It's Time to Admit That We Are Part of the Problem

There are many things wrong with the United States. And while people like to call it great, I beg to differ.I really wish they were right. I still do love this country, and I wish the best for it each and every day. But now it is time to admit that "we the people" have become part of the problems of our ailing society. Throughout this country known as the U.S.A, there is a fundamental consensus that things have turned the wrong direction completely, and yet the majority don't want to do anything about it. Ignorance and apathy are as common as common sense is uncommon. It is easy to blame the president, or congress. But now it is time to admit, that we are part of the problem. Our bloated and ill society is a reflection of who we have become. I will identify what the problems are from my perspective, and what ought to be done.

Greed, Materialism, Indulgence.
If you ever take a dollar bill, and pay attention, you can't help but notice the inscription stating, "In God We Trust." Well, I can certainly say it is not the God of the Bible that so many people think it's referring to. For that "God" has come to be replaced with a much more different. The God that the dollar refers to, is itself. Yes, money. Money has become our God. "In God (money) We Trust." We live in a greedy and materialistic culture. People are encouraged to be selfish, put material wealth on a pedestal, and spend, spend, spend because they work hard and they deserve to treat themselves a "little." But it's not little. The fact is, that Americans spend too much on things they don't need. And they always want more. Nothing satisfies their insatiable thirst for material goods. They have been conditioned this way. In turn you have a society that is racked with and wrecked by debt. On top of that we are blessed with the privilege to watch rich people on T.V spend their money away, inducing us with fantasies like maybe one day, we too could be like them. It's one of the primary reasons people gamble away their savings and participate in the lottery, even though winning it is statistically impossible. Our cultural mantra seems to be "drink today for tomorrow we may die." We live in a debt-based society, where our spending has gotten out of control. The holidays (i.e Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving), are also indications of how greedy, materialistic and self-indulgent we've become. Obesity is on the rise, and while the reason it is so isn't that simple, it also reflects the self-indulgence of our society. Another indication of materialism and self-indulgence is the music industry that has helped to shape this kind of culture.

This behavior reflects the behavior of our Federal Government that spends money in the stupidest ways possible, while racking up the debt precipitously in doing so (the worst part of all this is that none of that money goes to the American  people).This rampant consumerism that has become part of the American way of life has led to disastrous consequences and will lead to more. With their vast amounts of money, Americans give corporations like Bank Of America, Exxon Mobile and plenty of other institutions a bloated amount of resources, only in turn to have them put into office their rubber-stamped politicians who direct policy against the interests of the American people. On top of that, Bankers are expected to capitalize on this consumerism and should be suspected as the primary beneficiaries  as they are today the main perpetrators of usury and financial fraud, which destroys lives and destabilizes families, and can lead to poverty and eventually civil unrest. Debt and Conflict are the Endgame of our consumerist culture. Funny enough (though it's not really funny) the U.S government with massive debt through a spending habit equivalent to its own citizens has propagated, is propagating, and perpetuating numerous conflicts around the globe.

Violence, Apathy and a Tribalism
We live in a very apathetic society. And as for me I consider apathy a form of moral depravity. A morally sick nation breeds and nurtures morally sick citizens. There is a reason why the issue of guns can be such a heated topic. You can also clearly see by the violent and horror movies of carnage and destruction we so love to watch. The apathy part plays in when Americans clearly don't seem to care about other people on the other side of the world. Two cities can get annihilated by nuclear bombs, yet the citizens of the nation that dropped them cheer with an unprecedented avidity because WWII was over. An alleged mastermind of a terror plot that shook the nation had his compound raided and was killed, and the whole nation cheers at his death, betraying their whole narrative of being a world leader, a Shining Castle on the Hill, a democratic society where criminals stand on trial. As long as the government gives the people their social security, medicare, and other social service programs, Americans don't care or care to know about the egregious contraventions of international law or the violations of human rights that their government constantly commits or is complicit in. They shed a crocodile tear and move on, pretending to care while doing nothing, as their government continues to engage in illegal wars, fund terrorists in Syria and in other countries, conduct murderous drone assaults in which the majority of casualties are non-combatants, while callously referring to them as "collateral damage." It has become obvious what kind of society we are rapidly degenerating into. Our government reflects our trivialization of violence and conflict as we remain in a state of perpetual war (pun intended). One indication is the fact that national sports has been militarized, where military ceremonies can be conducted on sports fields. America is a war culture, and this is even shown in its avidity for sports and a very much tribal fan base. As former President George Bush coined as the slogan for his terrorist campaign which he ironically dubbed the War on Terrorism: "You are either with us, or against us." We stand divided and conquered by the Elites.

The Farcical Reality of Voting
It's a farce, plain and simple. Every two to four years Americans get to choose corporate representatives to run their lives. Americans have become so dishonest, it's sickening. They complain about these same people they put in office, but insist on re-electing those same representatives of the Corporate Financier Oligarchy. They never want to acknowledge the fact that no matter who they put in office, things won't change. They know nothing about the candidates they wish to vote for, and seem to disregard the fact that these candidates are funded by corporate interests. By doing this, not only are Americans dishonest, but they are pimping themselves out to the very same interests they claim to be against by endorsing these candidates/representatives of oligarchy with their time, money, energy and effort. The result is an endless cycle of unconstitutional policies, wars, economic ruin, death and destruction. And since it is easy to blame someone else and abdicate all responsibility, Americans have learned to simply shrug their shoulders and blame the president for his failures and/or complain endlessly about his policies. But Americans don't want to admit that they have become complicit in the crimes of their national leaders.

What to do..
All our failing institutions whether they be financial, educational, political, and our crumbling infrastructure give a vivid picture of our continuing failure of character, moral decay, and the break down of the human spirit and subsequently our society. They must reject this blatantly materialistic culture, a culture of hedonism, self-indulgence and commercialism. It is time for Americans to look in the mirror and be honest with themselves.

It is time for Americans to put more emphasis on the things that matter. Things such as service to others, family, outstanding moral character, pursuits in life that bring real joy. It is time to reject a culture hand-fed to them. It is time to leave this false cultural paradigm that the Financier Oligarchy has created for them, and reassess themselves as a country, and who we would like to become and be seen as. They can get active, organized and together with other fellow Americans begin to create their own alternatives rather than allow the ruling class to choose for them. They can begin to read a little more about history and learn from its lessons (in respect to materialism, and greed and other vices do to a society), get more engaged with their community, get in touch spiritually, educate themselves as opposed to being "zombified" by rampant commercialism. It is time to change. And a true change won't come until the American people change.

And if things don't change, things will get a lot worse.