The Beckoning of the Serpents
Date: November 1st, 2009
Category: Liberty / Politics
By Robert Ringer
Following is a recent blog post by “deusimplicitus” (slightly edited for clarity):
In America, we’ve been encouraged and taught to make accumulating materialistic tokens, along with hedonism, the norm underlying our national pastime. We have lost sight of all other rational and reasonable characteristics that make a more complete human being.
Too many Americans have become unthinking and non-objective automatons, unable to disengage from their societal programming and actually think in terms of a larger, more rational perspective, along with a longer view in the process of problem solving, both individually and as a group (nation). This will be the true underlying cause of the continuing decline of our country.
From the major corporations exporting American jobs and then importing almost everything sold in our stores, to the petty and narcissistic programming that everyone has rights (that they in fact do not have) and that everyone is somehow a victim of someone else, the foundations of what once made America great and prosperous have been undermined.
Grown adults play what amounts to what is nothing more than children’s games, and are paid obscene amounts of money for doing so. This is made possible because other grown adults find enchantment in the distractions of false hero worship and the need to align with the ridiculous abstract concept of a “hometown team.” It all illustrates the overall immaturity of the average modern American and the blaring emptiness of the American soul, as well as the modern sports businesses that prey upon these people.
Reader deusimplicitus has said a mouthful here. What he has not explained, however, is why we are encouraged and taught to make accumulating materialistic tokens the norm.
Why have we become unthinking and non-objective automatons, unable to disengage from our societal programming?
Why do we believe we have rights that we do not have?
Why do grown adults among us get paid obscene amounts of money to play children’s games?
Most important, why do grown adults find enchantment in the distractions of false hero worship and the need to align themselves with the ridiculous abstract concept of a “hometown team.”
All of these questions were answered by Aldous Huxley in his classic novel Brave New World. The “somas” Huxley wrote about were the perfect drug for controlling the masses, used by the government not only to keep people in line, but to make them docile and happy in the process. Hero worship and the absurd attachment to the self-delusive concept of a “hometown team” is the new millennium’s version of Huxley’s somas.
This hero worship of athletes — many of whom are common thugs or even convicted felons — whose contributions to the world include the ability to slam a ball through a metal rim at a distance of zero feet … run like an antelope for fifty yards with a sphere-shaped ball under their arms … or hit a little white ball 400 feet (with or without the use of “performance enhancing drugs”) is an integral part of the disintegration of American culture.
As I was flipping through the channels the other night, I happened upon an NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. Just as I tuned in, a Steeler was in the midst of returning a Bret Favre pass for a touchdown. As the camera scanned the crowd, you would have thought someone had just announced a cure for world hunger. The fans were going bananas, waving their “terrible towels,” high-fiving one another, and screaming like asylum inmates for their “hometown” heroes.
It’s easy to chuckle and wave aside these Homer Simpson-like antics as harmless nonsense, but such an idiotic attachment to athletes for whom Pittsburgh is but a stopping off point in their careers actually serves a purpose: It takes the minds of adults who have no meaningful purpose in life off their own misery.
So long as they are mesmerized by their imaginary cause (that a bunch of temporary residents of their city somehow make them a more worthy people than their counterparts in, say, Cincinnati or Baltimore), it makes it easy for Nancy, Harry, Barney, and Co. to continue robbing them blind without fear of backlash.
I have often been asked if I believe that professional sports will crumble right along with the demise of the U.S. economy. My guess is that it won’t. In fact, if it comes down to it, I would not be surprised to see the government use your money to subsidize professional (and even college) sports in an effort to keep millions of knowledge-free minds perpetually distracted.
But what about the $40 million or so that a LeBron James is paid for not working? Surely, when unemployment hits 15-20 percent (and it will if government-run healthcare is passed), won’t the government step in? I don’t think so, for three reasons:
First, because it is important to the government that people continue to believe that wealth without work is possible.
Second, LeBron James and his playmates are the engine of today’s somas. By being the gladiators in our modern-day colosseums, they play a key role in taking people’s minds off their hopelessness.
