The Fall of Americanism
I’m constantly seeing problems everywhere, inefficiencies, stupidity, laziness, general mediocrity. People have complete disregard for policy that works, yet complete regard for policy that fails. Mediocrity is acceptable, as long as you aren’t wronged you accept inefficiency. Lack of improvement is the norm, and improvement is frowned upon. Politicians run on change, when they could run on the much superior motto of improvement. Genericism is accepted, specifics frowned upon. Let’s concentrate on reflecting on the problems instead of actually doing something about them. The standard of criticism is “Oh, that over there is lousy. Oh well. Maybe they should fix that.” instead of “That over there is lousy. It needs this done to this, we can do that via that, and the when on that is now.” If you actually choose the latter, they like to stick you in the former and ignore the latter. (If someone would like to offer improvements on the latter or the former, I’d be willing to consider it in the present.) The ones who choose to recommend improvements are frowned upon as dreamers instead of heralded as doers.
America used to be a country of doers, but has turned into a country of dreamers. Now note that these two are not mutually exclusive, just exclusive dreamers cannot achieve without mutually doing. Our early leaders did, our current leaders fancy. They dream, discuss their dreams, reflect upon their dreams, share their dreams, but do not act upon dreams. They are the definition of a fool, one meant to entertain the masses.
What has caused this fall of Americanism? The unwillingness to perturb or challenge, the willingness to concede to popular opinion, the assimilation of culture while integrating the less desirable parts of culture in the interest of political correctness or the apparition of equality. The arts have assimilated to the masses, stopped challenging the status quo, and the media shallowing to appeal to the visceral.
The editorial has died, considered too bias or politically incorrect. Without a social commentary, citizens cease to think, they are only fed. The food is consumed with little thought to the nutrition, consumed at face value, purely on how it tastes. Delicacies are considered for the upper class and the snobbish, not the masses. Fast food is politically correct, judged on marketed healthiness, not on the effort put into it or the quality of the flavor, just whatever is enough to cease the hunger, nothing more. The palate is bland, accepting the fried, rejecting the unfamiliar yet the decadent. Network television is the opiate of the masses, editorials and the cerebral the exhilarate of the few.
1976′s Network predicted it well. The first on-screen murder to increase ratings is not far away, we’ve taken to beating up “not-Is” on television to boost the esteem of the mes. Reality television is to blame, viewing the misfortunes of not-Is to entertain the mes. Wipeout is my favorite example, not just showing the embarrassment of the not-Is but adding a pejorative commentary on top. Where is the value? Reality television such as Big Brother, American Idol, and The Bachelor are already valueless, but Wipeout deserves its own category one below, antivalues. Not only does it fail to provide an editorial, but increases the validity of just watching misfortune and making light of it instead of fixing it. Hollywood used to challenge and show characters attempting to escape difficulties and improve the quality of life for themselves and others even if it first decreases the quality of theirs. Now we are devalued to Michael Bay, Heather Graham and Sacha Baron Cohen. Shrek, Twilight and Iron Man are the top grossing films while in 1967 All The President’s Men and Rocky are at the top of the list. What happened here? We ceased to do and started to stop. The people in this day and age do not wish to think or be challenged, they want potty humor, glitter and action with a dash of others’ misfortune.
What can we do to bring back that Americanism, that original spirit that got our country going? Challenge the status quo. If something can be improved, improve it or suggest improving it. If something is wrong, make it right. Don’t give up on fixing something because it is hard or might offend, fix it. Be willing to not conform, be willing to question, be willing to complain and use your voice. Be willing to write 800 word essays when you should be working on something else, be willing to protest, be willing to fight for not change, but improvement. Political correctness is not always correct, say what you think, and think what you say. If we are not willing to on occasion offend or challenge, our change will be boring.
Change is dull and nothing new. Improvement is much more exciting.
EDIT: The Google ad placement on this article is hilarious. Nothing like “Find your Bella!” and “Twilight Fan Site!” to go along with my point.
