The Cart Before The Horse- Supply Creates Demand

The cart or the horse, which leads? Do leaders lead the people, or do the people lead the leaders? Does art reflect life or does life reflect art?

We are lead to believe that television, movies, media, music, and news are just artforms; they are fantasy and entertainment. However, news and documentaries are supposed to be accurate depictions of current or historical events. Nowadays the line between what is real and what is fantasy is blurred beyond comprehension. We are supposed to be sophisticated enough to know the difference between fantasy and reality, but I can't figure out how. Adults can't always decipher what is real from false- children do not stand a chance.

My belief is that what we are exposed to in the popular culture is designed to plant a certain seed. If you want to have power and make money, you can anticipate a demand and fulfill it- thus capitalizing on the opportunity; or you can CREATE a demand. If you can create a demand for market and have the money to fill the supply, you can't lose! My contention is that the mass media creates demand for products that are almost invariably bad for our consumption. I'm talking about knowledge consumption as well as physical products advertised through the media by the corporations.

We are told, "If you don't like what you see, turn off the T.V.", "If you don't like what you hear, turn off the radio.", Etc. But you cannot mask out all of the sources of popular culture, it is pervasive in our society. If you ever venture outside or watch a sports event or go to the movies or watch the news, you will be inundated with advertisement-i.e. psychological indoctrination. I think the grip of mass media has gotten way too strong. With Hip-Hop or Rap, the effects are vivid. The songs talk about drug money and women and cars. Why do communities with none of what you see in videos try to emulate the lifestyle? Becuase it's human nature and basic psychology. The recording industry knows what it is doing to our youth.

Through the media, our leaders and talking heads sway AND create public opinion. They tell us what to think, how to think, what is important, what is not, who is the enemy, who are our friends, etc. The American public have become sheep, easily led in whatever direction our leaders decide we need to go. I think the direction is HELL and DEATH. PHYSICAL, MORAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC-DEATH! Just look at the streets and the classrooms and the prisons and you can see the effects of a doctrine of sex, drugs, fraud, greed, corruption, and despair. We have all the money in the world, yet it's still not enough. We have all the resources of the world yet we cannot or WILL NOT solve basic social problems- actually EMERGENCIES- right here in our own country.

The cart is now before the horse, and the cart is loaded with death. We'd better find the BRAKE and use it before we hit the wall.
Got Freedom?

Ill Ridge