Terror: Land of the free?

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(first draft, comments are welcome, text part of a series. pls read in order.)
Terror: Why do Muslims commit acts of terror?
Terror: Does the West commit acts of terror?
Terror: Land of the free?

Intro

The previous text probably does not conform with the world view many in the West have. As a free thinking person you might have the following reaction:

The view presented does not conform with my daily life. We are not controlled by power hungry industrialists. We have freedom. We have free speech. There are free elections and multiple political parties. My society is not motivated by greed and consumerism. We have human rights and social programs.

Well, let me explain. We live in a two faced society. There is the public face you just described, the just society, and the hidden face of exploitation and control.

The paradox

The main result of the European enlightenment period was a transfer of control from organized religion to the individual. Man became the master of his own fate, instead of God. We found out we could do things ourselves, instead of relying upon the Church. This resulted in a number of developments that had both 'positive' and 'negative' outcomes, depending upon whom you ask. The rejection of rule by nobility, humanism, the rights of the individual, democracy, free competition, private industry, etc.

One of these developments was a strong sense of social justice. The right to pursue happiness unhindered by church and state, and free from exploitation by others. This sense of social justice clashes with the need for control. You can't maximize your own control if you are not allowed to take it away from others. This creates a paradox. You can't have a society where both social justice and the pursuit of control at the cost of others are prevalent.

And yet we have one.

The powers that be

People seek out people that are like themselves and have similar goals. Those that hold positions of power are no different. They band together to further their collective interest. This is natural human behavior.

In the Netherlands the rich members of the Dutch East India company held great sway over national policy during our Golden Age in the 17th century. In the British Empire the upper class formed cabals to help each other out, dividing positions and land in the colonies amongst themselves. In the Roman Republic there were the wealthy families like the Julii en Scipii that banded together in order to rule. In modern times you have the groups of politicians and industrialists that work together, like Dick Cheney and Halliburton, in order to award themselves government contracts. Fox News, which should be an independent news organization somehow only broadcasts a conservative agenda.

These groups of powerful people we call cabals. A cabal is a group of people that seek to further their own interests outside of the public view. The reason for secrecy is that their actions clash with either the law or public morality. Cabals can be found anywhere and everywhere. Some cabals are an open secret, like the Roman families were or the British upper class is. Others are more secretive, like the military industrial complex and their politicians in the United States are or the Oligarchs were during the Yeltsin years in Russia.

Do remember there is nothing odd about these groups. It is natural human behavior to band together and help each other out.

So how do these cabals deal with all of our freedoms and our sense of social justice? Well secrecy is not the only means by which these ''powers that be'' maximize their control at the cost of you and me.

The solutions for dealing with freedom

The powers that be found several ways to circumvent or nullify our perceived freedoms.

Free thinking. Europe developed a tradition of free thinking during the enlightenment period. This needed to be countered by the powers that be. Free thought brings the risk of non conformity. The solution was programming via commercials and mass media. How do you keep your workers consuming and distracted? You tempt them with commercials to buy more. You provide them with easy access to entertainment based on primary emotions. Super hero movies, talent shows, sitcoms, etc. And you give them something to fear via the news media. The Soviets, black people, terrorists, the Chinese, diseases, and so on.

The powers that be improved upon the old Roman axiom: in order to control the masses you need to give them bread and games. It's now bread, games, and an enemy.

Free speech. The right to say what you want seems dangerous to any would be ruler. An individual might contradict your story, and pull others in with him, thus undermining your power. However this threat can be easily circumvented by simply providing for many, many, many voices.

Sometimes this happens naturally. Take the Internet. Where in the past dedicated individuals might make the effort to set up a movement which contradicts the official story, on the Internet lazy keyboard warriors like me in their millions create a forest of opinions, thus rendering them all ineffective.

