The Beginning or The End?

Well it all seems not to long ago, events that have happened 10 years or so now feel as if they have just passed over us. The events that have happened to this country’s current youth  has eternally scared us whether we want to admit it or not. By youth I mean anyone from this country born in the late 80’s to the early 2000’s.  Looking backwards from today to the late 1980’s our generation has experienced what feels like a never ending chaotic story. Yes some great and memorable things have happened during this time but the events that have transpired has set our youth’s opinions,views, and feelings towards our Government. This being said this also includes social factors to our society and so called “morals”. Now of course these factors can vary from person to person, but looking at our generation as a whole you can get the feel towards a general opinion or an overall majority agreement among certain issues. This in all is due to the exposure of our own society and the very people that run it.  Examples aren’t hard at all to point out as I can recall Gulf War 1, War in Iraq, War in Afghanistan, being wars that have happened during my generations time. Within our own country we have also had some dreaded experiences. We have seen our country go into a recession with a spiraling down economy costing millions of jobs to the American people. Our own banks had even help fail society as they were one of the main contributors to the start of the recession. Its not hard to point out that our generation is or will be distrusting of the government.

 

Many say that our generation is full of left wing advocates or liberals. I think this is true to a point but I wouldn’t clarify our generation with one or the other political party. Our generation has experienced the worst from both political parties. Obama’s presidency hasn’t been the most supported, and many hold him accountable for the direction in which our society is headed. Im not saying he is I’m just saying statements that are generally said. Now for the opposite side of this wonderful and perfected political spectrum we have the conservatives AKA Republicans. I don’t care if you are a Republican, but the state at which our nation was at reached a whole new low point back then. Now you can look at George W. Bush’s presidency but you won’t see to many gold stars or achievements. No matter the case of your political views, if you had been born in this generation you have already seen by now that it truly doesn’t matter what party is in charge. For our generation has seen more than just government issues during this entire generations time. We as a society have hit a wall of complications that one can not just declare governmental issues.  These so called issues have effected our society domestically and internationally making our path as a society change like never before. The thing is though our generation doesn’t know anything else, we haven’t experienced any other type of governing among this country. Even though many may disagree with the solutions and actions our government has taken, but we don’t know anything else. Our generation has been born in a time of conflicts not just internationally but also within the borders of our own country. Resolutions and peace are foreign words here, and by the ways things look it just may continue that way.

 

 

I have heard people of older age complain about our generation for multiple reasons. Our attitudes, not being raised tough enough, addiction with technology, etc…. There are many other’s but I’m sure if your from this generation you get the gist of it.  I always found this to be a pretty remarkable, bold, and dumb statement. How can a generation be at blame but not the very one’s who raised it? The one’s who invited the very things that our generation just can’t get enough of? Are we at fault for ruining our society when all our generation has had the chance to do is grow up and go to school. Our generation hasn’t even had the damn time to pick up the pen and write out our own fate, but yet we are already at the helms of responsibility for the destruction of civilized society. How is this even possible? Simply we are just a young scape goat that has already been used as an excuse to explain for some of the happenings of these times in this world. Under a government full of nothing but old rich men its inevitable that there will be some type of scapegoat for the wrong doings of a society. This should not be the reason that our generation is not great though. For we our just at the starting point of our paths to how we will run this world and society. One day it will be our turn to write our own actions and doings and now is just the start of it all. We shouldn’t take the faults that have been put on us by the rest of our society for our generation is among a whole new standard. Our generation good or bad will have the final say.

 

These times have called upon new issues never before dealt or seen with. With the on going actions of father time it was inevitable that someday these issues will have to be answered for. It just so happens to be that our generation will be the ones responsible of doing so. Questions of Gay marriage, Marijuana, Fuels, Global Warming, Healthcare, Social Security, Immigration,Internet, Taxes, Welfare,and International conflicts are just few of the many issues that our generation will have to answer. Even though some of these issues have been dealt with in the past, they have been renewed by our changing of times and society. Nothing ever stays the same and that is why some issues seem to have recycled themselves. Now some may say that this comment is true for every new generation and to a certain extent it is. With the times and advancement of our society though our generation has reached a very important time within our society. We are the generation of direction, and the path of that direction is determined by our generation and will build an infrastructure to society for years to come. Founding Fathers of the modern age we must be, as we will have to answer questions, and set courses that have never needed to be dealt with in the first place. Living in a world of technology and other advancements is a nice perk to everyday life. Trying to control and manage it though is a different story. We are the first generation to be born  to this modern age we have reached. Technological advancements that have been found fascinating and extreme  in the past are now irrelevant as our generation has been born with these advancements and it has been apart of our daily lives.

