The Rising Tide (opinion)

A select few of my friends who I know offline share common beliefs with me. Locational issues prevent me from connecting with them in person, so the majority of my socialization is done online, and mainly through facebook.

One friend of mine posted a status that neatly condensed the highs and lows of what I feel is happening in America, and across the world. Some of my views might be polarizing or inflammatory if taken as such, but he's right in his main point that society as a whole, right now, seems to be on a frightening decline. The slow death of net neutrality, the increasing self-absorption and narcissism complex of everyday Americans, and a host of other problems. Stopping to think about just how completely fucked we seem to be gets depressing quickly. But it's people like the aforementioned friends that give me a small amount of hope.

Another topic touched on is the apparent inherent tendency of people to rally against any viewpoint whatsoever, that they either disagree with or believe others will disagree with. Both sides of the issue need to be taken into account. I myself am guilty of hypocrisy and jumping to conclusions, but we need to realize that it is a simple, inherent part of being human and to transcend our self delusion.

And it's not all self-inflicted. The culture that has sprung up from the twisted mockery of hope that the American Dream has become has significantly contributed to the decline of society. And no, it's not the "how-mo-seckshuls corrupting god fearing citizens" or "paranoid right wing gun nuts" or even "miley cyrus is OUT OF CONTROL"; it's the fact that these are presented as valid issues to argue and take sides about, while the real movers and shakers of the world, the ones with all the money, who own the means of production and are swiftly acquiring the channels of free communication, manufacture these conflicts in an attempt to keep each thinking human being from realizing it.

I realize that this is beginning to sound like a diatribe, and anyone in the aforementioned groups can write it off by labeling me as the other side. But the truth of the matter is that's exactly what the manufacturers of conflict want you to do, so that you don't think about it. The almost automatic decision to write something off you don't agree with, which is exactly what the specific friend was referring to. These are real thoughts, and real opinions, considered and articulated. Not sound bites. Not meaningless rhetoric. It's the horrible truth.

We appear to be on a bad path, one leading to a rapidly dystopian future. We already live in a dystopia; it's just not obvious to the majority of people yet. The people we believe represent us in government only represent the interests of whoever bankrolls them, and that's the way they want it to stay, while we watch American Idol and argue about talk shows, celebrities, and ultimately meaningless conflicts created for the express purpose of distraction.

As of right now, honor is dying. Integrity is dying. Compassion is dying. Intelligence is dying.

And crap is king.