FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF GIANTS (OFF A CLIFF)

In the glory days of the res publica, when Roman armies took on enemy after enemy, and trounced them all, both citizen and soldier felt invincible. The Roman Empire combined a strong sense of social solidarity with a powerful individualism, especially among its elite, the nobles. This combination of individualism and willingness to work together created some of the greatest cultural achievements of Western culture. Recovery came with the emergence of a new type of imperial regime that increased the size of the army, imposed many more bureaucratic controls, and restored the currency. The solution to the crisis was not greater freedom and increased involvement by citizens, but greater control and central direction. And it worked in the short term. But it was an increasingly brittle regime that was always on the defensive. To pay for its armies, it had to assert more control over its citizens, and the cost of ensuring survival became increasingly greater. Rome slowly died.

As it became more despotic and struggled to put armies in the field to defend its vulnerable territories from those who wanted to enjoy the benefits of its civilization, Rome became more dictatorial and sought to extract more from its subjects.  It lost all of sense of its once great solidarity.

Does this remind you of any other civilizations?

Here, let me help you.  Replace the words “empire”, “nobles” and “barbarians” with “country”, “CEO”, and “immigrants”.

Any closer?

Americans would not for a moment consider themselves threatened by ‘‘barbarians’’ (though this threat may also be constant, from within!), but what if the outsiders trying to get in were called ‘‘immigrants’’? Suddenly, the comparison becomes immediately clear.

Anyone who follows national events carefully should have reason to worry about the consequences of Empire-building, particularly the need for security and military strength.  The parallels are not only intriguing, some are downright frightening.  Of course, times have changed.  Diet, pollution, medicine and technology have all obviously taken alien-like strides in the hundreds of years since the rule of Rome.  The face of a Roman citizen at the sight of an airport would be worth a bushel of fleece at the market, indeed.  But, could it not be argued that technology has done nothing but speed up our demise?  It took months for the Romans just to get to their enemies much less plan and conquer them.  We can do the same with an executive order.  We have cures for Polio, syphilis and small pox, bur our sedimentary lifestyle and the McDonalds drive-thru has created a nation of overweight organ failures in its stead. Somehow I think no matter how hard the life of a Roman citizen could be, I doubt they ever suffered from lack of exercise, processed food and dirty air.

And there is this:  As the ‘bumpkin” citizen of Rome gawks at an airport, what would be our reaction as we gazed at the genius of the roadways and aqueducts crisscrossing their enormous empire, built by hand and engineered so brilliantly and beautifully, they still exist?   My point is this:  the passing of time has not and never has, changed the course of a ruling nation or empire.  The old fallback “we’ve outgrown that,” does not, and never has, applied. An empire does not become an empire without greatness, of this I have no doubt, but this begs the question, if we are to consider ourselves one of the great civilizations, are we to fall like one?

AMERICA AND ROME

Obama claims Mitt Romney did not back Detroit or Jeep in their fight to keep jobs and stay in the red.  He claims Mr. Romney would rather have jobs in China than in the United States.  In a blurb of said commercial, the President even has Romney saying, “Let Detroit go bankrupt now.”  The add goes on to say that even the conservative Detroit news criticized Romney for his, “wrong-headedness on the auto bail out.”  Aggressive claims to be sure, and very damaging if true.  It certainly points in the direction of truth when House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday said he was "very confident" that Mitt Romney will win his home state of Ohio, but acknowledged that the auto bailout has helped the president with some voters here. Romney is doing well in Ohio. You know, polls don't decide elections, voters do," the speaker said, though he later added "the auto bailout may help the president in Ohio a little. But when you look at polling, it wouldn't indicate that that's had much of a factor at all," he continued. "Enthusiasm is on our side."  It would seem that even the most casual observer would be able to read between the lines of that quote.  Romney is in trouble in Ohio.

            Or is he?

            What does the popularity and effectiveness of political attack advertisements reveal about popular culture beliefs and values?   Apparently nothing and everything, especially in the case of the truth.

            In what appears to be a clear cut case of one man being “wrong”, as in protecting the citizens and businesses of this country, Mitt Romney, in this case, seems to have been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.  A solid blow landed by the President in which the Romney camp has no clear cut response and even House Speaker Boehner had all but declared the state of Ohio Obama’s due to his hand in helping the American people.

            Two questions come to mind:  Why has the President not pursued to expose this course of almost certainly tantalizing attack and why are the American people not more interested?

            No one is saying the Mr. Romney was wrong, bankruptcy may have gotten these car companies out of the jam they are in, but we know for certain President Obama’s stimulus plan did get them out of trouble.  It is a very simple equation.  Romney’s plan was the very opposite of the President’s and it was the President’s plan which came out with flying colors.

