As someone who once worked professionally in politics I have a different insight than most about blaming"shadowy figures" vs. politicians. As a former lobbyist and campaign consultant, who for two decades lived, slept, breathed politics, who's professional and often social network included politicians, judges, lawyers, large corporate and philanthropic donors, institutional and regulatory leaders, special interest group leaders, other professional campaign consultants, and media leaders and reporters, I'd attend my share of galas, fundraisers, holiday parties, receptions, etc, clinking glasses with and sharing hors d'oeuvres and banquet dinner conversations with, in the homes of US Senators and Congressmen, happy hours with Governors - and their mistresses.
And it isn't an either/or proposition as you frame it. Both shadowy figures and politicians are roles in a system that has been constructed in the world around us that serves itself, not the people. Those in positions of power and influence are no different than all man in positions of power and influence throughout history. The adage "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" holds true eternally. One only need look as far as their own HOA governing board to see how even positions of limited power can become corrupt and abusive. Individual and small coalition agendas can supersede the concerns of the community. When you increase the power and authority and scope of issues to state and federal levels the corruption and abuses become greater. The agendas of individuals and large coalitions supersede the concerns of the citizens.
Which brings us to the system. My experience informs me that our governance today now serves The System. Not We The People. It became crystal clear to me at a point later in my career when I was drawn into a minor scandal where I was scheduled to testify publicly about my first-hand knowledge of it. I was approached by leaders within both parties I had considered friends who told me to watch what I said in the hearing. They knew what I knew, what I wanted to say. They knew the bad conduct and corruption at issue, my insights had merit. But told me I couldn't say what they knew I wanted to say. Both R's and D's in leadership said, "the public already doesn't trust us, we can't give them more reasons not to trust us, and we needed to protect The System." I was pressed to lie by omission. With other parties involved physically threatened. Seriously and unambiguously threatened.
Had I told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth I'd have been sanctioned, run out of the profession. The System is built on and sustained by lies. Politicians lie. The public doesn't trust them because they know they're being lied to. So politicians believe they need to lie even more so the public doesn't trust them even less. Because they see it as their job to protect The System, first and foremost. That system is where the influence of shadowy figures becomes public policy. Including abusive, freedom and liberty-diminishing public policy. Media, the Fourth Estate often acting as official scribes of The System, not doggedly protecting We The People. Over the objections of the people the politicians are elected to represent. And The System, as I experienced it, is not above exacting its influence in threatening ways, threatening both the economic and personal safety of those in a position to challenge their power and influence. The System is where the shadowy figures are. The System isn't witches. The System is real. Politicians are often just actors in a play being directed and produced by the biggest studio on earth. That views We The People as mere extras on the set of. Perspective shared by someone who's been behind the scenes, for what it's worth.
>> it isn't an either/or proposition as you frame it
Yep. Sometimes the system is "shadowy" simply because its internal communications are above public discourse, and sometimes it isn't. There's still a system and it isn't benevolent by default.
I gotta say, I hope you don't take offense at this, your second-to-last paragraph (and first sentence of last paragraph) doesn't paint YOU in a very trustworthy light either. It makes you kinda sound exactly like them- suffering evil to protect your interests.
No offense taken. It is from my experience that I have understanding of what drives others in the system to do what they do, say what they say. There are moments known as "epiphanies" we often will experience in life, where all we thought we knew about the world and ourselves is discredited and we begin anew. Our perspectives reshaped. That was mine.
I walked away from the field soon thereafter. And embarked on soul-searching work within and without. Rededicating myself to gain knowledge and develop wisdom from my experiences. That I share here and in other conduits of information where others are also learning. We all learn from one another, our own lived life experiences. As I shared mine above.
And one must spend time behind the curtain to see what is really there. The buttons and levers, bells and whistles all exposed as the Wizard's device was in Oz when Toto pulled the curtain back. As a fearless dog can do. And a freedom fox.
I believed I was acting with integrity then. When we're unaware of systemic corruption visible only when the lens is zoomed out and we believe isolated instances are the exception rather than the rule our actions are different than when our vision is zoomed in on a tiny portion of it.
