Don’t Worry, Be Crazy

Were all normal895Every day I sit down in front of this computer and scan the internet for news, and every day I’m convinced that the world has gone stark raving mad. The situation in the Middle East is bad enough. With the televised burning of a caged human being, the terrorists have degenerated to new lows in an effort to impress the civilized world with their cruelty. They aren’t the only ones.

There is so much information available to the hungry masses, anything that doesn’t shock the senses is lost in the tsunami of words and images. And so much of what we consume is either misinterpreted or outright lies that it becomes difficult to know what is true. Governments and media have perfected the art of propaganda, and the unfortunate result is that more and more, we don’t trust those institutions even when they tell the truth.

The current vaccination controversy is a prime example. I know in my heart that measles vaccinations are good and have saved countless lives, but in my head there is a nagging doubt that fears enforced injections by all-powerful entities. (Dr. Mengele’s death camp experiments and Tuskegee come to mind.) This view has been reinforced by decades of Hollywood movies and countless conspiracy theories. Since the sixties, we have been conditioned to be skeptical.

And we have good reason to be skeptical. We’ve been fed so many lies by Democrats, Republicans and big business it’s beyond the pale. Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Your personal information will be safe in the hands of the Affordable Care Act. Smoking does not cause cancer. The list goes on and on. You’d have to be crazy to not be a skeptic in this day and age.

The happiest people are those who live off the grid, disconnected from the chattering madness, or those who are heavily medicated. With the current trend toward legalizing drugs that may become the preferable option for many, although it will do nothing to correct the problem.

As much as I would like to be happy and sane living apart from the civilized world, I’ve become addicted to eating and having a roof over my head. It’s my job, for what it’s worth. I’ll continue to log onto social media and shake my head in disbelief at the crackpot opinions of my fellow humans. And despite the daily barrage of viral insanity, I will continue to hope that it will all work out somehow.

Does that make me crazy?

 

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10 Responses to Don’t Worry, Be Crazy

  1. Chris Peterson says:

    “Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.”
    ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

    Fear not, my friend, for you are well armed.

  2. fish says:

    Does that make me crazy?

    Wear your “armor of cynicism” proudly!

  3. E Christina Dabis says:

    I’l just continue reading your articles. At least I know you and can usually tell when you begin pulling my leg, and I can always count on your words allowing me to breath deeply without having a quivering chest. Are you good for something? YES, you’re good for me…. Love you for that BOB.

  4. Don Baumgart says:

    And speaking of lies…Brian Williams now joins Geraldo Reviera as a national figure who did not tell the exact truth about his war correspondent experiences.

  5. Cheryl Cook says:

    Bob, heard columnist Maiman from the Bee talk here recently and he said people with opposing viewpoints need to listen to each other and have the courage to say, “You might be right about that” once in a while. It is okay to be wrong . But nobody in politics is ever wrong.

    Covering up deceptive acts and incorrect information leads to more and more deception and unnecessary sensationalism until we don’t know who or what to believe. We are swimming in an information whirlpool of negativity and and fear mongering. I think we are better than that.

    The smallest minds may have the noisiest voices and the most sensational acts have the widest coverage, but I, for one, am turning off the shallow noise and going for depth. That’s why I enjoy reading RLCrabbe.

    In the meantime, we are all human and make mistakes. Just own up to them instead of pretending we are perfect. And pass it on.

    Splash

  6. rlcrabb says:

    Is there any doubt left that the world is utterly insane? No? You need more evidence? Here ya go… http://www.kcra.com/news/effort-to-stop-smartmeters-in-nevada-county-goes-to-city-hall/31228854

  7. rlcrabb says:

    I just got done (on Facebook) arguing that because four journalists (well, it was three, actually) died on the same day that it didn’t mean that THE GOVERNMENT WAS BEHIND IT AND IS TRYING TO SHUT DOWN FREE SPEECH. It was pointed out to me that ALL FOUR had covered SANDY HOOK! Well, that proves that because SOME OF THEM HAD BEEN (SUPPOSEDLY) KIDNAPPED IN THE MIDEAST WARS that it’s part of the GRAND PLAN by (insert name of group or individual here) to CONQUER THE WORLD. I leave with this warning… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXOwNOf2QXY

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