How to Lose Friends on Social Media: Question AuthorityBy James Holbrooks Not real friends. The real stuff is forged from memories and adamantium. Im not worried about that. No, the friends Im destined to lose are the type that can simply click a button and disappear me from their timeline. Ive been on Facebook since Christmasas in three weeks ago. Im sure thats hilarious to some. But it was always a conscious decision not to partake, and I stand by it. In the end there were two reasons that finally got me to pull the trigger. One was the very simple fact that Ive been homesick lately and Facebook seemed like the best way to get a fix. The other reason was much more analytical: Ive been writing so much about social media I figured I owed it to myself to fully explore it. And it was wild. A millisecond after I signed in friend requests came flying at me from all directions. Within days I was in contact with dozens of people from my pastold friends, extended family, exes, acquaintances, high school classmates Id nodded to a few times in the hallwayall people Id personally known. That was my rule, ya see. Id promised myself that Facebook would be strictly for happy thoughts. I had Twitter for all that nasty political shit, so Facebook would stay clean. What I very quickly discovered, though, was that nearly all these new friends of mine were still of the same upright, conservative mentality that our particular little patch of Texas churns out. Which is absolutely fine. I left well over a decade ago but that impulse in me to take people as they come can never be excised. How could it, considering where Im from? The real problem Im encountering on Facebook is that inherent to this upright, conservative mentality is the instant and unyielding support for the cops. Because, quite honestly, that was one piece of the marketing I never bought into. I never played cops and robbers. I never thought the uniform, the handcuffsthe badgelooked cool. In fact I have distinct memories of myself, as a kid, thinking how stupid these authorities looked in their costumes. And from the very first time some asshole shined his Maglite into my face for a solid five minutes because it made him feel tough after popping a bunch of high school freshmen drinking Miller Lite on the pier, Ive known there was something very much wrong with law enforcement in this country. Cops have just never impressed me, and I guess Im supposed to feel bad about that. Well, I dont. And yet I was still willing to set all that aside in the name of socialization. I truly wanted to connect with folks back home because, as I said, I was homesick. More so than I can possibly convey. And I tried. I really did. I ignored anything political at firstanything involving news at all, in factand stuck to Star Wars and rock n roll. You know, the happy stuff. But with the question of whether or not to support the cops polarizing the nation like never before, and with the overwhelming majority of my cyber-circle of friends ready to pounce upon anything that didnt resemble undying devotion to the badge (its meme after meme, article after article, thin blue line after thin blue line), it wasnt long before I recognized that Id be unable to abstain from the fray. It simply isnt in me. I lack both the patience and temperance required for such a feat. And sure enough, the first comment I posted (literally the very first comment) mildly criticizing an articles one-sided reporting instantly resulted in my getting hit with a private message. It was an old high school girlfriend whod married a cop, and she proceeded to explain how she has zero tolerance for those who question law enforcement. She further informed me that any additional negativity from me would result in my removal from her friends list. Back in high school she dropped me for a football player. That exchange was about a week ago, and in effect was the catalyst for this screed. Because it pissed me off. It summed up in three minutes everything I find repugnant about the prepackaged arguments of law enforcement apologists. Its always that we dont know what they go through. That we shouldnt criticize until weve been in their shoes. Which would be a valid point if cops were being conscripted into service. But theyre not. Its the profession they chosethat they continue to choose. If I wanted to know what cops deal with every day, Id be a cop. And of course this argument completely ignores the fact that what they go through is a direct result of a system that legislates criminals into being and that drives otherwise decent people to desperate acts through economic predation. Its always that the good outnumber the bad. That sure, there are a few rotten apples here and there but that doesnt give us the right to paint the whole of law enforcement with a broad brush. Nuts to that. Im an individualist. I dont collectivize. I know there are good people in the uniform, people who genuinely want to protect and serve. I dont think all cops are evil any more than I think all banking executives want to steal the last dime from your kids piggy bank. But the fact that Officer Jimmy Snuggle Bear is downtown helping an old lady cross