In other cases organizations are created. Take Fox News. It's primary mission is to provide alternative story lines to support their overlords. The counter divergent political messages, social justice warriors and scientific facts. And there are many, many more official and unofficial news organizations.

The Internet together with the news media are enough to nullify the effects of free speech. It doesn't matter that there are many critical thinkers who publish books, blog and make documentaries. As long as the majority in more focused on their own material and social situation and believe their society is just, there is no danger. The odd public issue that pops up can be resolved by counter messages, diverting blame, diversions, etc. While George Bush and Dick Cheney were widely criticized for their handling of the Iraq war, the world wide news media ignored the military industrial complex which made billions.

Free choice. Free choice is simply nullified by providing the available choices. These available choices are created and enforced via companies, government, and the media controlled popular culture.

Free elections. America and Europe developed a tradition of multi party free elections. Anybody could go into politics and win elections. This could not stand. Vital interests could be threatened by the wrong man at the helm. However politicians and parties need money in order to operate. For the industrial cabals in America this was the solution. Simply buy them all. This has been a fact of life since Eisenhower.

In other countries this approach was not possible due to the legal limits set on contributions. In a lot of European countries parties do often act in the public interest. However the politicians do form cabals themselves, helping each other out with lucrative jobs and positions. And industrial cabals do succeed in poaching the politicians with promises of high paying jobs after their political career.

Free competition. Via the economic model of free competition you create a steady stream of new products and new markets, which means more and more profits, always increasing. Greed provides the incentive. Inventors and companies feel the need to out do the competition in order to maximize their control.

The competition model however means that you often cut into each others profits. Unless you are in a new or expanding market, your companies market share is increased at the cost of another. This benefits the customer, but not you as a C.E.O. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, with the overall effect being zero. And you want all the profits, not just a share that changes in size over time. Furthermore there is the risk of your company going under.

The solution are diversified ownership and capital. If you control more than one company, you benefit no matter what. If you have capital you can steer the outcome of competition. You can withhold or give loans and investments, buy up competitors, undercut the market prices, etc.

This translates into shareholding and banking. So the early industrial cabals transformed from people that ran individual enterprises into people that own many things. Banks and stocks. C.E.O.'s are now simply employees.

Obviously this circumvention of free competition is not air tight. Many companies successfully withstood buyout attempts. Facebook, Microsoft, etc. However once these companies became industry leaders they themselves reverted to buying out and undercutting any startup that could remotely be a threat. Ever wonder why there is only one consumer operating system sold world wide?

Fairness for all. The world does not have enough raw materials to sustain mass consumption for all humans. The solution lies with distract, hide and conquer. Specifically the distract & hide part. In secret, the West robs many other countries of their natural resources, purchasing these at bargain prices, or mining them ourselves. The whole of Africa is a resources free buffet. Of course Joe-public can't accept the fact that his new microwave was made by poor Chinese workers from resources purchased off corrupt governments and dictators. The solution lies with the Media. We simply do not inform the public. And when news does break, it's just a drop in the ocean of propaganda and distraction. From the news we all know Africans are stupid, warlike, always hungry and uncivilized. Who cares if some Nigerians are poisoned by an oil company. The new IPhone is of much, much greater concern.

Public interest. There are many public interests. Defense, health, education etc. Things we all need, and need done well. These interests can be at odd with the quest of the individual to maximize it's control. Take the fast food industry. This industry found out that food can be made addictive by adding sugar and certain fats. We as humans have evolved to select sugar and fat above anything else. It's an old adaptation from the time of the hunter gather, when a quick boost from these scarce resources could mean the difference between survival and death. However we are not build to handle large quantities. Our liver, kidneys and other organs suffer from overuse. We develop diabetes and other diseases. Despite the public interest in limiting access to these types of food, fast food restaurants chains have only been expanding. A powerful lobby from the fast food cabal has thus far successfully prevented legislation.

