Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Enlightening The Zeitgeist: Three Reasons For Revolution

Enlightening The Zeitgeist: Three Reasons For Revolution

September 22, 2015 | By Guest Post | Politics
 
EtZ 1 - Original
By: Noah James Hittner |
A few quick notes about this article…
    • This is an interactive article. The blue/underlined links spread throughout will take the reader to specific references and resources (videos, articles, etc.) when clicked.
    • This article was previously published on this website as a 6-part blog series, which can be found by clicking here:  Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Conclusion.
    • Note: At the time this piece was produced, all of the links in this article led to functional websites. I apologize if that is no longer the case.
Enlighten:  To become informed, inspired, unburdened or empowered.
Zeitgeist:  The general outlook, spirit, or cultural climate of the times.
Revolution:  A sudden and profound brand of change.

INTRODUCTION:
What if Everyone Suddenly Knew?
Never akin to the world of politics during my first 3+ decades on planet Earth, things…well…have changed. But my newfound attraction to politics is not what you might think. The politics of today are not what have drawn me into this arena. It is the politics of tomorrow which have done that. I find little inspiration in today’s lobbying, corporatized, warring, and perception-manipulating brand of politics. What inspires me is the promise of what politics could be one day:
A species-wide expression of sustainability in our relationships to our envirmonment, to each other, and to ourselves.
There is room for great purpose–for evolution–within the political arena–no matter how dark it seems. In fact, it is literally the flagship of the consciousness of our species! Our politics show us exactly what we have generally accepted to be true about ourselves as a people…thus far. What this ultimately means is that we have as a collective–each and every one of us–in one way or another–through our zealous fundamentalism or apathetic denial, our deceit or ignorance–created the corrupt political climate that we are all currently surviving. We are all responsible for it, but that does not imply blame or fault. In a manner of speaking, it’s nobody’s fault because it’s everybody’s fault. Our crooked political arena is simply the external/physical/visible manifestation of our evolutionary progress to this point. It could, quite literally, have happened no other way because we’ve done the best we can given the information that has been made available to us…to this point.
Following that line of thought, until we have become exposed to, or are somehow made aware of, realities or truths which challenge what we’ve always believed to be true…we are incapable of perceiving that we have a choice in the matter! In essence, to make a choice, we must first feel as though we have a choice—we must become aware of the choice.
The purpose of this article series is to contribute to that informative process so that we may all begin—as a community of free-thinkers—to perceive an entire new realm of choice, and to move forward from that point toward the creation of some revolutionary brand of new, sustainable politics.
That Said, What if Everyone Suddenly Knew…
What if we all suddenly knew—were made aware of the fact—that the Federal Reserve is not a federal institution, but rather a private central bank operated by a few wealthy elite; and, that those few wealthy elite have been empowered to decide how money works in order to perpetuate and consolidate their wealth and power?
What if we all suddenly knew—were made aware of the fact—that we don’t really get a choice in the election of the president; and, that we are merely offered an “illusion of choice” by a two-party system (the Republicans and the Democrats) that seeks only to perpetuate its rule?
What if we all suddenly knew—were made aware of the fact—that the bulk of our mass media outlets are owned by a mere handful of corporations; and, that this corporate media’s general theme—or intent—is to broadcast a distorted brand of information, which ultimately serves to enhance corporate power and profit margins, containing little or nothing to do with the notion of “truth”?
This three-tiered system of control via the Monetary, Electoral, and Media systems is elusive and phantasmal because we have all been indoctrinated into it over the course of our lives, our parents’ lives, and beyond. Exposing these systems is often labeled as “unpatriotic,” “conspiracy,” or “dissent.” Yet, I have found that the use of such absolutist terms is usually indicative that something of profound relevance has been stirred-up. If the masses—WE THE PEOPLE—all of us, suddenly knew the control systems mentioned above to be fact…what might happen? What could a nation of aware peoples accomplish with this kind of knowledge?
Thus, the Monetary System, the Electoral Process, and the Mass Media are the 3 Reasons for Revolution, and will be the focus of this multi-part discussion, running as follows:
INTRODUCTION:  What if Everyone Suddenly Knew?