Third, people are so addicted to the mind-numbing effects of sports idolatry that they will wipe out what’s left of their dwindling savings in order to pay a few hundred bucks for one more pair of tickets. The last thing an addicted sports fan will give up are his tickets to his favorite college or pro team’s games — his family’s hunger be damned.
Yes, indeed, deusimplicitus, you have said a mouthful. The first challenge is to help people understand that the way to fill their empty souls is not through false hero worship and wild cheering for a team that they imagine is somehow connected to them.
The second challenge, as Viktor Frankl pointed out, is for each individual to find a meaningful purpose in his life. And that’s hard to do when a White House and Capitol Building filled with hissing serpents are continually urging him to gorge on their poisonous apples.
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November 1st, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I concur with Mr. Ringers evaluation.
An inculcation of “false worship” (aka fools’-worship) from generation to generation has become an American tradition which has spread to every aspect of our culture.
Henry David Thoreau took adroit note of such worship almost one hundred and fifty years ago when he wrote about one aspect of fools’-worship; namely, the worship of fashion: “We worship not the graces, nor the Parcae, but fashion…..The head monkey at Paris puts on a traveller’s cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same. I sometimes despair of getting anything quite simple and honest done in this world by the help of men. They would have to be passed through a powerful press first, to squeeze their old notions out of them, so that they would not soon get upon their legs again; and then there would be some one in the company with a maggot in his head, hatched from an egg deposited there nobody knows when, for not even fire kills these things, and you would have lost your labor.”
Yes “false worship” (aka fools’-worship) has been around for a long, long time. Today, everywhere one walks, the air stinks of the maggot meat that people call brains.
If you want to see fools’-worship in its most virulent form, then don’t bother going to a sporting event; but, rather, attend the next Republican or Democratic Presidential Convention. The heads, at these political events, are so full of “maggots’ that if you look closely, then you will undoubtedly see scores of the fat little Diptera larval crawling right out of the delegates ears.
If you don’t want to wait that long to witness such a sight, then may I suggest a trip to Reverend Wright’s church; or, perhaps, a “hometown” church somewhere near you. The one thing, that I can positively assure you of, is that there are no shortages of churches or maggots in America.
An exacerbating condition, that is closely linked to false worship and may just be one of the primary underling causes of it, is the irresistible desire of the masses to join together in groups; and then work themselves up to such an emotional excess that it reaches the level of the psychoneurosis condition known as hysteria. I call it group hysteria. You can find it in a church, rock and roll concert, political gathering, or anywhere where there are maggots present.
Now, perhaps my comments have insulted you sports fans, Jesus fans, celebrity fans, rock star fans, political fans, and fashion fans to the point of hate. Allow me to say that sport, Jesus, fashion, and all the other material and immaterial things have their appropriate place; however, when Mr. Nobody (aka me) mingles in public (rarely) I should at least be able to have an intelligent conversation and better myself from it. Instead, what I often find is children hiding in adult bodies.
“When I was a child, I use to speak as a child, to think as a child, to reason as a child; but now that I have become a man, I have done away with the traits of a child.” …… Apostle Paul 1 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, let me say that I’m not just a man, but a selfish man; therefore, I wish more people like “deusimplicitus” would post more often. I,too, found some interesting thoughts in his post that I took away and sharpened my perspective with.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:10 am
Good thoughts. I believe they made a movie about control of the masses by means of sports heroes. It was called Rollerball and starred James Caan.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Hi Robert,
I’m sincerely honored that you found my comments trenchant in attempting to explain one of the main and underlying reasons undermining our societal collective ability to clearly keep a profound perspective on what constitutes objective reality and clear values in the face of the constant media programming, cultural peer pressures, and societal imprinting.
If those of us, who understand and realize the clear and present danger, are going to stabilize and reverse the increasing decline of our country and the society populating this country, more people need to start encouraging others to start analyzing themselves and their behavior to see if they are really acting out of rational true self choice based on rational thinking and long term goals, or if they are acting on habitual and comfortably numb programming that drives people to allow others to think for them, determine their lifestyles and preferences, and then without these automatons ever realizing their own self defeating patterns, when multiplied my millions, creates massive societal self perpetuating dysfunction, and eventual forfeiture of our ability to be self reliant and critical in our ability to make prudent judgments in both personal and collective issues.
