Replacing idiocracy

[cryosteel]

One of the reasons our modern society is failing is an inability to promote the excellent and suppress the moronic. By this I mean that we have produced people that cannot create great civilizations, only thrive on the work and achievement of past generations. Social acceptance and consumption being the only two pillars holding our society together under dogmatic consensus, people stop creating great art and taking part of intellectual activities. They stop being human beings and regress into animals.

This development is partly a product of our time, which is plagued by corrupt leadership and widespread materialism, partly a result of what happens when you let people of low intelligence breed recklessly. In past times there was a social system that only let capable people lead society - acting upon what's best for the whole, regardless of its popularity - but in our modern Democratic societies, the uneducated and brainwashed mass is ruling. It's not that the crowd itself is a problem, but how we manage it.

What lies beyond our idiocracy?

 

[Crucified Spartacus]

"Stop being human beings." Humanity has been around for a long time, and art/many intellectal activities have been with us for a small percentage of that time. What you call regressing to animality may be a return to what made and makes sense in our evolution and what gives one fullfilment, ie. rejecting creativity.

"Leaders to run state affairs." Uh oh. I don't like the sound of that. Anarchy!

 

[cryosteel]

"Stop being human beings." Humanity has been around for a long time, and art/many intellectal activities have been with us for a small percentage of that time.

Humanity has not been around a long time relative to the existence of life. Humanity has been around a short time. Higher aspirations like art have been among humans since before civilization, not really a small percentage, more like an appreciable percentage except for lately. Art has gone away lately, as if it does not exist anymore, like art among those proto-humans and the animals they resembled - non-existent.

 

[MetalBooger]

So you havent gone to an art show lately? Or havent listened to any recently made music? Nor the next harry potter book? Or that funny as fuck movie hot fuzz? Art has gone away? Gimmy a break fool.

You base your arguments on nothing in reality, at least give some evidence of your bullshit.

 

[Scourge of God]

So now we've reached the point where masscult pulp trash aimed at CHILDREN is the defining 'art' of our age?

You ARE the idiocracy, sir.

MetalBooger delenda est.

 

[profskett]

So now we've reached the point where masscult pulp trash aimed at CHILDREN is the defining 'art' of our age?

You ARE the idiocracy, sir.

MetalBooger delenda est.

Slightly harsh, but you have a point.

I think it is always very dangerous when any one group of people (or individual, in this case) talks about 'suppressing' any other group of people, especially based on some innate quality such as intelligence for which the person or group concerned bear no responsibility.

Admittedly I hate materialism and the cult of social acceptance (a.k.a. the status quo) just as much as you do, but I consider it very bizarre that you attribute this phenomenon to '[letting] people of low intelligence breed recklessly'. Even if this were true, let me ask you a question: what do you propose we do about it? Cull the stupid people? Or sterilise them? Such a recklessly arrogant and unsympathetic policy was taken by Hitler when dealing with Jews, gays, disabled people and the elderly, but I hope we all agree that those acts were morally reprehensible and wrong.

I think it's time you accept that stupid people have always been and will always be around. Deal with it.

 

[hibernal_dream]

In such a short essay, you might try dealing with a more confined subject than "world decline". Switching between topics such as leadership, poor breeding and introducing new values needs a fuller discussion. Otherwise you'll just infuriate people by raising so many questions and not fully dealing with them. And you don't have to begin every essay with "The reason why society is failing is....."

 

[Seditious]

lmao as soon as I read the first line I started scrolling cos I fuckin knew it would be some corrupt.org crap

 

[MetalBooger]

So now we've reached the point where masscult pulp trash aimed at CHILDREN is the defining 'art' of our age?

You ARE the idiocracy, sir.

MetalBooger delenda est.

Well i was trying to give some simple references of current art that even he, and perhaps you could understand. Its difficult when certain people have the cultural knowledge of a white trash trucker, because they often dont experience anything outside of their little towns. Perhaps if you traveled to some of the major cities of the world, you would maybe see some of our contemporary art.


http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/

 

[Crucified Spartacus]

Humanity has not been around a long time relative to the existence of life. Humanity has been around a short time. Higher aspirations like art have been among humans since before civilization, not really a small percentage, more like an appreciable percentage except for lately. Art has gone away lately, as if it does not exist anymore, like art among those proto-humans and the animals they resembled - non-existent.

yes, relative to life we are recent, but relative to art/many intellectual pursuits we are old, which was my original point. Art predates civilization, but only to the Upper Paleolithic, which relative to humanity's existence, is relatively recent. Even if one goes by the existence of homo sapiens and doesn't include other branches of homo, art still only covers at the most 40% of our existence.

Also, i suppose your comment "higher aspirations" implies superior aspirations. But this is an opinion formed by civilizational biases.

 

[Scourge of God]

Well i was trying to give some simple references of current art that even he, and perhaps you could understand. Its difficult when certain people have the cultural knowledge of a white trash trucker, because they often dont experience anything outside of their little towns. Perhaps if you traveled to some of the major cities of the world, you would maybe see some of our contemporary art.

