Tuesday, September 25, 2007

melancholy summer eve

i don't really know what to do with myself these days. i have a good life. oh, what to blog about today? what home improvement project to work on? how should i start planning for the holiday season? i am an american. i doubt highly anyone begrudges me my citizenship at all. of course, i can't speak for others. i guess i am wondering what we are doing? i have a feeling that i am not the only one with that question these days. i have a feeling that there are lots of us who don't really know what the fuck to do with ourselves. i suppose i should explain what i mean as the printed word doesn't really convey my meaning.

it has occurred to me that knowing what i know of human history- we as a group don't change all that much. we still have our large, seething masses of poor in slums; we still have our bourgeois class in the middle living comfy lives and we have the attilas and the alexanders at the top- taking out anyone who gets in their way. and-- basically, anyone is expendable. i expect that i am like many folks here in america- i try not to think of the world's issues at large because they are big and overwhelming and never ending. there is so much suffering it hurts my heart to think about it. i think what drives me over the edge is the fact that there is so very much greed and power hunger that is driving the planet- and most folks just want to live their lives and love their families and friends. they want enough food and water and shelter to live and they want their children to grow strong and be proud of them. that is true whether you are from africa the middle east or the west- or anywhere on the planet.

america and the west don't have the market cornered on corruption but we are the basis for much of it. why? the money is here. whenever i read about africa or the middle east or southeast asia or south america- basically anywhere else on the planet other than north america and europe- we have our hands in suffering. we pollute and mistreat and bribe and kill our way into huge profits and then wonder why the seething masses of poor hate us and want to kill us- in the name of god or poverty who really cares at this point. sigh. and yet, the world goes around and around. seasons change- not quite like they used to- and people go about their daily lives. around the suffering. there is no reason for the victimization of the katrina folks in the gulf; there is no reason for the brutality and violence in rwanda or darfur or anywhere in africa; there is no reason for the unbridled suffering and poverty in afghanistan and iraq and palestine. no reason save one- greed. the other 6 deadly sins are just offshoots of greed.

and this has been the same wheel that has turned for millennia. and that is why i have no hope that things will ever change. there have been legions of well meaning folks before that try to alleviate the suffering of others- but it's a drop in the bucket. why? because there are always more greedy people than unselfish. and they are the ones who stop at nothing to get what they want. think about the few at the top in any world government and then think about the minions who do their bidding. all cut from the same cloth. greed is the force that rules the world. greed will destroy the human race. taking millions of innocents along for the ride.

i am going to the forum and the corner for some solace.

4 comments:

Larry said...

How can anyone disagree with that. Greed of all forms is our downfall, from greed for Mideast oil to greed for power.

Anon-Paranoid said...

How true your words are. Then and now nothing has really changed in the world since God created Adam and Eve and cast them from the Garden of Eden.

Greed is in everyone unfortunately, however most people have learned to suppress it and do what is in the best interest of all people.

Then we have those like the Decider who are insane and can't control their urges. These are the most vile people in the world and they all follow the same destructive paths as we learn from history.

Only these people never learn from history and doom everyone to the same results as previously occurred throughout time.

We are in for some rough waters ahead and only time will tell if we survive or not.

God Bless.

Unknown said...

Greed has been around since the dawn of mankind, and will remain until it's demise.

The problem America faces, is it's embracing of arrogance. Greed and arrogance are a toxic stew, which will, in the end, precipitate our downfall.

Good post, Betmo, thanks.

Spadoman said...

You are absolutely right Betmo. No question that the love of money and the greed trumps peace, as our leader once told us.

Last night, I went to a presentation put on by Nukewatch as a fund raiser. Nukewatch is a Wisconsin based activist group. They put forth many points last night. One of the presentations was about Venezuela and the continuation of the Bolivian revolution that was started by Simon Bolivar a long time ago.

Most of what I heard about was good change for the people. Most of it. And it's been going on for almost 200 years with the time outs for the CIA installed puppet governments and medling.

That scared me because we have hardly started change in our country. In fact if you use the pendulum as a guide, we're still swinging upwards toward the right. We have a long way to go.

Groups that are trying to make things change are just getting started. Code Pink, Move On, True Majority and the like. People are not affected by this situation of greed and the subsequent wars and control and steering of other governments and suppresion of our own minorities and poor except in their hearts.

Those people directly affected have no power and don't trust the groups because they see them as powerless as well. So they get by on their own means and support each other.

What this means is that we have a long road in front of us. I figure I'll be dead before our own Berlin wall, greed, comes down. But what do I do while I see it and it bothers me and I know it's wrong?

I reach out, try this and that, join here and there and keep doing the little feeble things I do to let someone, anyone know that I know it's wrong and want it to change, just like you have in this post.

Be glad it bothers you. Those that are completely oblivious to the problems that are caused by greed in the USA are mindless fools. Just too bad we don't have religion. Then we can say that god or whoever will punish them in the end.

Peace to all.