{Note: This will likely be the final issue of Seeds of Change (SoC) — also known as Stream of Consciousness and State of Consciousness — the online newsletter addressing the evolution of Consciousness. As always, your thoughts are welcome, and please feel free to share this in toto within your community. Visit < www.PANparty.org > for back issues of SoC and to learn more about the Peoples’ Action Network (PAN).}

My travel plans have evolved… or should i say, “have been intelligently redesigned”? Nonetheless, thinking just might be the best way to travel; in which case, “thinking about traveling” would be the second best way to travel and actual traveling, surprisingly, might be only the third best way to travel.

One way or another, it seems to be high time for a departure from the norm. No more impersonal prose with an occasional inside joke for those armed with a sharp wit… no, this time, it’s personal. Though, “short attention-span theater” doesn’t allow for much of a departure and there doesn’t seem to be the fortitude or stamina required to tackle a truly substantial topic, like “Deconstructing Deconstructionists”. Suffice it to say that in this day and age of deconstructionism, it’s no wonder that everything — even a human being — is seen as nothing more than the sum of his/her parts: the mind, the emotions, the body… body parts.

Case in point: I was chatting with these two men the other day. An attractive woman walked by and one of the guys, proclaiming deference to her derriere, described himself as an “ass-man”. I smiled and said, “You just might be half right”. We laughed…

Sure, everyone has their own point-of-view, their own “train of thought”. And who can rightly say that one point-of-view is better than any other? It’s just that, thanks to societal conditioning and peer pressure, the average thought train these days is usually pretty simple — often, just an engine and a caboose… and sometimes, just the caboose! But not to worry, even the most elegant train of thought can not escape the track it travels; after all, the mind can not apprehend the mind.

Nonetheless, mind is still the master of many and, while the private thoughts of an individual may vary, there is indeed a “group mind” — a collective consciousness — that holds sway and is the master of most. Though, through the mastery of self, an individual can transcend the “group mind” to be in the present moment and exercise will without attachment. …but will to what end? Virtue?

Because the virtue of one may well be the vice of another, advice always comes wrapped up in a perspective. Yes, the importance of perspective, point-of-view, voice, prosody, tone-of-voice, face, frame can not be overstated. If there’s to be a coming together, a communion, there needs to be communication — and communication requires a shared frame of reference, a collective framing.

The widely wildly accepted frame — and not just by happenstance the one promulgated by the State — looks like this: left-right, liberal-conservative, Democrat-Republican, blue-red, “nurturing parent”-“stern father”. Notice how the State is cleverly excluded from the frame and, consequently, from even the possibility of scrutiny. As you know, the simplest way to control the discussion is to control the topic of discussion. With that credo in mind, it’s time to discuss changing the frame to People-State.

Here’s my very personal story as to why i feel this way. There i was, bent over, bare ass, at the behest — and dare i add, delight — of the State. A stern-faced young man in a uniform wearing a gun and rubber glove and holding a flashlight was earnestly searching, ostensibly for a Samurai sword cleverly hidden somewhere in my person. I looked over my shoulder prepared to make a quip to — you know — “break the ice” and noticed the examining room door was wide open! …curious onlookers wandered by. I was Abu Ghraibed! — pre-9/11, right in gambler-friendly Reno, Nevada — and you’re going to try and tell me it’s not a Police State yet?! (The “esprit d’escalier” that came to me years later was, “Hey, if you look deep enough, there’s a mirror up there”… Not being terribly quick-witted all the time can sometimes be a good thing.)

Since the contents of my colon are of public record, i feel compelled to also vent my spleen on the silver screen. So, as traumatic as this was, it pales in comparison to the trauma of birth. Having entered this incarnation in 1955, back in the day when they literally ripped babies from the womb “kicking and screaming”, there was plenty of trauma to go around. If that weren’t bad enough, shortly after i arrived, a doctor chopped off the tip of my penis! I cried for four months straight. The doctor said i was “colicky”.  After 50 years, i finally found the courage to ask my Mom, “Why?”. When she told me she didn’t want to have it done but the doctor insisted, i wanted to find that doctor… though, being a Taoist, i know “what’s done is done”. If i look on the bright side, i tell myself that being circumcised has maybe made me more circumspect — and also more suspicious… particularly of doctors!

So maybe that’s why i’m so suspicious… suspicious of doctors who practice infant genital mutilation; suspicious of elections where friends, colleagues, business partners, and collaborators of the contestants count the vote, certify the election, and declare the winner; suspicious of elections where many voting districts record more votes cast than registered voters; suspicious of steel buildings that crumble and fall when hit by airplanes even though jet fuel does not burn nearly hot enough to have caused any of the 47 massive steel columns in either of the World Trade Center towers to lose their structural integrity let alone turn them into molten steel; suspicious of elected or appointed government officials — regardless of party affiliation — who promote the official fantasy of the events of 9-11; suspicious of the motivation of a State that insists that war is in the best interest of the People; suspicious of the entire USG (US Government) and its crusade to bring “democracy” to the world while quietly instituting fascism here at home.

But of course, i’m just being playful, i’m not really “suspicious”. Because of my suspicious nature (see above), i’ve actually taken the time and energy to investigate all of the above — and more — and i know precisely what’s going on here. If you’re at all suspicious rather than docile and accepting, maybe you too have taken the time and energy to look into some of the issues raised here. If you’re willing to question not just the answers but also the questions, maybe we can find a place together on roughly the same page. On that page are things like: impeachment and trial for treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for the entire Bush regime and key members of the phony “opposition party”; a general strike and work stoppage; civil disobedience; a global boycott of the most rapacious multinational corporations; a tax revolt; a petition for the armies of the world to “stand down”; and a global movement for people of conscience to come together with their time, energy, money, and attention to create a collective of autonomous, off the grid, sustainable communities around the world.

If you think any of these actions are impossible, it’s important to remember two things: one, there are over six billion people on this planet and roughly only six thousand animating the machinery of the State; two, six billion people are powerless in the face of six thousand only if they believe they are.

A thought occurred to me the other day, what if a sense of humor is required to understand the riddle of creation and life? Might there descend one day at the end of the world — as we know it — a cadre of cosmic comedians sent to help people get the great Cosmic Joke? Be on the look out.

