I used to read multiple newspapers every day. More
accurately I skimmed them, turning the pages and scanning the headlines,
seeking the articles that satisfied my curiosity. I choose news sources from around the country,
gaining a National perspective on issues. I did not wallow in parochialism. I looked at the big picture and found the view
disturbing.
Watching events unfold across our Nation brings with it
uncomfortable conclusions. Today information is disseminated in an instant, due
to the Internet and technological advances. I watched the National scene when the Internet
was still in its infancy. Newspapers, television and magazines were the best
sources for news, even though the information was a bit delayed by publication
and distribution schedules. The delay
allowed a viewer to watch as a series of events unfold in an industry. The
first time I saw an accident occur in multiple places but within the same
industry it was a bit horrifying. I immediately thought “terrorism.” This was
before 9/11 so most people ridiculed my horrified conclusion. I sought other explanations;
product failure, human error, or coincidence to explain how similar accidents occurred
in similar industries, sequentially, throughout the country. Eventually I reached a point where I merely
thought, “Well it is blow up a generator month” and kept my conclusions as to
causation to myself. I could not do
anything about the events so I allowed a coldness to set in and continued to
merely watch horrific events unfold, nationally.
On days when human behavior was my focus I merely laughed as
I would watch business leaders get caught up in a trend. Sometimes it would appear it was the month to
“Fire the CEO” or “Redesign Logos” or “Layoff the workforce.” One business
leader after another would jump on the bandwagon, no matter what tune was
playing. I would muse, “Is this business leader aware he is merely following
the trend or is he making a good business decision for his company?” More times
than not the business leaders who refused to follow the trend revealed the best
judgment. One thing became clear; by
watching behavior a reader could begin to assess the culture of a company and
the mindset of management. Companies
that engaged in similar behavior, in a certain time period, often had similar
business cultures. It became obvious who
followed the same drummer and who did not.
It is easier to watch and understand trends develop in behavior
because most people accept ideas, like fashion, travel. In my parent’s day, what was worn in New York
would take several years to become fashionable in Columbus, Ohio. A behavior or thought (zeitgeist) may have taken
as long as a decade to permeate the interior of this great country. It gave people time to adjust. That time is gone
today. Today new ideas, fashion and
business trends are disseminated internationally, instantly via the Internet
and television. Of course the mere availability of the information does not
mean it is being received. That is where
people like me come into play.
I still read vast amounts of news from a variety of sources.
I also read on a wide variety of topics. I used to become frustrated when
individuals refused to acknowledge trends or behavior patterns. They could not
comprehend, and refused to believe, that they were being influenced by outside
sources. That their thoughts and actions were not original and independent but
the result of a kind of “thought osmosis” that occurs when ideas and trends
travel. Parochialism does that. I have since grown to understand that most
people do not expose themselves to the width or depth of information I take for
granted each day. People cannot see the
big picture because they never look. They do not analyze how their local community
or individual behavior is merely reflective of a growing trend or movement. They are uneducated and when I speak of
influences they do not have a clue as to what I am talking about. Some of these uneducated individuals have
rather impressive educational credentials. Many do well in their parochial
ponds. It is not until they enter a larger pond, or ocean, that they realize
parochialism only works if you are parochial.
By the time these individuals understand me and my viewpoint, I have
moved on due to frustration and yes, arrogance. Many times I am just tired of being told I do
not know what I am talking about or having to educate my audience.
So I am not interested in “relaxing”, a recent suggestion,
when I respond to major world events that reflect great evil in our society. My
head has been out of the sand for too long. I see trends and influences
affecting our country right now that are frightening. I am not alone, but my
triggers may be different. I do not get
caught up in the 2012 frenzy, I revel in it. When the local sports team is
revealed to be corrupt, I wonder why it took so long for officials to notice.
When the supporters of Presidential candidates cheer the historic number of executions
of convicted death row inmates, I am offended. When these same people cheer the
thought of the death of uninsured, ill members of our community, I notice. When the Pope is sued in International Court
for allowing the systemic abuse of children I am uncomfortable, especially when
there is significant evidence to support the claims. When everything occurs in
a short time frame, I wonder if society is on the brink of falling into the evil
abyss.
The imagery of “Good
v. Evil” is currently being used pervasively throughout our mass media and culture.
What are worse are the real monsters, those without morals, have begun to show
their faces: in sports, in politics, in religion and in business. Those of us
who are immersed in media and culture see when the monsters reveal themselves.
No matter how must spin is put on the event later, instant replay allows us to
see the coaches lie, the politician’s expression of hate, and the businessman’s
all consuming greed, again and again. While I watch all of the different
revelations of character, or lack thereof, I must remember the vast majority of
people do not. Most people do not follow the world as I do so most people do
not see the monsters in a huge cross section of our society. Furthermore the
monsters are allowing the viewing public to see they are at best amoral and at
worst evil. It is as if we are being given a knowing choice between good or
evil.
The younger generations
are aware of more issues than their elders. They have been raised with media
immersion as a norm and are used to processing huge amount of information on a
daily basis. The historical context is what is often missing from their world
view. They do not see the patterns of
history being repeated. Too often, this group that is most informed ,does not
have the historical or cultural background or experience to immediately analyze
all of the information they are seeing. This comes with age, experience or the
study of history. The older generation, beginning to immerse themselves in the
media flow, are all too often are overwhelmed by the amount of information
available. Experience can also lead to complacency,
since an experienced reader may dismiss patterns of events thinking, “This is
nothing new, we have been through this before.” This analysis has the flaw of not recognizing
that the world has never been like this before. Information has never traveled
so far and so fast in the history of mankind. So while patterns of behavior may
be the same, the mere number of people who are aware of anything and the speed
in which this knowledge travels, is new.
Facebook allows us to see how fast an idea can move beyond a
small group of people into the International population. Watch how a simple game
of posting a status or video can go “viral.” Within a short period of time, a
viral posting moves beyond one group of people into the general populace.
People who in the past may not have been exposed to an idea, because of
education, culture or location, now join the majority in a fraction of a
second. Zeitgeist can and is watched, in real time, on a laptop, without leaving
home.
Right now the
zeitgeist of the country is a little scary to watch. I comfort myself with the
thought that those of us who watch the world, through a variety of lenses, are
not the norm nor alone. See people who
pay attention to the world now can find each other, in comment sections or on
websites. It is a bit easier to find others who understand National and
International viewpoints. I remind myself that we are more informed than most
and our early conclusions may be inaccurate. While we can watch the trends developing,
there is no guarantee the trends will take hold, or go viral. The gathering
storm is just as likely to pass by as it is to wreak havoc. But at least we know a great many more people
are watching history unfold every day. More people are taking the pulse of the
nation and the world without having to wait for a historian, newspaper editor
or community leader to frame the issues. Individuals are watching and analyzing as
history occurs, in real time, without filters. This is a good thing since communities
do not have time to adjust to new ideas, any longer.
