Saturday 28 May 2011

Words - and their potential

"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words."
Philip K. Dick
"To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
Thomas Jefferson
Words, especially when uttered by politicians, are a bigger threat to freedom, justice, and truth than bullets because, when used by government politicians with an authoritarian bent, they can be used to enslave millions of minds, thus turning people into obedient machines without a will  - and without any understanding of their actions beyond a belief in the lies that their leaders tell them. Whilst words can serve as an agent of enslavement, they can also serve as a tool for liberation and transformation; however the latter can only happen when the media are not therefore, through their dependence on the political elite for their income, 'in the political pocket'.

Edward Spalton, commenting on my post "And Finally" (a comment well worth reading in full) writes that a British friend of his is of the opinion that the British people have been 'tamed'. That comment is one that 'hits the nail on the head', in that that is just what has been accomplished by our political elite through their careful use of words and policies such as 'social-engineering' whereby they have changed our society, a change they hope being one to their advantage.

Social-engineering is not necessarily limited to changing a society through the introduction of different races to that society, but can also be accomplished by allowing the politically correct brigade, who are of left-wing persuasion, 'free reign' to implement their ideas of equality and diversity; especially when considering the field of education (see Edward's comment). Having recently 'discovered' Thomas Sowell, yet another quotation from him is worth repeating:
"The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive."
That statement is borne out when considering any quango that is involved in 'educating' the British people where matters of health, education, personal behaviour or law and order are concerned - and the first part of that quotation is why no government of a socialist ideology should ever be elected in the future.

Returning to the subject of the media, when people select a British newspaper, or select either the BBC or ITV, one has to ask whether they really do believe that which they read or hear, or whether - due to their having been 'tamed' - they accept that which they read or hear without question. It is, methinks, the latter and it matters not whether a newspaper is 'broadsheet' or 'tabloid', BBC or ITV, as their output is couched in words to suit their target market. It must be logical to assume that whilst the media are reliant for their income on career politicians the market that the media should be serving, namely their readership or viewers, will never learn the truth.

If politicians lie; if the media do not, for whatever reason, report the truth; if thoughtful individuals are barred from speaking their minds in public, being denigrated for example as racist or homophobic, then what has evolved is no more than state-inspired censorship to the detriment of humanity. It can also be argued that the suppression of information by the media - caused solely by the reason suggested above - has allowed the political ruling class to misuse the powers they have usurped, thus imposing authoritarian measures that result in the suppression of what are supposed to be free people. Thomas Jefferson uses the word man in the quotation above, a use I would suggest is generic in that in any democracy a majority view must hold sway. In that context the decision by our political elite to maintain the UK's membership of the EU, which is against the majority of public opinion, is authoritarian in the extreme - as is the Coalition's policy on overseas aid, a policy carried out to the detriment of those to whom the government of the day owe a duty of care. Never mind the word 'compel', used by Jefferson - to solicit funds and then impose a political dogma which the majority of people consider draconian is not only sinful, wrong and tyrannical, it is nothing more than an abuse of the trust of a people that have been led to believe they need leading - which leads me, as an alternative, back to a system of government referred to as "Referism" (see previous posts).

I would offer the suggestion that the greatest crime that can be levelled at our political elite and the media is that as words can shape a people’s destiny for good or evil and in so doing hide ugly truths from the people whilst protecting the powerful from retribution, our political elite and the media deserve the highest accolade possible.

10 comments:

john in cheshire said...

WfW, you are so correct. And, for me, it is the internet that has provided access to subjects that have given me the education I lacked regarding the subterranean activities of people who wish us harm. I think there is/are one or two generations who have been deceived by their elected representatives. My hope is that the new generation; those who have access to the internet, and who have enquiring minds; will see through the lies and deceit. I have a strong belief in the genetics of the English, which I trust will force the evil ones out of power, once the English realise what is being done to them/us. And thank goodness, the younger generation are totally in tune with what the internet can do. The potential is for millions of 'disaffected youth' to exert their presence on our enfeebled, multicultural, PC-riddled country.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

jic: Thank you for the sentiment in your first paragraph!

Unfortunately, whilst I heed what is stated elsewhere, I do feel the majority of the young are more interested in X-Factor and EastEnders, etc etc! I can but hope I am wrong........ But then we all know that the education system if the past few decades has been shite!

