I am going to try something new. I am going to post very long videos which go into great detail about things we should know. I am going to try, once a week, to post something that will take hours to consider and hear. It is Dr. Pimpernel and I have taught. My thinking is that the people who read this blog may be interested in more than simple answers to simple problems, that they might actually want to know what is taught at the higher levels. You see, what you are taught in school is not what the future leaders are taught. They are taught something completely different, they are taught how things work.
The purpose of Political Science is to teach the science of managing people. They do not teach people how to make government work, they teach them how to manipulate the masses to achieve political aims. The ultimate question for all political scientists is how should society be structured to benefit the members. Keeping you from asking that question is what leaders do; but, they have to understand Political Science to do fulfill their perceived role in their minds.
Historically, basic education was taught by one's parents or if you were wealthy, by private tutors. About 200 years ago we began creating public schools that were available for more and more. Public school became mandatory as we became a fully industrialized society. Think about that, when I was growing up school was mandatory and you had to be there for the full day. I found it strange that I could go to jail if I didn't go to school. A prisoner for 8 hours a day and in a prison that had corporal punishment. I myself was paddled more than once (I know, no big surprise).
Up until World War II, college was for the well to do and something that middle class people aspired to. After World War II we needed people who could manage our booming industry so the veterans were given a way to easily go to college. A personal note. My university was unusual. It was created about a hundred years ago to give working people a chance to go to college. It created the work study program which had people work in their industry for six months out of the year and study for six months out of the year. It was created for people like me, it was created so that bright kids that didn't come from money could get a higher education. I am going to go off track for a moment.
My university experience was tough and it was great. I worked, my parents contributed immensely and somehow I got to deal directly with my professors. My Bachelors is in Political Science and I knew every one of my professors personally, I was allowed into the inner circle and as an undergraduate was allowed to be a teaching assistant. Most teaching assistants were usually working on their Phd's, it was considered a huge privilege. I was so respected that I was allowed to grade papers of undergraduates while I was still an undergraduate. You see, they wanted me to become a professor, over 90% of them wanted me to including the chair of Political Science. There were a couple that wanted me gone; but, they never had a chance, God has been good to me in that way.
Back to the story. After World War II we needed lots of educated people to run the ever increasing American industry. In the 60s we had plenty of people in college; but, we knew that technology was going to change our needs. We became the most technologically advanced nation in the world and ceased needing as high a percentage of the population being college educated. The numbers were higher but the percentage began going down. By the 80s we had gotten rid of our industrial base and shipped it out to the east, we also became primarily focused on finances and debt instruments. As we continue to automate we will need fewer and fewer educated people and it will once again be the pleasure of the wealthy.
I am going to post two videos by Noam Chomsky, a famous professor and writer. Mr. Chomsky makes the point that the educational system is being destroyed. In my opinion, the reason we are being told that learning means debt, that college is a bad idea for most people and that we should all be taught the exact same things is simply because there is no longer a perceived need for us to be well informed or educated. They say that knowledge is power. Why would you then tell people that education is too expensive? During the days of slavery it was illegal to teach a slave to read or write, ever wonder why?
YouTube - Education For Whom and For What?
In the video, Mr. Chomsky says many interesting things, one of the things he said was that when the pentagon was funding research at MIT, there was no secrecy in anyplace other than the Political Science department. He also said that when they went to private funding there was plenty of secrecy in the research.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Medicine, Pensions and Control
NBC News - Could it be a 'cure'? Breakthrough prompts Down syndrome soul-searching. An interesting article about bio-ethics or eugenics depending on how you view it. With the new healthcare laws it becomes even more concerning. Should people be allowed to have babies born with birth defects if we will have to pay for their healthcare? Will it be considered child abuse if you refuse to allow your kid to have gene therapies to "cure" them?
Yahoo - Credit.com - Is Your 401(k) Plan Secure? They want your savings, your retirement and your pension and they will steal it from you.
Military Tech - Superhuman Tech & the Military Mind.
The Street - Why the 30-Year Mortgage Could Be Coming to an End. Basically, there are some senators who want to put an end to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the consequence will be the end of the 30 year mortgage. It may also be the end to private home ownership as is true in much of Europe.
naked capitalism - Municipal Workers in Bankrupt Cities Facing Financial Nightmare.
CNBC - Crowdfunding for medical devices hits Web. Our next big industry will be making medical devices to monitor your health 24/7. This is not a surprise and you watch, if you refuse to wear them, your benefits will get cut or cost more.
Yahoo - Credit.com - Is Your 401(k) Plan Secure? They want your savings, your retirement and your pension and they will steal it from you.
Military Tech - Superhuman Tech & the Military Mind.
The Street - Why the 30-Year Mortgage Could Be Coming to an End. Basically, there are some senators who want to put an end to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the consequence will be the end of the 30 year mortgage. It may also be the end to private home ownership as is true in much of Europe.
naked capitalism - Municipal Workers in Bankrupt Cities Facing Financial Nightmare.
