Shooting at CT Elementary School. WTF AMERICA?!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I dunno, I always kinda considered that to be the case.

I'm not pissed off - I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who sees it, and that other people think it's also a fairly obvious concept.

The problem is that telling Americans that Rugged Individualism™ isn't actually good for them and that it leads to isolation, disconnection, and a host of psychological problems including depression and antisocial behavior is a lot like telling the British that the sky is made of dancing clown ponies or telling Australians that peanut butter is food. They just ignore you because to them, what you're saying is completely ridiculous and not to be dignified by giving it a second thought.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I dunno, I always kinda considered that to be the case.

I'm not pissed off - I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who sees it, and that other people think it's also a fairly obvious concept.

The problem is that telling Americans that Rugged Individualism™ isn't actually good for them and that it leads to isolation, disconnection, and a host of psychological problems including depression and antisocial behavior is a lot like telling the British that the sky is made of dancing clown ponies or telling Australians that peanut butter is food. They just ignore you because to them, what you're saying is completely ridiculous and not to be dignified by giving it a second thought.

Yep.  The frontier myth is a rock-solid bitch, the fact that it's based entirely on fantasy notwithstanding.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I used to say "Keep the dumb ones busy and the smart ones scared".

Now I think I'll say "Keep the dumb ones busy and the smart ones isolated."

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The Machine^TM is not inevitable?

No.  I don't think so.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Or at least I no longer allow myself to believe it is.

Otherwise, what's the point?

[Salty]

I used to say "Keep the dumb ones busy and the smart ones scared".

Now I think I'll say "Keep the dumb ones busy and the smart ones isolated."

I like that a lot. I'm also concerned because I tend to isolate myself because of my bad attitude, or it gets done for me.

What do we do to stay together what with the rage and hate and the screaming? What does this say for those of us who struggle with that very thing?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I used to say "Keep the dumb ones busy and the smart ones scared".

Now I think I'll say "Keep the dumb ones busy and the smart ones isolated."

I like that a lot. I'm also concerned because I tend to isolate myself because of my bad attitude, or it gets done for me.

What do we do to stay together what with the rage and hate and the screaming? What does this say for those of us who struggle with that very thing?

Therapy.

Also, you may be looking at things the wrong way 'round, with the isolation and the rage and hate and screaming. Just sayin'.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

It might as well be our national anthem.

Which is interesting, simply because isolation is the single most psychologically damaging environmental factor for the human psyche; worse than physical and sexual abuse. Well, saying that it's worse than stress is incorrect: Other than catastrophic trauma, isolation is the single greatest psychological stressor known to our species.

And we have reached the bottom of the rabbit hole, folks.

We have been sold - indeed, sold ourselves - on the idea of harming ourselves in the worst possible manner, for our own "good".

Always
Be
Closing

BAM.

Yep.  I think we've found one of the main motive forces of The Machine™, AND what separates The Machine™ from a healthy society.

Kind of a capitalistic thing? "Imma self made man, fuck the others" etc.?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

It might as well be our national anthem.

Which is interesting, simply because isolation is the single most psychologically damaging environmental factor for the human psyche; worse than physical and sexual abuse. Well, saying that it's worse than stress is incorrect: Other than catastrophic trauma, isolation is the single greatest psychological stressor known to our species.

And we have reached the bottom of the rabbit hole, folks.

We have been sold - indeed, sold ourselves - on the idea of harming ourselves in the worst possible manner, for our own "good".

Always
Be
Closing

BAM.

Yep.  I think we've found one of the main motive forces of The Machine™, AND what separates The Machine™ from a healthy society.

Kind of a capitalistic thing? "Imma self made man, fuck the others" etc.?

Not even that.  It's more basic.

"I'm alone."

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

It might as well be our national anthem.

Which is interesting, simply because isolation is the single most psychologically damaging environmental factor for the human psyche; worse than physical and sexual abuse. Well, saying that it's worse than stress is incorrect: Other than catastrophic trauma, isolation is the single greatest psychological stressor known to our species.

And we have reached the bottom of the rabbit hole, folks.

We have been sold - indeed, sold ourselves - on the idea of harming ourselves in the worst possible manner, for our own "good".

Always
Be
Closing

BAM.

Yep.  I think we've found one of the main motive forces of The Machine™, AND what separates The Machine™ from a healthy society.

Kind of a capitalistic thing? "Imma self made man, fuck the others" etc.?

Not even that.  It's more basic.

"I'm alone."

[LMNO]

Ok, so we've got people isolated from a healthy community (what that means, we'll have to discuss further), who's behavior when taken collectively can best be represented by The Machine™.  While this can often be manageable by a society as a whole, our current culture reveres, emphasizes, and supports that very isolation that causes the problems in the first place.

And so The Machine™ becomes dominant over the healthy community. 

Did I get that right?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ok, so we've got people isolated from a healthy community (what that means, we'll have to discuss further), who's behavior when taken collectively can best be represented by The Machine™.  While this can often be manageable by a society as a whole, our current culture reveres, emphasizes, and supports that very isolation that causes the problems in the first place.

And so The Machine™ becomes dominant over the healthy community. 

Did I get that right?

Mostly.  When The Machine™ sells people behavior that is unhealthy (isolation, extreme collectivism), etc, then The Machine™ becomes dominant.

The Soviet Union wasn't a healthy place, either. 

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Utah is turning into Texas, or what Texas used to be like, or some shit. http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/national/west-kearns-elementary-school-utah-6th-grader-brings-gun-to-school-for-protection-after-sandy-hook

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Utah is turning into Texas, or what Texas used to be like, or some shit. http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/national/west-kearns-elementary-school-utah-6th-grader-brings-gun-to-school-for-protection-after-sandy-hook

That kid is about to learn about AMERICA.

Poor bastard.  He bought the goods, and now he's gonna GET the goods.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The 11-year-old boy allegedly told other students his parents encouraged him to bring a gun to school for protection following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday.

Wow.