The reading audience here is "the choir" (as in "preaching..."). It's not us who need to be reached.
The problem, as I've witnessed it, is that the people who don't know what you've laid out so clearly here don't know because they actively don't want to know.
I know some of these people personally. They resist in all manner of ways, but eventually say something like "If what you're saying is true, then I'm too frightened, and I don't want to be frightened (I'm too old, retired, just want to live comfortably, etc.). Also, "how are you not chronically depressed when you immerse yourself in this kind of news?"). And sometimes: "Lighten up! Life is too short!".
And then there are those on social media (I don't use much, and will use less going forward) who employ all kinds of evasive tactics, of the kind that skip over evidence and reach into moralizing and gaslighting. Sometimes "we" try to double-team these imbeciles publicly, so the more silent members can get a clue, but I've seen to evidence of ground gained.
So, the toughest barriers remain. I learned recently that a lack of daily physical activity can render the hippocampus physically unable to displace old ideas with new ones. I suspect that there are many other aspects of physical poor health (the US, despite it's hollow claims, has poorer health than most of the other non-Third World nations) that help enforce this outcome. Yelling at these people is about as useless as sitting them down and inviting them to reason. And both are as useless as petitioning the biceps in your arm to curl a weight which it cannot.
I live in Maine, so I feel entitled to say the following about this problem: "You can't get there from here." But there is a spot somewhere down the road which, if you can get to that spot, you can get there from there. Or, quoting the Wicked Witch of the West: "That's not what bothers me; it's HOW TO DO IT!"
Don't kid yourself, most Americans know instinctively what's going on, they just refuse to admit they don't care and can't be bothered to do anything about it. It's called plausible deniability. People who don't act when they see such evil are cowards plain and simple. That is how the world really views Americans and rightfully so.
That's not even close to what "plausible deniability" is, Bob. I find myself agreeing that motivation for taking major change is below threshold, largely. I might even agree that many (how do you claim "most", did you do a survey?) have good instincts generally about how governments lie and steal. However, without concrete details on a given issue (like the war in Ukraine) these people are suckers for narratives like "China is our biggest threat." Let's be honest; neither of us knows how "the world really views Americans", yet you have your belief. And even if we knew that, a collective belief about something does not constitute evidence. So, I have to reject your dead end conclusion that plain and simple cowardice is the problem. Unless you can spell out how to propose to take that as a starting point for some meaningful change. Actually, I wrote my piece precisely because I hoped people would read it and muse some on how to start to untangle a really tight, complicated knot, as opposed to pointing the finger and accusing everyone of character weakness.
Here they are greatly aided by no shortage of distractions to throw themselves into: NFL, NBA, “reality TV”, “Influencers” on InstaFaceSnapTok, latest identity politics weather balloon - you name it
Once you start down that road, you have to start making choices. If the society and system that we live under does so much evil, how much will I compromise with it?
These choices can have very real personal and professional consequences. Try not paying taxes and see what happens. "Bartelby the Scrivener" it ain't.
Even if you do compromise, you are left with a guilty conscience.
By contrast, if you go along with the crowd, you can avoid those tough choices and face no consequences, and your conscience stays relatively untroubled, for the time being at least. Even in the worst case, you can say to yourself that you did what every other Good German did under the circumstances.
I agree,peaching to the choir. I too am in maine, a conversation such as yours is not optional. Those who ignore reality, might be thinking it is a ploy,remember,many still think climate is a manipulation. Old wars can now be looked on as mistakes but new ones are fostered by the media. While media is not solely to blame it contributes heavily. So,what if we went back to the daily horror photos for the masses. Or have we lost all empathy from daily overload encompassing all things? The brain function might be a thing,I have no meaningful exercise and i am hyper aware and very angry about the status quo.
Really interesting, Walden!BTW, Caitlyn, this is a wonderful essay. I do feel I need to mention two thing that contribute to our passivity and ignorance: 1. The media--not just mainstream news sources; not just movies, TV, and social media, but our universities and publishing houses. The military industrial complex has its claws into both of these.
2. Still more pernicious is learned helplessness. Take the climate crisis--which, based on what I know and have observed, is real. Well, we’ve all been bombarded with information, images, ads--all asking us to reduce, reuse, recycle, etc, etc. And I do! I have done, for decades. But what do the 1% do? Our government? The military-industrial complex? As far as I can see, absolutely nothing. And what difference have my individual actions made? None, or almost none.
It’s easy to see why people just give up. As to the first thing, I have a LOT to say. Will get to it soon, I hope.
Yes, of course.
