The lockdowns are recent history that lasted two years. This has been going on a long time. I started to see it with my son’s friends. He turns 30 next month. I noted in an earlier response, driving is a responsibility, and we took that off kids’ To Do lists long ago.
Agreed completely on this point - the destruction of adulthood has been an ongoing war of attrition, over at least the last decade. Seeing it come to fruition with the lockdowns has been mindboggling.
This predates lockdowns by a more than decade at least, RH.
This article is basically describing reality, as the writer and we once knew it, versus online. And reality is losing. Social media has allowed an entire generation to live, meet people, love (or a version thereof..), learn (or a version thereof), be entertained, join virtual worlds, play games, get upset, and have sex in the mundane ubiquity of basements, darkened rooms and as they wait in line for a smoothie. It is the new conformity, as you alluded to.
The real world is losing, and we have AI to look forward to in taking the artificial to a whole other level. Gen Z is already screwed, but what about the five years olds on iphones now?
Yes, the ground work was laid long before Lockdown, or it could not have worked. We must keep trying, though. We see what is happening. We have power to do something about it...
if I do nothing, I too succumb to the message of powerlessness. I refuse to be another victim of the war against Humanity.
These are the fruits of oppression; to rage against the machine only when the machine allows it, and to go only where one is told to go...who will teach them to fight back, and break free?
Are the riots on Chicago's magnificent mile good? It is the rage of young men fighting back and breaking free of society's rules, but it seems unsupportable rather than praise worthy.
It is not fighting back when one is fighting FOR - that is compliance, to do what one is told to do, to do what one is allowed. They were told to do this - and they did. Through social media, high societal approval and propaganda, these rioters have been explicity told to rage in that place and time.
-They were instructed by social media post to riot at that time and place
-Little enforcement was made, and police are being defunded
-The Mayor of Chicago condemns those who criticise the riots - NOT the rioters: "It is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
These youth were starved BY their communities, then fed lies in its place. They are only allowed to rage where the machine tells them to rage. They were not allowed to go to church during lockdowns, not allowed to visit loved ones...
No, to the whole " the machine" idea. Not a believer in an overarching conspiracy, plot, or machine. Find it frightening that people believe that their actions are controlled by another and they have no ability to select their destiny.
Being "powerless" against "the machine" removes responsibility for any action. Actions have rewards and consequences intended and unintended. This is not deny larger factors like the country one is born in or your childhood, but within one's realm there is some control.
Refusing to be an eternal Victim is the first step to Freedom. Freedom takes responsibility, because it acknowledges autonomy of action. "I choose to take this action" is a declaration of independence; "Look what you made me do" is an Abuser wearing the mantle of Victimhood.
They’ve become the submissive bed wetting basket cases our dependency groomers in DC wish them to be. Living, iPhone in hand, with a long list of existential threats...racism, hate speech, transphobia, climate change, permanent COVID, unsafe spaces, driving, abortion access, intimacy with an actual human, competition, taking tests, white supremacy, inequity, FOMO, making simple decisions...is just too much to bear for our sensitive young adults in this cruel world of ours. Failing to understand that those avidly stoking fears were to be ignored is one of the many mistakes they’ll regret later on.
Who? Certainly not their parents. I made a point of not having kids, so I don't plan to instruct a lost generation, which IMHO cannot be saved. The simple answer is: "no one."
Lockdowns haven't been good, but I spent spring of 2020 in my car, because gas was $2.00 a gallon, exploring various remote rural areas precisely because I didn't want to get infected.
I especially enjoyed rural areas because they were much more likely to be sane and non-hysterical regarding things like masking, one-way grocery store isles (remember that comedy?), etc.
My wife and I had a similar reaction. We spent a month in 2021 driving small highways from Washington State to North Carolina and and back, staying in small towns we didn't know anything about, trying to learn more about this country now.
"See the USA in your Chevrolet" used to be a thing. To a lot of drivers now, the interstate territory between big cities is the driving equivalent of flyover country. Never venture farther off the main highway farther than necessary to find gas and a double latte.
I've noticed this as well, but it has benefits for those unafraid of small town, backcountry America. I hesitate to advertise this "hack" because I wouldn't want to ruin it, but the truth is that most urbanites wouldn't pay attention anyway.
When we evacuated the Tampa Bay area for Hurricane Irma, we left at 3 am and took the back roads north, avoiding the slowly moving parking lot of I-75 at all costs (despite evil Google maps constantly trying to direct us back to the freeway). My son's friend's family left at almost the exact same time, but took the freeway. Both kids had Instagram or Snapchat (not sure which one), which has a tracking feature so users can tell where their online buddies are, setting up an unplanned but very illuminating experiment.
Well, by 8:30 am, we were breakfasting at a Waffle House in south Georgia while they were somewhere around Ocala. We were pulling into our hotel in Rome, northwest of Atlanta, when they finally crossed the state line into Georgia.
Because of this, I think the horror classic "Deliverance" should be broadcast constantly throughout Florida prior to and during hurricane season. Keep all those urbanites scared stiff of hillbillies and other rural folk so that they stay on the interstates and leave the backroads uncongested for my convenient and unobstructed travel.
I wonder if one remedy for everything happening now would be more road trips. Driving through vastly different parts of the country and seeing that most people, no matter where, are largely just People might make folks feel less like they are constantly under attack from those unknown people out there.
If nothing else, it might help us all have a little more context about the world we live in instead of assuming our bubbles are the sum total of reality
Road trips are a blast. When my sons moved out, I worried how my husband and I would do together. We went on a road trip from San Diego to Dallas, to Memphis, to St. Louis, to Bozeman, and back to San Diego. It was so much fun and renewed both of us. along the way we stopped to see places that were along the way, Elvis' house, the ducks at the Peabody Hotel, the Arch, Mt. Rushmore, and more. If you can, go!
As into internet discussions posters here on the Free Press are, I suspect that most have them have a good sense of being plugged-in while remaining relatively well attached to reality.
Driving certainly was a rite of passage when I was growing up. In our high school, we used to have Wednesday afternoons off so we would all pile into cars, along with a case or two of beer and head to Washington Crossing state park for an afternoon of frivolity. There was also the opportunity for adventure, complete with the dangers that sometimes accompany it.