PART 1:  Reason #1—The Monetary System—Built to Create Debt-Servitude
PART 2:  Reason #2—The Electoral Process—An Illusion of Choice
PART 3:  Reason #3—The Mass Media—Deliverers of False Reality
PART 4:  Revolutionary Solutions
CONCLUSION:  Excavating the Truth
PART 1:
Reason #1—The Monetary System—Built to Create Debt-Servitude
What would you say if I told you that the Federal Reserve (the institution in command of the production of our money supply) was not a part of the federal government? And, a likely reason that it carries the “Federal” part of its name is to encourage the assumption that it is indeed a federal entity…which, again, it absolutely is not.
The fact of the matter is that the Federal Reserve is a privately-owned central bank masquerading as a government agency for the people. It, quite literally, is a group of wealthy elite who were empowered many years ago—by our own government—to have monopolistic command over the nation’s money supply. This system was put in place as a means of control. He who controls the money—controls all.
How it Works…
Essentially, the Federal Reserve prints the money and loans it to our government…at interest. Therein lies the first and most fundamentally corrupt control system:  Where is the interest supposed to come from?
EXAMPLE:  Let’s say a brand-new country creates a brand-new central bank like the Federal Reserve, and that central bank prints the country’s first batch of money. For the sake of keeping things simple, let’s say it prints $10. The bank delivers that money to the new country’s government—at 5% interest. The quandary is this:  Where is the 5% going to come from when it was never printed in the first place? You guessed it—the central bank, once again, via the phenomenon known as “inflation.” This in turn creates what? You guessed it—more debt.
Thus…a National Debt is created.
This is an extremely simplified example. Yet, what it means is that every single dollar in circulation represents debt—every single dollar. And, this is a debt that cannot possibly be paid off under the arrangement of our current monetary system, because the amount of money owed back to the Federal Reserve will always exceed the amount of money that currently exists in circulation—due to the phenomenon known as “interest.” It doesn’t take much of an imagination to realize the hopeless brand of financial slavery this paradox creates for the public. This system benefits only those at the top of the fiscal food chain, and leaves the rest holding the proverbial bag.
What’s more, our money, though once backed by gold, is no longer backed by anything whatsoever. This means that the private central bank, known as the Federal Reserve, prints up complicated-looking green bills worth no more than the paper and ink used to make them. The only thing that gives those fancy-looking bills any “real” value is our belief in the system itself—solidified by our decades of servitude. The entire money-machine is built on the idea of scarcity. Our public’s belief in its value—combined with a great and terrible fear of not having enough—is absolutely crucial to the perpetuation and success of that machine.
The ramifications that this kind of monetary system has had on our society are astronomical. There is very strong evidence to support the notion that the financial crises of our country have been deliberate, calculated, and executed in order for the wealthy elite to further consolidate their wealth and power. This includes, but is not limited to, The Great Depression as well as the financial crisis of 2008. By manipulating the ebb and flow of the money supply and interest rates—in order to evoke financial crises—the wealthy elite have been able to acquire the property, land and resources from those at the bottom of the fiscal food chain who have inevitably gone broke along the way. It is as brilliant as it is sinister.
Sound ridiculous?!? Consider the following reality of how our banking system works today, and then ask yourself:  Who in their right mind—who claims to love a country and its people—would create a system like this:
The Fractional Reserve System of Banking:  Money Out of Nowhere…
Under the fractional reserve system of banking, when a deposit is made into a bank, that bank is then allowed to use a certain percentage of the deposit (let’s say roughly 90%) as a basis for new loans to other customers. Let me repeat:  The bank is then allowed to use a certain percentage of that deposit as a basis for new loans…therein lies the catch. While common sense might suggest that the 90% to be loaned is coming from the aforementioned deposit…this is simply not the case. Under the fractional reserve system, the bank is allowed to create that amount of money…out of thin air.
EXAMPLE:  John Doe deposits $1000 into a bank. Under the fractional reserve system of banking, the bank is then allowed to loan a percentage of that money out (let’s say roughly 90% or $900) to other customers. So, John Q Public comes to the bank and asks for a loan of $900. Once again, it is very logical to assume that the $900 would be coming out of the original $1000 deposit. But this is simply not what’s going on. The bank actually creates that $900 out of nowhere—as mere digits on a screen. Then, when that new $900 loan is deposited, the cycle continues.
What this means is that, under the fractional reserve system, a bank can give you a “loan” of money that isn’t real, was never printed, was created out of nowhere, and is represented by mere digits on a computer screen. This makes the bank’s liability strictly theoretical because it hasn’t actually given you anything. Yet, what is required of you is to make loan payments with your actual/real money, and if you happen to default on your loan, the bank can seize your assets.