Fact is, I was only in the dock because I dared to challenge the ethics and misconduct of a lawmaker. And The System responded by trying to attack me and my ethics. Sure, you could say my integrity was compromised by not making a full-throated rebuttal and exposing the full truth. I only offered innuendo and cryptic remarks. I was told to back down, apologize, not even make cryptic remarks or offer innuendo. I defied them in that respect. But didn't cross a red line they had painted for the sake of my career. I dare say I honored my integrity more than anyone else I ever saw in my entire career who found themselves in the same situation. And my clients stayed with me through it, unlike anyone else I ever saw in my entire career who found themselves in the same situation, who's clients dropped them AND they meekly backed down, apologized and didn't make cryptic remarks or offer innuendo. So there's that.
And having been where I've been, if you believe you'd have operated within integrity at the highest levels in that same situation as your comment commands then hats off to you. Though I have great doubts. If you were of such high integrity then you'd never get into the field to begin with. Just saying.
So with respect to The System, my actions and my understanding of it at the time, the law finds that ignorance is not an excuse, though it can mitigate the severity of an accounting. The law also finds that premeditation and knowing disregard can amplify the severity of an accounting.
I stand before God's judgement. Having looked deep in my own eyes and knowing I operated within my integrity given the information I possessed at the time. And I hold my head high as God renders his judgement.
Mark, first I have to disagree that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, et al are “shadowy figures operating behind the scenes.” Gates for example has been openly experimenting on people with his vaccine initiatives all over the world for over 20 years. He’s appeared in almost every elite forum giving speeches about his obsession with “hacking the genome” and “mass vaccination” publicly and without any secret agenda. The WEF and it’s agenda have been publicized widely and their placement and propping up of cabinet and administrative officials is no smoke-filled room conspiracy. The green agenda that is leading to the collapse of agricultural markets from Sri Lanka to Holland is not a manifestation of mysterious witchcraft. And, obviously, the Covid lockdown strategy and vaccination mandates were publicly advertised as an opportunity for a “great reset” and the hive mind of weak-brained academics took it and ran with it in every corner of the global bureaucracy.
I agree that the individuals who went along with the policy and propped up the mass hysteria bear individual responsibility for their own actions and reactions to the politicians, bureaucrats, and oligarchs that promulgated the ideas, but the average Joe doesn’t set county health policy in the US. The average Jane does not dictate school district policy anymore than statewide vaccine requirements.. I also seriously doubt that Bill Gates, the WHO, the FDA and others were totally unaware of how coronaviruses work in populations in lobbying for the lockdowns and mandates, so what was their motivation? We’re they truly frightened? Gavin Newsome was clearly not afraid of the virus as he partied in Napa maskless and giggling.
You continue to downplay the role of the media which fomented the mass hysteria. Here's a question for you. Why did the politicians all around the world use fear ie. the UK used a behavioral science nudge unit to get people into a state of fear? Oh it's because the politicians all around the world entered into mass hysteria all at the same time? Sure.
Mass hysteria is the ONLY thing that can explain the simultaneous, seeming coordination. You are falling for witch-blaming, because only a magical witch could do what is actually only possible via collective hysteria. https://youtu.be/3vxowGQydVw
Except that there wouldn't have been collective hysteria if not for the fear porn being shoved down people's throats 24/7.
That fear porn was not generated from massive hysteria but was agenda-driven. In other words, you are putting the cart before the horse. The people became hysterical and screamed for measures but only due to the machinations of government, various nudge units and media.
It was mentioned during the pandemic simulations that the pandemiists would need to flood the air wavss and control the narrative. Mass hysteria came after this point. The people who had wargamed these events out repeatedly were there to take the rains and put in place the messaging they had already practiced for.
Lockdowns were advocated for during Bush Jr. time in the WhiteHouse for Avian flu. There were plans in place to lock everything down until a vaccine was ready. They too did not come out of a place of hysteria. Ever watch this video? It's about all the various pandemic simulations going back into the 90's:
Yes which we know to be fake as no one else just fell down dead anywhere else in the world and that's not how respiratory viruses affect people in any case.
These videos were part of the propaganda effort to get people to be willing to give up their freedoms in the name of safety. While it's true that hysteria drove politicians to institute measures it's overlooking the bit about politicians and media messaging ignited the hysteria. Their messaging was for people to stay home to save lives because out there was a virus as deadly as the Spanish Flu and that people should panic so they did.
As someone who once worked professionally in politics I have a different insight than most about blaming"shadowy figures" vs. politicians. As a former lobbyist and campaign consultant, who for two decades lived, slept, breathed politics, who's professional and often social network included politicians, judges, lawyers, large corporate and philanthropic donors, institutional and regulatory leaders, special interest group leaders, other professional campaign consultants, and media leaders and reporters, I'd attend my share of galas, fundraisers, holiday parties, receptions, etc, clinking glasses with and sharing hors d'oeuvres and banquet dinner conversations with, in the homes of US Senators and Congressmen, happy hours with Governors - and their mistresses.
