Insightful Observations Regarding Social Change…

…were being made almost 50 years ago, and many are coming to fruition in our present day lives. Insightful ObservationsDr Richard day made the observations during an ” off the record session ” as he addressed a meeting of students and practitioners of the Pittsburgh Pediatric Society. The points he discusses are as relevant in Britain and Europe as they are in America.

I’ve copied and pasted the summary of the main criteria of his speech below, and the full transcript can be found here. Its worth keeping in mind that this address was made in 1969 while reading, because it is frighteningly close to what we are experiencing now.

Among the topics discussed by Dr Day were:

“Population control; permission to have babies; redirecting the purpose of sex – sex without reproduction and reproduction without sex; contraception universally available to all; sex education and carnalising of youth as a tool of world government; tax funded abortion as population control; encouraging homosexuality, including anything goes homosexuality; technology used for reproduction without sex; families to diminish in importance; euthanasia and the “demise pill”; limiting access to affordable medical care and thus making it easier to eliminate the elderly; medicine to be tightly controlled; the elimination of private doctors; new difficult-to-diagnose and untreatable diseases; the suppression of cancer cures to control and reduce the population; induced heart attacks as a form of assassination; education as a tool for accelerating the onset of puberty and evolution; the blending of all religions – the old religions will have to go; changing the Bible through the revision of key words; restructuring education as a tool of indoctrination; spending more time in schools, but pupils “wouldn’t learn anything”; controlling who has access to information; schools as the hub of the community; “some books would just disappear from the libraries”; changing laws to promote moral and social chaos; the encouragement of drug abuse to create a jungle atmosphere in cities and towns; promote alcohol abuse; restrictions on travel; the need for more jails, and using hospitals as jails; no more psychological or physical security; crime used to manage society; curtailment of US industrial preeminence; shifting populations and economies to tear out social roots; sports to be used as a tool of social engineering and change; sex and violence to be inculcated through entertainment; travel restrictions and implanted ID cards; food control; weather control; using mass psychology to control know how people respond and behave; the falsification of scientific research; the use of terrorism and the creation of ‘terrorist’ threats; the use of surveillance devices, implants, and televisions to monitor people; home ownership to be a thing of the past; and, ultimately, the arrival of a totalitarian system of global control.”

I found many similarities to our own existence and events which are occurring around our world. It demonstrates that our ” evolution ” is by design, and that many instruments are already in place to control our populations and our survival. Its very disconcerting and astonishing to learn that this had all been planned before I had even reached my teens. Everyone should be made aware of this by whatever means, then we can lobby for the abolition of the think tanks from where these absurd ideas emanate.

SoberVision

more to come…

Ethereal Visions and General Elections…

…are seldom heard in relation to each other, but you can always rely on the Tories to come up with something unlikely.ethereal visions and general elections The story goes that, Teresa May’s ethereal vision, which she experienced in Snowdonia, prompted her to call an early general election. Little wonder they won’t let her on the telly. Maxine Waters will be looking on and wishing she had thought of that one.

Apparently it had nothing to do with the Tories being ahead in the polls, nor the fact that they were in danger of losing their majority in Parliament as judgement day draws ever closer on the election fraud cases. However, it makes one curious as to just how many Tory policies are based on ethereal visions as opposed to the stark reality which is clearly visible to everyone apart from them.

Their mantra appears to be, if its not making money and isn’t a financial institution needing bailing out, ignore it. This is typical of the Thatcher years, when Mrs Thatcher had convinced herself that her dream of an equal capitalist society had actually been achieved, whilst , in reality, nothing had changed.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all, if someone were to report that the real reason for Mrs May’s visit to Snowdonia was a reconnaissance trip, in order to ascertain the viability of levying a charge on hill walking and on gazing at wonderfully scenic views. I’m sure the fact that we benefit from clean healthy air and exercise at no cost will not have gone unnoticed. Of course, taxation on this particular freedom would have to be implemented post election, after their campaign manifesto is ripped up and thrown to the winds on election night.

This may sound far fetched, and such a policy would never be a vote grabber. However, if one looks back at how things have evolved over the last 50 years, something along those lines is not outwith the realms of possibility.

People find tales of yesteryear very boring. Some of that may be dependent on who is telling the story, but I can’t help feeling that there is a bit of envy and sometimes disbelief that we were able to enjoy simple pleasures at very little cost.

For example, a family day out might involve us all jumping in the car on a Saturday morning, swimsuits rolled up in a towel and a picnic in the boot of the car. We would drive to a loch or some river where we would swim, kick a ball around, chat with other people and enjoy the picnic we had brought. When evening came, we returned home, happy and exhausted. The whole day had cost a bit of petrol and food which we would have used at home anyway.

