Propaganda by Edward Bernays (with an Introduction by Mark Crispin Miller)

Propaganda by Edward Bernays (with an Introduction by Mark Crispin Miller) is a classic propaganda text by the so-called "Father of Public Relations." Published in 1928, it is an interesting read, but certainly reflects the time in which it was written. As pointed out in the introduction, this work is philosophically Positivist (in the deterministic classic sense as opposed to the Modern). As it was written during the development of the Copenhagen Interpretation, such faults will not be remarked upon further.

Edward Bernays, who was a nephew of Sigmund Freud, was deeply involved with the U.S. Committee on Public Relations, which was responsible for propagandizing US involvement in World War I. It was partially due to these activities that the word Propaganda began to be regarded with negative connotations. This book was his attempt (which obviously failed) to restore its neutral meaning.

Even if one views his advocacy for the blatant manipulation of the public mind as disturbing, his honesty concerning doing so is refreshing. He also believed that the propagandist required a certain idea of ethics to avoid going too far. (He did abandon his advocacy for cigarettes once the health effects were irrefutable.) He believed that propaganda could be used for good or bad, and was correct in believing so. However, even good uses, such as public health campaigns, were not enough to remove the taint from the word propaganda. Hitler sealed its fate.

Basically, this book is an attempt to sell his craft to the rich and powerful. One way or another, he certainly succeeded. For a look into the thinking of a master of propaganda, the book is worth reading for that reason alone.

Serf Wages

I also couldn't believe it when I read this:

Will work for taxes
By The Mogambo Guru

From AP, we can't believe our eyes when we read, "Plan Would Let Seniors Work to Pay Taxes". It seems that in Greenburgh, NY, the damned local government is eating the financial guts out of its citizens. For example, a 76-year old woman named Audrey Davison lives alone, gets a US$620 Social Security check per month ($7,440 a year), and has to pay $12,000 a year in property taxes on the house that she has lived in for 43 years!

Instead of the town saying, "Oh, my God! What kind of ravenous vampires have we become?" and lowering their damned spending and the damned taxes, "The town is pushing a program that would let seniors work part-time, for $7 an hour, to help pay off some of their property taxes."

Some bozo named Scott Parkin, who for some reason is the spokesman for the National Council on Aging, said that the program "sounded interesting" to him, "as long as it wasn't limited to menial work." Apparently, easy "make-work" labor for old people is insulting, but gulag-style, back-breaking forced-labor is okay! With whips! Hahaha! "And if they fall under the load, grind them into pet food and take their houses!"

He doesn't answer my question directly, but with a little clever editing, I can make it appear that way when I now insert his quote, "It's certainly in line with what we stand for, keeping seniors involved in work or volunteering as a part of healthy aging." Hahaha! Forcing old, sick people to work to pay their taxes is "in line with" what the National Council on Aging stands for! Hahaha!

Even more astonishing, he went on to say that he would, "Eventually ... like to see the county and the local school districts adopt similar plans!" I can't believe what I am reading!

I thought that I had misread it, but then he said, "If we got seniors working for the schools, there might be a more intergenerational feeling there", and apparently with all the forced labor to do the work, "It might be easier to pass the school budgets."

JMR Wayne T agrees with me when he says, "This is surely in the top five most horrible examples of Government abuse of its citizens I have ever seen. This is beyond Communism, this is serfdom."

(Read the rest Here.)

$7/hr is certainly serf wages, especially for retired professionals or trades people. So in this regard, menial labor is actually preferable. It's revolting to contemplate that anyone could seriously consider such a scheme, let alone approve of it. The manacles are always in the details.

Now, that's just plain revolting!

Condemnation

Russell Means: This Property is Condemned. The Lawfare continues with a declaration that the Lakota have the right to impose liens on government property. It will be instructive to see where this situation leads.

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Sun Tzu - The Art of War. I've never sat down and read the whole thing straight through. I found this handy Small Edition that easily fits in my pocket. A great gift for your warmongering brother-in-law.

