So, You Hate Labels But You Label Yourself. Does That Make Sense?

Can you think for yourself or are you just
another member of the herd society?

Why is there such a need to 
declare oneself a member 
of the "Left" or the "Right" 
in today's society?

Okay, so, CNN represents the "Left" and
Fox News the "Right." That's a smart business decision by both agencies management. It means they can slant the news to suit the opinions shared by those in their respective audiences and influence them with the sensationalism they present. Of course, their audiences fail to see the "slants" and feel as though the news being presented is accurate and true. Infallible reporting, of the facts!

You really must be joking.

Two herds of sheep, being maneuvered by two different sheepdogs to go in different directions.

Baa!  Baa!  Baa!

"I'm right and you're wrong! 
I'm a Republican and you're a Democrat. 
I'm a liberal and you're a conservative. 
We think different. That makes you a worthless pile of crap. 
I hate you! 
God, if we could only clear the United States of you and your opinions, 
we'd be so much better off! 
You suck!"

Sound familiar? Have you listened to yourself lately?

Why do so many exhibit tendencies of needing to belong? Is there a fear of standing alone and being an independent thinker? Is compromise a concept that brings fear to those that feel they're entitled to have it all, regardless of how it affects others? Or, is it simply that one's comfort zone relies on not having to think for yourself for fear of being wrong. After all, just following the direction of a herd is so much easier. One only has to believe as they say and lo and behold, life is so simple!

Stop allowing fear and ignorance to rule your life!

Yes, I have belonged to many groups over the years. For some reason, most of them reminded me of high school days and being a member of a popular clique. I could tell my friends, "Oh, I belong to ..." and am a somebody. Oh, you don't? For shame." Nothing like feeding the ego, right?

Didn't we outgrow high school when we graduated? Didn't we do the same when we left college? Or, was it too sweet to be the big person on campus? Do you honestly believe we must continue that false facade into real life?

Mankind has always found safety in numbers. Running solo in early times meant walking into an unknown group and being attacked. So, we found others that were alone and formed our own group. As these groups grew, religions thrived, dynasties and empires conquered lands, and later, countries became powerful entities.

As long as the smaller groups within the larger group didn't create problems and all profited in the quality of life, minor differences didn't matter. (I know, not the best choice of words, but it makes a point of tolerance.) Why? Because, regardless of minor differences, the power of the people as a whole supplied a major force with which to deal. Governments found they could only push the people so far before the numbers pushed back. A couple of obvious examples would be the French and American Revolutions. Governments that were unconcerned with the masses and utilized laws and practices benefiting only the upper class, soon found themselves being ousted for the injustices they presented.

Of course, as politicians have always been a sly lot (scam artists), and many came from the ranks of Big Business (*BB). Long before any of us were born, the concept was figured out that by splitting power of the masses they could get away with murder. An example of this in our own history, before recent years, came with the Vietnam Conflict.

It's all about the money!

Our government and BB looked at the Baby Boomers becoming of voting age and said, "Damn, we've got to divide these folks up so we can control them. That way, if we piss half of them off, we have the other half still on our side. Let's see, the French sucked eggs fighting in Vietnam and are leaving. We can slide in and take their place, get industry moving again, and divide the population between those that will believe our bull about keeping Communism in check and those that won't believe we should be there. And, to help us out, this racial crap is coming to a head so we can use it as a dividing tool, also. We're going to have it made for at least a decade or longer if we play our cards right."

And, they did just that.

Traditionalists believed the government to be honest and true. But, after a few years, a "Peace, Love, Dove" generation saw through their charade and began protesting. Also present were those that felt segregation needed to stay and those that saw no need to change the way things were. More violent demonstrations. Hate within the nation thrived. Sound familiar?

Damn Hippies!

Down With The Establishment!

Get Your Hair Cut!

We don't want them in our schools!

Tools for big business, Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon led a money fed Congress that did as they pleased, hidden from public view by all the distractions. Big Business thrived. Kmart and Walmart got their start during this time, and gradually drove many small businesses into bankruptcy. The military machine spent billions with defense companies, including everything from basic uniforms and supplies to various fighting weapons and bombs, jet aircraft, and $250 hammers. Auto manufacturers helped the banking industry, and vice versa, with long-term payment contracts. And, let's not forget the credit card companies racing in to profit with unheard of interest rates and late penalties.