Nowadays, the same kind of day out would involve going to a pool to swim for as long as is permitted for whatever admission fee was paid. Lifeguards watch over proceedings and any adventurous behaviour is frowned upon. Following the swim, its either the expensive pool cafeteria or McDonalds. Whichever, its going to cost. This done, there is still half of the day left and if the kids don’t want to go home to amuse themselves, the onus is on the parents to pay for them to do something else.

Spending money on things we once took for granted is normal behaviour now. No one bats an eyelid ( except me ) when asked to pay for something which was once available to all and sundry.

Creating money out of nothing is today’s banking model and charging for every single detail of our lives is the business model of this Tory government. If the Tories are allowed to form another administration, democracy is irrecoverably dead. If we don’t allow it , then our kids and grandkids will have a better future. This obsession with money won’t end well.

People who regard themselves as middle class or working poor should be 25 – 30% better off than they actually are under the present system. The government obviously knows this, and since most of their electorate sits within these categories, they give them just enough to keep them sweet. No more, just enough, and as long as these classes are making enough money to service the debt they have been encouraged to get into, all is well. Until the day dawns when the bubble bursts and the banks want it all back. All of it. Now.

It wasn’t widely broadcast in the UK that around 7 million Americans lost their homes due to foreclosure, although around 1 million Brits suffered the same fate, due to banking malpractice.

The banking system has been likened to the largest casino in the world, complete with its winners and losers. The money they gamble with doesn’t exist in the form of gold or silver or anything tangible, just as the money in our bank accounts has no physical shape or form. It’s only figures on a computer’s monitor, dancing on graphs as they traverse the screen and seducing the user into placing his bet.

We have been given this chance, earlier than expected, and before the present government are allowed to sell the last preserves of our national pride to the lowest bidder, to effect a change which will install a government which works for us, as government was always designed to do. We should take it, as another five years will elapse before another opportunity arises, during which time many unpleasantries will be forced upon us with little hope of recourse.

SoberVision

more to come…

An Exciting Week in International Events…

…headed, of course, by the American bombing of Syria in response to a chemical attack by President Assad on his own people. Just when he was doing so well. An Exciting Week In International EventsFreud would probably diagnose some sado/masochistic tendencies with a bit of of psychopathy hanging around somewhere in there too. If , indeed, these events are true. And that’s what makes it exciting.

Exciting too, is the news that Kim Jong Un , leader of North Korea, intends to nuke the United States, should the Carl Vinson carrier group get too close for his personal comfort, and by all reports he intends to carry out yet another missile test this weekend just to prove that he can. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Americans decided to test one of their anti missile attack weapons at the same time and shot Kim’s experiment from the skies. Just to prove they can.

This type of action would have a far greater effect than bombs causing destruction and loss of human life. It would, at once, negate Korea as a viable nuclear threat and prove that America can deal with anything which they have. This would also destroy Kim’s credibility within his own country as people realise that all his nuclear posturing is fruitless. Combine this with China no longer importing coal from North Korea, which was the mainstay of the North Korean economy, and you have a country on a downward spiral.

In other news, we had Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, being found guilty of ignorance by the mainstream media, and sentenced to multiple headlines and column inches due to his mention of Adolf Hitler in one of his replies. Surely the press must realise by now that Adolf Hitler is any press agent’s race card. Perhaps not, as the ensuing furore demonstrated. Hitler is an often used ruse in the situation where a press secretary finds himself painted into a corner and needs to find a quick exit. The very mention of Hitler sets ears pricking universally and a manic leaping around begins as the initial purpose of the interview is entirely forgotten in a flurry of self righteous accusatory articles.

Meanwhile, the Press Secretary wipes his brow, sighs with relief and moves on. The irony is that, had he mentioned George Wasn’tme Bush, Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger, Barrack Obama and many others in this context, it would have, under no circumstances, have provoked the same sense of outrage which the mainstream media were directing us to feel.

Europe has had it’s fair share of excitement this week also. This shoud be extremely worrying, as it seems to be increasingly becoming the norm. Attacks on native citizens and their property, in all European nations by ” refugees “, continue unabated and largely unchecked, due to lack of resources being aimed at this problem and a lacklustre approach by individual governments and the EU. Even the attack on football this week, which is bigger and more popular than any religion, has failed to provoke a visible reaction against what was a blatant threat to a sport which many hold more dear to their hearts than their families.

