Destroying Nord Stream Pipelines An Act Of Stupidity

Most Americans have no idea about just how explosive the Ukraine war has become. Unlike the prior conflicts in the Middle East, this has the potential to rapidly expand into World War III. Still, a group of warmongers in Washington seems hellbent on pursuing the destruction of Russia no matter what the cost or risk. Sadly, the mainstream media continues to crank out the narrative that America should continue to support what has essentially become a proxy war.

Nord Stream Is A Casualty Of War

The Nord Stream gas pipelines that were meant to deliver gas to Europe were severally damaged overnight on Monday and it appears it was intentional. Since then, other leaks are being reported. A video of President Joe Biden on February 7, saying that he would "end" the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline quickly resurfaced after the attack on Nord Stream 1 and 2. At the time, a journalist asked Biden how he could do that since Germany was in control of the project,  and the president replied: "I promise you: We will be able to do it." 

The type of officials familiar with such things have not been shy in calling this a deliberate act of sabotage. Considering the thickness of the pipe that is the only explanation for the leaks. This event weakens Germany and Europe at the same time it straightens America's sales of natural gas to the region. The damage or demise of this gas delivery system will most likely guarantee a long cold winter of suffering for many Europeans. This coupled with the economic trauma of higher energy prices adds to the woes of a falling euro.

 

The Nord Stream 2 project represents a major investment. A great deal of energy was used to make and lay the pipe. The 1,234-kilometre-long (767 mi) 48-inch diameter natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany runs on the bottom of the Baltic Sea and was financed by Gazprom and several European energy companies. It required around 200,000 coated steel pipes with a concrete coating. Each measured 12 meters long and weighed around 24 tonnes. 

 

Germans Demanding Nord Stream 2 Be Opened

It should be noted that this incident took place the day after thousands of German protesters took to the streets and demanded the opening of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Never turned on but filled with natural gas there is absolutely no reason for Russia to destroy the delivery system it paid to construct. It could be argued that as long as it was not being used, there was no reason for anyone to destroy it. 

The environmental damage this attack caused is a slap in the face of all those concerned about global warming. The destruction of these pipelines that would efficiently move this rather clean energy source to where it is desperately needed underscores the hypocrisy of people like Biden and his administration that carry on about global warming. We can only imagine how much natural gas was lost when the pipeline was destroyed. The massive disconnect between the policies of these so-called environmentally concerned individuals and doing what is best for creating a sustainable world boggles the mind.

 

 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

The View Russia Will Lose War In Ukraine May Be “Naive”

The current view being spread by mainstream media in America may be naive. Russia may still win the war in Ukraine. Like most people at times, I'm taken aback and astonished by just how wide opinions and views surrounding a certain event or situation might be. Like many of you just because I wish to listen to diverse views and the people expounding them does not mean I sign onto their ideology or am a fan. 

Some of the recent overt speculation in the western press that Putin is sick and on the verge of death or losing power while ignoring the fragility and mental lapses of Biden leads me to discount much of what they are saying. The experience of living for over six months with my ninety-three-year-old mother-in-law that suffers from dementia has given me some insight into the loss of cognitive functioning. This extends to how they think, remember, and reason. It also includes some of the many tricks people use to mask or hide the embarrassment they feel when they lose their ability to remember. 

One of the most pronounced methods is to ask general questions such as, how's the family, or did you have any trouble getting here. These can be used when you don't even know who you are talking to or where they came from. The fact is that due to changes in the brain, people living with dementia may sometimes experience hallucinations, delusions and/or paranoia. According to Heathman, MD, a Houston psychiatrist, “paranoia, or having false beliefs, is a common trait of later stage dementia. 

If you were losing control of yourself wouldn't you be worried that people would take advantage of you? Still, having a paranoid individual in charge of your country is not necessarily a good thing. This could be one of the reasons Biden appears so obsessed with Trump and those that support him. It also could lead to unnecessary wars under the idea we must take them out before they "get us." For such a scenario just imagine using information backed by paranoia to justify a first strike on North Korea or Iran.  

