The fisherman

"My mind is the place where I make my plans
The world is the place where I take my stand
The beauty of life is mine today
They cannot take my mind away"
-- From the song Psychology by dead prez

Now as a human being, i'm being pulled apart by two forces. As an anarchist I want us to be free. Bring the trade market back, destroy the big wallmarts corporations. But as a husband and maybe soon to be father I have to provide. And right now, the artistic way doesn't seem to work. So I find myself thinking of taking the easy way out and working for the corporations that I hate so much. The problem is that the more I stay in that environment and the more I notice my mind "shutting off". It is like we are all turning into empty shells. Shadows of our former selves. Working all our lives, only living for short periods of time ( When we are on vacation or if we finally get stinkin' rich ). Some will say "that's just growing up". No it's not.

What is the last time you took some time to breath and really enjoy life ? What is the last time you laughed? Really laughed? From time to time I do have those wonderful moments when I say "Damn it's good to be alive". But in my opinion they are too rare. And some people don't have them at all. Suicide rates are going up more and more. Killing sprees. These are works of people with problems yes. But we never seem to stop and ask ourselves where Do these problems come from?

Is our brain our problem? I for myself have never seen any animal go on a killing spree, nor killed itself purposely. Except for humans.

Is it our brains? Or is it our subconsciouses ? In our hearts we know that we weren't made to live like this. But what can we do? Nobody will come to help when my family'll be hungry. Yet there seems to be enough money to go around since it's being thrown out the windows. I've seen good people work all their lives just to SURVIVE! And yet some empty headed barbie comes along, shakes some ass on screen and she is being paid millions PER movie. And most people condone it.
What does this have to do with subject at hand? Everything!
People are still dying of hunger in the world. It is not just a tv commercial for you to send money. It is real. But we don't care. As long as it isn't family or friends.

In our heads we live in a democratic society. We are killing our minds everyday, shutting up our cries for freedom , and walking around like zombies working all day long in order to get to the "american dream". Yet even when we do make lots of money. It is never enough.
Fiends for the dollar. Wishing to win the lottery so that we might finally live.

To finish, I will add this text I read back in school. Can't remember who wrote it tough.

" A fisherman is relaxing on the warm sand under a tree.
Comes along a rich business man.
-Hello, says the business man can I have a few minutes of your time?
-Sure, says the fisherman
-I can't help but notice that it is still early, yet you're relaxing?
-Yes I've already catch all the fish my family and I can eat for the day.
-If you went working anyways you would have twice that fish.
-And what would I do with those extra fish?
-You would sell them and earn extra money.
-And what would I do with that money?
-You could buy a second boat and employ some people and catch even more fish. The when you have enough money you could buy tens of boats and earn so much money that you wouldn't have to work no more.
-Oh and what would I do then?
-You could relax and enjoy life said the business man
-isn't that exactly what I am doing now? Asked the fisherman"

DUMB IT DOWN

A while ago I wrote an article on depression pills aka The chill pill.

That is only one of the faces of the "dumb it down" aspect of the 2000's. In the 70's we had the hippies which where protesting. In the 80's/90's the black people where fighting for equality.

Today it's 2009 and most of the fight has died in us. We accept all the injustice/oppression / Darkness in the world. Because it's not up to us, it's not our fault.

"I see all this potential, and I see it squandered.
Goddammit, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables, slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need.
We're the middle children of history, man; no purpose or place. We have no Great War, no Great Depression. Our Great War is a spiritual war. Our Great Depression is our lives.
We've all been raised by television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't; and we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
- Tyler Durden - from the movie Fight Club

Well, know that doing even the slightest action to wake people up is better than not doing anything at all. Write / Yell / Draw /Paint do anything but letting your mind stay asleep.
In the world we live in today, the people higher up the "american dream chain" don't want you to get smart and start thinking. They want you to get "dumbed down". Why it is you think they give you all these distractions?
Thousands of sitcoms all day/night long? Videogame consoles, celebrity magazines? They selling us dreams and we're buying.

Now Im not an extremist. I play my videogames and watch crap tv from time to time. But that's not all I do. That isn't what my life will amount to when im on my death bed. I would have liked to say that I LIVED. Yes I lived, fought my battles. Lost some and won some. But I stood up and said "This I can't let pass". And at the end of the day my conscience will be clean.

As a conclusion Id like to post this video by Lupe fiasco. Now I know this looks like all the other "rap" videos out there: Models and thugs. But it is meant that way to show the message he's getting through. Listen to the words. Especially the chorus.

" You've been shedding too much light Lu (Dumb it down)
You make'em wanna do right Lu (Dumb it down)
They're getting self-esteem (Dumb it down)"