In any period of enlightenment, there are certain adjustments that must take place, both inwardly to ourselves and outwardly in society. Personal realization changes our minds, in some way or other, revolution changes our world, similarly. Paradigm shifts, regardless of their qualifications or measurement, come and go. We need only look back in time to examine possible outcomes. We need only be aware of the shift in the present, to achieve the healthiest attitude toward it, whatever it may be.
In the 21st Century Enlightenment, our personal adjustment is one of a technologically achieved amalgam intellect, our societal result is a discovery of the systemic flaws in our designs. The internet, and more importantly, the uncontrolled sharing of information on it, has lead us to an unprecedented awareness of the mechanics of various aspects of societies problems, as well as an expectation that something be done about it. Thus, the revolutionary aspect of change, necessitated into action by way of a new intentionality. We are, after all, in our modern times and devices, nothing if not in control of our own systems, (or so it should be...)
When it comes to pass that the masses become aware of some gross injustice by the very people whom are meant to be in charge of being fair, no one should be surprised by discontentment, particularly when said injustice has a profound effect on the lives of the masses. Furthermore, any such discontentment, provided both time and force should grow into something that becomes expressed, often violently. (Although, not always. Violence is certainly not a prerequisite to revolution.) However, there is a deeper, further reaching aspect to the 21st Century Enlightenment that couldn't even had been imagined in any movements of the past. In modernity, we carry with us a firm understanding of the machinations of control. We've already pulled back the curtain and revealed the wizard, both within our psyches and societies. We know we're being manipulated, placated and systematically busied. We understand there needs to be some system of control to avoid having us live lives of chaos. We dare to presumed that we know better than those who hold power now. We go so far as to accuse them of being robber barons, because we've come to learn that they are. Previous revolutions may have had similar reasons for being, but ours leaves an unavoidable trail.
Yet part of the problem is, we know we're right. Our current frustrations are the predecessors of a nervous breakdown, brought on by the semantic deception of dialectical theses. Namely, the people in charge are the criminals and they must do more than simply point fingers in circles. Consider the current self-inflicted economic crisis as the impetus for a death blow. When the wizard behind the curtain is out to screw us, gets caught, then shrugs it off and blames someone else for it, we want our pound of flesh. When it turns out the that bad guys are the people who we thought were the good guys, we want justice that much more. When we're living in our car, eating food stamps because of the betrayal, how can we be expected to be anything but livid? Our breakdown is planned, the nervousness is fear of what it's going to take to stop it. This kind of control isn't given up without a fight.
Movements to occupy wall street are effective in raising some awareness of “a problem,” although not necessarily “the problem.” Simply put, the problem is that the interests of the government have become infiltrated by the interests of business, which have changed the nature of the system, to create the opportunity to profit off our losses. The cost of their crime is the failure of the system they serve, the price paid by the culprits is continued control. In the simplest terms, the economy is failing due to the lying and cheating of a very small group of individuals. These folks happen to populate the corridors of the most powerful institutions in the world.
The cross pollination of bankers and politicians, or politic and profit, of contraindicating ideologies is the stuff that leads to our predicament. The argument that this is conspiracy theory is no longer valid. This is conspiracy fact. When President Obama throws up his hands and says, “What can I do? Senate won't approve what it doesn't want.” He is not being exactly fair. By way of his inaction on things he could force and his appointments of guilty players, he is, at least, guilty by association. Therein lies another facet contributing to our frustration: Shall we occupy the White house? Occupy everything? Where do we draw the line? Are we too guilty by compliance? We do, after all, perpetuate the faulty designs of our predecessors: Producing waste in the name of needing to continue profiting. A solution to this problem, however, must remain to be solved at a later date: we have more immediate fish to fry.
This brings us to the next problem: how do you fry the proverbial fish, when there are so many? What if, in the process, you discover that you too are a fish, currently being fried? America's nervous breakdown is caused by the deepest running scam of all time: the fiat based economy, highjacked by an elite. Entrenched and secure, seemingly from all threats, the same folks keep turning over in the same positions. Kings of commerce, Traders of economies, complicit if not directly profiting, guilty by intentional inaction. This is the final screw, the last great snatching at the lone gold ring. Efforts to postpone the death of the free market, as it is incarnated, (an overly de-regulated liars contest based on an un-evaluateable imaginary tender,) only serve to delay the inevitable. Business, trade and profit must remain reasonable and warrant servicing the needs of individuals over profit. This utilitarian philosophy will come to fruition in time, with or without revolution now, as it is a means and the median always wins out.
The only way to speed solution to our doors is a complete changing of the guard, a shakedown not seen since the days of JFK. Government and trade must be separated, on all fronts, including militarily. Unfortunately, I think it's much more likely that our great distraction will win over our minds, our hearts, our wallets and our souls. Manipulations and distractions are the greatest, easiest, most effective way to trap our acceptance to any particular raw deal. The bigger the distraction, the better. Other leaders, in other moments of opportunity have brought about new paradigms with which to use the machinations at their disposal, in essence, creating the reality they desire, leaving you begging for the action they wished to achieve in the first place. These moments always appeal to baser, emotional, instinctual reactions than to the reasoned objectiveness that hindsight often provides. Nervous hands have itchy trigger fingers. These are the dangers of any revolution.
It could all be avoided. It's all based on things that don't exist. It's actually ridiculous.
America is in the saddest confused state of modernity and has no one to blame but itself.