What is galling, apart from this being allowed to happen, is the futility of it all and the ignorance of the people involved. What is happening is part of a much bigger scenario. The powers that be have a plan for a new world order. One government for the entire world, ( probably the United Nations ), one leader, one political system and one religion. And that religion will not be Muslim. However, what is happening is serving it’s purpose and clearing the pathway towards the ultimate goal.

In the UK, the shafting of the people by the government continues. Hard, fast and relentless, as the people get poorer and the government get richer. Swingeing cuts have been made to the benefit payments for the disabled and equally, for working families at the lower end of the scale. Presumably, the government are taking action now before the country is swamped by benefit claiming migrants.

Long term inhabitants in the areas of their birth can no longer afford to take advantage of their facilities which were once open to all. Places where social interaction takes place are now priced well beyond the means of the less well off meaning that communication between the classes is restricted, whereas it was once encouraged and considered vital for a healthy society.

I can’t play golf now due to my health but I’ll use it as an example of the above. I have a golf course about ten yards from where I’m sitting at the moment. It costs £100 to play a round of golf on this course and it’s always busy. £100 is about 3 times what my wife and I spend on food for a week. So even if I could play golf, and I was good back in the day, I couldn’t afford to, although the course is almost part of my back garden. It makes me wonder how much talent is being lost and overlooked by the ” if its not making money, let’s make it make money ” attitude.

People who were born around the same time as me , in the 1950’s, may share the same view as myself. Which is, that we paid into what was once a fair system most of our lives in order to insure against hard times and illness. Also to fund a health service, along with other public services, for all. When we witness people from alien nations entering our country, which our forefathers fought wars to keep free, claiming benefits which we paid for, then having to adjust our lifestyles because of cuts, it does not make for a happy atmosphere around the campfire. I despair when I see politicians awarding themselves pay rises when there is so much destitution where once there was none.

In summary, we’re all fucked. See you down the reservation.

SoberVision

more to come…

Dissenter or Conspiracy Theorist…

…which flavour do you prefer ? It doesn’t matter really, they are both one and the same, only the term dissenter has been around for an awful lot longer than the term conspiracy theorist. I’ve given the definition of ” dissent ” below courtesy of Dictionary.com :

verb (used without object)

1.

to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed by from):
Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision.

2.

to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.

3.

to disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.

noun

4.

difference of sentiment or opinion.

6.

disagreement with the philosophy, methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government.

7.

separation from an established church, especially the Church of England; nonconformity.

#2 gives a perfect description of how a conspiracy theorist is regarded and portrayed by the mainstream media. Only the label is different. Dissenter or Conspiracy TheoristBut to class conspiracy theorists in the same vein as famous dissenters like Noam Chomsky, G. Edward Griffin, Alan Watts Howard Zinn and David Icke who also have many other strings to their bows, would be lending credence to the conspiracy theorists ideas which may just as well have been picked up off the street, as far as the mainstream media are concerned.

So, what’s in a word ? Quite a bit in this case. The term ” conspiracy theorist ” was invented and used by the mainstream media as a derogatory term, designed to negate any effect that an opposing view to the government’s might have, and to dismiss it out of hand as nonsensical and crazy.

The conspiracy theorist him/herself is mostly described as some kind of nutter who may or may not have a mentally debilitating illness, and lives on some far away planet of his own, isolated from the real world, and nothing could be further from the truth.

Dissenters, however, are regarded in a manner never afforded to conspiracy theorists. Why ? Because they are academics and scholars is why. And because of the scholarly nature of their opinions, they are deemed worth listening to and paying heed to, except by the majority of their academic and scholarly colleagues who are too embroiled in the money side of academia to publicly acknowledge the validity of their arguments, lest their gravy train grinds to a halt.

Another why ? Because dissenters are also labelled as philosophers, and we all know what that means. A philosopher conjures up a vision of a man with long white hair and a white beard who sits around all day in a Grecian style portico, thinking. I could think of better ways to spend my time as could most of us. We are all philosophers to a greater or lesser degree. If we have a brain and think, then we have a right to assume the title ” philosopher “. Try telling them that on the next visit to the job centre.

We are conditioned from an early age to accept that certain people are our superiors. Not so. Just because someone spends more time than you on an activity in which you are not really interested does not grant them superiority and the reverse is also true. I firmly believe that, given the right training and circumstances, all human beings are more than capable of doing any job. Which is the reason why the best and most lucrative jobs are so fiercely protected by the incumbents and why information is so difficult to extract from them.

Where do conspiracy theorists get their ideologies ? From their own original thought processes and other dissenters I would imagine. For myself, I couldn’t believe the astonishing ineptitude of those in office and decided to try to find out who actually runs the show. That led me to watch hundreds hours of videos and read many written articles, taking notes as I did so, and I could imagine the same scenario taking place in makeshift workstations all over the world. After that it was simply a matter of applying some of what I had learnt to the real life situations developing in front of my very eyes.

