BlueOak

A few other examples I can think of things that do exactly that, but are/were still part of the culture binding a country are: War, Intelligence services, Dog Eat Dog cultures, cultures with a history of piracy or privateering, Colosseums, Slavery, Raiding, etc. Many of which are negative things but still formed the basis of a culture. As I said it doesn't have to be positive from our point of view for it to be true.

Although moving countries is difficult for anyone. Is this more true in Russia and China? I honestly have no idea, I assume wages are generally lower so money is harder to save for a large move but beyond that?

We are in corporate feudalism more than capitalism. Here is a video you might have seen but it was great at the time. The problem is most of us with any left-leaning parts of ourselves, have got so used to not caring about image, nobody thinks about it. Which is a weakness I understand to abandon it completely. For decades we've been ignored, mocked, derided, and you develop a very tough skin to things like image concerns or just general nonsense abuse. I'd even go as far to say that a good portion of left-leaning people go out of their way to be counter-culture to image. All of this is a strength in things like reform when you need to be able to weather the pushback. You get used to it and gradually don't care.

Never done it, but i've done it with a person in the dreamscape, I've also lived a moment through their eyes, so I would assume yes. Set your intent for the dreambody before you sleep to see what happens. If you can lucid dream or astral travel then you've another option. Try bringing back a lost pet, or if you are in control of your dreams and have a sound mind/body a dead relative. That can bring some pain though if you are still at the mercy of impulse or emotion toward them/yourself.

Trees unsurprisingly

Now you've arrived at that perspective. Back then it was the backbone of the culture, the strive to be rich was over here as well to a lesser degree. You are looking at something through a modern lens, and not appreciating how it used to be. I would suggest watching interviews on how the mall for example was the meeting spot for American youth, or how wall street was seen as a positive progressive force by most people. How and why things like muscle cars were a sex symbol, or the fanatic nature of fans which went even further than it does now. I don't know American culture as well as someone that was born there, but I do know the time quite well as I was born at the end of it. We had some of what I've written above, where money was everything, it defined almost all opportunities in life rather than as it is now, where you can with a good work ethic, some luck, and the training/team achieve almost anything. Naturally, because money almost completely defined not only your social status but almost value as a person, materialism was aspired to more readily. Things were status and the act of trying to get things, was an identifying aspect of culture back then. I'm trying to give you a snapshot into the mindset because its completely different to when I was young. I'll close with, just because something is harmful doesn't mean culture isn't built around it. War for example was a pillar of many cultures through history even if the average people in those cultures hated and never wanted to see it.

This is a wider perspective on the spiritual/materialist connection that was just dropped for synchronicity.

@Devin Quote: I think our culture divides us. Because of the changing view on materialism. Can you see if it was celebrated as before in past decades, it'd be the opposite? People were celebrating wealth, it was a defining aspect in media or film, and the now mocked American dream was a staple of the culture. Now its an extremely divisive issue that is quite literally a splintering factor in your own country. Quote: Americans eat each other alive Competition was/is a strong part of your culture, more so than mine. We'll have to disagree on the rest. I could continue to cite where authoritarian parties have risen in power and influence globally, but if raw numbers are not enough to demonstrate it, wars from expansive authoritarian powers, and landmark political reforms going on in your own country I don't know what will. The world hasn't had a progressive liberal phase at all, that's the problem. Part of the world's population in a couple of dozen countries has, over half a century. If the world had, or even the majority of governments, we'd not be having this conversation. *I did want to add I agreed with this. Quote: Many sub cultures do not understand the changes therefore are afraid of them, therefore desperately fight against them.

First off that's great. Its part of what needs to happen to flatten this pyramid somewhat. Second find something that is fulfilling to you and don't stop until you do. Failing that offer as much value to others with your work as you can, its a good fallback :D, if you can get both well you hit the jackpot. You will always feel something is missing in life if it is. Until all of life is integrated properly and accepted there will always be a level of suffering and self-doubt present. Both in you but also in it. The problem is society has suppressed certain components of itself, now to the point they are almost invisible, where you are labeled all manner of derogatory terms for even mentioning them or their surrounding challenges/issues in life. You can always reprogram the mind to do another task, but you can't sway your spirit to be something it isn't.

