Money is said to be "the root of all evil." This is arguably the truest statement ever uttered. There is no doubt that money can bring out the worst in a person. In its smallest value it can turn friends into bitter enemies, break up marriages, and destroy lives. However, if you were to observe our society and its insatiable thirst for this so called evil resource the beginning statement would seem like a myth. In general we are all on a "paper chase." it costs money to live in this world and we Americans seem to do anything for a dollar. Of course it’s nice to be financially stable, and in this day in age we need at least enough money to maintain a peace of mind and support our families, but where do we draw the line? The reason money is a common denominator is because it keeps us in constant conflict with each other trying to obtain this resource that we can never get enough of. A resource so regulated that there literally isn't enough for everyone to break even. If you ask me the way the system is set up it seems as though it is built to fail. So many people are enslaved to the monetary system and don’t even understand its ironic outcome. They are blind to the fact that our country thrives off of debt and that there would be no upper class if there wasn't a lower class. The system is designed to keep the majority of the people in debt and slaves to their jobs. This can be illustrated in a simple application. Say the government barrows 750 million from the federal bank to stimulate the economy. it barrows this money at some interest rate to make all sort of loans to the American people, of course, with interest attached. Well, if the 750 million is the total amount of money we have in our economy how are we expected to acquire all of that money PLUS interest to pay back to the government if that was all we had from the jump? This is where the intangible money comes into play. This is formally known as credit which is used to help you climb further into the whole do to impulse and future buying behaviors.
The monetary system is structured and regulated by people at the tip top of the social chain. It’s almost like a game of musical chairs. There are never enough seats for everyone in the game. When the music stops people will push, shove, kick, and cut you to stay in the game and that’s the whole idea. There just isn't enough to go around and it causes the people at the bottom to stay in constant conflict and competition scuffling over the pennies left over in the economy just to rake in enough money to survive for one more month. The monetary system has one of the tightest grips on our society. It is truly the new form of slavery except it doesn't discriminate on color. The only thing about the new slavery is that you have to earn your own keeps. No longer does the master have to clothe and feed you. You are responsible to get out and make due for yourself and your family and if you don't nobody cares because we are too individualized and aren’t willing to help one another.
Monday, March 2, 2009
C/O/R/P/O/R/A/T/E/-M/E/D/I/A
"Don't sit too close to the TV. It will blind you." this is a phrase that has been used in every household at some point. And after a while we learned not to take this statement so literally, and that it was just a way parents kept us children from sitting to close to the tube, or was it?
if by blind you mean: sightless or having less than 1/10 of normal vision then
the above statement is faulty and there is no reason one cannot sit as close to
the TV as s/he wishes without any consequences. however, if by blind you mean:
unable or unwilling to discern or judge, the ability to know the facts and take
action accordingly, unable to see the propaganda and controlling elements
embedded in the messages, or lacking a directing or controlling consciousness,
then, the statement is absolutely true.
The corporate media has a strangle hold on our society. We know only what they want us to know because corporations own the media and grease the palms that flip the "on air" switches and edit the daily articles. instead of learning about what is really going on in our country and investigating the obvious lies that are dished out daily our reporters and journalist are out following celebs as if we are more interested in who's on drugs and who's having a new baby than the issues facing our lives, the health of our families, and the protection of our rights. The real news that America should be able to see never makes the air. More than 95% of the media is controlled by one group of people. With this much control over an extremely influential tool with a reach that, Rupert Murdoch says, is unmatched around the world it makes it so easy to make anyone look like an enemy or a terrorist. "We’re reaching people from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep" Murdoch says. It’s even easier to control head figures because of the ability to make someone look so bad to so many people in a short period of time. The media can even make protesters crying out for help seem like the antagonist. An example of this can be seen in the video corporate media vs. camcorders.
The reason the corporate media is on my list of denominators is because like the other denominators it promotes conflict and confusion in our society by way of deception and mind control. It has the ability to bring to life the chosen reality of its controller(s). There is no escaping its power because even if you seek truth they are always ready to throw misinformed curve balls in the game, and those who attempt to question the situation are frowned on as conspiracy theorist. This is simply a person who is willing to investigate and believe that the given cause for a particular situation may not be exactly true. How can you look negatively upon a person who checks the facts and has a difference in opinion, and is not naive enough to trust the word of mouth when the facts clearly say something different? Ultimately, all of this lack of information takes its toll on the society because a lot of people’s morals are built on the lies they have been taught to believe in form birth. Sometimes more than others it's not that a person doesn't believe what you are telling them, but the fact that they hope what you are saying isn't true. Think about it if you were 45 years old and you found out that the values and morals you and your family held near and dear are lies based on secrets made up in a private meeting as a part of a scheme to make money how would you feel? You would feel worthless and hope to GOD that somehow, even though the facts line up, this isn't true, and you didn't waste half of your life being deceived. In turn this causes jealousy, hatred, and more deception. So along as we are in tuned with the box we will grow further and further apart unwilling to help each other then we will surely fall.
