The mass media’s way of communicating war is basically to put fake tough-guy narcissists like Bill O’Reilly, Joe Biden, or Dick Cheney on your TV screen speaking to the equivalent of a pre-oedipal 2 year old: “there are scary people out there…you need to be terrified…heroic saviors will attack and destroy their bad countries for you so you can maintain your mental fantasy that you’re safe. All you need to do is keep shopping, buying your little toys, while daddy keeps you safe.”
You can already see psychology and spirituality issues in that dialogue. But what about economics? One of the Council on Renewal’s tenets is that we currently live in a world where economics reigns supreme over every other dimension of life, including spirituality and psychology. This is literally embedded in the fabric of our legal system which says that the interests of private capital holders trump everything else in our system…everything…towns, counties, states, nations, families, individual humans. Given this system where Return on Capital (ROC) reigns, to understand the truth behind almost anything, you simply have to follow the big money to see what’s driving it…
So who makes money from war?
1. Mega banks in the cartel behind the Federal Reserve.
2. Military suppliers (Eisenhower called them the military/industrial complex).
3. Private mercenary contractors.
4. National media cartel.
5. Mega infrastructure and oil/mineral/resource corporations.
That’s pretty much all that needs to be said to understand why we’re in a perpetual war. But there’s a particular psychological element to it as well…
Who gains power from war?
- Royal families and the sick narcissists who pursue political power to rule the populations of the world.
This nexus of monetary gain (economics) and narcissistic power (psychology) explains most of human history, especially war. And what is the impact on individual spirituality, psychology, and economics?
Spirituality: our sense of meaning in life is increasingly tied to whichever war-fighting nation we’re stuck in. Our very identity starts to depend upon the battle, much like diehard sports fans get meaning in life from their team’s victories and their heroes (i.e. look at the angst suffered by so many because 1 random dude Lebron James chose a new employer).
Psychology: the infantilizing nature of war on national populations is profound. War allows the corporate media to keep the masses in perpetual fear, and like a child in an abusive family, such fear results in oppressed psychology. It sets up the daddy/child, strong/weak, savior/sheep mentality, which just fuels the narcissistic structure of society where psychopaths rule and everyone else hopes they keep them safe.
Economics: the population is forced into deeper debt slavery in war. It’s just a big transfer of money from the masses to the political narcissists and corporate/banking psychopaths, as Marine General Smedley Butler said.
So war is a great example of a negative economic system feeding negative cycles in spirituality and psychology as discussed in Lesson 6 part 3 of Renaissance 2.0.
How to stop it? Of course fixing the monetary system is the most important step since the math of debt-money is what fuels the imperial oligarchy. But when it comes to the issue of war specifically, we simply need to remember what founder James Madison said instead of listening to idiots in the media:
Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people…. [There is also an] inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and … degeneracy of manners and of morals…. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence agst. foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.
Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace
A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.
Pretty simple isn’t it? Permanent standing armies are bad news. The Swiss have understood this for hundreds of years–the people must be ready to defend themselves in community rather than outsourcing their security to a few tough guys. Adult human beings must discard the notion that other people will keep us safe or we are simply infantile, child-like creatures. Free people provide for their own freedom. Otherwise by definition, they are not free.
Agreed, the current debat is non-existent in the media, all sides “agree” that there are scarry terrorists that must be destroyed,. . but it is the people that eat this sht like clueless children,. when will they grow up and face reality?
“A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country”
This sounds like a good idea however, we now have a bunch or gun-nuts running around forming so called militias AND a standing army, navy, air force, marines, DHS, CIA, etc. etc., . in a country that is far from free., seems inevitable that these forces when at counter purposes will clash. And that will not be pleasent at all.
Personaly, I have no desire to own a gun. Not to protect me from other peasents (most are reasonable once you get to know them),. or from the big bad gov’ment,. that is just fear incarnate. Besides, it is simply impossible to “win” in an armed struggle agin’st the worlds largest millitary, spending more than the rest of the world on weapons of mass distruction, and smaller single-people-killer arms as well. Gotta’ cut off the funding, stop all millitary spending. Dismantle the WMDs and stop making more. Close all the 800+ killer forts or ‘millitary bases’ around the world. as they call them and only THEN a community militia would make some sence to me.
