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I was sitting on my deck this morning chatting with my wife. She just read the NY Times Sunday article on the China reporter detention. China - land of abuse of rights. I work for a company that is just about to go there in a big way. We have the Bush misadministration, we have Cheney, we have Paris and Anna Nicole. etc etc etc
We've always been empathetic, we've always been concerned, involved, connected. But, now that we've passed 50, and having grown up in a time that, for whatever reason, seemed "better" - I wonder if anyone else is feeling like we - the collective, big "WE" - not just Americans, but civilization in general - are now in decline culturally, morally, intellectually.
We appear to have crossed lines that will be difficult to uncross. Our lifestyle works - or has worked up to now - because we feel connected, those more fortunate helped those less fortunate. We stop at red lights. We don't steal each other's mail. We care for the environment (or perhaps these should all start moving into the past tense). We tell the truth.
But, what do we see now? We see people - incredibly hypocritical people in positions of power - use religion as a weapon. We see people just outright, visibly lying, in the face of clear evidence that they do so. We see an incredible division of have and have not - we see Katrina. But even worse, we see that the line can be crossed and there is nothing to pay - the reason that Bush, Cheney et al are now so bold to parade the lies and deception is that no one can, or will, do anything about it. Once that line is crossed and it is clear that anyone can do whatever they want, the whole fabric of our culture breaks down. Hope starts to dissolve - it becomes every person for themselves.
So, we sit on our deck and drink our coffee and watch the birds - and wonder if we are at a point where we are becoming powerless - we need to find our own peace and sanctuary. We do what we can, we make the calls that we can, we protest, we blog, but essentially, we have seen the best of our culture, and because of - what - natural evoluation, the incidious impact of corporate media - advertising, mindnumbing crap TV, dumbing down, apathy - our ability to make a difference is degraded.
I don't want this to be a downer, and I've not lost all hope - but I have to admit that watching the impotence of the left to fight the visible crimes of the right over the past 7 years, watching corporations flock to a country that has no regard at all for people, this all leads to a feeling of increased isolation, and wishing to just make our own little piece of the world as fulfilling as possible.
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