I spent three years in a city of 25 million people, but contemporary art of any merit was as scarce on the ground there as it was anywhere else. The fact that the best you can manage to cite are pulp paperbacks marketed to kids and genre film parody doesn't speak well of the 'art' of today.

 

[Scourge of God]

Also, i suppose your comment "higher aspirations" implies superior aspirations. But this is an opinion formed by civilizational biases.

Not really. Art is a function and consequence of the only uniquely human characteristic: the ability to reason and communicate abstractly, and thus, to learn from the past and plan for the future (the single most important factor in human survival). 'Higher' aspirations (values) are, indeed, superior aspirations. Not because of 'civilizational biases,' but because they not only are the values of human survival, but higher values and higher values alone affirm our humanity.

 

[MetalBooger]

The fact that the best you can manage to cite are pulp paperbacks marketed to kids and genre film parody doesn't speak well of the 'art' of today.

I dunno, i heard some of Astor Piazzolla's work today and it blew me away. In terms of visual art, I admit i dont often go to the art shows, however knowing several artists gives gives me a balanced picture of what art is today. It is different and often lame, but it is art nonetheless. You are just admitting that you dont go out and look for contemporary art. Like i said before, you probably dont venture far off the trailer park so it would be tough for you to actually get some culture, otherwise i doubt you would be saying art of any merit is scarce

Scourge of god delenda est.

 

[Justin S.]

Scourge and Booger,

Please stop this nonsense.

 

[Scourge of God]

I dunno, i heard some of Astor Piazzolla's work today and it blew me away.

You're really on the cutting edge of music listeners there, buddy. I mean, nothing says 'contemporary' like music recorded 40 years ago. Will you 'discover' Miles Davis next week?

In terms of visual art, I admit i dont often go to the art shows, however knowing several artists gives gives me a balanced picture of what art is today.

Sure it does. And which 'artists' would these be? Some local schlubs selling mixed media crap out of their basements? Perhaps some asshole and his 'found object' art? Two dweebs and their drum and bass act?

It is different and often lame, but it is art nonetheless.

Is it? Or is it the same variation on the theme of lame product masquerading as art that drives the market.

You are just admitting that you dont go out and look for contemporary art.

You're awfully presumptuous for someone who apparently can't read.

Like i said before, you probably dont venture far off the trailer park so it would be tough for you to actually get some culture

Riiight. Let's recap shall we? I'm a doctoral student who has lived in four countries. You're a dipshit with uncertain command of the English language and the unshakable belief that a dead Jew on a stick can grant you immortality. Your 'contemporary art' discovery of the week is a guy who died 15 years ago. Now what were you saying about 'culture,' rube?

otherwise i doubt you would be saying art of any merit is scarce

Art of merit is not scarce. Contemporary art of any lasting significance, on the other hand, is vanishingly rare. There are no Beethovens or van Goghs out there. Hell, there isn't even a Jasper Johns or a Gustav Holst. We've got a handful of great novelists (mostly in decline like Pynchon or Dellilo). A few film auteurs still doing consistently excellent work (Wong Kar-Wai and Werner Herzog). But for now, the giants are sleeping or simply passed on in the worlds of music and the visual arts.

MetalBooger delenda est.

 

[Scourge of God]

Scourge and Booger,

Please stop this nonsense.

You want it stopped? Ban the fucker. I'm not doing anything.

MetalBooger delenda est.

 

[Tom Strutton]

Scourge, from the perspective of an outsider your comments come across as more immature than MetalBooger's. At least MetalBooger doesn't start ridiculous threads that make sweeping generalisations such as this one...

And seriously..."Ban the fucker"??!!!?? If you want your nemesis banned you could do better than resort to such pitiful attempts as this.

 

[Scourge of God]

Tom, we already know you're a ridiculous, tasteless kike. So why don't you butt the fuck out, or, better yet, go get yourself gassed, you raging goddamn queer?

It's also painfully apparent that you can't read either, but I guess I'll let that slide. It's a rather minor flaw, given everything else that's wrong with you.

 

[Justin S.]

Tom, we already know you're a ridiculous, tasteless kike. So why don't you butt the fuck out, or, better yet, go get yourself gassed, you raging goddamn queer?

It's also painfully apparent that you can't read either, but I guess I'll let that slide. It's a rather minor flaw, given everything else that's wrong with you.

This is your idea of "not doing anything"? I agree that MetalBooger is a problem, but your reaction to him, and general hyperbolic antagonism (like the above), has been as well. I'm sure you understand why we have certain rules here regarding basic civility, and I don't see what you hope to accomplish by violating them so blatantly. It certainly does not gain favor or sympathy.

 

[Scourge of God]

This is your idea of "not doing anything"? I agree that MetalBooger is a problem, but your reaction to him, and general hyperbolic antagonism (like the above), has been as well. I'm sure you understand why we have certain rules here regarding basic civility, and I don't see what you hope to accomplish by violating them so blatantly. It certainly does not gain favor or sympathy.

I'm not here to gain sympathy, I'm here to make the problem obvious enough that you get off the dime and do something about it.