An editorial from Kenya caught my eye today. It is the sad tale of how the introduction of electricity to a sleepy little village transformed the place from an idyllic community into a den of modern moral ails. In addition to an increase in alcoholism, prostitution, burglary, and adultery, the new electric-light nightlife increased the number of locals who constantly smoke weed:
Back then, old men consumed busaa; younger men drank chang’aa diluted with strong tea and only two men smoked bhang. They were two of a kind, these two puffers of the weed. Their clothes were threadbare; they walked with a funny step; their hair was long and unkempt and they had this weird penchant for working the hoe from morning to sunset.
Children were trained to keep out of their paths because it was assumed the weed had rendered them unstable of mind and, therefore, potentially violent. Women kept out of their path, too, because it was believed that men could pounce on members of the opposite sex when the weed in their heads went out of control. These days, though, every family prides itself in having at least one child who is perpetually stoned.
Although this article is slightly OT, it does make me wonder if an extension in livable nighttime hours (electricity) and more free time to spend on diversions (books, TV, movies, video games, internet porn, drinking, drugs) leads directly to corruption of traditional moral values? Any thoughts? The entire article is rather short, but if you read it tell me if that doesn't sound like the entire history of the world in a microcosm.
Now I see neon as it should be seen , gaudy lights on dirty buildings. Yey they pretty, but also behind the FACADE of all that glitter glamour can be lots of hard-faced, mean exploitation. As we know Theres an Old Blues song goes 'Bright lights, big city/Gone to my baby's head..........
It is mesmerizing like that unless you wake up to it. And that story above is showing us roots we have forgot. When the mysterious Night full of stars was enough. We didn't NEED bright glittering baubels to take our attention and time and money and energy
Same with silence, pre TVs etc...........Imagine the sounds of the night, the creaks and so on. The magic. But no up comes cuvilization saying 'forget that look at this shiny new thing'...now we got kids glued to video games, takin a piss in bottles. we got people walking round glued to their fukin mobiles. Oblivious to the trees, clouds, birds, subtle motions of nature and feeling...of others
What next? implanted with a chip? As for dope? It has been made 'cool'. Go read about 'Edward Bernays and cigarettes' plus it with Dan Russel's Drug War...connect dots. They dont calls it 'dope' for nothing I am not saying it doesn't help some peoples pain. But it is also used for day to day self-medicalization. WHY do we need that we should ask ourselves.......? WHAT are we missin?
exactly.
The comments posted here do not reflect the views of the owners of this site.