== DROPPING SNAKES IN OTHERS' HOUSE ==
Namaskar,
In this first decade of the 21st century, we are seeing the tremendous
rise of pseudo-culture around the globe. In each and every country it is
more apparent and more pervasive.
From nude films to cigarettes, from junk food to internet porn, from
liquor to cartoons, from toys to video games. All these types of
pseudo-culture is whilring around the globe at an ultra-fast pace.
But, each country is not producing its own pseudo-culture. Rather the
western capitalistic powers are creating the bulk of the pseudo-culture
and spreading it all around the globe-- profiting from it the whole way
through.
And it is the so-called third-world countries that suffer most.
Because already the west has been dealing with pseudo-culture for a
while so they have learned to protect their citizens from it, to some
degree. They issue sanctions, laws, rules, and inspection policies that
limit the effect of pseudo-culture of its population, especially the
children. For example, it is quite difficult for a 15 year-old to get
alcohol in the USA as there are strict laws in place prohibiting this
from happening.
Whereas in the the "third-world" nations, pseudo-culture is just one
unrestricted fancy. One reason is that they think everything coming from
the west is great, therefore they are soaking up western pseudo-culture
as fast as they can-- and they are suffering all the more from it.
That is why many are saying that by exporting their pseudo-culture
around the globe, the western nations like the US are placing snakes in
others' houses.
At the same time it is not that no evils from the third-world touch the
western nations. For example, hashish from Afghanistan, cocaine and
poppy from Columbia, and sex tapes from Thailand, spill daily into the
US etc. But still the large majority of pseudo-culture is sent from
Hollywood, Miami, NY, and Seattle to all around the globe.
EXPORTING PSEUDO-CULTURE AROUND THE GLOBE
Here then is a bit of a closer look at how it is happening. Please also
write in with your experiences of how this is occurring.
CRUDE INTERNET SITES
1. Internet: The west-invented internet is a great tool but we all know
there is a huge amount of junk and garbage floating around on it. To
protect themselves, there are a huge amount of laws and child-safety
policies in the US regarding using the internet. There are so many
parental features and controls for limiting their children's exposure to
the internet, such as which sites they are allowed to visit or not. And
it does not stop there. If a business executive visits a porn-site in
the privacy of his own office then it may cost him his job. That is how
strict the rules are in the US.
In contrast, in places like India, Internet cafes are the rage and young
kids are basically free to see and do what they like. That is why if one
enters an Internet cafe in Delhi, Bihar, Chennai, or Bombay, often there
is a long list of porn sites that have been visited by the previous
user. And not only that, but these cafes have private view rooms where
teenagers often go in order to view x-rated sex sites with out being
disturbed.
Here the point is not that countries like Thailand, India, Brazil, and
South Africa do not protect their children at all. Just for various
reasons, they have not been able to put in place all the many, many
safety measures that the US and England may employ.
This is primarily because places like the US and western Europe have
already suffered from the ill-effects of pseudo-culture whereas in
places like the Philippines and China, it may be a newly found western
fancy. And western capitalistic corporations are hungry to impose their
pseudo-culture machinery o the unsuspecting masses of such "developing
nations".
GLAMOROUS CIGARETTES
2. Perhaps the most clear-cut case in all of this is cigarettes. In the
US, cigarettes are basically looked upon as an evil. At this point,
there is no smoking on airplanes, in restaurants, at work, etc. Indeed,
in nearly every public venue cigarette smoking has been banned. Some US
cities have virtually outlawed it. So now the US cigarette manufacturers
have just set their sights elsewhere such as the "third world" where
cigarette smoking is allowed just about anywhere and where any
under-aged kid can pick up a pack of smokes. And all the while in these
third world nations, cigarettes are looked upon as something very
'American' and very glamorous.