Societal somnambulism has been shown over the voluminous lessons of history, to be wildly contagious (and most times fatal), due to the insidious nature of the lack of mass recognition of these sleep walkers who feel a sense of security and acceptance
in their group think and shared treadmill misery.
More people must step to the front of the throng of sleeping masses, although the speakers may be vilified and initially demonized, for daring to take a stand, speak the truth, and declare, “I AM SPARTACUS!”.
This perhaps will inspire other people to start to say “This is clearly and rationally wrong. NO MORE!”. Then, and only then, will we have a chance at holding our media and business programmers, as well as our political servants, now acting more like serpents, accountable to all of us. Thus we cut the invisible marionette strings which are encouraging too many to dance to someone else’s chosen tunes, and which as a result, are then depleting our collective resolve to address the real causes and not just the symptoms of our dysfunctional national malaise.
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Honestly Robert, what else do these people have other than their “somas.” The establishment discourages and even penalizes independent thought. Do you see any evidence that the majority of people embrace beautiful and sublime values. All anyone has to do is take a glance at the popularity of violent and gory movies—and as for the music that’s popular—.
Leaders of the New Age movement attempted to teach people how to discover a higher awareness; however most new age advocates are completely ignorant of sound economic reasoning and unfortunately accept the faulty political philosophy that is destroying our once great nation.
The Ludwig von Mises Institute, Ron Paul and individuals such as you make an honorable attempt to enlighten people; but do you really see people like the fans that were going bananas, waving their “terrible towels,” high-fiving one another, and screaming like asylum inmates for their “hometown” heroes at the Steelers, Vikings game suddenly deciding that timeless spiritual principles and free market economics are more important and exciting than the mindless thrills of the moment.
Also, I wonder if the day arrives when even some freedom-loving individuals give up all hope, throw in the towel and say “Hey, pass me some of those somas.”
Robert A. Meyer
http://www.libertarianway.com
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:07 pm
As regards grown men being paid obscene amounts of money to play children’s games, we can thank the vulgarity of the media, especiallly television, for our pre-packaged entertainment fixation.
And while time spent watching these all-to-often manipulated for outcome events (see World Series 2004, 2005, 2008, and Detroit Tigers 2009 playoff sabotaging by the umpires, as well as a recent Pittsburgh – Seattle Super Bowl), is counter-productive, my concern is more with people who purportedly represent the American populace in Washington becoming wealthy at our – the taxpayers -expense. The most insidious elements in our society are those in power who are above the law and accountable to no one. These are politicians, judges, attorneys, and their lackeys in law enforecemnent from District Attorneys to Police Cheifs to County Sheriffs who run their bizarre “Victimless Crime Extortion Racket” bunko schemes from border to border and from coast to coast in this country. They are as corrupt, abusive, invasive, hypocritical and controling, by design, as they can be. All for the purpose of exploiting and subjugating us financially and for their massive-ego power feeding trip.
So that modern,athletes, mostly spoiled whiners that they are, are merely symptomatic of an extrememly larger problem unundating this nation – the self-serving element which runs it and which has sold us all out and destroyed the spiritual aspect of our nation and all life, in the process.
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Forget Huxley – Go for the more pulp version with Stephen King AKA Richard Bachman’s book The Running Man (unsuccessfully turned into a major motion picture staring Governor Terminator).
But the book shows a VERY bleak view of our society; so engrossed in its mass entertainement as to have lost its soul. In my view, 30 years ago, Stephen King hit pretty close to now.
So we drink the cool aid and settle down for the night
This is the way the world ends . . . not with a bang but a whimper.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
Addendum…
The concept and strategy of media and political legerdemain, by keeping the masses distracted and engaged in empty, useless, and ultimately meaningless entertainment activities, goes back thousands of years. Once the majority of the population is fixated and engaged in their overall value system with “panem et circenses”, the rest is easy in controlling and manipulating the general population in being docile and compliant.