On one winter day, me and three friends decided to go for a drive in my 67 Plymouth Barricuda, after a fresh snow on tires with minimal tread . All was going well until we came upon a bridge crossing just wide enough for two cars. There was a fair decline leading to the bridge and just as I entered it I saw a car entering from the other side, facing similar conditions. I was traveling faster than I should have been. If I tried to brake there’s no doubt I would have ended up sideways and at best ping- ponged off the sides of the bridge and at worst, crash through it and into the river below. All I could do was try and keep the car straight and in my lane while hoping the other guy could do the same. As we approached there was dead silence, four pounding hearts notwithstanding. One small error by either of us would have resulted in bent metal and a lot of explaining to my parents. Thankfully he kept his head, and we passed without incident. There isn’t a video game that could inspire the rush of fear, hope, and empowerment we all experienced at that moment. I’ve had other such moments in my life. I suspect that one did much to prepare me for the rest of them.
We live in a different world now. When I grew up there was no internet or cable tv. There were no supervised after school activities. The area I lived was still pretty undeveloped so for the most part, we had to devise activities to amuse ourselves. Sometimes that meant playing “chicken” on a frozen pond to see who could skate closest to the thin ice without falling through. Sometimes it meant constructing ramps and jumping them on our bikes. I can say from experience that nothing focuses ones mind so acutely as making a landing without scraping face first across the dirt or landing crotch first on the bike’s cross bar. As I entered my teen years the risks we undertook increased, like fashioning a toboggan out of a piece of discarded corrugated tin with my father, attaching it to the back of his station wagon with a piece of rope and speeding through a snow-covered peach orchard. Maybe the most exhilarating activity was piling onto a chopped, V-8 powered Ford station wagon my uncle fashioned into a sort of dune buggy. Its sole passenger features consisted of a bench seat and a sheet of plywood over the gas tank. Seat belts and handles weren’t included. My cousin, who was a bit older, usually drove and he seemed obsessed with trying to throw us all off with sudden, high-speed turns. The most memorable attempt involved getting the buggy onto two wheels.
Unfortunately, the pond we used to skate on has been allowed to silt in because heaven forbid, someone might drown. The makeshift ramps we used to construct have been replaced with skate parks and governed by safety rules promulgated by personal injury lawyers and insurance underwriters. The farms we used to slide across and traverse on two wheels are now county parks where such activities have been replaced with walking paths, bird watching stations and dog parks. I’m not sure how our youth's reaction to the restrictions and reduced opportunities for free expression will play out. I suspect the teenage mobs that have recently rampaged downtown Chicago may provide a clue.
Parents thought a curfew would keep their daughter from getting into trouble. Trouble could be found after school, long before dark! As regards the back seat of cars, a young girl was safer on a motorcycle! I remember with fondness my days as a carhop, carrying milkshakes and burgers to cars. I met more boys. ... The late sixties and early seventies were the very best!
Fantastic comment - you nailed it. It’s up to us to teach them to break free. The root of everything is fear and free speech. If they’re too afraid to express themselves, they won’t drive, date, live, etc. I wrote an open letter to the leaders of Substack about protecting free speech - will The Free Press and its brilliant readers co sign it? https://substack.com/profile/64905469-yuri-bezmenov/note/c-14787883
Canada's dangerous current government is poised to pass Bill C-11 to censor the Internet. This group of fools argues that the bill will protect Canadian content in the era of online streaming, but that is a ruse. It will censor online content -- including criticism of their policies -- and close the door to global markets.
Justin Trudea is a lunatic as are the Clintons, the Obamas, Jeff Bizos, and the whole Biden administration, is a scam, if we leave the situation as it is we doomed to hell, we need to take our lives back today how I have no idea maybe we all just go back to basics of Flag,Family and country we have to start somewhere.
True, but other than embedding that in our constitution and building the most successful advanced society in the history of mankind around free speech, no fear, and the rights of the individual; what can be done? If 50% of the population thinks free speech and individual rights are “hate speech” and “systemic racism/ eco-terrorism “ then we are done. Put a fork in us. We had a good run though!
I'm not convinced that anywhere near 50% of people believe that. We're just letting a loud and motivated minority tell us all what to do. I know I have nothing but anecdotal evidence of this, but it is how I feel...or perhaps HAVE to feel so I don't lose all hope.
I hear you, Kevin. Unfortunately, my “evidence” is
actual polling data, election results, and objective reality. Anecdotally I’d wager that 50% is being conservative and that it’s much higher.
But what do I know? I live in a state that has legalized drugs and criminal behavior, closed churches and gymnasiums, arrested people for organizing and protesting, forced children to take experimental drugs, encourages illegal immigration on an unprecedented scale, and just banned gas powered cars…
I have hope too, but it’s starting to turn to anger. Another pop-culture phrase from the 1980’s: “You won’t like me when I’m angry”
Haha no, it’s California. But my brother lived in Kent. He was a big fan until apparently he couldn’t take it anymore and moved to Portland. Talk about “out of the frying pan into the fire” 😂
I did some time in St. Augustine once, I liked FLA; but I grew up in the South and am used to it (heat, humidity, flatness, gators, rednecks, bugs (omg...the bugs! big bugs...the kind that will carry off your dog or your kid!) 😂 I'd move there myself but my wife can't handle anything outside of her Cali comfort zone...
I wondered if you were lumping all people who voted a specific way. And that is why I don't totally buy it. Plenty of people on either side of the political divide don't 100% agree with everything their side does. People vote the way they do for lots of reasons. And sometimes they do it without fully understanding what they voted for. I would put money down that plenty of people will leave an area because their own politicians 'ruined' it, and then go to a new place and vote for the same things that screwed up the place they just left.
My suspicion is that many people are more moderate in general, but they may have a couple of issues that end up pulling them to one side or the other. And at times a political movement may take a rather radical position on a topic, but not everyone who ends up voting for that movement necessarily agrees with it. Or in some cases even knows for certain that is what they just voted for. Too many people get their info from narrow (or even faulty) sources. And politicians do a great job or misrepresenting themselves.
On top of that, both parties have become opposites as far as their platforms. If one is for something the other will be against it. So if you have a item that is super important to you, say, abortion, you only have 1 party to vote for that supports your view. And voting for them means you get ALL of the other things as well, like it or not.
All of that is why I wish we had more than 2 parties (or NO parties).
I know many people who vote Democrat, who think they are Democrat, who think they know what they are voting for, but they really have no idea. Some of these people care a lot about abortion. They also get crazy news sent to them. Like "GOP is trying to ban all books"
1st off, thank you for your reply. I can see you think about things more than skin deep.
