Since I was a young child, I've been acutely aware that, "The End is Near!" With this early childhood conditioning, I'd say I'm pretty much at peace with all that is presently happening in the world. It's not that I don't care, or that I'm in any way "Happy" about it, nor am I pointing the "I told you so" finger about. Neither am I selling all my Worldly possessions and climbing the highest mountain. I'm just saying, "I'm not surprised." No - This is not about the Mayan Calendar, and the whole 2012 thing! Well, I'm sure that that has some play on it, but long before I ever heard of a "Mayan Calendar" ending in 2012, I've been watching my own period of History with some "Anticipation."
Has all this happened before in History? Sure! In fact I'm the first to declare, "History Repeats Itself!!!" Sure, if you were to take the issues, piece by piece, we've had economic crisis and devastating natural disasters all before, Empires Rise and Fall, over and over throughout history, but once you place them into a convergence of such a micro point in time, as we are experiencing right now, I'd have to say that "This is a little bit different."
Some people are inclined to watch birds, and for others it's sea creatures, but for some reason, my whole life has been spent observing the development of a Global System, focusing on technology, and how this system would be implemented right before my eyes.
Now many "Old Schoolers" refer to this Brave New World, or The New Order as "Big Brother," after George Orwell's 1984. With this in mind, you have to realize that my fascination wasn't so much with "Was it really going to happen," but rather, "How are THEY going to pull this off right in front of our eyes?" I mean between the Eschatological Bible Thumpers, and Secular Writers such as Orwell or Huxley, "How was this ORDER going to come into being without resistance?"
I remember as a younger man, speculating on this very process, and concluding that the only way that this would come to pass is if WE demanded it ourselves. Why would we do that? Under what conditions would WE ("The Aware") willingly invite this Brave New Order into existence?
Well, first of all, there is our unending love of technology. Regardless of it being good or bad for us, we marvel at the work of our own hands, and celebrate our technological achievements on a daily basis. We can't stop progress because some "Nay" Sayer's fear these "Big Brother" prophesies! The Internet is the greatest accomplishment of the Information Age! We've not had such a game changer since the Gutenberg Press of the 1500's.
Hey - Am I pointing my finger? If you are reading this, then I am just as guilty as the next blogger. It's just that some of us have taken upon ourselves the "If you can't beat em, Join em" attitude towards technology. I have to admit that, as a "Technologist," I am fascinated with the simple notion of "What are we going to do next?" I was seduced as a child by Star Wars and Star Trek into seeing just how far we could get within my lifetime. Although I marvel at our accomplishments, I still feel that we've not achieved some things that I thought that we would have done by now. Where's my Hover Car, George Jetson?
As I type this Blog, I know that there are Hackers out there, that could steal my identity, alter my text, exploiting my thoughts, and have me express myself in inappropriate, and offencive ways. As I look at the top of my laptop screen, I see a small circle. At any time, a hacker could hack in, and could be watching me right now, just as some people have found videos of themselves on the Internet in compromising positions. Are we being watched already? What about Privacy?
Privacy is a thing of the past. The fact of the matter is that there is a big difference between "Could we?" and "Should we?" Once "Information" is released, there may be consequences for the person who breached someones privacy, nevertheless, the event cannot be reversed, and what was said, was "Said." Just as the American Government is dealing with the Wikileaks fiasco right now.
The more that we become dependant on technology, the more we subject ourselves to the dangers of this infringement of our privacy. We have other technology providers make promises to protect us, but who is protecting us from the "Protectors?" Anything is possible for a price. If the American Government cannot protect its secrets, then where does the average Joe, like you and me stand? We depend on the mathematics of probability. Just like everything else in life. We know what the chances are, of being killed, every time we get into our vehicles, yet we do it everyday, based upon the idea that "It won't happen to me." If we remain a tree in the forest of data, "Why would I be targeted?" What if you are no longer that tree in the forest, because you become a threat to The Powers that Be? Where is your privacy then? Well, Julian Assange, where is it? Mind you, a "Hacker" in his youth, some could simply call this Karma.
What gives the right to Governments to stick their nose in our Internet Activities? What, you ask? I'll give you 3 numbers. 9-1-1. WE gave them the right, due to our fear. Again, I'm not pointing fingers, but at myself. We gave them that power, because we wanted them to protect us from the "Evil Doers!" Now who is protecting us from THEM? I remember the day of 911. Of course I remember it, like everyone else in the World, for the anger and fear of such atrocities. However, I remember it more so, because of the eureka effect that I experienced that day. This was the single most powerful event that would provoke us, "The Aware," to allow the Powers that Be, to invoke the final stages of The Brave New World. We asked for it. No, we demanded it. Hook, Line, and Sinker... Like a game of Sociological Akido. They used our own force of energy to accomplish their strike on our Freedom, by the very Administration that "The Aware" elected into power in the first place. I'll say it again, "I hate being right."
Perhaps it's watching the News, and seeing all these "Futuristic" and "Apocalyptic" stories from my childhood now playing on my TV set as real as is the day, but I've spent this last week, revisiting these stories from my past. In fact, I had never watched the 1927 German Silent Film, "Metropolis," by Fritz Lang, until now. However, once again, thanks to Modern Technology, Netflix allowed me to accomplish this last night. I had simply assumed that this was just a story about a future city, and an expression of how certain people viewed "The Future" from the turn of the last century. Little did I know the deep Apocalyptic and Messianic overtures presented in this film. I was taken aback by the depth of the storyline and biblical symbolism, in spite of its primitive special effects, and dated presentation. However, what I found most profound was its production and release, in proximity to World War II, and how this story should have impacted Germans to be watchful of Hitler's rise. Never the less, with warning, and right in front of their eyes, the 3rd Reich arose to assume its place in History.
I'd like to say that I'm amazed at how History repeats itself, but I'd be lying. Again, I'm not happy about it, but nor am I surprised.
Why such a dark and pessimistic commentary so close to Christmas, you might ask? Well, for starters, the Holiday that we call "Christmas," ultimately is a story of Hope. It derives from the Biblical account of the birth of the Messiah. Although this story leads to the tragic event of His Death, once again, ultimately, it is this event that leads to the Salvation of the World! The point is that OBVIOUSLY the World is a Mess right now, and by my calculations, it might get a little better, but then it's going to get much worse, BUT, in the end, it all works out, ... for some...
I guess my point is, Cherish your Family and All things that are Good and Pure, and be thankful for the things that you have, and in spite of all that is going on around us, be brave and love one another.
Oh and most importantly, as the wise man once said, "Check Yourself, before you Wreck Yourself."
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh!" Luke 21:28
This is Billy Goetz saying, "And that's all I have to say about that."
Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.
