From:
http://www.alt-market.com/articles/296-breaking-points-recognizing-the-signs-of-painful-cultural-shiftBreaking Points: Recognizing The Signs Of Painful Cultural Shift
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Through the ages, nations and cultures of spectacular proportion and
prominence have risen to prosperity, and fallen to chaos, on very
particular and fundamental principles. In some cases, these great and
terrible declines have taken centuries to culminate (as was the story of
the Roman Empire), and only a few years in others (the Soviet Union
comes to mind). In every example of societal destabilization, however,
there were many signs of danger long before the final plunge; some
unique to each particular culture, and some common to all. One of the
most enduring and frightening similarities between crumbling nations is
an overwhelming belief amongst the people that they have somehow
"advanced" beyond the need for concern. Each self-destructing society
presumed itself invincible. Each country thought itself the pinnacle of
human potential, only to discover yet again that in abandoning or
subverting the principles of freedom, and the bedrock pillars of
conscience, reason, and wisdom, they had become merely another footnote
in a long marathon of footnotes.
Ultimately, the vast and sordid history of collapse could be summarized
simply as a series of breaking points; moments at which opposing ideals
and forces hyperextend the prevailing mechanics of a system, changing it
entirely.
Some of these events have produced surprising strides of understanding
and political progress, as prevailed after the American Revolution.
Others led to dark and mindless collectivist nightmares that fog men's
eyes and hearts, as that which occurred after the Bolshevik Revolution
in Russia. The difference is one of focus. Imperialist (elitist)
ideologies were deemed unacceptable in both revolutions, but the tides
of each conflict leaned towards entirely separate values. Individual
liberty in the West, and collective safety and sacrifice in the East. In
America, the uprising was led by common men and the target was clear. In
Russia, the uprising was led by elitists posing as common men, and the
target was obscured. In America, much of the public assumed roles as
arbiters and political engineers. In communist Russia, much of the
public was oblivious to such responsibility, and only subject to
engineering. Two revolutions in the name of ending tyranny with two
entirely different initial outcomes…
I bring up these opposing paradigms not to spark another endless debate
over the merits of communism versus capitalism, but to highlight a
growing potential for a new brand of revolution in modern day America,
now cutting through the surface, which may very well culminate in one of
the two finales described above. More perhaps than any other time
memorable, centralist and statist visions are today clashing with
individualist and Constitutionalist pleadings for sanity. The air grows
heavy and ripe for ignition. More even than any economic indicator,
social indicators point in the direction of conflict and widespread
malfunction. The question of "if" in terms of citizen dissent and the
inevitable lashing response of government is no longer asked. Now, the
question of "when" has risen to the surface.
To predict the exact timing of a breaking point is impossible, but there
are signals to watch for; social and political attitudes to monitor and
examine. After analyzing the shifts of multiple nations and cultures
over thousands of years of human record, a pattern does, indeed, emerge.
Similar developments in our times should not be taken lightly…
1) The Rise Of Moral Relativism
Inherent conscience is a vital artery to a healthy society. When that
artery is cut, entire structures and peoples die. There is no way around
this, as history has shown. Cynics, often utilizing a highly limited
understanding of the processes of mass psychology and individual
psychology, tend to confuse the word "conscience" with the concept of
taboo. Taboos are man-made morals, and are commonly applied as a method
of social control by oligarchs and collectives, just as many laws are
created to appease sometimes dubious bureaucracies. Conscience is NOT
man-made, but an inborn process that human beings draw from
unconsciously, and which true honor, compassion, and sincerity are
derived. Conscience is an intuitive product, not intellectual.
Moral relativism, by comparison, is a kind of emotional inhibitor which
allows people to mechanize their thinking, and rationalize any activity
no matter how despicable, as long as that activity is rooted in a
"logical" framework. Logic, however, is limited…
Interestingly, there are some forms of theoretical mathematics which
allow false conclusions to be presented as fact, and this same
methodology of fuzzy logic is consistently used by moral relativists to
achieve the "appearance" of reason. At bottom, intellectual prowess
accomplishes little without the disciplines of experience, emotion, and
insight. Cultures which widely abandon the guidelines of conscience
always find themselves subject to collapse, whether economic or
political. Without the ability to feel empathy for the victims of one's
actions, any disaster becomes possible.
