[Buddha-l] Sounds of the Real Japan

[JKirkpatrick]

During the decline and fall of Rome, the stadium architecture
served as a loud speaker blasting the screams and yells of the
crowd to the world outside. The pervasive howling and nattering
on TVs in pub(lic) places is also a sign of our decline and fall.

I enjoyed reading Larry Wittner's article--the same thing
happened to me in hospital after my first knee replacement
operation. I woke up in a room with a roommate who ran the thing
late at night and at loud volume. The next day I made a huge fuss
to the nursing staff and the docs who came around. They moved me
to a double room where I was the only inmate, where I was able to
get to sleep and stay that way until morning. 
Last winter when I was going to a rehab gym, the radio there was
turned on to the worst possible station that featured adverts
every 10 minutes. On loud. The musak was the thumping beat junk
that work-out people love to have in gyms. When I asked that they
change the station, I was told by the person in charge that the
clients liked it! I insisted, on the basis that I never spent
more than a half hour there anyway, and they could put up with a
change of station for half an hour, so the guy truculently
changed it. And, oh yes, they had a big wide screen TV on
continually, with sports videos, but at least the sound was
turned off.  
Since Wittner wrote his article in 2007, in addition we now see
people everywhere communing on their cell phones, even while
shopping in the super. No, the ones I overhear are not getting
instructions on what to buy, they are having conversations (I use
the term advisedly). 
Larry's points about how continual use of these media dumbs down
the mind as it also prepares people to be more easily brainwashed
in favor of greed and consumerism, was a point also made by the
Buddhist, David Loy.  

We are doomed.
JK
----------------------------------



Eewww!!!  This small article is depressing--that is, if it’s
true.  Not having traveled to Japan, I can’t really tell.  So
much for Zen and for mindfulness in Japan.  Watch the video when
you click on the link. ______________________________________
SOUNDS OF THE REAL JAPAN
 
(From http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=401&pID=1145)
 
“There is of course, however, muzak. Japan is the king of muzak.
It blares from speakers attached to telephone poles on every
corner in Japan. Even religious temples have speakers and
announcements.
 
Cynics claim that subliminal messages--"Buy! Shop! Spend your
money!" or "Don't cause any trouble! Obey the police!"--are being
projected to keep citizens docile and properly anesthetized.
 
An elderly man stares; a lone cyclist passes at the end of the
recording.
June 11, 2006.”
______________________________________
 
All this has made me wonder:  How in the world can we fight back
against the speaker and TV pollution that has invaded the entire
planet?  I’ve found a gadget that will turn off unwelcome TV’s in
public places (http://www.tvbgone.com) and excellent articles at
http://hnn.us/articles/44904.html  and
http://www.whitedot.org/issue/iss_story.asp?slug=ruinedDinersActi
onGuide, but the technological onslaught seems overwhelming.
 
If anyone on this list can cheer me up, please do.  Buddhist
content?  Plenty!
 
Discouraged,
Katherine Masis
 

 
 


      
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