TRANSLATION:  The bank risks nothing by giving you nothing real—but can take everything real from you. They get something for nothing. When a person takes from another person in this way, it’s called a “crime.” When a bank does it, it’s called “money-creation.”
Whether consciously or unconsciously, we’ve all generally agreed to the notion that a particular amount of “money” entitles us to a particular amount of resources (food, shelter, heat, transportation, stuff, etc.), or what we might otherwise call:  An inherent ability or potential to exist. So henceforth, let’s simply call money:  Existence Potential. Thus, according to our current monetary system, the wealthy, particularly the wealthy elite, are granted far more potential to exist than the non-wealthy. (And yes, they have indeed been “granted” this right via our universal agreement about the value of our paper bills.) So, let’s break this down:  One group of people has more green paper than another; and, because of this fact, those with lots of that green paper are entitled to more of the Earth’s resources.
Reflexively, I am inclined to ask the question, “Is that fair?” But, on second thought, I don’t think that “fairness” has anything to do with it. The more relevant question—in regard to a holistically-sustainable world—might be, “Does it make any sense?” From the perspective of competition and capitalism, the answer is undoubtedly a booming “Yes!” But, we’re talking about life here, about our fellow man, about our world and environment, about all of the things that made capitalism possible in the first place—NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
Which brings us to the fundamental problem with our current monetary system:  You see, the system is always-always-always self-justified in its unrelenting acquisition of more and more Existence Potential (more money) even if it means war, bailouts, poverty, pollution and the like. This type of value system is a direct result of our universal agreement on how and why we’ve come to value money. To reiterate, for the majority of people, money directly represents the ability to acquire resources needed to survive. It translates directly as Existence Potential. Therefore, the acquisition of it—in whatever manner is deemed necessary in the moment—will always be paramount to the entity—whether that entity be an individual, a company, or a nation. The acquisition of Existence Potential will always precede any ideas of Sustainability because, in our current system, the two are quite naturally seen as mutually exclusive—particularly when survival of the entity is perceivably at stake. This, in turn, propagates the “enemy-concept.” For, anyone who is perceived as a threat to the influx of Existence Potential (one’s ability to live) is then officially declared an enemy, a terrorist, a threat to national security.
In essence—via our current monetary system—we have all agreed that our inalienable right to life is not inalienable at all…it must actually be earned. And because this is so, the true well-being of our world, our neighbor, and ourselves can—and will—never come first. But if we—THE PEOPLE—decide on a new value system (a new paradigm that determines what and how we determine value), a system that considers the sustainability of our environmental and social wellbeing first and foremost, a system that fundamentally rejects the concept of the “enemy” and all of its protégés:  poverty, pollution, capitalism, and the like…if we the people make THIS DECISION, then perhaps a revolution would not be far behind.
PART 2:
Reason #2—The Electoral Process—An Illusion of Choice
What would you say if I told you that when we go to the polls to vote for a president, we’re not actually getting a real choice, but are merely offered an “illusion of choice” between two dominant political parties (the Republicans and the Democrats)? What if I told you that there was an intentional effort to keep the public trained into believing that no other candidates are relevant or viable, and that the entire process was set in place in order to ensure that only members of one of those two parties could become president?
Why might this be? First of all, we’ve been programmed to believe that the Republicans and Democrats are what the government is supposed to be. But this is simply not true. What if I told you that the concept of “political parties” has become ingrained into our idea of government and politics over time simply because they have been there for so long, but that—like money—these parties only have the value we as the people assume them to have…making them fundamentally NON-essential to our political process, and perhaps—as of late—a dangerous liability?
You see, the Republicans and Democrats, generally speaking, are merely different sides of the same coin. This is evidenced not by where they actively disagree, but rather, where they have remained mutually silent:  Our corrupted monetary system and its parent institution—The Federal Reserve. As discussed in PART 1, this is the ORIGINAL PROBLEM. All social, political, economic and environmental disharmonies begin there. For, there can be no harmony and no rest in a culture operating solely on the principal of debt, profit, power and capitalism first…and the sustainability of its people and planet last. Thus, due to a lack of ability to create real, sustainable change in this area, our monetary disaster—via the private central bank known as The Federal Reserve—appears to have been mutually endorsed by both the Democratic and Republican parties through their shared silence and inaction.