It's all about the money!

The Peace, Love, Dove Generation recognized this happening and increased protesting. Also, many saw their friends lose their lives in a war without progress. Their voices went mostly unheard as network news was, of course, run by Big Business. Black Muslim groups fought for power among themselves (Malcolm X was assassinated during this time), and Martin Luther King, Jr. took his message to the people before also being assassinated. His messages of peaceful demonstrations were always accompanied by shots of protesters scuffling with police in riot gear to contradict his words. The riots of 1968 created even a greater hate and division in the battle for civil rights. Big Business made sure to air news of those continuously and continued its industrial profit journey.

So, what brought the people together?

One of the greatest factors was the constant production of protest music. Both rock and soul sent out a constant message of loving one another to fight the hate. Songs, such as Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" (Stating it was time for all to get together), Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Ohio" (which expressed the sadness and shock of the shooting of four student protesters by the National Guard at Kent State), and the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) gained popularity and helped to change viewpoints. As parents and relatives of those killed overseas joined the Peace Movement, gentle songs like Jackie DeShannon's "What The World Needs Now Is Love" and "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" played into their hearts. The value of the lives being lost began to eat away at political excuses for continuation. Unity of the common masses began as both whites and blacks discovered the message of love and accepted it for the civil rights cause as well as stopping the overseas carnage.

Oh, extremes shouted loudly and their presence was well represented on the nightly news. The KKK and Black Panther movements were shown almost daily. Black Panther food programs for the poor in the ghettos were seldom if ever shown on newscasts as BB found displaying images of armed and uniformed blacks more effective in promoting hate and keeping the population divided.

The hate messages continued daily but found messages of love and togetherness hard to compete against. Gradually, the tide shifted.

Power to the People became an anthem to influence that change. The constant preaching "together we can make change happen" hit home. The majority of Americans saw the light and demanded Congress listen to their demands. Big Business heard the noise and backed off as politicians reconsidered their future election odds and valued their careers over owed favors. Nixon was found to be the crook he'd always been suspected of being and left office. President Ford stepped in, an obvious "lackey" to Big Business, but one acceptable enough to the public in his image, as long as he got us out of the war.

Unified, people had made the difference. There was a song by the Brotherhood of Mann called "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" about a relationship, but fit the need of the time for a slogan. It's words, repeated over and over, reminded all of the strength the people shared as one. Obviously, the only BB industry that enjoyed hearing it was the recording industry.

Our mistake was that we grew lazy after ending the war and Big Business didn't. We stopped paying attention. Hippies turned into Yuppies and bought new cars and homes with long-term mortgages. We'd become the "Establishment" we'd fought so strongly against.

When Big Business found that opening, it jumped back in with more vigor than ever before. It wanted its profits and was determined to have them. You can see they've had their way.

It's all about the money!

I could go on and on, describing what's transpired over the twenty years or so.  Clinton's signing of the foreign trade agreement which allowed factories to relocate to foreign countries without penalty (leading to the shrinking of this country's middle class), Bush's efforts to seek oil control for Big Business by using the 911 attack to go into Iraq (instead of pursuing the guilty) as well as Congress giving Haliburton a non-compete contract to supply the fighting military with services (many already having trained personnel replaced by more expensive employees), Obama's bailout of the auto and banking industries, and later, assisting the Insurance industry by mandating every American pay higher premiums for decreased coverage or be fined (providing millions of dollars in profits before unheard of)-all contributed. Of course, I'd be remiss if I failed to denounce President Trump for assisting the NRA to survive present attacks against its insistence to supply eighteen-year-olds with weapons.

All proclaimed their actions to be for the benefit of the people. Some were much smoother than others in getting the population to believe and trust in them. The naive public always wants something and someone to believe in. They thirst for a better life and want to believe so badly that it's the quest of those they elect. That's why scam artists do so well with them!

It's all about the money!