 

Life as we know it will only progress to become more difficult . Being that we have to settle a lot of  unfinished business things will get rocky on our path as a generation.  Being considered the greatest generation to ever live seems to be far fetched but we are the foundation for what is to come the next 100 or so years. This generation based on what we do as a society and a collective will determine the utter fate for generations to come. Social or Social freedom how will our generation look at this. With all that has happened, and acts like the Patriot Act it really shows the placement of society and government. Yes, it can be for protection but I’m here to say that we as Americans have been slowly seeing our country take social freedoms from us during the course of this generations timeline. Now there does need to be a certain balance between the two but we will decide where this line will be drawn in the near future.  The reason why our generation needs to change the ways of our instituting government. How much freedoms are you willing to give up for so called “security”.

 

A fork in the road we have it. Two paths one of the current way of life we live in now, and the other a bright optimistic road but cloudy for the future cannot be foreseen. If we choose the first path as our option our generation will just be sitting ducks to the world around us. Society won’t progress at all, and continuing our old ways may slowly decay the very state of our own nation. Without evolving as a society I don’t see how we as a country can get back on our feet domestically and internationally. Rejecting certain freedoms and rights to individuals can only produce two outcomes. The first, being a society numbed down to the bone by the government whose involvement in a citizens daily life has increased tremendously throughout the years. The other outcome is a society that begins to revolt and protest against their own institution causing a civilized war between institution and society. One of these outcomes we are already in. The involvement that our institution has on daily citizens life has never been higher. Our generation can either proceed to stay in this current pattern or we can try and establish our individualism. Although our generation is young, we need to establish a collective voice that recognizes the actions of the government because if not it will be to late to dig ourselves out of the whole that many others generations have helped dig.

Perception of Our Institutionalized Society

One way or another we are all under the gripping grasp of some infrastructure that tries to regulate society in some type of way. In general you can see this is to keep order in society, but power can be a very alternating thing making people take a different course of action or thought. Countries from all over have some sort of way to try and institutionalize their society but here in America its a little different. Our government has been established and functioning for hundred of years, and as society has changed and evolved so has the government. The longer our government here in America has existed the deeper its roots grow in our daily social lives and this applies for all citizens. Its a grand strategy and to a certain extent almost necessary to keep society in order and in control.

Through every generation ever since its establishment our government has had to in some way be able to insert the idea of the American Image or Ideology. Since our government has been around so long and has been able to implant itself deeper, and deeper into society this obviously makes it a lot harder and complicated to resist or change the institution per say. We have grown more and more reliant on the government for our survival and existence today to the point of where we would have absolutely no societal structure whatsoever. The purpose of government when it started one can say was way more simplistic then today. Obviously with technology and the modern age there’s no doubt that there was a mandatory need for it to change in some ways, but have the basis ideas and structure of government change? Do we actually have these moralistic views as an American society that’s been supposedly embodied in us as a nation since its birth? We all like to believe this at first or still do but when we start to look back on everything that goes on in this country, one can’t help but to think of how great of an illusion that has been created in front of our very eyes.

 

In the beginning we are taught very young about the roots of our country and democracy, and if you went to school in America and paid somewhat attention you know what im talking about. One of the classes at my campus was called Teaching in a Democratic society. I don’t think its a coincidence that people who want to become educators in this country have to to take a course titled this. A institution to even be sustained in society must be able to have support and what better way to get that then installing a certain image and ideas of your country to the youth who can absorb this information like sponges and develop some sense of Nationalism. From then on up your faced with many different aspects that can sway you in different political directions. It always seems to be more about whose on whose side. The title of Republican or Democrat matter to much to citizens today as this helps create a scapegoat in some sense for each side. Both are obviously opponents and opposites but yet they still are able to run and manage our country and its foreign affairs as a whole. Even though different states can tend to favor one party over another, and state governments all run differently with different parties controlling each state it hasn’t seemed to effect the way our institution has slowly over hundreds of years has gained more power on the national basis no matter what party is the majority in either branch.

 

No one needs to look further for a pattern or some sort of reasoning for this occurrence.  A simple theory here can reveal maybe as to why that’s true. People who are in power want to stay in power, you can’t sit there and point the finger though for the fact that if you were in their shoes and you had this wide range of influence and power over the way our country is ran you probably wouldn’t want to give that up once you have it. If your part of this institution you will obviously want to maintain a firm grasp on the control of society, and the longer this proceeds then the longer and more difficult it could make a revolt or some type of major institutional change. Even if citizens were to know and want a change they pretty much can’t for the fact that we just vote on a representative for our country. We the citizens don’t actually control the way this nation is headed if the government wants to head in a certain direction they will. The Government has accumulated so much power that we as a society have grown comfortable with the institution and the way things are.