The Commission on Presidential Debates (The CPD)…
If you’re skeptical about the idea of the two parties working together to maintain control over our political system, here is proof:  The CPD. Have you heard of it? It is a corporation that was started years ago by the chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties in order to seize control of the Presidential Debates. It is no stretch of the imagination to realize that leaving such a profoundly important political happening in the hands of two major political parties creates an equally profound conflict of interest of which the people inevitably suffer the consequences.
The Democratic and Republican party-run CPD created what’s known as the “15% barrier” which basically states that in order for a third-party candidate (a non-republican and non-democrat) to be allowed into the Presidential debates, that candidate must first have 15% support in national polls.
TRANSLATION:  Third-party candidates must first have the popular support—that they are seeking by appearing in the presidential debates in the first place—prior to appearing in the presidential debates. This is what is referred to as a catch 22.
Only once since the CPD took over control of the debates in 1988 has a third-party candidate been allowed to debate—requiring the billionaire status of Ross Perot in 1992. Since the inception of the 15% barrier, not one single third-party candidate has been allowed to participate in the debates—not one.
In fact, in the first presidential debate of 2000, third-party candidate Ralph Nader was such a threat to the Democratic and Republican parties (represented by Gore and Bush), that not only was he not allowed to debate them, he was also told—by police—to leave the grounds under threat of arrest when he tried to attend as an audience member. The agenda of the CPD to maintain a stranglehold over the presidential debates in order to maintain the “illusion of choice” has never been so transparent.
If that wasn’t enough, it has also been reported that the candidates dictate many conditions that determine how the debates will proceed, including the screening of questions and the handpicking of which questions are to be asked! Furthermore, the two major party candidates have agreed that they will not appear on any other debates with any other candidates, in essence, giving the CPD a monopoly on the debates.
So, what we have is an INTENTIONALLY-CREATED SYSTEM whereby the essential alternative philosophies of potential third-party candidates are silenced by the fact that they are unable to receive any mass media exposure. It doesn’t take much thought to imagine the all-out carnage to voter education that this causes—by not allowing to occur—a truthful, authentic debate on issues that the people want to know about.
The result of this kind of corrupted electoral process is that it has guaranteed the placement into office those who have allowed systems such as the Federal Reserve to dictate the nation’s future. If the people—the masses—were able to hear more clearly the voices of those potential leaders who more clearly resembled themselves and their own values, the voices of those whose interests lie in the creation of a holistically-sustainable culture, the voices of those who would seek to cultivate a logically compassionate brand of leadership—a brand of leadership that would not succumb to the current propagandist, warmongering tactics of fear, hate, and terror in order to persuade public opinion—a brand of leadership that would not perpetually fly the false flag of “Patriotism” in order to carry out financial and otherwise elitist agendas…if we the people were able to hear THOSE VOICES, then perhaps a revolution would not be far behind.
PART 3:
Reason #3—The Mass Media—Deliverers of False Reality
What would you say if I told you that the major mass media outlets (where the public is supposed to be able to go to get a truthful account of world affairs) are now generally owned by a handful of corporations? What if I told you that money, profit and capitalism are now the central focus of our news providers…rather than the unbiased, informative account of the local, national and global events—the knowing of which—are essential to a public’s ability to arrive at rational and logically-accurate conclusions?
In the early 80’s, the bulk of our TV, radio, newspaper, and other media outlets, were owned by fifty corporations. That number has profoundly plummeted down to FIVE. Let me repeat, there are now five corporations that control the majority of the major media providers in the U.S.
In light of this statistic—and this statistic alone—I believe we have enough evidence to suggest that the information passed to us from our major mass media absolutely cannot be taken at face value. This is because the end result is not journalism—but rather—capitalism, profit and power achieved through the delivery of false reality; a false reality that seeks to undermine the public’s intuition and convince them that they must consume in order to achieve success; a false reality that fossil fuels are our only energy solution; a false reality that the world is a dangerous place full of terror[ists], and that we are unpatriotic if we question our government’s propensity for war in the name of “national security.”
Have you noticed this trend? Have you noticed the mass media’s incessant flair for the dramatic? It is through the use of these dramatic and fear-based campaigns that the mass media captures our attention; and, over time, convinces us of one overwhelmingly distorted reality:
We need more.
