Wildcrafting: Seeing the World as a Garden

"Let's start with some of the theoretical considerations. Heidegger's big idea was that most people get so lost in das Man (The Man) that they never engage in real discourse, being content, instead, with idle chatter -- groundless, buzzing pop-talk that focuses on reaching a superficial consensus instead of exploring anything new. They never really examine their lives and, consequently, they don't know themselves. Totally exteriorized, they are easy to enculturate, to condition and to propagandize. It's easy for The Man to keep them subdued in the golden handcuffs of convenience, comfort and consumer goods.

"But, one day the handcuffs start to feel tight. They might even chafe their wrists. Their bubble-priced home is suddenly under water, the warranty wears off their new SUV, their paycheck can't keep pace with rising food and fuel prices, they get furloughed and their kids can't afford college. Most wonder if this is The American Dream? A few realize that they've been lied to while The Man has laughed all the way to the bank."