Therefore, I would think twice in future about labeling someone a conspiracy theorist. For the most part these people are not nutters, as the press would have us believe. Their theories are well thought out with roots in academia ( if such an endorsement is really necessary ) and if you take notice, you’ll see that no one wants to debate them. Only shut them down.

Dissent is nothing new. It’s happening right now, perhaps within your own family, as your kids conspire not to do their daily chores, but it isn’t going to bring the house crashing down and with a bit of diplomacy the situation will end amicably. Dissent is healthy in any society because it brings to light any faults in the system and provokes dialogue. The fact that the modern day dissenters are being vilified and their theories being trodden underfoot, demonstrates the seriousness with which administrations actually take them, as they are dangerous to to the government’s agenda.

If proof is needed, look no further than the climate change non event which is apparently all our fault. A whole industry, making billions for the corporations, grew up around this theory and just today I read that scientists, who also made millions from this theory by keeping the myth alive, no longer have a consensus on the matter. ” Conspiracy theorists ” have been saying for years that it was a whitewash.

Conspiracy theorist or dissenter seems still to be up for debate, but it’s only a battle of words and their meaning to whomsoever uses them. The end product is the same in each case and not the product of crystal ball gazing or reading tea leaves left behind in a china cup.

SoberVision

more to come…

Education For The Masses…

…was never going to end well. The results of our education system can be seen in the shape of the protests on our streets and the irrationality of reactions to the ” terrorist ” attacks and other events which are happening across the world.Education for the Masses

The purpose of many protests in Britain is about issues which were done and dusted a decade or more ago, and no one opposes them any more. Maybe its a memory refreshing exercise, or just an excuse to grandstand and bring attention to underlying issues which bear no relation to the goals of the protest.

I won’t go overly into the history of education here, because it differs in all parts of the United Kingdom and its a huge subject. Suffice to say that education evolved over a couple centuries until it became wholly controlled by the government and that’s when things started to go wrong. Isn’t it always the case ?

Originally, education was mainly for sons of the aristocracy and very wealthy who would go on to be aristocrats and very wealthy. Some benevolent industrialists introduced education into their factories, releasing infants and small children from the dangerous and dirty work they had to do, for at least part of the day. As education became more widespread and technology improved, children began to spend more time at schools provided by churches and independent benefactors. Eventually, state owned schools with state employed teachers came into existence and the system as we know it today was born.

This was perceived as a good thing and a benefit for the nation, and it probably was, at first. Children were being taught the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic ( the three r’s ) in order to prepare them for employment in the future and to be able to deal with the increasing amount of paperwork which was emerging. However, as with all good government ideas, the system was wide open to corruption and infiltration by those with their own political agendas and we end up with a system which bears little relation to what was intended.

Let’s face it, what better way is there to mould and shape a nation’s future than to capture it’s young people at an impressionable age, then to keep them imprisoned until an age when the message has well and truly been indelibly imprinted on their sub-conscious ? And to be able to achieve this legally, with the consent of all parties involved, is power indeed.

The corrupt process begins higher up in the food chain than simply at school level. People with agendas, who have the ear of governments with agendas, infiltrate our college and university establishments at high levels and are therefore allowed to implement their ideas in the material which is passed down to the teachers who , in turn, pass it on to our kids. Unless, of course, your child is privileged to be a pupil of a public or grammar school where the things that really matter are taught.

Teachers are paid to teach. A self explanatory statement you may think, but teachers can’t just go into a school and teach whatever they want. They teach a subject according to a curriculum which has been handed down to them by an authority, to whom the same instructions were handed down by some one else, until you reach the body who put the whole thing together in the first place. The teacher is merely the instrument used to disseminate the information. He or she has to leave their politics and moral values at the school gates.

Unfairness and inequality has always existed in the education system. It would appear that some people are chosen at birth to fill future positions of responsibility, whether they are ideally suited or not. The old boy’s network is still alive and well and thriving.

I can remember vividly, as I was nearing my final days in school, that someone visited our school to assist us in filling out our university entrance application forms. Assistance, because these things were intensive and many pages long and any mistakes or omissions would have rendered it useless. One particular section required us to express some choices of universities we would like to attend. Most of us elected for Scottish universities. One of my friends had entered Oxford then Cambridge. When the assistant came round to check this particular exercise, she mentioned to my friend that , in order to increase his chances of being accepted somewhere, he should perhaps select some Scottish universities also. However , my friend adamantly stated that it was only Oxford or Cambridge where he wanted to study and nothing else would suffice. I never did find out if he achieved his goal, but at the time I could sense that his chances would be slim.