Though, it may be time to head for the hills. The stream of consciousness is about to breach the banks of fettered awareness and all heaven’s about to break loose! In the meantime, learn the true meaning of humility by exposing yourself to the latest tome by our favorite guru, “I’m Here Now… where the hell did you go? the unauthorized autobiography of Yogi the Bare” and perhaps one day we’ll sleep-walk together into the light in a grand somnambulistic illumination.

~ Copyright PAN 2005 ~

{Note: Seeds of Change (SoC) — also known as Stream of Consciousness or State of Consciousness — is an online newsletter addressing the evolution of Consciousness. Our motto is, “SoC it to ’em!”. If you would rather not receive an occasional essay about our shared growth and development, please indicate as much and you will gladly be removed from this list. As always, your thoughts are welcome, and please feel free to share this, in toto, within your community.

I didn’t expect to be posting to this list before leaving… even though i’ll likely not be ready to go until May. Several folks thought i had already left, but being a Taurus, i move more slowly than most. Once again, i want to thank everyone who responded to the previous issue of SoC. The ensuing group dialog resulted in an interesting idea: to establish a “virtual government-in-exile global land trust investment fund”… vgegltif. Sure it’s a mouthful and a strange acronym to boot, but it has a logic which is elegant in its simplicity. More on vgegltif shortly, but first a few words in prologue.

Governor Huey Long said in 1934, “If fascism comes to America it would be on a program of Americanism”… oh, how these words ring true today. American Fascism was a taboo topic just a few short years ago, but now the “f” word is finally starting to be bandied about. As America stands on the threshold of empire more and more folks are beginning to sit up and take notice. Yes, but the vast majority of people in this country are still held captive — heart, mind, and soul — by the corporate-controlled media and its constant drone of US supremacy and entitlement. We’re still in the minority in this country, but discussing “fascism” is starting to become almost fashionable… trendy even. For a great essay and the 14 characteristics of a fascist state, check out < http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm >, and check out this link for an awesome animation < http://www.bushflash.com/14.html >.

According to Thomas Jefferson, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and governments to gain ground”. The modern State gains power at the expense of the People and exerts control by controlling the debate and by framing the discussion. By insulating itself from new ideas — and charming older ideas like peace, love, and understanding — the State ultimately ceases to be an agent of the People. Once the State is imbued with enough power and a life and purpose independent from — and at odds with — the People, a tyranny of the ruling elite is inevitable unless sufficient people mobilize to remantle and reintegrate the machinery of the State.

But when a vast majority of people are ignorant, apathetic, self-indulgent, and mired in denial, self-deception, and bad-faith, the State tends towards fascism. And in our current situation, the possibility of a remedy from the Progressive community is particularly bleak when self-proclaimed “progressive thinkers” like Professor George Lakoff would, through his preferred framing, consign us to be children/citizens meant to love, honor, respect, and obey the parent/government. I’m an adult, not a child… i don’t want to be governed by either a “nurturing parent” —Democrat— or a “strict parent” —Republican. I agree with Frances Moore Lappe, a true Progressive, on this one, we need to frame the discussion in terms of “community” < http://www.guerrillanews.com/articles/article.php?id=1010 >.

The thought occurred to me that the Renaissance in Europe came first in literature, more than a century before it manifested in the visual arts, architecture, commerce, and government. Though this should be no surprise, as the art of writing follows closely the art of thinking. Sadly, here in 21st century America, thinking has become a “lost art”… and investigative journalism, a dead art. The art of deception, this is the true art of 21st century America. It’s a clever game. You know you can’t fool all of the people. You also know you don’t have to. As George W. Bush said at the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, DC in March 2001, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on”. Deceive just enough people and you can get away with the Kennedy, King, Wellstone, and Webb assassinations, the 9-11 “false flag” operation, and illegal, immoral, and unethical wars against Afghanistan and Iraq… and soon, Iran.

While a quarter of the people are screaming “Jail Bush!” and another quarter are screaming “Hail Bush!” (apparently half of the people aren’t into screaming at all), those who want to “imprison the imposter” would nigh replace him with his kin and partner in crime, Kerry.

No! They all must go! It’s high time that We the People proclaim our “zero tolerance” policy and “minimum sentencing requirements” for cronyism, conflict of interest, graft, corruption, influence peddling, criminal racketeering, war crimes, crimes against humanity, war profiteering, treason, gross malfeasance, breach of the public trust, and assaults on the Constitution.

The problem is that all of the above is already business as usual for the USG and they wreak this tyranny with smug impunity because history has proven time and again that they can indeed get most of the people to follow along. The red-state/blue-state craze, the “purple haze”, the mental maze… i say, “Get a clew”. This is not about Democrat versus Republican, this is about the People versus the State… human dignity in the face of an all-powerful State, the all-knowing eye.

Another way to address the rapidly advancing Global Fascist Police State (GFPS) is to apply some simple metaphysical, psycho-spiritual concepts. For instance, it’s been said that what you resist persists… if you put your time, energy, and attention into something positive, something life-affirming, old negative forms will quickly collapse. This is where the “virtual government-in-exile global land trust investment fund” (vgegltif) comes in. As currently conceived, vgegltif would be a virtual, autonomous, self-governing, conscious, collaborative community open to self-selecting conscripted citizens of any Nation State. Vgegltif would provide conscious people a way to withdraw their time, energy, money, and attention from the current paradigm of servitude, war, scarcity, deceit, injustice, and discord and invest it in the nascent new paradigm of freedom, peace, prosperity, truth, justice, and accord. While vgegltif would be a virtual community, it would also own and operate self-sustaining tribal villages around the world, primarily in remote and relatively safe locations. These self-sufficient pockets of peace and sanity would provide a long-sought feasible alternative to the ubiquitous modern-day Nation State which has eluded us to date.

On my upcoming trip, i plan to scout out some locations. I already have several in mind and will revisit many of those. My intention is to make this trip as an emissary of peace, a satellite of love, a bridger of the divide, a representative of the divine, a healer, a helper, and a joyous BEing of goodwill aligned with life’s highest purpose.

One other activity i wanted to mention just briefly is the 9-11 film i’m producing under the auspices of the Open Source Film Society (tm) (OSFS). The screenplay writers and i have recently finished a two-page treatment for the film and are willing to share it under confidential disclosure with potential investors and other interested parties. If you’d like to learn more, please feel free to e-mail me.

