The Illusion of Freedom
Livestock Management Approches.
State Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism... take a look at these systems and you'll see that these can all be determined to be livestock management approaches only we're not talking about cattle, horses, and four-legged beings - these systems manage humans as if we're livestock on two legs.
Some systems work for longer than others but they all involve oppression of human beings and thus - are not effective for allowing humans to be very free at all.
Take the red pill? (See the matrix we're in)
Human Herds
People and Livestock Management
Creation of Enemies and Fear of Immigrants
Present in all systems mentioned above.
Why, if we're all human beings with similar needs for survival - food, clothing, shelter, safety of person and personal belongings, human relationships and human contact - why then are we giving in to the ideologies that the systems above put forth?
In each one of these systems, human beings with the same general needs are encouraged to view other human beings as enemies, even - as in the case of immigrants - if they come into our realm and live with us.
If we all have similar needs - and a MAJOR NEED for our mental, emotional and spiritual health level is HUMAN CONTACT and relationships with other human beings - why then would we FEAR another person, allow our leaders and governments to "sell" the idea that anyone different from ourselves in cultural behavior, anyone from outside our area, etc is an "ENEMY"?
I say - TAKE THE RED PILL - let yourself SEE the matrix/slavery we're all in and see it for what it really is...
Livestock in The Factory
Beware of These Dangerous Foreign Individuals!!! Close The Roads, Shut All Your Doors, Board Up All Your Windows and Stay Inside!!! Beware! (RELAX lol)
How About Now? Are These Dead, Loved Ones Different Than The Ones With USA Flags Propped Against Them?
Does it Matter Which FLAG is Propped Against The Headstone?
Patriotism
Patriotism is one of the most dangerous and detrimental ideas, overall, to all of mankind. The idea of love to a country, its leaders and people isn't inherently irrational and dangerous but the insertion of the notion of loving a country, leaders and similar people to the detriment and exclusion of all others not residing in your same country leads to deadly things.
These combined ideas are more complex than most people stop to think about! These ideas cause a break down of logical and critical thinking and allow for people to cry out, "For my country," "for my leader," "for my people," and do so AGAINST other human beings who do not reside in our same region. The "outsiders," if we think beyond nationality and patriotic statements and ideas, are flesh and blood, spiritually-connected, humanely-connected beings that we're supposed to care about - at least on a level of humane-ness.
Inherently, we probably DO really care about other people from other places. I don't know of too many people, personally, who truly want to see wars going on in the name of patriotism and love of country and its people. More often, I hear that people from many countries wish their heads of government would just STOP using military personnel as pawns for wargames, civilians for target-shooting or viewing civilians as unfortunate sacrifices in wargames.
Truly, we have more similarities than difference but it takes critical thinking and empathy to realize this.
Our CONFUSION and highly emotional reactions to the ideas and images of "war" and "killing" are probably a result of our minds going through extreme DISSONANCE (competing ideas in our minds ie: 1. we're all human beings 2. we should kill other human beings if we're told it is best for our country) but rather than examine this confusion, it is often easier to listen to someone tell us how to behave, react, think. The "someone" is often a government leader or spokesperson for a political group.
Here's a suggestion... love where you live, love the people around you in your own country - only try to avoid hating those not from your own country and who are foreigners, immigrants, etc... stop seeing YOUR country as the saviour of immigrants, for they HAVE A RIGHT to come to your country if theirs is not offering them safety! It is only SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION that allows for the idea of "land ownership." And there are NO LINES naturally around any country to distinguish the terrain from what is in or out of a country. The lines that might be visible are man-made barricades, fences, walls...think about it!
Take the red pill...
Is Nationalism a Mental Disease?
Is It Good To Love Your Country This Much?
Or This Much?
Is This Acceptable To You?
Nationalism as a Masked Form of Bigotry
Nationalism promotes pretty much the same ideas as Patriotism does. One of the worst things about patriotism and nationalism is the "othering" and "dehumanization" of anyone outside of a geographical boundary or who doesn't have a familial link with people inside the "national" space in question.
This essentially puts everyone outside of a region into a concept, in the human mind, of "being the other who is not with us/me." This is the starting point by which people can then, dehumanize (stop thinking of as human) anyone who is an "other."
One who is a bigot prefers all his/her own preferences, ideas and prejudices be the most important ideas around and displays animosity or dehumanization of anyone with different preferences, ideas and beliefs.