Education is so important for all of us and its important that our children are taught the right things and that there is communication between the school and parents. The most substantial piece of communication these days seems to be regarding the contents of the child’s lunchbox. Our children and future society deserve much more than the cloning process which goes on today but it doesn’t suit the government’s agenda to produce intelligent and free thinking kids. They want a passive society who work for them, not the other way round as it should be. My hat comes off to those who have taken the step of educating their kids at home.

Everyone deserves the same chance at success and by denying those who are not in the old boys network this chance, we are denying ourselves the chance of being governed by the right people who have deservedly gained their position and hold the interests of the public above all else.

Education for the masses does not even remotely mean that everyone has automatic access to the same education, and the same opportunities in life.

SoberVision

more to come…

Britain’s Part in the European Experiment…

…will start drawing to a close today as a letter, signed by our Prime Minister, is delivered to the European Parliament.Britain's Part in the European Experiment The exit of Britain from this prestigious club has caused mixed emotions, both home and abroad. There exists, amongst those who have known nothing else but Britain as a member of the EU, an uncertainty about our future.

As someone who just missed, because of my age, the opportunity to vote in the original referendum which took us into the European Experiment, I am still able to remember what life was like before we entered and what happened after we entered.

I’ll begin with what happened after we entered, which won’t take long, as it is a tale of steady decline of our traditional industries, the turning of our country into a tourist destination and a haven for benefit migrants along with establishing a still thriving money laundering centre which generates a false impression of the health of our economy. The unemployment rate since joining the EU has always risen, no matter how much you juggle the statistics, and the divide between rich and poor has increased.

Before joining the club, Britain was an independently thriving nation, which looked after it’s own. First and foremost, we were an exporting nation, with other nations eager to buy the goods we produced. We had a merchant fleet to transport these goods and many people were employed in this sector. My favourite soapbox subject, the fishing industry, was huge and employed hundreds of thousands of people. After all, what is the point of living on an island if you can’t fish the waters which surround it ?

Similarly the farming industry. Before the EU, farmers grew crops mainly for the home market with any surplus being exported. Now they are paid subsidies to set aside land and not grow anything. Or they rent vast areas of land to the corporations who supply the supermarket chains, where much of the produce ends up as land fill.

At one point, pre EU, we had a shipbuilding industry and an automotive industry and we manufactured the steel with which these ships and vehicles were built. Other industries which people were proud to be employed by.

All trades were flourishing and young people were taken straight from school into apprenticeships which would equip them for good jobs in the future. There used to be local hospitals which were equipped to deal with most problems without the necessity of a long journey to be endured. Food banks were non existent and charities were never overburdened. Although hardship existed in some cases, the majority seemed to have enough

In short, before becoming an EU partner, we imported very little. Anything we needed could be produced here, in Britain, including the workers we needed to effect production, therefore unemployment was low. The knock-on effect of the main industries stimulated the growth of many other smaller concerns to support them.  And because of this ability to be self sufficient with no immediate threat of another invasion from abroad there was a sense of freedom and genuine happiness among the people, combined with a caring nature which is notably absent today. Our traditional way of life was dismantled in order not to directly compete with other member nations with nothing being put in it’s place to compensate.

I’m not indulging in nostalgia because these were not particularly pleasant times for me due to other circumstances, but I used to take note of what was happening around me before I eventually descended into the abyss of addiction and a hazy 40 years slid by.

The words ” progress “, “developing nation ” and ” Western civilization ” are often used in describing our present situation. The European Social Experiment will go down in history as the only one which has taken progression, development and civilization in a backward direction.

I’m not saying it would be useful to go back to the ” good old days “, but there are many relevant examples there which could be embraced in modern culture, without venturing down the dangerous global route where Mrs May seems intent on leading us. I think we had a lucky escape. Luckier because we kept our own currency. So Teresa May’s plans are exactly what the phrase, ” from the frying pan into the fire ” epitomises.

My last word ( for today ) is that Japan, Russia and America are taking actions to look after the welfare of their own people, first and above all else. Given Britain’s present fortunate situation, this and future governments would be well advised to do the same, before embarking on any more ” experiments “.

One of the best bits of advice I got in Alcoholics Anonymous was that one should make sure that everything was in order at home before venturing out to become involved in other issues. Governments are very good at trying to impose philosophical theories upon us. Perhaps they should give this one a try.