We haven't had saints in office for decades, if ever. Remember, the concept of "Manifest Destiny" was no more than a phrase to say to the Native Americans, "We're going to steal your land because you don't matter." As America's "great divide" has grown, so have the balls of Big Business. Money paid to politicians for their vote was once illegal and called "graft" (check out history and the problems it raised for President Taft). However, in recent years, it's no longer "under the table money" but legalized and listed as "political campaign" or "special interest" contributions. No matter what it's called, money influences vote outcomes and takes the representation of the people out of the equation.

It's all about the money!

So, you have a choice. You can either remain a member of a herd and continue to spew your spoonfed lies and hate, or you can become an independent, thinking member of society and make decisions based on investigating the facts. If you decide the latter, here are some things I've found to help my independent thinking:

1)  Watch different news agencies to get both sides of a story. Not only CNN or Fox News, but the BBC, and other foreign offerings. You might find none of them tell the "facts" the same, as they're all after ratings (ratings = advertising profits).

2)  Study history to get a wider viewpoint as to what is going on currently. (History often repeats itself as money is a constant theme.) Ask yourself, "What does this network have to gain by saying this about ...?" Instead of blindly believing, question what you hear. Sometimes, if you're honest, you'll find answers your previous self wouldn't want to hear.

3)  Independent thinking means you're strong enough to stand on your own two feet and be able to back up your decisions and develop opinions with logical reasoning and factfinding. Don't be afraid to face the opposition as they seldom have more than emotions and political party agenda B.S. to fall back on. Work to help them understand instead of simply spewing hate.

4)  Learn to compromise and make it a habit (as long as you're getting as much as you're giving), and remember, the first rule of negotiating is, "Never let emotions enter the picture if you wish to win. They only cloud one's judgment."

5)  Before you join any group, ask yourself, "Are they spreading hate or providing a viable answer?" Any group that says violence is the answer is not one to in which membership is recommended. Remember, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Weathermen of the Peace Movement are still looked upon as detriments to the cause. Hate and violence are never the answer.

6)  Look up tolerate in the dictionary, as many have forgotten its meaning, and learn how to practice it instead of being offended by everything around you. As Joe South once sang, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes", look at both sides of the issue and understand where the opposition is coming from before viciously saying things you'd hate to hear said to you. In other words, use some damn common sense for a change and learn how to become a decent human being. You have the gift of having a wonderful mind. Use it!

7)  Read works of the classic philosophers and hear what they say. Greed and power have always been the primary reasons for society's woes. (Well, sometimes the fight for the love of a woman, but let's be real. Plastic surgery today can do wonders.) Look for references that may forecast what you see taking place. You may be astounded.

The only thing to which you are entitled in life is your opinion. The rest you have to earn. (I know your parents told you differently, but they were only placating until you were old enough to get out of the house.) Make that opinion "your" opinion, instead of one of the herd's. Arrive at that opinion using your independent thinking instead of saying what your political party or Facebook/Twitter friends push you to repeat. Lead the way in for those that want to break away, yet, find fear in being alone. Show them they're part of a group that doesn't need to have their minds spoonfed by propaganda being offered.

Stop the hate and spread the love. Stop labeling yourself and being a part of the "great divide" and become part of the solution to unify the people of the country. Bring the power of the masses back where it belongs. The power that tells Congress and Big Business the people control the United States and their job is to take care of the people, not the other way around.

It's a proven method to initiate change for the better.

Big Business is betting you can't do it as we once did a half a century ago.

 Want to take that bet?

*No, I'm not a scholar. Nor do I have a degree in business or economics. I'm simply a man that's never lived life with closed eyes or wearing blinders. All I've stated is easily seen and understood if one opens their eyes and mind to their surroundings and uses common sense.

It's only an opinion ... my opinion. One developed by observation, constant efforts to educate myself, and fact. If you don't like it, I understand. It's your right. I'll sit back and watch how well hate serves you and those you associate with - you know, the other members of your herd. 

If you succeed in living a happy life I'll applaud you. If not, I'll laugh at you. I'll provide you with the same understanding you provided me. You get what you give. Enjoy the ride!