed the concept, not to mention the incentives that don’t necessarily provide the MOTIVATION to attract the REAL  best and brightest. (Sadly, many of those, who would be fabulous teachers are swayed by the monetary incentives offered by other career choices as our society as put a ‘pox’ on doing things for other than financial gain, and equally as sad, many of THEM, don’t realize it until later in life.)  Another unfortunate thing going on NOW, is that there are political forces, which are determined to further devalue a vocation as an educator.

It seems our society is now vested in  indoctrination and memorization for our children…we don’t encourage REAL thinking anymore.   So sad.  Not only that, but teaching used to be a stable profession, that at least paid a living wage and if some on the right get their way…well, that certainly MAY change.  {SIGH}

Thus it seems morals and values have become passe. So it appears that in order to survive in this world, one has to give up on being a decent human being IF they wish to be able to keep a roof over their head, food on the table and maybe enjoy some of what life has to offer. THIS is acceptable…HOW??? or WHY??? Personally, I don’t think it is acceptable…hence my desire to give up! I’m rather disgusted by what our society has evolved into…it seems to me, we have gone backwards.  VERY backwards…we seem to be striving for a feudal world again.  Yikes!  WHY?

For me, I want to live a good life. I want to be able to pay my bills, eat, enjoy some of life’s pleasure and STILL remain loyal to my beliefs…what is wrong with that? And at the same time, I want to be contributing to the betterment of mankind. WHY am I the bad “guy” for wanting to live an honest life based on making the world a better place. WHY must I and others) suffer from the  inability to fuck people over???

SO basically, my late night rant is a based on my inability to be a self centered,  corporate lackey, who has no interest in the rest of mankind and the world. WOW, that sucks.  THUS, what is one to do, to make a living in a society that only pays lip service to values;  and how does one reconcile their desire to be ethical , care for the world as a whole still keep a roof over ones head and food on the table?

ANYONE else struggling with this?

ANYONE have any suggestions?