I am inclined to agree with you but I increasingly am having difficulty defending a single position put forth by the Democrat party. There are some positions held by the Republican Party that I disagree with, but at least I can have intelligent civil discussions with conservatives I disagree with. Not so with Leftists and Democrats these days.
I have more than one issue that is a priority to me for sure. I used to be a liberal democrat, you know, pro-democracy, constitution, equal justice under the law, American exceptionalism, free speech, anti-war, anti-racism/sexism/homophobia, pro-labor, strong middle class, LIFE, liberty, and “you know the thing!” 🤪…blah blah blah
I can no longer find a single one of those core issues that the left leaning Democrat party defends or isn’t outright destroying in name and deed.
Can you? If so, please elaborate. I won’t be snarky or bite. I just really can not truthfully find an issue that I agree with the Democrats on. Not one.
Am I brainwashed or something? Did they really just promote racism, identity politics, start a world war, keep our kids out of school for over 2 years, promote one race of people over another, promote censorship of free speech, put razor wire up around our Capital, force children to take experimental drugs, burn down cities and attack police nationwide, hold political prisoners in gulags, and now attempt to have their political opponents (and church goers, people who post memes, and any other people they disagree with) arrested and thrown in prison?
I’m sorry, there is no more middle ground here for me to “reach out” to. They, the Democrat party, are literally the opposite of everything I have ever learned to love and respect about the USA.
Please convince me I’m wrong. But do it before the Democrats ban/cancel/censor us from being able to discuss it here on Substack.
Glad to be having a nice discussion with a stranger on the internet :) I am going to bet that you and I don't actually disagree that much. You specifically mention the democratic party and defending what they stand for. Well, you won't get much help from me on that. I pretty much agree with you about the party...but I am not talking about the party. I am talking about voters.
I suspect that some of it is just perception. I remember when I was younger in the 80's and 90's. Back then, it really felt like parts of the Republicans were the ones pushing for social control. Religious groups seemed to regularly be trying to censor or guilt. It wasn't that long ago that they were the ones trying to prevent homosexuals from marrying. They wanted to censor speech and what you were allowed to do or say or eat or smoke. So I can totally see how someone older, like me, might still be in that mindset and see the Reps are the bad guys. Especially if they only watch CNN or read the NYT. The latter part there is a BIG thing to remember. Many people live in information bubbles. They are not making choices from a good pool of data.
Also remember that there are groups that are voting in lock step because they have been convinced that have to or they are betraying their in-group. This is part of why I think the Dems are so big on keeping people in their little groups. If you are, say, black, and you vote Rep, then you are not really black (our current president flat out said this). Same for being gay, or a woman, or poor or whatever. You are voting against what's best for you. If people ever realize that being black or white or gay or straight is not really a defining characteristic and that you have way more in common with people based on values and interests and choices than skin color or gender or who you shag, we might see a big change. But some powerful people have a very vested interest in keeping us thinking otherwise.
What I want to get at is that you should take some time to separate the party from the people. I lived in Denver for several years and now Asheville NC. Both are pretty Woke places. Both surrounded by what I see as pretty Traditional areas. But day to day, I see those two groups largely get along. And I can have conversations with individuals about all kinds of things and still be civil and keep our respect for each other. But then again, I rarely meet people day to day that want to groom kids with drag shows or still wear their masks. I also rarely meet people that don't want any woman ever to be able to have an abortion or keep gay people from being with who they love.
I don't want to convince you that you are wrong. I don't think you are. I think the Dem PARTY is awful. But I also think many people that vote for them are either ignorant about the people they are voting in or think they are getting the lessor of evils because they get a filtered view of their 'opposition'. Loud mouthed billionaires who insult everyone around them (including people supposedly on their own side) are not helping that. TDS is real, and I think it really stopped the 'red wave' this past election.
But I know I may be wrong. Maybe more people than I want to admit are just that wrong. I do know they exist. I have worked with them. Even been friends with them. But they were not 50% of the people I have met. And like I said...this may just be me putting my head in the sand so I can cope. If I actually believed that anywhere near 50% of the people were totally on board with what the elites have planned for us I would probably be suicidal. A society that fundamentally divided, let alone having that many people lacking basic logic and reasoning skills cannot survive. There will be a collapse at some point....and it will likely be bloody. So here's to hope...
Great reply. Totally agree. You were referring to the voting public and their perception of reality and their motivations. Sorry, I just went off on the tangent. My brain works that way.
I even remember saying much of the same things about the Republican party not that long ago. Same difference, just other side this time. For instance, many of my friends who currently support the arrest and indictment against Trump for purely political reasons get very upset with me when I remind them of their very own stance 30 years ago when it was the Republicans doing it to Bill Clinton. It was wrong then and it is wrong now. But for some reason, back then my Republican friends just disagreed with me, shrugged, and then we went about our usual business. But now, perfectly rational and yes, intelligent people, I have known for decades have lost their f'ng minds! They "de-friend" me, cancel business contracts, tell their kids not to play with mine...get seriously mad at me (just for pointing out their hypocrisy) Maybe that is TDS and maybe similar to Republicans back in the 90's with CDS, but this seems so much worse. I would never tell anyone who to vote for, and it never used to be something worth worrying about. I really believed that despite our differences in how the country should be run, both sides had the best interests of the people at heart. Now I am convinced otherwise. I do try too get out of any "information bubbles" and see all sides. I am very open minded. But there is something wrong...something I know in my heart what it is, but like you, admitting it and resigning myself to it is too depressing to think about. I feel like my life is in the hands of petulant children from Golding's "Lord of the Flies".
I remember one of my dad’s favorite insults to people who proudly claimed they were from California…He would say “Congratulations! That’s a good place …to be from!” 😂
It means "we should be the change we wish to see in the world". It means "somebody should do something, and we are somebody". It means " think globally, act locally". It means "if not us, who; if now, when?"...
These quotes are more than mindless koans - these statements are the wisdom of centuries, the empowerment of the individual to change the world. But the System is teaching learned helplessness against itself and empowerment only through the itself. We must take back our own power, and recognise our ability to change what we can where we can.