A Nationalist prefers his/her own political and cultural ideas, preferences, practices and prejudices and believes these to be the most important ideas around - and is rewarded by like-minded nationalists for displaying animosity and dehuminization toward anyone with different preferences, ideas, cultural behaviors and belifs.
Nationalists have taken the blue pill. Yum Yum. Mmmm-good "we" and "they" and eliminate "they" mmm-bluepill.
How can our bodies get free when our minds are enslaved?
How can we attain physical freedoms - the real ability to move around within reason (so long as we harm nobody in our wanderings and movement), when our minds are enslaved by notions and beliefs involving patriotism and nationalism, while we adhere to structures of power like capitalism, socialism, communism, fascism.
Democracy is for a different hub here but just a quick note:
Ask yourself whether the model of democracy in the country you're thinking of is really guided by input of the people - or whether it's truly an Oligarchy or monarchical power structure...claiming to be a democracy but functioning as a top down model, severely limiting the input of the democratic/civic majority.
"Zero Tolerance For The Lie"
Find your red pill, whatever it is and please, swallow it soon...
Thoughts on This Hub
After Reading This Hub, I Think That
Thoughts on Freedom "punk" and "the hippy"
Comments
Wonderful stuff, Mythbuster! Ideology is enslaving, no doubt. And nationalism and patriotism are the cause of great suffering and lack of freedom.
Love and peace
Tony
I ditto Tony. I certainly second your "emotions" as well Mythbuster. This is so fresh and well-done. This pure truth flowing here. These walls of us/them have to be demolished. We are one people on this small ball of dirt. We have to think in terms of all people being related and worthy of life and peace. We can't have that with the same old separatist thinking. Thank you Sir!
Every day I decide to take the red pill and I agree with what you write. Evidently there is a strong interest in having "not thinking" peoples. If a soldier decide to stop a moment and thought that the enemy is a person like him, that his country is the whole Earth .... what would happen? I believe that politicians need to have "not thinking" peoples, otherwise they not have the kind of power they have, and I think that we are not free, not like I mean in my illusory and utopian idea of freedom.
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Hey Mickey Dee - glad you found the writing "fresh." I was hoping not to come off as some wacko pop-culture-conspiracy theorist lol
tonymac04 - I hope we can start recognizing the ways in which we are enslaved. It takes a willingness to look deeply into our beliefs. Kinda hurts sometimes but for many people, making changes toward healthy self-empowerment and self-advocacy is ultimately good stuff.
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fuscia, I think you're right - politicians need people to refrain from thinking too much in order for maintaining power. When we realize that people we point weapons at or oppose are actual people, our resolve to listen to "our leaders" starts to break down.
Mythbuster, I can only agree with everything you have said here. Not only do I agree patriotism is used as a tool to the detriment of humanity by governments, but further, I feel it is also used as a means of weeding out not only any who do not exist within its geographical boundaries but also any within who question it. It can be the wellspring of political witch hunts which I feel will be coming again very soon in America's future for anyone who challenges the current administration too well. I very much like this Hub and applaud you for taking on such a serious and truly deep issue so well.
Lastly, I wonder...
If as you have said patriotism, nationalism, is a means of social control, and I agree it is, what is the greater purpose of those in control for the wars? What is the greater purpose for turning people against each other on small and large scales? I find in life most things serve mutiple purposes and this must too as it is too powerful not to do so.
What gains, other than the obvious, are to be had from say racial strife in America, from the war in the middle east, from amnesty for all immagrants knowing the current unemployment rate is at record highs here and that said group typically is discriminated against during such times, historically speaking. Just some thoughts spured by your Hub.
Great job! You have yet another fan.
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For me to answer your questions, poetvix, I might have to head down the tilted slope of mentioning a number of conspiracy theories lol. A lot of propaganda exists surrounding "intent" and "purpose" of certain government bodies and officials but I'd like to refrain from going into that sort of stuff here. I think it's important to ask the right questions instead of speculating and, perhaps, feeding into propaganda or hype. Greater purpose of wars? Who rightly knows? Should we actually follow that course of thinking, wondering - when there's something RIGHT NOW that we can do about the confusion, misinformation, etc., instead? I think if we just start thinking critically and taking assertive steps to clear up misinformation, things can get much better and we won't have to be chained by manipulations and propaganda any longer.
I know this is likely not the kind of answer you were looking for but let me think on things for a day or two and return to respond... You've asked BIG questions - and I've only stopped by to jot a quick couple of ideas down as I didn't want you to think I was ignoring the post. I'll return when I have a better attention span, when it's not so late, and when I have more time.