Take control of the strategic balance and move. The one who understands the tactics of the circuitous and direct will be victorious.

Declaration

A Lakota organization, that includes AIM founder Russell Means, are apparently declaring (or re-affirming) their independence from the US. How serious are they? The A Declaration of Independence from the USA reads as follows:

Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared sovereign nation status today in Washington D.C. following Monday's withdrawal from all previously signed treaties with the United States Government.

The withdrawal, hand delivered to Daniel Turner, Deputy Director of Public Liaison at the State Department, immediately and irrevocably ends all agreements between the Lakota Sioux Nation of Indians and the United States Government outlined in the 1851 and 1868 Treaties at Fort Laramie Wyoming.

"This is an historic day for our Lakota people," declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. "United States colonial rule is at its end!"

"Today is a historic day and our forefathers speak through us. Our Forefathers made the treaties in good faith with the sacred Canupa and with the knowledge of the Great Spirit," shared Garry Rowland from Wounded Knee. "They never honored the treaties, that's the reason we are here today."

The four member Lakota delegation traveled to Washington D.C. culminating years of internal discussion among treaty representatives of the various Lakota communities. Delegation members included well known activist and actor Russell Means, Women of All Red Nations (WARN) founder Phyllis Young, Oglala Lakota Strong Heart Society leader Duane Martin Sr., and Garry Rowland, Leader Chief Big Foot Riders. Means, Rowland, Martin Sr. were all members of the 1973 Wounded Knee takeover.

"In order to stop the continuous taking of our resources ñ people, land, water and children- we have no choice but to claim our own destiny," said Phyllis Young, a former Indigenous representative to the United Nations and representative from Standing Rock. Property ownership in the five state area of Lakota now takes center stage. Parts of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana have been illegally homesteaded for years despite knowledge of Lakota as predecessor sovereign [historic owner]. Lakota representatives say if the United States does not enter into immediate diplomatic negotiations, liens will be filed on real estate transactions in the five state region, clouding title over literally thousands of square miles of land and property. Young added, "The actions of Lakota are not intended to embarrass the United States but to simply save the lives of our people".

Following Monday's withdrawal at the State Department, the four Lakota Itacan representatives have been meeting with foreign embassy officials in order to hasten their official return to the Family of Nations. Lakota's efforts are gaining traction as Bolivia, home to Indigenous President Evo Morales, shared they are "very, very interested in the Lakota case" while Venezuela received the Lakota delegation with "respect and solidarity."

"Our meetings have been fruitful and we hope to work with these countries for better relations," explained Garry Rowland. "As a nation, we have equal status within the national community."

Education, energy and justice now take top priority in emerging Lakota. "Cultural immersion education is crucial as a next step to protect our language, culture and sovereignty," said Means. "Energy independence using solar, wind, geothermal, and sugar beets enables Lakota to protect our freedom and provide electricity and heating to our people."

The Lakota reservations are among the most impoverished areas in North America, a shameful legacy of broken treaties and apartheid policies. Lakota has the highest death rate in the United States and Lakota men have the lowest life expectancy of any nation on earth, excluding AIDS, at approximately 44 years. Lakota infant mortality rate is five times the United States average and teen suicide rates 150% more than national average. 97% of Lakota people live below the poverty line and unemployment hovers near 85%.

"After 150 years of colonial enforcement, when you back people into a corner there is only one alternative," emphasized Duane Martin Sr. "The only alternative is to bring freedom into its existence by taking it back to the love of freedom, to our lifeway."

We are the freedom loving Lakota from the Sioux Indian reservations of Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana who have traveled to Washington DC to withdraw from the constitutionally mandated treaties to become a free and independent country. We are alerting the Family of Nations we have now reassumed our freedom and independence with the backing of Natural, International, and United States law.

For more information, please visit our new website at http://www.lakotafreedom.com/.

Lakota
444 Crazy Horse Drive, P.O. Box 99;
Porcupine, SD 57772

See also Here.

