It's just another day of programming on Channel America.

You must have cable. They call it Fox News on my satellite programming.

I am glad you brought this up. After reading your post yesterday I did one about Julie Amero on my blog. This country is insane but it has always been so. I remember when the film 'Showgirls' came out and the idiots were having fits. I think that puritan gene in America's psyche needs to be exorcised pronto.

It still amazes me...

People think they can beat a dog and it will still be a nice doggy that is good with children.

Input Junk; Output Junk

Glorify War and Violence and guess what? You're going to have a culture based on War and Violence.

It starts simple enough with toy guns and little green plastic army soldiers. Our children are conditioned early to respect the military, even imagine themselves as a war hero saving the day in a tough spot. Patriotism runs thick as kids are forced to Pledge Alliagence while dissidence and questioning authority is frowned upon.

To this day I run into people who get mad because people speak "bad" about the President...You just can't speak bad about the President...you just can't...

Anyway, it's sad, it's tragic, it's too bad it happened.

But take a look at our culture. Just by odds alone events like these are going to happen. Not everyone is going to have the perfect parents to teach them about this stuff, the great teacher, or the wonderful mentor to keep them on the straight and narrow. Some kids will have all these things and still end up shooting up a school.

Movies, music, TV, video games, our government, media, and media all glorify violence and war to the point of romance on one extreme or the extreme graphic on the other hand all for shock value.

This is not a problem however that can be solved with government. It has to be solved culturally to start with.

13 year old kids should not be allowed to play video games that feature cutting someone's head off or blowing someone up with a grenade with graphics that feature blood and guts splatter.

I think too as is now with everyone searching for someone/something to blame, perhaps we should blame ourselves first.

Good evening All...

For those of you who recall I work in Blacksburg, and that the kids go to school and daycare there, let it be known that we are all alive and well. My first thought at getting an update this evening when Imp... got home from work was "Welcome to the Republican Culture of Life", where fetal rights and wars over petty greed/revenge are moral and justified, while living, sentient, adults are useful only as long as they are not between you and your goal.

Every leadership class I've ever taken talks about setting examples-if the boss is on time, his subordinates will be, etc.. I've worried for years about what having liars and greedy opportunists as role models will do to our culture. When our President is AWOL during emergencies, when contradictory and false statements are the norm, when violence is substituted for discussion and compromise, when it is "My way or the highway", then you have a country who feeds on American Idol and xenophobia, who feels that if anyone disagrees it gives you the God given right to react with either volent words or deeds, and nutty people shooting up college campuses.

I'll admit to having read part of a comment thead over at AmericaBlog about the Tech shootings, and am now in a foul mood over the absolute imbeciles who are laying blame on the police and the college, rather than on out culture of "life"....Laying blame with absolutely no regard or thought of the sheer logistics and literal millions of hiding places on campus. Hell, I could hide 2 hours from a searcher who KNEW who I was on campus. Fukkin' idjit gits. I saw the local law enforcement during our Fall shooting-I was sooo impressed , and I know that this time things were probably even smoother, and to read the comments of cretins using a trgic shooting spree to whip their pet hobby horses into a frenzy makes my blood boil.

Good evening, Wild Clover.

It came to me just awhile ago where you live and its proximity to the tragedy. I am ever so grateful that you left a comment; otherwise, I would probably have sent out some kind of telegram or something to find out about you and your family.

The Dark Wraith thinks it was a lot easier way back in the old days when he didn't know anyone where tragedies were occurring.

Good evening, PoliShifter.

The deep concern I have is that children in this country--even females surprisingly more often these days than in the past--attenuate to those violent games.

There has always been the ability for children to make violent toys of something. In the old days, it was sticks for pretending to wield a mighty sword and all of that, and there were kids who liked to have that kind of fun (whether their friends and victims did or not). The difference modernity has brought is two-fold: first, that we have so many children and young adults who elect to live their fantasy lives violently is a telling sign about what our culture conveys to them as being desirable attitudes and problem-solving strategies; and second, the hyper-realism with which these children and young adults can engage in fantasy violence is desensitizing in a way that stick-swords and wooden guns and rubber bands never, ever were in the past.