I see your point about feeding into conspiracy theories and don't mind at all your answer. I tend to look for the why of things as I am a Beh. Sc. major. For me, understanding the why, or what purpose any given action serves allows me to generate alternative actions that I find more constructive while possibly still meeting the function of the first action... (I'm sorry. I seem to be rambling).
I look forward to your thoughts on the subject in the future.
Good hub Mythbuster!
IN ORDER TO PRESERVE FREEDOM. There are many examples in the Bible of this. Once God told Joshua to wipe out the Midianites because they were very oppressive. They had all kinds of evil practices like throwing babies into the fire. It was a terrible, atrocious culture. In Numbers 32, God gets very upset - in fact, He expresses anger at two tribes in Israel - because they WOULDN’T go to war. You have to decide what's worth dying for. If you don't know what's worth dying for, you don't know what's worth living for. There are some things that are worse than war.
IN ORDER TO PROTECT INNOCENT PEOPLE. Proverbs 21:15 says, “When justice is done it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evil doers.” Christians should not just be interested in peace. We want peace, but we should also want justice. Peace at any price is not peace. Peace at any price is appeasement. Our God is not only a God of peace; He is also a God of justice. John Stuart Mill said, “A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for - nothing which he cares about more than his personal safety - is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free.”
First, we should pray
1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “First of all pray for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life." Let’s pray for are our leaders. Pray for the president, pray for the generals, and pray for the Congress.
Notice the benefit of praying for your leaders: You'll end up living quiet and peaceful lives. We also ought to pray for our soldiers, the men and women who are over there.
The Bible says we also ought to pray for our enemies. We ought to pray that they will have a change of heart.
Yep, so true MB. It's what I like to call the Hunting and Gathering of Nations, or the Post Neanderthal Grunt at the Base of the Monolith.
Patriotism is both noble and foolish, part honorable and part fetishism. Nationalism is Patriotism to the nth power...
I have a secret love of Nationalism potrayed in art. Particularly if you look at the Nationalist messages painted into the art of the post Romanoff Czar Russian empire. The godlike glow of the proliteriat people under the divine scythe and hammer, the stunning red blooded Mother Russia flags, it even puts the best propoganda of the Nazis to shame.
I think government has always had the intervention of artists and sensualists in each era that expose the demonization of man under false profiteers. Being Patriotic or Nationalistic to subvert the culture from within is the true parth of a Patriot or National citizen. The government is the tool of the people.
When the government has gone bad, just turn the thumb screws.
Every dog whimpers when put to the vice of the people.
Everyone shot Lincoln, everyone shot Kennedy, everyone shot Malcolm X, everyone shot Martin Luther King, and everyone shot John Lennon.
Patriots only serve two functions, as either a leader of trooops, or as an assassin.
Nations only serve one true function, to be the body and armor of the alpha pack leaders of mankind.
We the people, do everything as one collective whole. Good and evil work in sychronicity self evident. As was the code of thumbs up, thumbs down in the Roman collesium games...
" I live, you die..."
Keep on Hubbing.
Blake4d
Extremely interesting--fascinating, even. Much truth here, though it's doubtful that many get it. We humans are tribal & that nature plays itself out in ways that are routinely acceptable, even when detrimental to community or brotherhood---even when it denies our common humanity.
Thanks for a thoughtful, thought-provoking Hub.
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Hello Mr. Abell. I appreciate your comments. I'm trying to be optimistic and believe that people will "get it," the messages above, but sadly, I have some doubts the same as you do. lol
The good news is - many of the worlds' or mankind's biggest changes have occurred when a relatively small group of people used critical thinking, stood together and created change. Perhaps not everyone has to "get it" in order for things to turn around.
One black woman on a bus (December 1, 1955 - Rosa Parks), refusing to conform and be oppressed...
Alright, well only one example immediately comes to mind lol but if Rosa can start a busload, then city, then state and country thinking about human rights and equality in a matter of hours and days...
Oh yes - then there's Sojourner Truth (Ain't I a Woman), more are coming to mind... mostly women, mostly coloured... hmm - I feel another hub coming on...
:)
Right on. The Man controls by exploiting the human herd mentality. Us and them...(but after all, we're only ordinary men!)...
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"Us" and "Them" has to go, in my opinion, Joyus Crynoid. Thanks for stopping by to comment. * Note... a few additions since you last stopped by.
lol
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