People living in grinding poverty have no great love for government that does nothing, yet bleeds them dry. Passive genocide is slower. US Indian Reservations are generally rural ghettos few leave by any other means than joining the military. Will the point be missed? Will a number of individuals renounce US citizenship? How many will be veterans? How will the Federal Government react? You can bet it will probably do the wrong thing.

Night of the Lone Wolves

Night of the Lone Wolves by Adam Elkus is a short essay concerning the super-empowered individuals. Their actions are amplified by the Verbal World created by media. The author muses that destruction sells:

Perhaps, as European philosopher Slavoj Zizek theorized, we are unwittingly addicted to images of our own destruction. We eagerly devour disaster movies and thrillers that prominently feature events that range from catastrophic to world-ending. In a time of global terrorism and insurgency, one of the most popular television shows is Fox’s 24, which regularly shows fictionalized usage of biological, chemical, and even nuclear weapons. Disturbingly enough, before 9/11 several popular thrillers had plotlines featuring planes being flown into buildings.

Why do we vicariously crave these experiences? Zizek himself echoes Freud in claiming that they tap into deep anxieties and fears we unconsciously hold about modernity—that we fear that underneath the edifice of ordered, secure civilization is little more than raw savagery that threatens to consume us at any given moment. One can also point to the long tradition of apocalyptic literature and mythology, common to all faiths and cultures, and note that these media displays tap into a deep, subconscious cultural nerve honed over the centuries.

I would agree. Mass media has better enabled quick creation of Verbal Worlds. In the past, such trends took years and even centuries to mature. In a 24 hour news cycle, mass viewing can lead to the formation of a particular world view. The events of late 2001 are an obvious example. The population was glued to the television and therefore the experience was immediate yet shared vicariously. Decadence is a catalyst for such processes that corrupt solidarity in the name of unity. A criminal only succeeds beyond physical terms if we let him.

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated By Gore Vidal

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated by Gore Vidal is a short book I came across at the semi-annual library book sale. At first, I expected it to be the usual screed about US Imperialism, and it certainly touched upon it, but a large portion of the book concerns Timothy McVeigh. As someone who had friends injured (both physically and psychologically) by the Oklahoma City explosion, I am not inclined toward any particular sympathy. However, as I read the essay, I could see why he did what he did. Although intelligent, he was a simpleton, or a potential "useful idiot." He was certainly not a white supremacist (especially considering he was disgusted at killing Arabs), although he took certain ideas from their "literature." Since his only other option was life in a box, I also agree that he probably opted for "state-assisted suicide" rather than rat out any accomplices or confederates. The government gave him no incentive to talk. I also concur with the conclusion that the Federal Government does not really want to publicly admit the extent of the hatred directed at it.[1] I would also add that media, having financial stakes, certainly do not generally want to pursue this thread either. The power structure would rather leave murders free than shed light on its increasing illegitimacy.

[1] And it isn't just the far, far right wing by any means.

Recommended Reading: The Road to Serfdom: A classic warning against the dangers to freedom inherent in social planning by F.A. Hayek

Although this blog is on hiatus, I will from time to time offer recommended readings. In this installment, The Road to Serfdom: A classic warning against the dangers to freedom inherent in social planning by F.A. Hayek will be briefly discussed. This book, written by the 1974 co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics, was published in 1944 and is dedicated "to socialists of all parties." In it, the author warns against state-imposed collective "planning," and explains in detail its incompatibility with democracy. His thesis, written from the point of view of a classical liberal, is essentially that state economic controls (which lead to monopolies) are the antithesis of freedom. In the real world, authority is human and must make choices that will inevitably favor one group over another, thus leading to social strife. In addition, the happiness of the individual must be neglected, which basically leaves all claims of authoritarian socialism as incompatible with the concept of personal freedom. As the author also states, only personal freedom allows the individual and hence society to develop humanistic morality and values. Without some personal responsibility, the most terrible deeds may be justified as part of the greater plan.