Monday, February 9, 2009
H/I/P-H/O/P
For a while now the battle to determine whether hip hop is to blame for many of our societal problems has been a sustained one. People don't know where to throw the blame, and for a while I could never bring myself to make a decision in the case of Hip Hop vs. America.
To its defense hip hop claims that parents should be to blame. They "claim" to believe that the parents have the final input on what their children interpret from these videos and rap lyrics. Rapper T.I even goes as far to say "parents need to stop trying to depend on rappers to raise their children." he also says that he and fellow rappers are only trying to make music that people with their backgrounds similar to theirs can relate to. Another famous rapper Nelly says that hip hop is being made the scapegoat and taking the blame for our societal problems, and that the blame is being placed on the individual artists when the people over the record labels are the ones sponsoring it. at one point in the interview he says " Do you think the people over these record labels give a damn about the well-being of our communities?" he goes on to say that America is only concerned about its financial state, and if naked women, bitches, niggas, and hoes are going to make a million dollars then that's what's going to be on the tube. Nelly's part in the debate partially sums up my position in this crucial conflict. It’s not hip hop OR America themselves that we should blame. It’s the combination of the two.
As far as the artists are concerned they are aware of the power they poses. They know just how much intangible control celebrities have in America. A kid would much rather take the advice of their hip hop role model than their old-fashion parents. This is evident because rappers always rap about how previous rappers influenced them "on the block", and the fact that T.I said himself that they rap about these things because they can relate puts extra emphasis on the fact that they know exactly the impressions they are giving. It also means they support the notion that life is about: money, cars, clothes, and hoes.
When it comes to America's contribution to the poisoning of young minds through hip hop surprisingly it is seen as the victim. I really don't see how people over look hip hop videos as the commercials they are. In every video they glorify materials and play on peoples insecurities in order to get them to follow the hype. Our generation as a whole has a false sense of what success really is. We cannot see past all the shinny cars and jewels. Also, hip hop could not be as big as it has become without the cooperation of white-collar America that spend billions to produce these images we see on TV. They would not spend this kind of money if it wasn't certain they were going to make it back times twenty. This very interview is a perfect example of how the corporate world ducks its head in the mist of these conflicts. BET is one of the most popular stations in the black community, and more than 70% of their broadcasts are hip hop videos. As a matter of fact they may be the biggest distributor of hip hop music in the country, but when the battle is in place BET makes sure its ethics aren't called to the stand simply by becoming the stand. By taking this approach they are seen as a part of the solution. They bring who they "claim" are the opposing sides of the argument to the table. In the process they: are seen as the peace-maker, hide their hands in a battle they continue to stir, and they also make a lot of money at the same time.
Today’s hip hop culture is taking a toll on us. Its causes a major division in our community, but who is to blame? America is trying to say it’s the hip hop community itself but I beg to differ. Although the hip hop community deserves its share of the blame it couldn’t excel in its destruction without the support of white-collar America.
To its defense hip hop claims that parents should be to blame. They "claim" to believe that the parents have the final input on what their children interpret from these videos and rap lyrics. Rapper T.I even goes as far to say "parents need to stop trying to depend on rappers to raise their children." he also says that he and fellow rappers are only trying to make music that people with their backgrounds similar to theirs can relate to. Another famous rapper Nelly says that hip hop is being made the scapegoat and taking the blame for our societal problems, and that the blame is being placed on the individual artists when the people over the record labels are the ones sponsoring it. at one point in the interview he says " Do you think the people over these record labels give a damn about the well-being of our communities?" he goes on to say that America is only concerned about its financial state, and if naked women, bitches, niggas, and hoes are going to make a million dollars then that's what's going to be on the tube. Nelly's part in the debate partially sums up my position in this crucial conflict. It’s not hip hop OR America themselves that we should blame. It’s the combination of the two.