@Devin I wouldn't use the term devolving personally. All countries are adjusting to the rise of authoritarian superpowers and their influence on the collective or geopolitics, which is trying to reach for a global stage green parity, at least at the level of intent for foreign policies and cooperation. I mean France very nearly went far right in this last election, and nationalism, even fascism has been on the rise through Europe for a couple of decades, especially in the east but in truth most countries. People can deny that all they want, all they need to do is look at election numbers and the leaders of those parties. By culture I mean culture. It helps form communities with a common identity, but a community can have more than one for example. Traditions for me are created in the culture and are upheld through the culture, otherwise, they end. Empires in the past like anything have fallen for a variety of reasons, one common one is a declining culture and the loss of a sense of common identity as a result, the empire, country, or group splitting apart into small collectives. Materialism does divide an individual from an individual but it still forms the basis of what being an American seems to be to a lot of people. Again I am not advocating for its merits/flaws, just stating an observation.

Reform is always better than removal to leave a void for some of the reasons I've given above. With the greatest respect, again I ask for this to continue in a different thread. It's difficult for me to advocate the benefits and flaws of traditional culture and even materialism, while at the same time being dismissed as a left-wing extremist. While the contrast is amusing the two conversations don't overlap well. You seem like a reasonable person to talk to and thank for you the discussion.

I'd be happy to have a discussion on culture in a different thread, it might be an interesting topic. I think most cultures go through periods of being strong, growing, and vibrant, with periods of decline, stagnation etc.

I'm sorry this discussion got buried in personal attacks and nonsense talk, I missed this. I am not in the frame of mind for an in-depth discussion on culture, but would be happy to in another thread. For a brief summary. Cultures end or less dramatically reform for all kinds of reasons. Without things that define a culture, it is weaker yes, cultures bring a people together and gives them common ground. They allow for things like celebrations, festivals, tourism in good times, and common identity in hard times like war or economic depression. It encourages people to work together when times get tough and gives them a collective identity.

@Leo Gura I have had so many examples of comments getting censored or channels getting closed for nothing that you are straight-up wrong Leo. Yes people can't view everything on earth but much more of it should be available to them. Not censored from view. You may dislike the word, but that is its meaning. I expected better than trash talk. If that's all you've got. Shall I reflect it? You've lost your mind in a bubble of self-superiority and projection of your own bias. Because you dislike the opposing opinion and way it's framed you see fit to attack the poster of the opinion rather than address the perspective itself. Which is always the sign of a limited mind or flawed perspective. You make leaps in judgement on people because it's quicker and easier to do. Its easier to put people in a category you can dismiss when they don't fit with your worldview. I do time to time view a video, but barely consume any political or social media whatsoever these days, for the reasons I've given above. People rarely tell me what to think without a good argument because I am too stubborn for it, so perhaps read a person a bit better before leaping to conclusions.

You added this so I'll make a separate quote for it For the great majority of my life I don't care who is reading or watching something, only fruitless times when I thought I was making a difference did I go down that road. Most of the time in my life I am talking to you, and only the poster I am replying to. That said the audience size should have little or no bearing on censorship if two people are not abusive to each other.

Why do you think I am still on this forum? Its one of the few places I can have a discussion. Your neighbor does not control the street, town, city, and country's ability to put out signs on all yards, even their own. Google does, along with facebook and a few others, that's all you get to see, because 90% of the internet is completely censored from your view, and the rest of it is buried so deep in the algorithm you'll never see it anyway, and of those sites that do exist, they are also bury most of the content that isn't made from mainstream sources.

Rarely have I seen so much gaslighting. I am envious of your ability to not only dismiss people but belittle their experiences from your enlightened perspective.

Come on. About 10% of the internet is accessible these days, of that 10% only 0.00001% gets to the top to be seen at all. Discussions I am in on youtube frequently my partner is deleted, it happens to me also when I am on the wrong side of a debate. Censorship is the worst I've ever seen it in my entire lifetime. It used to be discussions were deleted or usually locked (and left) when they became abusive, not when they had opposing opinions the trend has become so bad it's absurd. I even seen people asking for it on this very forum, which is a complete 180 on attitudes. This is a case of you either having opinions that are more accepted by the censors. When they are not they won't be there, or would be buried so deep nobody ever finds it in any search algorithm anyway. I had considerably more freedom to even have a conversation in earlier periods of my life, that's a fact, there was considerably more of the internet accessible in its earlier years too, that's also a fact. Many of the other things I've listed I've observed nobodies told me it. I've never had anyone talk to me about 50's cultural trends, in film, fashion and media. Nobodies come up and said look how older names are making a comeback . Nobody makes a video on collective concessions to culture or society because of the rising authoritarian superpowers, Not until right now with these massive changes to law. Sure there was some whispering in socialist circles about how Breitbart was funded and the influence it had, but that was a very slow drip of news. I doubt many people can even see it because it's a gradual change over decades. That's an observation, the fact you want to dismiss it because I'm supposedly watching the wrong videos only highlights the point. You would rather dismiss those speakers because they have an opposing view to you. Which is the trend. People are constantly being banned for saying things that don't walk the line. There was a period when almost every left-wing speaker on youtube or facebook was banned, then it moved to focus in on individual comments on text. Before this it was just burying every single independent news outlet, you can barely find any independent news anywhere unless you really take the time to look. Before that it was people copyright claiming everything that wasn't run by a billionaire or government media. You can tell me its not raining when I am soaked, but when I see every single day, yes every day, the speaker I am talking to having his comments deleted, or mine when I am not toeing the establishment line. This post would 100% for certain be deleted if I made it on youtube.

