'The Planned Collapse of America'

The heading for this post comes from an article of the same name I just read on Online Journal. The article discusses a report released by The Center for the Study of Social Policy/SRI International at Standford University in 1974 called Changing Images of Man. The links in the article provide further information that would be unbelievable if I hadn't already heard bits of it from other sources.

Over the past few years, I have certainly been dissatisfied with the direction the US government has been taking this country; however, I have been apathetic and more concerned with my personal life than politics. I felt at least I had some control over my own life. I have been part of the crowd with my head stuck in the sand, thinking if I just ignore this, it will all go away.

Well, the sorry state of our affairs hasn't gone away. It's gotten worse. I have been shaken out of my apathy. Something has to be done. I don't know if it's too late. Just like with global warming. Are we too late? Has the ball already been set in motion and impossible to stop?

The only way to stop the corruption in our government, to stop the overspending, to stop the warmongering, to stop the monoculturism and egocentrism is for each individual to take ownership of his or her own part in the demise of our society. We have played the game. We have bought into the consumerism. We continue to accept the lesser of two evils for our candidates.

Did we confront Wal-Mart with their take-over strategy and boycott their stores? No, we were thrilled with low prices, not caring that our local economies were being undermined by Wal-Mart's tactics.

Did we refuse to buy goods manufactured in China? No, we bought more and more until there is virtually no other choice but to purchase an item that has been made in China.

Are we ready to make the sacrifices necessary to change the direction of the collapse of our economy? As I look around me, it doesn't appear so. We're not willing to sacrifice our SUVs or the overwhelming choices available in super stores. We're not willing to wear the clothes that may be a little outdated. We're not willing to keep the mobile phone that doesn't have the latest technology.

What about Internet? It has become a necessity in this world. And frankly, I wouldn't have gotten the wake up call with out it. I wouldn't be able to contact so many people to begin raising the alarm. I wouldn't be writing this blog. I wouldn't have found out that our constitution provides an opportunity for 'Do-It-Yourself Impeachment' (click here.)

Changing the direction of the path this country is on is going to take a major shift in how each of us looks at the world and our fellow human beings. We each need to take responsibility for our own actions. We each need to be aware of how much we have contributed to the problems our country and the entire world are now facing.

Every time I throw something in the garbage, every time I drive my car, every time I buy something at the store, I am affecting the world around me.

I have so far managed to maintain my stance of boycotting Wal-Mart. I have never shopped at Wal-Mart, and I hope I never have to. What if Wal-Mart were the only place I could get groceries? Would I be willing to starve to death in protest?

I used to be able to avoid buying anything from China. That time has passed. Now I ask myself if I really need the item before I buy it in order to avoid buying an item manufactured in China.

I would love to be able to buy my clothes from the few US clothing manufacturers available online, but their prices are way of my budget. I would love to be able to drive a hybrid car, again, not in my budget. It seems to me that being 'Green' is only for the upper classes. And until the majority of Americans make it a priority, it will remain a luxury to be 'Green'.

If the American people would, en masse, refuse to buy anything made in any other country but the US, then we would have to start manufacturing within our own borders once again.

If the American people would, en masse, refuse to buy SUVs, refuse to drive any more than is absolutely necessary, then the oil and auto industries would have to listen.

If the American people would, en masse, refuse to buy products with toxic ingredients, food sprayed with pesticides and grown with chemical fertilizers, food imported from other countries, and protest the government subsidies that pay farmers not to grow their crops, then government, manufactures, food processors and farmers would have to listen.

If the American people would, en masse, refuse to pay their taxes until the government brought our troops home from far and wide and quit spending money on space exploration and ridiculous research products, and instead applied those freed-up resources to providing a workable health care system and getting us out of debt, the government would have to listen. They couldn't put three million people in prison for tax evasion.

But, and here's where my cynicism rears its ugly head, we probably won't do that. We're not in enough pain yet. By the time enough people are in enough pain, it will be too late.

Today I wonder why I'm even writing this. I know it's not being read by very many people. I know our government doesn't care. I know the corporations don't care.

I keep reminding myself of the image of the pebble that is dropped in a pool of water and the ripples that flow outwards. Unfortunately, and here's my cynical mind again, if a pebble is dropped in the middle of the ocean, the ripples just get swallowed up and have no affect.

It's going to take a lot more than one pebble here and one pebble there dropping into the ocean to change the destructive course of this nation and its people.

We are the nation. And right now we're a bunch of sheep being led to the slaughter.