We start by meeting Humans face to face whenever possible, outside the constraints of the internet. Build the local wetware network -
<i>It means "we should be the change we wish to see in the world". It means "somebody should do something, and we are somebody". It means " think globally, act locally". It means "if not us, who; if now, when?"...</i>
Those are all bumper stickers.
I want you to lay out the plan for instructing a generation of slackers how to be engaged with the world, when their parents have already raised them to be exactly that way and when the Big Tech they worship WANTS them to stay brain dead. Because the "learned helplessness" of which you speak is fueled in part by bumper stickers.
So I want to hear the details. You know, like a business plan. How do individuals without control over other individuals, who do not want to be influenced by other than "influencers (in the worst possible way)" & who suffer from the disease of woke hive mind, brain death, etc., impart their wisdom of centuries which presumably is now, what, genetically expressed? I live my life with as much interaction as I can, but the last time I had a great interaction with someone, there was not a single horde of teenagers nearby to witness it. I mean, do I contact high schools & do my interacting as a guest lecturer? No bumper stickers, please. I already do meet humans face to face whenever possible, but so far it hasn't made a dent & I do have a day job.
I don't mean to be snippy here, but words are the cheapest things out there.
First, let me say it sounds like you are really trying to be engaged, and secondly, that you frustrated by it. That's how I KNOW you are genuinely involved. There is a cost when we try to interact - it wears down the soul when we work hard and it seems to make no difference. So thank you for trying, even when no one sees.
Next, yes, those sayings ARE 'bumperstickers'. Thats why I chose them. They are wise words, familiar to us, but we no longer recognise them, because they have been spoken without action. That leads us to dismiss them. We have lost their power, because we have abused them.
Finally I'm genuinely honored you think that I would have the plan to fix this.
My plan starts with me.
1) I recognise my own Power to change the world, even when no one else does.
- I must fight against my own learned helplessness. I DO make a difference.
2) My Gift is my Power. I must find my Gift, and give it.
- I write. Some people cook. Others teach, or hammer nails. What is your gift? Give it.
3) I will find the Ones to whom I will give my Gift.
-Online and off, Interaction is limited in this world, so I must find my forum. The mundane is frequently overlooked. The grocery store, church, work, home; I must offer my gift freely, even if it is just a smile, and don't stop giving just because of haters.
4) I will see the Human behind the interface.
-Online or off, People behind the barriers need to know they are valued. My support and encouragement mean a great deal. and the mssage I wish to share is connected to that support.
5) I will recognise the Opportunity when it comes.
-Look for the Hidden Path, the moment when the door opens.
6) I will know my Message and speak it boldly.
-What do I need to say? How can I say it in love? Write it down and work it in.
7) I will refresh my Spirit
-Encountering people and giving my best requires me to take care of me.
8) Try again.
-I won't give up.
9) I will Fight until the Battle is won or done.
-Let the Battle end, not because I quit, but because I fought until I won, or could fight no more.
10) I will give the encounter to God, and leave it in His Hands.
-When it is over, I ask if I did all I could do. If I didn't, I ask forgiveness and try harder. If I did all I could do, then I give it to God, and let the planted seed bloom under His care.
That is my plan for me. I'm sure it sounds trite, but they are words of my Father...
words are cheap only to those who don't value them. These words are more precious to me than Gold, because I know what they meant to the One who taught me.
I'm not "trying to be engaged." I am just living my life in the way that is suited to my demeanor and personality. So you don't need to "thank" me, any more than you need to thank me for, I don't know. "Trying to have hazel eyes," which I already do. I don't actually care what you think of how I live my life or how grateful you are for it.
And I'm not frustrated by my or anyone else's degree of engagement, which they have a right to choose. I'm frustrated by the airy-fairy nature of your post. And believe me when I tell you that I've airy-fairied with the best of them, having hitchhiked to many Rainbow Gatherings in the 80s where I ran around naked & believed completely in everything. So I recognize hippy when I see it.
I do dismiss those bumper stickers because reading them accomplishes nothing. They are a thing we can say that allows us & others to think we are making some kind of difference, but in the end it's filler. Chaff. Feelz to make us think we are accomplishing things, like those posts people put on social media, "like if you hate animal cruelty." Sure. And?? A picture of an abused animal gets a gazillion likes & presumably is still being abused.
Giving smiles is all well & good, but the degree by which first-world smiles make the lives of starving 3rd-world children better is less than negligible. I mean, your "power to change the world." Change it how, and in what way, and in what way, and in what way? What's the business plan? Are you physically solving the problem or giving money to people who can?
Sorry, but your second post is just a bumper sticker that requires the side of a bus, same as the other stuff only more. I don't have a lot of patience for it.
Last: Koans are anything but mindless. In fact they're the complete opposite.
I find it fascinating that you ask for engagement, actually asking me what I do, then dismiss everything without discussing any of it. It appears you really want someone to tell you what you are doing is the right thing for you.
That is good. You are doing the right thing for you.
You also want me to list specifics about what I do, an actual business plan, which I have created, and to whom I give money, which I have done, and my actual actions, which are pretty epic...
In fact, I am secretly doing so now. Wheeee...
You already have your life in order, and have a plan, and are quite happy with what you are doing. You no longer need anything from me. I'll continue what I am doing, which, if you are really curious you can read my substack and keep up with it all and have fun along with me!
I wish you the best in all your encounters - have a fantastic day.
Lockdowns killed leaving. Why leave when there's nowhere to go?
Now we have a generation trained to stay at home, to wait until given permission to smile, to interact, to even show their face -
one false move, and a horde of angry online demons descends to publicly shame the uncompliant.
These are the fruits of oppression; to rage against the machine only when the machine allows it, and to go only where one is told to go...
who will teach them to fight back, and break free?
The lockdowns are recent history that lasted two years. This has been going on a long time. I started to see it with my son’s friends. He turns 30 next month. I noted in an earlier response, driving is a responsibility, and we took that off kids’ To Do lists long ago.
Agreed completely on this point - the destruction of adulthood has been an ongoing war of attrition, over at least the last decade. Seeing it come to fruition with the lockdowns has been mindboggling.
This predates lockdowns by a more than decade at least, RH.
This article is basically describing reality, as the writer and we once knew it, versus online. And reality is losing. Social media has allowed an entire generation to live, meet people, love (or a version thereof..), learn (or a version thereof), be entertained, join virtual worlds, play games, get upset, and have sex in the mundane ubiquity of basements, darkened rooms and as they wait in line for a smoothie. It is the new conformity, as you alluded to.
