Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Whatever... a little thought train.

We are very lucky to be able to read books, they sure make my life more rich. I would die with out books - well - my mind would . I have learned so much from them, more than I can even begin to imagine. All the books that I have forgotten that I have read are in there somewhere as part of my thoughts. It becomes hard to realise where your own original thoughts begin and end. Or are most of our thoughts bits and pieces of wisdom and knowledge from the world around us other people and books. When we sit still and think about it our mind makes sense of it and some of us write it down. I mean the world has been around for a long time; most of us will be thinking things that have been thought by millions of souls, perhaps even ourselves in past lives...or whatever. but what we have learned will make it easier or possible for us to make sense of what we know and to imagine more.

And another thought train I'm travelling with now is that compared to some who have great willpower, I have never been any good at saving. I am afraid that if there is any spare, I want to share it to buy things for the girls mainly because I just like to do that. As they say, “No pockets in a shroud”...but I should be a bit more careful than I am. I am pretty careful in that I ensure bills get paid, and that they don’t pile up too much. I am very responsible like that, because like most of us from the working class there is a real fear that if something goes wrong it is hard enough to handle without being dogged by a pile of unpaid bills.

I do get afraid of the credit card high Australia seems to be on. One card...fine, within your limits to repay, and no more. Some people get paid and as soon as they do the banks take out a big portion of their wages to pay back all the credit card debts that they owe. The companies who offer credit, as far as I can see do not do it very responsibly, knowing that many will get way in over their heads, and thats where the banks make profit because if you ever get a good look at the corporate structure of Australian banks and big businesses, also world wide, it is clear to see that the four main banks all have board members in common on their boards, and many of these board members are also on the boards of Myers, Coles, Target, AGC, etc etc. They are not stupid and they know exactly what they are doing even when you see them on TV urging the people to be careful, you can be almost certain that there will be an add on within five minutes urging us to spend spend and spend again.

Its like the fashion magazines who do these awful stories of anorexia, or how big is beautiful and then fill up their pages with starving looking girls, and quiz pages on how to keep your man, with no emphasis on true self esteem. “I am nothing without a man” Then when you look at who owns the media which includes Dolly and Cosmo type magazines...there you find the Murdoch’s and Packers and in the U.S. Its the same. Its the same world-wide.

I read in a book once the name of which eludes me right'll come later on, that there are two main ways that the world’s rulers( who are not governments but are in reality just a few elite families who have controlling interests in just about everything) that they use to ensure we act exactly as they want. They use “problem, reaction, solution” or “stepping stone” psychology to ensure we act predictably all the while thinking we are the ones doing the thinking.

“Problem, reaction, solution” goes like this. First you create a problem - it could be a terrorist bomb, or reports of dole bludging being pandemic. You use the media which you own to report very widely this problem, and then ensure that there is much discussion on current affairs and other media about what solution there must be. This causes public reaction. Then you present the people with a solution which they think they created but which was what you wanted all along because you actually created the initial problem in the first place, but of course few people would really believe that our leaders would ever act like this and those who do are called ‘conspiracists’ and that shuts most of us up. Nobody wants to be called a fruitloop.

The other is “Stepping stones”. You (a corporation or government body...much the same anyway) know where you want to lead people, but realise that if you gave them the true picture you would face substantial opposition. So you get to the destination you want by taking little steps and each one is shown to the people in isolation and appears unconnected to all the others. It is like a drip, drip, drip to global centralisation of government and economy (i.e. companies). Most people are now becoming comfortable with photo identification, but in the mid 1980’s there were demonstrations in the streets when they tried to bring in an Australia card with our pictures on it, and a number. Well now they have our ATO number, which never needed to be used to apply for bank accounts or jobs or anything; and now most people have a licence or some form of ID because its easier if you want to use modern shopping; a card to access your own cash also identifies what you are spending your own money on. Years ago it was abhorrent to us all the think that others would know where and how we spent our own cash. It was our right to privacy not to have to have anyone else know this. Unless we were major criminals and then the police had that right... but now every corporation in the world can access all our spending habits every time we use cards for goods and services. This allows them to build up profiles on people. Harmless enough now. Now that we have been softened up to ID photos, how much easier will we be told that Iris scanning or fingerprinting for ID for ATM’s will make our lives. But once again this will happen by stepping stones, till one day it will be compulsory, for our own good of course.