Wherever i travel, i’ll have access to the internet, but not this distribution list. If anyone wants to drop me a note at < denzen@umich.edu > i’ll respond no matter where in the world i might be. My friend Daniel Kottke has suggested i do a blog while i’m on the road. I’m undecided at this point. One way or another, i’ll occasionally write a new issue of SoC which will be posted here at < www.panparty.org/essays.html#SoC2-2 >.

Together, we can manifest utopia on this planet in our lifetime. I’m absolutely sure of it. To deny the possibility is to condemn humanity to endless war, endless pain, endless suffering, endless despair. We have it in our power to make more of humanity, to make more of ourselves, but we must first believe that it’s possible… but it’s more than possible — it’s imperative!

~ Copyright PAN 2005 ~

{Note: Seeds of Change (SoC) — also known as Stream of Consciousness and State of Consciousness — is an online newsletter addressing the willful evolution of Consciousness. Our motto is "SoC it to ’em!". If you would rather not receive an occasional essay involving our shared growth and development, please indicate as much and you will gladly be removed from this list. As always, your thoughts are welcome, and please feel free to share this within your circle.}

Over the past several years i have faithfully reported my perception of where we as a people have been, where we are, and where we’re going. My reports — in the form of written essays and verbal discourse — have often been controversial and have seldom been well-received by more than a handful of alert observers. The state of the State being what it is, i can’t say that i’m surprised at the reaction to the simple ideas i’ve proffered. Only in an insane world are time-honored concepts like “peace, love, and understanding” dismissed as “impractical” and overly “idealistic”.

As Nietzsche observed, “The greatest events and thoughts — but the greatest thoughts are the greatest events — are comprehended last: the generations that are contemporaneous with them do not experience such events… they live right past them”. Consequently, derision and ridicule is the lot in life of anyone who publicly strives — with heart, mind, and soul — beyond the brink of comprehension of their contemporaries.

Jesus allegedly said (Matthew 13:57) that “a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house”. Taking this to heart, it seems that leaving this country and my home — at least for a while — is a good idea; after all, Jimmy Hendrix got nowhere in this country until after he made a name for himself in England.

Since this may well be my last salvo before leaving for parts unknown, i hope that these words take flight, spot on target, like arrows slung true by a bow both long and strong.

Without further adieu, here are twenty-nine (possibly unrelated) thoughts and observations:

• Unhappiness is usually the result of unmet needs.
• If you have no needs, you will have no reason to be unhappy.
• They say love is blind… but from my perspective it’s also deaf and dumb.
• If you don’t pay attention, attention will never pay you back.
• From 50,000 feet — where i’m coming from — the red and blue states blend into one big purple haze.
• It’s better to know more than you say than it is to say more than you know.
• You’ll never get the right answer if you’re asking the wrong question.
• Never have so many settled for so little while so few have taken so much.
• They say you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. A mule, on the other hand, can’t be led at all. Since most folks are about as stubborn as a mule, best not to get too attached to leading them anywhere.
• Is it fair to describe someone full of self-pity as pitiful?
• If the etymology of the word “embarrassed” doesn’t have something to do with a “bare ass” it should.
• It helps to remember that above the clouds the sun is always shinning.
• “Propaganda all is phony!” …or is it, “Propaganda all is phonetics!”?
• Disintegrating and dismantling the old paradigm may indeed be an unnecessary step when you realize that reintegration and remantling can be undertaken from any starting point.
• Yes, as a matter of fact, i am taking the “high ground”, but not just for myself… i’m willing to share it with anyone who rightly claims it as well.
• Sometimes, the greatest Truth becomes obscured, for a while, by the greatest Lie.
• The greatest Truth is that god is… goddess… goodness… love. The greatest lie is that god is angry, jealous, vengeful, and in need of veneration. I agree with Nietzsche, “I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time”!
• This insane game of “my dog is bigger than your dog” has got to stop, for god’s sake.
• Salvation lies within.
• If you approach a man living in a hole in the ground, throw him a rope and offer him a hand up, he may protest, “Go away! I like it here”. “But it’s beautiful and sunny up here”, you offer. “Listen,” is the reply, “i grew up down here, my parents grew up down here, this is home. Besides, if i go up there, next thing i know you’ll be wanting me to climb some mountain. No, it’s much safer in the hole. This is home”.
• It’s a good idea not to loath anything so as to avoid the great irony of becoming what you loath.
• It’s nearly impossible to force anyone to be honest with you or to treat you with kindness and respect.
• Man’s inhumanity to man begins with man’s inhumanity to animals.
• I will not pledge allegiance to any country whose idea of being “all that you can be” involves intimidating, torturing, or killing.
• There are metaphors for war, but war is not a metaphor.
• Peace is prosperity.
• The USG, in the person of Senator and Doctor Bill Frist, is looking to define “political paranoia” as a new type of psychosis. Combine that with Heir Bush’s recent proclamation that all men, women, and children in this country should have their head examined and you have the crazy irony that simply thinking that the government might be coming to take you away is grounds for the government coming to take you away!
• The financing and rise of Hitler; the ‘surprise’ attack on Pearl Harbor; the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, Doctor Martin Luther King, Paul Wellstone, and Gary Webb; Operation Northwoods; the Gulf of Tonkin Incident; AIDs; al Qaeda; the “false-flag” attacks of 9-11; the anthrax attacks; massive voter fraud in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 ‘elections’; fabricated reports of WMD in Iraq; torture at Abu Grab… all brought to you by the — even shadowier — government within the already shady USG.
• It’s best not to line up too soon so as to avoid the embarrassment of being first in the wrong line.

In closing, i want to say thanks for the comments from those of you who have been reading these essays. I also want to once again thank all of the wonderful people who contributed time, money, ideas, and encouragement to my recent write-in candidacy for California’s 14th Congressional District; and a very special thanks to the 24 folks who voted for me.

Wherever i travel, i’ll have access to the internet, but not this distribution list. If anyone wants to drop me a note at < denzen@umich.edu > i’ll respond no matter where in the world i might be.