SoberVision

more to come…

Predictable Behaviour…

…from the Tory Party following Wednesday’s ” terrorist attack ” in London, as Amber Rudd suggests that we need to be spied on even more. Predictable BehaviourFor the common good, of course. Predictable behaviour, because this is the pattern that has emerged when these things happen. The government seizes the opportunity to further diminish our freedom, in the guise of tightening security.

This seems particularly uncalled for when, just recently, the ” Snooper’s Charter ” was sneaked through our legislative process which is meant to intercept potential security threatening exchanges. According to Ms Rudd these powers are not adequate and further, more intrusive measures are required.

We Brits, with our easy going , laissez faire attitudes are inclined towards the opinion of, ” If you aren’t doing anything wrong , then you have nothing to fear ” which may sit well in certain circles. However, the very principle just feels wrong in so many aspects, and I expect that many other people who value their privacy will feel the same. Far from feeling protected, many will be very uncomfortable, excepting the people who should be feeling uncomfortable.

An example of how this tactic has been used before is that of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre buildings. No sooner had the dust settled all over Manhattan, than the Patriot Act was suddenly produced from thin air and Americans suddenly found themselves deprived of several of the freedoms they had known until that time. Apart from the right to bear arms, that is. I somehow have the sense that that might have been the deal breaker, which is why the subject was never addressed at the time.

” Big Brother is watching you ” is slowly but surely making it’s way from the pages of a book into reality and governments are pouncing on every given opportunity to make it happen.

Hard to accept is the notion that further electronic surveillance would prevent someone from getting into a car and using it as a weapon of destruction, if that is what they had decided to do. I find it difficult to believe that this behaviour was triggered by a message on social media or that the person had been ” radicalized ” against his will. That would involve mind control techniques which are the preserve of government agencies.

The government version is purely conjecture and it is solely on the basis of this conjecture that we are being burdened with further invasion of privacy. The mainstream press seem to be over reporting the case in an effort to convince us, which serves only to create suspicion. The only thing that was missing was a specially produced magazine in one of the Sundays, detailing the whole episode from start to where we are now.

It is also ironic that the people who would intrude upon our private lives are not subject to the same scrutiny themselves, and it is they who take full advantage of this fact. If they knew that every communication they had with any other person was being recorded and examined by an independent body made up of members of the public, they wouldn’t be so keen to implement the same thing on us. Its the same old story of who watches the watchers.

What alternatives do we have to this corrupt and increasingly unworkable system ? Anarchy in it’s purest sense would be a wonderful thing, but would soon become equally corrupt and unworkable due to man’s inherent nature of control and greed. It is generally accepted that we need government of some kind to implement the laws which are meant to guide us along our path through this life, but these instruments of law can be engineered to benefit those who make them, instead of those who ought to have benefited.

Starting all over again with benefit of hindsight, might be the best, but unlikely answer. Learning from our mistakes and never allowing them to happen again with everyone enjoying a similar quality of life, no matter where in the world they lived, is an achievable goal, but has no possibility of happening under our current tyrannical administrations. Unless, that is, we want it.

More surveillance equals more knowledge which governments are gathering about us and sometimes passing on to corporations who then target us with opportunities to purchase goods from them. With the advent of smart technology, they know our fuel bills, they know which temperature we like, they know how long we spend in the kitchen cooking so that they can determine if we like to cook or order in. All kinds of data can be gathered then manipulated into individually targeted sales opportunities, and more and more technology is geared towards us spending large amounts of time indoors. I wonder what the ” powers that shouldn’t be ” aren’t telling us ?

We are being told that stored knowledge about every little thing we do on a daily basis will be good for us. Much like many others, I don’t like to be second guessed or preempted. I don’t want to be going to the fridge and it handing me something that I usually have at that particular time on a particular day of the week. I don’t want to be asking a piece of electronic gadgetry on my coffee table for legal advice. Alexa would find herself homeless within a very short period of time.

Its a bridge too far and not one that I’m willing to personally cross. It seems to me to be an attempt to infiltrate what essentially makes us as human beings. Our uniqueness, our individuality and personality. These are our most precious possessions and we should never allow anything whatsoever to change or destroy them.

SoberVision

more to come…

When Governments Don’t Listen…

…to the electorate, and a tragedy occurs, the logical thing would be for them to admit their mistakes and make appropriate changes. However, when successive governments of both main political parties make the same error of judgement over a period of decades, it amounts to something more than just oversight or mismanagement.governments don't listen

Wednesday’s ” terror attack ” could have been prevented by various governments’ actions over the years and I feel so sad for the families who lost their closest relatives in such awful circumstances.