How do you personally love division and contrast? Thank you.

There is no exaggeration. I see styles, fashions, even names and cultural trends from the 50's. I see TV shows and films that could have been set in the 50's. I see civil rights being rolled back 50 years. I see authoritarian powers that have outlooks as if they were a European power from the last century. I see politicians wanting to roll us back to that time. I see religion on the rise again in decision-making. I see the ability to protest at an all-time low globally. I see censorship has reached almost draconian levels. I see the intelligence services behaving as if we were in a cold war era, even before all this recent mess with regards to surveillance and privacy. To reach stage green globally the several billion people stuck in our version of the 50's will naturally have an effect on our lives. To acknowledge that is not an exaggeration. I've accepted it. I hate it in many ways, because I hate the authoritarian part of me, and that's my issue. What it does make me more sensitive to is authoritarian changes happening, and they have been happening since the early 2000's. Which hopefully now anyone can see as clear as day.

If you are in a Yellow state of a mind on a subject, you can operate as a conservative or a liberal and see the necessity of both depending on the situation. *You are also not above making a fool of yourself or acting on impulse, emotion, or anything else. The other stages of your development don't disappear, just because you can do better.

There have been countless cultures that have come and gone over history. In my lifetime I've seen modern-day Britain have a cultural crisis as middle England was all but removed, where the village life was usurped by towns and culturally lost its way for a while. The rise of the chav for example :), which in reality was just the new youth of the time. I imagine the same in a more severe fashion happened as its 'empire crumbled'. 10-15 years ago I used to ask people what English culture was? I got very weak answers. One of the positives over the last 10 years was a slow re-establishing of english identity and culture, through media efforts and national programs. For example I was against brexit but one reason it was successful was England in a way needed that jolt, to say I still exist and have a voice. The cultural aspect of that is almost overlooked, and one reason why the EU struggles with unity or did until it had a common enemy in Russia. Rome - https://blablawriting.net/prime-relationship-roman-culture-absorbed-essay A classic one Romans used to absorb cultures slowly by taking aspects of their culture and integrating it, some were strong enough to persist after rome fell, some didn't. Search Engines favorite answer: Bantu Migrations https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv114c79k.8?seq=1 Lots of cultures were absorbed during this period. Let's just look at just one area I know well. England had the beakers which nobody remembers, druidism much of which was removed (people say celts, others gauls), the anglo-saxons which it is said peaceful changed the druidic culture over time, the normans changed it not so peacefully! The vikings which had an impact on many local areas, and we arrive at the combined english culture of which some of the old remains and some doesn't. I'm not going to touch China, because i'd do a poor job, which has had more historic cultural sites destroyed than anyone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_destroyed_heritage#China

Traditionally weak cultures are overtaken by neighboring cultures, either preceding the breakdown of the nation/group, its laws and social structure, else being absorbed into another culture. It would look like people who don't know who they are as a cultural identity, that have no reinforcing/defining elements to that identity present or accepted by that group of people.

Materialism has many flaws but it is part of the culture. A weak culture leads to a stagnating society and a breakdown in it. Often I'll comment on how to reform materialism -> recycling items -> minimalist living -> ? It isn't the only part of American culture, perhaps as an outsider looking in I see more than that? Certainly, you have Hollywood, Football, Lots of foods, dances, music, not as many museums or old historical landmarks. You have a great deal of native American influence, Spanish and Mexican influences, cuisine, dress, food, customs, languages, cars, historic industries etc. You also have several famous buildings. The alternative to a strong culture is social decay, disconnection, economic depression, crime, disorder and sometimes war (depending on who is in power).

I tell myself that now and again. It is difficult not to feel squeezed because the world is reforming all countries to gradually have a closer set of values, which for us turns the clocks back 60 years. You yourself have said evolution or development is both coming and breaking apart though.