Surviving Capitalism (Not) : The Surrealism of the Information War (Another commentary on this excellent article.)

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, March 31, 2019

The Surrealism of the Information War (Another commentary on this excellent article.)

Click here to access article by Gilbert Mercier from News Junkie Post. (Final paragraph revised somewhat for greater clarity on 4/1 at 11:52 AM CT.)

This article is very thought-provoking, and I would like to share some of my thoughts in my commentary.

Humans since the beginning of civilizations (about 2% of human existence) have been plagued with ruling classes who have tried to convince the rest that it is "their way or the highway", that is, their subjects must always accept their truths or they will be banished or punished in one way or another.

Truth has always been a slow awakening to insights about how our world functions and our place in it. Our creation of scientific methods has offered us a much more disciplined method of discovering truths. As the result of our efforts, we have learned much during recent centuries.

Basically we have learned that we are only a minuscule part of our planet's nature that has produced so many life forms, and we are rapidly destroying our own habitat. This insight is opposed by the current ruling class of capitalists because their very system has not only enabled them to dominate the rest of us to our detriment, but is the culprit responsible for the ongoing destruction of our habitat. We are also becoming aware that their system is responsible for creating extremes of living standards, wars, and many other hazardous conditions for the majority. Is it so surprising that our ruling capitalist class are energetically fighting such truths and proliferating fake news about what is happening in the world?

One of the effects I've been witnessing of this ongoing campaign of fake news is that many occupants in nations controlled by the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire exhibit behaviors that can be described as "deer caught in the headlights". This metaphor suggests that many occupants of the Empire have become mostly immobilized and unwilling to act for their own survival. I especially see indications of this among people in the USA where I live. This troubles me very much.

I think that the ongoing fake news and propaganda spread by our ruling class is largely responsible for this behavior. My fellow Americans are thoroughly confused, and in their confusion, they adopt a "don't rock the boat" kind of attitude. This attitude clashes with relatively few more independent thinkers who are terrified about the dangers posed by our rulers and their system, and who want to act.