Although, in the future I see, freedom only comeing when it is universal, or at least worldwide. A simple set of rights demanded by all humanity, and maintined by all people. When some ‘leader’ or group tries to take power onto themselves then everyone around would quickly spread the word and denounce and redistribute any coalesed power. Some form of internet would be usefull for this, vast cultural shifts are need first,. this is a far future and much will happen before that.
jph, I was trying to promote responsible, mature psychology vs. the childish fear-based mentality that comes from passively watching TV news. I didn’t intend that last Madison quote to be a sneaky endorsement of what you call “gun nuts.”
But I understand your point. And I completely agree the key is to kill the funding. As I said in the article, the key is changing the monetary system…the math of debt which feeds the imperial death star operation. I also agree at this point that a militia would be no match for NORTHCOM, predator drones, private CIA mercenary armies, sound cannons, and microwave weapons that cook whole city blocks.
This seems to be a central problem though, what to do? Dark capitalism, or financial terrorism, is on the loose and it’s defences are formidable. The “people” seem more complacent than at any time in history. I am not living in the States at the moment, so I do not know first hand what conditions feel like there now. I understand that there is a slow awakening to the grim reality we face, but I do not see that being translated into any real concrete action yet. How do we confront such formidable forces effectively?
My understanding is that BP is poised to announce that the oil that has poisoned a vast seascape has simply evaporated! My guess is that most Americans will accept this and be happy not to have to worry about it anymore. How does a populace mobilize in light of this?
Where are the chinks in the enemy’s armor and how can we exploit this? I sense some resistance to international banking as well, but is this enough? I would be interested in knowing if others who frequent this site have ideas about how we can begin to kill the funding and bring down this house of cards. Intuitively I believe the current system is inherently unstable and I am confident it can be beaten, but tangibly, I see little evidence of that happening.
Thanks again Damon for articulating the situation so clearly. This is certainly one effective way to begin the process of reclaiming the world from these psychopaths. Mature discussion and thought will undoubtedly lead to concret and effective action.
I agree a change in our money is our only hope. Can you explain just how can we bring about this change? What do we need to do bring about this change?
we need mass enlightenment, waking up to our slavery condition, and then simply saying no. see Lesson 6 part 3 of the Renaissance 2.0 videos on http://www.csper.org.
Breaking through the veil:
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
http://americaviaerica.blogspot.com/
The previous comment is from Erica Goldson’s Valedictorian Speech.
Jeremy, wow. That’s quite a woman…a prodigy Neo figure at 18 years old. Very impressive.
Sound economics from The Austrian School tell us to look at what is unseen, like Claude Frédéric Bastiat’s broken window fallacy. The war spending has an opportunity cost, all the things we could have bought, less taxes paid, or debt paid back if it were not for war. To many, it’s not hard to convince them of the damning spiritual and psychological effects of war. In economics, the destruction makes us all worse off. The land and buildings lose their usefulness. The tragically lost lives, even in a narcissistic economic view, could have been producing goods and services, and in turn buying other goods and services, that would have contributed to the overall economics of the world and everyone’s standard of living.
War is not the health of the state or a public works project as Paul Krugman might think:
The USA used to be an example of non-interventionist foreign policy. Our attempt to spread democracy and “freedom” is making our “empire” fall. We need peaceful trade with all, and entangling alliances with none. We need to spread our ideas instead of war.
“I also agree at this point that a militia would be no match for NORTHCOM, predator drones, private CIA mercenary armies, sound cannons, and microwave weapons that cook whole city blocks.”
Let’s imagine for a second what would happen if China or Russia had managed to invade the US. They might be able to subdue a large portion of the population but there would be constant attacks from our well armed society. They wouldn’t know who is their ally or is just going along with them for the intelligence info. Do you see where I’m going? It would be exactly like Afghanistan is now. With all our might and power, we really can’t do squat against a population that has intentions on giving up…..ever. They’ve never been conquered. Our psychology of imperialism and exceptionalism blind us to that reality in that country. We certainly wouldn’t give in to invaders and neither will they. So yes, we are the big dog on the block but that doesn’t mean we will win. Rome learned that the hard way too.
Hi Robert, the difference is the Afghans have something to fight for…their historical heritage, their organic communities, their sense of meaning in life. They never gave in to debt servitude and corporate institutions in the first place.
