Well folks, this is it. We're at the crossroads leading to Heaven or Hell. I hate to be so absolutist about this, but it is what it is I guess. I just wanted you to know that which way we go is pretty much going to be determined by you... yes, YOU.
I just finished watching the CBS (or See B.S. perhaps more appropriately) South Carolina GOP "debate" (if that's what you want to call it)... and just... wow. I tuned in to watch my long time personal pick, Dr. Ron Paul. If you missed the 90 minute debate... here's the whopping 89 seconds they allocated for him:
Let's set aside the fact that I'm a fan of Ron Paul for just a moment however. Hell, for the sake of argument, let's say I don't even like the guy. With that said, I still don't see how something like this is defensible. The media's job (or at least what it is supposed to do anyway), is to collect as much information as it can on a given subject, and to then in turn present that information to the public, so that each individual may establish and create their own fully informed positions and opinions on the subject at hand. This is no small thing either. I believe it was Buddha who had said that "We exist in a world of thought" (but don't quote me on that, it could have just as easily been Tony Robbins or something I read in a fortune cookie for all I know. Everything around us is a by-product of what was once nothing more than someone's thoughts. I mean, even you are the by-product of two people thinking that having sex with the other person was a favorable notion. What I'm saying is that you, me, and nearly everything around us is simply:
Thought + Energy + Time.
So it stands to reason, that if you can control or influence what an individual thinks, you can in consequently influence what they do, and as such what becomes.
Sorry, I'm not trying to get all Confucius on you here or anything, I just need to bring that up to illustrate my point here (I'm not even sure what my point is yet, so bare with me here)...
You see, what we're experiencing here is a very unique time. We are witnessing more than a Presidential election here in America right now. What we are witnessing is an ideological shift... quite literally, a revolution of the mind. That is to say, people are beginning (and quite rapidly I must say, possibly due to the relatively recent prevalence of technology as it applies to communications), to actually think differently.
This is particularly noticeable with regards to politics. Self-identifying Democrats I talk to seem to be adopting different views on a variety of subjects than they once traditionally had. And the same can be said of those who are self-identifying Republicans. I think much of this honestly has to do with Ron Paul (and I swear I'll get back on topic here in a second... A.D.D. can be a son of a bitch sometimes). You know the saying "square peg / round hole" used to describe when something just doesn't fit or match? I think the relationship politicians have to the public is really a lot like that. The public, and public opinion is much like the hole in this instance. Politicians, and what they say they'll do, is the peg. Traditionally however, what you see politicians do is whittle their peg down so that it fits whatever the shape of the hole is. And it's almost like a race to see who can whittle their peg to fit the hole first. But then you have this guy Ron Paul. For over 30 years now, he has held the exact same shape peg. Not once has the guy attempted to whittle it to be a different shape than what it is. He just says, "the shape of the peg is exactly right, and I'll just keep pushing it against the hole until eventually, the shape of the hole changes to fit the shape of my peg." I think we're starting to see the hole being pushed on enough that it's starting to fit the peg instead of the other way around.
This sort of ties into what I was talking about with regards to Thought+ Energy+ Time though...
What the media did this evening was effectively attempt to simply shelter the hole from the peg. They tried to make sure that YOU and the rest of your fellow Americans, received as little exposure to Ron Paul as was possible in order to prevent him from being able to shape public opinion (the hole), to fit his peg (or his ideologies/economics/politics). This is exactly the opposite of what they are supposed to be doing. They are supposed to be presenting you with a fairly balanced amount of coverage of each of these candidates so that YOU can make a fully informed decision as to what you think... and therefore will do...and therefore... what will become.
Why would they do something like this? Well, if I had to take a crack at it... considering that people will more often than not work in their own self interest, I have to presume that it is most likely that something Ron Paul is saying he wants to do as President is not in the self interest of the individuals at the top of such mainstream media outlets like CBS. Perhaps some of the same people that own CBS also are being well served by their relationship with some of the privately owned banks which make up the "Federal" Reserve that Dr. Ron Paul keeps saying he wants to abolish. Or, maybe they're making a healthy chunk of change being involved in weapons manufacturing and sales which would take an obvious hit if we weren't engaged in wars with... what is it now? 6 or 7 countries now?
The reason this is of such great concern to me though is that throughout history, we have seen several various ideological revolutions. When something like this gets underway however, there seems to be little to nothing which can be done to stop it. Like Victor Hugo had said, "Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come.". That being said, revolutions come in two different flavors... you have your non-violent revolutions. And then you have your less desirable revolutions filled with bloodshed, misery, loss, tragedy, and sorrow. When revolutions are effectively prevented from manifesting themselves through non-violent means, the unstoppable ideas which fuel them seek other means by which to manifest themselves in our world... in this case, the only other alternative to non-violent means, becomes violent means. You can see my cause for concern when I see individuals who are central in non-violent, ideological revolutions being subjected to attempts of suppression.
This is the part of the blog where we come full circle back to my mention of us being at the crossroads to Heaven or Hell and how which direction we go is very much your decision. I think most people recognize this ideological shift that I have been discussing is all around us. I think most people understand and would agree with Victor Hugo and his assessment of the unstoppable nature of ideas. If it's true that there is an ideological shift in this nation, and that an idea whose time has come is indeed unstoppable... then what will each of us do? What will we do, knowing these things? What will we do knowing that non-violent means are currently being pursued to manifest these ideas, and that when non-violent means are successfully suppressed, those ideas seek other means by which to manifest themselves, given their unstoppable nature? Will we gamble against the odds as history as given us, and just hope that if the non-violent means of manifestation are suppressed that this will effectively put an end to people's changing ideas? Will we simply continue to have 4% voter turn outs in local elections? Will we continue to care more about what happens in sports, game shows, reality tv programs, and soap operas than what happens in our Congressional, our Judicial, and our Executive branches? Will we continue to leave politics to career politicians rather than seeking office ourselves? Will we continue to place more value on knowing all the lyrics to modern pop-music songs than the words written in our Bill of Rights and our Constitution?
I don't like to be the one to say it, but we must be aware more now than ever that for every action we take, we also take inaction. If we take it upon ourselves to attempt to suppress the existence of such ideological changes through non-violent means, then we are only taking action to ensure that such changes will most likely occur through violent means as they have all throughout history. However, it is also impossible to be neutral where this issue is concerned. If for example, we choose to remain neutral in these matters, and instead, go back to our circuses of Rome as it were... then we are in effect advocating for the further allowance of those who would attempt to suppress such non-violent means of an ideas manifestation. That is to say that if we choose to do nothing, we have also chosen to do something which favors violent outcomes for ourselves, our families, our friends and our communities.
Let us hope that we have the courage of heart and the strength of mind to accept these things, and to conduct ourselves in a manner which is consistent with such acceptance. May Freedom, prosperity, happiness, wisdom and Love be the path we collectively embark upon as we move forward from here.
Happy trails...
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