by Ray Jason
Many of my well-informed and
well-intentioned friends have succumbed to the magical thinking that the
Internet can save us. They contend
that because it is such a powerful tool for revelation and emancipation, that
the forces of darkness will soon be vanquished.
I disagree vehemently. But I do
not want to dash my friends’ illusions without substantial and convincing evidence. So in this essay I will demonstrate how
significantly The Malignant Overlords are succeeding in their ultimate goal of “ruling
the world” despite the Computer Revolution and the World Wide Web.
*******
First, let’s examine the downside
consequences of computers that are almost completely ignored in our rush to
glorify their marvelous qualities. Yes,
it is convenient to be able to order things online in a matter of minutes. Indeed, it is almost magical to be able to
cram hundreds of books into a tiny machine where they can be read later. And certainly it is convenient to be able to
access cash from an ATM even in the Banana Latitudes.
But this same technology is also
essential for the two greatest threats to human survival. Without computers there can be no nuclear
weapons and there can be no nuclear power.
Add up all of the benefits of computers and those positive attributes
are puny when compared to the apocalyptic risk of nukes being launched or nukes
melting down. We should not forget
Einstein’s famous quote on this topic: “I know not with what weapons World War
III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Because we have so swiftly become addicted
to computers, we suffer from the delusion that we simply could not live without
them. To that argument I would respond
that my grandmother lived without them, and my mother lived without them and
I lived without them. In fact, my
first book, TALES OF A SEA GYPSY, was written on a manual typewriter. And I am writing these words using a pen on a
sheet of paper secured to a clipboard.
Certainly, in our world of
iEverythings, we readily believe that the entire planet would grind to a halt
without computers and the internet. But,
in fact, huge portions of the people on the planet have never experienced
either of these supposedly universal necessities. The most recent statistics from Wikipedia
show that in 2013, of the 7.1 billion Earthians, only 39% use the Internet.
So, computers are not a prerequisite for human
happiness. But let me share with you a short
bullet point list of current human institutions that have dreadful consequences
and that would not be possible without computers:
·
MASS SURVEILLANCE
OF SOCIETY – Yes, before the cyber age, there was some telephone eavesdropping,
but it was minuscule compared to the full-spectrum interception of emails and
cell phone calls that oppress us today.
And you are constantly being tracked by your smart phone, your car’s GPS
and even your passport.
·
DRONES – The
sheer cowardice of killing government-designated “combatants” half a world away
while munching pizza and drinking high-fructose corn syrup in some
air-conditioned bunker with absolutely no risk to one’s own safety is utterly
disgusting. By removing these drone
“pilots” from the sights, sounds and smell of the butchered bodies, the
Malignant Overlords have advanced their goal of perpetual war. “We have always been at war with … Everylandia”
to add my interpretation to the classic Orwell line. And only a fool believes that this drone
technology will be limited to “overseas enemies.” The FAA has already acknowledged that it
anticipates at least 30,000 such spy aircraft hovering above the United States
before the end of this decade. They will
tell you that this is for your protection, but that is what the M.O.s always
say as they tighten the noose of control.
·
GMOs - Computers
are vital to the perverse greed and power lust of Big Agriculture. First, they want to secretly force
Frankenfoods on us, whose health consequences are unknown, but are probably exceedingly
dangerous. They also want to rule the
world by demanding that every farmer on Earth must buy their GMO seeds year
after year. Without the computers in
their bio-tech labs, Big Ag could not be so successful at separating people
from Nature’s health-promoting foods and farmers from their ability to make a
decent living for their families. Check
out the horrific suicide rate amongst farmers in India since GMO seeds were
introduced there.
·
NEXT GENERATION
WARFARE – If you ever really want to take a stroll on The Dark Side,
investigate what DARPA is up to. This is
the U.S. research facility for the Department of Offense - which is a more
accurate description than “Defense.” But
it would be even more truthful if it returned to its original name, which was
the Department of War. However, even
that needs to be updated to the Department of Perpetual War. Robot soldiers, weapons in space, robot
attack dogs, weapons in cyber-space, biological agents. All of these “advances” are impossible
without computers.
