Welome to the Machine
Many people don't understand the dynamics of (Pink Floyd) Roger Water's impact on our Western Psyche. In my estimation he is a poet laureate in the tradition of the greatest philosophers and thinkers of the past few centuries, yet he was thrust in the midst of an interesting musical format which served to deliver his universal message.
The imagery in this video, (not sure who assembled it but it is brilliant) is quite poignant referring to our images of perhaps the Wizard of Oz as in 'Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.' Also, too many of us are in awe of our complete lack of engagement in the death and destruction caused in the Warfare of our technologically modern age, that seems more and more like the violent video games that abound and keeps the participant somehow immune from the results of his or her actions. The 'killing fields' are far too remote and removed from the horror that was presented in Joseph Conrad's book the 'Heart of Darkness.'
In the movie 'Apocalypse Now' Marlon Brando's character says near the end of the movie in an altered state of confusion and depravity, 'The horror, the horror of it all.' We have lost this connection to the horror, the horror we perpetrate upon this earth.
American's are quick to 'bitch' about '9/11' (and I by no means intend to demean or disparage what happened as wrong) but name me a handful of Americans who actually give a shit that during the Vietnam Conflict we dropped millions of bombs on Cambodia and Laos and about 30% of those bombs never exploded. We were not at war with Cambodia or Laos and our missions there were 'secret' yet we destroyed land and killed innocent people because we thought the 'communists' might be hiding there. My point is this, there are still hundreds of thousands, if not a million of un-detonated bombs in Cambodia and Laos and innocent people who were not even born during the Vietnam Conflict are now digging or plowing the fields of their land trying to eek out a living in these countries, accidently set off one of these American Presents and they lose a leg or an arm or both. Who in America is outraged that some 40 years later we are destroying innocent people's lives? We don't give a shit, because we are too removed for the cause and resultant effect of our actions.
In the movie 'Apocalypse Now' Marlon Brando's character says near the end of the movie in an altered state of confusion and depravity, 'The horror, the horror of it all.' We have lost this connection to the horror, the horror we perpetrate upon this earth.
American's are quick to 'bitch' about '9/11' (and I by no means intend to demean or disparage what happened as wrong) but name me a handful of Americans who actually give a shit that during the Vietnam Conflict we dropped millions of bombs on Cambodia and Laos and about 30% of those bombs never exploded. We were not at war with Cambodia or Laos and our missions there were 'secret' yet we destroyed land and killed innocent people because we thought the 'communists' might be hiding there. My point is this, there are still hundreds of thousands, if not a million of un-detonated bombs in Cambodia and Laos and innocent people who were not even born during the Vietnam Conflict are now digging or plowing the fields of their land trying to eek out a living in these countries, accidently set off one of these American Presents and they lose a leg or an arm or both. Who in America is outraged that some 40 years later we are destroying innocent people's lives? We don't give a shit, because we are too removed for the cause and resultant effect of our actions.
It seems that today we can measure the change in the moon's orbit in relation to the earth by mere millimeters, because we setup mirrors on the moon during the Apollo missions and can now fire laser beams at them and measure the time it takes for the return signal to be read, but we have not spiritually or morally progressed since the time of the great teachings of the Veda's and the Bhagavad Gita some three thousand years ago. The ancients were warning us but we still have not heeded their warnings, how blind we are to our own frailty, and how much we ignore from the past because we think we are superior.
After the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima the project manager of the task force that created the first Nuclear Weapon stated this, "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
and now for Roger Water's take on it.
and now for Roger Water's take on it.
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been.
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and 'Scouting for Boys'.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn't like school, and you
know you're nobody's fool,
So welcome to the machine.
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine
Labels: you decide
posted by Wonji Dharma at
October 26, 2010
2 Comments:
This is so very true. Our technological evolution as a species may be phenomenal but our spiritual/emotional evolution still lies often nearer to the stone age.
The sooner we can understand and accept the Shiva in our hearts not only as destroyer of worlds but embrace that as destroyer of delusion the sooner we can also realize the creator Brahma and conserver Vishnu elements of being. Considering these as metaphorical concepts for rebirth (I am a Buddhist after all) what strikes me as most, thought not exclusively, wonky is the lack of recognition of cyclical continuance.
As a species it is as if we continue to bang our heads against the same walls, albeit in different costumes etc. expecting some other, better result.
I appreciate your rant. I'm very suspicious of a teacher who never rants even very occasionally. Gives an indication that they may be asleep at the wheel.
Very good all around. There is a self-righteous double standard with regard to our country's own aggression. Our war crimes aren't really war crimes; our wars of aggression are not aggression (they are "protecting" our desired "way of life" -- that's not seen as aggression) and so on.
It was a very rare moment of candor when an official under the previous administration explained that when they did something, they had the power to make their own reality.
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