Part of our social contract with authorities is that we be told the truth about events going on in our world. Once upon a time the news media were our only source of information and we little option but to trust that the news pundits were generating their points of view fairly. As such people would migrate to listen to (or read) points of view that supported their specific beliefs (bias confirmation). But the polarization occurring today is more reminiscent of totalitarian regimes than democratic systems. Don’t mistake this for naivety about the Mainstream Media (MSM). People in power have always sought to mislead the public to further whatever agenda’s they might have, but healthy skepticism could uncover the lies by thinking critically and reviewing alternate perspectives in order to make one’s own mind up about what is happening.
Back in the 1960s, I recall talking with people that had moved from behind the ‘iron curtain’ (The old Soviet bloc countries). They talked of the Pravda news that the governments used to tell their truth to keep people in line – good old propaganda. To most of the people in the Soviet system this was obvious, but looking for alternate perspectives could land one in trouble so care had to be taken about who one trusted. The same was true in Nazi Germany of the 1930s and WWII with all the occupied countries. In the west, we had the illusion of truth, but ‘false flag’ events (e.g., see earlier post More on conditioning 3 – More about False Narratives and how to Recognize Them {December 2019}) still occurred where official narratives sought (and still do) to control public perceptions, especially during times of crisis.
One of the core beliefs of western democracies is that of Freedom of Speech. This is enshrined as both a social contract, and in many countries also as a legal one (e.g., the U.S. first amendment). While we might seek bias confirmation as a natural way of thinking, it is important that each of us practice discretion and critical thinking and not accept authoritarian narratives as if they were gospel. In the past we had plenty of alternative perspective hard media options to choose from, or so we believed. There was a time when news media outlets were somewhat independent, but since the 1980s and the advent of globalization and corporate consolidation, we now have 90-96% of media now controlled by five related mega-media corporations. And of course, major controlling shareholders of these corporations include the ubiquitous global investment companies of Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street Investments, and Berkshire Hathaway (see earlier post Saving the world through Meetings? – A Rant, WEF, COP26, etc. – Part 2 {November 2021}).
I could use many examples of how governments worldwide have acted to control our perceptions in the last two years of this Covid debacle while doing the opposite in their own actions (a recent one being the British Partygate). The simple observation is that it has been a concerted global MSM system of lies with the same narrative rather than what was once just attributed to a single regime. The allied use of social media to propagate singular worldviews and cancel (censor) any alternate perspectives has broken whatever social contracts we think we have and fostered an even more radical culture of distrust with each other. Now is the time to take stock of what is going on with global events and Great Reset narratives that are designed to subdue our personal sovereignty. “To learn who rules [has power] over you, simply find out who [or what] you are not allowed to criticize” Voltaire.
What is important is that when we hear about some event and the MSM do not even mention it, then that is a red flag. Or, when we see a specific point of view being adamantly censored by the MSM or see an alternate perspective that contradicts the MSM, then that is a red flag. This is not to say that alternate perspectives are automatically correct, and that anyone censored is valid, but that anytime you see this occurring at all is a time for you to put up a red flag in your mind as something not right. Then it is up to us all to make a concerted effort to find out for ourselves what alternate perspectives are saying and make up our own minds about what seems true. Don’t give your power to media pundits who may have hidden agenda’s that are not good for you. I know for myself that especially during this past two years, many pundits I still had some respect for I now disdain because they all were giving the same strange contradictory narratives that I now believe to be highly flawed. It seemed to me that they had chosen, or maybe were themselves coerced, into pushing a specific narrative with censorship – either way they lost my respect for lack of integrity. If we cannot trust the narratives from our western MSM then they are no better than Pravda was in its day – pure propaganda from the controllers.
For me freedom of speech and the ability to have different perspectives is the cornerstone of a civilized society where we can create social contracts with trust and integrity. We don’t have to agree, but we do have to allow each other’s sovereignty as we work together to create a better world, starting at the local level. I now see the MSM as a tool for the hierarchy to awaken the ‘Monsters of the ID’ (see post Sustainability, Technology, Mindfulness and Choice {July 2020}) in which to pit each of us against each other while masking the hierarchical nefarious agendas. When the MSM push is to create division be very aware. When we no longer have safe space to discuss everything then be aware. When we find the thought police checking (e.g., political correctness) what we say and how we say it, be aware. I am reminded of a 1981 film, First Monday in October, in which the simple premise is two U.S. Supreme Court justices keep bickering over an upcoming decision to ban pornography. The conclusion is that both agree they hate pornography but one believes preserving free speech is crucial no matter what the topic. Interestingly, Larry Flynt, the publisher of many glossy pornographic magazines, was an ardent proponent of free speech, because he said that if you can protect pornography, you can protect anyone’s freedom of speech on any other topic. The latest round of book banning (book burning) and alternative scientific papers is disconcerting. Anytime you are forbidden from reading something, it has less to do with protecting minds as to protect the hierarchy from heretical ideas contrary to their agendas.
Yet, in this new covid age of extreme censorship, too many people want to shut down dialogue with the premise of saving lives from misinformation. That is a wonderful ‘greater good’ manipulation of public perception to create a singular narrative and get public buy-in to censorship. Instead of dialogue that rationally discusses many other expert views, we are stuck pundits and their selected technocrats to further erode our autonomy and sovereignty. Instead of building bridges of understanding with compassion and sensitivity, we build walls and barriers to keep ‘the others’ away. When you fix your beliefs, and thoughts follow along fixed and stuck parameters, then your life is in a rut. Be open and flexible in all aspects of life. Do not be too eager to build structures of limitation into your life. “[Censorship] is just another form of bullying. It’s all about fear and the assumption of power. The key is to address the fear and deny the power” James Howe.
Stop giving your power away and having feeling of inferiority to the hierarchy that want to control us. Stop giving your authority to others to decide who you are and how valuable you may be. “They tried to bury us but forgot we were seeds” anon. The thing about powerful people is that they conceal themselves with having immense privilege that shields them from transparency, and they normalize this as OK so we accept it. If how politicians handling this so-called pandemic is taken as a typical reaction to a crisis (and it is) then why does letting politicians (working with corporations) handle our numerous economic and ecological crises seem like a good idea? And why do so many let it happen?
“Banning Books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight” Stephen Chbosky.
To be Continued …………………….
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