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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 6/5/18

Rebellion in America? Not likely

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Unknown Smartphone user in America

Having traveled this past weekend in the Boston area and coming from a middle Atlantic state I saw what has become a phenomenon, the prolific use of the "Smartphone" seemingly everywhere.

Not that it was any great surprise. I'd seen it last year traveling in Virginia, the Carolina's, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.

In my own area while walking on a crowded sidewalk someone with phone in front of their face nearly bowled me over as she strode past.

What is it these people are so fascinated by?

Well two years ago while traveling on a "Megabus" to the Carolina's I got the chance sitting beside an early twenties woman who I asked, "What is with this "Smartphone"? She replied," it was for texting to her friends." Talking with her further she admitted looking at her phone was the first thing she did after waking in the morning. She admitted it was "probably obsessive" to which I remember replying, "If you know it's obsessive why do you do it"? To which she replied, "I don't know, I just do it". After which I ended my "inquisition" and let it be.

Admittedly, talking with one person about what I see as this cell phone mania isn't exactly a confirmation explaining this social media revolution that seems to have taken hold in America but its endemic in airports, train stations and all forms of public transportation I've been on.

Now I was recently told by an acquaintance that Smartphone use has become such a neurotic obsession some people are seeing therapists for their addiction-not that it was a great surprise to me.

It's occurred to this old hand if our government wanted the perfect distraction to keep people oblivious to their government's machinations peoples use of their Smartphone was the perfect device.

I've wondered whether that was the government's intention or was I being overly suspicious? Seeing as how the government has gotten Facebook in its pocket and using "backdoors" to get into people's computers before they purchase them maybe my paranoia isn't so displaced.

When I occasionally come across an article about the need for a people's rebellion in this country I wonder if they're including those addicted to their Smartphone?

Because this writer coming of age in the late 1960's and early 70's took part in the rebellion against our government, when serious protests and demonstrations were prevalent on most of the nations campuses focused against the US war in Vietnam.

Those types of protests seem unimaginable in America today. And...it's laughable to believe those with their Smartphone planted in front of their face are going to be part of any rebellion.

Now there are serious activists out there who do protest whether it's against abortion restrictions, woman's rights, gay and lesbian rights, the environment, fracking, oil and gas pipelines, $15 minimum wage, overturning "Citizens United", anti war et al. But instead of coming together forming a coalition and focusing against the elitist, imperialist, corporatist and elected government felons that reign in America- those primary entities that need to be overthrown and replaced in a peoples class struggle- the protests remain single issue, disconnected and "siloed" separate and distinct from one another rather than interconnected and focused against their common adversary.

The 2011 "Occupy" movement articulating many of the ills in America from the 1% over the 99%, corporatism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, college student loan debt et al but so lacking in focus, agent-provocateurs along with the coordinated efforts by local, state and federal law enforcement soon shut it all down. Significantly, "Occupy" demanded nothing.

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Retired. The author of "DECEIT AND EXCESS IN AMERICA, HOW THE MONEYED INTERESTS HAVE STOLEN AMERICA AND HOW WE CAN GET IT BACK", Authorhouse, 2009
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