I know that I promised to write daily and nothing was posted on Tuesday February 1st. However, I wrote two articles the day prior and I was dealing with a lot yesterday. I received a call on January 31st from my bank's fraud unit. They had noticed a number of transaction that were out of character from my usual business. The ensuing phone conversation was a dance of confirmations as the young woman swirled a litany of transactions that I countered in the affirmative or denial. That was the beginning. I woke the next day prepared to head down to my bank and complete affidavits and a more detailed report of guile and deceit. I was issued a new credit card, thankfully.
The remains of the day were spent updating subscriptions (like Netflix) and correcting pending transactions (like the software I ordered). I was able to trudge through this, even though it was a huge pain in the keister. Yet, I have this lingering feeling of violation. I have always been careful about online purchases and providing information. However, my endeavors have been futile. Someone was still able to lift my credit card details and use that information to go on a shopping spree. This was clearly a young person. The goods procured include a membership to Blizzard.com, almost $100 in iTunes purchases, several songs from Amazon.com, software, and several miscellaneous purchases that had no monetary amount since my bank blocked them. To say this sucks is an understatement. This is horrible.
The dollar amount is small and my bank is reimbursing me the money. The principle of this is that I was robbed. Probably, this was some punk who should get his ass handed to him through the law or other means. But this is just a symptom of something deeper. Humans are complex in many ways. The physiological network of nerves, cells, and electrical impulses is an immensely wondrous array that compiles the bodies we inhabit and are deeply enmeshed with our minds. This mind, the seat of our soul, is our consciousness, our inner light, our true selves. By whatever name we apply, we are speaking of the same thing…the essence that is our being. This mind, continues to exist after our carbon bodies lie rotting in the ground. As phenomenal a creation as the body is, the brain is even more complex. The conduit between mind and body is the brain. Aside from being the central processing unit for the working of the human specimen, our brains also contain a labyrinthian super-system that regulates our memories, personalities, emotions, and subconsciouses.
Every one of us has the capacity for greatness. Each person is born with a unique combination of talents, some of which combine in very surprising ways. For example, I am artistic. I am also a good cook and database designer. My art and creativity comes screaming through my databases as well as the things I bake and cook. Our inherent gifts are the tools that shape our destinies. No sight is more bleak nor disheartening than the sight of someone denied the chance to utilize his or her talents. To take the spark of life and innate genius that gives one a sense of completeness, of purpose and crush it is the most cruel of punishments. To do so destroys one's soul. This leads to disillusionment, angst, or in some cases despair, addiction, even violence. Society in general requires compromise. One cannot always do as one wishes. We must always consider how our actions will affect others. Sometimes this compromise requires one to set aside a talent. However, in some societies these talents are systematically squashed because of class, caste, or industrial needs. This is when a society can be considered bad. A society should govern for the greater good of its populace and not to use the citizens as a means to an end.
I digress. We all have the capacity for greatness, enlightenment and to evolve to a higher state of being as a species. Yet, in classic Yin/Yang style, we also share a proclivity for darker pursuits. Everyone has lied, stolen, cheated, coveted, or any combination of these activities. What drives us to inherently be inclined to commit acts of righteousness and corruption? For one, our brains can justify or rationalize any activity we commit, no matter how depraved. Certainly there are circumstances that warrant theft, lying and even taking a life (such as self defense). Yet, it is the more obscene activities that I am questioning. What drives a person to hack into a network and steal someone's identity and then delve headlong into materialism? How does one sleep at night after committing such an act? I know that for me, when I do something wrong, no matter how slight…I feel guilt and seek to make amends. Am I simply more enlightened than the person who stole my credit card information? Does he or she feel any remorse? Are they laughing at me or at society?
We live in a business run society. The needs of the corporation outweigh the needs of the populace (workers and consumers). It is no surprise that everything is a commodity, including information. Consequential to this fact, we are inundated with advertising, product placement and the manipulativeness inherent to them. Given the depreciating value of the American education system and economy, the logical outcome is an uncompromising materialism. In a world where we are all judged by the amount of money and goods we own, activities like stealing identities and fraudulent purchases are merely a byproduct. The notion of community has been systematically driven out of our heads. We are taught to despise unions, to distrust each other, to consume without question. It is unfortunate that someone stole my credit card information. But I truly weep for our society. We witness the inevitable implosion of capitalism eating itself alive.
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