The real world is losing, and we have AI to look forward to in taking the artificial to a whole other level. Gen Z is already screwed, but what about the five years olds on iphones now?
Doomed..
Yes, the ground work was laid long before Lockdown, or it could not have worked. We must keep trying, though. We see what is happening. We have power to do something about it...
if I do nothing, I too succumb to the message of powerlessness. I refuse to be another victim of the war against Humanity.
These are the fruits of oppression; to rage against the machine only when the machine allows it, and to go only where one is told to go...who will teach them to fight back, and break free?
Are the riots on Chicago's magnificent mile good? It is the rage of young men fighting back and breaking free of society's rules, but it seems unsupportable rather than praise worthy.
It is not fighting back when one is fighting FOR - that is compliance, to do what one is told to do, to do what one is allowed. They were told to do this - and they did. Through social media, high societal approval and propaganda, these rioters have been explicity told to rage in that place and time.
-They were instructed by social media post to riot at that time and place
-Little enforcement was made, and police are being defunded
-The Mayor of Chicago condemns those who criticise the riots - NOT the rioters: "It is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
These youth were starved BY their communities, then fed lies in its place. They are only allowed to rage where the machine tells them to rage. They were not allowed to go to church during lockdowns, not allowed to visit loved ones...
but they WERE allowed to riot.
They rage FOR the machine.
No, to the whole " the machine" idea. Not a believer in an overarching conspiracy, plot, or machine. Find it frightening that people believe that their actions are controlled by another and they have no ability to select their destiny.
Precisely. Why do they believe that?
Being "powerless" against "the machine" removes responsibility for any action. Actions have rewards and consequences intended and unintended. This is not deny larger factors like the country one is born in or your childhood, but within one's realm there is some control.
Refusing to be an eternal Victim is the first step to Freedom. Freedom takes responsibility, because it acknowledges autonomy of action. "I choose to take this action" is a declaration of independence; "Look what you made me do" is an Abuser wearing the mantle of Victimhood.
Lol.
They’ve become the submissive bed wetting basket cases our dependency groomers in DC wish them to be. Living, iPhone in hand, with a long list of existential threats...racism, hate speech, transphobia, climate change, permanent COVID, unsafe spaces, driving, abortion access, intimacy with an actual human, competition, taking tests, white supremacy, inequity, FOMO, making simple decisions...is just too much to bear for our sensitive young adults in this cruel world of ours. Failing to understand that those avidly stoking fears were to be ignored is one of the many mistakes they’ll regret later on.
But... but... there might be somebody somewhere who owns a gun!
/sarcasm
Yip there just might be
And you might meet that someone in a place you didn't expect.
How did I forget the guns??? 😖
Who? Certainly not their parents. I made a point of not having kids, so I don't plan to instruct a lost generation, which IMHO cannot be saved. The simple answer is: "no one."
Didn't you say your daughter had some drama with pronouns in college?
I don't have a daughter, & if I did, her pronouns would be up for discussion only by imbeciles.
😂😂
What was the name of that band? Asleep at the Wheel? Their big album was titled: "Comin' Right At Ya".
Lockdowns haven't been good, but I spent spring of 2020 in my car, because gas was $2.00 a gallon, exploring various remote rural areas precisely because I didn't want to get infected.
I especially enjoyed rural areas because they were much more likely to be sane and non-hysterical regarding things like masking, one-way grocery store isles (remember that comedy?), etc.
But gas was $2 John then we got Biden. What were we all thinking when we apparently voted this man in. It’s a disaster
My wife and I had a similar reaction. We spent a month in 2021 driving small highways from Washington State to North Carolina and and back, staying in small towns we didn't know anything about, trying to learn more about this country now.
"See the USA in your Chevrolet" used to be a thing. To a lot of drivers now, the interstate territory between big cities is the driving equivalent of flyover country. Never venture farther off the main highway farther than necessary to find gas and a double latte.
I've noticed this as well, but it has benefits for those unafraid of small town, backcountry America. I hesitate to advertise this "hack" because I wouldn't want to ruin it, but the truth is that most urbanites wouldn't pay attention anyway.
When we evacuated the Tampa Bay area for Hurricane Irma, we left at 3 am and took the back roads north, avoiding the slowly moving parking lot of I-75 at all costs (despite evil Google maps constantly trying to direct us back to the freeway). My son's friend's family left at almost the exact same time, but took the freeway. Both kids had Instagram or Snapchat (not sure which one), which has a tracking feature so users can tell where their online buddies are, setting up an unplanned but very illuminating experiment.
Well, by 8:30 am, we were breakfasting at a Waffle House in south Georgia while they were somewhere around Ocala. We were pulling into our hotel in Rome, northwest of Atlanta, when they finally crossed the state line into Georgia.
Because of this, I think the horror classic "Deliverance" should be broadcast constantly throughout Florida prior to and during hurricane season. Keep all those urbanites scared stiff of hillbillies and other rural folk so that they stay on the interstates and leave the backroads uncongested for my convenient and unobstructed travel.
I wonder if one remedy for everything happening now would be more road trips. Driving through vastly different parts of the country and seeing that most people, no matter where, are largely just People might make folks feel less like they are constantly under attack from those unknown people out there.
If nothing else, it might help us all have a little more context about the world we live in instead of assuming our bubbles are the sum total of reality
Road trips are a blast. When my sons moved out, I worried how my husband and I would do together. We went on a road trip from San Diego to Dallas, to Memphis, to St. Louis, to Bozeman, and back to San Diego. It was so much fun and renewed both of us. along the way we stopped to see places that were along the way, Elvis' house, the ducks at the Peabody Hotel, the Arch, Mt. Rushmore, and more. If you can, go!
No reason to.
The most interesting and surprising communities seemed to be in "flyover country".
Parents!!!!
"one false move, and a horde of angry online demons descends to publicly shame the uncompliant."
The key to liberation.
Unplug. There is a beautiful life out there.
Live it.
As into internet discussions posters here on the Free Press are, I suspect that most have them have a good sense of being plugged-in while remaining relatively well attached to reality.
Yep. "Unplug"? Well, at least step back.
Driving certainly was a rite of passage when I was growing up. In our high school, we used to have Wednesday afternoons off so we would all pile into cars, along with a case or two of beer and head to Washington Crossing state park for an afternoon of frivolity. There was also the opportunity for adventure, complete with the dangers that sometimes accompany it.