I can but pray that if we are all to 'return', that I may be allowed to skip a few generations!

David Jones said...

jic: I wish you were right but I'm afraid WfW is correct. There is nothing about our younger generation that inspires hope.

I know that is always the view of the older generation but what evidence is there to believe otherwise?

WitteringsfromWitney said...

DJ: Thanks for your agreement. Yup, just look around at the average teenagers and twenty-somethings,even some of the early thirty-somethings. All you seem to hear is Baa-Baa!

TomTom said...

of his is of the opinion that the British people have been 'tamed'.

Tamed is the wrong word, "feminised". That is why Pakistani youth in Britain rebels; it is why Europeans find American martial behaviour and feats of arms so upsetting.

European males have been feminised either through chemical castration through use of phenols in plastics and generally removal of toy guns and tanks, risk-taking, and outdoor sport.

The culture is such that the word "person" appears in films and media in place of "man" even where the word "woman" is used "man" is avoided.

English men are weak in the main given to outbursts of revolt like dogs slipping the leash, but otherwise quite docile and supine when feminine control is reimposed. The hallmark of feminine influence is submission to authority and bitchy comment - it is even evident in the political class - Milibands, Blair, Mandelson, Cameron,. Osborne, Clegg - all essentially feminine

PeterCharles said...

I feel you are somewhat missing the point here.

"If politicians lie; if the media do not, for whatever reason, report the truth; if thoughtful individuals are barred from speaking their minds in public, being denigrated for example as racist or homophobic, then what has evolved is no more than state-inspired censorship to the detriment of humanity."

Well I am sure most will dismiss me as terminally cynical, but when have they ever not? Only a very few people buy a newspaper or read a blog only to learn news, they do so in order to have their prejudices reinforced, even if they are unaware of it. They don't always agree with or accept what is written, but their choice reflects their own attitudes.

The BBC has always been a supposed bastion of impartiality, but the truth is it has always been the mouthpiece of the Establishment, it is just more blatant and intrinsically more dishonest about it today.

To hope for an honest political system or media outlet is foolish, they do not and will not ever exist except as the smallest of minority players.

As to the British people being tamed, not really the right word I feel. The average person is disengaged with politics because the system allows them no real influence other than to occasionally choose one set of self-regarding fatuous idiots and pompous prats with another, all effectively unaccountable. The average person is also disinclined to engage politically because life for most people is relatively comfortable and what problems they do have are not necessarily seen as political in origin, even though most are as a consequence, as you say, of social engineering. The banking crises, for example, are the results of political decisions, manipulations and regulation, not because bankers are inherently evil thieves out to destroy humanity and control the world. We are also herd animals as a species which does not help.

And while life is reasonably comfortable and responsibility falls on the shoulders of others the average person sees no need to put themselves out to engage in political debate or activism. Major change requires major upset and inconvenience, but when it does come rather than a rational embracing of ideas like 'referism' or open democracy we tend, as a species, to look for the Strong Man to save us. God help us all!

WitteringsfromWitney said...

TT & PC: I baulk at the use of feminised really. Although none of those TT mentions could be classed as a man's man (def not Mandy!) Perhaps 'conditioned' might be a better word?

I am not missing the point PC - just being sarcastic! Of course I accept the present situation has existed for yonks. Yes, I accept your point about the average person feeling comfortable, the problems is though that feeling ain't going to last much longer and they will have to get off the fence on which they sitting.

TomTom said...

but the truth is it has always been the mouthpiece of the Establishment,

Which is why it was nationalised in 1926 and the regional companies dissolved....it was so useful to Churchill during the General Strike

peejos said...

I have to support TomTom, we have been feminised. Whence the extraordinary effect of Health & Safety? It is the perpetual fear that women have for the unknown, a fundamental aspect of motherhood to protect their offspring. That is transposed into attempts to protect against every possible injury and accident that a well paid civil servant can think up. There is never any statistical analysis of the likelihood of what ever is being legislated against, 'you know it makes sense' argument

WitteringsfromWitney said...

p: Okay then, we agree to disagree...

that debate can be continued by those, in their last moments, who will adorn the lamp posts!