What happended to good ol' American Revolt?
While watching my newest Netflix delivery (that the mailman didn’t break in half trying to stuff in my mailbox) something occurred to me tonight. The movie was Network, the 1976 Oscar winning film for Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch*, Beatrice Straight and Paddy Chayefsky.
The immortal words of Finch’s character Howard Beale, “I’m mad as Hell; and I’m not going to take it any more” keep ringing in my head. However, it’s not only those words in that line that sticks out and leads me into introspection this morning. It’s the words that come before and after in subsequent scenes that really ring true in my head.
Words like…
“And woe is us! We're in a lot of trouble!! So, a rich little man with white hair died. What does that got to do with the price of rice, right? And why is that woe to us;
Because less than 3 percent of you people read books”.
Because less than 15 percent of you read newspapers.
Because the only truth you know is what you get over this tube (television).
Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube.”
Isn’t that an amazing thing to say, this movie was released in 1976, a whole year before I, myself, hit the (air)waves. And isn’t it more of the same truth today. There are increasing reports and studies that come to light highlighting how American high-schoolers nowadays are not fit for their own country’s higher education system, even less of them now how to balance a check-book, or give a succinct synopsis of a 3 paragraph article. But yet all of them know how what electronic gadgetry they want the holidays. If not all of them, a high majority know the full names of the actors in
Voting Rates are dropping
Lexus now has a CAR THAT PARKS ITSELF!
65% OF High School Seniors cannot locate
80% of US Families did not buy a book last year
58% of the US Adult population never reads a book after High School
Homer Simpson has held 110 jobs in the last 18 years
The
The Leader of the Free World was a C student.
Our Government is letting numerous Corporations POISON us!
US Government would rather ignore the facts of life, than teach it to our children.
WTF is THIS SHIT - $8500 Nike Sneakers
I don’t want to spend the entire 1024 x 768 bitching about our society, so I’ll leave those couple out there. What I’m trying to say is rather simple (as it always is). We as a people (I’m talking to Americans, you Canadians keep your comments to yourself) are being flushed. We are not paying attention to the things that will affect our lives for decades to come. We continue to teach our children BULLSHIT. We continue destroy (and lie to) the rest of the planet. We continue to believe that wealth and its sometimes insidious chase is the root of all our salvation. We continue to watch E!. The more we travel down this path, and the more we let others who have even less to contribute to our society dictate our lives and travel itineraries, the more we will see ourselves fall behind the rest of the world. The more we let our “leaders” stifle innovation and creativity, the more we become drones and followers. Isn’t it strange that a German auto manufacturer had the brains to come up with the saying “Never Follow”, but yet they only use it in US ads? We must revolt, OR BE CRUSHED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THIS MADNESS!
We must take the bull by the horns and shout it out. WE ARE THE PEOPLE, AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE YOUR HORSESHIT ANYMORE.
WE PAY YOU TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN THE TRUTH, KEEP US SAFE & HEALTHY, NOT TO ENCROUCH IN OUR LIVES, DO NOT LIE TO US WHEN WE ASK, WHY?, DO NOT FRIGHTEN US WITH LIES, AND STOP USING OUR CHILDREN AND OUR DREAMS AS FODDER FOR YOUR CANNONS
Was that loud enough?
AND DAMMIT STOP THE MADNESS IN
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