Culture Wars

There's a war going on outside nobody's safe from. The war we are fighting is mental, psychological, spiritual, economical & cultural. These fronts are more discreet and covert. In destabilized countries around the world, these fronts take a backseat to coups, bloody struggles, drones, and military intervention. Yet, they still work in conjunction with each other to achieve the specific needs of the objective. For the proletariat, if not engaged in guerrilla warfare, they must still face the threats that seek to create inner turmoil for the individual & divide communities. Their existence/survival is based on the level of resistance they show on the psychosocial front.

In this age of social media, the access to information grants everyday people the power to consume information at a much more quicker pace than previous generations. With this comes much responsibility, especially in regards to culture. The images projected are created for various reasons, but they're processed differently, depending on the demographic. Even if it's meant to be comedic & solely for entertainment, it will be taken apart, examined and analyzed by anyone with an opinion & the energy to express it (Thanks to freedom of speech, that's never been a problem). There's plenty of people who ask "Why so serious? Not everything needs analysis & commentary. It just gives opinionated people a soapbox to hear themselves on. They want attention." For some individuals, this is clearly obvious. We know who these people are once they clear their throats. For the most part, others understand that nothing is off limits. Certain conversations are needed in order for collective growth and understanding. It makes sense for us to take in images, analyze them, and figure out how it fits into the cultural space we inhabit. How else can we give what we call culture value?

Currently, the bar for our culture is set at mediocrity. That's the highest threshold. It's crazy how somebody comes out now that has talent, they get treated like an endangered species. Yet, status in the spotlight is given to individuals being narcissistic, shallow, manipulative, greedy & willing to selling their souls for riches. We frown upon them, yet encourage the institutions who give them the platform to continue promoting them. If they're not sticking to the script they've been given, or taking off their clothes, they gets no shine in the mainstream. Along with some other fucked-up qualifications, you basically gotta be willing to compromise your morals, personal principles, as well as integrity in order to become famous.

This is why it's vital for us to create sustainable platforms where we have a say in what we produce, consume & support culturally. We can set a precedent for the standards, ethics, morals, integrity & quality of our movement. If mainstream wants to promote the bullshit, leave 'em to it. There's plenty of forward-thinking vehicles running strong, making their presence felt on the Internet. More are being created as I write this. The power of choice remains at our disposal. The power to envision our idea of social cohabitation is within us. As hard as we work to build it, we must fight vigorously to maintain it & not allow it to be co-opted for selfish reasons. We must not allow it to bend to the will of a corporatocracy for financial gain. Any monetary gain achieved must go directly back into the culture and those who broke a sweat to make it possible. One will not benefit at the expense of others. How fair is that? What motivation would people have to create & contribute if only a select few reap the benefits of those who came up with AND executed the game plan?

Quality is as important as quantity, if not more. Capitalism markets consumption all in our faces, selling to us the propaganda that "More Is Good". So, with that logic, if I have more garbage than tangible items in my yard, is that good? Second question: If I have more intangible qualities than flaws, which enriches myself, as well as others, is that good? I ask myself these questions & get two different answers. I know what my value system is & where my line is set. Never again will I ever try to convince others to align their systems with that of my own. If they choose to do so, that's cool. If not, I still respect their right to establish their own set of scruples. My thing is, have you taken time to set a standard? That's what culture is all about. Setting a standard for a collective of people who are living, working & socializing amongst each other. Creating something that all can enjoy together for the benefit of all parties involved. Each one of us have a responsibility to be cognizant of what is created, accepted & maintained in our society, and being critically aware of the ramifications of it's existence. We should want to see ourselves & each other at our best at all times. Why isn't that possible? Do you actually believe that there isn't enough room in this cultural space for more than a select group of innovators, inventors, thinkers, trendsetters, healers, entrepreneurs, artists, designers, writers, philosophers? Don't you think we, as consumers of culture should have a say in what we are? Who we want to be? Where we want the future of our society to go? How we can get to that destination? Should we just leave it to corporate marketing groups in the high rise board rooms to determine the trends we partake in? Why can't we do it ourselves, since it's us that create from the inspiration of our everyday lives? Why do we allow them to take our lives, market it to us & sell it back? It's time that the people stand up! Take the reins back from those vultures who want to keep us boxed in, locked in, robotic in thought, action & emotion while lining up their pockets at our expense. Let US, the everyday proletarians, dictate the destiny of ourselves & give the next generation the lessons, along with the inspiration they need to leave their mark on the world they inherit. Believe it or not, they're watching us. And our job is to move the chains down the field so they're in a better position than we were to use what they were taught.

Each culture within the larger framework of society has the right to close ranks, organize and set parameters as they see fit. As long as their culture isn't based on discriminatory practices & oppressive functions, they can immobilize. That, I must stress. Also, they must be open to intersectionality, praxis, sincere coalition building & uniting with other groups to create a universal cultural standard in which we all uphold each other to commitments of respect, integrity & acknowledgment. We can always come together for recreational activities and sociopolitical issues in which we may share common interests. When we're not doing either one, we must be working within our own groups to better ourselves & those in our cultural circle. No hierarchies, no oppressing & especially NO APPROPRIATING WITHOUT CONSENT AND GIVING CREDIT TO THE CREATOR(S). Culture vultures & appropriating without permission can no longer be tolerated. I'm looking at y'all, white people (and those who follow the example they set).

Thanks to this whole white supremacy thing y'all got going on, it makes it easier to pick & choose what YOU feel is hip, cool & in, all while you (YES, you too) leave out the parts that you can't use. Similar to how your American ancestors treated the buffalo. This is what y'all tend to do with all non-white cultures: Whitewash it, repackage it, and treat it like it's new because you're presenting it to the masses. You ain't fooling anyone with knowledge of self and history. Y'all just get away with it continuously because your privilege allows you to be as couthless as you want, without any backlash that your privilege can't help you dodge. You can't run from accountability forever.

So here's a suggestion: Instead of setting the bar at mediocrity and keeping everyone else below it to make yourselves look better, how about you gather your things, go back to your communal habitat & put some energy into creating your own contributions without having to oppress a group of people just to mine their cultural resources (as well as natural, economic, human & emotional, but that's for another post)? As long as there is accountability in your movement, everything will be fine. Taking responsibility for the image you present to the world is a must. Taking responsibility for those in your movement false-flagging is up to the cultural gatekeepers. Call them out, put 'em on trial in front of a jury of community members. We will not be able to move forward as a society until we enforce cultural ethics more aggressively, with a degree of fairness that is parallel to our belief in justice & human rights for ALL HUMANS.

#WhosGonnaBeTheGatekeeper
#WhatAreWeGoingToPromote
#WhereWillWeDoTheWork
#WhenAreWeGoingToDoTheWork
#WhyAreWeDoingTheWork
#HowAreWeGoingToUpholdTheStandardsWeSet

Everybody has a role to play. Everyone has a gift, natural talents, some type of skills they bring to the table. I encourage all of us to take the time to discover these things. Figure out how you can use these abilities to contribute to the cultural cause, as well as help yourself in the process. Then create! Imagine! Build! Fortify! Share! There's plenty to gain from the experience mentally, spiritually, psychologically, socially, and possibly financially. Liberation in the truest sense is one of them.