More money, more oil, more medication, more soldiers, more war, more control…more. All of this chaotic propaganda is at the expense of all of the REAL issues at hand that we—THE PEOPLE—rarely hear a word about. Such as, the utterly corrupt nature of our private central bank—the Federal Reserve, or the CPD’s (Commission on Presidential Debates) involvement in corrupting our electoral process, or, for that matter, the fact that five corporations have been allowed to own and corrupt the bulk of our essential mass media outlets.
Let’s ask ourselves:  Why might a handful of corporations so vigorously acquire all of these media providers? There are a couple of answers as I see it:  1) It has become enormously profitable as there are hundreds of billions of dollars up for grabs. 2) Through the mass media, what the public learns and accepts to be true can be controlled to a great extent. Thus, we have a corporately-controlled media that carefully and articulately disseminates the exact kind of information that perpetuates their profitable agendas. The false reality is delivered.
Another related avenue of corporate media control is through sponsorship (advertising). This creates a situation whereby the message of the media must not conflict with the companies that pay the enormous sums of money for advertising. This has—in no uncertain terms—handcuffed the art of journalism, forcing journalists to self-censor their message at the risk of losing their jobs. Once again, the false reality is delivered.
This is why the corrupt practices of The Federal Reserve are not covered in the mass media every single day! This is why many of us have no idea that the Federal Reserve is a private bank that has been empowered by our government to place the entire nation into an incomprehensible amount of debt by printing valueless fancy-looking paper and selling it to our government—at interest!
This is why the corrupt practices of the CPD are not covered in the mass media every single day! This is why no third party candidates are ever given any mass media coverage during their campaigns, and why many of us generally believe that the Republican and Democratic parties are actually necessary—rather than detrimental!
This is why the corruption and corporatization of the mass media are not covered in the mass media every single day! This is why the distortions, which the mass media places on information, so rarely come to light!
Some might call it programming. Others might call it brainwashing. Either way, the result is a mass media that has become corrupted beyond recognition. It is controlled. It is deliberate. Because this is so, the world it portrays could not be further from the truth. For, when there is that much money at stake (Existence Potential), the message that is provided must support and promote the corporation’s objectives—financial, political, whatever—first and foremost.
Imagine the implications of having a mass media that reported in honest, nonpartisan fashion, the events most detrimental to the sustainability of our local, national and global communities. For, the fact of the matter is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to make a GOOD decision, to cast a sustainable vote, or to render a reasonable opinion…when presented with only BAD information. Imagine if the jig was up, and we all suddenly had access to the truth of current affairs, rather than the corporately and politically slanted fiction we’re faced with today. Imagine being TRULY INFORMED! Then perhaps a revolution would not be far behind.
PART 4:
Revolutionary Solutions
It is a conditioned inaccuracy to assume that a revolution involves violence. The truth is, it simply implies a profound and sudden change, and nothing more. That said, the changes that will need to take place in order to restore balance to the three corrupted systems previously discussed will not occur overnight. For now, we can and must work with what we have, regardless of the fact that it is indeed broken and non-sustainable. As public awareness and support grows, we can—relatively speaking—quickly create near immediate, acute improvements which will prepare us for the broader, more global strategies which will impact the world over for generations to come.
Solutions for RIGHT NOW:  The Monetary System…
To review the critical, central concept of Part 1:  The fundamental problem with our current monetary system is that it is always-always-always self justified in its unrelenting acquisition of more and more Existence Potential (more money), even if it means war, bailouts, poverty, pollution and the like. This type of value system is a direct result of our universal agreement on how and why we’ve come to value money. To reiterate, for the majority of people, money directly represents the ability to acquire resources needed to survive. It translates directly as Existence Potential. Therefore, the acquisition of it—in whatever manner is deemed necessary in the moment—will always be paramount to the entity—whether that entity be an individual, a company, or a nation. The acquisition of Existence Potential will always precede any ideas of Sustainability because, in our current system, the two are quite naturally seen as mutually exclusive—particularly when survival of the entity is perceivably at stake. This in turn propagates the “enemy” concept. For, anyone who is perceived as a threat to the influx of Existence Potential (one’s ability to live) is then officially declared an enemy, a terrorist, a threat to national security. You see, the problem goes beyond our current monetary system…
The problem is that we HAVE a monetary system.
Radical words—I know. Sounds crazy—I get it.