 

With reliability comes comfort and with comfort comes a sense of security. The government must be able to protect us from us which they have done I mean we do have laws and law enforcement that keep citizens protected and that’s a main concern because if you want to have power you must have stability most importantly within your own borders first and foremost. Then comes the second basic principle for a government to protect us from them. With a wide range of conflicts throughout our countries history their is this image that has been created that we the country of the United States are the ” good guys”. Which is funny to think about considering not every war is fought off the principle idea of good vs evil. In a world with all different countries and institutions planted all over the gl0be countries especially with today’s technology want to have a sense of advantage or leeway in power compared to other countries. In a country as established and powerful as the United States you would be blind to think that we don’t have our hand in the cookie jar as a matter of fact lets scratch that we have our whole entire arm in the cookie jar. Just look at all the damn conflicts WW1, WW2, Korean War, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Cold War, Vietnam War, Lebanon Conflict, Gulf War, War in Iraq, and the War in Afghanistan. That’s not even all the conflicts especially if you include our countries entire history. This world isn’t a fight for good and bad its about power in the international system and benefits for your country. As citizens we have been given this image of u being a good guy and savior and protector from the bullies but its simply not true. Institutionalization at its finest, look and see how many military bases we have all around this world. The United States should be the last country to blame another for interfering with a countries sovereignty for we have done so countless times. Yet we are given this image 0f something completely different and far from the actual truth yet there’s this illusion.

 

Lastly the main principle of our Government is to create means for a flourishing society. This can be easily said as the most easy to be proved by far. Here in the United States we hear about our economy and the problems but yet we’re the richest society the world has ever seen. In a society where it seems like everyone has an i-phone its hard to say that we are actually suffering economically as a society. Now things may seem to have been at a decline but the fact is the United States is first in overall GDP and our defense budget is more then the next couple top countries that follow us combine. You can throw in the fact that we have a huge income disperse and not enough equality spreading to the lower levels of income in this country but at the end of the day the United States is by far the richest country in the world, and this has helped create a flourishing environment. Being one of the worlds biggest populations, geographic land masses, economies, and military forces its just hard to put an argument that we aren’t a rich society. If society is becoming rich then why would our government institution change their ways or actions? They wouldn’t with money comes power, and if you don’t believe that then your living in your own imagination completely blind to the realm of society. If the rich keep becoming rich then it makes no sense for anything to change in our institution especially if the rich are the ones in the institution or influencing it! Our country is so implanted with rich politicians that its been stabilized by the rich for years. Look at tax brackets for incomes it doesn’t make sense the top percent aren’t paying more than the average. We have rich men like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet saying themselves that they should be taxed more by the government. Nothing changes though about this I mean is this just a coincidence that even if the average citizens know all this and complain about it nothing changes even when elections come. Society does nothing and that reason is because we are institutionalized. We are tamed, accustomed, and taught that this is how a society works. These images or ideas only become more and more acceptable as times goes on, for our institution has been keeping and running it this way so they can keep it that way.

 

Through our countries history the process of institutionalization has become more and more relevant in our daily lives. To a certain extent it is necessary to do this to a society it wouldn’t be able to function. You can see this problem in countries that are less stabilized as us, as most countries haven’t had a government that has existed, and been stabilized like the U.S.. You can even see this pattern in most countries within the Western hemisphere, and you can also see how their societies seem much more rich in a lot of ways compared to a lot of countries to the East. With a society grouped as one, and actually being the powering source in this process that makes our institution able to run efficiently you create something called a society. A society that functions all under one system whether you like it or not you have been condone to this, and whether you realize it or not in some way we are all institutionalized in some way. The only way for a society to last is for it to be on the same operating page performing the functions and actions that have been set by it. The longer an institution is in place the easier, and easier it starts to become to have a society under your control. You can’t say your not institutionalized as you more then likely pay taxes, work, follow the law, vote, go to school, etc…. For comfort and security we have given up a bit of individuality and freedom so that the government can run its establishment. Government subsidies have put a hook into our society for we can not function without the government anymore. Imagine no government, you would have no protection from us ( citizens in country), them ( invading countries), or a flourishing society. For so long our government has provided all these to such an extreme over hundreds of years that we as a society are use to it. We are use to the government handling these problems, and running things a certain way. You may not like it but you, or anyone else has done nothing to change it, so you can complain all you want but just remember when your complaining that your only complaining and not doing something drastic to prove your point or make a stance because you know there can and will be consequences so therefor we are all institutionalized.

