General Music Chat

I have seen America bashed from within for years. Watching the news, I have been told that the America I live in, grew up an and have benefited from is a lie. I have been told I am a victim and things are owed to me. That I should sit and force the "injustices" be handled for me and get "what is owed to me". All because of where and how I was born.

I have seen others told this lie. I have seen them told they can not help it they were born that way and the best they can hope for is subsidized housing, a government check and mediocre job. They have been told since birth, like me, that the "corporations" are stealing from them and that they are entitled to more.

You see, there is a theory, and it is a solid one, that visualization and repetition can be used to improve your life. That stating a truth you want to be true every day can actually make it true for you. I work with some folks in the Anthony Robbins network and I see it used day in and day out to improve peoples lives and make business run smoother.

But I have seen this technique in pop culture used to the denigration of society. You are told how bad it is, and despite your own perceptions, you allow reality to be altered in your mind until it fits the illusion that has been given to you. You are told you are owed something you do not deserve by people who want to make you believe they can give it to you.

Only if they have the power.

Not telling you they plan on stealing prosperity from the very people that have come up from the bottom to build the very foundations you have been living on. They plan on creating some false ceiling that, if you make it to, you become the enemy. They do not tell you that in taking care of you they can control you. They plan on cheating you out of your potential and dictate your worth.

They tell you you are entitled to a Job, but that the company that provides that job does not deserve the fruits of their own labor. That because the company you work for took all the risk, and developed products and services they can market, you who had nothing to do with it deserve the reward. That you can not do that yourself because someone took away an opportunity. They have convinced you that there is a finite supply of innovation. You have been convinced you can not do this for yourself because some other, evil, company had already done it. You have been told this is theft from YOU.

And there are many people who are ignorant enough to believe it. Call it laziness or malevolence, but that ignorance turns to stupidity once the lie is embraced. Once deliberate ignorance takes hold.

I have been told by "compassionate" people that everything I have done with my life is not possible. The repeat the lie over and over trying to make it true. I just let my own success shine light on the lie. In the light, the lie can not survive and it withers like the illusion it is.

Compassion is telling the truth. That yes, you may have it rough. Yes, you will have to work hard. Despite this, you can succeed. You can fail. If you do not let that failure keep you down you will EARN the reward and success you want. Success is not defined by what is given to you, but by what you earn.

Compassion is getting regulation out of your way so you do not need a team of lawyers to start a business. MOST of the reason big corporations have the advantage in the market is because the government bureaucracy has become so large you need a legal team just to get an idea on paper. This is not the fault of American ideas, it is the fault of often well meaning, but deluded government agencies. It is the fault of regulation run amok.

We live in the greatest country in history with unmatched opportunity and because you have to work for it you have been told you are a victim. Well, I for one will not allow my success to be stolen by the lie. Innovation is not always safe. I am willing to risk for innovation. So get out of my way and let me fail. Because if there was no chance of failure, sometimes catastrophic, the there would be no need for success. Success is often written in the blood of pioneers. That is a line I stole from a test pilot.

The reason innovation has slowed down is because the Government has told us that risk is evil. That failure is bad. That people being forced back to the drawing board can not be allowed.

The media from MTv to CNN, ABC to NBC, have promised you overnight stardom. They lied. You are not a unique snowflake just because you made it out of a vagina still breathing. You came into this world naked and screaming. You held in your hands all that you are entitled to in that moment. Everything else from that moment on is a direct result of your family and yourself. I have been told that America will not allow me to succeed unless the Government is changed to hand me everything. That is a lie. I have succeeded in life in spite of the Government. The biggest obstacle I have faced in striking out on my own is red tape.

You have not been stolen from.
You can succeed without government.
You live in an awesome country with opportunity.
You are not a victim!!!
You can "do it"!!

That is all.

Let the flames begin.

To follow up with something even more outrageous, I have all that I have because I have been blessed by God.

The course of events in my life that have motivated me along my path are due to the blessings I have. My daughter, my wife and my mind are all blessings. My musical talent, and imagination.

All blessings from God.

All I can say is - how many other countries have you lived in, in order to be so certain that yours is "ths best in the world?"

I'll add this, cuz I'm feeling like my usual verbose self -

I've been looking for work, as you all know. The trends I've seen in the job market are atrocious to the extreme.

Just how much power over your life are YOU willing to give up for the "right" to work? Would you give up smoking? Drinking? Griping about a bad day to your friends? Health insurance? Free time? A regular schedule, where you sleep at night & work in the day? Do you have a tattoo?

