Mean, Green, Bullshitting Machines

NEWS FLASH: Sarah Michelle Gellar brings her own shopping bags to Trader Joe's. Image: Ecorazzi.

Ecorazzi recently celebrated its one year anniversary. While I am sure there is much demand for a celebrity blog offering "the latest in green gossip," I cannot help but wonder the long-term impact of blogs (even well intentioned ones) that promote incessant surveillance of the picayune.

Because I am naturally pessimistic, I think the omnipresent celebrity-obsessed culture has further conditioned the public to accept an ever-watchful, and ever-judgmental gaze, not only by ourselves, but by our government.

Don't you expect to see photos, news stories or YouTubes of the latest Lohanical outburst, especially if it involves a police chase?

For years, we've accepted cameras in our public venues (banks, etc.) and the public overwhelmingly supports the installation of Big Brother style monitoring devices throughout our nation. They've also been completely receptive to the creation of new governmental programs that can be best described as the Departments of Somebody Else's Business (except Dick Cheney's).

While advocates for civil liberties bemoan the government's ever-widening use of citizen monitoring systems, I'm far more pragmatic in my criticism of these devices and the new safety programs spewing from the bowels of Bush.

For one, while cameras have provided more evidence to imprison offenders, there's no correlation that they stop crimes. Consider this: despite years of security cameras in banks: bank robberies have increased.

Secondly, government is, by its very nature, inept -- regardless of the political party in charge. When the Department of Defense spends $1 million of your money to ship 38 cents worth of ordinary washers, it's hard not to expect bungling, bureaucracy and bullshit from the powers-that-be.

They bungled Katrina. Our food's not safe. Your children are licking lead-laced lollipops. They bombed the wrong country and then they lied about it.

Do you really believe they will successfully implement a secure and sensible nationwide safety program to combat illegal activity?

To quote Nancy, "Just say no," and pass me whatever it is you're smoking.....

As long as individuals, neighborhoods and communities fail to address the problems in our own backyards (lousy schools, limited health care, shitty wages and affordable housing) -- hopelessness, ignorance and crime will remain unabated. How can they not?

We shouldn't expect the government to fix the problems that we, ourselves, have been too lazy, too cheap, too greedy, or too indifferent to do anything about.

During the recent National Night Out, my neighbor made a comment that resounded very deeply with me.

"Responsible citizens know their neighbors names, care about their well being, help them when they can."

That sounds a lot better than, "Hey, kids! Guess what? We just spent $500,000 to install brand new Dieblod CopCams™ in your neighborhood. We're going to watch you have crappy, unfulfilled lives before we send you off to be raped in prison!"

I suspect we'd have better results:

1. Spending $100,000 on providing extended hours at an established neighborhood clinic
2. Spending $100,000 to fix the roads to get there or expand public transportation services
3. Spending $100,000 to support sick and elderly folks with an established Meals-On-Wheels program
4. Spending $100,000 on school books and/or boost a few teacher's salaries
5. Spending $100,000 on something that actually might benefit the community -- you name it!

But that's just me...believing in compassion, action and results. A surveillance culture is only interested in watching, judgment and punishment.

We're so content to just sit, as flashes of light on a box tell us that things in our communities are shitty and that Buffy is purchasing some Three Buck Chuck.

That's not heroic behavior.

It's downright criminal.