Is there any way to know of the injustice around oneself and not be spurred to action? Be elitist, be short-minded, be cruel; On the other hand, suicide or full open revolution are both suitable for subverting the power structure, although staying informed requires being alive.

I define Post-Modernism by one word: Relativism. All-encompassing Truths, be they scientific, religious, philosophical, etc. (categorization made for simplicity) are highly suspect in the Postmodern mind due to the importance of interpretation with regard to the definition of what is real. Interpretation is everything and relativism is the rule if such is the case.

I am in respectful disagreement with this statement for the following reason. Much of the art from the medieval period of European art had an understanding that the symbolism contained within would be immediately identifiable by the viewer and this is something that is lost to most of us today. We may think we know the meaning of a piece, but can that be certain if we do not speak the language of its symbols? And if we can fit Medieval art (or any other symbolic art in history) within the definition of requiring specific cultural knowledge, then Postmodernism as an art movement seems not to be defined by this criterion.

If I recognize the suffering animals in industrial farm conditions undergo, these farms begin to look worse than concentration camps. At least Gypsies and Jews had a marginal chance to survive. I have difficulty eating animals that feel pain in a similar way to the difficulty I have eating infant babies or humans with disabilities.

Why not just stick to avoiding causing suffering for animals with nervous systems?

If you wish to have freedom as a woman in the modern world, the best thing you can do is not be born in an Islamic country. Moderate Muslim feminists are accusing Femen of going too far just as MLK was going too far in asking for racial equality in the United States. Of course, it must be said that he probably would not have been successful if his protest were done in the nude.

He raises a good point in that our own moods are easily projected onto the world.

What is inherently wrong with looking up the capital of Djibouti or any other piece of information? It seems unrealistic to think we should not have access to accurate information rather than the imperfect store of knowledge we keep within our heads. Are attention spans shorter now than they were in the days of 56k? And for that matter, I do not recall people having longer attention spans before cell phones or personal computers so this whole idea seems a bit over-inflated. I know my assertion is an anecdotal one, but perhaps it can provide a counterpoint upon which further discussion can continue. I do share your concern about the short attention spans of the majority of the (American) population, at least my perception of it, but has this not always been the case? Was there a time in history when the vast majority had longer attention spans and spent their days writing novels, poems, and conducting experiments for the betterment of the common good? This has historically been a luxury granted to a few while the rest of any given population would have been slaving away in their respective jobs while gossiping and spending their free time carousing and listening to popular folk music, the equivalent of the pop music of today. Perhaps access to information and having such access available quickly could make people more aware of what is going on around them? Time is only going one way (at least from what we can discern at this point) and to lament the downfall and degradation of humanity is nothing new.

Heaven is a corner store That went out of business, With people still knocking and trying to get in it.

It's a corner store That filed for chapter 11, Since nobody needs junk food when they're sittin' in heaven.

Heaven is a corner store that fanatics still frequent, buying condoms and porn mags while judging with meanness.

Heaven is a corner store where the poor still pay for those things the rest of us consumed, already thrown away.

This statement pulled me out of my depression-coma long enough to crack a smile. Thank you.

I also do the same in many cases where large responses already exist and my assertions would probably only serve to suffocate the airwaves with needless signals.

Do not let your confirmation bias get in the way of clear thinking when it comes to the feasibility of living a money-free life. The best advice for you has already been stated. Though a degree in its physical form is a piece of paper, it must also be viewed as a personal achievement. If you quit now, there will be an immediate feeling of weight being lifted from you, but that weight will eventually manifest itself in another guise as depression always does. Have you ever been on antidepressants?

“A book is a suicide postponed.” -Emil Cioran, the most pessimistic philosopher to date. He makes Schopenhauer look like Nietzsche.