Ranting

I would like to vent some frustration with our American culture. I can not stand how many Americans, regardless of political creed, do not vote in elections. I can not stand the amount of apathy in this country. Now, I understand that our system is FUBAR, but let's face it... it's our own damned fault. We believe what we are told by the people in charge, and we embrace the dumbening-down of our culture. Perfect examples of this - more people voted on American Idol than in the midterm elections. That is downright disgusting. We have been programmed to sit tight, enjoy our mindless entertainment, idolize the pretty celebrities, eat our fake, nutrient-lacking "foods," and, best of all, use credit cards so we can throw our money at CEO's who are already making millions. Yes, this first paragraph is what's going on in my brain.

Our culture is intentionally being made dumber. This is not just my opinion, it's a statistical fact. America ranks 34th on the best countries in which to live list, and our math and science scores are consistently declining when compared to other industrialized nations. We have become a society of programmed drones. Here's the truth... most of what we are taught in school is complete BS, and, if you chose to do actual research on many subjects, much of what we are taught is factually or historically wrong (I'm referring to history, mainly). We are taught not to question, that dissent is bad, and that those with the most money know best. Our education system focuses on topics that for most of us, have no real-world applications. We need an educational system that actually prepares us for a successful life. School should be a place where the skills needed for life in America are taught, and, where we can learn about how our country really works (what a scary thought for Wall Street... imagine if everyone knew about Credit Default Swaps and Derivatives, and how our economic system is run like a casino). Imagine if every high school graduate understood basic accounting (wow... addition and subtraction), basic nutrition (wait... KFC isn't healthy?), and basic economics (wow... imagine everyone walking around knowing how credit cards really work). Imagine being able to speak numerous languages (the best time to learn a language is between ages 4 and 8, while the brain is still developing). Imagine everyone having a basic understanding of different forms of government, including our own. Our system has created something very dangerous... apathy. How dare we sit at home on election day? When I see what's going on in Egypt, where people are literally giving their lives to obtain what WE in American take for granted, it really boils my blood... and ya know, our own destruction and decay is our own damned fault.

See, it all ties together. When the system is dominated by a few people with lots of money, controlling those who are elected to serve the people, who really wins? The people with the money... and that sure as hell ain't you or me.