Originally I was going to entitle this article Ignorance is bliss, but it seemed a
little too cliché. Ignorance: An
Addiction, now that’s a title.
Before I
begin I’d like to make it known that the views and statements presented in this
article are solely that of my personal opinion. The truths (as I believe them
to be) that I’m about to reveal may offend and/or shock certain readers. If the
“Invisible Government” sounds like something that you don’t want to know about
then I suggest you stop reading right now.
Okay, I
assume that if you are reading this particular sentence that you have now
committed to reading the entirety of this article. Good on you! It’s not everyday
that you get to read about things that you are about to read right now. I’m
going to stop my incessant ranting now and get straight to the point.
Before I can
begin to explain the Invisible Government, I must first briefly discuss the
four things that give a population power: transportation, information, education,
and communication. If any one of the four is not present in a society the
population becomes too worried about its own problems (or to ignorant) to even be
aware, let alone think about usurping the powers that control them. Control is
a strong word I know, but it is the reality we are all facing every minute of
everyday. We have chosen to live in a world in which the misfortune and
suffering of the many is necessary in order to appease the insatiable greed of
the few. We have also chosen to live in a world in which we are controlled.
“No one controls me! I have free will! I
make my own decisions!” Is probably what most of you are thinking right now,
but does free will really exist?
What if your beliefs, ideas, music preference, taste in movies, and
political agendas are simply the results of careful and coordinated mass
manipulation? The reality is that our modern society cannot function without
the constant and invisible manipulation of the masses. Both the information we
receive and the way we are educated contribute to the formation of opinions
that are intrinsically not our own. Why does the word “terrorist” inspire
images of a bearded Arab holding an Ak-47? Why do I believe that a democratic
republic is the only real way to govern a population? Why is the formula for
success so conveniently laid out in front of me? These are the type of
questions we should be asking ourselves, and yet all we seem to really care
about is who’s going to get eliminated from The Voice, and/or if our crush
likes us back or not.
Ignorant,
that’s what we all are. You, me, him, her, no one is no better than anyone else
because we are all guilty of being selfish. What is the real price of our comfort?
We all seem to be ok with the death of millions as long as we don’t see, know,
or hear about it. Have you ever thought that the world’s rampant poverty could
actually be the fallout of the cushy lives those of us fortunate enough are
able to live? Sure we all know about the millions of preventable deaths, and
yet we seem to waive such trivial matters aside to focus on more “important” things,
like playing videogames and shopping.
The crazy
thing is that none of us are really to blame for our selfish, ignorant
behavior. We were manipulated into thinking the way we do, and understanding
why, how, and by who is the first step towards any real change.
First off we
need to ask ourselves “why?” It
all comes down to one thing really, one thing that we cant imagine a world
without. It drives people insane, its power over us knows no bounds, and no
matter where you are its presence is like a looming shadow. Its money my
friends, money is the real opium of the masses, the most addictive and most
dangerous substance on planet Earth. Who ever thought that giving colored paper
imaginary value could be used to justify so much evil? Think about it, what
better way to control the population than imprinting upon them a constant and
insatiable thirst for wealth? We are consumed by a thirst for money so powerful
that it makes us ignore the suffering of other human beings. We presently
cannot fathom a world without money, why? Because it has been imprinted on us,
by the forces that control us, as to make us conform to their idea of a perfect
society.
The real
controllers are not the people we vote into office, there is in fact an
Invisible Government that works behind the scenes. They are the ones making the
real decisions; the truth is that the destinies of billions are systematically
planned out by a small contingent of powerful people who think they have right
to control the world. The power of the Invisible Government comes from their
ability to manipulate the masses. They are at the mercy of the population in the
sense that they can only function if they are publicly accepted, or if the
public is too ignorant to be aware of their presence. Why are we controlled?
Why are we ignorant? Here’s where it gets crazy, because we asked to be.
In a “free”
market society, order can only be achieved though intensive social organization
i.e. the focusing/narrowing of choice. How is this done? Well, people who share
the same ideas and interests are bound for common action, aren’t they? You may
think your choices are your own, but they are in fact the result of a mixture
of impressions that have been consciously and subconsciously imprinted on your
mind by outside influences. We have asked to be treated this way. We asked for
it when we allied ourselves with political parties. We asked for it when we
were given a “sure” path to “success” (Elementary + High school + College = Job
= Happiness). And we asked for it when we were given different religions to
believe in. We were asked to vote for either personal satisfaction or communal
happiness, and our selfishness won in a narrow landslide.
We are all
addicted to ignorance because it makes us happy. Sure we are all aware of the
tragedies that happen to our fellow man on a daily basis, but we are so
obsessed with our own personal problems that we simply place that knowledge in
the back of our minds. We have become so addicted to the invisible needs and
wants that have been imprinted on us that we have lost site of our ability to
uplift the sufferings of the impoverished. There is more than enough for
everyone, but when the lucky ones who do have the power to change society are
busy receiving their daily dose of addiction, the greedy hands that feed them free to hold the bread of the earth for themselves.
Main Reference: Propaganda (1928), by Edward Bernays.
