No Direction Home

The bombardment of news and polls can put us in such a confused state that we end up thinking we're solidly for or against things, but if we were to be pushed to ask why we believe that... most of us would either repeat something we heard or just tell the other person "I don't have to justify anything." What I mean is that, if one were to say "I don't support the war in Iraq" or "I don't agree with Bush" to another person, and then that person asked them to justify that belief, that first person would likely fail to give a compelling *original* reason that wasn't based on propaganda from either the D's or the R's side. I think it would be staggering to see how much of our original opinion comes from either base's campaign programs, radio talk shows, music, etc.

What I see is that we are

• repeaters of information,
• cans with a string between us to be used to communicate back to the other side a condescending opinion of the other's side,
• echo chambers that echoes everything that is screamed at us.

It's not a pretty sight to think of oneself in such a way, but critically analyze why you believe is right? Can you do it without repeating a single sound-byte from a party, an organization, a group? When someone asks you 'your opinion' what do you tell them?

Odds are we are repeaters of propaganda who have been programmed with ingenious responses that are neither original, nor ours. The media, mainstream and public, throw tennis-ball like subjects at us to hit towards the other-side (abortion, gay marriage, terrorism, genocide). If you don't return the serve then the other side makes a point right? They are 1-up to us and as competitive beings we can't allow too much of that now correct? But wait! It is often that the other side rarely makes the serve that we react instantaneously too. As I said, it's the media that throws the ball to either side to get hit back-and-forth on the court, it is then ironic perhaps then that the media is all too happy to freely display this match for our viewing pleasure (now in High Definition!).

What's the point? Well no point really.. Why bother with points? What matters is a resounding question we are understandably resistant to ask ourselves, "what part of me is really me and not just a repeater of propaganda?" It's hard... just today news like

The latest Newsweek polls puts the presidents approval rating at 28%
or

11 moderate republicans met with President Bush and his staff to discuss growing resentment for the war in Iraq

will compel you to either feel remorse or victory over the other side, but it is just a game of Tennis. Today the democrats won a point over the Repubs, but tomorrow might be another day. Unfortunately this game will continue, the politicians will rant, and the media will continue to broadcast it all. Change, as it were, can only come from you. You can either be a repeater of the two bases or as the Oracle from the Matrix says, "you can make up your own damn mind!"

~J out