Current mood: annoyed
I just got done watching the Weather Underground documentary (2002-2003). I would certainly recommend watching it. It's not a documentary in the sense that there is an overbearing narrator, but rather, mostly the "veterans" of that group talking about themselves and what they did back in the day.
I knew I always disliked smelly hippies, but I never knew how much like Cartman I really am. Oh my God do I dislike smelly hippies...Cartman's actions are the fantasy of my psyche playing out when it comes to them, especially after watching these kooks. However, as opposed to the Weather psychos, I at least simply chuckle at this fantasy in a cartoon rather than seek out these people who are so offensive to me and plant bombs.
What freaks me out is that these guys are merely the militant ones that got themselves in trouble. But the thousands and even millions of people that thought much like these guys did before the group splintered into it's crazy "revolution", have now all grown up and are the "respected community members" in our society - many without having grown up out of these angsty teenager attitudes.
It's endemic to the country, and it's all a bunch of over-idealized children who wanted to have a rose-colored world where we all hug each other with flowers in our hair, without recognizing the truly permeating truth about humanity: it's a rotting corpse of selfish horror and greed that will never, never, NEVER function the way they envisioned it could. Not that I'm glad it's that way...it's actually a sad and depressing thought...but mankind will never simply be "good" to each other. Strength will always be needed, and authority will always be necessary to be exerted. The human social animal requires a structured society. Even in the deepest, darkest, wildest jungle where humanity has established itself in isolated tribes, social STRUCTURES, with RULES, PUNISHMENTS, and SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS have emerged. It is a necessary thing to deal with this crazy creature called man. It's when the rules prevent us from doing something we want that we explode at how horrible this system must be. Like a petulant child denied a box of candy, wailing and weeping, and gnashing of teeth ensues.
That ideology is as crazy and dangerous as the emerging terrorist ideology of the recent decades - the one that says if the world does not think like we do, we will force it to change and accept us, and then conform to us. These are children who always resented authority, and never learned to grow up. Now, I am fair in my accusations - I no more like the emerging Pat Robertsons of this world that would like to do the same to the planet, only substitute "Jesus" for "Allah" in many of the terrorist ideology handbooks. It's when we seek to mold society to fit OUR selfish and INDIVIDUAL wants, goals, and desires, that we can end up in a dangerous location.
Want to make a TRUE difference? Bring education to those in your country. Reach out to the poor and the needy. And, if you must, proselytize your beliefs. For, if enough people think like you, then the government will eventually begin to shift in your direction. But don't take shortcuts. Change rarely happens overnight - and these "revolutionaries" are merely people who are too impatient to allow change to occur without the violence and upheaval. Impatient, impertinent little children who must see the world work the way THEY want it...and see it NOW, or dammit they will do something "revolutionary" about it.
To the patient and the persevering will go the spoils of ideology. Or to those with enough crushing might to fully stamp out the opposing viewpoint (I'll grant that point ahead of time. :-) ).
Wow...I haven't let out a diatribe/rant like that in a while. Phew, felt good. Glad few people read this, or the interminable flames and trolling would commence, as there are few people in this world willing to have a discussion - instead, everyone must try to "convince" you and "win" an argument rather than simply discuss the issues in a level-headed way.
I admit to sometimes slipping into that category myself. It IS after all, grotesquely satisfying to take someone's ideology and crush it like a piece of overripe fruit. But, such arguments and tactics rarely lead somewhere useful.
I have been surprised how in Graduate School I have had very few opportunities to have deep, meaningful, level-headed discussions of this kind - as opposed to having them on a weekly basis when I was in my last year of undergrad or in the years I worked. I miss that quite a bit - those were some wonderful people, and I miss them all dearly. Many of my fondest memories are with the SMELLIEST of hippies...but smelly hippies near and dear to my heart, who were willing to simply discuss issues and not get involved in a monkey-poo-flinging session.
When I read this again in a few weeks, I'll probably wonder what came over me to write it. I may even delete it. But at least it's out there for a while, and I feel some catharsis. :-)
Music that accompanied the diatribe:
Prince Charming
I Stand Alone
Divide
Wait and Bleed
Robot Love
Execute
Snuff
Nothing Else Matters
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