But the fact is, where we are right now is simply not sustainable on any level. You can just feel that, can’t you? That we are tearing ourselves to pieces, waging war, competing with everyone and everything…and all in the name of this made-up, valueless thing we call “money.” But, clearly we cannot jump immediately into a moneyless state of existence (discussed later in “Solutions for THE FUTURE…”). We must start with where we are—with what’s been handed to us. Thanks to organizations like the Thrive Movement, there are strategies being formulated as I write these words.
Thus, at the forefront of any discussion for fiscal reform must be the dismantling of the Federal Reserve. As decades of corrupt, destructive behavior have shown, it’s time to move forward and leave the archaic private, central-banking system behind. However, it goes without saying that to do away with such an old and powerful entity would not be an easy task, and would first require public education and support on an unprecedented and massive scale.
Absolutely crucial to the task of ending the rule of the Federal Reserve is complete government transparency during every phase of the transition—whereby the government reports regularly to the people. As the Thrive Movement has pointed out, this transparency would need to include major campaign finance reform in order to remove the corporate/financial influence on the decision-making of our politicians, thereby placing power back into the hands of their constituents. To learn more, visit:  http://www.thrivemovement.com/sector_solutions-economics.
TRANSLATION:  A politician who is not supported or influenced by big corporate money interests must compete honestly for the votes of the people by fighting for what those people want.
Hand-in-hand with that transparency would be the issuance of a new currency—freeing the people once and for all from the corrupted corporate influences of the Federal Reserve by eliminating the so-called national debt.
Solutions for RIGHT NOW:  The Electoral Process…
So long as the Republican and Democratic parties remain in control of the presidential debates via the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), whereby third-party candidates are excluded from the debate process (and even escorted off the property where the debates are held—under threat of arrest), the American public will never be fairly introduced to any other possibilities for economic, political or social evolution. We will keep getting more of the same corrupted and corporatized leadership. Until third-party candidates are allowed to be seen and heard on the presidential debate stage, the illusion of choice between the Republican and Democratic parties will continue.
First and foremost, to end the two-party reign of control propagated by the Republican and Democratic parties, the CPD must be exposed and shut down, thereby returning the presidential debates back into the hands of a truly nonpartisan entity whose interest lies solely in producing a debate stage that allows all needs and interests of the people to be openly discussed—regardless of how controversial they are or how unpatriotic they seem.
Next, as briefly mentioned in the “Monetary System” solutions above, in order to reinject integrity into the electoral process, any concept of money and “campaign finance” must be removed from the equation of electing political leaders.
Both of the critical issues above could be accomplished quite efficiently with the creation of a nonpartisan, all-encompassing political election/campaign network for TV, radio, internet and the like (serving as a foundational piece of the new media solutions mentioned below—which absolutely do not operate for profit).
All of the candidates’ official media appearances—including all debates—would be made public exclusively through this network’s various outlets. Each candidate would be delegated the exact same amount of airtime and exposure, thereby removing campaign finance from being a factor. The advantages to such an arrangement would be profound…
  • Third-Party Candidates:  The simple inclusion of third-party candidates onto an equal playing field—all by itself—could arguably change everything. Fresh, honest perspectives from candidates that intend to create real, wholesome change would undoubtedly have a profound effect on voter education and voter choice.
  • More Candidates in General:  It has been reported that one of the reasons the CPD created the 15% barrier—which has made it impossible for third-party candidates to appear in the presidential debates—was because there would otherwise be too many candidates debating. HOGWASH! This is just another smokescreen to maintain the status quo of the Republican’s and Democrat’s two-party dominance. Even if this excuse was reasonable, we could certainly have more than two candidates from the same two political parties, year after year! With the technology widely utilized by popular culture today, there is absolutely no reason why we cannot have a plethora of candidates from which to listen and choose. Besides, no one single entity (such as the CPD) should ever be granted the power to determine how many candidates are “too many,” or for that matter, which of them are relevant or not.
  • More Debates:  When you stop and think about it, doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous that the CPD currently allows for only three debates prior to the public’s voting for what is arguably the most powerful, influential political office on the planet? We see two guys debate three times. Wow.
  • Debate Topic Relevance:  A debate system unencumbered by corporate influence would allow all of the controversial topics—that currently go unmentioned—to be exposed and addressed. Topics such as the corruption of the Federal Reserve, the corporatization of the media, the disturbing inconsistencies and unanswered questions surrounding international incidents such as 9/11, and many more.