The last two paragraphs may have moved off topic, this was never intended to be a Biden hit piece. Returning to the crux of this post, I turn to Dr. Jordan Peterson. If there were a "Saying Things People Don't Want To Hear Award" it would go to Dr. Peterson. He is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, a clinical psychologist, and the author of the multi-million copy bestseller 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, #1 for nonfiction in 2018 in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Norway.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have never heard of/or read his book. What did catch my eye was an interview on Sky News Australia that lasted just under seven minutes. In the first minute, Peterson comes out swinging. He does this by making the startling statement that there is more than a bit of Hitler in all of us. Not wishing to create a "spoiler alert" for those deciding to watch the short interview it is still fair to call his prediction of Ukraine's future grave.

Victory Is Often In The Eyes Of The Beholder

Peterson states any notions that the Russians are going to lose the war in Ukraine are “naïve. He then elaborates, “Or that we’re going to win,” he said. “I don’t understand that. What do you mean we’re going to win? What are we going to win here exactly? Dr. Peterson said even if Vladimir Putin allowed Russia to retreat from Ukraine, the country would be left in “smoking ruins.”

For Russia, victory could be declared if they are sucessful in pushing back the advancing borders of NATO. Peterson also delves into the whole idea of totalitarian states. He also points out that America and NATO, if limited by reason, may not be able to respond with nuclear weapons if Putin decides to unleash a "tactical" nuclear weapon. In my opinion such an event could well redefine modern warfare. The Peterson interview can be viewed at the following link.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnxxELn00gk

Peterson keys in on the fact you cannot win against someone you cannot say no to. We sold our soul to Putin for his oil and gas. Putin holds the best cards in that he controls the gas flow into Europe. This winter has the potential to be very very ugly. If anything, I failed to enter the word very enough times in that last sentence.

 

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Where Have All The Ships Gone? Signs Of A Recession

The images of the west coast ports packed with ships and pictures of them stacked up just offshore have vanished from the evening news. So, where have they gone, and does this mean the supply chain is fixed? It appears that the post-covid shipping slug is over but this does not mean that the supply chain is fixed or there will not be shortages. 

As of Sept. 21, 2021,  there were 132 cargo ships at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Dozens of container ships were anchored or adrift off the coast. As of Aug 30, 2022, that number has dwindled to only 8 ships waiting off Southern California. The end of goods backing up in ports on the west coast is a sign we are moving on. Danielle DiMartino Booth recently stated, "We have never seen the collapse of the magnitude that we are witnessing in imports. That is always a tell-tale sign that you are already looking through the rear-view mirror at recession."

In a video released on September 6, 2022, Sal Mercogliano, a maritime historian at Campbell University and former merchant mariner delved into the reduction of ships currently sitting off the west coast. This includes the important Port of Los Angeles and the implications for the flow of cargo and goods as well as freight rates. It now seems that for several reasons, the international supply chain crisis that impacted U.S. logistics firms, retailers, and consumers could continue for a long time.

Most of the disruption in the flow of goods may be in the rear-view mirror, however, a slew of new economic destabilizing factors are beginning to emerge. These will result in a bumpy ride for consumers going forward. Those issues most on our radar are centered around energy whether it is gas or electricity. Others are being talked about but being largely shrugged off until the shelves are empty or prices go through the roof deal with food.

It has also become a problem that in the post-covid era many people simply lack the desire to return to work. This is playing havoc within the labor market. It seems sitting on their bottoms at home for a year has become addictive. The reality is employers are now finding they are often having to pay more for less productive workers.This is one of the factors driving inflation. 

Swinging back to the idea ports are no longer backed up, has to do with the flow of goods. First, we had few goods in the pipeline, then more than a lot, and now it has slipped back a bit below normal because many companies had ordered more than they needed when they were unable to get goods. This has resulted in some companies and retailers now finding they are overstocked and up to their ears in inventory. Another problem is much of this inventory does not meet their current needs.

In short, the supply chain is still messed up but in a different way. Things are not back to normal and the system is not running like a fine-oiled machine. An example of this surfaced this week when Ford warned that it expects to see an extra $1 billion in costs in Q3 due to both "inflation and supply chain issues". Ford is currently suffering through parts shortages that have affected between 40,000 and 45,000 vehicles. 

According to The Detroit News, The legacy auto manufacturer at the end of the third quarter expects to have a 'higher-than-planned' number of vehicles assembled but awaiting parts due to supply shortages. The models affected are primarily "high margin trucks and SUVs." This means these vehicles haven't been able to be shipped to dealers. Ford is just one in the long list of companies in this situation and someone will have to pay for what is happening. 