CNBC - Crowdfunding for medical devices hits Web. Our next big industry will be making medical devices to monitor your health 24/7. This is not a surprise and you watch, if you refuse to wear them, your benefits will get cut or cost more.
Heart Attacks and Mortality and Young Professionals
About two weeks ago my doctor notified me that I had experienced a heart attack previously. I had the "event" about 4 or 5 years ago and remember when it happened and how it was in some ways a new beginning. Having the doctor confirm it didn't sink in immediately. At first it was no big deal, I mean I knew it when it happened. Still, there is something about having it confirmed that is on my mind. It is not the idea that I could have died that is interesting to me, I mean we do all die and that should not surprise any of us. What I think is truly interesting is that I didn't die.
So, recently I came across this article. Zen Haven - How Near-Death Experiences Transform People. We all know that a number of people have had Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and I am just one of hundreds of thousands of others. What intrigued me about this article was the statistics of what leads up to them, I had never considered it before.
Here is a quote from the article. "Before such an episode occurs there are stressors, conditions in the experiencer’s life, that point to either unrest or inattention. And these are present universally. What caught my eye with near-death and near-death-like states were episodes that occurred under these conditions". The author then lists a series of "stressors" that are common among people who do have an NDE and going through major life changes is listed. Well, I was in the middle of my divorce and my life was full of stress in every area of my life.
So, untold numbers of people have had NDEs. Many were in a physicians care when they had them and were being monitored. After they had their experience many came back and completely changed their lives. Many report similar things, being above their body, going through a tunnel of light, meeting family and friends who have passed away previously, sensing a higher being... Many, if not most, then report knowing that they had to return to this life and not wanting to. They are very personal experiences and it has always fascinated me that there are those who wish to trivialize them.
Every now and then someone who has had an NDE will come forth and write a book or go on television and discuss their experience. Recently, a doctor named Dr. Eben Alexander wrote a book about his experience. Esquire magazine then published an article attempting to "debunk" his book. The author questioned whether or not Dr. Eben could have been making up a story and what his medical condition was. Pretty sloppy work, either the man was in a medically induced coma or he was not. Either the man had a serious medical condition or he did not. It seems highly unlikely that he intentionally wanted to be in a coma and almost die.
Therein is the problem for debunkers. If we assume that all people reporting NDEs are liars then why do some people who almost die feel a need to lie about it? While I had been told that I was a fantastic candidate for a heart attack, it certainly was not something I sought out just so I could have a good story to tell at parties. In fact, I do not go into detail about my experience online and have really only discussed it with close friends and family when it happened. In response to the Esquire article, another writer corrected the article. Esquire article on Eben Alexander distorts the facts.
Here is what I am attempting to examine. Why should anyone be bothered by the Dr's NDE. Look at it this way, the people who have NDEs are already at extreme stress levels, suddenly have serious physical challenges and come back saying that they had a mental experience while it was all going on. What is there to question? Why not just chalk it up to a heightened dream state? I have often said that an NDE is of value only to the person having it, it is not proof of anything for anyone else. Up until 2 weeks ago, I could not "prove" that I had had a heart attack because I refused to see the doctor after it happened. I told a few people at the time; but, that is circumstantial evidence at best for anyone other than me. So why do so many people feel a need to attack the Dr for telling his story?
In my opinion what many fear is that people who had NDEs are telling the truth. It is easier to believe they are liars or delusional than to accept the possibility that there is more to the human experience than the physical world that we see. Whether one is a believer or not, once they have an NDE, the question of whether or not there is more to the human experience than this present physical existence is no longer an issue in their life. From a control standpoint that is a very scary thing.
This world is managed using a carrot and a stick. Our fears and fetishes are used to control us. People are trained to chase treasures be they physical (money, sex, objects) or mental (ego). All the things used to control us rely upon our believing that you only go around once, that you only have this one existence. Esquire magazine is about the "sophisticated" up and comers. It is a magazine written for young stock brokers and presents them with all the things that they are to seek out, fancy cars, pretty women with class, the newest watch, the place to vacation, the house to own. It is a continual reminder of what their god should be, success in the material world.
One of the things that happens in an NDE is that you recognize you are dying. There is a moment when you know that you have passed some point and accept that you are not coming back, there is a moment of acceptance to the situation. I have almost died more than once; but, only have had one NDE and it was the one time that I knew I had passed that point. It is one thing to know in the abstract that you will die one day and quite another to face that moment whether it be real or imagined. When I was a young teenager another kid attacked me and I ended up choking him. As I regularly tore telephone books in half and was a gymnast, the last thing you wanted was my hands on your neck. As he was passing out and had been denied air for more than a minute, a look passed over his face. I could see the moment he knew there was nothing he could do and that I was not going to stop. We never talked about it after; but, I saw that moment of acceptance in his eyes and he changed after that.
