Watching the opening scene of the movie Sahara, where the Confederate army is making a run for it and stealing coins of gold, helped me realize the reality of the United States Civil War. Sure I learned about it in history class, but you know how movies can sometimes really bring it home. It made me realize there was an actual Civil War here, a few hundred miles from where I live. For those of you who don't like to read, watch the movie Sahara, it's one of my top three favorites and I am movie particular, believe me. After I watched it, I read the book and yes it's Clive Cussler fiction, but nonetheless, our lives seem to be living in a comparable fiction now. Plus you'll like it anyway. Since he who shall not be named became this country's leader, there is talk of Civil War! My European friends and family cannot believe how quickly the United States is disintegrating. But now there's no gold currency to be stolen, it's power over our minds and beliefs. Disinformation has been a toxic presence in our world ever since social media came out in 1997 with Six Degrees. Now he's given it a nickname: fake news and along with his toxic presence, it's killing our democracy.
The value of gold coins cannot compare to the value of our trust in other people, and our ideology around certain central truths. No we don't all get along and we never have, but we always shared a common belief in the structure of our society. Now we don't trust others and we don't share these central tenets and I blame it all on social media. The reality show masses weren't meant to have a platform, and now they, he, Fox News, and the like are fanning the flames of our worst fears and somehow hypnotizing a large part of the population. That's the gold of our day: attention currency and it's created an attention economy.
In our hearts we all know that something feels wrong with the country and that's OK because acknowledging it is the next step in the process. When you fear something, you're getting ready to actually do something about it. I've talked about the negative effects of internet addiction for a long time and the fact is, it's up to you. It's up to each one of us individually to not partake in social media and fake news platforms, to resist this cult-like knee-jerk response to a person who is preying on our fears, and to respect ourselves and each other. It's sickening how many moms and dads let their kids indulge in social media endlessly, while they do it themselves too. Wake up.
Here we are in epic times wondering how we can shape this nation away from a Civil War. It will unlikely be an actual battle although you never know in America with these idiotic gun laws. Rather it's being waged in the media. The answer is to come together because in our hearts, not our minds, we do actually love each other, especially in times of natural catastrophes. Now we need to channel our love to this man-made catastrophe. We know in our hearts that's our connection. The news and politics and social media have all become entertainment! Get real. Things are either man-made or nature-made and all of the social media feeds and streaming services blah blah blah aren't doing anyone any good. Get out in nature. Get into yourself. And sure, watch an occasional movie now and then.
The best thing you can do is get back to your own nature within yourself and be happy for you first and then care for others. How are you going to love someone if you don't love yourself? Many of us were taught to care for others and then care for ourselves but honestly that's ass backwards. "Put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others." I believe if we all take care of ourselves first and strive to be happy, healthy and productive in our livelihoods, then our collective society will be better and this power for power's sake will have less of a power grab on us.
I confess, I was born Republican and I've been Republican all my life primarily because that's how I was raised and I'm a business person. As an adult I had Democratic leanings for sure, but now everything has flip-flopped. Since neither political party can get their act together and actually work with each other, like we have to do in business, I am now an Independent. I think of myself as a unifier not a divider, someone who is middle of the road, who Margaret Thatcher said "gets hit by both sides" yet keeps an open mind. This is following my heart versus all of the mind games and it already feels better.
If you are red or blue, then I am the white on the flag... and there's more white on the flag than red or blue! I am the love that unites and unifies in honor of We The People. Media and politics know We The People are the ones with the power to change things otherwise they wouldn't focus on us so much. So stop staring at all the damn screens in your daily moments and spend time in reality being the love and positivity you want to see. Otherwise you are allowing a dystopian takeover of your own world, and as they say in the movies, that's a bad ending.
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