Laying in bed on Wednesday night the thought occurred to me that ” Teresa May is going to say something incredibly fucking stupid tomorrow “. And she didn’t disappoint. Speaking on behalf of us all apparently, the best way she could sum up the feelings of the British public is that ” We are not afraid “. Speaking on behalf of myself, fear nor the thought of it had never even entered the equation. I was too busy dealing with feelings of anger and dismay that things had been allowed to reach this stage. Fleetingly, I wondered what my grandfather, who ran off to the First World War at the age of 14, would think of the country he had fought to defend from invasion.

An analogy of what has happened over the last century or so might be as follows. Someone, somewhere, goes round to his neighbour’s house, and at gunpoint, tells him that he and all of his family are now under his control. The controller then puts the family to work for his benefit and systematically strips them of their assets. If anyone should dare to step out of line they are shot indiscriminately. Eventually the upkeep of the slaves’ home becomes too costly, therefore the controller demolishes the property. Finally, just to show that he is not so bad after all, the controller invites the remainder of the enslaved family to come and stay in his home.

I think we can work out the rest of the story for ourselves and assume that the controller would come to regret his act of ” kindness “, when faced with angry people intent on revenge.

History never comes into the way that things are reported. The reports we are allowed to read or watch in the mainstream press are those which conform with the ” official ” story, which is the one which conforms with current government policy. We are directed down signposted paths and told how we should feel about the incident. There are so many other unbiased and well founded sources of information that never make it to the newspapers or television because they deviate from the line that the government wishes us to follow. Instead, they are laughingly dismissed as cranky or conspiracy theory material.

As I read the official release, I just knew that somewhere in this text the word ” democracy ” was going to turn up. Sure enough, there it was, in the context of the attack being a threat to our democracy. We crossed the line between democracy and tyranny some years ago and the poles are well and truly reversed at this time, therefore the chances of our present government listening to what the public wish to advise are much less than zero, I would suggest.

At one time there was a semblance of democracy which people of my generation may remember. Above all there was a sense of freedom which I can’t feel today. Governments no longer fear the will of the people. If they don’t get re-elected as a government, it doesn’t matter. Most of them will still be there to influence decisions in opposition, or will have moved on to a directorship in one of the corporations, under the present system. The will of the people is secondary.

I can’t condone violence of any kind and feelings of deep seated hatred for particular groups or individuals within our society is alien to me. However, as a Scot, I know that there are those within Scottish society who still bear grudges against the English for things which happened several centuries ago and which lie buried deep, but not forgotten, in someone’s family history.

So, in my view, governments past and present are responsible for what we see happening today. They were always told that their pursuit of personal wealth would one day come back to bite them. In this case their folly has bitten one of our defenders of the peace along with visitors who came to enjoy the experience of our capital city and to celebrate a once in a lifetime occasion in a special way.

Why does innocence always suffer in the stead of those who would assume power, and who bear no consequence for their acts, neither in judgement nor in conscience ?

SoberVision

more to come…

Simple Pleasures Are Often The Most Elusive…

…I find, as I struggle to get a good night’s sleep. A simple thing like sleeping should just come naturally. Its not a unique experience by any means.simple pleasures Everyone does it at some point during a normal day but the pleasure of waking up to a new day, after a good rest, still eludes me.

I wouldn’t categorise myself as a complete insomniac. I don’t sit up all night, although I physically get out of bed several times, and return in the hope that sleep will come. Which it does infrequently, albeit in the form of a conscious and restless effort to remain semi comatose.

I’m reminded of the first weeks of recovery when my body and brain went through so many simultaneous changes, and I spent so many totally sleepless nights that I was begging for just one night’s sleep. Eventually it came, and I can remember feeling deliciously refreshed and wide awake and alert once more. Times when this has recurred have been few and far between during 5 1/2 years of abstention from alcohol and associated substances.

Therefore, my daylight hours are spent in a kind of torpor. I feel drained and lethargic and I procrastinate shamelessly. Sometimes its an effort to do the simplest tasks and like a martyr I drag myself out for my daily walk around the village. I don’t involve myself with others as that would potentially mean extra work and extra thinking which can be painful at times, as I wrestle still with the ghosts of my past.

This might sound a lot like depression, and perhaps there is some present in the mix, but if I was seriously depressed I wouldn’t be sitting here writing about it, nor anything else for that matter. I have anti depressant medication which I take as prescribed. Ironically, one is meant to help me sleep, but doesn’t, although I suspect it could be the reason I feel lethargic throughout the day, apart from lack of sleep. It would come as such welcome respite just to enjoy a complete night’s rest once more in my own bed.