TASTY JUNK FOOD
3. Here is another example: Junk Food. The US has been producing and
selling junk food for decades. And certainly the US diet is not very
good. But even then, now in school cafeterias they severely limit how
much junk food is available to the kids. Soda pop, chips, and chocolate
bars are being taken out of the schools and being replaced by fruits,
yogurt, and juice. Plus adults are warned about cholesterol levels, high
blood pressure, cancer, obesity etc. How far the people listen is their
own choice, but the US ships these items to the developing world without
even one syllable of warning about the dangers of these foods. And in
their desire to become 'American', the citizens of many 'developing
nations' get totally duped and just gobble up all the US products.
FROM A TO Z
4. And the list goes on and on from nudity on television to toy safety
and everything in between. In all such cases western nations like the US
have strict guidelines about such items whereas in the numerous eastern
nations-- due to capitalist propaganda-- all the pseudo-culture of the
west is available to everyone 24/7.
EVEN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE
5. Then of course there is the case of medicine. All the various
medicines that have been outdated or rejected in the US are then shipped
all around the globe for use in 'developing nations'. And the masses of
those places innocently think that all medicines from the US are
panaceas, when in fact such medicines invite so many diseases and
syndromes.
THE HYPOCRISY OF IT ALL
So in this era of rampant pseudo-culture, the US is the leader in
exporting their junk to other nations in order to earn a huge profit;
but on their own shores the US government and so many watch-dog groups
are careful to monitor how such pseudo-culture is to be used within the
US. That is the outrageous scene going on these days.
WARNINGS NEEDED
So for starters, as margiis-- as a global family-- we should be aware of
this trend and not get drowned in the propaganda and use of American
pseudo-culture, or any pseudo-culture. Because as bad as the US
corporations may be in distributing pseudo-culture, today around the
globe there are so many negative agents popping up everywhere. So at
this point, where there is a dirty mind, there is the spread of crude
pseudo-culture-- all done so someone can make a buck and at the expense
and well-being of the general citizens. So as Ananda Margiis we must be
aware about this and warn others as well.
And at the same time, rallies must be held and articles must be written
to awaken the people and apply pressure on all governments so as not to
let pseudo-culture go unchecked. This then is just a short introductory
letter into what is a massive global issue. Everyone should write in
with their thoughts and ideas.
Baba says, "This exploitation in the cultural sphere is accomplished
by the propagation of pseudo-culture. Every honest, virtuous, rational
person must fight against this pseudo-culture, and inspire others to do
the same. If this is not done, the future of humanity will be sealed. It
is proper for human beings to struggle for political freedom, for social
emancipation; but if their cultural backbone is broken, then all their
struggles will end in nothing – like offering ghee into a fire that has
died out."
"If one’s spine is shattered, it is impossible to hold one’s head erect.
Can those whose necks and backs are crushed under the weight of
pseudo-culture, be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of
life? Hence it is the bounden duty of every rational person to save
innocent people from pseudo-culture." (NH-LOI, Disc:7)
So by all of the above it is clear we have to take action against this
pseudo-culture because it is no different from dropping a snake in
someone else's house.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, a new code of ethics based on AM ideals will lead the
humanity out of the mire of degrading vices like pseudo-culture and
enable that sentient human society to be built.
Baba says, "The application of Neo-ethics will lead to multi-lateral
salvation of human society by removing economic exploitation, political
suppression, religious indoctrination, cultural imposition and social
subordination." (MVNS)
Namaskar,
Cinmay
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Request to Parama Purus'a
Baba says, "There is no need for devotees to request like this from
Parama Purusa, 'O Lord grant me liberation, grant me salvation.'
There is no need to make such a request. Let Parama Purusa decide.
You need not to ask. Only this much you can say, 'O Parama Purusa
in this world You are very busy and involved in various types of
tiring work. How long will You be burdened and engaged alone in
doing all these works. O' Parama Purusa, please keep me in this
world to execute Your tasks. You are so much tired from doing
these various types of projects, how long You will go on doing
these works all by Yourself. Please give me some share so that I can
participate along with You. Give me even a little something to do
and I will do that. O' Parama Purusa please also give me strength.
I am ready to fulfill Your desire and execute Your task'. This
type of request devotees should make with Parama Purusa."
(SS-16 (H), p. 84, DMC Agra 19 Feb 84)
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