The reading audience here is "the choir" (as in "preaching..."). It's not us who need to be reached.
The problem, as I've witnessed it, is that the people who don't know what you've laid out so clearly here don't know because they actively don't want to know.
I know some of these people personally. They resist in all manner of ways, but eventually say something like "If what you're saying is true, then I'm too frightened, and I don't want to be frightened (I'm too old, retired, just want to live comfortably, etc.). Also, "how are you not chronically depressed when you immerse yourself in this kind of news?"). And sometimes: "Lighten up! Life is too short!".
And then there are those on social media (I don't use much, and will use less going forward) who employ all kinds of evasive tactics, of the kind that skip over evidence and reach into moralizing and gaslighting. Sometimes "we" try to double-team these imbeciles publicly, so the more silent members can get a clue, but I've seen to evidence of ground gained.
So, the toughest barriers remain. I learned recently that a lack of daily physical activity can render the hippocampus physically unable to displace old ideas with new ones. I suspect that there are many other aspects of physical poor health (the US, despite it's hollow claims, has poorer health than most of the other non-Third World nations) that help enforce this outcome. Yelling at these people is about as useless as sitting them down and inviting them to reason. And both are as useless as petitioning the biceps in your arm to curl a weight which it cannot.
I live in Maine, so I feel entitled to say the following about this problem: "You can't get there from here." But there is a spot somewhere down the road which, if you can get to that spot, you can get there from there. Or, quoting the Wicked Witch of the West: "That's not what bothers me; it's HOW TO DO IT!"
Don't kid yourself, most Americans know instinctively what's going on, they just refuse to admit they don't care and can't be bothered to do anything about it. It's called plausible deniability. People who don't act when they see such evil are cowards plain and simple. That is how the world really views Americans and rightfully so.
That's not even close to what "plausible deniability" is, Bob. I find myself agreeing that motivation for taking major change is below threshold, largely. I might even agree that many (how do you claim "most", did you do a survey?) have good instincts generally about how governments lie and steal. However, without concrete details on a given issue (like the war in Ukraine) these people are suckers for narratives like "China is our biggest threat." Let's be honest; neither of us knows how "the world really views Americans", yet you have your belief. And even if we knew that, a collective belief about something does not constitute evidence. So, I have to reject your dead end conclusion that plain and simple cowardice is the problem. Unless you can spell out how to propose to take that as a starting point for some meaningful change. Actually, I wrote my piece precisely because I hoped people would read it and muse some on how to start to untangle a really tight, complicated knot, as opposed to pointing the finger and accusing everyone of character weakness.
Here they are greatly aided by no shortage of distractions to throw themselves into: NFL, NBA, “reality TV”, “Influencers” on InstaFaceSnapTok, latest identity politics weather balloon - you name it
Once you start down that road, you have to start making choices. If the society and system that we live under does so much evil, how much will I compromise with it?
These choices can have very real personal and professional consequences. Try not paying taxes and see what happens. "Bartelby the Scrivener" it ain't.
Even if you do compromise, you are left with a guilty conscience.
By contrast, if you go along with the crowd, you can avoid those tough choices and face no consequences, and your conscience stays relatively untroubled, for the time being at least. Even in the worst case, you can say to yourself that you did what every other Good German did under the circumstances.
I have Amazing Agreement on your post. The Devil is in the "Solutions" as usual.
I agree,peaching to the choir. I too am in maine, a conversation such as yours is not optional. Those who ignore reality, might be thinking it is a ploy,remember,many still think climate is a manipulation. Old wars can now be looked on as mistakes but new ones are fostered by the media. While media is not solely to blame it contributes heavily. So,what if we went back to the daily horror photos for the masses. Or have we lost all empathy from daily overload encompassing all things? The brain function might be a thing,I have no meaningful exercise and i am hyper aware and very angry about the status quo.
Really interesting, Walden!BTW, Caitlyn, this is a wonderful essay. I do feel I need to mention two thing that contribute to our passivity and ignorance: 1. The media--not just mainstream news sources; not just movies, TV, and social media, but our universities and publishing houses. The military industrial complex has its claws into both of these.
2. Still more pernicious is learned helplessness. Take the climate crisis--which, based on what I know and have observed, is real. Well, we’ve all been bombarded with information, images, ads--all asking us to reduce, reuse, recycle, etc, etc. And I do! I have done, for decades. But what do the 1% do? Our government? The military-industrial complex? As far as I can see, absolutely nothing. And what difference have my individual actions made? None, or almost none.
It’s easy to see why people just give up. As to the first thing, I have a LOT to say. Will get to it soon, I hope.