Death Of The Internet

RIP - YOU'LL BE MISSED

We had it good for a while. The freedoms of the internet to connect, share, break down walls and be free from convention - it was great while we had them. The Pirate's Dilemma promised so much.

Regulation, copyright protection, government intervention, corporation control - these have all started the demise and ultimately brought about the death of the internet. Do a search in Google for anything controversial - like torrent sites, government cover-up theories, compromising stories of the rich and powerful or left-field reportage and blogs. Even with a VPN, which used to allow access to stuff that was controlled by IP filters and locked down through various internet service providers - where you could find other countries free from the EU, UK or USA's control, that would show this information, but now the stuff isn't there anymore. Either they have been shut down or the powers that be have restricted their offering. Look at all the videos removed on Youtube for a sign of how heavy handed the copyright laws have become.

With the advances in computer power and low-cost digital filing, we are being monitored and censored like never before. And anything not fitting in with the powers that be is shut down under the name of terrorism, copyright infringement, or merely just because it could upset someone in power. We're being increasingly told what's 'good for us' and what they don't want us to know about is being filtered out. Some of the information could be potentially harmful to minors and yes, some of the digital property needs to be paid for, but the responsibility needs to be in the hands of the individual to make the right choices. That's why the freedom of information act needs to be signed and supported by the population.

The greatest era for learning, connecting and empowerment is here. It's up to us all to ensure it's still here for the future generations to enjoy with the freedom to make the greatest advances in mankind's ongoing development.

The Nearly Haves

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

We all want to fit in. That's why we mostly say, wear and are keen to be seen mixing in the right circles. 

The clothes we wear, the places we frequent and even the beverages we drink, are all measures of who we are and our actions often subconsciously taken to help secure our desired places within society. 

The class system is one way that society measures our status. If conveniently tries to form us into a demographic that we can be identified being in. It's not an accurate or even humane way to classify groups of people - and that's the way it's been for years. That model is essentially the model for deciding 'the have's and the have not's'.

In the UK, we have come to resent the working class and demonising them to the lowest ranks of citizen. They are often now referred to as chavs. 

This kicking of the working classes has come about due to a change in the types of jobs available in the UK. As manufacturing has taken a move to countries with abundant cheap labour, the remaining manual jobs are mostly unskilled and therefore low paid. 

In the scramble away from lower income or no jobs, we all try and move 'up' into a more prosperous demographic called 'middle class'. This class grade is essentially the new working class and those aiming to be seen as true 'middle-class' fervently try and ascribe themselves as the 'upper-middle class' or as close to the privilged 'upper-classes' as they can.

Working class status merely appears to be given to any of those in a paid manual job. And, as I've seen from doing manual work recently, it tends to be a lot lower paid than the computer-driven sedentary office type jobs - likely because it's seen as less cerebral. This shouldn't really be the case because work is work right? An hour of emails in an office should be no more valuable than one hour of painting a wall or fixing a car. In fact the reverse appears to be true. So there needs to be much more balance in the pay packets. Because, there's one clear distinction in our aspirational class system between the upper and the so-called working classes - and it boils down to money. 

We are all trying to move away from the lower paid jobs (or benefits support) that our working classes are lumbered with and this is because we want the trappings that money brings. We want to be seen to have enough money for the holidays, cars and house extensions as a status symbol for demonstrating to other's that we're further away from the bottom rungs of society. 

Therefore, we continually compete with our friends and neighbours to stay ahead of the curve. This creates a cold elitist type of mindset which alienates not only those people that are seen as 'lower' classes but also pits us against everyone seen to be in the 'competition' for these privileged places. The phenomenon is witnessed in any establishment that we visit where the prices are way above what we are normally paying for. There's a reason why we are here instead of the sumptuous, friendly BYO, family run Italian/Greek/Lebanese/etc place down the road. We're keeping up appearances. I particularly dislike eating in any restaurant where the food fails to resemble food anymore, doesn't fill you up and costs more for one course than I'm used to paying for a week's shop for two in the supermarket. But we tend to hang out in these establishments with our set of friends that talk too much about increased house prices in their street. It's probable that they don't want to eat in the cheaper eateries for fear of being seen as poor. If you find yourself in one of these 'premier' haunts, look around and you'll see lot's of 'wannabe's' sneering back at you. There appears to be some kind of illusion, where we kid ourselves and anyone else who cares to look on - that we have somehow 'made it'. 

How much money we earn will determine what car we drive - in itself, a massive statement for displaying financial wealth. Also what postcode, street or size of house (we pay massive mortgages on) will determine where we are placed amongst our contemporaries. 