the street has absolutely zero bearing on the fact that a system-wide control gridspearheaded by a rapidly rising police stateis being fashioned around us. No, sir, theyll say. Even if all that is true (and good luck getting an apologist to concede even that much) theres still a genuine need for security, therefore a genuine need for cops. And since you (me, evidenced by the finger digging into my chest) dont wanna do it, someone else has to. And hey, man, thats a tough gig and you just dont know what its like and some other stuff and Go Cowboys! and they hate us for our freedoms. This is the most frustrating aspect of the debate for me. Its this utter lack of vision that really drives me mad. Or hell, forget vision. How about some good old fashioned context? How about you take a step backjust for a secondand look at the big picture? How about you stop throwing blind loyalty behind a meticulously crafted symbol simply because your neighbors a cop or you grew up in a family of cops or because long ago you were brainwashed into thinking Dragnet was the real deal? You married a cop? Congratulations. May your days be filled with laughter. But a ring on a finger does not an argument make. The police are the enforcement arm of the elites. Thats what they are now, thats what theyve always been. They exist to extract revenue from the masses and provide security for our betters. Thats always been their purpose. Look it up. And again, Im not collectivizing. I know there are cops out there who truly believe. I know there are decent human beings in uniforms all over the country who signed up to protect their communities, who willingly put their lives on the line every day. I know this. But were talking about an agenda. A scheme targeted at an unsuspecting (though, clearly, increasingly aware) populace. The hard truth is that the good cop who thinks law enforcement is there to help people is every bit the sucker as the guy who cant understand why a pack of officers is shoving his head into the pavement. One has only to look at New York to see what the cops are all about. There, where police felt they were slighted by the mayor at the height of this recent scrutiny, cops effectively went on strike. And look what happened. Or, more accurately, look what didnt happen. Society didnt collapse and the streets werent rivers of blood. New Yorkers basically went about their business as usual, only with a few extra bucks in their pockets because the cops werent out ticketing anything with a pulse. What did happen, though, was that the brassrealizing how much money the city was losing and sweating the fact that people were beginning to get a whiff of just how unnecessary the NYPD isordered their revenue generators to get off their sorry asses and start generating some revenue. Have no idea what Im talking about, apologists? Look it up. Is there a genuine need for security? Of course there is. The most perfect society imaginable would still have its share of knuckleheads, and therefore a market for security would exist. But a security force doesnt necessarily mean cops as we know them today. This is what Im talking about. This complete lack of vision that apologists seem to suffer from. Its as if theyre incapable of imagining a societyand, by extension, that societys form of security measuresordered differently than that of our current one. Could it be that they actually think the system is perfect and nothing, ever, needs to be changed? Or are they simply unwilling to conduct a thorough examination of their surroundings? Either way, the apologist logic essentially boils down to support the cops because theyre the cops. I dont believe in a perfect society. To be perfect is to be static, and progress means always moving forward. And whose idea of perfection are we talking about, anyway? Yours? Mine? But what about a society in which security measures are tailored to meet market demands, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all policing model whose subsequent agencies act as an organ of a centralized power base? What about a society in which the functionaries of that power base arent actively seeking to strip the citizenry of their right to self-defense, thereby leaving them vulnerable to the aforementioned knuckleheads in the first place? Dont care for that? Try this one. The thinking goes that if only one innocent person is executed then the death penalty should be abolished. Im sure a lot of conservative-minded folks can get behind that. So why is that reasoning good for the death penalty but not good for police abuse? Every day were assaulted by story after story of people getting harassed, extorted, threatened, beaten or straight up iced by the police. And it inevitably turns out that some of those people werent guilty of a goddamn thing. Do you cry for them at night, apologists? Or do you skip those stories on the way to the funny pages? Im tired of being told Im ignorant of the facts or insensitive to the cops plight. Im tired of listening to justifications as to why I should support the police or, worse yet, as to why theyre really doing a bang-up job. Im tired of hearing stories about twelve-year-old boys