Adding to that bad cocktail is a sports culture that relies on violent physical activities culminating in conquering defeat of a temporary "enemy" who is an enemy for no reason other than that the teams, the media, and the commercializers define that sport's landscape as such. On a personal note, I have absolutely no use for, nor would I watch, so-called "competitive" sports. It's just not my way anymore.

I got my fill of competition long ago when I got my fill of pale, artificial substitutes for killing. I wish I could show a generation of children how much strength is gained through turning away from trying so hard to be the very best at the expense of those who would have to be defeated in the process.

Someday, I think I shall write a post on the ancient idea of the difference between a "hand mage," a "thought mage," and a "heart mage." It's very interesting, that old story, and it is as timely today as it was a thousand years ago.

The Dark Wraith should get around to telling that story someday soon.

Good evening, Candy Schultz.

At the heart of our enduring preference for violence and our (ebbing and flowing) aversion to anything remotely sexual is, indeed, that early influence of Puritanism in American culture. We literally use violence as a substitute for expressions of other physical kinds; and in the process, we perversely fuse the two, creating creches of cruel expression like bondage, sexually oriented degradation, and, yes, even misogyny. American culture is not the first to have done this ugly fusion of the worst of physicalities.

It's a pity. There are so many more fun things to do on a Saturday night.

The Dark Wraith prefers trying a new Spam recipe and then engaging a brisk round of doing red-ink grading violence to students' homeworlk papers.

Good evening, Mr. Goat.

Although I don't watch television anymore, I do have access to televised news via the Internet these days.

It's interesting to me that I can see Fox News and objectively note the brilliance with which it is produced and directed to capture and hold its target audience, and I can compare that to an online broadcast news service like the one offered by Reuters, which is so understated and professional. Seeing the two side by side, I can fully grasp that Fox News is purely, willfully, and knowingly staged to look like news programming even though it's entertainment deliberately designed to mimic a news service. In its twisted, bizarre way, it is utterly brilliant on a level that makes shows like South Park simply pale by comparison. Even Fox Broadcasting, itself, has hinted and made references to this in other TV shows, most notably in my mind, several episodes of the X-Files.

It's really scary, though. Movies like Starship Troopers, Demolition Man, and RoboCop explored elements of this fusion of entertainment with propaganda to create a false but thoroughly acceptableand satisfying "news" service; but Fox has become the first real-life version of information fantasy entertainment.

Unfortunately, no other production company has the experience and expertise of Fox News personnel and creative talent, and that means it is likely that Fox will be able to sustain and advance its monopoly position in what is clearly, at least to me, a hugely important aspect of the entertainment industry of the 21st Century.

Now that's something about which one can get really depressed.

The Dark Wraith should probably have left that subject alone if he wanted to have a good night's sleep.

Now that's something about which one can get really depressed.

The Dark Wraith should probably have left that subject alone if he wanted to have a good night's sleep.

Double yup.

Polishifter,
It starts simple enough with toy guns and little green plastic army soldiers. Our children are conditioned early to respect the military, even imagine themselves as a war hero saving the day in a tough spot. Patriotism runs thick as kids are forced to Pledge Alliagence while dissidence and questioning authority is frowned upon.

The above fits me, except no one forced me to say the pledge-my folks taught it to me and explained it to me and I said it quite willingly, even after grade school when it was one of the many "uncool" things about me. I also was taught that part of patriotism was questioning the way things work and looking for better solutions. I haven't shot anything but my mouth off, so these elements-toy soldiers, toy guns-are not a cause of our societal woes in and of themselves IMHO.

Somewhere in the 70's/80's, the whole concepts of interdependance in a society, of owing something first to your community/nation, of making the world a better place became marginal. For anyone looking at the longterm good of the American people, then enlightened self interest dictates you feed the poor, educate everyone to their best abilities, and provide things like health care, child care, college scholarships. Instead, we got Ronnie and the Republicans telling folks that they needed to look out for themselves, that taxes were bad and setting examples of self centered greed and lack of compassion for those villige idiots not born to rich parents. The American people were encouraged to be lazy, rely on sound bytes, blame any woes on either evil furriners or lazy welfare queens. My guess is that a lot of subliminal processing has gone on, where the average American knew that cutting social services was bad, but it wasn't going to hurt him and it would pay for his tax cut. Americans learned the art of self delusion. They learned how easy it is to be selfish-after all, the government kept telling him how taxes were HIS money, and he should keep more of it, how users of entitlement money were parasites and just lazy.