From Wikipedia….
(“Bread and circuses” (or bread and games) (from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metaphor for handouts and petty amusements that politicians use to gain popular support, instead of gaining it through sound policy. The phrase is invoked not only to criticize politicians, but also to criticize their supporters for giving up their civic duty.
In modern usage, the phrase has become an adjective to deride an infantalized populace so defined by entertainment, instant self gratification, and personal pleasures that they no longer value civic virtues and the public life (not necessarily accomplished through deliberate pacification by politicians but through the popular culture itself). To many social conservatives, it connotes the wanton decadence and hedonism that defined Rome prior to its decline and that may similarly contribute to the decline of modern society.
This phrase originates in Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal (c 200). In context, the Latin phrase panis et circenses (bread and circuses) is given as the only remaining cares of a Roman populace which has given up its birthright of political involvement. Here Juvenal displays his contempt for the declining heroism of his contemporary Romans.[1]:
… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses
… iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.
(Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81)
Juvenal here makes reference to the Roman practice of providing free wheat to Roman citizens as well as costly circus games and other forms of entertainment as a means of gaining political power through populism. The Annona (grain dole) was begun under the instigation of the popularis politician Gaius Sempronius Gracchus in 123 BC; it remained an object of political contention until it was taken under the control of the Roman emperors.
Spanish intellectuals between the 19th and 20th centuries complained about the similar pan y toros (“bread and bullfights”). It appears similarly in Russian as хлеба и зрелищ (“bread and spectacle”).
Aldous Huxley used the phrase in Brave New World Revisited as an example of one of the ideas he used as a theme in Brave New World.)
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Robert, you are an exceptional marketer, right?
And you believe in a free market society, don’t you? In a free market society, the market ultimately decides what a product or service is worth, right? If Lebron is getting paid millions by Cleveland and Cleveland decides it is too much and lets go of Lebron, don’t you think other teams will gladly pay him his millions?
Have you seen Lebron play? He is a joy to watch in action… the artistry, the athletism, the hard work and dedication… just like a magician performing his trick or an artist performing on stage, but only his stage is the basketball court.
People have different interests. Some likes to watch movies, just like me. Do I think the $20 I pay to go to the movies is expensive? Maybe. But is it worth it if I enjoyed the movie? You bet! Some people like broadway shows. Are the expensive tickets to watch the show worth it? If the show is good, then it’s worth it (even if sometimes you can’t even afford it.) Some people like collecting art and some paintings cost millions. Aren’t they expensive? Maybe. But to the collector they’re worth it.
The point is, we should not denigrate athletes because they earn more than us. Athletes are just as hardworking (or more hardworking) as us, regular people. If they don’t practice, they lose their edge. Do I think it’s fair that they earn better than most people? No, I don’t think it’s fair, but this is just normal in a free market. You have a valuable skill, you get paid better. Do I think it’s fair that you, Robert, earn millions because you write good books which are bestsellers? No. But you have a valuable skill which other people are willing to pay for. You are a good writer and you work hard on your craft.
But, yes, I agree with you that most people are unthinking automatons. Not only here in America, but also at the rest of the world. It has been that way for a long time. Am I afraid that America is at the crossroads and that there is good possibility that it will become a socialist state? Yup, especially when the current decision makers in Washington believes that it’s the way to go and the free loaders (which are a good portion of the population) are just happy to agree.
Our only hope is for the Free Men of this country stand up shout out their voice. The forefathers did not leave to chance the future of this great nation. They stood up and act. As Edmund Burke once said:
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
If we don’t act, then we might as well just accept our fates. As the word on the street goes, “Once you go black, there’s no turning back.”
November 4th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Finally something Mr. Ringer and I can agree on, but I have a different conclusion it is the television that is the modern Soma. He is right about sports heros but alot of people do not give a fig for sports. There alot of people who get their self image from the people they see on TV. Remember people always mimic what they see on TV and I believe the Goverment would subsidise cable tv just to keep US watching while they steal our money and our freedom.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:35 am
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