·
JOB LOSS THROUGH
AUTOMATION – Millions of workers have had their jobs eliminated through
automation, which would have been impossible without computers. Plus the rise of Globalism could not have
occurred without internet connectivity.
So now, on both ends of the profit river, the common people are drowned
while the Malignant Overlords build larger mega-yachts. People in former industrial belts lose their
good jobs; and self-sufficient farmers in “developing countries” are displaced
from their land and forced into slave wage manufacturing ghettoes.
·
THE GLOBAL
BANKING CASINO – The old banking system of making loans to worthwhile credit
risks, who would then spend this money on projects that would be useful to the
community is as extinct as 8-track music players. It has been replaced by an incomprehensible
array of utterly useless “banking products” that produce absolutely nothing of tangible
value to society while enriching a tiny group of senior executives. Loans to Main Street have been replaced by
almost zero interest loans to the Too Big To Fail (Jail) banks that convert
this into obscene bonuses for the top banksters. And what is the main device that drives this
racket … computers!!! High frequency
trading, algorithmic platforms, derivatives and dozens of other financial scams
would vaporize without the assistance of computers.
*******
In summary, I have just enumerated six vital
components of the modern world that would be impossible without computers and
the internet. I have further
demonstrated that this technology has been used by the Malignant Overlords to
both consolidate and expand their planetary control of ordinary people. In other words, I have highlighted some exceedingly
negative impacts of cyber technology.
So what are the positive elements of the computer age
that have my optimistic friends so excited and hopeful? The main good qualities of the internet are
that it enhances truth-telling and makes it much more difficult for the
Malignant Overlords to hide what they are doing. This is facilitated mostly through citizen
blogs and podcasting.
I would never criticize the importance and necessity
of expanding people’s awareness of how the world really works – after all I am
engaged in that activity at this very moment with my pen, paper and clipboard. And when I type this essay onto my website, I
will obviously be using the very technology that I am attempting to challenge.
Without a doubt the alternative media on the internet
has been the main source for the awakening of so many people around the world. But for the most part this epiphany has been
superficial. The awareness has not been
converted into action. It has not been
the catalyst for profound transformation.
The Arab Spring is the best example of this. For a while it seemed like a shining example
of a new social media driven model for revolutionary change. But it swiftly tarnished; and now North
Africa is as fractured and troubled as it was 5 years ago.
But what is even more important than the failure of
the Arab Spring is the fact that it put the Malignant Overlords on high
alert. They have definitely noticed the
decline in the power of the dinosaur mainstream media which they control. They are very mindful that they can no longer
easily control the global flow of information.
But this paradigm shift has not yet reached a point at which it is a
genuine threat to their steady march towards a neo-feudal world of elites and
serfs.
However, be assured that they already have the
capacity to shut it down almost instantly if the World Wide Web becomes more
than a minor nuisance. At this point the
impact of the new internet truth tellers is comparable to VOTING. And the words of
Emma Goldman leap to mind to demonstrate my point in this regard: “If voting
actually changed anything, they would make it illegal.” My conclusion is: “That if the Internet ever profoundly
challenges their power, they will immediately shut it down!”
*******
My great fear is that the alternative media might
become a part of the tragic litany of People’s Movements that failed to defeat
the Malignant Overlords in their disgusting march towards totalitarian
control. I dread the possibility that it
might end up entombed along with “general strikes” and “sit-ins” and “marches
on Washington.”
But even though the thrust of this essay seems
discouraging, the underlying intent is actually encouraging. I am trying to warn the new internet
crusaders to avoid being naïve as they assess and wield their power. We must strive to inspire and empower, but we
must not underestimate the soulless, vicious nature of our adversary. And finally, let me repeat once again the six
words that bring me solace and strength in my darkest moments:
WE ARE MANY – THEY ARE FEW!