Again, the Thrive Movement has outlined some possible solutions with a similar goal in mind of cleaning up the electoral process and our system of governance as a whole. To learn more, visit:  http://www.thrivemovement.com/sector_solutions-governance.
Also, here is a solid YouTube video that I stumbled across titled, “The Commission on Presidential Debates is Preventing Real Change from Occurring in America,” which articulately explains the corrupt history and strategy of the CPD, as well as offering immediate action steps to begin creating a solution:  http://youtu.be/3aoKAgZAdbw.
In the meantime, until the CPD is eliminated and replaced by some form of nonpartisan, non-corruptible entity, the first and most immediately effective strategy that WE THE PEOPLE can use is:  Never vote for a Republican or Democrat ever again.
Solutions for RIGHT NOW:  The Mass Media…
A mere FIVE corporations now own the bulk of our mass media. Before the masses can make well-informed political, economic and social decisions about their local, national and global communities, they must first have access to the truth of their world! Thus, there must be set in place a nonpartisan independent media to function as an arm of THE PEOPLE. This independent media would absolutely not operate for profit, hence being freed from monetary and capitalistic influence of any kind. Freed of corporate business interests, the media would be allowed to report on what actually matters to the people. They could also use as much time as they needed to do so without worrying about taking a commercial break!
Thus, the sole purpose of this new media would be this one singular mission:  To deliver the complete, unbiased facts about the local, national and global events deemed crucial by—you guessed it—the people themselves. This means that this independent media would absolutely be subject to not only a perpetual series of checks and balances (in order to ensure integrity), but also to direct voting and elections, whereby the people not only choose what becomes news, but also who reports it. Such an organization would be revered and held as the people’s sacred voice. One example of a similar brand of mass media reform comes again from the Thrive Movement. To learn more, visit:  http://www.thrivemovement.com/sector_solutions-media.
In the meantime, we can all have a profound impact on this corrupt aspect of our culture by simply choosing to STOP WATCHING the popular, corporatized major mass media fiction that saturates our communities…just turn it off. Turn off the brainwashing that seeks to have you at war with your neighbor. Turn off the programming that would have you afraid of anything it can conceive, while encouraging you to spend more time and money in order to protect yourself and find “happiness.” Just turn it off.
We can also seek out alternative-media options, such as Breaking the Set, Buzzsaw, Off the Grid, and others, so that we might be exposed to alternative perspectives that encourage us to challenge the fear and scarcity-based information that we’ve believed and held so strongly to be true for far too long.
Solutions for THE FUTURE…
In the ultimate analysis, what it all boils down to is that the most sustainable global community that could possibly exist would require none of the money, government or media as we’ve come to know them today. I realize that this suggestion sounds insane—and understandably so when contrasted with the current state of affairs. Nonetheless, in this very moment, there are brilliant, open minds working on the concept of what has been called a Resource Based Economy.
In a Resource Based Economy, everything that the world has to offer is made available—in sustainable fashion—to everyone in the global family, without the corrupting control mechanisms known as money and debt to dictate where and when goods and resources are being allocated. You see, that is money’s ultimate function:  To control resources—not because they are scarce—but rather to create a perceivable level of scarcity in a world that has more than enough resources and technology to provide for all of us…every single one. It is this fear of scarcity—which is currently programmed into our cultural mind—that causes us to buy into the idea that we need more help from the very same corporatized government system that—to a great extent—put us here in the first place…perpetuating our non-sustainable culture in an ultimate display of irony.
Some of the foundational principals of a Resource Based Economy are as follows…
  • The value we give to money is a fabrication—an agreement, an assumption.
  • All the world’s resources can be made available to all inhabitants, without the use of any kind of monetary system.
  • Evolving beyond a monetary system—and the “enemy concept” that it perpetuates—allows the world’s communities to become truly united for the advancement and sustainability of “the all,” rather than seeking to give profitable advantage to a wealthy few.
  • The application of our most efficient and advanced technology systems can provide a high standard of living for everyone, conserve energy, and eliminate waste—and can do so now.
  • Individuals could be empowered to participate in whatever way they feel most competent, allowing all to explore, learn and grow in the ways that inspire them, freeing mankind from the drudgery of “work.”