Co's today are taking all of those personal life choices away, if you are so "lucky" as to get a job at one of those places. The mere size of some of these co's is such that, if you become dissatisfied, & try to find work in the same field, you are likely to be forced to work for the same parent co., with the same, or worse, co policies.

Those protections that America once had in place, to protect both consumers & workers, have been tossed out the window as we've entered into a global market. My wife's co handles 85% of ALL credit card transactions, WORLDWIDE. Can you say "monopoly?"

Look at the recent Supreme Court decisions concerning corporate interests vs consumers or workers interests. Can you deny that there is some seriously nefarious sh*t going down?

Okay, screw all of that, man! Start up your OWN co. Uh...how much is that gonna cost you in time, money, taxes, & energy? And, as soon as you get it going, some huge outfit is gonna get into your field, wipe you out with unfair pricing, because THEY can afford to take those losses until you're gone. Then, they'll just jack up their prices again, & make up for their losses, & they will be the only act in town.

In my field, a man's rep used to be able to carry him. Now, he's forced to get state licensing, outrageous insurance packages, local biz licenses, AND accountants, just to break even. Why? Because large corp's got into the field, used their gov't influences to get more & more laws passed to restrict the local entrepreneur. They undercut his pricing, thanks to their huge buying abilities, paid less to their workers than we could have made even 10 years ago, & have virtually wiped us out. Meanwhile, those ppl hired by the large builders & such don't even speak English, so we can't get work there until we re-educate ourselves to be able to work with underpaid foreign workers. Costs haven't decreased at all, indeed, have risen, while the savings to the corp all go into the investors' pockets at the expense of those Americans who have worked so hard to get themselves established. AND, the quality of work has dropped, but ppl aren't necessarily looking for quality anymore, because the economy;s so flooked up, so everything comes down to cost. They don't realize that their cost is so much higher in that they will pay & pay & pay for repairs for poor workmanship, down the road...& those repairs will go to the large outfits, too, because us small guys have been wiped out.

My hourly rate has dropped 50% in the last 7 years, just to try to compete, but I still don't have the ability to compete with the big outfits. So, I'm trying to change my job to one that I had 30 years ago...but guess what? I'll be making $5K LESS than I made when I left that career, & I'm not talking in "today's dollars," either. I'm talking ACTUAL dollars!

So don't sit there on your high horse & tell me how great things are in this fine country. Not when it's gonna take me 6 monthe to a year to make what I did 30 years ago, while the price of everything has more than doubled, from gas to housing to food.

Profits are only for the rich, these days, & the rest of us have to scrabble for the droppings.

Bitter? Angry? You BET YOUR ASS I AM!

Feeling resentment because of having an attitude that I'm "entitled" to everything? I think not. I've been screwed out of work by large co's, combined with the gov't they own, & put into a new world order work environment that was designed for third world living conditions in order to ensure those huge profits for ppl I'll probably never even see on TV.

Does this have anything to do with the pending United Nations invasion and the imposition of the New World Order movement?

Bass

Outstanding little essay. I know a bit about how you feel - I'm an uneducated hillbilly working way above what they say I should be capable of. I say, screw 'em.

I was told I was too old to learn to play bass (I was twenty). Play bass, lead guitar and used to do a bit of piano.

Never make it playing original - I did and plan to again.

Blind in one eye - can't be a soldier - really? Made Sgt in one year.

No degree - can't be a software developer - wanna bet?

And for what I have, and what I've done, I too give the glory to God.

Times are hard, yes. But because of govt, not because we dont' have enough of it. It's one big affirmative action program for people who can't cut in the HR dept.

best
Talbto

Bass

I was told I was too old to learn to play bass (I was twenty). Play bass, lead guitar and used to do a bit of piano.

ahhhhhhh. I didn't really start to devote myself to learning til 40! What a depressing notion! But alas, I think I'm doing just fine. But that's up to the audience to say :/

I "picked up" the bass, at 44. I've been playing it for 12 years. What's that got to do with anything?

In the mid-90's, I made a living playing music, as a solo artist. I couldn't even think about doing that today. A slow week, I made $700. Yeah, I hustled my ass off. The opportunities no longer exist here.

In the 80's, I had a good job working for a factory, but it moved elsewhere so they could cut workers' wages, & haven't been replaced by anything NEAR what that job offered.

I just went & tried to apply at FedEx, AGAIN. They told me that I'll have to go to a presentation that lasts 3-4 hours, UNPAID, to determine if I WANT the job, which pays $9.75 an hour, but they're only offering 20 hours a week, so of course there aren't any bennies, either.

