22 Signs That The Thin Veneer Of Civilization That We All Take For Granted Is Starting To Disappear
The Economic Collapse – Nov 14, 2011Greed, corruption and extreme self-centeredness have deeply infected our society. We see this on Wall Street and in Congress, and we see this among those that are trying to survive on the mean streets of our largest cities.
Our nation is breaking down on every level. If by some miracle we were able to fix our economy, that would mask our problems for a while, but it would not solve them. Go to story
Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma: when a person makes vikarma, material enjoyment, the aim of life, he becomes mad, or insane. (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.4)
So this outburst of demonstrations against the better-situated sense “enjoyers” – the Wall Street bankers, businessmen and politicians, etc. – is just the beginning of things to come. It’s like a match and a striker rubbed together. If striker and match are both dry, a flame will appear, and this small match flame can potentially burn down a whole forest or city.
We are seing the anger and frustration of unfulfilled material desires in the 99% sense enjoyers.
“WHEN A MAN DWELLS ON SENSE OBJECTS, HE BECOMES ATTACHED TO THEM. FROM ATTACHMENT COMES LUST, FROM LUST COMES ANGER, FROM ANGER COMES GREED. THEN MEMORY IS LOST, THEN INTELLIGENCE IS BEWILDERED. ETC. IN THE END, ONE FALLS DOWN AGAIN INTO THE MATERIAL POOL.” (BHAGAVAD GITA)
I have not concerned myself with the OWS phenomenon. I live in Oakland, 14th St and Market, about five blocks from City Hall, where OWS tent city set up shop. My impression was that they were not very well organized and appeared for the most part to be homeless and drug addicted. Berkeley was similar. They appeared to be hippies, but much more degraded and aimless.
Of course I compare them to demonstrators of the 60’s era, because that is when I was young. I personally never participated in such movements.
Once a person, however intelligent he may be, joins a crowd, or movement, his capacity to discriminate evaporates. Such people embrace slogans, rituals and procedures, they cease to use their power of discrimination, thus hard to reach with our message.
