Living in LaLa Land: Flipped Upside Down and Inside Out

By John M Lynch

Living in LaLa Land: Flipped Upside Down and Inside Out written by John Lynch

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662457807

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Living in LaLa Land

Flipped Upside Down and Inside Out

John M Lynch

Copyright © 2021 John M. Lynch

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2021

ISBN 978-1-6624-5779-1 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-5780-7 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Know Your Damn History, Please

Gotta Get Mine

Using Isms as a Weapon Rather Than a Real Catalyst for Change

A Special Account of the US Media and Broadcasting Industry

The Need for Introspection—The Man in the Mirror

My Personal Challenge to You

Disclaimer

The information included in this book is for educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for seeking the advice of a professional. The author and publisher have made best efforts to ensure the information in this book is accurate. However, they make no warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the contents herein and cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions, or dated material.

This book contains communication strategies, effective suggestions, methods and other advice that, regardless of my own results and experience, may not produce the same results (or any results) for you. The author makes absolutely no guarantee, expressed or implied, that by following the advice you will get the same or any results, as there are several factors and variables that come into play regarding any given situation.

Liability Disclaimer

By reading this book, you assume all risks associated with using the advice, data, and suggestions given below, with a full understanding that you, solely, are responsible for anything that may occur as a result of putting this information into action in any way, and regardless of your interpretation of the advice.

Dedicated to my redhead

Preface

An Introduction to My Introduction

Sorry. This book is not about the movie. It is not some glorified account of how terrible it is to live in our country. And it is not written by some famous person whose only goal is his own personal gain. Instead, this book is simple, largely anecdotal, and hopefully somewhat funny expression on some very serious issues facing our country today. Complete with a relative nobody’s interpretation of just how dumb we have all become when it comes to that now fully exploited polarization thing continually fomented by our politicians and the media-editorial machine. You know, the fact that we all apparently hate each other for racial, religious, sexist, and material reasons and are on the verge of total civil chaos according to the media. Or that this country is so terrible, filled with constant victims, and must be demolished so as to be rebuilt with utopia in mind. The majority of us know this is BS.

As an attorney, lecturer, public speaker, father, husband, friend, mentor, and regular person, I know that I am not the only one getting real tired of all the nonsense that has now permeated the airwaves, so to speak. Like via the media in all contexts: our schools, radio, television, the courthouse, and even the donut shop. Some might say, What does he know? I say those people are wrong. They profit from perpetual division. And I am betting that there are a whole bunch of you wanting to speak up regarding this very issue. Or at least want to read about it. If not, so what?

I will go back to work.

To add color to my blunt introduction, I plan to discuss how a fundamental lack of historical understanding, or even willful ignorance of the same, is coupled with plain fear of those wishing to stifle independent thinking and a political media empire obviously bent on destroying any notion of what our great nation was and remains all about. For this sometimes painful or uncomfortable discussion, I will use sarcasm, satire, and any other goofy language I choose.

Why? Because people in this country take themselves way too seriously.

So I wanted to start out by pissing some people off.

You know, filter out those who might just read the chapter headings and make up things about the book. The assumptionists, who use all of those isms we hear about every day. And yes, I made up the word assumptionists.

So what do I mean about isms? As a prelude to a later discussion, isms are easy to identify. They are words like racism, sexism, and the like that found their genesis in very real problems of discrimination. They are now being used like nuclear bombs to put people in complete fear of speaking up about nondiscrimination-related problems or just disagreeing with someone else with a different background. Use of these terms has been exploited by the media and our politicians not as a catalyst for positive change, but for their own interests—usually money, power, and influence. And guess what? Using these terms in this way have undermined real discussion and, thus, real change and understanding.

I talk about the media through the lens of the consumer and then peel back the layers of a now complex media empire riddled with the editorialists that have nothing in common with most, if not all, of us but yet feel entitled to opine on everything regardless of the veracity of their opinions. And here I thought there should be some journalists who might simply choose to report. We don’t need their uneducated opinions on how to live our lives.

Metaphorically speaking, these so-called journalists think that they are so brilliant that they should actually rule on all issues.

Gimme a brain. I will now do surgery! Seeing a common thread here with our politicians; just ask Todd Akin about rape. Ask Harry Reid about a budget. Ask that peacock, Brian Williams, about real war. What a bunch of ding-dongs!

Finally, because I am keenly aware of those buttheads that thrive on labeling others or arriving at ill-thought conclusions, I will issue them a warning. You will be offended if you don’t read the book in its entirety. I purposely use provocative language, sarcasm, and humor to relay points on serious issues. Not that I care too much about being offensive. In my heart of hearts, I don’t judge on the outward appearance, the familial background, the financial bracket. I judge on merit—the person. Doing so allows me to tell those that would ever challenge my true thoughts to, let’s say, get lost. Perhaps that is why my life is comparable to the brightest quilt with many colors and stripes. And why wouldn’t it be? I am an American and relish the unique diversity in all things. It’s time we all remember that fact and move on—together.

So please read the book with an open mind. It is not all negative. It is meant to provide some solace to those tired of the same bologna being fed to us like old dogs. It is also meant to provide an intellectual means to heal our country in a more productive manner, without the increased skepticism intertwined with the self-interests of many in politics, the education system, and the media that we all witness every day. Good luck and good reading.