Together, we can manifest utopia on this planet in our lifetime. I’m absolutely sure of it. To deny the possibility is to condemn humanity to endless war, endless pain, endless suffering, endless despair. We have it in our power to make more of humanity, to make more of ourselves, but we must first believe that it’s possible. But it’s more than possible… it’s imperative.

~ Copyright PAN 2005 ~

{Note: Stream of Consciousness (SoC) is an online newsletter addressing the willful and artful evolution of Consciousness. If you would rather not receive an occasional essay involving our shared growth and development, please indicate as much and you will gladly be removed from this list. As always, your thoughts are welcome, and please feel free to share this within your circle.}

Since first learning of them at U of M, i’ve been fascinated by the implication of the existence of “transform functions” and wonder at the nature of a “function” that would transform someone in some fashion. And if there is such a function, is there some set of functions that might transform someone to the point of transcendence? And if there is such a set of functions, is there some matrix of functions that might transform all of humanity? And if there is, would it involve a spiritual appeal? an intellectual appeal? an emotional appeal? or a physical appeal? …or some combination of all four? How would it be applied? passion play? moving picture? word-of-mouth? written word? aerosol? roll-on? suppository?

But first things first… which aspects of humanity need transformation? Is it the “group soul”? the “group mind”? the “group heart”? or the “group body”? …or some combination of all four?

What too of so called “human nature” and the resulting “human condition”? Further still, what of Western ‘civilization’ and the preemptive American ‘culture’?

It seems that the situation can best be summarized as follows: Collectively, we can’t agree on where we are in the general scheme of things and we can’t agree where we’re going, yet we spend a lot of time in heated debate on how to get there.

Where are we? Who are we? Who am i? Only through self-examination — individually and collectively — can these critical questions be answered.

Without the ability to reflect on “self”, the individual and the society lose their sense of self, and ultimately, their self respect. And in this day and age where the “group mind” of the prevailing paradigm insulates itself from any input — be it strident or benign — the societal norm tends toward denial. But denial of what? spirit? the shadow? objective reality? personal responsibility?

By learning to deny the true nature of spirit, humanity is taught to fear death. Fear of death animates the shadow which confronts the unexamined psyche. Blind to its true self, the unexamined psyche sublimates the shadow, resulting in a fractured persona. Ultimately, the shadow becomes so deeply submerged that its very existence is denied. The fractured persona, being fragile and full of false ego, is fearful of gazing in the mirror of objective reality, as seeing its true reflection in the still pond of nature’s eye would reveal the shadow within. The final defense is to deny any semblance of personal responsibility. “War crimes? Don’t look at me,” is the familiar refrain, “i voted for the guy promising a kinder and gentler US global empire”.

Clearly, this state of affairs can not continue indefinitely. Humanity — principally the West and specifically the US — must hold up a mirror and look long and hard into its collective heart, mind, and soul. Until humanity learns to value all life, there will be terrible pain and suffering on this planet.

By embracing the true nature of spirit, we can transcend the fear of death. From this place of courage, the shadow can be integrated and the individual can be made whole. The objective and the subjective worlds can synthesize into an artless expression of existence in the now which is rooted in grace and true personal power.

Speaking of grace, i want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who recently voted for me for Congress in California, District 14 and everyone who supported me with their thoughts, their suggestions, their time, or their hard-earned money. The votes have yet to all be counted and won’t be for several more days, so i don’t know my total; but i’ve been assured that all of the votes will indeed be counted — unlike in Ohio.

The next Congressional election is in 2006 and i’m thinking of running again. While i have often insisted that the Democratic and Republican parties are simply two factions of a single party, the PAC party, i’m considering running as a Democrat against the incumbent Anna Eshoo in the primary. If i don’t get the Democratic party nomination, i may decide to run as a Green — in which case i’d be on the ballot if i got the Green nomination — or, i may decide to run again as a PAN PartY candidate, but would make sure to get on the ballot this time. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Together, we can manifest utopia on this planet in our lifetime. I’m absolutely sure of it. To deny the possibility is to condemn humanity to endless war, endless pain, endless suffering, endless despair. We have it in our power to make more of humanity, to make more of ourselves, but we must first believe that it’s possible.

These words of Helen Keller come to mind, “Doubt and mistrust are the mere panic of timid imagination, which the steadfast heart will conquer, and the large mind transcend”.

{This essay was inspired in part by Ouspensky’s “The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution”.}

~ Copyright PAN 2004 ~

{Note: State of Consciousness (SoC) is an online newsletter addressing the evolution of Consciousness. If you would like to receive an occasional essay involving current affairs germane to your “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”, please drop me an e-mail and you will gladly be added to my distribution list. As always, feel free to contact me with your thoughts and share this composition within your circle.}

The latest idea is “just in time” ideas (JITIs)… an idea whose time has come, so to speak. If you have and express ideas too early, they — and you — are often misunderstood. Have an idea too late and sometimes you don’t even get a chance to pick yourself up off the ground. But have an idea just in time… occasionally, the whole world chimes in recognition.

Being stubbornly optimistic, i’ve insisted that Peace is an idea whose time has come — clearly, many folks do not agree. The prevailing attitude in this nation seems to be that there will be peace only when “our enemies” are all dead or defeated. Of course, in this scenario, there will never be peace because for every “enemy” killed a dozen new enemies are created. There’s nothing new in this thinking, it has been the antecedent of every empire from the beginning of recorded history and here we are, staring once again into that great abyss.

The logic is that the world would be a better place, a safer place, if everyone would just agree to US global hegemony. But this Pax Americanus comes at a high price, war without end, as the only response to wholesale, State-sponsored terrorism is “retail” terrorism born of desperation.

With the constant threat of terror a way of life, fear grips the psyche of the nation, and since the average person lacks the courage necessary to confront the truth, criminal miscreants proffering lies reign supreme. To top it all off, any prospect for positive change appears bleak as the average person seems to be in denial about the depth of deception being foisted upon the public by the ruling elite.

Stepping back from the fray i pray for the courage to first confront the truth within me, as this is where it must always begin. Are you an animal having a human experience? a human having an animal experience? a human having a spiritual experience? or a spiritual being having a human experience? My truth is the latter, but i know full well that my truth may not be your truth.