Another example of success is the health industry cabal. They found out that they can charge ridiculous prices for medicines, way, way above cost price, as long all companies do it. People after all need to get better, no matter what. While in theory there are several large companies that produces medicine and prices should be low due to competition, this is not the case.

An example of failure is the tobacco industry. It's lobby could not prevent legislation.

An example of success of a political cabal is the French-German axis in European politics. Nothing gets decided without their say-so.

Terrorism is also a good example of successes gained by political and industrial cabals. As can be read in the text about Muslim terrorists, there are plenty of reasons why Muslims can justly be upset with the West. These issues produces a steady yet very small stream of new terrorists that carry out the occasional attack in the West. Yet instead of dealing with the social injustices the West helped create in the Middle East, we add fuel on the fire discriminating against Muslims and bombing various countries. We also continue to support Saudi Arabia with large sums of money and military hardware, while the Saudi government is the driving force behind the spread of Wahhabism. Wahhabism used to be a minor movement in Islam, a bit like Pentecostalism in Christianity. It believes in the absolute correctness of the scripture, yet is focussed soley on phrases containing instructions for repression, excluding the majority content of the Koran which focusses on being a decent loving human being. Wahhabism is now wide spread in Europe and the Middle East. It is the doctrine of ISIS.

Our strange behavior seems inexplicable. We create this image of the evil Muslim that needs to be fought, yet contrinu to provide the few actual evil Muslims with means and cause. However if you think of the billions and billions of dollars spend worldwide combatting terrorism you might find an explanation. The military/security cabal in the USA wages a very strong pro Saudi and anti Muslim lobby in US politics.

Soft Control

Over time the powers that be have learned how to leave our freedoms intact and yet control us.

You can still think for yourself, if you make the effort to put down your Iphone.

You can still say what you want, but your voice gets lost in the crowd, and most people won't listen anyway.

You can chose what you want to do, from the choices provided.

You can pick your political candidate, but chances are that he or she is just a chocolate or vanilla flavor of the same stuff: cabal ice cream.

You can compete all you want, but chances are you will be swallowed up or owned.

Fairness for all seems far off, but as long as you don't realize that your new Samsung phone is related to suffering in Africa, it doesn't really matter. At best you shake your head in despair at the problems other countries experience.

So how do they do it? Most importantly there is no need to clamp down on everything. As a member of the powers that be, all you are interested in is to maximize your own chances for survival. This means control over resources and general control over the behavior of your host population. Anything that does not impede your control does not matter and is thus allowed to occur.

Gay rights? Fine.

Legalized Marijuana? Fine.
Black lives matter? Not fine. Might hinder prison profits and the 'omg-a-black-person' fear factor which is an important control on the majority white population.

Abortion? Fine, just let the religious zealots duke it out with the liberals.

The method by which control is exercised by the cabals of the present day could be called ''soft control''. Direct oppression brings with it the risk of revolution and is very expensive. Leaving the individual sense of freedom intact but providing the framework in which this freedom is allowed to operate is much safer. And allowing many things to occur naturally, and then steering them with a soft unseen hand, is much cheaper.

Outcome

We do live in a free society, and yet we don't. Our freedoms only exists within a framework the powers that be provide for us. Economic, social and political developments in the West are controlled by various cabals that seek to maximize their control. The result of which is that the majority of the population is focused on consumption and fearful of imaginary threats. This control is not absolute. Occasionally things do change. However the nature of soft control is that it need not be absolute, as long as it is wide spread and largely hidden. The occasional loss is more that compensated by gains elsewhere.

Conclusion

Our free society is not as prevalent as we like to think. We are only partly free, within a framework decided for us by those that are successful in maximizing their control. However, this is only a natural outcome of what defines our society: individualism.
The acts of terrorism are carried out both by Western hands and those of Muslims. The mechanism that creates the terror however is not natural but artificial with the sole purpose of maxizing the control of groups of powerfull people that own the military industrial complexes and security companies. ISIS is nothing more than a sales pitch.