"Enter the cultivated, culturally and socially enforced obsession with organized, mass spectacle sports.
...These games – a new one to keep people busy almost every day, year-round – are not so much “bread and circuses,” as they are often called. They are the vivification of the fictional Two Minutes’ Hate in Orwell’s 1984. A means by which the passions – the frustrations and anger are diverted and dissipated.
In order that they aren’t directed at anything important.
Such as the ever-increasing control exercised by the state.
...the average [American] has little meaningful control over his life. He does as he’s told – from driving the speed limit to paying “his” taxes. In the land of individuality, collectivism and conformity is the rule.
He must Submit and Obey. He must never raise his voice to question authority.
This stifling of independent action, punishment of deviation from any official orthodoxy and relentless suppression of independent judgment and self-reliance...
this systematic thwarting of a normal man’s inclination to be a man...
the pressure builds.
The movie, Falling Down, captured this brilliantly.
Unfortunately for Michael Douglas’ character, he wasn’t interested in “the game.”
...Garish flappy pennants festoon his vehicles.
This, of course, being not only allowed but encouraged by the government.
And when “we” lose the game, our cuckolded American sports worshipper is demoralized and dejected – sometimes, for days on end. He feels great disappointment.
He is angry.
But in a way utterly harmless to the government.
He seethes, he yells, he shakes his fist at the enemy team on the screen.
Never at the true enemy
Axiom: The more hopeless a society is, the more under the thumb of the government-corporate nexus, the greater the adulation of professional sports teams and the deification of athletes. It is a kind of sweaty lottery – a means of dangling desperate hopes before hopeless people who might become dangerous if it ever occurred to them that there is no hope for them.
But hey – did you see that tackle?
The most loathsome dog torturing thug, outright rapists and murderers… beloved and forgiven, so long as they can run and throw or catch.
Always “the game.” Tonight’s. Yesterday’s. Tomorrow’s. An endless obsession with irrelevance.
Enstupidation accelerates.
It has been said that religion is the opiate of the masses. But religions center on values – and so, upon philosophy.
In other words, on things that matter.
The game does not matter.
All the natural, healthy emotions – including most especially anger – are adroitly redirected. Instead of being furious about constantly being required to disprove his alleged guilt, about having to submit to random, probable cause-free searches and such like by an increasingly tyrannical state, about being micromanaged and taxed and never, ever left in peace . . . the gelded, stoop-shouldered creature sitting in front of his TeeVeee is apopletic about that “bad call,” that the “we” weren’t able to convert on third and long.
He is a fan – truly, in the actual derivation of that word. A fanatic – about things properly the concern of children and the feeble minded.
Just what’s needed, from a certain point of view."
http://ericpetersautos.com/2017/02/05/the-relief-valve/
.
.
Carved up Annotated Kunstler Must Read; "Mob psychology is outrunning both experience and reality"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/carved-up-annotated-kunstler-must-read.html
How Would Radical Jesus Fare in America?"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-would-radical-jesus-fare-in-america.html
"Centralized welfare systems are necessarily run by a bureaucratic leadership that cannot master the knowledge needed to manage a complex society..."
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/03/centralized-welfare-systems-are.html
"The Manipulation of Fear", by Noam Chomsky
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/01/manipulation-of-fear-by-noam-chomsky.html
Once again, Greensboro's Rhino Times inflates readership estimates to mislead advertisers
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/once-again-greensboros-rhino-times.html
Regressive Taxes by City Council; "Greensboro increased its vehicle tax from $10 to the maximum allowed"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/regressive-taxes-by-city-council.html
It's been about a month since the News and Record hasn't reported Say Yes Guilford has less than $11 million, and charter schools have to pay 100%
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/its-been-5-days-and-news-and-record.html
Expect a City Council election year love fest between the News and Record and those lobbying to buy the newspaper property
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/expect-city-council-election-year-love.html
Greensboro's Mayor Vaughan and Tony Wilkins just cost City taxpayers a lot of money
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/greensboros-mayor-vaughan-and-tony.html
North Carolina's Graham Tillett Allison and Trump's Thucydides Trap
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/north-carolinas-graham-tillett-allison.html
"Ratings for professional football are down 27 percent across all of the major networks"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/ratings-for-professional-football-are.html
How many voters give more than $1,000 to political candidates, and what proportion of the population and contributions do they represent?
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/11/how-many-voters-give-more-than-1000-to.html
...These games – a new one to keep people busy almost every day, year-round – are not so much “bread and circuses,” as they are often called. They are the vivification of the fictional Two Minutes’ Hate in Orwell’s 1984. A means by which the passions – the frustrations and anger are diverted and dissipated.