The Outline of Discontent

For Those That Want Some Meat on the Bone

We are the champions! No really, we are. That statement is not arrogant either. We are the product of hard work, pain and suffering—evolutionary and revolutionary thinking at its best.

Those that disparage this country are simply jealous or just plain stupid.

So let us begin.

There is no doubt that our collective efforts have allowed this awesome nation to achieve preeminent stature as a global superpower. It’s where it enjoys unrivaled supremacy in terms of military and defense, political influence, international relations, technology and innovation, global economy and finance, and international laws. Nevertheless, it is almost like we hate ourselves for it or that we are told to hate ourselves for our ability to succeed. So it’s no surprise that our society is suffering from internal turmoil, an identity crisis, if you will. We literally and figuratively forgot ourselves. Internally, we are struggling to find and maintain our truest identity—the one of hope and prosperity and the envy of the world. Unfortunately, this struggle is exacerbated by an ever-expanding media willing to engage in extrajournalistic sensationalism and a political class that is much more focused on self-preservation than resolving real issues affecting everyday Americans. The result is an American populace inundated with misinformation and never-before-seen polarization among our citizens.

Case in point: the election of Donald J. Trump, despite the media and the elite-political class’ collective, ism-crazy perpetuation of the myth of universal racism, misogyny, and xenophobia. I mean, when are we going to realize that these terms are being bastardized by these elites in a game being played at our collective expense? Our American society continues to be inundated with unrelenting use of these divisive concepts, including identity politics, all as a means for personal gain rather than some legitimate societal goal despite great strides in equalizing the playing field in terms of education, access to finance, employment, and the justice system. It is time to examine our present state of affairs without the prism of politics and entertainment.

Before delving into what are always sensitive topics in our society, it is important to recognize that there does indeed exist instances of racism and other prejudices in our country that will require diligent redress to correct for the next generation. Stating otherwise would be a marked deviation from reality. However, they just don’t exist in the same horrific manner they have in the past, or that they do in places outside of the United States. That said, there must be equal recognition that the state of our affairs is much better than yesterday or at least than that which is paraded through the media by politicians, self-appointed civic and religious leaders, and others—the ones whose sole function is not providing a universal remedy to these problems, but rather providing for their own selfish advancement. In other words, they make things worse just to get power and influence, and the financial benefits that come with those things.

With the media’s help, these very real issues are being portrayed in such an exaggerated fashion that one has no choice but to believe that we are in a virtual war with each other. Reality among the great majority in our country suggests otherwise. Our culture is becoming more and more integrated with each generation. People work together, play together, live and marry one another, and pray together all over our nation, all in the absence of the isms these profiteers would have you believe. So why do have to suffer through this continue barrage of lies? We don’t.

Along with the goofy political and media hacks that thrive on discontent and misinformation comes our very own complacency about how our country has become the beacon of hope for the rest of the world. One doesn’t actually see scores of people lining up to immigrate to other countries the way they do for the United States.

If our country is so terrible, then why come here? The answer: it’s not. So they come and we say welcome. But so many in our society, young and old, have no conception of our history of greatness and our ability to self-correct. Instead, they listen to cherry-picked negativity coming from the talking heads whose only goals are money and power. Sidenote: I like doers and not talkers. Try fact-checking these nefarious types. That might help. But we don’t.

Instead, we take our successes, innovations, and democracy for granted, all the while engaging in self-hatred because we are told that we are simply bad; that if we are wronged, it is because of some sinister motive like race, ethnicity, sex, or religion; and that we are owed something instead of working for it. Special treatment, not equal treatment, is the mentality.

Examples of this new mentality and our lack of appreciation for our successes and freedoms can be seen everywhere. We have created a monster of handouts, apologies, and laziness unseen in our history. Just look at what our children now view as important: Kim Kardashian’s tiny waist and big ass, jewelry, and mansions; LeBron James’s $400 shoes; Floyd Mayweather’s Rolls-Royce collection; and maybe Larry Ellison’s private island.

The first question: where is the equal fascination with family, morals, hard work and perseverance, personal responsibility, and dedication to faith and country? Bet you cannot answer that question.

The next question is: how in the heck do you think any of these people made a dime? Through racism, sexism, or was it some other ism? Or maybe it was the environment in which they were provided that created the opportunities they needed to thrive?

Name another nation where such freedom to succeed exists. Ask your children where that country would be. Of course, they would not be able to answer that question. If you have an answer, please stand up, as Eminem would say.

Today, in our quest for equality, a person’s ethnic background, their religious affiliations, and other identities have become more important than their abilities, skills, and potential to do some good for our society. There must be a balance to center this pendulum swing, understanding the history behind real instances of racism and the other isms and not allowing this history to be an obstruction to evolving as a nation and further continuing our success. If we keep it up, we will tear ourselves apart. If we learn and speak up, we will succeed for our children. Because let’s face it, none of us are going anywhere. We might as well learn to get along.

Think about this as well. We see examples of what is best described as thoughtless materialism in how those who have achieved financial success treat this country and those whose support created their wealth and celebrity with utter contempt. Examples abound with those who have been wrongly treating their success as a notion of them being superior to others.

Through