  • There are clean energy alternatives—available now—to power our species for thousands of years without the corrupting and polluting elements of fossil fuels.
  • This list goes on…
For a detailed look at this potential reality, check out The Venus Project here:  http://www.thevenusproject.com.
CONCLUSION:
Excavating the Truth
If you’ve struggled with the nature of the content in this article, I understand where you are coming from. Perhaps, keep this in mind:  The truth is only the truth—nothing more. The truth is not moral, or emotional, or justified, or right, or wrong…it is merely the absolute actuality of a specified event—the simple mechanics of what happened. The emotion and morality that we as a species tend to inject into events can cloud our perception, throwing us into a state of zealous fundamentalism, apathetic denial, or some indifferent state in-between. Yet, none of that changes the truth of what actually happened—it only serves to show us what kind of relationship we have with the truth of what actually happened.
Our Relationship with the Truth…
In a sustainable relationship with the truth, the actuality of an event—the truth—is observed and recognized first and foremost. Choice and action are then taken as prescribed by one’s own personal system of values or biases. EXAMPLE:  My husband chose to end our marriage based on what he wants for his life. I am now free to pursue other avenues and relationships which might more accurately reflect my idea of commitment and relationship.
In a non-sustainable relationship with the truth, one’s own personal system of values or biases is the first consideration, whereby the event is immediately passed through this system, creating a “version” of the actuality—a version of the truth. Choice and action are then taken in order to comply with, justify, and defend that version. EXAMPLE:  Due to his lack of commitment, my husband left me, which means he is not a good man. As a result, I am justified in acquiring his assets in court.
Thus, until we are able—as a species—to discern the truth and to see our actuality for what it truly is—in our politics, our economics, our environment and beyond—until that moment, we will continue, in escalating fashion, to produce more of the same…more of what we already have. Until our relationship with the truth becomes sustainable, the non-sustainable characteristics of competition, propaganda, distrust, debt, disease, and war will continue their evolution toward becoming the defining characteristics of our culture.
A Compass for Revolution…
Questions inevitably arise. Questions such as, “Where do we go to get the truth?” “How do we know when we’re being told the truth?” Essentially, the core issue is that it is difficult to know who and what to believe anymore. To which I offer this…
During the course of my nearly four decades of life, I have learned to pay attention to those whose words and actions perpetuate my desire to place my responsibility anywhere other than on myself; those whose words and actions would have me seeking defense against my neighbor, in essence separating me from my local, national and global communities, creating disharmony and distrust; those whose words and actions would perpetuate my overconsumption of time, money and resources in order to serve some commercially-driven, mundane or elusive cause; those whose words and actions ultimately bind me to a false sense of—or need for—safety and security.
I’ve learned to pay attention, as well, to those whose words and actions ask nothing of me whatsoever, other than my willingness to listen; those whose words and actions would free me in some sense of the word, removing some form of restriction; those whose words and actions simply move me toward something that feels honest—despite the fact that there may be no guarantee of my safety or reward.
I guess what it boils down to is:  Who makes me feel desperation vs. who makes me feel love? You see…love matters. In a world completely inundated with information where it is fair to say that there is no way of knowing who is telling the truth or who we dare trust…love matters. In fact, it matters now more than ever because it may be the only real thing left that any of us have to guide us.
With that, I thank you for making the time to read this, for I know full well how precious and rare spare time is. Please, if you feel inclined, share this article with your circle of people. Let’s initiate the dialogue. For, surely, every revolution begins there.
In the Interest of Complete Disclosure:  This piece of work has been a distillation of the massive amounts of information provided by the interactive links placed throughout the article, the resources listed below, and my own personal experience. I do not claim to be an expert in any of the topics covered, and I cannot guarantee absolute accuracy with any of the information I’ve offered here, which is why I highly recommend doing one’s own research, listening to one’s own intuition, and drawing one’s own conclusions.
References & Resources:
(Note:  At the time this piece was produced, all of the links below led to functional websites. I apologize if that is no longer the case.)
The Monetary System:
 The Electoral Process:
The Mass Media:
Miscellaneous:
*Article originally appeared at NoahJamesHittner.com
Noah James Hittner is an independent Author and Musician from rural Wisconsin who has appeared on both radio and network television. His books and music inspire the mind and warm the heart. To contact Noah, or explore more of his work, visit:  www.NoahJamesHittner.com.


Posted by Dan at 5:15:00 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)