As far as the artists are concerned they are aware of the power they poses. They know just how much intangible control celebrities have in America. A kid would much rather take the advice of their hip hop role model than their old-fashion parents. This is evident because rappers always rap about how previous rappers influenced them "on the block", and the fact that T.I said himself that they rap about these things because they can relate puts extra emphasis on the fact that they know exactly the impressions they are giving. It also means they support the notion that life is about: money, cars, clothes, and hoes.
When it comes to America's contribution to the poisoning of young minds through hip hop surprisingly it is seen as the victim. I really don't see how people over look hip hop videos as the commercials they are. In every video they glorify materials and play on peoples insecurities in order to get them to follow the hype. Our generation as a whole has a false sense of what success really is. We cannot see past all the shinny cars and jewels. Also, hip hop could not be as big as it has become without the cooperation of white-collar America that spend billions to produce these images we see on TV. They would not spend this kind of money if it wasn't certain they were going to make it back times twenty. This very interview is a perfect example of how the corporate world ducks its head in the mist of these conflicts. BET is one of the most popular stations in the black community, and more than 70% of their broadcasts are hip hop videos. As a matter of fact they may be the biggest distributor of hip hop music in the country, but when the battle is in place BET makes sure its ethics aren't called to the stand simply by becoming the stand. By taking this approach they are seen as a part of the solution. They bring who they "claim" are the opposing sides of the argument to the table. In the process they: are seen as the peace-maker, hide their hands in a battle they continue to stir, and they also make a lot of money at the same time.
Today’s hip hop culture is taking a toll on us. Its causes a major division in our community, but who is to blame? America is trying to say it’s the hip hop community itself but I beg to differ. Although the hip hop community deserves its share of the blame it couldn’t excel in its destruction without the support of white-collar America.
Monday, February 2, 2009
S/t/e/r/e/o/t/y/p/e/s/-R/a/c/i/s/m
Stereotyping is by far one of the most common denominators when it comes to societal relationships. However, its symptoms go so unnoticed because stereotypes are embraced by our society. Now, there are some that agree that stereotyping is a defense mechanism and is a needed characteristic, i agree with this to a certain extent. It is essential to be judgmental when it comes to people's actions and your dealings with them because people's actions are pretty much who they are. If a person is involved in illegal activities or immoral issues of some kind, then, it is ok to make the judgment that this person is not the kind of person I want to be around. Intuition is a key power in this world we live in, and it is important that you are able to recognize flaw, fake, and deceitful attitudes as soon as possible. The book, "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School," speaks thoroughly about the importance of being able to read people and act accordingly. They stressed that what they don't teach you at Harvard is what they can't teach you, and that is common sense and the ability to use your intuition. On the other hand, to judge a person merely off of his/her appearance is absolutely insane. It also causes social divide.
I was in the mall just a couple of weeks ago when I was the victim of a stereotypical mind. I was approaching this white lady and her kid. I wasn't actually approaching them but I was about to walk pass them. Once the lady spotted me she grabbed the kid firmly saying "stay close to me." I was so hurt by her reactions towards seeing me. You see, I don’t consider myself the average young black male. Especially coming from the type of environment I came from. I am an extremely caring person that dreams of the days when we truly see each other as one. I even have a clothing line and it focuses on self-development and self-knowledge as a way to unify our nation by helping us to see ourselves in each other. Like I said before I am a loving and caring individual. However, at that moment i was seen as a black dude with dread ready to prey on an innocent mother and her child.
Although, it was her actions that made an impact on me, I didn't blame her at all for my disappointment. Poor lady was only looking out for the well-being of her child, and if the media is always saying "be on the lookout for young black men", then, that’s exactly what’s she's going to do. From watching the tube she knows that blacks are responsible for 52% of the Nations homicides. So when she sees a black man, especially a young black man with my features, she is immediately nervous and wonders what I might do to her and her child. what she doesn't seem to realize is that people are individuals and it’s not the color of the skin and they way people look that makes them who they are. It’s the life they have lead and the things they've been exposed to that determines there values.
Stereotypes make our country a paranoid place to live. They keep a cloud of suspicion over us, and instead of collaborating with people that look different or have different backgrounds we keep our distance from them. By being restricted to only dealing with certain looks, blood types, and whatever else that separates the masses other than their heart we miss out on the chemistry developed by the mixture of different ideas and cultures. Hopefully, with the help of Historie Clothing Group and The Rebuild Foundation we can close the gap brought on by racism and stereotypes and move on to a time where we actually are our brother’s keeper.