Companies are forced to pass the costs of supply chain problems on to customers, shareholders, or both. We should not be under the illusion things will straighten out anytime soon. The problems we face now have created new problems down the road.  We should also add into this the effects of bad weather on crops and livestock as well as prices of energy and oil soaring from war and geopolitical issues. Expect some of these factors to result in additional empty shelves, rising prices, and more shortages for months to come.

 

Footnote; Here is the ink to the video mentioned earlier in the article; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHTYEAVqr6g   Another post you may find interesting appeared on this site back in April, it looked into how the geopolitical issues we face with Russia and China could result in even more supply chain problems. that link is;  https://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-broken-supply-chain-russia-and.html

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

The World Is A Hindenburg In Search Of A Spark - 10 Of The Most Explosive Issues We Face

The face of America is growing less friendly, years ago Dale Carnegie wrote a book titled; How to Win Friends and Influence People. It was first published in 1936 and it became a massive bestseller. Carnegie was an early proponent of what is now called responsibility assumption, one of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's reaction to them. 

The World Is A Hindenburg

If Carnegie was alive today he would most likely be shocked at how many people approach others with a scowl and distrust. This feeling, or reality, has spread across the globe making the world a Hindenburg In Search of a spark. Time may prove that we as a society have become far too complacent to the rising threats growing up around us.

For a majority of people, thoughts of what the future holds are bracketed by a general feeling it will be more of the same. This means not necessarily better but certainly not much much worse. The opinions and assumptions people form are heavily swayed by mainstream media and big tech's hold over how we get information. 

This information is often shaped to distract rather than inform. The stuff and fluff presented as news by mainstream media generally omit many of the important events occurring across the world. In short, most people never hear about the protests, killings, and governments failing to protect the rights of their people. Most people never hear the things the media intentionally excludes from its coverage. Overall we, as a society, are poorly informed.

Famine And Drought

 

 

 

 

 

 

War

Social Violence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The future is uncertain, however, the following list below contains the 10 largest and most explosive issues before us. With this in mind, protecting your savings and capital should be job one. Some of us have been predicting a storm is coming, and it now appears it has arrived.

How will things in China play out? - will Xi survive - cities are locked down - people are protesting - and more. China with its "ghost cities" is not the well-oiled machine many people think it to be.

If China moves on Taiwan how will that be resolved? Most likely, not well, it is difficult to see anything good flowing from such a confrontation.

Will the European Union and the euro survive? Putin is going tit for tat and holds the cards when it comes to energy. America's Military Industrial Complex has never found a war it did not like, there is big money to be made blowing things up. With Biden enthusiastically sending American dollars and weapons to Ukraine, we have the potential to light up Europe and the world with a nuclear glow.

Energy Conundrum, across the world energy has become a big deal. Because the world is convinced mankind is causing the climate to change and soon we will be up to our ankles from rising tides and unable to grow food because plants will bake in the fields. This means we should turn off the lights, live in the dark, and eat bugs.

EV Stupidity, with the energy crisis in mind the answer is to use more electricity to power cars rather than design a world where we drive less or use more efficient vehicles. 

Is Globalization Dead? We can only hope. When you join mega-global corporations and big dumb governments together and throw in massive social unrest, what could go wrong?

Fiat Currencies, the financial sector, and contagion - Ha, no fraud going on there, no deck of cards ready to fall, I assure you everything is built on a foundation of stone.

Inflation, deflation, or stagflation, stability is gone. What does this mean for us as we plan ahead? It means most of us are screwed.

Growing inequality! This is our only real success. We have proven we can grow inequality and make Jeff Bezos rich. By buying things online and putting the local stores where our neighbors work out of business we can make ourselves poorer. As a bonus Amazon will deliver products to our door pronto so we can return them the next day. This way they can be sent unused to a landfill and factories will have to make more.

Artificial intelligence and "robotish" things. "At least we are being looked after." or should I say spied on. What we should be afraid of is when robots start building and repairing robots then we will merely be a bothersome infestation. That is the day the slaughter bots will be released.

Well, that seems to be enough. If you want to bring up another major issue let me know in the comment section. For fun and giggles, Take a look at the great chart that recently appeared on Wolfstreet.com.