Respite did come briefly on a recent visit to my stepdaughter and family. Every night I was there, I slept the whole night through and I hoped that this pattern might continue when I got home again. Not the case, sadly. I’ve tried my best to figure out what was different and the reasons why this happened, but other than being in different surroundings with lovely people, I can’t put my finger on any one particular cause.

Unless, of course, it was being in different surroundings and remote enough from my circumstances at home which allowed me a bit of peace of mind. Having put some distance between us and a certain third party may have let me relax. Perhaps the subconscious knowledge that when the phone rang it wasn’t for me, helped. We were too far removed from any situation which might require our attention to be able to do anything immediately. Now we are back in the fray and subject to all that goes along with making oneself available to help an ailing elderly relative with mental health issues.

I never recognised this tension before now and perhaps I’ve solved part of my problem. We enjoy a relaxed atmosphere in our home and I try to take it with me wherever I go, but obviously there must be some underlying stress which is related to what we do outwith our home.

Recovery comes with a conscience in most cases and that prevents me from walking away from the problem, so I have to find another way of dealing with it, now that I know what I’m dealing with.

Then, perhaps, much wanted sleep will come once more.

SoberVision

more to come…

The Technological Revolution

…seems to be about to render work as we know it, null and void, as machines are being introduced to accomplish every task we are used to doing ourselves as a matter of course. A Technological Revolution of sorts was being projected when I was a kid, but not in the way we see it today.the technological revolution

The Technological Revolution which was promoted some 45 to 50 years ago was one that would make our lives easier and cut down the hours we would have to work, thereby allowing us to enjoy more leisure time and to spend time nurturing the offspring we had produced.

However, because of circumstances we should have been able to control, but didn’t, the exact opposite seems to have happened.

Nowadays, people are working more and spending more hours away from home. Some are juggling minimal hours or zero hour contracts at different locations in order to make a living salary. Leisure hours are frantic affairs with parents cramming as much of their spare time as possible with child orientated activities, having little time for themselves, then its back to work at the beginning of a new week when the cycle starts all over again.

Many have said in the past that life is too short and that life is meant to be enjoyed. I doubt that the above is anyone’s idea of ” fun “, so why do we keep on relentlessly doing it ? Because, that’s the way we do things, seems to be the only available answer. We get up in the morning. We go to work. We come home. We go to bed. At the end of the month , someone puts money into our bank account as a reward for having served our employer to his satisfaction over that period.

It appears scant reward for our giving what is the most precious thing we have, which is time on this earth. Yes. we are given money in return for our labour, which allows us the ability to partake in some of life’s manufactured and dubious pleasures. If no one had noticed before now, nothing is free any more. If the government knew that I enjoyed the view from the front door of my home they would probably charge for that too. No reward is sufficient for the amount of valuable time we spend in manufacturing products which will end up in landfill.

When I was growing up, it wasn’t necessary for both parents to work. One parent working would provide for the whole household, leaving one at home to look after the kids. At this time, we children still had respect for our parents and didn’t treat them like friends or worse. So it was essential to be straight home after school and do things like homework, before going out to play. In short, there was always an adult at home and much time was spent doing things as a family.

My Mother went to work in my early teens and all hell broke loose, I have to say. No one in the house all day and I had the key. I had school dinners for the first time in my life and was able to enjoy the same freedoms as other kids who took them, once lunch was over. This would usually involve smoking as many cigarettes as possible before afternoon class started and making plans for after school. Our family was never the same again. It was beyond the comprehension of a teenager, as it still is now, how, when we had a good lifestyle as things stood, a move which was meant to enhance this lifestyle just made things worse.

So, despite all these labour saving devices, instead of creating more comfortable lifestyles, the amount of labour required has increased by many hundred percent of what was once regarded as the national workforce. Until now, when robotic machinery is playing an ever increasing role in the workplace.

Machines have enormous benefits for employers. It takes all the hard work and headaches out of employing a human to to do the same job. No wages to pay, no strikes, no arguments on the shop floor about the best way to do something, no contracts of employment. A machine just gets on quietly with what it has to do for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, with minimal input from a human being, and this seems to be the future as far as manufacturing and even farming are concerned. Retail is some way down the line already as we barely have to move from our chair to effect a purchase.

It will be interesting to see what the powers that be have in store for all the newly made redundant populus. I wonder if this could be why there are so many basic income experiments being carried out around the world at the moment, or is there something more sinister afoot ? The former will bring about a form of global communism and it will be interesting to guage the reactions of the, usually benign, middle classes, as the poor are elevated to their status. What will be even more interesting is if the reverse happens.

Acceptance will be the key for that to work along with education from an early age, and judging from the quality of protests we see, progress is already being made in that direction.

As ever, only valuable time will tell.

SoberVision

more to come…