Then again if you say this to people most think its crazy to think that anyone would be this patient and devious. Actually I think it is crazy to think that companies like McDonald’s, Shell Oil, Chase Manhattan Banks and others would not be this devious. Of course they would and are, and if we ever think or are being told, that big companies and governments do anything for the love of it and to benefit the people, then we should be doubly awake. Because thats when they are probably actively setting up shit in place.

I feel much more positive realising this stuff because when I go shopping, I can recognise that the good feeling you get is enjoyable but it is precisely that good feeling that the companies rely on to keep us in debt and unable to be really free. The latest clothes, cars, gear nick nacks and electronics... appreciate them but know in your guts what they are, that they only give a hollow short lived happiness which when over leaves you feeling hungry and unhappy yet again. We all feel it because we have been conditioned over all our lives to feel this way.

Sure I like nothing better than a new interesting book, I spend up at Christmas all of that and then think shit what was that all sure felt good, but why? Realising that we are constantly being manipulated to want and need and to tie this in with being happy or not is half the battle. The trick is to remember it while you are doing it. Thats a hard one. I am still working on it for me. Because when I get down or blue what do I a dress or book or whatever. and I feel good...why? Because I have been conditioned to feel good when I have something new or interesting and also because I have the money to purchase what I really (for now) there is a faint feeling of the power of money involved...a feeling of richness, of the ability to keep the wolf away from the door just a bit longer. This feeling is in us all. I mean you know you feel a lot better getting around a shopping centre with thirty dollars in your bag, than nothing in your bag. Even if you don’t spend it and only have a cup of coffee, it still feels good. When you don’t have the power of money in your pocket it feels awful. Even if you are full of lunch, well dressed and have a place to sleep, if you do not have that bit of money in your bag or feel “hungry” ...why?

Thats what the people who manipulate us understand at the deepest levels possible, more that I will ever realise. They realise that ...” push this out this string....create this this this music...teach this way at school...etc” and we will all do exactly what they want us to do without coercion, without whips or guns...and we will not realise that it is really a prison a prison of the mind.

Its the reality of that prison that makes us feel like we are lost, without direction, floating, getting older without purpose etc...treated unfairly...all of that. We all feel it...and they use those feelings to by allowing all the swag of cults and “religions” and ideologies that are laid out before us for us to choose...some choice! Some of us hand over to others to sort out our spiritual emptiness...some of us give up and just live...the rest of us have a level of awareness that lets us know that something is really wrong with the world, with how we feel, but we each think it is us that is out of step...when in fact it is our questioning, our longing, our heartfelt seeking that is what is making us truly human. Religion is for the masses who hand over. Some very good people can go to a church and use the stillness to pray and that is a good thing, but I think you realise that none of us fit into any of the moulds that are being laid out for us to “choose” from.

I try when I read a news story about Iraq, or about a new drug being suddenly needed...asking questions like,
“Why is this story being broadcast on every station at the same time”
“Who benefits from this”
“Where did it really come from”
“When was it all put together
“What is it really about”

The “Who, what when where and why” formula is good to use for everything...and if it doesn’t gel, then you will feel something is wrong and it probably is. I don't always succeed nor put in the effort. Sometimes I am too tired or preoccupied or just humanly lazy.

But the most important thing these days is to ask , “what is this story connected to?” - “Have I seen or heard anything previously that seems connected to this ?” - “Who would be able to have the media power to ensure that this story has gotten such wide coverage, world-wide/Australia wide/ at the same time in almost identical format” Thats always a worry.

A bit more of a thought train than what I thought it would be...just some things I have been thinking about from time to time.

1 comment:

BwcaBrownie said...

Total agreement from me.
When forming a question about any worrying issue - Follow The Money!

My town is not fluoridated. Council wants to.
I keep saying 'What will it cost? Will rates go up to cover this extra cost? Who sells it? Where does it come from?'

the two opposing movements in town are only focussed on the 'teeth of the little kiddies'

Fluoride is poison.