That said, as a Pantheist i believe that everything that is is part of god and that our shared reality, the world of manifestation, is the Lila, the play of god. I believe the only legitimate role of government is to eliminate or mitigate, to the extent possible, any and all barriers to individual enlightenment — enlightenment being the direct experience of the divine that is more often associated with spirituality than it is with religion. Spirituality involves the mystical experience of the infinite possibility of the now, whereas religion involves dogma… teaching, creed.

As a people, we are taught that Democrats and Republicans represent two different political parties and that it’s a “waste” to vote for anyone other than a Republicrat. From my perspective as a psycho-spiritual political philosopher, the alleged “vast differences” between Republicans and Democrats is merely a contrivance intended to divide and disenfranchise the American people. Both Democrats and Republicans want to continue the insane and illegal war on Iraq and the war on terror, both embrace preemptive attacks on sovereign nations and extra judicial assassination of foreign leaders, both are guilty of covering up the crimes perpetrated on 9-11 by elements of the Bush regime, both will carry on with the evisceration of the Constitution, both will perpetuate the creation of a global fascist police state that could be the most pernicious empire in history, and both will continue the dehumanization of humanity through globalization and privatization.

The game is clear. If you’re afraid of “terrorists” you will vote for Bush, and if you’re afraid of Bush you will vote for Kerry. But if you’re not ruled by fear, you will vote for neither of these bonesman and partners in crime. Yes, certain self-styled Progressives are lining up for Kerry, but these are Progressives in name only, as no true Progressive would vote for Kerry.

If the vast majority of people are convinced not to vote for the person they want to win but rather against the person they want to lose, the very institution of voting is destroyed. Sure, Kerry might be “less evil” than Bush, but that’s not saying much.

I know full well that this kind of talk invites the righteous wrath of Democrats everywhere. I get it all the time. We’ve fallen so far through the “looking glass” that anyone willing to vote their conscience is met with scorn. People point at me and say that it’ll be my fault if Bush wins; but that’s just nonsense, because if more people were like me, Bush would be in prison, not running for office!

Fear is being used by the ruling elite as a wedge to divide the people. If We the People are to come together we must find the courage within our hearts to confront the truth about ourselves and the world in which we live. We must find common ground, we must seize the initiative, and reframe the debate. We the People have a moral obligation to reclaim our Constitution, to reform the Republic, and to reestablish our Democracy. Please don’t be seduced by the dogma of “conventional wisdom”. We must learn to think for ourselves. We must find the courage and strength of conviction to vote consciously.

As far as the Presidential election is concerned, the PAN Party is endorsing David Cobb, the Green candidate, for President. Personally, i’m voting for Cobb and am encouraging my friends to consider doing the same.

As you may know by now, i’m running for Congress as a write-in against the incumbent Anna Eshoo in California, District 14, which includes the communities of Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Redwood City, and Woodside in San Mateo county; Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, and Sunnyvale in Santa Clara county; and Amesti, Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Corralitos, Davenport, Felton, Interlaken, and Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz county. If you live in one of these communities and want to vote for a change, simply type or write “galen” on your ballot. Don’t forget to connect the arrow if voting absentee.

For more information about the PAN Party and what i would do if elected, visit www.panparty.org.

~ Copyright PAN 2004 ~

{Note: Seeds of Change (SoC) is an electronic newsletter addressing the rapidly evolving Progressive-Populist Peoples’ movement (PPPm or 3Pm). If you would like to receive an occasional essay involving current affairs germane to your “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”, please drop me an e-mail and you will gladly be added to my distribution list. As always, feel free to contact me with your thoughts and share this composition within your circle.}

What’s “meta” for? “Meta” means beyond and “phor”, from Greek pherein, means to carry. So “metaphor” is something to “beyond/carry”. Since i’ve been insisting we need to go “beyond Kerry”, to begin with metaphor seems most apropos.

Note: While Progressives and Populists are natural allies, they may sometimes disagree on the utility of such tools as the dialectic and metaphor. The progressive rejoinder is, “They have their time and place”; while the populist might say, “Let’s go, we have no time to waste”.

That said, it’s instructive to note that the metaphysics of yesteryear is the physics of today. As predicted by the ancients, it seems as if Consciousness is at the root of everything that Is. So, if you want to have an effect on what Is, you need to effect the Consciousness behind what Is. Here’s where “meme” comes in.

According to Wikipedia, “a meme is a self-propagating unit of cultural evolution, analogous to the gene”… hence the title of this issue of SoC. So, if we want to change what Is, we need a meme — or so it seems.

Peace is a popular meme. “Peace, an idea whose time has come”… “If you want to have peace, take the profit out of war”. It’s a no brainer. Everyone wants freedom, everyone wants peace, everyone wants prosperity. The only problem is, some people want freedom, peace, and prosperity only for themselves, not for everyone else. Some people insist the way to freedom is through servitude, that we can have peace through war, and prosperity through scarcity.

The good news is, these people are a tiny minority of the people on the planet; the not so good news is that this tiny minority claims to own most everything on the planet… including us. What to do? Evolve?

Nature says, “Evolve or die”. If it were just me, you could scoff and dismiss it; but this is a law of nature, not some whim or fanciful idea i’m promoting. Let’s face it, humanity must evolve, or it will perish. And for humanity to evolve, culture must evolve. And for culture to evolve, thought-leaders must evolve. Ultimately, it starts with the individual and spreads through memes to the population as a whole.

So here we have a clearly framed dialectic: the Regressive-Elite State stasis (RESs) which controls through servitude, war, and scarcity versus the Progressive-Populist Peoples’ movement (3Pm) which demands freedom, peace, and prosperity for all.

It should be no surprise that this tiny minority, the ruling elite of the State, is dead set against evolution, which puts them in the curious position of having to be against nature itself. Sadly enough, being opposed and destructive to nature is something they seem to relish.

To defend itself against the many dangers inherent in change, the State uses the “official lie” as a powerful mechanism of self-protection. Given the immense power of the State to “manufacture consent”, the “official lie” becomes the operating principle through which grave injustice is heaped upon the people of this country and the world at large. Atrocious injustice leads ultimately to discord amongst the people. With the people divided, the State is able to insulate itself from any change that might challenge the authority of the ruling elite which eventually results in “institutionalized servitude”.

