“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know” is an exasperated cry often heard by the apathetic and scared. “Run for your lives!” often punctuates a panic, and many are all to eager to comply. Children are admonished to heed the words ‘curiosity killed the cat’. Build a bomb shelter, stick your head in a hole in the ground and live to hide another day.

And then there’s denial … obstinate denial. ‘It can’t be true!’ we exclaim. We don’t want to believe that which is perfectly obvious because some how or another we may become implicated. So, we shake our head, close our eyes, cover our ears and refuse to listen, see, care, feel and most other than behaviors that characterize us as living and breathing human beings. In light of this, maybe it’s true, as a friend of mine is wont to say, that ‘the dead ask the best questions’ … simply because many of us don’t.

‘Move along. There’s nothing to see here.’ A riot baton points the way as those with real power trample over the dead, the helpless, and the suffering. They lead by example and many follow. Over time, we are all conditioned to follow … single file … the rank and file … past the slaughterhouses on Wall Street … past the homeless on Main Street … past your neighbors on your block. ‘Keep moving’ is the name of the game. From the scores of pawns there are never winners, but everyone plays. Roll the dice and plunge your brains out … but do not pass ‘Go’, do not collect $200. The ‘house’ always wins … and that’s exactly the point of the game.

I ask you: aren’t you tired of playing this game? Aren’t you tired of being lambs led the slaughter? Aren’t you tired of playing by others’ rules? Aren’t you tired of losing?

Politicians drone on ad nauseum counting on the fact that you will either get so bored or confused by their political rhetoric that you’ll forget all about the real issues that matter. In fact, you’ll forget all a bout them … but not as fast as they forget about you, once your vote is cast. 

The mainstream media launches weapons of mass distraction as an assist. They sell confusion and monger fear, and we snap it up. We don’t question the credibility of those so called news ‘sources’, as much as we don’t talk back to the movie screen. We like to think there is a line between ‘stupid’ and ‘gullible’; there isn’t and we buy it all, the whole hog. 

If buyer’s remorse ever sets in, we learn there are no returns or refunds. Moreover, we don’t even have a legal leg to stand on because long ago legislators and ambulance chasers conspired to create an entirely new language, legalese, to ensure that us laymen (read: suckers) are intimidated into signing away our rights and waiving any avenues of recourse. That’s how ‘they’ want it.

• They want us turned off to what’s really going on.
• They want us apathetic so that we will turn our backs on their misdeeds.
• They want us to stick our heads in a hole in the ground as they poison our environment.
• They want us ignorant, dumb and dumber, stupid and uneducated.
• They want us scared.

And so, they fatten us up for the slaughter. Their ‘modus operandi’ is materialism and we are easy targets. We’re urged to consume and sometimes even frightened to do so, – plunking down our hard-earned income on the weekends, only to go back to work Monday morning to make some more … and repeat the vicious cycle. As slaves of the system, we’re kept busy as the ‘masters of war’ and ‘captains of industry’ play their game to earn their keep. Some call it ‘capitalism’, others call it ‘Big Business’. Their ‘bottom line’ is ‘winner takes all’. 

Don’t want to play the game? Sorry, but that’s against the rules. And, when we claim ‘we didn’t know the rules’, we’re hit with the old “ignorance of the law is no excuse” ploy. And, when we object, they send in their ‘boys in blue’ to brutally enforce their edicts – and their henchmen are all too willing to beat us into submission and complacency. Yes, ‘Officer Friendly’ has a Taser, a billie club and riot gear … and you have the right to bleed freely.

Scared? You should be, because that’s how bullies operate. That’s how tyranny prevails. Yes, that’s who you voted into office. That’s who you gave power to; bullies. That’s what  you got for your apathy. Are you listening, Greece? I hope so. Your vote is just about the last power you have, so don’t throw it away on Neo-Nazis and the usual suspects (read: the usual gang of idiots). Vote Responsibly. 

Now, there are those believe that elections, especially in the USA – hanging chads and all, are simply held to fool the people into believing that they actually have a say in government. I hope that’s not true. I want to believe that’s not true. Then again, as Mark Twain put it, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.” Damn straight that Tom was.

At the end of the day, I am a concerned citizen. I hope you are, too. I want change. Real change. If your nervous, or don’t want to sleep in park, here are some ideas to try. If not, get educated by reading this. At the very least, go here. ‘Occupy’ your mind.

On the other hand, if you enjoy being manipulated and descending into slavery … or just get off being afraid and powerless, then stay in denial and mind the words of the Wizard of Oz when he commands “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” … or that ‘homeland security’ drone hovering over your home, for that matter.

Just go about your business, pay your taxes, keep a low profile … and wait for the Zombie Apocalypse arrive. 

—————————————————————————————-

Suggested Reading:

   

Suggested Viewing: