Observations from under the Boot

...while pedaling hard to get out of there.

This story is part one of the series that is forming. It’s about ordinary conspiracies, our relationship with state power, the importance of free will, and living though “interesting times.” The fundamental question that I hope to address is whether it’s typical for leaders to care about (A) the citizens’ well-being and, (B) the citizens’ free will.  And since I very much like to keep things poetic, this story is going to be a mix of philosophy, history, and practical peasant logic.

Photo by Samantha Sophia via Unsplash

Before we dig in, I want to express my gratitude to Steven Newcomb whose brilliant research helped me think this through. You can find my interviews with Steven here and here.

First, a little bit of history.

Is it possible that our western leaders of today have betrayed us? To put it in context, let’s ponder history—while remembering that all leaders of all times are merely human beings—human beings with subjective desires, money, and connections.

There have been many examples in history where national leaders aligned with other leaders—or supra-national entities—over their own people. On other occasions, leaders simply became obsessed with this idea or another and bulldozed over their own people in the name of that idea.

Throughout centuries, national leaders have enforced a plethora of destructive reforms in the name of “progress” or “security” (i.e. keeping up with the Joneses on a national level). They’ve disrupted people’s way of life against their will, restructured “property relations,” and created pain and sadness for generations to come, some of which we are still untangling today. Later on, history books called it ‘progress,” as if our well-being is the same as the well-being of the machine and respective management structures.

Over time, the trauma of destruction often mellowed out and gave birth to new beauty and new successes, with people expressing their hearts, practical gifts, and spiritual longings through the new system that had been imposed on their ancestors by force. We, human beings are like the grass that grows through asphalt—which, in my opinion, is a compliment to the great mystery of life, not to the genius of the leaders and reformers.

Here are some historical examples of leaders oppressing their own people on a massive scale in the name of “progress” or their whims.

In the 14th century BC, Pharaoh Akhenaten decided in his head that the traditional religion of his people was incorrect—and he had a better one—and so he demanded that everyone abandon their existing way of communing with divinity and adopt his way of worshipping God.  The people weren’t enthused, but he was a Pharaoh, after all—and his desires came with a whip. And thus, the subjective ideas and feelings he had in his head—for whatever personal reasons—changed the history of the world and gave birth to monotheism, which then led to a massive separation from nature as a sensory and ideological point (and here we are).

In the 7th century, Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo decided that, in the light of the geopolitical situation in the area, his personal ambitions, and his marriages to the Chinese and Nepalese princesses, his people were to abandon their traditional ways and convert to a “civilized” religion, namely to Buddhism. His people didn’t want to convert. In fact, they actively resisted a conversion to Buddhism—but he and his successors pressed on. The forced conversion of Tibetan people to Buddhism was a bloodshed that took a century and a half. Then Tibet became Buddhist. Then, in 1950s, the Chinese army invaded and, in turn, did whatever they could to dilute or destroy Tibetan Buddhism—that by then had become a major part of the Tibetan identity and had given birth to lot of beauty.  There was a bloodshed, in the name of the new ism. It’s as if the spirit of domination was jumping from one group to another with similar results!

In the 10th century, Vladimir of the Kievan Rus’ decided in his head that it his people (my people) were to convert to a “civilized religion” of some sort. There was a deliberation over which religion it should be. They were choosing between two kinds of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In the end, based on a combination of political and aesthetic considerations, he decided to go with Eastern Christianity. And so there was a bloodshed, and I am heartbroken about it to this day because it was an attack on my people’s free way of existence and their connection to nature—which is exactly what is driving the Great Reset of today— although since then, Christianity in Russia has mellowed down and given birth to a lot of beautiful things, reflecting the beauty that inevitably exists in people’s hearts regardless of what name they call God.

Since that time, my people have seen many leaders who abused them very badly—and so to me, when I see Klaus Schwab and his ambition to manhandle humanity, I am not shocked. That’s just the usual “ruling”! That’s what they do!

Some philosophy.

Now let’s talk about free will—and also about the motives behind ignoring or trampling the free will of others.

There is, without a doubt, a huge existential difference between, say, a misguided parent who harms their child out of love, while believing that the harmful action is good for the child—and a cold-blooded corporate baron who very well knows that his factory will poison many children and adults in the area but builds it anyway.

I want to point out this important difference because that emotional dynamic comes into play when we think about our relationship with state power.