I was in the mall just a couple of weeks ago when I was the victim of a stereotypical mind. I was approaching this white lady and her kid. I wasn't actually approaching them but I was about to walk pass them. Once the lady spotted me she grabbed the kid firmly saying "stay close to me." I was so hurt by her reactions towards seeing me. You see, I don’t consider myself the average young black male. Especially coming from the type of environment I came from. I am an extremely caring person that dreams of the days when we truly see each other as one. I even have a clothing line and it focuses on self-development and self-knowledge as a way to unify our nation by helping us to see ourselves in each other. Like I said before I am a loving and caring individual. However, at that moment i was seen as a black dude with dread ready to prey on an innocent mother and her child.
Although, it was her actions that made an impact on me, I didn't blame her at all for my disappointment. Poor lady was only looking out for the well-being of her child, and if the media is always saying "be on the lookout for young black men", then, that’s exactly what’s she's going to do. From watching the tube she knows that blacks are responsible for 52% of the Nations homicides. So when she sees a black man, especially a young black man with my features, she is immediately nervous and wonders what I might do to her and her child. what she doesn't seem to realize is that people are individuals and it’s not the color of the skin and they way people look that makes them who they are. It’s the life they have lead and the things they've been exposed to that determines there values.
Stereotypes make our country a paranoid place to live. They keep a cloud of suspicion over us, and instead of collaborating with people that look different or have different backgrounds we keep our distance from them. By being restricted to only dealing with certain looks, blood types, and whatever else that separates the masses other than their heart we miss out on the chemistry developed by the mixture of different ideas and cultures. Hopefully, with the help of Historie Clothing Group and The Rebuild Foundation we can close the gap brought on by racism and stereotypes and move on to a time where we actually are our brother’s keeper.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
D/I/V/I/S/I/O/N
Once the semester began and I found out one of my goals were to become a "digital citizen" I was shook. It wasn’t so much the writing assignments that would get to me, I write to myself quite often, it was the publicity of them that did it. I think I felt this way towards the commitment because I know the majority of people don't have an open mind, and will judge you based on your perspective and opinion alone. They do this without considering the fact that most people's opinions have strong ties to their upbringing, the environment they grew up in and the values society pretty much place on them. As horrible as that may seem it’s the truth. Contrarily, I believe we can learn so much from contrasting views. Carefully observing different perspectives can give you some insight on the character of others. It may even be a key to solving many of our social problems. The power of unity is unlimited, and the collaboration of ideas and opinions are what fuels it. However, we seem to see opposing opinions and constructive critism in a negative light. Generally we get so caught up in what we know that we actually get offended by those who offer a conflicting opinion especially if it is well supported. No one like o be out shined more so when it comes to a subject as sensitive as education. This is why I think education is one of the many subjects that psychologically and unconsciously keep us in conflict with one another, and steadily on a grimy scuffle to what is "perceived" as the top.
So for my project I want to: present different topics that affect our society in both negative and positive ways, examine both sides of the spectrum, and, hopefully, from that I can show how some of the values we up-hold as a community actually holds us down. I am interested in this topic because I am always wondering, "What exactly would it take for people to genuinely want to look out for and respect others in a brotherly manner?" I am always snapped back into reality with a reminder of how inconsiderate people actually are.
Think about when you are in traffic. Is it just me or is it easier to switch lanes when you don't apply your signal? It seems like once I signify that I want to get over everyone wants to speed up. What triggers people's emotions to react in that way? Why do we hate to be out done by others even when the competition is only in your mind? These are the type of questions I want to explore, and, hopefully with the help of my peer’s comments we can come up with some possible answers and solutions to better our relationships.
So for my project I want to: present different topics that affect our society in both negative and positive ways, examine both sides of the spectrum, and, hopefully, from that I can show how some of the values we up-hold as a community actually holds us down. I am interested in this topic because I am always wondering, "What exactly would it take for people to genuinely want to look out for and respect others in a brotherly manner?" I am always snapped back into reality with a reminder of how inconsiderate people actually are.
Think about when you are in traffic. Is it just me or is it easier to switch lanes when you don't apply your signal? It seems like once I signify that I want to get over everyone wants to speed up. What triggers people's emotions to react in that way? Why do we hate to be out done by others even when the competition is only in your mind? These are the type of questions I want to explore, and, hopefully with the help of my peer’s comments we can come up with some possible answers and solutions to better our relationships.
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