Also, the imperial powers want strife in Afghanistan/Iraq to justify a permanent military presence. When it comes time for them to move on the US, the last population of armed people in the world, decisive victory will be their goal…think the unconditional surrender of Japan/Germany. But just like WWII surrender didn’t happen until the war had restructured the key areas of the world they wanted, it won’t happen in WWIII until the US has restructured the critical parts of the world that are still free of banking rule.
I think that Gary Corseri has a discerning description of the loss of authentic culture among ordinary working people in the US:
<a href="http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/08/something%E2%80%99s-wrong-somewhere/"
It seems to me that worst effects of capitalism on ordinary working people has been the destruction of their culture. Their experience is not portrayed and validated in this contrived mainstream culture and, as a result, they, the capitalist ruling class, has largely destroyed what an authentic culture can provide a people–understanding, meaning, and hope–things really worth fighting for.
Excellent quote by Madison, however, we are all in a loop.
Anyone who is interested can drill down and find the perpetrators of this chronic, hideous subterfuge.
We need to start naming Names, Corporations, Individuals, not just reiterating with pedagogy the crimes committed daily by the banks and the amorphous illuminati.
After putting faces and names together we need massive, organized boycotts that will economically starve them like a clean cupboard starves the roaches.
It is just a beginning, of course; but such massive (doable) actions will bring a message to the perpetrators and will give confidence to folks that, indeed, there are concrete ways to redirect our slave money away from the perps. Maybe then the idea of reclaiming sovereignty will not be seen as such a lunatic concept after all.
The situation is as maddeningly simple as it is practically impossible, to fix. Grown-ups don’t believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but so easily latch on to the idea that somewhere there’s a boogey-man who’s out to harm us.
Pogo was right. I too have seen the enemy- And it is us.
You seem to appreciate the wisdom of those who have gone before, as evidenced by your reference to Madison. As for the mindlessness of war, this is one my favorites;
“Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind.
And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so.
How do I know? For this is what I have done. I am Caesar.”
RobertM has hit the nail on the head. One only need look at our current ” wars ” to see how impossible it would be to subdue a well armed American people. I am not advocating a violent revolution but I get a little tired hearing the same old line abut the most powerful military in the world being invincible when that is simply a fantasy. Having grown up during Vietnam and witnessed all the military interventions since I can only conclude that the US is a classic bully “winning” only wars against little defenseless countries such as Grenada and Panama. When it comes to dealing with much stronger opponents we are exposed for the weak bullies we are. Of course this is very likely by design as unwinable perpetual wars are very profitable for the Congressional, Military, Industrial Complex.
For the USGOV to fight a revolution in this country would require the closing of over 800 overseas bases. It would require the cooperation of all the personnel in the Armed Forces, which may turn out to be a dubious assumption.
In any event I am happy to have all the gun nuts running around if it is the last thing standing between us and an overt totalitarian state ( we already have a covert one).
The bottom line though Damon is what mechanism is going to effect the changes you think will need to occur. Madison and partners came to one conclusion. Is that all we might have left?
“For the USGOV to fight a revolution in this country would require the closing of over 800 overseas bases. It would require the cooperation of all the personnel in the Armed Forces”
True. That’s why it will not be the US military (well, at least the army)…the army will be left to starve in remote deserts just like Germany’s army did as foreign powers invaded. Here’s a hypothetical….
Remember the 1-child policy in China? There’s like 30,000,000 extra angry men over there…hmm…the perfect Hessian force. Plus China basically owns a large portion of US infrastructure at this point and our banking elite has transferred their capital assets and corporate production assets over there. Transferring operational control of NORTHCOM to them would be a matter of flipping a switch. And just like Americans bringing food were welcomed in Europe after WWII, I tend to think the Chinese bringing food will be welcomed here after we go through the havoc that might be planned.
Just a hypothetical…but it’s a picture that’s becoming increasingly clear to me.
For me, the answer lies in going local. If we buy, produce, bank and be involved (from voting to community security) local, then we have the power that has been removed from the big corporations, governments, banks, etc. If you work as a local gardener and buy local produce from a mom & pop, you always have the option of transacting under the table in both purchases and salary. When you keep your kids local and don’t send them to join the big military, they won’t turn on you and enforce your rights. Local banking systems (even local currencies) are cropping up all around us that eliminate the massive payout of interest we currently pay directly to banks and indirectly to the FED (inflation).