Let’s apply  the analogy to the realm of state power. In one corner of the ring, we have  a leader who forces bad things on his people because he believes that those things are either good or inevitable for “progress.” In another corner of the ring, we have a leader with a mindset of a military commander and /or property owner who views his population as a combo of value producers (on leashes of varying lengths) and annoying pests (enemies of the state), a collective resource that needs to be value-squeezed and controlled at any cost.

But here is the kick:  Both the “misguided daddy” and the “ruthless commander” view the free will of the citizens as a nuisance, not as an inalienable right that’s spiritually sacred.  At best, the citizens are gently lulled into believing that somebody listens (which in America is accomplished by maintaining an illusion of meaningful elections, for example—as well as, until recently, keeping the consumer leashes relatively long and lavishly decorated).

But read Bernays! You need to go no further than the work of Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays to see that maintaining an illusion of choice has been a deliberate pillar of the American political and economic arrangement since the early 20th century. Pepsi or Coke… what to choose?! (Same investors.)

My personal theory is that human beings are not designed to live in empires. We just don’t have the biological ability to relate to that many people! Empires, by design, require human sacrifice because they expand by consuming “the other,” but then the vampiring  act comes back home and start eating its own.

So  whatever we are facing today is every bit of logical—but the logic is not a big consolation, so maybe now is a good time to think the entire thing through?

More about free will.

Let’s go back to free will as it plays out today because I think that disrespecting free will is at the root of the issue.

Let’s say, you are a citizen of an empire whose leaders have been captured by the likes of Klaus Schwab—with their Nazi histories and eugenicist inclinations. Let’s say, Schwab believes that the best way to continue running the empire is by introducing transparent and programmable digital wallets, editing the hell out of everybody’s genes,  and connecting all human beings to the internet for the ease of management. Let’s imagine that.

And it could be (unlikely but philosophically possible) that Schwab sincerely believes that this is the absolute best future for the people of Earth (the health effects of EMF radiation from the IoT and IoB notwithstanding). Or it could be that he hates your peasant guts, thinks you are a useless eater under the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and wants you under a big yoke or dead.

But what difference does it make to any of us in practical terms?  Does it matter to us if he thinks of himself as a mighty loving daddy taking care of unruly children—or whether he self-identifies as a serial killer—if his Fourth Industrial Revolution is going to suck the life force out of people and turn most people into sad programmable robots without a libido?)

(And if you think that my words about programmable robots are an exaggeration, please think again or read his books. He may not be able to command your thoughts—but he surely will be able to disrupt your natural biological functions to the extent that your health will go to hell, and you will be feeling perpetually tired, sick, and anxious and won’t even know why.)

I believe that most people, if they understood what the Fourth Industrial Revolution is really about, would refuse to comply and take to the streets. The reform is so ugly!!!

And I believe that in order to end walking in circles, we need to restore the sanctity of free will and the right of each person to determine what they believe in and how they want to live.  It’s a long process! A very long and difficult process! But without it, we are serfs!

Finally, some poetic pondering.  

It is pretty depressing to suddenly find yourself in the role of a peasant—just before serfdom is introduced.

Let’s say, you grew up believing that you are special, that the society cares, that your hard work will keep you afloat, that the things are generally lawful and good—and suddenly, some freaks with exuberant amounts of money jump out of the bushes and start rearranging your way of life, indoctrinating young kids, and  eyeing and then possibly taking away your belongings, unless you voluntarily submit to a metaphorical or literal castration (and maybe even then).

And suddenly,  you are navigating the challenges that you thought belonged in history books!

Suddenly, you see the same face of the machine that many before us have seen. Yes. you thought you were better and more special due to all our modernities and progress—but here you are!

Perhaps we are a point in time where we are starting to see holes in the tale of “progress.” We are fighting the same despotic forces that our ancestors have been fighting under different circumstance.

And so what do you do?

The first thing you do, I think, is remember humility, as in, we are just human beings in this big and mysterious world!

Then you kick and scream about abuse, and kick and scream, and kick and scream.

And then you remember the beauty.

You remember that this entire thing, including the horrible self-appointed masters and their war on your inalienable freedom, is a part of a mysterious thing that it bigger than all of us, that is hard to comprehend, that makes sense in ways that we  may not yet see.

In this mess, we remember the joy, remember who we are, remember where we come from,  and why we are here.

We are here for love. We are here for life. We are here for joy. We are here to stand up for our well-being and dignity, for the sake of our ancestors and our children.

We are free.