In today's UK market place, the differences between someone living in a small-medium sized house in the more central parts of London and someone with a similar sized property in the suburbs, is often substantial in terms of money - usually a few hundred thousand pounds separates the haves and have nots. However, the larger and more desirable parts of London have now been taken over by those few who are in the upper echelons - who have made house prices so ridiculously high, we consequently have a knock-on effect that ripples all the way down to the regular folk, who now can't even afford the suburban properties any more. 

This bun-fight to keep ourselves in the middle classes set, is making everyone work harder, longer hours under increasingly stressful conditions - and for what gain? A new SUV that blocks the roads on a school run? A messy extension project that pushes up house prices while we live miserably in a bomb site for 6+ months - or a much needed holiday that we only start to really enjoy in the days before returning home to our over-priced bomb site and 50+ hour a week jobs.

There Is Another Way
If we can take a more sharing community approach, to better connect with our Joneses - maybe we can share rather than buy new cars, swap gardening tools, kids toys, clothes and help each other with the DIY etc. - creating a collaboration rather than competition. Then surely we'll all be much more free to enjoy sharing the fruits of our labour together.

Penniless Living

THE MONEY MERRY GO ROUND

Money makes the world go round - or so they say. Yet the ride's not much fun for those with no money and no means of getting any. However, there are alternative ways to sustain a free lifestyle by gifting, charity and off the land without requiring any money at all - you just have to learn how.

Thankfully, there's brave people out there like Mark Boyle, who have shown us that it is possible to live frugally and away from the 9-5 grind and they've helpfully written blogs and books on their experiences that offer us manageable solutions for getting free from the rat race.

The Gift Economy
Acquiring stuff for free is a lot easier these days through channels like Freecycle, Craigslist and through many other barter websites - and even Gumtree has the odd freebie on their site too. Streetbank is a great new service for offering time and services for free and reciprocated in turn with gifts through other members. The idea being that it is the act of giving that forms stronger bonds with strangers from within your local community, who then become your friends.

For specifics like getting around or places to stay, there are also sites for sharing transport and letting people stay in your home or for volunteering in exchange for getting 'thanks' credits that in turn can be exchanged for receiving other items and services that you may need.

Community is key
Connecting with localised communities to form groups and to help build sustainable living in city centres as well as the rural areas has already taken off in the UK with LILAC. This is very encouraging for others who are struggling to keep up in an increasingly unaffordable climate as the powerful corporations take over the buying up of land mass and property in our cities - and show us how we can make this possible in our communities too.

Penniless

A WORLD WITHOUT MONEY

Imagine having a different currency other than £$€¥ etc. A monetary value or credit based on your output and value of that contribution in relation to the whole it represents. A fair and just system with little disparity. Hard to imagine how that works in today's society, isn't it?

If the importance is placed on the things that really matter and an hour of my time is relative to an hour of your time providing we benefit each other. So, how much would my pretty marketing leaflet I've produced be worth to the person who grows the food? Nothing...unless he wants to promote his farm maybe...

A World Obsession

Money makes the world go round, so the saying goes and without it there will be pandemonium. Look at what's happening in Greece - and soon Spain and Ireland? There's a crises going on and money is at the root of it. And just because the situation is over there, doesn't mean it won't affects things over here too - as we're all completely caught up in it. Money buys food and puts a roof over our heads. So without it, there's a real dilemma on our hands. But maybe there's another way?

Questioning the value of money
in 2000, Daniel Suelo quit his job, left the last of his money in a phone box and started to live life in the wilderness. Foraging for food, eating roadkill and picking up everything else he could need from dumpsters or collected through donations, he has since been writing a regular blog on the virtues of being free from money and living a more meaningful existence. 

The Hadza people of Tanzania have been living a simple nomadic hunter/gatherer life for millennia and while this type of existence is very extreme, they have immense freedom from the worries that weigh on us in our western society.

Self-sufficient living
Many communities are now turning to permaculture as a way to substantiate a life of self-sufficiency. By understanding the natural ecosystems and working closely together within these communities, people are discovering better ways to live harmonious and holistic lives at one with nature. And this isn't just restricted to isolated hippy groups any more either, but seems to have taken off in traditionally working class communities in run down areas of northern England - as they can now provide for themselves by growing their own food, build ecological housing and harness renewable energy instead of having to rely upon the state to provide their means.

Alignment To Success

MOVING IN CIRCLES

Being able to associate in and with successful circles lies at the core of personal success. Having positive and influential people in our lives can help us to realise our own potential. Being mis-aligned in and with groups that ultimately want to see failure from us - in order to keep aligned with their own failures and missed opportunities for success, will keep us from ever reaching our goals.

The connections we can make through social media - commenting/contributing to debate and also reaching out to the extended circles in the group plus attending seminars/talks from these visionaries, to further immerse ourselves, will ensure we are closer-aligned with other great, inspirational thinkers. This will help propel us into the limelight, where we become part of the zeitgeist where our life purpose has the potential to be recognised in ourselves and by others as it takes significant form.