In order that they aren’t directed at anything important.
Such as the ever-increasing control exercised by the state.
...the average [American] has little meaningful control over his life. He does as he’s told – from driving the speed limit to paying “his” taxes. In the land of individuality, collectivism and conformity is the rule.
He must Submit and Obey. He must never raise his voice to question authority.
This stifling of independent action, punishment of deviation from any official orthodoxy and relentless suppression of independent judgment and self-reliance...
this systematic thwarting of a normal man’s inclination to be a man...
the pressure builds.
The movie, Falling Down, captured this brilliantly.
Unfortunately for Michael Douglas’ character, he wasn’t interested in “the game.”
...Garish flappy pennants festoon his vehicles.
This, of course, being not only allowed but encouraged by the government.
And when “we” lose the game, our cuckolded American sports worshipper is demoralized and dejected – sometimes, for days on end. He feels great disappointment.
He is angry.
But in a way utterly harmless to the government.
He seethes, he yells, he shakes his fist at the enemy team on the screen.
Never at the true enemy
Axiom: The more hopeless a society is, the more under the thumb of the government-corporate nexus, the greater the adulation of professional sports teams and the deification of athletes. It is a kind of sweaty lottery – a means of dangling desperate hopes before hopeless people who might become dangerous if it ever occurred to them that there is no hope for them.
But hey – did you see that tackle?
The most loathsome dog torturing thug, outright rapists and murderers… beloved and forgiven, so long as they can run and throw or catch.
Always “the game.” Tonight’s. Yesterday’s. Tomorrow’s. An endless obsession with irrelevance.
Enstupidation accelerates.
It has been said that religion is the opiate of the masses. But religions center on values – and so, upon philosophy.
In other words, on things that matter.
The game does not matter.
All the natural, healthy emotions – including most especially anger – are adroitly redirected. Instead of being furious about constantly being required to disprove his alleged guilt, about having to submit to random, probable cause-free searches and such like by an increasingly tyrannical state, about being micromanaged and taxed and never, ever left in peace . . . the gelded, stoop-shouldered creature sitting in front of his TeeVeee is apopletic about that “bad call,” that the “we” weren’t able to convert on third and long.
If the National Football League’s revenue
comes from television contracts, licensed paraphernalia, and ticket sales
and divided up between the teams in two conferences
and special interest and corporate contributions
are relatively divided up between two political parties
depending on who currently holds more power
do most fans and constituents tend to cheer for their team
even though the financial foundations of both systems
enrich both sides of the same businesses
who exclude all and/or most of the nonaffiliated from participation?
Isn't the R and D parties really the AFC and the NFC?
He is a fan – truly, in the actual derivation of that word. A fanatic – about things properly the concern of children and the feeble minded.
Just what’s needed, from a certain point of view."
http://ericpetersautos.com/2017/02/05/the-relief-valve/
.
.
Carved up Annotated Kunstler Must Read; "Mob psychology is outrunning both experience and reality"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/carved-up-annotated-kunstler-must-read.html
How Would Radical Jesus Fare in America?"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-would-radical-jesus-fare-in-america.html
"Centralized welfare systems are necessarily run by a bureaucratic leadership that cannot master the knowledge needed to manage a complex society..."
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/03/centralized-welfare-systems-are.html
"The Manipulation of Fear", by Noam Chomsky
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/01/manipulation-of-fear-by-noam-chomsky.html
Once again, Greensboro's Rhino Times inflates readership estimates to mislead advertisers
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/once-again-greensboros-rhino-times.html
Regressive Taxes by City Council; "Greensboro increased its vehicle tax from $10 to the maximum allowed"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/regressive-taxes-by-city-council.html
It's been about a month since the News and Record hasn't reported Say Yes Guilford has less than $11 million, and charter schools have to pay 100%
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/its-been-5-days-and-news-and-record.html
Expect a City Council election year love fest between the News and Record and those lobbying to buy the newspaper property
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/expect-city-council-election-year-love.html
Greensboro's Mayor Vaughan and Tony Wilkins just cost City taxpayers a lot of money
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/greensboros-mayor-vaughan-and-tony.html
North Carolina's Graham Tillett Allison and Trump's Thucydides Trap
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/north-carolinas-graham-tillett-allison.html
"Ratings for professional football are down 27 percent across all of the major networks"
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/ratings-for-professional-football-are.html
How many voters give more than $1,000 to political candidates, and what proportion of the population and contributions do they represent?
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/11/how-many-voters-give-more-than-1000-to.html