Our government has created a culture of sefishness, reinforced by deregulating business and celebrating obscene profits by not taxing them, mortgaging the future for short term gain. This gives us our culture that does not plan for the future in any realistic sense-look at the folks losing out because of "balloon" payments. Our culture where truth is a matter of opinion because of "fair and balanced" news.

And above all, the Republican "Culture of Life", where stem cells are revered, fetuses have rights, but wars are sought on flimsy, ever changing pretext, soldiers are not protected, rested, doctored or compensated, living children go without insurance, people drown in floods because there is no plan, "Family Values" preached by the serially monogamous, by adulterers, by people that deny their own children's rights to love; demonization of two people in love who may be chaste, monogamous, and dedicated to their children's wellbeing but because they share a gender, they are not worthy of the name 'family'. White is Black and Black is White. Most folks in self defense years ago just stopped trying to comprehend-they just go along and convince themselves that it is truth.

All of the comments make valid points; I would add that with both parents working at least 40 hours per week, many of yesterday's latchkey kids are now raising themselves. I have a friend(no, I'm not making that up!) who worked for a famous hair transplant doctor. One of his duties, beside buying Christmas gifts for the Doc's little girl, was to stock up a walk in freezer with enough frozen dinners to last six months.

"Of course we love you; look at all the stuff we give you."

Perhaps I drank too much strong coffee too fast this morning, but you all have got my mind racing. I can barely concentrate to write this...I'm not kidding. Goodness gracious, do people like you (dw and commenter's) even really exist? And I mean that in a good way! I'm having trouble believing that there are so many wise people here. Is this for real? If so, then why the hell haven't I met some of you people in real life?

With that being said...Just yesterday, I remarked to my 12-year-old daughter that the violent UFC commercial she had just watched would not have been allowed on TV - very many years ago. I added that such no-holds-barred type fighting was frowned upon and illegal in most if not all of the country. She replied that the commercial wasn't that violent - she did not see any blood. O'boy, that was sad to hear coming from my angel's mouth. I then told her that if she watched the actual matches she would see plenty of blood and tried to explain why it was wrong - blood or no blood...

This also reminds me of a recent conversation. I tried to explain to a relative that the country was sick/insane and I started to list the reasons why (many of the same reasons given in the post and the comments), but I had to stop when I saw my relatives eyes start to roll in her head- realizing that if I kept rattling off all that information - she would start to think that I was going insane and perhaps having a fit of mania. Sigh...Anyhoo, my point here is that I was saying nothing that you guys and gals haven't said here....

Ok, if you are still here - you may not believe this and perhaps it's a personal flaw, but I really don't like to sit around and "type/chit-chat" - I like solutions - I like to take actions that makes changes - real and concrete changes - because this is serious stuff. And doggone it, I don't want to raise my children in such a sick society and I'm sure many of you (tens of millions if you count the entire country) feel the same. So what can we do? What can we do to make real and concrete changes and make them fast? I know I'm ranting here, but I simply do not see this happening - I can barely fathom stopping this insanity - much less turning it around. Damn it, do I have to take my kids and join some commune run by a self-important all knowing guru? Is that my only choice? (Apologies to any guru's or guru followers in here.)

Sorry, for the rant and I hope you all don't think I'm having a fit of mania, LOL. Ok, I'm out - everyone have a great day!

rcg makes a very good point. None of this WOULD have been allowed on TV 20 years ago. But then - America wasn't in the habit of catering to fringe elements 20 years ago either. You know - there's a nut job in my neck of the woods who, every time a Harry Potter novel is released, petitions the state to have all Harry Potter novels removed from school and library bookshelves. What does she want to replace them with? The ultra-violent, kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out 'Left Behind' series. Yup - she prefers exclusion, death and hellfire over friendship, loyalty and good defeating evil. That's like taking 'Little House on the Prairie' off TV and replacing it with ‘WWW Raw’. Worst part is - this woman comes within a hairs breath of pulling this off each and every time. What does that say about 21st century America?