And it isn't an either/or proposition as you frame it. Both shadowy figures and politicians are roles in a system that has been constructed in the world around us that serves itself, not the people. Those in positions of power and influence are no different than all man in positions of power and influence throughout history. The adage "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" holds true eternally. One only need look as far as their own HOA governing board to see how even positions of limited power can become corrupt and abusive. Individual and small coalition agendas can supersede the concerns of the community. When you increase the power and authority and scope of issues to state and federal levels the corruption and abuses become greater. The agendas of individuals and large coalitions supersede the concerns of the citizens.
Which brings us to the system. My experience informs me that our governance today now serves The System. Not We The People. It became crystal clear to me at a point later in my career when I was drawn into a minor scandal where I was scheduled to testify publicly about my first-hand knowledge of it. I was approached by leaders within both parties I had considered friends who told me to watch what I said in the hearing. They knew what I knew, what I wanted to say. They knew the bad conduct and corruption at issue, my insights had merit. But told me I couldn't say what they knew I wanted to say. Both R's and D's in leadership said, "the public already doesn't trust us, we can't give them more reasons not to trust us, and we needed to protect The System." I was pressed to lie by omission. With other parties involved physically threatened. Seriously and unambiguously threatened.
Had I told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth I'd have been sanctioned, run out of the profession. The System is built on and sustained by lies. Politicians lie. The public doesn't trust them because they know they're being lied to. So politicians believe they need to lie even more so the public doesn't trust them even less. Because they see it as their job to protect The System, first and foremost. That system is where the influence of shadowy figures becomes public policy. Including abusive, freedom and liberty-diminishing public policy. Media, the Fourth Estate often acting as official scribes of The System, not doggedly protecting We The People. Over the objections of the people the politicians are elected to represent. And The System, as I experienced it, is not above exacting its influence in threatening ways, threatening both the economic and personal safety of those in a position to challenge their power and influence. The System is where the shadowy figures are. The System isn't witches. The System is real. Politicians are often just actors in a play being directed and produced by the biggest studio on earth. That views We The People as mere extras on the set of. Perspective shared by someone who's been behind the scenes, for what it's worth.
>> it isn't an either/or proposition as you frame it
Yep. Sometimes the system is "shadowy" simply because its internal communications are above public discourse, and sometimes it isn't. There's still a system and it isn't benevolent by default.
I gotta say, I hope you don't take offense at this, your second-to-last paragraph (and first sentence of last paragraph) doesn't paint YOU in a very trustworthy light either. It makes you kinda sound exactly like them- suffering evil to protect your interests.
No offense taken. It is from my experience that I have understanding of what drives others in the system to do what they do, say what they say. There are moments known as "epiphanies" we often will experience in life, where all we thought we knew about the world and ourselves is discredited and we begin anew. Our perspectives reshaped. That was mine.
I walked away from the field soon thereafter. And embarked on soul-searching work within and without. Rededicating myself to gain knowledge and develop wisdom from my experiences. That I share here and in other conduits of information where others are also learning. We all learn from one another, our own lived life experiences. As I shared mine above.
And one must spend time behind the curtain to see what is really there. The buttons and levers, bells and whistles all exposed as the Wizard's device was in Oz when Toto pulled the curtain back. As a fearless dog can do. And a freedom fox.
When you say that you learned things and changed perspectives, does that mean you're able to act with more integrity now?
I believed I was acting with integrity then. When we're unaware of systemic corruption visible only when the lens is zoomed out and we believe isolated instances are the exception rather than the rule our actions are different than when our vision is zoomed in on a tiny portion of it.
Fact is, I was only in the dock because I dared to challenge the ethics and misconduct of a lawmaker. And The System responded by trying to attack me and my ethics. Sure, you could say my integrity was compromised by not making a full-throated rebuttal and exposing the full truth. I only offered innuendo and cryptic remarks. I was told to back down, apologize, not even make cryptic remarks or offer innuendo. I defied them in that respect. But didn't cross a red line they had painted for the sake of my career. I dare say I honored my integrity more than anyone else I ever saw in my entire career who found themselves in the same situation. And my clients stayed with me through it, unlike anyone else I ever saw in my entire career who found themselves in the same situation, who's clients dropped them AND they meekly backed down, apologized and didn't make cryptic remarks or offer innuendo. So there's that.