getting gunned down for having toy pistols in their waistbands or stories about babies getting their faces melted by flash grenades (Didnt hear about the boy in Cleveland, apologists? Missed that one about the baby in Georgia? Look it up.). But perhaps more than anything else Im tired of no one being held to account. I didnt include any links in this thing. Why should I? If my Facebook explorations have taught me anything its that logic and documentation mean little to the apologist. But if theyre so inclined they can do the work themselves. Who knows, maybe a mind or two would change in the process. As for me, Ive done the reading. Ive taken the hard look. I know exactly where I stand, and as distasteful as it might be to those destined to delete me, I know exactly why Im standing there. Image Credit: Pawel Art James Holbrooks is a professional writer and editor. You can find his work at HolbrooksWordsmithing.com where this article first appeared. Follow James on Twitter. Law Enforcement Apology = Evidence of Internalized Influence of Stockholm Syndrome Mindless obedience and unquestioning loyalty to any perceived authority will pave the way for corruption. This is the incremental path we have taken over the years and the lack of honest checks and balances have given rise to despotism. As these groups increase in corruption and criminal activity, it attracts more of the same mindset and and immorality. A decaying beast always attracts all manner of scavengers. I liked the part about not including links, classic. I really dont have an answer as to why you should have included them. How could I even begin to answer after all your facebook exploring? It would be a fools errand to go up against that kind of research! Nowhere in the above article did the author say that he used Facebook to research stories about police wrongdoing. At most, he made a comment about an article and received a nasty PM. He simply stated that it would be useless to include them because he knew that the hardline apologists would never click the links. Well he does say If my Facebook explorations have taught me anything which, I guess, isnt really a claim of research, butit is an excuse A great article and written. But you can forget about altering the opinion of simple-minded folk who worship political power and police authority. Ive found the more facts presented to the apologist the deeper they dig their heels in. Some folks will have to find out the hard way. Yes. Its a form of bigotry. Great work. One perplexing aspect that you bring forth: where is it written that all persons in association must think the same? I have alienated friends not from vulgarity or rudeness, but from their fear that I dare think differently than the norm. They hate facts and attack you. Why cant they just hang out having learned you harbor the intellectual possibility 9/11 was a false flag. They cant stand you being academic about evidence and physical possibilities. They are heavily invested in trusting a system that has rewarded them, that they dont understand, but know that they better wear the right tie to fit in and not be pushed off the gravy-train. Because to *believe* you would *break* their world. If they were to consider what you said true, it would pull out the rug from under all the little lies they tell themselves about how the world works. Additionally, the vast majority of people are joiners and the most terrifying thing to a joiner is to be seen as different or not fitting in with the crowd. I find it is far better to be an idea farmer. When you talk to people, you throw a few seed ideas their way. If those seeds sprout, then you feed them more and they blossom. If, however, your initial seeds dont take, you just move on to greener pastures. Realize that you cant change anyones mind they have to change it so spend your efforts on fertile minds, not the brain-dead youll be a lot happier Ive also learned to become an Idea farmer. This is a great concept and it works, because beating your head against a brick wall hurts your head and does nothing to the wall. Idea farmer Thats a great picture and succinctly demonstrates the concept. Thanks for that. Ill adopt that approach and stop banging my head against the brick wall. Well said! I wondered at first if you had been talking to everyone I know. I cant believe how many people live with their head in the sand. It has been that way all along but it took 9/11 to separate those who are sheep in sheeps clothing from the independent thinkers. My sister thought i,d gone mad , when i commented on 9/11 and the strange things that happened that day, as she believed everything the Main stream media told her. Great article James. Well written, passionate, and heart felt. There are many who feel the same way, but I have realised that unfortunately there will always be those sheeple who are blindly led by a symbol yet dont know why. You cant save everybody, but who knows, maybe someone somewhere just changed their mind, because of you. But a security force doesnt necessarily mean cops as we know them Well put indeed! The law and order crowd simply cannot think outside the box. Yet brain-dead political