What does that say about 21st century America?

"We are so screwed"

Seriously - I just do not see any quick fixes. With the new serf class that's emerging in response to globalization, I don't see more parents with more time for their kids. I don't see more schools taking up the slack. I don't see any sane governmental response, and I see society just bursting with the "suck it up and STFU and Get to Work" memes.

rcg:So what can we do? What can we do to make real and concrete changes and make them fast?

None of the dilemmas (dilemmi?) happened overnight. What DW is doing here, and many more elsewhere, is at least shining a spotlight on the boiling pot. The frog might not jump out in time, but at least he can see what the hell's making his ass all red and sore.

Anybody know how far Virginia Tech is from the CIA?

CIA in DC? 5-6 hour drive, depending on traffic and how much one speeds. I want to call it right at 280 miles to the beltway, then however far to get into a specific place in town-not over 300 miles in any case..

Although I'm certain that the rampant TV/video game violence is contributing to this mayhem, I feel that what we're seeing is more likely a human response to the profound powerlessness that people are experiencing, a deep lack of control over their lives and our national destiny. I was watching the movie "The US vs. John Lennon" last week, and I was instantly struck by the difference in people of that generation- youth really believed that it could change the world for the better through political activism, organizations and demonstrations. Today, few hold such beliefs; politicians and perception managers in the media will tell us what the issues are, and even if politicians campaign on valid issues, they can always count on the MSM's Attention Deficit Disorder to forget about it a month after election day and move on to more pressing issues- like the price of John Edwards haircuts. :0

Here's Eric Idle's take from a few years back.

Don't play it at work.

http://www.pythonline.com/plugs/idle/FCCSong.mp3

DW,
I know you can't highlight every really great show on TeeVEE but you left out one of my favorites; the goodie, goodie channels. You know, the Focus on Family, 700 Club, PTL, the Robert Schuler's of the airwaves.
Not only is their little world made up of Barbie and Flicka and sugar and spice (just like real life) but have you ever seen the "tracts" the baptists provide for their impressionable youngsters? Showing people burning in hell because they lied or stole or played with themselves.
Yet, they defend to the literal death a preacher's right to commit adultery, engage in homosexual acts while bashing gays, kill doctors for performing abortions, steal money from the poor AND rich and use it for themselves, build monumental temples to their god (who said he didn't really want those kinds of things) and tell others how they should live while ignoring their own advice; the list goes on.
Was it Larry Flint who said that sex isn't a crime but you can't show it on TV while murder is a crime and you can show all you want?
The real time shows aren't enjoyable anymore. It doesn't matter if your remote's broke; pick a channel and it's all the same hypocricy.
The most forgotten and/or ignored parental device is actually installed on each TV...the off button. Of course, it has no instructions.
Oh, and you forgot reruns...who ya gonna call, badboy?

Thanks DW for linking my blog. I noticed a few days ago that it was there.

I was surprised yesterday morning when my wife brought up this topic. She said he probably figured out he'd never be able to pay off his student loan.

And that might've been part of the despair that brought on this episode of violence. Between credit cards, the cost of college, and the intentional destruction of the US economy, he may have realized that he was trading an education for a lifetime of bondage. All the while seeing kids around him get a free ride.

I've written in the past about the upcoming world energy decline. Even now we're a period of no growth, which coupled with population growth gives us a net decline. Or acceleration in the net decline that began in 1987, when population growth began to outpace energy growth.

This coupled with all the other shenanigans in economics, the environment, etc... is going to continue to squeeze us all.

The result is predictable. Those individuals that are squeezed hardest and are already on the edge, will react in violent chaotic ways. We'll see more murder suicides and more mass killings, simply because there seems to be no escape for many members of society, already on the edge of sanity.