On one winter day, me and three friends decided to go for a drive in my 67 Plymouth Barricuda, after a fresh snow on tires with minimal tread . All was going well until we came upon a bridge crossing just wide enough for two cars. There was a fair decline leading to the bridge and just as I entered it I saw a car entering from the other side, facing similar conditions. I was traveling faster than I should have been. If I tried to brake there’s no doubt I would have ended up sideways and at best ping- ponged off the sides of the bridge and at worst, crash through it and into the river below. All I could do was try and keep the car straight and in my lane while hoping the other guy could do the same. As we approached there was dead silence, four pounding hearts notwithstanding. One small error by either of us would have resulted in bent metal and a lot of explaining to my parents. Thankfully he kept his head, and we passed without incident. There isn’t a video game that could inspire the rush of fear, hope, and empowerment we all experienced at that moment. I’ve had other such moments in my life. I suspect that one did much to prepare me for the rest of them.
Kids these days don't take risks. And as a consequence they have no idea what they are capable of, and what they can get away with.
The consequence to extreme and prolonged safetyism.
We live in a different world now. When I grew up there was no internet or cable tv. There were no supervised after school activities. The area I lived was still pretty undeveloped so for the most part, we had to devise activities to amuse ourselves. Sometimes that meant playing “chicken” on a frozen pond to see who could skate closest to the thin ice without falling through. Sometimes it meant constructing ramps and jumping them on our bikes. I can say from experience that nothing focuses ones mind so acutely as making a landing without scraping face first across the dirt or landing crotch first on the bike’s cross bar. As I entered my teen years the risks we undertook increased, like fashioning a toboggan out of a piece of discarded corrugated tin with my father, attaching it to the back of his station wagon with a piece of rope and speeding through a snow-covered peach orchard. Maybe the most exhilarating activity was piling onto a chopped, V-8 powered Ford station wagon my uncle fashioned into a sort of dune buggy. Its sole passenger features consisted of a bench seat and a sheet of plywood over the gas tank. Seat belts and handles weren’t included. My cousin, who was a bit older, usually drove and he seemed obsessed with trying to throw us all off with sudden, high-speed turns. The most memorable attempt involved getting the buggy onto two wheels.
Unfortunately, the pond we used to skate on has been allowed to silt in because heaven forbid, someone might drown. The makeshift ramps we used to construct have been replaced with skate parks and governed by safety rules promulgated by personal injury lawyers and insurance underwriters. The farms we used to slide across and traverse on two wheels are now county parks where such activities have been replaced with walking paths, bird watching stations and dog parks. I’m not sure how our youth's reaction to the restrictions and reduced opportunities for free expression will play out. I suspect the teenage mobs that have recently rampaged downtown Chicago may provide a clue.
Parents thought a curfew would keep their daughter from getting into trouble. Trouble could be found after school, long before dark! As regards the back seat of cars, a young girl was safer on a motorcycle! I remember with fondness my days as a carhop, carrying milkshakes and burgers to cars. I met more boys. ... The late sixties and early seventies were the very best!
OMG, so true! All my friends knew how to sneak into my house, and "sleepover" meant sneaking out. There were parties. no damage, just fun.
Sometimes life is beautiful. Sometimes it is ugly. Sometimes it is hard and sometimes it is easy. But it is real.
Avoid anonymous dystopians on the internet. They will bring you down if you take them seriously.
Themselves.
A couple even pull it off.
Fantastic comment - you nailed it. It’s up to us to teach them to break free. The root of everything is fear and free speech. If they’re too afraid to express themselves, they won’t drive, date, live, etc. I wrote an open letter to the leaders of Substack about protecting free speech - will The Free Press and its brilliant readers co sign it? https://substack.com/profile/64905469-yuri-bezmenov/note/c-14787883
Canada's dangerous current government is poised to pass Bill C-11 to censor the Internet. This group of fools argues that the bill will protect Canadian content in the era of online streaming, but that is a ruse. It will censor online content -- including criticism of their policies -- and close the door to global markets.
Justin Trudea is a lunatic as are the Clintons, the Obamas, Jeff Bizos, and the whole Biden administration, is a scam, if we leave the situation as it is we doomed to hell, we need to take our lives back today how I have no idea maybe we all just go back to basics of Flag,Family and country we have to start somewhere.
“The root of everything is fear and free speech.”
True, but other than embedding that in our constitution and building the most successful advanced society in the history of mankind around free speech, no fear, and the rights of the individual; what can be done? If 50% of the population thinks free speech and individual rights are “hate speech” and “systemic racism/ eco-terrorism “ then we are done. Put a fork in us. We had a good run though!
I'm not convinced that anywhere near 50% of people believe that. We're just letting a loud and motivated minority tell us all what to do. I know I have nothing but anecdotal evidence of this, but it is how I feel...or perhaps HAVE to feel so I don't lose all hope.
I hear you, Kevin. Unfortunately, my “evidence” is
actual polling data, election results, and objective reality. Anecdotally I’d wager that 50% is being conservative and that it’s much higher.
But what do I know? I live in a state that has legalized drugs and criminal behavior, closed churches and gymnasiums, arrested people for organizing and protesting, forced children to take experimental drugs, encourages illegal immigration on an unprecedented scale, and just banned gas powered cars…
I have hope too, but it’s starting to turn to anger. Another pop-culture phrase from the 1980’s: “You won’t like me when I’m angry”
Washington State, right?
Haha no, it’s California. But my brother lived in Kent. He was a big fan until apparently he couldn’t take it anymore and moved to Portland. Talk about “out of the frying pan into the fire” 😂
No kidding. We can't take it any more either but chose Tampa instead. The moving van arrives tomorrow morning.
Tampa, FLA... Let us know how it goes!
I did some time in St. Augustine once, I liked FLA; but I grew up in the South and am used to it (heat, humidity, flatness, gators, rednecks, bugs (omg...the bugs! big bugs...the kind that will carry off your dog or your kid!) 😂 I'd move there myself but my wife can't handle anything outside of her Cali comfort zone...
I wondered if you were lumping all people who voted a specific way. And that is why I don't totally buy it. Plenty of people on either side of the political divide don't 100% agree with everything their side does. People vote the way they do for lots of reasons. And sometimes they do it without fully understanding what they voted for. I would put money down that plenty of people will leave an area because their own politicians 'ruined' it, and then go to a new place and vote for the same things that screwed up the place they just left.