Although dated, his thesis is still relevant. For those believing the state can solve all problems, as its history indicates, this book would definitely appear threatening. For this reason alone, this book is worth reading.

Hiatus

This blog is in hiatus. I have too many projects going right now, and nobody reads this stuff anyway with any regularity. A blog is too difficult to back check. The whole becomes represented by the sum of its parts. The part is seen in and of itself. When I resume, I will likely post only singular aphorisms, but I am not in the mood just yet. The back posts will remain for the search engines and for the (few) readers who are plowing through old posts. Meanwhile, I will likely pursue hard copy publishing. I will still be posting at my far more frequently visited sites: Propaganda Posters and at Drunk And Armed. I will also still publish Rants/Essays irregularly (which nobody much reads either - it takes a lot of work to be universally offensive).

-SRL

Review of Brave New War #8

Review of Brave New War by John Robb (Continued).

This book is in general agreement with other 4GW authors. The world is changing back to old mindsets mixed with modern goals and technology. Centralized state control is fading (in general) world wide. Eventually, economic collapse will effectively break governments of power. Robb discusses a future where fortified enclaves develop along collectivist lines. The rich individually and collectively; the middles class collectively. He does not discuss the effects of massive currency collapse on the rich and middle class. It may be inferred that he is basically predicting another Great Depression coupled with a crippled state. Many other 4GW authors go further and view it as a change in the nature of civilization. The reality may prove something in between.

Medicine - An art that has submitted itself wholly to science.

FMFM 1A-3A: A Book of Fourth Generation Tactical Decision Games

FMFM 1A-3A: A Book of Fourth Generation Tactical Decision Imperial and Royal (K.u.K.) Austro-Hungarian Marine Corps. Too bad only Austro-Hungarians will read it.

Review of Brave New War #7

Review of Brave New War by John Robb (Continued).

Large electrical grids and other networks are vulnerable due to the large transmission distances involved. One cannot guard every power or gas line. As a result, as prevention against disruption, power will need to be generated locally, presumably primarily through renewable such as solar (which will become cost competitive within the decade) and wind power (which is competitive now). The national network is too vulnerable, which will provide incentive to localize power generation. The question remains whether or not this development may be forced.

Review of Brave New War #6

Review of Brave New War by John Robb (Continued).

Guerrilla Entrepreneurs are driven by a range in motivation. Some are mercenary; most are not (as being driven solely to fight for pay). Circumstances dictate the means and methods. Some do not kill. Their targets are physical infrastructure and systems, such as targeting critical nodes and transmission lines. Computer systems may also be threatened. The Guerrilla Entrepreneur is exploiting the weakness of Maximum Advantage. Technical efficiency as final consideration leads towards connectivity thus inevitable spawning many unintended consequences. A primary conflict point occurs along cultural lines. Once a dominant culture succumbs to the lure of Maximum Advantage, it will force itself upon all others via contact vectors. Interestingly (or not), the technical morality meanwhile smothers all the competition by buying it out, then pushing it to the population. As the boundary is reached, the spaces are filled in. The original only occurs one as the bizarre becomes common place. Along lines of popular culture*, this behavior is transmitted in all its decadent glory. Guerrilla Entrepreneurs may also utilize the same media techniques with increasing sophistication. Indeed, being small their propaganda may be altered as necessary in almost real time. A committee does not need to meet and discuss the matter for months to change tact and approach. Psychological warfare is inevitably employed in modern conflicts. Internal battles are no exception.

* I would recommend Tom Frank (in general) and The Baffler crew for those readers interested in bashing the cutting edge.

Review of Brave New War #5

Review of Brave New War by John Robb (Continued).

Open Source Warfare is a concept that describes warfare like a bazaar. Fighters, bomb makers and others sell their talents by the job to "organic" guerrilla movements, gangs, clans etc. that often make no claim and do no covet the mantle of state. The weak can challenge the strong by buying the services of those willing to do the job. Indeed, even states are using more mercenaries these days, so why would others not do so?