            So we ask again what dies the popularity and effectiveness of political attack advertisements reveal about popular culture?  Are the masses of the Untied States just like the mob of Rome?  Willing to be led by the nose?  Would we rather hear of a fight about taxing the rich, a Medicare plan that never comes to fruition, abortion or a never ending war on terrorism?  Apparently.  Although there has mention been made of the afore mentioned automobile disagreement, the latter subject reign supreme in the world of debate, both in front of the camera’s and behind them.

            Subjects that will not be answered in our lifetimes rule the forums of politics much more so than the real issues at hand.  Politicians attack just to attack for that is a mob mentality, not a societal one.  If the mob is fickle, then so must the candidates be, and if the mob is hungry for a subject, however wayward, then that subject will be pursued at all costs.

            We turn our heads in the face of light and truth, and, just as we cheer two men in a ring punching each other with fists, so we enjoy two politicians behind podiums, punching each other with words.  After all, did not the mob enjoy its gladiators?

EYES WIDE SHUT

  The girl on the beach, her tan dark and her bikini bright, is shading her eyes as she watches a cruise ship in the distance.  The group of men surrounding a tavern table, their suits and ties black, the haircuts distinguished and their faces happy as they toast a white tequila. The lone, sleek automobile snaking down the road while mists of a surrounding tundra chase it beautifully.  Young, thin women dancing carefree and warmly, laughing and pulling men in close as, at the last second, a deodorant name flashes across the screen.  These are just a fraction of the things that commercials will tell you what will make you happy.  And what else do they have in common?
  Not one of them will make you happy.  In fact, some are downright dangerous.
  Alcohol is a admitted depressant.  Driving a car built for speed on a winding road is safe . . . if you drive Formula One cars for a living.  Cruise ships?  That's a lot of money to spend sick in bed with the latest stomach virus.  The list goes on and on.
  But that, as they say, is the tip of the iceberg.
  The pschycololigcal effects can do much greater damage.  The bodies the men and women have in 90 percent of these commercials are probably make up 10 percent of the population.  Models pedaling their lotions and anti-pimple cream while commanding radiant skin and supposedly dandruff ridden heads, tossing lush, glowing hair around their shoulders, can hurt much more than a germ infested cruise ever could.  Flat stomachs and muscled arms abound.  If you buy this, you look like this and feel like this.  Oh, really?  I hadn't heard a Porsche and Old Spice were the paths to Enlightenment.
  And now, not only do these companies harangue you with their wares, promising you a full life, with great wisdom, beauty, success and happiness, they are now armed with cookies, tracking mechanisms designed to follow what you follow and send the trail back to the advertisers.  These things are designed to wrangle all your greatest likes, insecurities, and standard of living into one great package where they can blitzkrieg your senses with even more of their bile.  Even now there are "super cookies."  These, as their title suggests, are much greater than your average "cookie."  Once upon a time you were able to delete these hound sniffing mechanisms, now, alas, you are not.  God knows what else is being developed or is already out there in cyber-space, targeting not only the masses, but you personally.  What other devious plots have this conspiracy-like level of companies hatched now that they have you one on one?  I do not know, but I am sure that instead of sociologists, they now have psychologists in their employ.
  Keep your eyes open.

THE RAZOR'S EDGE

THE RAZOR’S EDGE

Popular culture.  At its best it reflects our society as a whole, what is on our minds and conscience.  At its worst it reflects our society as a whole, what is on our minds and conscience.

             The truth that the reach of one man’s view can precariously distort another man's, has been apparent.  Maybe too apparent.  The great industrial machine that is America has indeed used this truth to spread a dodgy undercurrent of fear and hypocrisy.  Popular culture is now used as a instrument of the great companies that grease the wheel of what has become an oligarchy.

            Unfortunately, this is not where it ends.  Pharmaceutical companies have driven a spike a dread into the hearts of Americans, peddling their wares, both on the television and through the mouths of doctors, that we need their drugs to be happy and healthy.  Politicians praise the engines of war and use the same methods to plant the deadliest seeds of trepidation, faulting other countries and cultures with terrorism and generating the illusion that we are threatened.

            As I delved deeper, pulling back the blanket of popular culture, I was amazed to see a much more sinister underbelly than just clothes, music and art.  I see a tool, a tool being wielded like blade.

            Perhaps some time in the future, we can only hope that in a class like this, student will look back on these times.  Study them intently and realize how close we came to self destruction. 

            Perhaps.

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