reactionaries refuse to even consider, let alone discuss creative alternatives to the Amerikan police state. Excellent piece here, thanks for so eloquently and accurately depicting the dont show support, be shunned by the social masses mentality that exists out there. I obtained a Police Science education back in the early 80s and I can tell you this much, even back then my instructor (a long-time, former Cop himself) was dismayed with how much Law Enforcement had changed for the worse in 20+ years hed been involved with itnamely that a arrest em all and let the D.A. sort em out sort of psyche was being expected and embraced by Law Enforcement organizations in general throughout the country. He also lamented about how Cops were given less-and-less field discretion as compared to how things were when he had been a Patrol Officer, unless of course the use of discretionary force was involvedthen it seemed as though open season was being declared with impunity on the bad guys. Theres a great deal more that I could write in regard to that, but this post would become a novel if I did. Also, I had a great-Uncle whom retired in the mid 70s as a Captain on a local (pretty good sized city) Police Department and oddly enough, he actually talked me out of becoming a LEOsaying that if I wanted to serve my community that Id be better off becoming a Firefighter and/or E.M.S. personnel because he had seen the direction that things were going in Law Enforcement. One of the more poignant things he said was (and I quote), Cops are quickly becoming nothing more than revenue producing agents for their communities, and believe me when I saya trained ape could do an equally effective job. Well, I took good ole Uncle Georges advice and most happily became a Firefighter/EMT-D instead of an LEO, and doing so was one of the best decisions Id ever made. All-in-all, I havent been, Im not now and never will be enamored by the uniform and realize that the badge and gun dont make the Copwhats in his/her brain and heart does and unfortunately, it seems as though the absolute WRONG type of individual is donning the uniform. Often times, for all the wrong reasons (and the same goes for military personnel IMO, but thats another article/post) people become Cops and if they themselves arent guilty of abusing their positions of authoritytheyre guilty of watching it happen within their ranks and tolerating it, so theres obvious guilt by association regardless. Thanks again and Ill end with this profound and applicable quote Police officers routinely lie, particularly to save their own skins, and when they do, they make credible witnesses. Judge Richard Neely West Virginia Supreme Appellate Court How about writing that novel? Perhaps one day I will charkee but as for now (and in the foreseeable future), songwriting and making music is where my passion lies. Fortunately, profound messages (i.e. thoughts, ideas, etc.) can be shared through a lyric and the music that carries it along equally as well as a novel. : -) You made me smile Jwriter. I have been telling all musicians of all genres of musical artistic expression they are going to be used in a mass awakening. If our universe is built on a harmonics and vibrations helping to wake up those in an amnesia like trance from all the side effects of social engineering via music, drums, sounds, pitch colors and symbols used in videos etc.so many wonderful avenues to use in this mass awakening. I was to share that there are already 7 special programed beings in place: two in U.S.A. and the other 5 at key places (such as where the grids of this Earth are controlled and being reactivated). I have been told to share this message when certain musicians come my way. I am just the messengerthey are the composers and the performers on their musical instrumentsthe artists in their wonderful music videos.so powerful many that come my way. So, artists listen with your musical ears because lyrics, melodies will be coming your way. Do not know why I was to share this with different musical artists for several yearsbut the ones I told this were very happy, the method was something like total sound resonance. Have no idea what that means. Many kids hear from their parents why dont you get a job that pays money when the young teen is strumming his guitar playing music and singing from his heart strings. These youngsters thank me for my words of encouragement. Jwriter send my way any music you create. OK. Excited to read your comment. Peace and may music fill the hearts of the hurting Human Race music can heal the broken hearts of all the pain caused by the war machine. : -) A most wonderful article and peoples thoughtful shares of wisdom. I feel like I could soar high over the mountain tops right now. I think I shall see what musical gifts came on my FB News feed today. Happy waking the sleeping Americans, it is time. :-))) FB needs some light among all the mis and dis information that this space is created forconfusion and to be nosey but the kids hang here and need some good information that is why I am there. I do know a handful of good Police Officersit is the new breed that scares the be-jesus out of me. Yeah. Hello