If you weren't there, you're just a neo-hippie

once again Sam speaking the truth!

 

Fuck it dude. I consider myself a Hippie (I was born in '75). I was brought up by died in the wool back to the landers (actually since my dad grew up on a farm it really wasn't back to the land it was just reality).

Here's the thing about groups and labels. Human beings are Tribal by nature. I think it is something in our DNA. Humans also like labels. The whole concept that you can't be a Hippie since you weren't there doesn't take into account the kids who were brought up by Hippie Parents that didn't sell out and they do exist. If you get away from bigger cities you find more and more of them. They can be politically active, organic farming, shit in the outhouse, make their own clothes, down to earth cats.

What Sam is describing is what I call "Parasite Hippies". They show up on the scene because they've heard about free dope, and easy women. They exploit others and give nothing back but a bad reputation. I've got to be honest kids every time sombody calls me brother I just want to check and see if my wallet is still there.

I've said it once I've said it a million times free dope, free love, and free food brings Free Loaders. I met someone once who knew Bobby Seale who told me a story. He said that the Panthers were handing out free meals and a group of strong men pushed aside the women and children to get to the front of the line.

Fortunately that shit gets weeded out on the scene very quickly. The ones who are around to start fights, screw people over, and generally do harm disapeer quickly. Unfortunately there is usually someone to come along and take his place.

I've been called the anti-hippie hippie. I don't own any hemp clothing. I do smoke pot but I don't advertise that I smoke pot. I help people for a living (I would do it for free but I like eating and sleeping indoors). I do wear tie dye but not all the time. I freely call bullshit when I see it. I like the Greatful Dead and Phish but I also like The Sex Pistols and the Dead Kennedys, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash, Metallica and Anthrax and any one of a million other bands. And on top of all that I don't have any need to prove to anybody that I am a Hippie. I feel that I have more than proven it.

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

I was going to post the same thing.

 

None of this was my words. I don't use these labels. I prefer the terms "man", "woman" or "human".

This is where the "neo" part comes in I think. Unlike the 1960's (before capitalism was terribly cruel) they weren't faced with the problem we are today. Today people are faced with the creul division between themselves and their ideals. You may feel it is wrong to shop at Walmart, but you can't afford a better alternative. Sometimes you may feel guilty about it, but what can you do about it? Nothing. That's exactly where they want anyone who is "alternative" to be.

If they can't win you over with their shiny packaging and lies, they'll win you over by the default of convenience. Your hands are tied, you can't afford what is "right", you have to opt for the "wrong" choice. Either way, they've got you. They separate the person from their ideals by making the "right" thing too expensive or too difficult to obtain. Then you're left with people who feel perhaps shame and guilt because they were forced to go against their own ideals.

What kind of message does that send out? "Well, I consider myself a hippie, I believe in treating people right, loving everyone, helping others..."

"Is that clothing from Walmart?"

"Yes"

"Pfft...and you call yourself a hippie."

This can be enough to make someone abandon their ideals, for who wants to be a "fake." And thus you realise that the wrong choice is always cheaper, easier, and more convenient (junk food, walmart shit, cheap gas, etc.)

The man can't be rich if everyone is walking around with such noble ideals. How will he make his money if no one is buying the wrong choice? So he forces you to abandon them for the sake of convenience.

All I'm saying is, don't ever feel guilty if you have to opt for the more convenient choice once in awhile. Don't ever think that takes away from your credibility as a person either. It isn't our fault we have no means to obtain what it is we need for ourselves. We weren't given the choice.

 

I like you.

And it's not like I don't struggle with it, dude. I know it and I don't feel good about it, but someday I'll be able to deal with it. Today's just not that day. I'm not burying my head in the sand, I'm just biding my time. In the meantime, they should come up with an actual affordable alternative, but unfortunately, everything cheap is built on the backs of slave labor. I don't get a say in that. Until nudism isn't a crime anymore, I've got to have clothing, and until I get a real job, I can't do any different. I may owe Taiwanese children an apology, but I certainly don't owe one to someone trying to tell me I don't fit in his club.

 

I know, I got you confused with Sam for a minute, but I fixed it.

It still doesn't make me feel any better, and that's what makes me defensive. It's that I KNOW it's a shit deal I'm giving in to, not that someone's judging whether or not I'm authentic. They're just preaching to the choir, and sometimes, I'm just sick of being depressed over it. Should we wallow in self-imposed pain and agony or pick ourselves up and resolve to do better? I believe in the latter. Thanks for your understanding. You hit it on the head.

 

I justify myself by stealing shit from any big ass chain store. Wal-mart, rite-aid. just about anything that hyphonated.

Fuck them, I need shit. And you don't have to tell me that stealing from "the man" is just some bullshit justification to be greedy and take what you want with no remorse.

I already know that. I'm at peace with it.

 

^^Dude capitalism was always cruel. It's just that now we have laws in this country to make it less cruel. We have shipped our labor overseas because they don't have the same laws restricting how much work they can do and for how much money.

