Freedumb

"Silence can mean violence"
-De la Rocha


Freedumb: Silence and Complacency



        America is not the land of the free that it could be. On the contrary, it is the land of the free labor. In this country, and many others, there are three human states of being which are currently controlled, exploited and nullified by either private corporations, government, and or religious institutions. The three exploited states of being are as follows:

Physical

        Many peoples of the world experience social inclusion or exclusion based on their physical appearance. Consider the cultural emphasis put upon women to present themselves in a "socially acceptable way",  or how a dark skinned man may consider using fairness cream or even bleach so that he appears lighter. People act in this way out of necessity. Conformity is presented to individuals as a way of being accepted and included in the circle of societal capital/power. Bank loans, job offerings and educational opportunities are often denied to individuals based solely upon aspects of their physicality; ethnicity, fashion, residency etc. From the moment a human is born into modern society, they are immediately subjected to many forms of systemic oppression.

Emotional

        People of America, and many other countries, are being forced to conform to a competitive, imperialistic, consumerist lifestyle which leads many down the path of endless debt, materialism, bankruptcy and/or poverty. People are told that they have the right to pursue happiness, yet they are constantly being bombarded by images and ideas of grandiosity, comfort and ease, only to be restricted or excluded from these experiences. The free-market economy is rigged. One might say that the "american dream" is that with enough hard work and persistence, anyone can be successful. However, it is obvious that ethnicity, gender, age, physique, and cultural traits are major factors contributing to the social inclusion and exclusion of success.

        Also, within our capitalist modernity, success is rarely gauged by someone's feelings of contentment, joy and happiness; instead our modern society focuses on achievements and assets one has acquired as a way of measuring success. What have you done, and what do you have to show for it? Feelings are seemingly secondary within this modern capitalist system. The commercials and billboards we see throughout our lives may appear to be selling items, experiences, and ideas, but in actuality, what most of these marketeers are doing is manipulating their audience's emotions in an attempt to convince them that happiness will come from buying what is being sold. Whether it's a fancy car, a luxurious getaway, pornography, or even a cheeseburger, ultimately what is being sold is unnecessary until the buyer is stimulated emotionally by some kind of carefully placed imagery and or sound. Do we as modern people even know what we really want and need, independent of some commercially influenced entity?
     

Spiritual

     Free will is defined as the ability to act at one's own discretion; in other words, to do as you wish. Philosophers and religious people have long discussed the free will of humans in relation to the search for knowledge, enlightenment, salvation etc. however, when the physical and emotional states of being within humans are so rigidly restricted and manipulated, as we have observed, then it is almost impossible for the true will of the individual to be expressed. Because personal and communal happiness have taken a backseat to personal achievement and asset acquisition, people are unable to identity with their true intention and realize their personal dreams. Conformity robs us of our individual aspirations. 

    Imagine freedom as a spectrum ranging from completely enslaved to absolutely free. Choose your own imagery or ideology with which to understand the power structure of our society. Maybe you choose to put a white heterosexual capitalist Christian man on one end, and a black homosexual communist Muslim woman on the other. I would like to emphasize the vast variety of  characteristics between these two (arbitrarily selected) extremes. Imagine further that there are many societal pressures and incentives to move along the freedom spectrum, by conforming to a particular way of being (religion/political alignment) in the hopes of receiving resources, accolades and other perks in this life and the great beyond. However, conformity can most certainly be a kind of false power that robs the individual of their free will. Ex: If you're hungry the church will feed you, and not just your belly, oh no, they want to be involved with your soul as well. 

                     

         Freedom is one thing that is unquestioned in American culture; speaking about whether or not we are truly free is to call into question what it means to be an American. Well, what does it mean to be an American? This country is known for the extinction and enslavement of people, not to mention the continuous escapades of Imperialism worldwide. I for one don't have much interest in national interest, as it seems to be completely manipulated by the military industrial complex and other corporate commercial entities.

    People have the ability to see beyond nationalism, to see beyond capitalism...all the "isms" for that matter! Political boundaries, ancient religious feuds and deeply ingrained hierarchical systems are all (like everything else) subject to change. You are the Seeds of Fire which will bring about this change. The tide is turning, The times, they are a'changin'! We are the Peoples of the Planet. We are Earthlings. May all beings realize peace and inner happiness.

Love love love,
Nathan King


P.S
Do you feel free? 
Please comment here, FB or by email. Thank you for reading.

Binary Bashing

          

"Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic, 'cause that aint' gonna stop it." 