Nancy and thanks so much, it pleased me a great deal to read what for me was the confirmation I was looking for as I move forward with a lyrically poignant (and hopefully, profound) song that Ive recently penned. I do indeed believe that youre the messenger Ive been awaiting, and its always exciting (as a receiver of such) when a validating message comes throughI in the past have been told by others from time-to-time that MY validation/confirmation of their activity is what THEY were awaiting, so Ive been on the giver side of the fence as well. The song Im working on is entitled, How Many? and was written in one sitting (which sometimes happens when I write, rolls out of my mind and onto the paper) and is intended to cause the listener/reader to think of the known innocent casualty of aggressive military action as well as the misconception that we as a nation believe were somehow special in the Creators eyes (the manifest destiny dogma thats unfortunately so predominant). Without any further adieu, here is the lyric itself for you to reviewits copyrighted through my PRO (BMI) so Im not worried about anyone pirating it from me. Should you feel led to reply, that would be greatif not, thats ok too, however you might be directed that way is fine with me. Thanks once again. How Many Vs.1 Vs. 2 Chorus Vs. 3 Chorus How many times? 2014 J.M.U. Music (BMI) I have a friend who became a policeman challenging for him to find a decent position without experience. . I told him he is too nice and they do not want Nice Cops. I told him just be near when the shiiite hits the fan if something close to Martial Law is passed I told him, I may need a friend within the force because of the work that I am trying to do of waking up Americans to what is really going on. So many can not get their heads out their arse or sand where ever they keep their eyes from the light of day. This was a great article and comments wonderful too. Thanks for a share of information without being ignorant. Refreshing. :-)Grateful for sharing such insight. I figured out what cops were all about when I was four years old, when I watched one beat a dog to death for no reason. The dog was tied up and quiet and bothering no one. The uniform, the badge, the whole silly paranoia of protection syndrome is nothing more than evidence of people refusing to take responsibility for their own safety and relying on the authorities to make an the world safe. Its delusional thinking dressed in riot gear. An apologist friend of mine put it succinctly to me a few weeks ago: Yes, because you saw cops beat a dog, you have decided that all police are that callous and ruthless. Well reasoned. Thats essentially the definition of stereotyping. You chose your name wrong. Youre not enlightened youre a bigot. Call them when your home is broken into and someone is trying to steal your shit or harm you. God, this site is so full of pussies. I was four years old, Im now 62. No cop I have ever met since has done anything to erase my first impression and I dont call them for anything ever. I take responsibility for my own safety. If thats being a pussy, then what are you? Well, if you dont call cops for anything ever, at least you are not a hypocrite, which is more than can be said for most of the people spouting off on this website. The pussy comment was uncalled for and rude I do apologize. I read articles like this and all of the comments supporting it and I wonder if folks realize that police literally put their lives on the line for the public safety every day. Scoff at that truth all you want, call it apologist rhetoric, but they do. I dont know how you can call it paranoia of protection. That simply doesnt make any sense to me. And judging an entire group of people based on the impression you (or anyone) has had with a few members of said group, is true bigotry. I understand some people have a problem with authority figures. Personally, I dont. I understand there are some cops out there who are truly bad people and they use their position to torture and harm and frighten the innocent. An example of why police are needed: Not everyone can fend for themselves. The most vulnerable members of our society children, the elderly, etc., need protection from those who would do them harm. Are the people on this site doing anything at all to protect those vulnerable populations? Are the people on this site stopping drunk drivers or abusive husbands or murderers? Probably not. Im sorry you had to see that horrible thing when you were so young. Apology accepted. Since you appear to be a kind person after all, let me just say to your comment that if some (percentage unknown) cops are murdering and torturing people and getting away with it, how safe is it to call one of them into your space? I have always had a problem with authority figures because I never granted any of them authority over me. The paranoia of protection statement means that people are programmed by the media to be paranoid of risk and danger. Life on earth is filled with risk, you cannot authorize anyone to magically show up and take that away and keep you safe. Its called taking responsibility. I am sure there are good cops who might get the chance to put murderers in prison, but they are also putting people in the same prison for smoking marijuana, which I find completely insane and unacceptable. 