By gutting the US economy for pocket change, our politicians have created a very dangerous environment. But they don't really know any better. We've just left a period of prosperity that is unparalleled
in the history of mankind. During that period, we began to believe that anything was possible. We had the wealth to believe in outrageous things, and we could afford to forget how things actually operate. As a nation we still believe that we've conquered nature and that the rules of the universe don't apply to us. Our government is going to resist relearning the fundamentals, as we pay the price.

Just watch, as the pool of resources, shrinks, the US government will continue to grow, to consume ever more resources. To do so, we'll have to do with less in order to keep our government growing. We will all have to sacrifice, so that our government can continue to increasing its rate of consumption. The logical end to this is eventually we will have no food, money, clothing , etc... while the government takes all of this.

Obviously, between here and there, something has to break. Don't be standing close by when it does.

This is going to hurt.

LindiBee,
Your point about the previous generation is well taken. The trouble is that the people then who wanted to change the world have somehow followed a different path; they sold out their ideals and converted or succumed to greed.
I know many, many friends that were at Southern and Kent State and like myself in Chicago and too many of these caring people have gone over to the dark side.
That's their choice. What bothers me is the wholesale change in attitude they instill in their kids; acceptance of rule, my country right or wrong while they suppress mmories of raids on ROTC buildings, vandalism, acts of violence and such. They would never have given in to the establishment; now they are part of it. Something they rebelled at their parents and authorities for, yet they submit to things they fought against simply for the status, recognition and money; all things they could live without when "we all will share the land."
To me, they are the greatest hypocrits. Success justifies anything. Feh!

Bush told us that by snooping on our phone calls and emails, he would have the power to protect us and to prevent events like this.

So if Bush had the power to stop this, why didn't he?

Weaseldog:Bush told us that by snooping on our phone calls and emails, he would have the power to protect us and to prevent events like this.

So if Bush had the power to stop this, why didn't he?

"Wh-well, ya gotta understand that I am focustrating on the Islamofascist peril that will be following our brave boys (and caucasians) here from Iraq. You see, the real enemy is those leftist loonies in Congress who would love nothing better than welcoming the terrorists into your neighborhoods and handing out green cards in exchange for satanical voting rituals." [/off topic]

Just watch, as the pool of resources, shrinks, the US government will continue to grow, to consume ever more resources. To do so, we'll have to do with less in order to keep our government growing. We will all have to sacrifice, so that our government can continue to increasing its rate of consumption. The logical end to this is eventually we will have no food, money, clothing , etc... while the government takes all of this.

What you're describing is either North Korea, or the old USSR. I hope we can stop it before it's too late!

"What you're describing is either North Korea, or the old USSR." -- SBGypsy

It was about 40 years ago, SBGypsy, that a history professor of mine stated, "The USSR and America are passing each other in opposite directions".

Weaseldog - I had to smile at your student loan comment. I am still on the hook for the money I borrowed in pursuit of my master’s degree. My husband is saddled with even more debt from his academic forays. Scary how much higher education costs in America today - no matter how established you are in pursuit of it. I cannot imagine looking down the throat of all that and being a kid.

And Dark Wraith - I just got a message saying you've yet to pick up the Easter e-card I sent (so I guess I should say Happy Easter even if it's way late!). Is something awry with your email address? I've noticed several messages I've sent recently have had no reply. Do you have a new email I should be aware of? Or are you so damn busy you can’t see straight? (My guess is the latter).

Can you spell 'Perestroika'?

Trog69, I was thinking, when we declare victory in Iraq and run away, we could fill ocean with sharks. Then when the Iraqis swim across the Atlantic to fight us in Kansas, the sharks will eat them all.

Good plan?

And why do Bush-Wingers think that Iraqis are such good swimmers?

Are we really supposed to be fearful that Iraq will invade the US if we leave?

Father Tyme:
You had friends at Kent State? Cool; I got my Bachelor of Science there in the mid seventies- my brother still teachs there.

I often wonder what happened to the people that I knew back then, how the social sensibilities of that generation morphed into self-absorption and complacency, and how it was that I was spared that process. A few are still committed to their beliefs; most have just "swung with the times" and adopted the latest "consensus" of their peers, lest they violate the unspoken rules of "social decorum".

I'm sure that our Host here has always appreciated the need to maintain the highest sense of decorum in his classrooms and elsewhere :)

Always.

