The rise of Republicans, the co-opting of the conservatives and the

[BR_Parkway]

general dissatisfaction of the American public (mostly on the other side of the aisle) is nothing more than the logical end product of our decades of mass media advertising. YOU can have this, YOU should have that, everyone else already got theirs why not YOU.

I'm 41 years old, my entire life has been the cycle of a TV in nearly every home - from the original b&w with 3 stations and shows directly sponsored by a company to today's Mega-corp that owns the TV, radio, print AND products they keep selling on the media channels. Look at typical CNN line up - 3 minutes of soft news, 10 mins on barely veiled product endorsement of some type.

So, for my entire life, I've been hit from all sides that I deserve the good life, I should have everything the Jones down the street does. And its been a successful campaign - look at how many Americans are over their head in debt paying for a bunch of stuff they don't need. Buying a house they can't even afford to furnish, or a massive 4WD tank that they wouldn't even park on the grass, much less need to engage the 4WD to go through some muddy off road track.

And once corporate America had stoked those fires high enough that the frustration built in the many who just can't spend anymore (mid 80's)- they needed an outlet so the masses wouldn't riot in the streets thinking they'd been cheated out of theirs so they pump up the Rush Limbaugh's and start blaming different groups.

• If you don't have yours is not that you have unrealistic expectations. It's the fact that they let some other skin-colored person have your job or college slot through one of those liberal affirmative action programs. Once we get those liberals out of the way, you'll finally get yours
  
• If you don't have yours is not that you have unrealistic expectations. It's those damn liberal women who didn't want to stay home like good wives that kept you from advancing on the job once they entered the work force. Once we get those liberals out of the way, you'll finally get yours
  
• If you don't have yours is not that you have unrealistic expectations. It's those secular humanists who rejected Christ so He took his blessing off the good ole' USA before you got your reward. Once we get those liberals out of the way, you'll finally get yours
  
• If you don't have yours is not that you have unrealistic expectations. It's those pesky homos demanding special rights, threatening your marriage just when you're on the cusp of getting your big reward. Once we get those liberals out of the way, you'll finally get yours
  
• If you don't have yours is not that you have unrealistic expectations. It's those welfare queens sucking big government tit so they can sit home and crank out more illegitimate babies when they aren't joy-riding around town in their Cadillacs. Once we get those liberals out of the way, you'll finally get yours

So, they can still keep you wanting more and more to keep selling you stuff. And, with corporate backing, they can provide the politicians with an electibility factor AND keep the masses distracted enough not to examine the reasons they really don't have (or sometimes even want) all the stuff they are trying to sell.

During the middle class boom (50-60's), when the majority was happy with the stuff they had, how much they had done better than the previous generation and the future looked bright - that was also the strongest time of support for progressive causes - for Americans in general being concerned about those who didn't have. Women, blacks and other minority groups were making progress and were happy to see it. That's the idyllic world that today's conservatives are trying to sell to the public.

But the dissatisfaction levels are too high. We're still pumped constantly to want more and more and more stuff. Minorities in all groups are very unhappy with the lack of progress a couple of decades after seeing so much promise back then. In many cases, each group can see specific actions happening to roll back some of what's already been accomplished.

And the greed factor has set in, the thinking is changed to "how can I be concerned about what the other guy has when I'm still not happy about what I have. I want mine - and I'll break the rules to get it, I'll sell my soul to the company to get it, I'll take a third mortgage if I have to - but by God, there is no way that I'm going to show everyone what a failure I am by having anyone see that I don't have all the stuff the Jones's down the street do."

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I agree with you. The pervasive attitude toward status and

materialism reminds me of the fairy tale of "The Fisherman and the Flounder" wherein after a fisherman saves the life of a flounder, the latter grants various wishes to the fisherman. He makes those wishes on behalf of his wife. The wishes start innocuously with a desire for a decent house and escalate to where where the wife wants to be the Pope,and to control the sun, moon, and stars. At this point, the flounder returns her and the fisherman to their hovel, where they were truly happy. I'm afraid this might be the blueprint toward our future. If we survive and become more community-minded and dependent upon one another, it would be worth it, but I don't see an attitude change inherent with financial ruin.

[rfranklin]

2. Also important--people allow themselves to be defined by their stuff...

The clothing, the electronics gadgets, the jewelry, the cars, the houses...Their identity is so deeply entwined with their things that it is deeper than just greed--their entire psyche, the core of their being depends on having that stuff. Look at the success of the SUV. You will hear people insisting that they are constantly driving around with a fully loaded four-wheel drive, yet when you see them on the road, it's usually a solo driver perched high above the road, using the threatening size of their vehicle to intimidate other drivers. Put them behind the wheel of a Honda Civic and they suddenly become "small and "weak."

[NMDemDist2]

3. K & N, well said indeed n/t

[Burried News]

4. The purpose of advertising is to create dissatisfaction.

To create need, To create want, insuch an environment peace doesn't stand a chance.

[unhappycamper]

5. Link? n/t

[BR_Parkway]

6. Link for what? It's just something I wrote

[xchrom]

7. i gave it a k & r