 

Looking all over the world though you can see that we aren’t the only society to be so institutionalized. Even countries with more dictatorial rule, have institutionalized their society and even if the people protest, or try to fight their is consequences and the citizens know that so the institution doesn’t change. North Korea, Russia, China, and some Middle Eastern countries are some examples. Killing, imprisoning, and torturing are some more extreme and common measures these countries have taken in the past to establish their institution, and its leaders. Hitler is a great example of an extreme leader taking institutionalization to a extreme level. Brainwashing his citizens with a constant message of the Jews and how they are at fault. It worked I mean look at WW2 , and look how Germany followed Hitlers rule. They even burned books, and what better way to have  society follow and believe in what your doing if you block any outside influence from coming in, only having your information and influence to follow and believe. This can be seen done in North Korea as its leader has gained total control over its society, and the citizens themselves treat him as if he was a king because if not then you get killed. China even has been seen blocking certain websites from their country keeping certain information out of its society. Institutionalization can be used forcefully as we see from the countries mentioned earlier. The reason why these countries have took such drastic measures on their society is so they can stay around. If the leaders feel as if the infrastructure of their institution is being threatened in some way shape or form, then action will be taken. People in power do not want to lose power and that’s just the simple fact so institutionalization is an important tool to use to stay in power, some cases are just more extreme than others but it still comes down to institutionalization.

Institutionalization isn’t necessarily a bad thing thing. Like I’ve said before to a certain extent it is necessary to have your society on the side of the system itself in support of it. Even after awhile if support starts to go on the decline it doesn’t hurt the institution that much as society has now became dependent on the institution. We now expect the government to provide us certain subsidies, and other things and this is because of the process of institutionalization. The government wants this for it sinks the hook deeper into societies mouth as the government has become more involved in our daily lives. We as a society have gladly taken the bait, as what fish wouldn’t take the easy to grab looking worm then going out to find its own food. This has reached to the point where the so called fish (society) can’t go on its own to find food it just sits and wait for the bait. We as a society are all guilty of this but the faster we can actually acknowledge this the better. Relying on something to heavily is never good, and this is where we have to see what we as a society will do in the future. Will we the people of the United States finally see and acknowledge this is an illusion set by the institution purposely and take a stand for our individuality as a whole? Only time will tell but if things keep going the way they are I can already tell you the hook will just sink in deeper, so ask yourself do you really want that to happen?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Responsibility of This Generations Youth

Throughout the history of America , its our inalienable right to question and protest against the institutions of our government. From the Whiskey Rebellion to the protest against the war in Vietnam we the people of the United States have always been taught about the purity of our democracy, and how the peoples ( citizens) majority always rule. This is what we have been taught since we have been school children, no elementary school teacher for example has told their students the problems of our government and the downsides. We as school children have always heard about the great Founding Fathers and how influential and fair they were… Now they were very influential, but when it comes to fairness or equality are they really what we proceed them to be? Wanting freedom for your country but having slaves doesn’t quiet sound like the most democratic thing to do. Even further the only people who could vote at first were white males with property. Eventually through the timeline of our history the diversity of our voters have widely opened to all legal citizens of the U.S. no matter race or gender.

Now this country is great and I am proud to be an American but I also find the truth to be a very extraordinary, rare, and great thing to come by and expose. We have been institutionalized whether you want to believe it or not and it all started with your family to school, and then after awhile when you develop into your teen years you start to adopt more political views based on how you feel, and the events that have taken place in our society while you have been alive. Now this is where things start to come more into perspective. Being born from the 90’s I and the rest of my generation have seen both Gulf Wars both which have happened or started while we were relatively young, we have seen the Twin Towers get pulverized into dust, watch our Government shutdown for a few days, and also the formation of the NSA.

The generation of the millennials has experienced nothing but the tight and quickly fast grip of our government. Look at the N.S.A. they can look through our text,calls,social media etc… If this institution was established and set in the 60’s or 70’s do you think the youth of American society would of just let this roll by? No now Im not saying we need violent protest to solve our problems but if we the youth and young adults of America were to band together and worry about the equality of man, and freedoms then the institution of our government would eventually have to have no choice but condemn to the citizens. Now the government is needed but we can’t let this progressive power of our government keep increasing. Imagine what our children will have to go through, I mean my generation has been to war pretty much all of my life so far. We just think of it as ok and normal. None of this should be normal behavior to us, we need to band together in any way and exercise our right to protest to the fullest ability. If we keep going in the path we are can we call this country a democracy? Hell can we even call this country a democracy today. 