The average worker makes $1.6 million in his lifetime not counting a working spouse, yet the average expenses for goods and services is around $500 thousand. The rest goes for interest, inflation, taxes and corporate waste. That extra $1.1M could easily make up for a lot of insurance loss, charity loss (welfare and subsidies) and loan needs. …and it would all be done locally!
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There are many fears keeping us from progress. Half of my family believes there is a conspiracy for a one-world-government that aims to control every facet of human life in an immoral and destructive way. This is a problem, because there is a very complex web of individuals attempting to do the same things, but there is no guided conspiracy. The conspiracy is the distraction, the tool of those in power to distance themselves from those they have power over. (I am attempting to write a book on that subject, a sort of modern update to 1984.) Anyway, I have to remind them again and again that there IS terrible corruption and collusion, but it isn’t a conspiracy. The way the world works has gotten so homogenous that nearly every act of every day life is a act either in support or resistance to the political, economic, and cultural powers that be. Essentially, just living with the status quo is supporting the massive construct of international corporate power because our lifestyles have been so infected by their growth.
Sigh. It’s not so simple. Every entity is hidden by a conspiracy. Every conspiracy is hidden by a stigma. Every stigma is hidden by the opinion/judgment of every individual in our society. It is (in the west) the christ-capital-complex, the moralizing of our immoral survival behaviors. In the east, it might be different. In the old days, it was just greed, self-serving cowardice.
I’d like to think it’s possible to overcome this complex condition. After all the condition is so complex and heavy with the integration of every facet of life that it is slow moving, like a cloud in the sky. It is observable. It does crawl right infront of us every day. I think the way society is structured, from food supply and shelter distribution on up hasn’t changed much in the few THOUSAND YEARS since the agricultural revolution and it’s time for a change. We fear others in power, conspiracies of conglomerates, then we allow conglomerates of food and energy to monopolise and homogenize our diets and thin out our wallets every day… We fear losing control of what is ours, heritage and conquest, then we allow mass media to tell us what is right and wrong with the world, affording us the privilege of either agreeing or disagreeing. Is this Freedom or 50/50?
There IS a psychological transformation that is required for our evolution here. I think it comes with reintegration of the individual with events surrounding. Every political party, every brand name, every station and every Bible verse is an escape from responsibility. Everything we use to get us around this complex web, this power structure that Damon has so far illustrated, everything tends to distance us from ultimate conception – concrescence – illumination of the myriad harbor of ways we individuals shape the world around us. A new media must begin to give us this sense rather than the illusion that we are merely consumers. A new school system must educate individuals pursuant to goals of their inner will, rather than filling a space in the current machinery. A new urban and suburban planning aesthetic must remove the cancer from our decaying spaces and create new living spaces.
M. Foucault mentioned “biopower.” It was a thought about the very cold and impersonal power structures, from the living spaces around us to the deadly inefficient bureaucracies that we call the modern family (my interpretation, sure) that really create the world we inherit, and end up living through like mice stuck in a maze.
I want a re-emphasis on love and power. Will-to-power. Concrescence, continuum. Not the end of man, or the descent, but the dissent of man.
In “Democracy in America,” Tocqueville commented on what he termed the most perfect form of government he’d ever observed: the New England township. There were no elected officials, they literally ignored regulatory dogma that emanated from up-line (county, state, etc.) legislative bodies. All work required for the common good of the community was accomplished by voluntarism. In sum, these townships were the best functioning and freest of any of the innumerable communities Tocqueville observed during his two missions to observe the unique features of America’s social arrangements.
Of note is that this system of voluntarism is very much akin to what von Mises, Rothbard and the Austrian School of Economics have found through their development of the theories of praxeology: that the free and voluntary exchange of mutually beneficial goods and services is not only about economics, but at it’s very core is a moral imperative to a free society.
But Tocqueville also made another critical observation: “In the United States the sovereign authority is religious,… there is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America, and there can be no greater proof of its utility and of its conformity to human nature than that its influence is powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth.”
Thus, as we ponder Damon’s commentary, I believe we would do well to be particularly aware of the spirituality aspect of his assertions.
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