This chart, which is one of the best I have ever seen concerning the "wealth effect." should be enough to convince even the harshest skeptic that there is something very wrong going on. The 10 explosive issues above should exceed the need most people have for doom porn. The answer to all these woes that some people have come up with is that women need to have more babies. This is based on the idea we will need more workers. Such a tactic is a little like pouring gasoline on the fire to put it out. The argument could be made that if we stopped destroying all we touch, we would need far fewer workers. Oh, and by the way, have a marvelous day. 

 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Tuition Loan Forgiveness Program Is Another Biden Lie

The Biden Tuition Forgiveness Program should be considered a lie at least until it comes to fruition. The possibility it will never occur remains a solid possibility. While the White House and Democrats have had lots of time to craft the legislation this does not mean it has been done well, it may be full of holes. Granting such a gift to garner political favor is clearly an egregious overreach of power.

Consider the possibility that President Biden is stretching the truth a bit in order to stimulate his party's base. It also allows him to claim he has fulfilled another of the promises he made during the campaign. A recent poll suggests that many Americas are not thrilled with this so-called forgiveness program for a slew of reasons. First and foremost, it is simply unfair. 

The student loan forgiveness plan announced on Aug. 24 would eliminate up to $10,000 of federal debt for most borrowers and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Following the announcement, Biden indicated that 95% of borrowers, or some 43 million people would benefit from his debt relief plan. Nearly 45% of borrowers, or almost 20 million people, would have their debt fully canceled

Determining who benefits most from student loan forgiveness, the poor, middle class or wealthy may sound like a straightforward exercise, but it is not. Data peculiarities and future financial benefits that would disproportionately accrue to certain borrowers make an exact accounting nearly impossible. The relief is also limited to those who make less than $125,000 per year, or married couples or heads of households earning less than $250,000.

In breaking down the distribution of total dollars forgiven by three income groups the White House shows that 87% of the money would go to those earning less than $75,000 a year. None would flow to individuals earning more than $125,000. Leveraging this data, Biden said the plan would target poor and middle-class people or in his words, the "families who need it the most. Not only does the policy set an income cap for forgiveness, recipients of Pell Grants, a type of financial aid for lower-income families, qualify for double the maximum relief, or $20,000, relative to other borrowers.

The White House's decision to measure income per individual, rather than at the household level skews the data. If each spouse in a married couple earns $70,000 a year, they would have $140,000 of joint household income but would count among the group earning below $75,000 in the White House income analysis. The JPMorgan Chase Institute, in a separate study, found that a smaller share, or around 51% of total debt forgiveness would flow to the bottom 60% of households that earn below $76,000 a year.

It is impossible to be sure about which income groups will get what share of the benefits. Analysts are busy using different data sets that yield different results. Flowing back into the fairness issue is the fact that parents that put themselves into hock to put their children through college get nothing. The same can be said for the millions of people that have worked hard to pay off their student loans. 

Also, consider that the government issued Pell Grants to students based on parents' income; as long as a borrower's income is less than $125,000, they'd qualify for the Pell Grant forgiveness "bonus" based on their parents' lower incomes from years prior. In short, this general lack of fairness coupled with the idea society is rewarding those breaking their promise to pay back loans does not set well with taxpayers that may be forced to pick up the tab, this includes a lot of Democrats.

Student Loans Soared After The Government Took Over - The number of loans and the amount of money loaned to students soared after the government took over lending. Loans became far easier to get. Adding to the cost and failure of this program is that in recent years talk about loan forgiveness and other programs has caused many loan holders to halt payments in the hope the government would forgive the balance and write them off. 

We are talking about a lot of money. Before this is over, the tab for forgiving student loans may approach a trillion dollars. This represents around $3,000 per man, woman, and child living in America. This is why Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich suggested student loan borrowers shouldn’t bank on forgiveness yet. “I think there’s a lot of people celebrating prematurely,” Brnovich said. GOP attorney generals from states such as Missouri and Texas, as well as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and those connected to conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, are also reported to be mulling over their options to block Biden’s plan.

A legal challenge to the Biden plan could go on for a long time throwing the fate of these loans into limbo for the foreseeable future. Do not be surprised if this issue finds its way to the Supreme Court. No lawsuit has been filed yet, but Brnovich admitted that waiting too long could create problems. “People’s expectations are starting to get set,” Brnovich said. “And I think that means that if we can file a lawsuit, we should file it sooner rather than later.”