And having been where I've been, if you believe you'd have operated within integrity at the highest levels in that same situation as your comment commands then hats off to you. Though I have great doubts. If you were of such high integrity then you'd never get into the field to begin with. Just saying.
So with respect to The System, my actions and my understanding of it at the time, the law finds that ignorance is not an excuse, though it can mitigate the severity of an accounting. The law also finds that premeditation and knowing disregard can amplify the severity of an accounting.
I stand before God's judgement. Having looked deep in my own eyes and knowing I operated within my integrity given the information I possessed at the time. And I hold my head high as God renders his judgement.
Mark, first I have to disagree that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, et al are “shadowy figures operating behind the scenes.” Gates for example has been openly experimenting on people with his vaccine initiatives all over the world for over 20 years. He’s appeared in almost every elite forum giving speeches about his obsession with “hacking the genome” and “mass vaccination” publicly and without any secret agenda. The WEF and it’s agenda have been publicized widely and their placement and propping up of cabinet and administrative officials is no smoke-filled room conspiracy. The green agenda that is leading to the collapse of agricultural markets from Sri Lanka to Holland is not a manifestation of mysterious witchcraft. And, obviously, the Covid lockdown strategy and vaccination mandates were publicly advertised as an opportunity for a “great reset” and the hive mind of weak-brained academics took it and ran with it in every corner of the global bureaucracy.
Shadowy or not, they didn’t initiate the mass hysteria. Only magical shaman can do that. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY’RE NOT CULPABLE.
I agree that the individuals who went along with the policy and propped up the mass hysteria bear individual responsibility for their own actions and reactions to the politicians, bureaucrats, and oligarchs that promulgated the ideas, but the average Joe doesn’t set county health policy in the US. The average Jane does not dictate school district policy anymore than statewide vaccine requirements.. I also seriously doubt that Bill Gates, the WHO, the FDA and others were totally unaware of how coronaviruses work in populations in lobbying for the lockdowns and mandates, so what was their motivation? We’re they truly frightened? Gavin Newsome was clearly not afraid of the virus as he partied in Napa maskless and giggling.
Who do you think the politicians listen to? It is certainly not the people. America is an oligarchy or have you not noticed this?
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
You continue to downplay the role of the media which fomented the mass hysteria. Here's a question for you. Why did the politicians all around the world use fear ie. the UK used a behavioral science nudge unit to get people into a state of fear? Oh it's because the politicians all around the world entered into mass hysteria all at the same time? Sure.
Mass hysteria is the ONLY thing that can explain the simultaneous, seeming coordination. You are falling for witch-blaming, because only a magical witch could do what is actually only possible via collective hysteria. https://youtu.be/3vxowGQydVw
Except that there wouldn't have been collective hysteria if not for the fear porn being shoved down people's throats 24/7.
That fear porn was not generated from massive hysteria but was agenda-driven. In other words, you are putting the cart before the horse. The people became hysterical and screamed for measures but only due to the machinations of government, various nudge units and media.
It was mentioned during the pandemic simulations that the pandemiists would need to flood the air wavss and control the narrative. Mass hysteria came after this point. The people who had wargamed these events out repeatedly were there to take the rains and put in place the messaging they had already practiced for.
Lockdowns were advocated for during Bush Jr. time in the WhiteHouse for Avian flu. There were plans in place to lock everything down until a vaccine was ready. They too did not come out of a place of hysteria. Ever watch this video? It's about all the various pandemic simulations going back into the 90's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3WUv5SV5Hg
You can read more about the lokcdown proponents here:
https://www.aier.org/article/the-2006-origins-of-the-lockdown-idea/
Who produced and disseminated the videos out of China?
Yes which we know to be fake as no one else just fell down dead anywhere else in the world and that's not how respiratory viruses affect people in any case.
These videos were part of the propaganda effort to get people to be willing to give up their freedoms in the name of safety. While it's true that hysteria drove politicians to institute measures it's overlooking the bit about politicians and media messaging ignited the hysteria. Their messaging was for people to stay home to save lives because out there was a virus as deadly as the Spanish Flu and that people should panic so they did.
They also fall down dead while putting out their arms to break their fall. Maybe some sort of neural hijacking like toxoplasmosis.