1/4 of the cops are too evil. 1/4 of the cops are too stupid. 1/4 of the cops are too fat. America sounds like it is becoming a clone of the terrorist State of Israel. Thanks for a terrific article. Im with you 100%. Id rather live a lonely life and be true to myself than have a plethora of friends and live a lie. We have been conditioned to the HERD mentality. Socrates also taught the tale of The Cave which is important in understanding why people in large groups cling to lies. We are teaching narcissism to our children and they are becoming hollow. There is one other thing that may be happening that has come to me over the years of attempting to wrap my head around the enigma of the dysfunctional american society. A kind of filter is taking place. Idiots following the blind right over a cliff. And you cant tell them that. The time has come for those who have eyes and see and the courage to speak the truth to come together and organize. It is best to do this face to face. We have conditioned our society to communicate through devices to an unnatural extent and will have to relearn the natural personal interface. The community gathering places during the revolution were instrumental in patriots sharing ideas and information, formulating some effective plans and putting then into action. If it worked then, it will work now. There were only 10 -15 % of the population that did this so dont expect huge crowds in the beginning. Our system that has been corrupted with cronyism and despotism will never fix itself, so we must find the courage ourselves to do this. We are the only ones who can. Texas, is the most crooked, fascist bootlicking state in existence. Drive down the Lone Star state and say that to a Texan. Exercising stupidity like that wont demonstrate intelligence, unsurprisingly. You dont need to say something to someones face to legitimise it as being truth. Thats like saying Hitler wasnt bad, because a Jewish person never criticised him to his face. And judging by their implied reaction that only seeks to demonstrate their indoctrination in violence and authoritarianism though their wanton and liberal application of it on fellow citizens only exercising their democratic right to freedom of speech, a founding principal of America. How can they not be authoritarian and fascist if the moment someone offers a differing opinion to theirs its met with violence, thats pretty much the definition of fascism, as thats exactly how Mussolini and Hitler behaved In fact by making that statement youve just proven Jack to be more correct. Godwins Law- While arguing on the internet- Invoking comparisons in an argument to Hitler- unless you are specifically talking about the History of Germany- means you lose the argument. So You LOSE! I was talking about Fascism. Not Hitler, I was using Hitler as an example of a fascist mindset alongside another example; Mussolini. Also to not allow someone to mention a persons name is pretty fascist a thing to want to vocally subscribe to. And to suggest that someone loses or wins with regard to discussing around a topic without a specific aim clearly suggests a level of maturity beneath what is expected to appreciate any level of debate in the first place. Whine on, you tiresome twit. Youve never been to New Jersey, have you? Wonderful essay! Now it is time be a competent adult by refusing all fraud and its evil fruits: losethename.com thanks. great comments. another factor in this mindless support is the TV. the endless drivel cop shows about how wonderful these human beings are. and if they break the law, its for your own good and they are the sheep dogs and you are the sheep. jesus. and while I am a great fan of Tom Selleck, the show Blue Bloods is one of the worst offenders. what a sanctimonious piece of shiite that show is. even the title, indicating, most subtly, that cops are royalty. so, as we know, about half of the population is below average in IQ (!), and after endless years of public indoctrination (ahem, education), the ability of the average person to critically judge a subject is a bit on the low side. (go!, cowboys.) yes, there is a need for peace officers, like there is a need for garbage collectors, and even city administrators. this does not make them special or better or exempt. its just an effing job. and its that tough, quit. and being a cop is not even close to the most dangerous job in america. shooting unarmed people, kids with toy guns, and family dogs is not exactly something to be proud of either. and for all you swat dips, if you like dressing up like wannabe warriors, join the damn marine corps. lets see how you do when people are shooting back. watching you pathetic idiots prancing around with all your military toys is very sad. I suspect that one of the reasons why many of these individuals have the attitude they have, is because they have never actually encountered an officer in the course of his or her duty; and who are, as you say, in fact corporate, and not