misinformation

One Man’s View:

Over the course of time I have been one of the biggest critics of the establishment. We live in a system created by the rich for the benefit of the rich. They run the show. I am in no doubt that they control the politicians either directly or indirectly. They own the media and manipulate. They are even more manipulative through the internet using algorithms to target people. With lobbying and torrents of propaganda, control of the money markets and bribes they direct operations.

We live in their world.

I have no doubt that they affect markets for their own benefit and even control wars. Anything for a profit. This cabal of billionaires and multimillionaires have the power.

I have railed against this all my life but cannot see a way around it. It is no coincidence that our politicians walk straight into lucrative roles in business or the media. They have been bought off.

It is also why we can never manage to elect a government that really has the interests of ordinary people at heart. The propaganda machine prevents it. The money markets would ensure that it would not work.

However, and this is a big however, we must not forget that we (particularly in Europe and the USA) live in a highly organised, complex, civilised society. It is ordered, structured and has a basis in law and order (even if that law and order is heavily skewed in favour of the rich. We cannot underestimate the luxury of a regulated life. We are (relatively) safe and have orderly lives.

Having travelled the world and witnessed first-hand real poverty, deprivation, starvation, lawlessness and discrimination I would not wish to swap.

So, our society is warped. The rich get richer and the poor get by. Everyone knows their place. It used to be a class structure – now it is more an income gulf. The wealthy give just enough to prevent the poor rebelling. We are controlled.

In the USA they dangle the American Dream – an impossible dream but it keeps the ignorant on board.

We are told we are privileged because we are westerners. We could be living in extreme poverty like much of the world. We are meant to feel superior. Patriotism and nationalism are key tools.

Following the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and the rest, following the rise of Muslim extremism, terrorism and climate change, all leading to mass migrations, there was a mass disillusionment with the system. People felt threatened.

Then we had the internet and social media to spread disinformation and magnify it through their algorithms.

Then came the wave of right-wing popularists – Trump, Johnson, Modi, Bolsonaro, Meloni, Le Penne, Oban and the Whole MAGA movement. They offered black and white solutions, promised to drain the swamp, represent the people, make everything right.

They had a simple series of tactics:

a. Harness discontent

b. Spread fear

c. Undermine experts and science

d. Provide simplistic solutions.

e. Identify scapegoats

It was easy. The war in Ukraine, Covid and the collapse of the money markets had caused prices to rise, energy prices soared, then global warming provided the need to ditch old technologies and develop new technologies (putting people out of work and costing money to change). People were poor, angry and felt threatened. So…

a. Undermine all experts and scientists (they always get it wrong and are in the pay of big business)

b. Declare that all these issues are scams thought up by the controlling elite (Covid is a scam, Global Warming is a scam – they were used to control us). Make an issue out of it – no masks, no vaccination, return of coal, steel, gas and oil – they are lying to us!

c. Spread conspiracy theories via internet so that nobody can believe a single word that comes out of the media or politicians, even history is fabricated (paved the way for Holocaust deniers, flat-earthers, CIA blowing up twin towers, Covid conspirators, Sandy Hook, moon landings and the rest). Sow doubt and confusion. Become the only source of information. All reporting of their own lying and criminal actions is Fake News. The establishment is trying to bring them down!

d. Identify scapegoats – first we had the Muslim terrorists and then the immigrants. They are all terrorists, rapists, murderers, religious extremists, criminals and drug dealers who are raping your women, beating up your men, eating your pets and looking to take over. Immigration is a plot to get votes and take control.

e. Drum up hate with simple slogans (a la Orwell) – lock her up, build a wall, and unify your base.

f. Provide simplistic answers – build a wall, drill drill drill, Putin’s a friend, disband education, enemy within, the opposition are lying, are criminal, are evil – drain the swamp.

To get back to my point:

Once you have completely undermined the tenets of society so that people are confused, conspiracy rules, they no longer know what to believe or who to trust, all they know is that the establishment is corrupt and evil, we have anarchy.

Some people look forward to anarchy. I don’t. Anarchy is when law and order breaks down. That is when the nutcases with the gig guns take over the streets. It’s lawlessness. We see it in places like Libya, Somalia, Haiti and many other countries broken by war, where the establishment was overthrown giving rise to warlords and extreme religious groups. Rape, murder and criminality become the order. Violence rules. It is impossible to lead any normal life.

When the fabric of society crumbles what emerges is not something better; it’s something frightening.

Back before all this, prior to social media, prior to Trump, I knew where I stood. The government was controlled by the establishment. Politicians were corrupt. The rich ran the show. We were shat on but it wasn’t too bad. We could moan but could get by.

Now I fear that we are on the edge of collapse. The basic tenets of our society are coming apart, the social cohesion is dissolving. Conspiracy rules. Profiteering populists are sowing the seeds for their own benefit and they do not care what happens.

If society does crumble it is not going to be at all pleasant and I do not believe we will build something better the other side of it.

Who prospers from this?