To metamorphose this chrysalis thought-dream perception of reality requires the truth, as true and piercing as a shaft of light at the dawning of a new day. George Orwell observed that “in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. Indeed, these are just such times, telling the truth is revolutionary; but since that’s so “scary-Kerry”, let’s just say telling the truth is evolutionary. Only through truth will justice prevail and accord requires nothing less than justice. And there will be freedom only when humanity comes into accord… harmony… a chord.

So we see the web for what it is. In seeing it, we can discover self. The interplay of these six principles with their dialectic opposites makes sense in the realm of both the inter- and intra-personal. In freeing ourselves from the discord of our negative programming we attain inner peace and with it, genuine prosperity… prosperity beyond the material world.

This happy future is ours for the taking, but there is a battle raging. Yes, a battle in flesh and blood — and oh, so much flesh and so much blood — but also a battle between the truth and lies.

One big lie after another is what fuels the engine of suppression. The truth is that if all branches of military from every so-called Nation State were to “stand down”, renounce violence and conquest, the world would be a far better place. One of the biggest lies of all is that the manufacture, sale, and use of weapons — large and small — makes the world a safer place. The illogic of trying to end war with war is lost on the average person, but we are not average people. So, what now?

In a Universe that responds to our perception, a Universe that is molded by our Consciousness, who but us — each and every one of us — gets to determine “what now”. Forget what didn’t work in the past. That was then, this is Zen. Surely we know more now than we knew then. And in a Universe where there is a time and place for everything, perhaps now is the time for peace. It’s 3Pm, time for evolution… time to put RESs to rest.

Sleepers awaken
the time has come and taken
your darkest fear has left you here
but the world outside is wonderful
the world outside is wonderful.

As far as the Presidential election is concerned, there are already numerous signs of widespread election fraud in the making. My intuition tells me that Kerry will ultimately become the next President and that the rank and file of the Democratic party will breathe a giant sigh of relief as Kerry gets busy building a thriving Global Security State on the solid foundation put in place by his predecessor and Skull and Bones brother, George W Bush. Personally, i’ve decided to vote for David Cobb, the Green candidate for President, and am encouraging my friends to consider doing the same.

If we flood the House of Representatives with new blood, demand impeachment of every public official who has knowingly and wantonly violated their solemn oath of office to “uphold and protect the Constitution” of this country, we can change this country and the world. We the People have the power and the right to be the masters of our future — it is our destiny. Another world is not only possible, it’s imperative to the very survival of humanity and the delicate eco-system upon which all life on this planet depends.

~ Copyright PAN 2004 ~

To the Editor:

I strongly object to the article by Don Kazak published in the Weekly on 9.1.04 titled “Conspiracy theorists”. Kazak’s article is a perfect example of the kind of journalism that’s in vogue in this country — all innuendo, no substance.

It’s clear that Kazak believes the government’s "official story" about 9-11, that a conspiratorial band of Muslim fundamentalists, orchestrated by bin Laden from a cave, highjacked four planes with nothing more than box-cutters, avoided the air defenses of this country, and flew said planes into the WTC and Pentagon.

While mister Kazak has a perfect right to believe whatever far-fetched conspiracy theory he wants, as a journalist, he has an obligation to be balanced in his reporting of the news.

Is it news that a growing number of people in this country do not believe the government’s “official story” about the tragic and suspicious events of 9-11? You bet it is.

Is it news that the government’s “official story” requires you to believe — as it did with the “magic bullet” in the assassination of Kennedy — that the laws of physics were suspended? You bet it is.

Is it news that there’s photographic evidence that the Pentagon was struck by a missile or drone on 9-11, not flight 77? You bet it is.

Is it news that the 9-11 Commission report was such a whitewash that it failed to even mention: the FBI agents who were told to stop investigating the suspicious Saudis in flight schools; Building 7, the other skyscraper that collapsed that day; and Marvin Bush, the brother of George W. who ran a company that managed security for the WTC, United Airlines, and Dulles — all three of which were involved in 9-11? You bet it is.

Instead of doing some research and writing a substantive piece about the many unanswered questions surrounding 9-11, mister Kazak was content to write a fluff piece about how Carol Brouillet and her “posse” are a bunch of “conspiracy theorists”. I challenge mister Kazak to an open debate on the events of 9-11. It’s time to cut the innuendo and get down to the facts of the matter.

Dennis “galen” Mitrzyk — write-in Congressional candidate, CA-14

Representative Eshoo:

I’ve phoned your office with these two questions and have yet to get a response. I’d like to pose them to you here at this townhall meeting and would like your reply.

First question: Do you, Representative Eshoo, believe that a Boeing 757 commercial airliner, Flight 77, hit the Pentagon on 9-11? If so, how do you explain the Associated Press photos which clearly show a hole much too small to have been made by a Boeing 757 and how do you explain the numerous photos which are clearly void of any signs of a Boeing 757?

Second question: Since George W. Bush is clearly guilty of election fraud and war crimes, why have you, to date, not been willing to submit articles of impeachment?

Sincerely,

Dennis “galen” Mitrzyk

{Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are the views of its author, not the Kucinich Campaign. The purpose of this newsletter is to initiate a dialog amongst true Progressives — folks often found around Congressman Kucinich — and is addressed primarily to the “more alert” of the supporters of Kucinich, to Kucinich himself, and to his official campaign staff.}

At this point, peace activists, such as myself, can take little solace in saying “i told you so”. We saw it coming, over the hill, like some ghost train from hell. We knew about the lies. We knew the real reasons and watched the country goosestep to “endless war” immediately after 9-11. The Constitution, that august document that clearly spells out our rights as citizens, has been suspended. Where’s the outcry from the People? Why this deadening silence in the face of treason?

But even worse than the silence is the number of citizens of this Republic who enthusiastically support the USG. Letters to the editor express empathy and sympathy for the war criminals who sexually assaulted, humiliated, tortured, and killed Iraqi prisoners of war.

Roughly a quarter of the people in this country are experiencing cognitive dissonance about now — primarily the supporters of Bush. Another quarter of the people are extremely upset and demand a “regime change” here at home. These people seem to be willing to “hold their nose” and vote for J. Forbes Kerry; but a small — and growing — group of people are aware of the game and courageous enough to take a stand. This group is the key; it is to them i entreat.