public, servants. You can fired and should fired half of the cops and this country would still be fine. James, ditto on your observations, experiences and outlook. Let the two-by-fours start bringing reality to the apologist sheeple. Sad as it is thats all that will really get thru. Now get back to work on your bunker and preparations and stop trying to help those that dont want to be helped. Let the two-by-four take over. Jeff you sound like a little punk that just grew into an older little punk I still dont use facebook because it asks for your picture and name. Police lie and they lie all the time. Dont talk to them for any reason. Truth to them is nothing but an annoyance. They have been trained to lie, its a good way to catch liars and to get confessions whether they are true or not. I repeat do not talk to the police, even if you have nothing to hide, the slightest honestly mistaking inconsistency on your part could get you a long term stay in prison. Keep stressing this. Watched a great clip of an Investigator showing how even the simplest statement proving your innocence can be twisted against you. I disagree with you. But I recognize your right to state your opinion, however utterly wrong it might be. Thats America! Right on ! Of course joining Facebook is questionable, but the rest is where its at today. Then you see things like this article. mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/mystery-ufo-spotted-near-international-4989829 The authors have to use Conspiracy nuts a couple of times while saying it could be a Balloon, Ice, or some other bit of nonsense, and it also says people are nuts to think N.A.S.A cuts to another camera view when something shows on its cameras. Like this one. youtube.com/watch?v=Mloo3kxQfFM Just because today we get our news from a variety of sources online, we can see pattens quicker, or more anomalies that otherwise would have gone unnoticed in the newspaper age. Sure, take for example one can see in 1947 some strange things happen. Admiral Byrd goes to the Antarctic (operation highjump) in January for 8 months, but gets run out after 8 weeks. Tells newspaper in Chile that that disks can fly from pole to pole in short time. U.F.O Crash alleged in Roswell N.M in July. National Security Act passed in September creating the C.I.A, N.S.A. ect. First Transistor made in Dec of the same year. Sure, it could all be some strange set of happenstances, but it could also be directly connected as some have speculated. Thats the real beauty of the Internet. It will take time for people to become use to the change over from the C.M.M telling then what something is, to getting use to making real observations that point to a different conclusion, and be able to argue a case for it. Its just going to take time. QUESTION GOVERNMENT and LOOSE FRIENDS FAMILY DUDE Each and every point you have made I have been trying to get through to these people. I think people who accept religion especially (although not exclusively), are predisposed to accept that authority exists above and beyond man. For those that dont abide by religion we have created education which does the trick nicely in its place. They can never step back enough to realize that all of this is a construct of the very same people they live amongst. It is as if the police, judges and such are not just people wearing silly uniforms, but are actually some other type of entity that can never be re-evaluated and discovered to be failed. No matter what happens, or how bad the things are that they do, a complete restructuring of this system which is outside the scope and understanding of any of us (although conceived and created by us), can never be entertained. Before they can reach this point cognitive dissonance takes over. Sad to say, but Facebook is only for pasting fluffy kitten pictures and cute, innocuous stuff. The original post title was How To Lose Friends On Social Media. Not a single persons opinion on law enforcement. Misleading title for the actual substance and point of the post. Cops and law enforcement? As for losing friends based on your feelings/thoughts on law enforcement , it isnt surprising you lose friendsespecially when you consider if your posting subjects are always left of your so called friends politics. Duh. Its okay to go against the mainstream thinking. The key to it is understanding that you will not be liked or followed or listened to much. Thats life. And as for your loose interpretation of the word friends, I suggest they were not friends but acquaintances at best, whom you already said were not of the same ideals as your own. Want friends to not drop youstick to the conspiracy and anti gov, sites. Stick to like minded people. If you dont youre bound to be disappointed if friendship is what you want. And there are Facebook profiles with people that would embrace your ideals. Just got to find em. Brilliant essay! awesome article. so true. Btw, with domestic violence by cops more than half the national rate, your first girlfriend may be changing her tune. Id put money on her being in an abusive relationship. In my experience, such rigidity has a boatload of fear and denial buried underneath 