By:  Oli Graves

Never before in the history of man have we been so interconnected as we are today.  Man has the ability to reach out and freely address the world to add insight, share experiences and contribute to the social dictum of the times.

Yet we continue with our placated lives finding solace in the muted liberties of daily living.  We grow ever consumed in our local sports, argue petty political and religious ideologies and we tweet 140 characters of mind-numbing typecast vomit that, for the most part, inspires not liberating themes of human condition, but captivating remarks about our morning commute or other banal bullshit.

Facebook, if used properly, could be such a tool for liberation that the structure of society would be turned on its head and we would all be liberated from our very structured and protected lives.

See, with living in America we have come to – in a way – not realize the full potential of the freedoms and protection that we come to expect. We live daily with privilege; and with that, the blissful ignorance to exist a safe distance from the REAL problems of the world, our world.  Also, with our level of privilege, most of us are unaware that we live in a very confined life that differs from slavery by the sole fact that we are oblivious of its existence.

Our distractions come in the forms of iPads, 47in. 3-D plasma screen televisions, and games in which WE are the controller.  Our once full existence is ever increasingly being replicated into literal computer simulations where our lifelong dreams can be realized with dedicated practice and a few hours of game play.

I remember in middle school wanting to form a band with some friends in hopes of becoming famous musicians with the ability to travel the world and get into crazy shenanigans because that’s what rockers do.  But now for the same price of a used instrument, one can purchase their prefabricated fame and experience that same-ish fame albeit from a crowd that’s programmed to cheer or boo based on your level of accuracy in hitting the brightly colored buttons.

Though part of this is our desire to live vicariously through those whose lives we’d love to claim for ourselves, ironically we are okay with pretending to be great as long as our real lives continue to just continue.

As I write, the world continues to suffer in ways that I cannot put into words.  The cost of living is increasing globally, fresh water sources are rapidly turning to dust, environmental conditions continue to worsen effectively shrinking the habitable portions of this planet, all the while the world population continues to increase.

While all of this is happening we sit here and plan contingencies of the impending zombie apocalypse, find ourselves fawning over new celebrities who only seem able to have the talent to embrace a lifestyle that actively goes against social mores.  And worse, these people are lauded for their behavior.

One of the characters from Jersey Shore got a $5 million contract for some product endorsement. There goes $5 million dollars that could have been used to further some good and proper such as maybe cancer or funding research into why the hell people are actually watching Jersey Shore.

Because of our distractions, we have been placated into a life of detachment where our problems are proportionate to our money.  When problems do arise, instead of engaging the problem, we throw money at it. Lots of money.  We pay for others to handle the problems we don’t like.

Take Haiti for example.  For those of you that are still unaware, there was a massive earthquake that completely destroyed an already completely destroyed nation.  What you probably didn’t know was that Haiti was already suffering from three previous hurricanes each devastating the country on its own AND mudslides AND political turmoil.

You weren’t supposed to know about these disasters because you probably aren’t Haitian and there was something important going on here like a Lakers game or something.

Now there is nothing wrong with contributing to your favorite cause, these foundations do need money and they try their best to help end these terrible maladies and at the same time easing your conscience.  However contributing to nonprofits is kind of like paying child support for that regretful one careless encounter that resulted in a love child.  Sure it helps but it cannot replace actual engagement and parenting that comes from involvement.

I work for a nonprofit that prevents child abuse so I know firsthand that it operates like a single parent. Yes, they can handle mostly all of the problems, but just barely–enough to need that check next month.

Basically, the disconnect that we experience removes us from actually getting an intimate knowledge of a problem.  By being unaware of its inner workings and design, we are sometimes unable to source the root of the problem and effectively eliminate it from existence.  Instead, we hide behind our nonprofits and other organizations giving them our already limited resources and having them develop a remedy.  Also, by not knowing the root of a problem, we are unable to understand from whence the problem came essentially limiting our ability to critically think about the mechanisms that enhance and deride our society.

This is essential for our liberation as knowledge of our compartmentalized lives is crucial so that we can remove the barriers that we have built to shield us from the problems of ourselves and others.

How is it that we are able to raise millions of dollars to raid other nations and pay for banking exec’s new yachts and contribute to other actual important causes; but, at the same time, we are losing our houses and jobs and there is no riot?

They increased tuition for education while the “defense” budget increases every year, but as long as they don’t take away our Xbox live we’ll be okay right?

All I do is ask that you pay attention to what it is that you are spending you time doing as you live your life.  Learn to critically analyze your surroundings.  Know what you are putting into your body. Wonder why sugar has basically been replaced by non-sugar sweetener.

STOP. LIVING. SYNTHETIC. LIVES.  This real one is wonderful and it can be greater beyond anything conceived if that’s what you want.  Look for independent artists/musicians instead of being force fed the pre-screened media malaise that infects far too many of our lives.  Seek out new forms of art that’s organic not just created for the sake of capitalist consumption.

Be a human BEING, not just another human stuck in the rat race.  The conveniences in our lives have far exceeded what we can even handle; we now live in the future present, no longer satisfied by what is but what will happen next.  Let’s slow all this shit down and chill out for a minute; for if we don’t, you can fill in the blank.

Think for yourself.

[End of transmission]

OG