Land of Confusion

Does anyone remember the video for the 1990 song "Land of Confusion" by Genesis? I never paid any attention to them, though perhaps I should go back and check them out a bit. That video haunts me to this day. The video featured "dummy" heads of world leaders and celebrities and a spoof of Reagan and some others. I think back then I probably would have missed the meaning of the song without the video to help me. Now however, 15 years later, the song seems as applicable as ever while I note that the understanding of the world I always thought I would have by now has escaped me. Every day the world as I see it becomes more a "Land of Confusion". The lyrics below speak for themselves and at the moment don't need any additional comment from me.

I must’ve dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They’re moving into the street.

Now did you read the news today
They say the danger’s gone away
But I can see the fire’s still alight
There burning into the night.

There’s too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can’t you see
This is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we’re given
Use them and let’s start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

Ooh superman where are you now
When everything’s gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour.

This is the time
This is the place
So we look for the future
But there’s not much love to go round
Tell me why, this is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we’re given
Use them and let’s start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

I remember long ago -
Ooh when the sun was shining
Yes and the stars were bright
All through the night
And the sound of your laughter
As I held you tight
So long ago -

I won’t be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We’re not just making promises
That we know, we’ll never keep.

Too many men
There’s too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can’t you see
This is a land of confusion.

Now this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we’re given
Use them and let’s start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for.

This is the world we live in
And these are the names we’re given
Stand up and let’s start showing
Just where our lives are going to.

Nice Gesture

So, I've been on hiatus from blogging. Still not sure what direction I want to take this and turning it into a daily rant isn't what I had in mind, so we'll see... I do have a nice little story to relate though...

I was at dinner on Saturday night with 3 friends. We went to the Delancey Street Restaurant on the water, which is staffed entirely by ex-cons. The food was simply delicious, the service very friendly (I resisted the urge to ask various employees what they'd been in for), and the entrees very reasonably priced. On the whole it was a fun meal with a group of friends. It was also prom night somewhere in San Francisco, as there were a few tables of guys in tuxes and girls in formal gowns. A group of two girls and one guy came and sat at the table behind us. They looked like they were just a group of friends going together. Anyway, when they asked for the check, the waiter said, "I can't do that sir. I can't get you the bill, it's been paid for by the couple that was sitting at the next table over." The couple had paid for the three kids at the next table and quietly left without even saying anything. I thought it was a really nice thing to do.

So, all I'm saying is it's nice to see people do something like that on occasion. I think all four of us had the same thought that some day we'd like to do that...

The Rise and Fall of the American Empire...

Read a blurb in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about the Orlando airport. It said "travelers through Orlando Airport can buy a card that allows them to skip security lines." This is the kind of thing that is going wrong in America. The foundations of our society were not supposed to be bound to the financial success of an individual. When did we start moving to the "equal rights as long as you can pay for them" model? Even as one who can likely pay in this case and others, I find it disgusting. As soon as we let this start happening in one area, it will happen all over. In fact, it probably already has and I haven't noticed. I just really don't like this idea. What's next? Don't like to wait in line at the grocery store? Well home about paying a monthly fee to skip lines. Pay pay pay. Every company trying to suck more money out of its patrons and those who can't pay get screwed.

Roman civilization fell due in part due to the greed and self-interest of it's rulers, in part because of weakened leadership, and in part because they didn't adapt to the changing face of their own empire and the continent (as well as many other reasons related to staffing the army, leadership, and diplomacy with Northern tribes). We are heading toward days where corporate and individual greed will rule the fates of men, and I'm worried about what it will do the the United States. At some point I think our arrogance and inability to deal with issues in our own country, as well as international issues, will bring an end to the US as we know it. We need some drastic change in the way our society works. Capitalism worked for a while when it was contrasted with other systems, or when people came from other ways of life it presented a way to make money for yourself instead of be held in indenture by others.

Today, I increasingly feel we have moved into an unhealthy, ultra-capitalism. A friend of mine is very in to corporate responsibility. I must say just being around her has attuned me significantly more to what corporations are doing and what they could be doing, so much so that I find myself wanting to get involved in the issue. I think the whole function of a company in our society should be rebuilt. Though a few many benefit, the "make a lot of money" goal just doesn't work for our society as a whole. I remember reading in 2001 how all other economic booms had been accompanied by large social projects and there had been many benefits to society. It wasn't the case. With some notable exceptions such as Bill Gates, and Ted Turner giving some of their billions away, corporate donations went DOWN. Getting money and holding on to it became the goal. Let's rethink it. Let's get creative. Let's change the idea of a company and make them beneficial to the communities they are in. It won't happen though. There i$ too much at $take for tho$e who are in control now.

(Incidentally, the much maligned Gates deserves some kudos for donations that could change the face of college enrollment in a few years. He gave a 5 BILLION dollar donation to start a college fund for ethnic minorities and 24 BILLION into his Gates Foundation which attacks a number of issues such as global health and education. Sure, he has more money than he knows what to do with. But, his commitments have gone to the extent that this is not just some tax write off. The man actually believes in these causes and speaks on the regularly. Do a search on the web for "Gates Donates" it you'll get hundreds of different articles from the last few years. Even Microsoft has developed programs and grants to spread computers to inner cities. A friend of mine started a computer center in Dorchester Massachusetts and was helped by contributions from Microsoft. Why are not other CEOs or corporations making as significant efforts?)

What's the solution? I don't know, I do know that we can't continue ramping up capitalism to even more extremes. Think of the amount of advertising you currently face, compared to what you did 15 years ago, 20 years ago. It's amazing to me how barraged I am with ads for products and service I don't want. How much time is wasted filtering through these things in mail, email, and many other areas. How far can this go? What extremes can we take capitalism to? I don't know but we'd better figure it out because I think we're headed there.