Phil, my friend, you have been going through much sh*t lately. So have all the American people.

I can't answer your post in any way that will help you understand that government regulations are making it impossible for the small business to compete. You said it in your post. There is so much truth in that. Is it the evil corporations or the Evil government that allows this to happen?
Corps don't have a direct hand in writing the laws,,, Lobbies do. From Corps?

It has reached the point were it is so screwed up that people that just want to take over total control of the American free market don't care about any of us.

BassBastard,,, Now that you stuck your neck out,,, expect it to get chopped off. KUDOS To you. Very eloquent and on the mark.

I believe America is the greatest country in the world and that our founding fathers were divinely inspired.

I believe that the American spirit and American liberty resides in the hearts souls of her people.

I believe that a grass roots return to absolute personal responsibility can and will save America.

I also believe ...
[img][img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm74/sanshouheil/CopyofSnipersgetmorehead.png[/img][/img]

Sans Are you Quoting me about personal responsibility?

I have that (C). You owe me .00002 cents.

I don't hate America. Let me make that 100% clear.

I hate what's happening to her, & I'm frustrated as sh*t.

I don't hate America. Let me make that 100% clear.

I hate what's happening to her, & I'm frustrated as sh*t.

I am too. But the blame game keeps getting passed around, and it is becoming very old.

Phil you are not being screwed by big business, you are being screwed by the very same big government that is screaming about how well they are protecting you.

...which is OWNED by big biz, Glen...it comes, once again, full circle, doesn't it?

BassBastard

I started writing this but haven't polished it up yet. Cadence is off a bit in places and I'll take care of that in time. I think it would be a good head banger ditty. Screamed in a nice gruff voice that sounds like the devil himself. Or one of those boogin' country talking songs. Naturally, it is what I see going on in the world.

Rev 13:1 InsanityRules


I saw the Devil stand on the seashore.
As he watched the waters spring to life.
At first the head rose, then the body.
As he brought the beast to life.

I saw the beast rise from the sea
Made of common men and kings.
Of those who chose their own way
Those rejecting Gods own King.

And the Devil watched its progress
As it gained its strength through strife.



The beast spread through the earth
Gathering souls of sinful man.
And when the world was captured
The beast revealed his hand.

He marked all his who followed
In the forehead or the hand.
The marks were thoughts within mans head
And deeds made through mans hand.

Then the man of sin took over
To destroy the Holy of the land.



His reign was harsh and bloody
For he came for the souls of men
To make man bow and worship
Him as God throughout the land.

But God’s Holy ones resisted him
They loved their lives not to their death.
For child of God shall rise again
To watch the Devil put to death.

Phil, I feel your pain.

That is why I am no longer beholden to the large corps. I learned your lesson in 1999 when I was laid off thanks to Clinton's trade agreements with China. I makes as much money working direct with people as I do contracting with the big dogs.

Guess what, I make nearly 3 times as much as I did in 1999 and have a GED and a few certs. Depending on the private contract I am working on, I make 6 times as much as I did. The limits are only what I allow them to be.

So while I can have empathy for you I can not agree 100% with you Phil.

Slacker, I wrote this awhile back and think it is relevant.

Sold...

There was a time
that these things came in time
that the comforts afforded to the hard working or the rich
came with effort
We would earn our boat, our TV and the stereo.
That big new car with the warranty
that would all come in time.
It gave us a goal.
this goal is gold
so hard to reach, but so satisfying
real
ours when it is reached
but now
now we covet
we see and we want
want becomes desire
desire becomes not need but greed
this feeds the beast
the demon not of ether but of plastic
of paper
of words
it offers, entices.. it tempts
you are sold
slave to the need
not chemical
no, this drug is in your head already
the seed sown by the demon box
and nurtured by the buy culture
you need it
no matter race, religion or creed
there is the demon of need that became greed
bling, status, entertainment and shallow attraction
this deviant action
your soul is your future and your future is no longer gold
be it gold, platinum or titanium
your future is sold
and so is your soul
so the soul sold sought by demons
who tempt enticingly with the shiny, the performing.... the sex..
they will
for a nominal fee
a stacked fee
oh so monthly
bleed from you
for what you want
this monthly fee, this monthly blood
they will own your want, your need, your desire, your greed
they will own you
what did you sell your soul to the tormentuous hawkers for?
that new blue ray, that game , that car
that need that you wanted
but need is not want and want is desire and desire is the hook
and you are no longer a man, a woman... you are a fish
and you sold your soul like sole
to the plastic god
haven't we all
we all want
but who among us is willing to work
and own our own when the sun sets

2008 James Ray