Yes, indeed.

LindiBee,

"I'm sure that our Host here has always appreciated the need to maintain the highest sense of decorum in his classrooms and elsewhere :)"...
until they ask if they can drop the final!

Yes, LindiBee, one that I know rather well is the gentleman who took the famous picture of a student lying on the ground at Kent State. He sat behind me for 3 years in high school. Good guy.

Things might not be what they seem.
I invite the readers to read the thread entitled
"Psychopaths being switched on... Virginia Tech Shooter - Greenbaum?" at Signs of the Times.
Question for ballistics experts: A few of the commenters on the thread above expressed doubts that a 9mm Glock could render a face unrecognizable if the shooter shot himself in the head which is what supposedly happened in the VA Tech case. But do you suppose if hollow point cartridges were used, and the barrel was held directly under the chin, that would really mess up the face?

That was a great post, DW. What more can I add? It's just sick out there. That's such a tragedy about the school teacher. It's frightening.

But do you suppose if hollow point cartridges were used, and the barrel was held directly under the chin, that would really mess up the face?

Peter I own a Glock in 9mm and it is what I carry (when I choose to). It will do more than just give you a tongue and medusa piercing, especially with hollow points. Not going to demonstrate though.

DW,

Great site -- I just discovered it today.

I for one hate listening to the endless speculation 24 hours a day when such a killing spree happens. What brings me back to the news though is what is *not* said -- usually *never* said: that our society is, and has been since the very beginning, one built on violence. There is a very large shadow in the collective unconscious of this society, and absolutely no one is willing to come to terms with that, because we insist on seeing only effects, and not causes; we only see individual agents, and not society as a whole condoning weak (in this case gun) laws, misplaced economic priorities, and increading tolerance of violence within and by our country.

Lucretius

Good afternoon, Lucretius, and welcome to The Dark Wraith Forums.

That deep substrate within American culture has several dimensions. The most destructive is that sense of violence as the tool of choice in conflict resolution. This, of course, can be traced back to, among other things, our Anglo-Saxon roots, but it is a disease that afflicted many cultures--principally European--that were influential in the early, formative years of America's sense of self-identifying principles. That a number of European nations have apparently made strides to overcome, or at least move beyond, violence as the resort of primacy and choice, while our nation--indeed, our culture and many of its people--have not is a matter that should have more discussion.

Preferably, of course, that discussion should not involve gun play.

That means we should probably leave the Right-wing pundits out of that conversation, given their proclivity for shooting off their mouths.

The Dark Wraith wishes they'd keep their BB guns holstered.

DW:That means we should probably leave the Right-wing pundits out of that conversation, given their proclivity for shooting off their mouths.

That's funny; Most of the time it doesn't smell like their mouths are the orifice they're shooting out of.

Hehehehe...ain't I a stinker?

Indeed, trog.

Indeed.

The Dark Wraith should have known where this crowd's allegorical interpretations would tend.
[It's not like I, a scholar of thoroughly restrained demeanor, encourage this, y'know.]

Good E'en, Dark Wraith,

I began a comment her (about a half hour ago) but it has grown way beyond what I feel comfortable posting as a comment on another's site.

If any are interested, it will be up at my homepage as soon as I finish it (apologies for the unwarranted blogwhoring).

I did want to say here, however, that your post is excellent (as are the comments) and thought provoking (again, ditto the comments). And now I take my leave to sort out these provoked thoughts....

Blast and Damn! That should have started "I began a comment here..."

I realize that correct spelling and grammar in commenting are so last century, but, then, so am I....

Has anyone else noticed how much Alberto Gonzales is looking more and more like the loan officer at a used car dealership?

He lies like one too

Wow. Warble it, my friend!
Loud and clear!

My pet goat,
That's Gonzo's "I got nothing" look...

i listened yeasterday to almost the entire hearing. I'm going to be nice, because I shouldn't repeat how I really feel, unless I've had enough scotch that I can say tomorow, "I searched my mind and I really have no memory of saying that."

I learned that Alberto Gonzales is an empty torture loving suit.

His only skill consists of being able to write his own name.

Other than this, he's got nothing going for him.