Men May Become Robots

Where are we headed? That's what I'm chewing on at the moment.

My early morning starts with dog feeding, tea brewing, email and mental gymnastics. The USA Puzzle Page's "Don't Quote Me" revealed Erich Fromm's quote "The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots." It doesn't seem so far fetched when I look around me: people chasing dreams they've been programmed for by the media....the car, the house, the watch. Robots do what they are programmed to do. So do consumers, even if the programs come in 30 or 60 seconds imprints spaced strategically throughout electronic stimulation therapy.

But it's not just consumerism programming that's turning us all into robots. There's the political divisiveness programs designed to keep us at odds with each other, safely avoiding the ongoing abuse of power imbedded into our electoral system. Left-wing, Right-wing, each an epithet and smear all at once. Meant to divide, oppose, and distract. Keeping us from looking at the ongoing inequities around us. A Legislature with lifetime health benefits paid for by the general populace screaming that guaranteed health benefits is Socialism. They can't be that obtuse, so it must be intentional. And all part of the programming to ensure we remain lined up against one another, preoccupied as the power brokers skim the cream off of the top.

Even pop culture programs our behavior. When people spend endless time discussing who'll get voted off American Idol, but can't spend 5 minutes discussing how to improve our educational system without their eyes glazing over. Where Britney's mental health, or Anna Nicole's drug overdose, or Jesse's infidelities with tattoo-laden pinup girls are all more compelling and endlessly examined than discussions of term limits or the impact of lobbyists writing legislation. The programming continues.

Fromm's fear that men may become robots may already be a fear realized. The only difference between Neo's awakening to the realities of his world and what I see around me is the tools and trappings used. The Matrix fed off of our life force and calmed us with illusions, whereas in our world....hmmm, maybe I'll need a few days to see the difference.