Re: roberta, through the streets

On Mon,  1 Dec 2003 03:29:09 -0800 (PST), A.Melon
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>>...but can't help wondering if anyone truly acts of
>> his own free will in this society nowadays.  (Nice ideal though.)

>In the world of mass media those who have practiced mass psychology throughout 
>the ages gained greater control, and the biggest threat to that is the freedom 
>of the internet.

Not sure I get your meaning, but after turning off TV full of news
lite, and "buy! bigger! better!" advertising, I don't have a problem
with those posting about whatever cause of the weak they believe in.
Looking at reactions, at least these aren't as mind-numbing as product
pushing, and they've found something beyond their own little personal
day to day world of getting by paying bills and getting more stuff.
There've been plenty of good changes coming from those who challenged
the status quo pre-internet, but it's been a long time since I heard
complaints like "all their kind do is breed".  Is there some basic
human need to have some group to look down upon?  Isn't that something
those who practice mass psychology have used to control? 

>> That government pie does keep getting bigger all the time with just
>> about every interest fighting for its own piece of the action and when
>> the pie reaches its upper limit, Congress collaborates again so the
>> pie can get even get bigger.
>
>I snipped Robin because I have a size limit. No offense intended.

Well, even though your first post was the longest one in the thread -
til this one maybe - none taken. :)

>Don't forget that for every dollar a government collects in taxes, about 80 
>cents goes to finance the massive beurocracy required to run it. The people 
>think their money is going to finance hospitals, roads, etc but in fact most of 
>it is paying for an army of civil servants.

I'm no fan of bloated gov't, but even if that's true, that 20% is
still plenty enough to keep hundreds of registered well-paid lobbyists
busy. Government is one of the biggest employers in this country, if
not the biggest, with some of the best pay and benefits, and
employment keeps the economy buzzing.  Are there really many who
don't take advantage of whatever gov't benefits they find they're
entitiled to that will help them along, be it unemployment benefits,
business write-offs, whatever, and don't the majority pay those taxes
come deadline, drive on the right side of the road, conform enough to
stay in the mainstream flow playing by most of the rules, just going
along cuz it's easier that way.

Part of the reason for posting that stuff was just to show how big and
out of control things may be, yet as citizens, how many get involved
in the process and are aware of how changes can be made, or do a good
number step outside, calling themselves independent thinkers, still
complaining with talk of low lifes.  Those who got the most, got it
because there were advocates in there pushing for it, whether they're
ones with lots of money wanting more tax breaks or those at the bottom
wanting gov't to help them move up.  There are plenty at the top
feeding at the trough, too, with some white collar swindlers as well
as street criminals.  Having heard the "I'm a tough independent who
pulled myself up by my bootstraps so you get off your ass already"
complaint for years, that's just talk til those complainers do
something to change the system, just as "the system is stacked
against me" complaint is noise. 

The original post didn't make it here, but it looked to me like a
complaint about what he sees as results of an unfair system where
people rely on preconceived notions of "them" and was looking to talk
to TPTB to find a way to change attitudes, not looking for handouts or
feeling sorry for himself, but positive really, but the thread turned
another way with some telling how self-reliant (better?) they are and
complaints of "them". Some posts ended up doing the same thing as the
original - complainting about a less than perfect system, so I posted
about what the hallowed halls of the less than perfect congress had
done lately just for the hell of it after reading something else about
new defense spending.  

Since the original post sounded odd, yes, I googled. From here,
doing their internet freedom thing.
http://adbusters.org/magazine/50/articles/prisoner.html 

Robin