              We have the ability to change the world, just think about it because how much longer can society be bounded by an institution that is increasingly gaining power. We can make a difference now before things could ever take a drastic change in the future. Think about it 

 

                                                                                                 Brooks Mooney

 

 

 

 

The thoughts about it all…..

                 Our country was founded in 1789 if you go by the date the United States wrote its Constitution. Considering the failure of        the  Articles of Confederation which was discovered by the Continental Congress.  Sometime in the middle of 1776, and got replaced by the current U.S.Constitution in 1789. Looking at the men who discovered this country the Founding Fathers were a base of all white rich men. Now this is no means being directed in a race matter just hold your thoughts. When you go back and look at the people who were in charge, and calling the shots during the first formation of our national government and creating the sole thing that mapped out our whole government which is the U.S. Constitution. The first five presidents can be considered Founding Fathers, and you can look into that on your own leisure. Meaning from 1789 to 1825 five U.S. presidents that can greatly be considered Founding Fathers were consecutively running this country.

The Constitution did provide rights, laws, and government set up but was written in 1789 by wealthy rich men. Yes if you read all the Founding Fathers stories about their lives they did in a sense want the best for man. The British Monarchy ruled America, and yes we weren’t independent but the men who officially established the United States were rich wealthy landowners, or married into wealth (not saying this as a insult). Looking at this from a business standpoint if you had the opportunity to rid your countries rule and set up your own form of government that controls alot of the functions of our society, and aspect of life. If you think this country would be better off with no government then you aren’t thinking very much at all no offense. Wouldn’t you say yes I mean all these men had more power then the average citizen of the United State which you can even say the same about this statement today.

There’s no way the Founding Fathers in some way wrote this Constitution in a way not acknowledging the future, and the many generations to come. Their had to be a point where they asked or spoke about this but people do, and can mistaken the Constitutions different meanings (rules,laws,procedures, amendments). Was this system meant to in some way still have a power over us, and even today the government has and will bring up policies and procedures that can be considered unconstitutional. When this happens is the main reason because our Constitution was set up in a way that is some what out-dated and short compared to other countries Constitutions. Yes the Founding Fathers in no way could predict the future but even with that said its very rare the Constitution gets changed and citizens are at fault for this to. Since if that happened many people would feel as if their liberties or rights are starting to become more violated if we have to add restrictions because of the evolving process of life.

You can question, and wonder if the system is truly meant for the people, or the people in the federal, and main controsl of our countries very basis the ins and out of the things that runs our society. We went away from a monarchy and we surely aren’t one today but what exactly could you say about the U.S. government. I mean alot of countries are considered a democracy but what exactly can you say it is if you bring up rights, and liberties yes your partially right but their has to be a main component to keep the machine going aka our government. The so called “law of the land” is hundreds of years old but yet most interpret it differently. These Founding Fathers were very intelligent men even though there wasnt the technology like we have today. Everything isnt exactly as it seems. Its a very complex, system but its alot more complex than what you think…….

Brooks Mooney

Social Contract that every U.S. citizen has agreed to without even knowing…….

As we all know here in the United States we have freedoms, liberties, and inalienable rights that cannot be taken according to the constitution. Through out history and even more towards todays times we have been under the governments rule of questionable choices that now more then ever really contradicts the constitution. 

                 Since the start of our nation we have been given rights, and freedoms that were not there during the British rule. Even though we have been given these freedoms since the start of the American colonies we have to give up freedom in order to obtain it. Now I know this sounds weird but a government is first off here to control and sustain the society that is in the borderlines of the country. Every citizen born automatically signs a Social Contract but without a pen……. 

 Whether we like it or not we as a society all over the world need some sort of institution that stabilizes the society under it. Everything we own or get in the United States for example would never been here with out government through export, imports, regulation, and the different enterprises providing these substances none of this would be possible with out the institution of government. Now Im not saying im in total favor of our government or how its operating today but compared to other countries we the people of the United States have it alot better than about 75 percent of countries in the world. 

                     Now the Social Contract presents an argument that we the citizens have to give some of our freedoms up to obtain the protection of our other rights, and protection period from the government. Now you may think this sounds weird but their are certain limits in our society that we are able to do.. The government also protects us just look at prisons, jails, and the military all which would not be possible without the institution of our government… 

                 We the people of the United States are all apart of the system we help contribute work, money, information, etc to the government all in the exchange for protection but how far does this need to go where our freedoms are presented to be more important then protection or when our freedoms and rights have gotten pressed to the limit so much that we finally cave in…. 

Thanks hope you enjoyed have a blessed day

                                                 Brooks Mooney