While White House spokesman, Abdullah Hasan, is busy accusing the GOP of double standards that will punish the middle class. The Biden administration has released a 25-page memo by the U.S. Department of Justice making the case that canceling this debt is “appropriate” under the Heroes Act of 2003. That law was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It permitted the executive branch to forgive student loans during national emergencies. The Trump administration declared the Covid-19 pandemic a national emergency in March 2020, apparently, it never ended.

Those trying to block this program will likely argue that the Heroes Act doesn’t give the president the power to forgive student debt in the broad way he is trying to. Another issue for those bringing a legal challenge against Biden’s plan will be finding a suitable plaintiff. Someone has to make the case that student loan forgiveness causes them “personal injury,” and that may not be easy. This injury is needed to establish what courts call ‘standing.’ No individual or business or state is demonstrably injured the way private lenders would have been if their loans to students had been canceled. 

The student loan program became part of our government's legacy of failure during the Obama years.  Many of us predicted it was a slippery slope that would lead to defaults and at the same time drive up the cost of higher education. This prediction has come true. Remember much of this money was borrowed under the pretense of being used for education but was used for living expenses such as apartments and cars. One thing that is clear is they will find a plaintiff. This is so big that loan forgiveness will affect states and taxpayers. Clearly, Biden is disingenuous in his effort to promote this as a done deal.

 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Intolerance - Remain Silent Or Be Branded An Extremist

It appears we are rapidly approaching or have reached the place where we must remain silent or be branded an extremist. There is a growing trend of intolerance. In such an environment it is little wonder that many people have become less vocal and afraid to speak their mind. The source of this is rooted in a blatant disregard for the opinions of others by both those on the left and the right. Democracy as a form of government is far from perfect. Its greatest weakness is rooted in the ability of a small vocal group to force its opinions on others. Sadly, this is not something that is going to rapidly go away.

In a recent speech akin to something you might have witnessed in Germany or Italy before World War II President Biden demonized what he called MAGA Republicans. Biden labeled this group of Americans as dangerous extremists. The message was clear, anyone that expressed the views bantered about by former President Trump could be marked as an extremist. Those that do speak out under such a political framework are now part of a group that law enforcement officials target and might be inclined to place under tighter scrutiny or surveillance. 

This growing fear of speaking out is not limited to America, we are seeing it in countries that claim to be free across the world. The tech giants and governments have been throwing fuel on the fire by adding to the feeling retaliation is a fair response to those we disagree with speaking their mind. The tech giants' effort to closely watch, silence, and censor those not marching in line with their desired narrative is a dagger in the heart of free speech. This effort is apparent when we hear about small fringe groups outside mainstream society threatening to block highways, shut down ports, and occupy state capitols if things fail to go their way. It even extends to harassing elected officials, we are hearing more threats from groups vowing to hound and badger members of Congress or the judicial system at their homes.

Governments Are Adding To The Fear

This started several years ago and ramped up when the term "politically correct" moved front and center. In the minds of some individuals if you say anything that they consider "incorrect" it justifies a harsh response. It has now extended to declaring saying something that could hurt the feeling of some individual or group could be considered "hate speech." As a result of this growing intolerance, people feel compelled to deny their opinions and remain silent.

The United Nations has weighed in on this subject since hate speech incites violence and undermines social cohesion and tolerance. It claims such speech is nothing new, however, its scale and impact are nowadays amplified by new technologies of communication. The impact of hate speech cuts across numerous existing United Nations areas of focus, from human rights protection, preventing atrocity crimes, sustaining peace, promoting gender equality, and supporting children and youth. The problem here is when hate speech is allowed to be defined by the ears of the beholder. 

Forcing Agreement Can Be Ugly

A sign of growing intolerance is seen in the mass arrest of nonviolent protesters by governments. It is important we remember the cornerstones of democracy are the  freedom of assembly and the right to speak freely. When these are trampled upon for any reason, the system is in danger of being cast aside.

This article is about the ability of a vocal minority to make people so uncomfortable they become silent. It is about how we should be appalled by those that justify violence, aggression, and force towards those that simply disagree with them. It is about how the threat you may be demonized if you say what you feel tends to breed silence. Watching this unfold is leaving a sickening feeling in those valuing free speech.