My suspicion is that many people are more moderate in general, but they may have a couple of issues that end up pulling them to one side or the other. And at times a political movement may take a rather radical position on a topic, but not everyone who ends up voting for that movement necessarily agrees with it. Or in some cases even knows for certain that is what they just voted for. Too many people get their info from narrow (or even faulty) sources. And politicians do a great job or misrepresenting themselves.
On top of that, both parties have become opposites as far as their platforms. If one is for something the other will be against it. So if you have a item that is super important to you, say, abortion, you only have 1 party to vote for that supports your view. And voting for them means you get ALL of the other things as well, like it or not.
All of that is why I wish we had more than 2 parties (or NO parties).
Right. I live a blue state.
I know many people who vote Democrat, who think they are Democrat, who think they know what they are voting for, but they really have no idea. Some of these people care a lot about abortion. They also get crazy news sent to them. Like "GOP is trying to ban all books"
1st off, thank you for your reply. I can see you think about things more than skin deep.
I am inclined to agree with you but I increasingly am having difficulty defending a single position put forth by the Democrat party. There are some positions held by the Republican Party that I disagree with, but at least I can have intelligent civil discussions with conservatives I disagree with. Not so with Leftists and Democrats these days.
I have more than one issue that is a priority to me for sure. I used to be a liberal democrat, you know, pro-democracy, constitution, equal justice under the law, American exceptionalism, free speech, anti-war, anti-racism/sexism/homophobia, pro-labor, strong middle class, LIFE, liberty, and “you know the thing!” 🤪…blah blah blah
I can no longer find a single one of those core issues that the left leaning Democrat party defends or isn’t outright destroying in name and deed.
Can you? If so, please elaborate. I won’t be snarky or bite. I just really can not truthfully find an issue that I agree with the Democrats on. Not one.
Am I brainwashed or something? Did they really just promote racism, identity politics, start a world war, keep our kids out of school for over 2 years, promote one race of people over another, promote censorship of free speech, put razor wire up around our Capital, force children to take experimental drugs, burn down cities and attack police nationwide, hold political prisoners in gulags, and now attempt to have their political opponents (and church goers, people who post memes, and any other people they disagree with) arrested and thrown in prison?
I’m sorry, there is no more middle ground here for me to “reach out” to. They, the Democrat party, are literally the opposite of everything I have ever learned to love and respect about the USA.
Please convince me I’m wrong. But do it before the Democrats ban/cancel/censor us from being able to discuss it here on Substack.
Glad to be having a nice discussion with a stranger on the internet :) I am going to bet that you and I don't actually disagree that much. You specifically mention the democratic party and defending what they stand for. Well, you won't get much help from me on that. I pretty much agree with you about the party...but I am not talking about the party. I am talking about voters.
I suspect that some of it is just perception. I remember when I was younger in the 80's and 90's. Back then, it really felt like parts of the Republicans were the ones pushing for social control. Religious groups seemed to regularly be trying to censor or guilt. It wasn't that long ago that they were the ones trying to prevent homosexuals from marrying. They wanted to censor speech and what you were allowed to do or say or eat or smoke. So I can totally see how someone older, like me, might still be in that mindset and see the Reps are the bad guys. Especially if they only watch CNN or read the NYT. The latter part there is a BIG thing to remember. Many people live in information bubbles. They are not making choices from a good pool of data.
Also remember that there are groups that are voting in lock step because they have been convinced that have to or they are betraying their in-group. This is part of why I think the Dems are so big on keeping people in their little groups. If you are, say, black, and you vote Rep, then you are not really black (our current president flat out said this). Same for being gay, or a woman, or poor or whatever. You are voting against what's best for you. If people ever realize that being black or white or gay or straight is not really a defining characteristic and that you have way more in common with people based on values and interests and choices than skin color or gender or who you shag, we might see a big change. But some powerful people have a very vested interest in keeping us thinking otherwise.
What I want to get at is that you should take some time to separate the party from the people. I lived in Denver for several years and now Asheville NC. Both are pretty Woke places. Both surrounded by what I see as pretty Traditional areas. But day to day, I see those two groups largely get along. And I can have conversations with individuals about all kinds of things and still be civil and keep our respect for each other. But then again, I rarely meet people day to day that want to groom kids with drag shows or still wear their masks. I also rarely meet people that don't want any woman ever to be able to have an abortion or keep gay people from being with who they love.
I don't want to convince you that you are wrong. I don't think you are. I think the Dem PARTY is awful. But I also think many people that vote for them are either ignorant about the people they are voting in or think they are getting the lessor of evils because they get a filtered view of their 'opposition'. Loud mouthed billionaires who insult everyone around them (including people supposedly on their own side) are not helping that. TDS is real, and I think it really stopped the 'red wave' this past election.
But I know I may be wrong. Maybe more people than I want to admit are just that wrong. I do know they exist. I have worked with them. Even been friends with them. But they were not 50% of the people I have met. And like I said...this may just be me putting my head in the sand so I can cope. If I actually believed that anywhere near 50% of the people were totally on board with what the elites have planned for us I would probably be suicidal. A society that fundamentally divided, let alone having that many people lacking basic logic and reasoning skills cannot survive. There will be a collapse at some point....and it will likely be bloody. So here's to hope...
Great reply. Totally agree. You were referring to the voting public and their perception of reality and their motivations. Sorry, I just went off on the tangent. My brain works that way.
I even remember saying much of the same things about the Republican party not that long ago. Same difference, just other side this time. For instance, many of my friends who currently support the arrest and indictment against Trump for purely political reasons get very upset with me when I remind them of their very own stance 30 years ago when it was the Republicans doing it to Bill Clinton. It was wrong then and it is wrong now. But for some reason, back then my Republican friends just disagreed with me, shrugged, and then we went about our usual business. But now, perfectly rational and yes, intelligent people, I have known for decades have lost their f'ng minds! They "de-friend" me, cancel business contracts, tell their kids not to play with mine...get seriously mad at me (just for pointing out their hypocrisy) Maybe that is TDS and maybe similar to Republicans back in the 90's with CDS, but this seems so much worse. I would never tell anyone who to vote for, and it never used to be something worth worrying about. I really believed that despite our differences in how the country should be run, both sides had the best interests of the people at heart. Now I am convinced otherwise. I do try too get out of any "information bubbles" and see all sides. I am very open minded. But there is something wrong...something I know in my heart what it is, but like you, admitting it and resigning myself to it is too depressing to think about. I feel like my life is in the hands of petulant children from Golding's "Lord of the Flies".