-Salt-N'-Pepa

Binary Bashing

           Sex is a complex concept within the human experience, or at least, that is the way in which sex has been presented to the masses in our modern society. It is a taboo subject, yet references to sex are plentiful in advertisements and other media; it is a necessary aspect of human life, though religions throughout time have instigated an assertive domination of sexuality. Now, people are often confused, ashamed and even frightened by the idea of having a sexual experience.

            Furthermore, modern society exhibits complications such as gender roles, otherwise known as gender scripts. This is the idea that the guy must "get" the girl; Wooing must occur from the man, and thereby the woman is the wooed. With these being the governing dynamics of our sexual interactions in society, it is easy to see how rape culture has the opportunity to thrive. Consider how men are often encouraged to be the "doers" in society; whether its playing football, running a company, or flying a jet. Women, in turn, receive a primary cultural emphasis of "being" beautiful, and only then are they encouraged  to perform an act such as cheer leading,  being a secretary, or working as a flight attendant. 

             What's the social script? The confident assertive man asks the beauftiful woman out on a date, the man is then expected to be the first to make the move for physical intimacy. With this script, the woman is by default submissive, and the man dominant. Add alcohol and a party environment to this script, and one can easily see how flirting can turn to rape. By no means am I justifying the horrendous acts of males in such a scenario, I do, however, wish to emphasize the importance of eradicating a system which produces such ideologies. "Boys will be boys" "Bros before Hoes" "Our father who art in heaven", there is strong reason to believe that men are encouraged to see their manliness and a sense of brotherhood as being far more significant than any relationship with a female or a sense of sisterhood. Similarly, women are encouraged to see their relationship with a man as being their ultimate achievement; Marriage, house-keeping and child rearing are thereby the supposed fruits of her achievement.

             So where does this come from? Yes, our parents did teach us much about these gender roles by example, and of course the education and religious institutions have muddied the water ever further. But the core of this issue lies deeper than the Abrahamic patriarchal religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism), or any other kind of archetypes that our parents may have presented to us as children. In truth, these experiences are what we make them; the Abrahamic religions do not have to keep their patriarchal roots, and individuals have the ability to choose their own way of being based on their own set of beliefs and personal ideologies. These social scripts and gender roles are all simply ideas, and like a radio station that one no longer wishes to listen to, one may simply tune them out by no longer contributing to these ideologies. We can each bring about social change within ourselves in our own way, at our own pace. We have this ability, as we are each unique free thinking individuals. 

Love 

-Nathan

Modern Slavery

"Money...it's a crime."
-Waters


Modern Slavery

      Today, in math class, I learned how to calculate interest. The instructor presented two formulas  Simple Interest and Accumulated Interest. The titles, however, I think are a bit vague and misleading. So I will rename them as the Usury Formula and the Exploitation Equation.

       Imagine that a friend comes to you, and asks you for help. They need food to feed their family.You may choose to simply share with them, and hope that whatever you can give is enough to satisfy their needs. Or you may use their needs as an opportunity for your own personal gain. To do this, a duration must be determined within which the lender must be compensated in full, and then a rate of increase is applied to the initial borrowed amount.

           Translation: "Yeah buddy I'll help you out, here is a bag of potatoes. Now I will expect from you ten bags of potatoes within the next ten months!" Hopefully the hungry friend has other options and doesn't have to be used in such a way. There is, however, an even less desirable option than being used, and that is being exploited. Imagine this, "Yeah buddy, here are three bags of potatoes. Now I will expect ten bags of potatoes at the end of the year, and thirteen the next year, and sixteen the next year, and then  nineteen the next year! This is casually considered the "cost of borrowing" otherwise known as accumulated (annual) interest.

          This is how banks make money, by using the needs of people to produce a profit. It doesn't have to be this way, the idea of a big safe-house where people may choose to keep their money seems reasonable, it's the interest which is unnecessary; the idea that if one gives they must in addition ensure gain. Where did all of this malicious profiteering come from? Perhaps interest is a relic from ancient times, a bit of medieval methodology menacingly making its way into our minds. What do some of the most hip and popular religions of our era tell us about interest and usury?

           For what its worth, Islam is quite explicit about this issue. Riba, the Arabic word for usury, is considered haraam (sinful/prohibited) in Muslim culture. Here is a quote from the Qu'ran.

 "O those who believe do not eat up Riba, doubled and redoubled."

