Culture contradiction

It's depressing to realize that our "democracy" is based on who can lie the best, and who has the most money for ad campaigns. The very system is set up so that potential candidates have to raise a certain amount of money to even get in the race, and the ones with the most money can buy the most TV spots. This means that our society and government are a real-life game of Monopoly. Whoever has the most money wins. That's it. There are no points awarded for being a good person or having character. No "Life Tiles" that put a value on good actions and count towards winning the game. Take Randy Kuhl vs. Eric Massa. Massa had the high ground everywhere. He is a veteran, a Democrat. He had Hillary Clinton, who was re-elected by a very comfortable margin, and former President Bill Clinton, who everyone is ready to canonize in hindsight, supporting him. Randy Kuhl, on the other hand, made no secret of his allegiance to the Bush Administration with its abysmal approval ratings. He even had Dick Cheney with his 18% approval rating come and support him. And this is New York, not the deep south. Why didn't Massa win? I can only assume that it was because Kuhl had a lot more money to throw around.

So this means that our government is not representative at all because money is in control- both behind the scenes and in the light of day. And partisanship turns politics into a high stakes Yankees vs. Red Sox game. No surprises here for anyone who's even slightly paying attention. But there are not enough people doing that

The odd thing is that, while marketing supports the "Monopoly" theme of money worship, all of our "cultural" media, like movies, showcase the opposite message. The underdog wins. Good people are rewarded. Love conquers all. True democracy is superior and will light the way for everyone else. A "Monopoly" themed movie would have Donald Trump triumph over Mother Theresa. And that would be accurate, because that IS our reality. But no one would ever make a movie like that. We don't see ourselves that way. And most people claim to follow a religion that tells them rich men can't get into heaven, you should be a servant to your fellow man, turn the other cheek, and abandon possessions to follow Him.

If you ask any person on the street whether Monopoly represents the way one should live their life, most people will tell you no. There's love and family and (for most people) this nebulous idea of an afterlife. We know on some level that winning at Monopoly wouldn't equal winning in real life because "you can't take it with you." And if you asked them whether they admire Mother Theresa or Donald Trump more, I think the majority of average Americans would say Mother Theresa.

So there ARE stories out there that convey the right message. What's the secret to why some work and others don't? Why do we root for Tom Hanks in the movie "Philadelphia" and want nothing to do with those with AIDS in real life? Why do we root for true love? Why do we root for the person on the side of "good"? (My movie analogy stops short at war movies because they usually glorify our past victories and demonize our enemies. Except for Vietnam movies that show just how awful it was to be a soldier there.) But you get the picture, imperfect analogy notwithstanding. I think the potential is there, because our "values" are in the right place. Just look at what the Republicans accomplished by calling their party the "Moral Values" party. There have been attempts by Democrats to frame the budget, international policy and addressing social problems as "Moral Values" issues. To break through the contradiction. The Evangelical minister Jim Wallis has a great book on this.

Anyway, I guess what I wonder is how to reconcile this contradiction. I know a large amount of it is denial, and that people would much rather go on believing that America is a great free country; a democracy, and have moral superiority over everyone else. They'd rather believe what they're being told on the surface than dig into the truth. The truth would take them way the heck out of their comfort zone. No, they'd rather think that they're Christian because they attend church every Christmas and Easter. And the rest of the time, they'd rather immerse themselves in escapist pursuits that make them feel better. It astounds me how much time, money and effort are wasted on things that are completely irrelevant, and don't matter at all. Like sports. Or TV and movie stars. Shows like American Idol and Survivor. The movie "American Dreamz was such an excellent social commentary- the president had to appear on an "American Idol" type show to reach the public. And the amount of effort people spend deconstructing "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" is really confusing when you consider that it doesn't matter at all.

But when you realize the lengths people go to in order to be comfortable, maybe it isn't so surprising. Mentally juxtapose this lifestyle with what it was like a century ago. We can't imagine living without all the comforts electricity brings, yet burning fossil fuels is killing us in more ways than one. We can't imagine living without cars yet we pay a fortune to own and power them, and they kill an insane amount of people. We have turned comfort into an art form. It's an inalienable right.

Some activists seem to think that getting the truth out there will be enough to change people's minds. I believe that nothing short of hijacking media and bending it our way will change anything. There may be a way for celebrity types to make a difference, and not in the Reagan or Schwartzenegger way. In the Bono way. Most people need to follow a leader, and need to be told what's right and wrong. Any wishy-washy appearing "think for yourself" leftist will never get the job done. Again, see: Republican party rule. George Clooney's on his way, how about him? We need to reframe the whole thing. The problem is, I don't know that it can be accomplished using pure motives and tactics. Like all truth, no spin. Education. Speaking truth to power has not been enough. What about speaking truth to the masses? Are we truly, as a race, good enough for the realization of true rightness to change things? Or are we too selfish to get there without being coerced?