We should be alarmed by a survey taken by Cato Institute/YouGov that found most Americans say "the political climate these days prevents them from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive". The survey indicated that 52% of Democrats, 59% of independents, and 77% of Republicans now say they have political opinions they are afraid to share. Most people do not enjoy confrontations or being harassed and as a result, are self-censoring themselves. With the free exchange of opinions and ideas being the foundation of a free and healthy democracy the sign public discourse is being destroyed does not bode well for our continued freedom.

 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Big Companies Are Predatory, Big Governments Do Dumb Things

Mankind faces a toxic mix when it comes to protecting our freedom. Big companies are predatory, big governments are stupid. The thing they have in common is they both want more control and power. China is a good example of trying to combine both, this experiment however seems to be crumbling before our eyes. Yes, where the powerful forces of global companies and big governments meet is at the intersection of Globalization and the World Economic Forum's vision of the future. 

The whole concept of people power or that the masses have at any time the ability to just say no is constructed around the rather utopian or optimistic view that people can agree on what is in their self-interest. In truth when you push away the emotional high garnered from the vision of a quick clean non-violent rebellion, we are the underdog in this ongoing struggle for control of our lives. History shows the so-called masses are seldom able to come together on anything. 

Keeping us divided and docile is a tool used to prevent unrest from boiling over and those in charge use it well. When people do rise up, achieving reform is more difficult to accomplish than simply promising it. The head may change but it often inherits the same old body of government workers that are resistant to change. True improvement tends to flow from evolution rather than revelation. The reason rebellions fail is often because those rebelling generally replace one bad government with another. 

The idea that a large government hanging above us to regulate our lives will solve our problems has proven to be a fallacy. It could be argued the larger governments become the less responsive they become. Government bureaucracies tend to get bogged down in their mission to serve the people. They also have a huge problem balancing their mission to serve with their natural inclination to extend control over just about everything including our lives. This is often done under the claim it is for the "greater good."

Mega global companies and big government are the two largest threats to our freedom. Throughout history, monopolies of any kind have demonstrated a natural propensity to abuse the people, and governments have exhibited the ability to do dumb things that benefit the few rather than the masses. We see this in their inclination to rush to war and how they rapidly include cronies in anything they do which corrupts the fruit of their efforts. 

Big Companies Tend To Be Predatory

For years many economists have discounted how the greed of these companies has created and added to the many problems the world faces. For example, the main reason we have the military-industrial complex and companies rushing to make bombs is that by doing so, they gain power and add to their profits. This train of thought brings front and center the question of whether mega-global companies are working in the direction of taking over the world and even dominating governments and countries. This is in some ways an extension of the New World Order with CEOs pulling the strings. The power these companies wield is often masked behind the facade of a figurehead leader but it is very real.

Developments over the last several decades portend a shift in power from country to corporations. The argument can be made that corporations are well on their way to supplanting the state as the world's dominant organizational structure in the future. Knowledge is power and this means power is flowing to large conglomerates and internet companies. Those that are most prominent control the communication networks collecting and storing data on all of us. They are now in a position to manipulate us in every way.

Over the years, this has resulted in a blurring of the lines between business and state. It has also shaped the world as we know it. By weaponizing the data they have collected as propaganda in a battle for our hearts and minds technology companies may hold an advantage over national governments in persuading individuals to align with their interests. This translates into enormous persuasive power and could be the key to providing corporations with a path to ultimately control populations, governments, and even nations. As they have gained power it seems these powerful global entities often lead governments around by the nose placing and have taken to placing people in a position of servitude.

Biden's Recent Speech Was About Control

The idea that a world controlled by mega companies will be benevolent and kind ignores the greed and ambitions of those who control them and how little regard they can have for those ranked below them. In his novels, Orwell depicted how governments could take on a life of their own and criticized totalitarianism throughout his writings. Totalitarianism, the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism is a political concept that prohibits opposition parties, restricts individual opposition to the state, and exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life.

As an added bonus for these behemoths they can hide behind the governments they control sucking the blood from them while remaining aloof and shielded from the evil they inflict. It is difficult to deny that in our modern world many large companies already have more power than most nations and their power continues to grow at an alarming rate. The bottom line here is the power of the people is at a strong disadvantage when it comes to reforming society. The reality of sustained "power to the people" is as rare as a unicorn in your backyard. When all is said and done, in their effort to control us, the ugly forces of monopolistic conglomerates and governments continue to turn people into pawns.

 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)