Surah Aal' e Imran Verse 130

Christianity and Judaism, however, seem to leave a bit of wiggle room on the matter. For the most part the Bible seems to take a firm stance on not accepting or charging interest:

Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a money lender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

There's a few examples where it seems like interest might be expected and maybe even philanthropic,

Proverbs 28:8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
Matthew 25:27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have recieved what was my own with interest. (in the context of a master speaking to a servant)

The Torah, which is supposedly included in the old testament of the Bible, states that "neshek" the Hebrew word for usury (literal translation meaning 'bite') is among the worst of sins. However, several sources have indicated that Jewish people are only restricted from charging interest on other loans made to other Jewish people. When having a transaction with goyim (non-Jews), interest charge is supposedly permissable (depending on the source this is either frowned upon or considered mandatory) To be clear, I do not wish to cast any of the aforementioned religious institutions in a positive or negative light (they do that among themselves without my help). I only wish to better comprehend their essence and intention regarding society and such.

My intention  is not to spout more of the same elitist theory which often accompanies such remarks about the modern banking system. I reject much of this "1%" theory for it stresses an interdependence between the elite and the "average person", in which the elite rely on the people for labor, and the people rely on the elite for a job. I believe this binary is too generalized and confuses the matter, and in addition, this seemingly interdependent behavior is an illusion. The people don't need the elite. If there was no absurdly imbalanced social system people would simply work for themselves, and the elite would begin to feel calluses on their dainty pampered hands. 

 Until then, I plan to go with the flow. No need to cut against the grain. Banksters aren't evil people, they have just bought into an idea and allowed it to consume them (at an exponentially increasing rate over the next three years. Restrictions may apply, offers may vary). The truth is that there is no body to blame. It is too easy to say that systemic exploitation is the product of some rich fat cats in a distant sky scraper. Capitalist modernity is an idea, which most people seem to be perpetuating by way of their unquestioning compliance, and although ideas are bulletproof, they are not thought proof. We can think for change.

Love love love

Nathan King

           

"Ideas are bulletproof"
-Fawkes


 Here is a list of changes that I have observed in my own actions and thoughts since returning to the United States:

1. I don't have to drive everywhere. - Walking is an incredible resource; fuel-less transportation that benefits physical health, and may improve one's mood as well their wisdom. Public transportation is also much more efficient than hauling a massive hunk of metal and fabric just to move my body and a few items.
      
2. Early mornings are becoming more enjoyable than late nights. - Clarity and peace can be found in the wee small hours of the morning, and one can use this time to prepare the mind to be clear and peaceful throughout the day.

3. (DIY) Learning of do-it-yourself options brings me great joy. - Growing our own food/medicine, collecting rainwater, and learning about the nutritional and medicinal values of wild plants in the area alleviates much social dependency, and introduces (little by little) a fulfilling and inspiring sense of self reliance and responsibility.

4. I would rather trade goods/resources than spend money - Many things have functioned as currency throughout history. Imagine giving your neighbor a bag of potatoes that you grew in your garden, and in exchange, they provide some mechanical service of which they specialize.. See how the value in this scenario is readily apparent? It is not veiled behind a "federal reserve note" which represents value/debt figuratively.

5. Accepting myself as a white man. - This time last year, in India, I was beginning to feel my whiteness, and this ethnic self awareness has only increased sinceI have returned. I see Anglo-Andro-centrism almost everywhere. However, I am finding peace with this new found awareness through research and interaction that I feel brings about positive change.

6. I am a radical. - Einstein (roughly) defined insanity as:  Continuously seeking different results by means of the same operation. I believe that if the people would like to experience social change, our current political system must be re-imagined completely. Replace the corrupt greedy war mongers with dedicated citizens. Replace the corporate fat cat bankster money marketeers with generous merchants looking to serve humanity and the Earth as a whole. Tennesseans, are you surprised that amendment 1 passed? The system is flawed, in my opinion, so I was not very surprised. I reject this system, for it is rooted in exploitation, manipulation and hierarchical social inclusion and exclusion.

My intention is to speak my truth,  I do not wish to influence others. I wish to share ideas with fellow seekers of the truth; people with a strong will to discuss, teach, learn and brainstorm.
The revolution happens right now, here in this moment. No bullets or nastiness required.

It happens in your mind. A consciousness revolution. "We are the 100% Occupy the Infinite" (Kodamanchili)

 I'm not going to ask you to share this post...I am going to ask you to share yourself. Because you are incredible, magnificent, and wondrous, and people are capable of almost anything imaginable. Your talent, your kindness, your intelligence, your voice, your IDEAS are crucial.The Change Train is leaving the station every passing moment, and each one of us is a conductor if we so choose.

We are lovely, and we are remembering this. Happy Autumn/Monsoon season.

Nathan King