My analysis of the situation is simply this: We all know that J. Forbes Kerry would be better than Bush… yes, but only akin to having a better seat on the Titanic. As i’ve said before, Kerry looks like the antithesis of Bush only if you’re a Republicrat. If you’re a true Progressive, like myself, these two goons fell off the same turnip cart. Different puppets, same puppet-masters.

The question du jour is what’s a Progressive to do? Vote for Kerry because you’re terrified of another four years of Bush and end up with almost all of Bush’s policies? …continuation of the war on Iraq, return of the draft, elimination of the Constitution, continuation of the corporitization of the USG, and acceleration of globalization.

Some people are saying that we Progressives should unite and tell Kerry that we won’t vote for him unless he agrees to push for a Department of Peace, or Universal Health Care, or some other Progressive cause. That’s not a bad idea provided that you actually believe Kerry is going to keep his “word” to you, especially if it should conflict with his solemn oath to the Order of Skull and Bones.

Since i don’t trust Kerry, he could promise me a truckload of bullion from Fort Knox and i still wouldn’t vote for him. Here’s the simple fact that democrats need to understand: There are enough people in this country who feel the same way as to make it ‘impossible’ for Kerry to win the Presidency.

So now, the shoe seems to be on the other foot and i must ask all you good Democrats why are you willing to “throw your vote away” on a candidate who can not win?

If you believe it says somewhere in the (late, great) Constitution that one must be either a Democrat or a Republican to be elected President, then i’m afraid we’re going to be stuck with Bush for four more years; but if you believe that we really do live in a free country and that we have the power and the right to form a new government, there’s hope.

To date, Congressman Kucinich has insisted that he wants to reform the Democratic party from within. Since the graft and corruption is not limited to the Republican party, i feel strongly that efforts to reform the Democratic party would be ineffective over the short run. Given the volatility of the global situation, we don’t have the luxury of decades to co-opt the Democratic party into a true Progressive-Populist party. No, this is the moment… we must seize it, now.

Since Congressman Kucinich has insinuated that he is the vocalizer of the Progressive-Populist movement, i submit the following to him, his campaign staff, and his supporters: (While i understand that there are some people who are adamantly opposed to such “out of the box” thinking; i refuse to let anyone’s limits limit me.)

• Congressman Kucinich holds a press conference to announce that he is submitting articles of impeachment against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz, Rice, and Powell (there may be additional people added to the list).
• The following day, Congressman Kucinich holds a press conference to announce that he’s backing a People’s Investigation of the very suspicious circumstances surrounding 9-11.
• The following day, Congressman Kucinich holds a press conference to announce that he’s suing the Federal government on the behalf of the American People for gross malfeasance and racketeering regarding the $3.3 trillion dollars missing from three Federal agencies.

By this point, the world would be waiting for Kucinich’s next press conference! What sacred cow would he eviscerate next?

• With the eyes of the entire world on him, Kucinich would hold a joint press conference with Ralph Nader to announce that he’s accepting the Presidential bid of the Natural Law party. Nader would announce that he’s supporting Kucinich’s Natural Law bid and is under consideration as his running mate.
• With a strong case being made directly to the American people to impeach Bush and crew, Bush would become a huge liability to the Republican party. The RNC would be forced to dump him and find a viable candidate… other than Kerry.
• With the Republicrat party apparatus in disarray and Kucinich in the race offering America and the world a true alternative to “business as usual inside the beltway”, democrats would be forced to leave the Kerry camp in droves, because we all know that democrats will not vote for someone who has no chance of winning. Furthermore, disenfranchised republicans would likely be drawn to a strong and principled Kucinich bid because of the Congressman’s position on NAFTA and the WTO.

If Kucinich has the courage to move forward with this plan, the average citizen of this country would sit up and take notice. Sure there are risks, but any risk pales in comparison to the danger we face if either Bush or Kerry become the next President.

~ Copyright PAN 2004 ~

It’s been said that an operational definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. By this definition, our nation seems to be caught in the morass of a mass psychosis. As Freud so astutely pointed out, people often adopt the societal psychosis to save them the trouble of coming up with one of their own. This creates a “vicious cycle” which dangerously feeds the mass psychosis as more and more people opt to “buy in” to it.

As i’ve said before, the three pillars of American society are ignorance, apathy, and self-indulgence. How else can you explain the fact that — not one, but — two people who broke their oath of office are being allowed to run for President!

Isn’t this exactly what people like Ralph Nader have been warning against? I’ve insisted the same thing myself. Continue to vote for the “lesser of two evils” and, over time, there’ll be less and less difference between the “candidates”. Furthermore, when you allow the Government and their lackey “press agents” to control the debate, to decide what will and what will not be discussed, you’ve lost any hope of a free exchange of ideas. And as soon as the People of a Democracy are no longer able to have a free and open exchange with their Government, can it really be called a Democracy? And when a Government coerces its citizenry with threats of fines, imprisonment, physical violence, and even deportation, is this not tyranny?

If you are still reading by this point, you may be wondering as to the nature of this mass psychosis to which i’ve alluded. Let me offer a clue… it manifests itself most demonstrably every four years and culminates in the crowning of the potentate du jour.

Years of “dumbing down” the populace has produced the ideal electorate: an electorate able to follow logic, but with such a short attention span as to be unable to recognize “circular logic”. Circular logic leads inevitably to self-fulfilling prophesy. Yes, what we believe determines what we think, and what and how we think determines how we see the world, and how we see the world determines how we act in the world, and our interpretation of the results of our actions reinforces the beliefs we held to begin with. It’s a closed system and it works in lockstep with a closed mind.

So how does circular logic in league with self-fulfilling prophesy and a closed mind play itself out in current world affairs? There are several entry points, but let’s go with the most obvious.

Bush and his criminal coterie are clearly guilty of election fraud, lying under oath, war profiteering, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and treason. If any President in the history of this nation deserves to be impeached, it’s George W. Bush. The 18th century is known as the Age of Reason. I think the beginning of this, the 21st, century may one day be known as the Age of Treason.

But, instead of being impeached, removed from office, and tried for his numerous crimes, including egregious violation of his oath of office, Bush is, incomprehensibly, running for re-election! Why? Because the American people have lost all sense of perspective, and consequently, all sense of reality.

