We love to blame the big corporations and governments for where we are, but both are products of our society and people. George Carlin said it best, selfish ignorant people vote for selfish ignorant leaders. All of this is a product of a society who allows it. Big tech and corporations exist because we as a society give them money. Social media algorithms and ads and everything exist because they work. We sit here and preach linux, and preach getting off of it, but we are the minority. The majority don’t care and happily go along with whatever is given to them, and they vote and purchase just like it.
Climate change is a big one for me. I see people every day saying we need to hold companies accountable - and we do, but goddamn if we all stopped using oil every day, natural gas for cooking, choosing to bike or take a train over driving or flying you know what? Those companies would be forced to change because they wouldn’t be making money off of us. If even just 40% of Americans stopped using Oil the “big oil” companies would be looking at bankruptcy or minimum desperately trying to modernize to stay on top. We can’t shift all of the blame on them, we continue to purchase their products because it’s easier. Everything in the end is a consumer good, and if we voted/purchased differently as a society then things would change. The fact is is that people either don’t care, or worse don’t want to change.
they infiltrate our environmental groups. legally and illegally coerce us & our our “leaders”. have been systematically attacking, undermining & removing funding for renewables & climate research for decades. environmental protesters are “legally” assaulted, kidnapped, beaten & sometimes killed by their hired goons, meanwhile neo-nazis march with impunity.
it’s not simply a matter of them offering one alternative and just letting the market decide. they engage in unbelievable levels of corruption, coercion, deception, even genocide to steal natural resources from first nations people.
meanwhile the public, barely keeping their heads above water, exploited, subjugated & worn to the bone, oftimes struggling to survive, make almost the only non-choice they can barely even choose from.
yes the majority are to blame, for alot, but also recall we’re talking about an average, likely poorly educated person going up against billion dollar brainwashing machinery (oftimes utilising research paid for with our tax dollars initially performed for therapeutic use, now weaponised in a twisted perversion of their original intent)
like you aren’t wrong. but there is alot more to the story.
carlin is certainly on point in his quote you cited, and you are right this is perhaps the most difficult to reconcile aspect.
let us weigh this alongside another poignant quote of his:
The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you.
We love to blame the big corporations and governments for where we are, but both are products of our society and people. George Carlin said it best, selfish ignorant people vote for selfish ignorant leaders. All of this is a product of a society who allows it. Big tech and corporations exist because we as a society give them money. Social media algorithms and ads and everything exist because they work. We sit here and preach linux, and preach getting off of it, but we are the minority. The majority don’t care and happily go along with whatever is given to them, and they vote and purchase just like it.
Climate change is a big one for me. I see people every day saying we need to hold companies accountable - and we do, but goddamn if we all stopped using oil every day, natural gas for cooking, choosing to bike or take a train over driving or flying you know what? Those companies would be forced to change because they wouldn’t be making money off of us. If even just 40% of Americans stopped using Oil the “big oil” companies would be looking at bankruptcy or minimum desperately trying to modernize to stay on top. We can’t shift all of the blame on them, we continue to purchase their products because it’s easier. Everything in the end is a consumer good, and if we voted/purchased differently as a society then things would change. The fact is is that people either don’t care, or worse don’t want to change.
yeh but nah
they infiltrate our environmental groups. legally and illegally coerce us & our our “leaders”. have been systematically attacking, undermining & removing funding for renewables & climate research for decades. environmental protesters are “legally” assaulted, kidnapped, beaten & sometimes killed by their hired goons, meanwhile neo-nazis march with impunity.
it’s not simply a matter of them offering one alternative and just letting the market decide. they engage in unbelievable levels of corruption, coercion, deception, even genocide to steal natural resources from first nations people.
meanwhile the public, barely keeping their heads above water, exploited, subjugated & worn to the bone, oftimes struggling to survive, make almost the only non-choice they can barely even choose from.
yes the majority are to blame, for alot, but also recall we’re talking about an average, likely poorly educated person going up against billion dollar brainwashing machinery (oftimes utilising research paid for with our tax dollars initially performed for therapeutic use, now weaponised in a twisted perversion of their original intent)
like you aren’t wrong. but there is alot more to the story.
carlin is certainly on point in his quote you cited, and you are right this is perhaps the most difficult to reconcile aspect.
let us weigh this alongside another poignant quote of his:
The irony being their pov is just regurgitation of propaganda by these companies that consumers are to blame.
Best we continue to change nothing because what’s the point! Here’s my credit card fill 'er up please and thanks!
Preach!