Here is my ethical dilemma. Ok if a 12 year old in China is making $0.12 an hour to make Barbie dolls who am I to deny that to deny that 12 year old a living? Is it wrong that that 12 year old is working? Yes. Is it wrong that people are being exploited? Yes. But at the same time that person needs to make a living.

There is a relatively new concept that I have read about called "Compassionate Capitalism." It still follows certain rules of capitalism like Supply and Demand, buy low sell high etc. The twist is that workers are treated humanely portions of profits are used to help the community etc. A good example of this is Ben and Jerrys. All of their "name" Ice Creams like Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, Dave Matthews Magic Brownies etc... give their proceeds to charities that those artists want to donate to.

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

Can you be a good person while wearing clothes you bought at Walmart? As you said, some day you'll be able to afford better.

I actually fully support this. Fuck them, they exploit people, stick it to them back by stealing their shitty merchandise. They steal ideals, go on and steal their products.

 

It's not just that. A big part of why the IT industry is so big in India is because then, with the 10 hour difference, you can essentially have the company (or at least parts; such as support) 24/7


But the China stuff is just wrong.

 

I see what you mean. I've always felt that way about meat. People have said to me, "How can you eat meat, it's terrible." But I figure that those animals are going to be killed for their meat regardless of whether I eat it or not. Better than have it rot on the shelf. I recognize that if enough people stopped eating it that it would eventually fix the "problem" and that by saying something like the above statement I'm simply justifying my own habits, a group movement starts with one person. However I personally feel that there are much bigger problems than meat eaters, that should be tackled first.

This sounds like a step in the right direction, however there are a lot of problems with capitalism. One is big chain stores move into smaller places, drive ma and pa stores out of business, then if business dries up they simply shut down and move out.

Another is how the poor are treated, they are meant to always be poor. There are so many bullshit laws that protect the rich.

 

I eat animals because they're fucking delicious. Very tiny animals are constantly eating me. Tiny parts of myself eat other smaller parts of myself on a regular basis. And if my body doesn't get eaten by some animal when I'm alive bugs and worms and maybe even fish and birds will eat me when I die.

And for all I know... the process of life, bodily existance, may be nothing more than marination for the human soul. For all I know experiancing life and forming ideas will only make my lifeforce that much more tasty for the next thing up on the cosmic foodchain.

Anyway, I love animals. For pets and treats... animals 100%

I even feed my animals other animals. My 2 kittens fucking love pork and steak.

 

I have had militant vegans tell me "If everyone on earth would stop eating meat we could stop the destruciton of the Rainforest because it is being cut down to graze cattle." This to me is a load of bullshit. If everybody on earth would stop eating meat thenthey would cut down the rainforest to grow more soy beans. In South America they can have 3 Growing Seasons in a year compared to one in the United States.

Now I feel the need to share with you one of the funniest videos I think that I've ever seen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS8X5PUSVfY"]YouTube - Monsanto's Sustainability Commitments

This guy is a brilliant ventrilliquist. He is talking out of his ass and it looks it is coming out of his mouth. Monsanto is straight up evil.

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

What about the cattle that graze in north america?

 

The people I know and love dont worry about labeling one another. "hippy" is just a jumping off point for me. A way to unite with like minded individuals, like on this site for example. when I see hippy somewhere im interested, but I prefer to be labeled and judged as an individual rather than by a blanket term

 

What do they have to do with the rainforest? I should ask them that question too though.

Well like I said humans love labels. I guess I'd rather be called a Hippie than a shithead.

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

That's my point. I don't think I've ever eaten a cow that had grazed in a rainforest. Pretty sure most of my beef comes from Canada.

 

When I was living in Maine most of the beef I ate was grased up the road from where I lived. I got to pet the cow I ate. I feel pretty lucky.

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

You'd think they'd stop people from walking into any grocery store, picking out a fat, healthy live lobster, and taking it home to boil it for dinner.


Edit- The guy who played the kid in Terminator 2 was actually arrested for that. He and a bunch of PETA people ran into a grocery store, tore shit up, then grabbed a bunch of lobsters to "free" them into the wild.

Hopefully they were close to water, though an act like this seems almost just as damaging to the animal.

 

I just got off the Walmart boycott train a couple of weeks ago for one reason only....

I found myself in a Walmart looking at camping gear. I'm looking for a bag shower. It's just a black, 5 gallon bag with a hose and nozzle attached to it. It heats up in the sun, yadayada. Anyway, at Walmart, the shower is 6.99. The exact same shower is 19.99 at Sports Authority, who I'm sure many consider to be "ok" in the capitalist world.

Unless you get your shit from your own back yard out of shit that you personally made, there's a chance that it derived from evil capitalists. Walmart isn't the only one who gets their stuff from China. They're just the biggest and most picked on because they keep their prices so low. I'll shop there just because they let me camp a night in their parking lot and shit their bathroom when I'm traveling through, and I don't have to buy anything.

Shopping at Walmart doesn't make you less of a hippie. Shopping at all makes you less of a hippie if you wanna be a stickler about it. Lots of hippies smoke cigarettes, but nobody says they're less of a hippie cuz of it, even though the tobacco industry is the biggest evil of all.

I am on the label boycott, though.