The “reality tunnel” through which the vast majority of people in this country see the world is narrow and distorted by generation after generation of mindless perpetuation of the American mythos… that we, as a nation, are all powerful, all righteous, and doing always the will of god. Though, in a grand ironic twist that is lost on most people, we — as a nation — are becoming exactly what we pretend to oppose: a nation ruled by lawlessness, terror, and barbarity.

The Greek philosopher, Plato, observed, “Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy”. Why? If we believe George Bernard Shaw that, “Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve”, we are to believe that the American people deserve the government we have, and that we deserve the government that will succeed it. From my perspective, this is a sad but true assessment.

Too many people in this country show themselves to be ‘model’ citizens in that they are ignorant, apathetic, and self-indulgent. They have been seduced by the American mythos of supremacy and entitlement, hypnotized by the illusion of freedom; when, in reality, this nation has become the driving force for fascism around the world. This nation manufactures, sells, and uses more weapons of all sorts than any other on the planet, and this nation spreads far more terror, death, and destruction around the world than any shadowy network of fundamentalist Muslims ever will.

And what of our Democracy? …our right to select our leaders? Democrats and Republicans will say, “Hey, there are big important differences between Bush and Kerry”. There undoubtedly are some differences, but neither of them would make a fundamental change in the direction this country is leading the world, both have violated their oath of office, both are beholden to big business, both are members of the secret Yale society, the Order of Skull and Bones.

Typical democrats will shrug their shoulders and say, “So what, Kerry’ll be better than Bush!”. Better at what, i wonder. Kerry wants to send more troops to Iraq… his way of — you know — getting us out of there. Just like Bush, he wants to take away our Constitutional rights to — you know — protect us and make us more free. Is this what we’ve come to? This is our ‘choice’? …Texas fascism with a mitre and staff, or fascism with a long face and Boston accent. All the Democrats are clamoring, “Believe you me, take the long-face, Boston fascism over that mean, Texas fascism… it’s a much kinder and gentler fascism”; but i’m not buying it.

As someone who believes, thinks, and acts as if what they believe, think, and do actually does make a difference in the world, the following words, articulated beautifully in 1857 by the American abolitionist, Frederick Douglas, speak volumes to me: “Find out just what the people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress”.

As you may have guessed from the title, i am taking it upon myself to declare — at least for myself, and anyone else who shares my world view — that the game is over… the jig is up. No more “business as usual” inside the beltway.

Perhaps some of you are, by now, scratching your head and wondering what any of this has to do with Ohio Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich. Plenty! i say. Rest assured, i am not speaking on behalf of the Kucinich campaign; but rather, to the Kucinich campaign and to supporters of Kucinich and his ideas… and to the culture that has grown up around Kucinich — hence, the title of this newsletter.

What follows is an actionable plan for moving forward. I offer it here as a starting point for discussion, understanding full well that it will have some vocal opponents:

• If Congressman Kucinich truly does want to be the leader of a progressive political movement, he should immediately resign from the Democratic party and become either a Green or a member of the Natural Law party. Let’s be realistic here, do we progressives, or Congressman Kucinich for that matter, owe any allegiance whatsoever to the Democratic party? I dare say, “No!”.

The DNC, DLC, and so called ‘legitimate’ candidates have treated Kucinich and his supporters with little more than contempt. From my perspective, Congressman Kucinich is acting a bit like a battered spouse who’s in denial. I ask you, Congressman, with all due respect, “Do you really feel you command the respect of the Democratic party?”. It doesn’t seem to me that you or your supporters are afforded anywhere near the respect that you or we deserve.

As for those who insist the best way to change the system is from within, i have this to say: If those who are responsible for the care and feeding of the system — the “beast”, as i like to call it — derive benefit from the system as it is and stand to lose if changes are made, then the system is impervious to change from within. At this point, the political process in this country — and most of the rest of the world — has become so utterly and absolutely corrupt as to be beyond repair.

• After clearly stating the many reasons he’s leaving the Democratic party, Congressman Kucinich would have a perfect segue into why he’s submitting articles of impeachment. I know we’ve been over all this once before, but i am not the least bit swayed by the facile arguments against someone submitting articles of impeachment — not just against Bush, but also against Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, and whomever else in the Bush regime who has broken their oath of office to “uphold and protect the Constitution” of this country.

Two of the most often repeated arguments against submitting articles of impeachment are: one, it’s too “negative”; and two, in a Republican-controlled Senate, the articles would never pass.

In response to the first argument i invoke Doctor Martin Luther King, “A time comes when silence is betrayal”, and Abraham Lincoln, “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men”. In response to the second argument, these words of Goethe come to mind, “Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now”. To anticipate failure and defeat and resign ourselves to inaction makes slaves of us all.

• The next step is for Congressman Kucinich to accept the Presidential nomination of the Natural Law party. It’s my understanding that he will already be on the ballot as the Natural Law candidate for President come November.

I can hear the sound of eyeballs rolling even as i type this. “But that would only split the Progressive vote”, is the familiar refrain. I disagree, it would do just the opposite; it would give Progressives, Populists, and Libertarians alike a strong candidate around whom they can rally. You can polish the “turd” all you want, but J. Forbes Kerry is not someone around whom Progressives, Populists, and Libertarians will rally.

In summary, by making these three bold moves, Congressman Kucinich would prove himself to be the leader that i and many of us have hoped him to be. Either we stand up now to the powers that be and say, “No more!”, or we resign ourselves to our fate as conscripted ‘citizens’ of a vile and pernicious global empire, the likes of which this world has never seen.

Will we prove Hegel right, that the only thing we learn from history is that man can never learn anything from history? Or will enough people shake off their societal psychosis and come to understand that our beliefs, our thoughts, and our actions — individually and collectively — have everything to do with shaping the world in which we live?

~ Copyright PAN 2004 ~

In these, the waning days of the old ways, rudeness has become institutionalized, celebrated, even. Obfuscation, denial, and outright deceit have become the order of the day on nearly every level of society.

Truth has lost any semblance of meaning in the hands of professional spin-meisters. Freedom is scarcely comprehensible to the average person. Many are even convinced that freedom is a “dangerous” thing — something to be restricted, something to be meted out in small doses by the government, least the intoxicating effects of it go straight to peoples’ heads till they run rampant in the streets, reeking havoc.

In the people, institutions, and zeitgeist of this age we see the result of thousands of years of religious and secular propaganda and mind control.