I guess the world listened to David Byrne - "Stop Making Sense"

[NRaleighLiberal]

My wife and I have been "out of it" for about 7 years (maybe it is 8) - that is when we got rid of all but basic cable - then when we saw how equally useless that was, pretty much turned off the teevee. We also stopped getting the newspaper (except for weekends - to see what was going on locally for arts, etc - and the crosswords and comics). That will probably go too.

We were on vacation last week (until the weather chased us home), so we watched local news. Yikes!

Between seeing what is and isn't reported (and how it is reported), by reading the various threads here - doesn't matter what the topic is (environment, guns, civil rights) - does anything make sense any more? Have gun violence - just get more guns. Weather getting more extreme - ignore it and just hope it goes away (or say "it's god's will). And on and on and on and on and on.

Too many people, too many points of view, too many platforms for use in elevating all of those points of view publicly. Too much - just all too much.

But if you take a big step back - pull yourself out of it all - take a week (or a month or a year) to work in the yard, walk on a beach, read a good book, listen to good music - what is experienced when you decide to immerse yourself into it -

nothing seems really to make sense any more. There does seem to be single common denominator, though.

Money. Whatever sells, whatever influences the public's eyeballs. It's all about money. And that typically means it isn't good for we, the people.

Anyway, I am sitting here working on a slide pack for an upcoming gardening workshop and have power point fatigue - so thought I'd share my insignificant observation with you all.

Maybe the question to ask - has it ever really made sense? Or is it just with age and wisdom, and dipping in and out - especially if we try to be independent thinkers - does the silliness, inanity of it all just really come into view?

[blm]

1. Began to feel that way in the 90s and it definitely peaked w/Bush WH.

I thought we were headed back to some semblance of sanity till the corporate media cynically elevated the TeaParty.

Idiocracy.

[CrispyQ]

3. The corporate media is a huge part of our problem.

They have way too much power in shaping our culture. And they directly benefit from money in politics & unnecessary drama. Since we got Al Jazeera we haven't watched any CNN/MSNBC/CNBC or any network news. While not perfect, they are far better than any of the others.

[Fumesucker]

5. I'm seeing glimmerings of understanding among some people I know

Facebook seems to be where even a few grandmas I know are getting info and then breathlessly telling me things I have known for years.

I've learned to say something like "Oh really?" and lead them on, it's not hard to get them to do more digging.

[CrispyQ]

2. I totally relate.

As I've gotten older, I finally understand the saying, Think Globally, Act Locally. The best thing you can do is take care of & improve your own little corner of the world.

[ryan_cats]

4. I've isolated the problem

I've isolated the problem:
Too many people, too many points of view, too many platforms for use in elevating all of those points of view

Having all those pesky options does tend to take out the confirmation part out of confirmation bias.

On the radio they're been playing a lot of different Talking Heads lately so maybe the Earth is beginning to heal.