You must be from california!
I’m “from” Virginia, I just live in California.
I remember one of my dad’s favorite insults to people who proudly claimed they were from California…He would say “Congratulations! That’s a good place …to be from!” 😂
"Up to us"?? What does that mean? Please be specific.
It means "we should be the change we wish to see in the world". It means "somebody should do something, and we are somebody". It means " think globally, act locally". It means "if not us, who; if now, when?"...
These quotes are more than mindless koans - these statements are the wisdom of centuries, the empowerment of the individual to change the world. But the System is teaching learned helplessness against itself and empowerment only through the itself. We must take back our own power, and recognise our ability to change what we can where we can.
We start by meeting Humans face to face whenever possible, outside the constraints of the internet. Build the local wetware network -
Community of Humanity.
<i>It means "we should be the change we wish to see in the world". It means "somebody should do something, and we are somebody". It means " think globally, act locally". It means "if not us, who; if now, when?"...</i>
Those are all bumper stickers.
I want you to lay out the plan for instructing a generation of slackers how to be engaged with the world, when their parents have already raised them to be exactly that way and when the Big Tech they worship WANTS them to stay brain dead. Because the "learned helplessness" of which you speak is fueled in part by bumper stickers.
So I want to hear the details. You know, like a business plan. How do individuals without control over other individuals, who do not want to be influenced by other than "influencers (in the worst possible way)" & who suffer from the disease of woke hive mind, brain death, etc., impart their wisdom of centuries which presumably is now, what, genetically expressed? I live my life with as much interaction as I can, but the last time I had a great interaction with someone, there was not a single horde of teenagers nearby to witness it. I mean, do I contact high schools & do my interacting as a guest lecturer? No bumper stickers, please. I already do meet humans face to face whenever possible, but so far it hasn't made a dent & I do have a day job.
I don't mean to be snippy here, but words are the cheapest things out there.
First, let me say it sounds like you are really trying to be engaged, and secondly, that you frustrated by it. That's how I KNOW you are genuinely involved. There is a cost when we try to interact - it wears down the soul when we work hard and it seems to make no difference. So thank you for trying, even when no one sees.
Next, yes, those sayings ARE 'bumperstickers'. Thats why I chose them. They are wise words, familiar to us, but we no longer recognise them, because they have been spoken without action. That leads us to dismiss them. We have lost their power, because we have abused them.
Finally I'm genuinely honored you think that I would have the plan to fix this.
My plan starts with me.
1) I recognise my own Power to change the world, even when no one else does.
- I must fight against my own learned helplessness. I DO make a difference.
2) My Gift is my Power. I must find my Gift, and give it.
- I write. Some people cook. Others teach, or hammer nails. What is your gift? Give it.
3) I will find the Ones to whom I will give my Gift.
-Online and off, Interaction is limited in this world, so I must find my forum. The mundane is frequently overlooked. The grocery store, church, work, home; I must offer my gift freely, even if it is just a smile, and don't stop giving just because of haters.
4) I will see the Human behind the interface.
-Online or off, People behind the barriers need to know they are valued. My support and encouragement mean a great deal. and the mssage I wish to share is connected to that support.
5) I will recognise the Opportunity when it comes.
-Look for the Hidden Path, the moment when the door opens.
6) I will know my Message and speak it boldly.
-What do I need to say? How can I say it in love? Write it down and work it in.
7) I will refresh my Spirit
-Encountering people and giving my best requires me to take care of me.
8) Try again.
-I won't give up.
9) I will Fight until the Battle is won or done.
-Let the Battle end, not because I quit, but because I fought until I won, or could fight no more.
10) I will give the encounter to God, and leave it in His Hands.
-When it is over, I ask if I did all I could do. If I didn't, I ask forgiveness and try harder. If I did all I could do, then I give it to God, and let the planted seed bloom under His care.
That is my plan for me. I'm sure it sounds trite, but they are words of my Father...
words are cheap only to those who don't value them. These words are more precious to me than Gold, because I know what they meant to the One who taught me.
Keep Fighting the Good Fight.
I'm not "trying to be engaged." I am just living my life in the way that is suited to my demeanor and personality. So you don't need to "thank" me, any more than you need to thank me for, I don't know. "Trying to have hazel eyes," which I already do. I don't actually care what you think of how I live my life or how grateful you are for it.
And I'm not frustrated by my or anyone else's degree of engagement, which they have a right to choose. I'm frustrated by the airy-fairy nature of your post. And believe me when I tell you that I've airy-fairied with the best of them, having hitchhiked to many Rainbow Gatherings in the 80s where I ran around naked & believed completely in everything. So I recognize hippy when I see it.
I do dismiss those bumper stickers because reading them accomplishes nothing. They are a thing we can say that allows us & others to think we are making some kind of difference, but in the end it's filler. Chaff. Feelz to make us think we are accomplishing things, like those posts people put on social media, "like if you hate animal cruelty." Sure. And?? A picture of an abused animal gets a gazillion likes & presumably is still being abused.
Giving smiles is all well & good, but the degree by which first-world smiles make the lives of starving 3rd-world children better is less than negligible. I mean, your "power to change the world." Change it how, and in what way, and in what way, and in what way? What's the business plan? Are you physically solving the problem or giving money to people who can?
Sorry, but your second post is just a bumper sticker that requires the side of a bus, same as the other stuff only more. I don't have a lot of patience for it.
Last: Koans are anything but mindless. In fact they're the complete opposite.
I find it fascinating that you ask for engagement, actually asking me what I do, then dismiss everything without discussing any of it. It appears you really want someone to tell you what you are doing is the right thing for you.
That is good. You are doing the right thing for you.
You also want me to list specifics about what I do, an actual business plan, which I have created, and to whom I give money, which I have done, and my actual actions, which are pretty epic...
In fact, I am secretly doing so now. Wheeee...
You already have your life in order, and have a plan, and are quite happy with what you are doing. You no longer need anything from me. I'll continue what I am doing, which, if you are really curious you can read my substack and keep up with it all and have fun along with me!
I wish you the best in all your encounters - have a fantastic day.