2) The Displacement Of Cultural Subsections
A society that maintains healthy appearances by purposely displacing and
marginalizing certain belief systems or political stances is by its very
nature self-destructive. For progress to be made, inclusion of ideas is
paramount. Ideas must be allowed to stand on their own merit and not be
victimized by the biases of an elite minority, or in some instances, an
ignorant majority. Strong and meaningful ideas must be given space to
thrive while bad ideas must be allowed to fall to the wayside. This
happens when open discussion is given fair play. Suppression of
discussion, whether by force or by stealth, leads to an inability of the
people to form a true identity. Forced consensus ends not in stability,
but in madness.
3) Distraction Over Substance
Distracted people are uncaring people. A nation distracted by its own
immediate desires over the concerns of the future is completely
incapable of acting in its own best interest. Distraction comes in many
forms, from vapid entertainment, to disinformation, to war and economic
uncertainty. While most people are more than able to produce their own
distractions, often governments will lend a helping hand in order to
dissuade the masses from participation in the decision making processes.
This includes the dilution of educational options and/or the co-option
of the educational system altogether.
You will find that in nearly every collapse of modern times, the
citizenry found themselves surprised and shell shocked despite numerous
and easily identifiable warnings. You will also find that the stunned
populace was usually obsessed with any existing method to avoid
involvement in the workings of the system in which they lived. They were
caught off guard because, in the end, they were more comfortable not
knowing the details. Comfort at the price of vigilance ends in
devastation.
4) When Law Becomes Tyranny
Law, at least as far as the fundamentals are concerned, is designed to
protect citizens as well as authorities from undue actions and
accusations. At its best, law shields us from our own follies, which may
include the allowed ascension of poor leadership. At its worst, law is
no longer used as a tool for protecting the public from error and
malice, and is instead used as a tool for enslavement.
When a culture elevates and worships law over the contents of their own
consciences, the abuse of law for the sake of control is imminent. Law
does not trump heart, yet many past societies have been convinced to
follow immoral laws all while mistaking their actions for "civic duty".
When law becomes infallible, fallible government becomes god, and no
nation will ever be able to sustain such a delusion of grandeur for very
long without reaping catastrophe.
5) Force Over Reason
Force is used only in two instances within a domestic political
environment; when a controlling entity seeks to acquire or maintain
power after fear and disinformation have failed, and when a rebellious
public seeks to undo the wrongs done and reason has gone ignored. A
nation run by dishonest men is already a supreme candidate for extreme
collapse, but when despots turn to violent policies to silence dissent,
you can be sure that conflict is soon to follow. The level of this
tension will be readily visible in the militant presence of the
government in public buildings, on the roads, and even in the
neighborhoods of the citizenry. A standing army upon the soil of a
country, regardless of supposed rationale, is a recipe for a breakdown
that goes far beyond the more manageable effects of financial distress
and into the realm of lasting and vicious war.
6) False Paradigms And Mistaken Enemies
A country near bedlam is usually filled with people seeking not just
answers, but someone, anyone, to blame. This need for "justice" can be
very misguided, and results in the projections of our own terrors onto
innocent bystanders. Collapse is very often preceded by a swelling wave
of attacks, usually directed at groups contrary to the majority belief.
Political parties become factions. Ideals become battle cries. Fervor
for retribution takes over. All the while, the true culprits (who are
normally not a part of either side) sit back, relax, and turn the public
in on itself. A frantic nation is an easily manipulated nation. Divided
and fragile, such systems degrade while the source of the problem
remains hidden.
7) Desperation And Loss Of Will
A culture on the verge of sliding into full spectrum disintegration is
generally not very chipper, however, when this despair results in the
handing over of personal liberty for the sake of so called "security",
an avalanche of regret and wild compensation in the form of moral
relativism results. No matter what the state of a nation and its people,
the will to move forward and to act for the betterment of the future can
and does change everything. The blackest days of dread and ill omen are
no match for man's ability to endure when he holds the truth dear. No
obstacle is insurmountable. No enemy unbeatable. But, when that will is
lost, so too is everything else.
The concentration and frequency of the above elements can easily reveal
the point at which a country is in respect to collapse. America now has
many of these diseases at one stage or another, and in certain ways, has
surpassed historic examples to form a never-before-seen dynamic for
global turmoil. Currently, citizens are turning in greater and greater
numbers to activism and protest, but the focus has moved away from the
elites (central bankers and globalists) who deserve the largest portion
of the public's ire. We have allowed deflections to go unchecked for too
long, and the unwillingness of arbitrarily delineated sides (false Left
and false Right) to reconcile at least until the larger threat is
removed is setting our culture in motion into the depths of a nightmare
we are not ready to handle. Such loss has happened before, and, through
courage, understanding, and tenacity, it has also been undone before.
The choice is ours. It always has been.
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