Where am I going with all this. From what I see people fear an afterlife more than death itself. Heck, the fear of death is what is used to motivate us to benefit the economic system in ways that don't make sense for us or society. The people that have cheated the financial system are afraid of death; but, believe in it. They are even more afraid of there being an afterlife so they deny it. What they really fear is that there are consequences for what you do in this life, what they really fear is that the hierarchy in the afterlife doesn't give them an insiders advantage. While most of us hope for an afterlife, these sad people hope there is not.
So, recently I came across this article. Zen Haven - How Near-Death Experiences Transform People. We all know that a number of people have had Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and I am just one of hundreds of thousands of others. What intrigued me about this article was the statistics of what leads up to them, I had never considered it before.
Here is a quote from the article. "Before such an episode occurs there are stressors, conditions in the experiencer’s life, that point to either unrest or inattention. And these are present universally. What caught my eye with near-death and near-death-like states were episodes that occurred under these conditions". The author then lists a series of "stressors" that are common among people who do have an NDE and going through major life changes is listed. Well, I was in the middle of my divorce and my life was full of stress in every area of my life.
So, untold numbers of people have had NDEs. Many were in a physicians care when they had them and were being monitored. After they had their experience many came back and completely changed their lives. Many report similar things, being above their body, going through a tunnel of light, meeting family and friends who have passed away previously, sensing a higher being... Many, if not most, then report knowing that they had to return to this life and not wanting to. They are very personal experiences and it has always fascinated me that there are those who wish to trivialize them.
Every now and then someone who has had an NDE will come forth and write a book or go on television and discuss their experience. Recently, a doctor named Dr. Eben Alexander wrote a book about his experience. Esquire magazine then published an article attempting to "debunk" his book. The author questioned whether or not Dr. Eben could have been making up a story and what his medical condition was. Pretty sloppy work, either the man was in a medically induced coma or he was not. Either the man had a serious medical condition or he did not. It seems highly unlikely that he intentionally wanted to be in a coma and almost die.
Therein is the problem for debunkers. If we assume that all people reporting NDEs are liars then why do some people who almost die feel a need to lie about it? While I had been told that I was a fantastic candidate for a heart attack, it certainly was not something I sought out just so I could have a good story to tell at parties. In fact, I do not go into detail about my experience online and have really only discussed it with close friends and family when it happened. In response to the Esquire article, another writer corrected the article. Esquire article on Eben Alexander distorts the facts.
Here is what I am attempting to examine. Why should anyone be bothered by the Dr's NDE. Look at it this way, the people who have NDEs are already at extreme stress levels, suddenly have serious physical challenges and come back saying that they had a mental experience while it was all going on. What is there to question? Why not just chalk it up to a heightened dream state? I have often said that an NDE is of value only to the person having it, it is not proof of anything for anyone else. Up until 2 weeks ago, I could not "prove" that I had had a heart attack because I refused to see the doctor after it happened. I told a few people at the time; but, that is circumstantial evidence at best for anyone other than me. So why do so many people feel a need to attack the Dr for telling his story?
In my opinion what many fear is that people who had NDEs are telling the truth. It is easier to believe they are liars or delusional than to accept the possibility that there is more to the human experience than the physical world that we see. Whether one is a believer or not, once they have an NDE, the question of whether or not there is more to the human experience than this present physical existence is no longer an issue in their life. From a control standpoint that is a very scary thing.
This world is managed using a carrot and a stick. Our fears and fetishes are used to control us. People are trained to chase treasures be they physical (money, sex, objects) or mental (ego). All the things used to control us rely upon our believing that you only go around once, that you only have this one existence. Esquire magazine is about the "sophisticated" up and comers. It is a magazine written for young stock brokers and presents them with all the things that they are to seek out, fancy cars, pretty women with class, the newest watch, the place to vacation, the house to own. It is a continual reminder of what their god should be, success in the material world.
One of the things that happens in an NDE is that you recognize you are dying. There is a moment when you know that you have passed some point and accept that you are not coming back, there is a moment of acceptance to the situation. I have almost died more than once; but, only have had one NDE and it was the one time that I knew I had passed that point. It is one thing to know in the abstract that you will die one day and quite another to face that moment whether it be real or imagined. When I was a young teenager another kid attacked me and I ended up choking him. As I regularly tore telephone books in half and was a gymnast, the last thing you wanted was my hands on your neck. As he was passing out and had been denied air for more than a minute, a look passed over his face. I could see the moment he knew there was nothing he could do and that I was not going to stop. We never talked about it after; but, I saw that moment of acceptance in his eyes and he changed after that.
Where am I going with all this. From what I see people fear an afterlife more than death itself. Heck, the fear of death is what is used to motivate us to benefit the economic system in ways that don't make sense for us or society. The people that have cheated the financial system are afraid of death; but, believe in it. They are even more afraid of there being an afterlife so they deny it. What they really fear is that there are consequences for what you do in this life, what they really fear is that the hierarchy in the afterlife doesn't give them an insiders advantage. While most of us hope for an afterlife, these sad people hope there is not.
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