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Thursday 11 January 2018

The Curse Of The Zeitgist: Globalisation Trending

You are NOT about to read a script for a B-movie sci-fi of social dystopia!

Instead a joined-up considered exposition  of the present state of our times and "the human condition"; which many many great persons of the past deliberated on in timely fashion (in mind we have George Orwell's epochal "1984" novel, or before that John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) a British philosopher, socio-political economist and civil servant). This text is neither intended as government or corporate propaganda. Whose worker-ants' end-goal is towards changing our mind-sets. Yet for the purpose of intelligent cogitation and reflection of our socio-economic life governed ultimately by politicians - or so we are foolishly led to believe!

As propaganda IS subversive: as defined by its key proponent Edward Bernays below in the opening chapter "Organizing Chaos" from his 1928 treatise "Propaganda"; and if one marries Ivan Pavlov's (1849-1936) behaviour experiments, better known as Pavlov's Dogs; we begin to understand the certitude of mass manipulation through the recent centuries, when we falsely believed we were free of slavery, barononial-tyranny and fiefdoms. However, the forms of "master-servant relationship" has changed, what should not be in doubt is 'plutocracy' still exists today: many today describe it as slavery through indebtedness. Throughout the ages, similar human-conditions of servitude yet different mechanisms and methods of subservience to the few wealthy and powerful strata of society existed.
Edward Bernays 1928 treatise "Propaganda"
To this understanding of propaganda and human-conditioning, there is inductive-information from indirect experience or hear-so-say. That is, how we know what we know and consequently do what we do as behaviour. For this subject one needs to present the mid-18th century British philosopher David Hume's "Problem of Induction".

"Hume identifies two ways understanding (reason) exerts itself: demonstrative and probabilistic. Demonstrative reasoning is deductive; it allows us to draw specific claims from general ideas. Probabilistic (or causal) reasoning is inductive; it allows us to make general claims from specific ones". [Hume, David (1888) ‘Reason and Passion’...]

Deceitful propaganda uses the latter "probablistic" reasoning in facetious ways.  We are indoctrinated as a society rather than as a smaller community by its members, if the globalisation process is accepted; and induction of understanding i.e. what we we know and how we know it, is the basis of the opinion and values a society receives from media in all its various guises, including nowadays as technological social-media. For example, if we take George Lucas's "Star Wars" franchise as being a global phenomena, e.g. as represented by many species of humans and aliens characterised in the films, books etc; then there is widespread potential for mind-control of masses if not billions of the planet's population through subtle but sub-conciously influencing masses (more later on Oliver Stone films). English does translate more often; more so than the most spoken language of China!

Actual Examples Of Globalisation (and why it 'sucks'!)

Language Through Entertainment

Thats was the introduction, now allowing for the examples of globalisation which I find unnerving as it is expressed in todays' crude terms; instead of the 21st century terms some have dreamed of and been told about by scientists and extrapolative-fiction, classically in novels ands books.

Information and language are indelibly linked. If a customer of a hotel asks me "Press this please", as different from "Iron that please", as she hands me her dress to me, as if I am concierge at the hotel. I might understand or not, as the case maybe, but I will at least notice the oddity of how someone has requested the service, compared to how the royal "one" might have requested to have less folds / creases in my clothes/ garment. On many levels the sentence is or would be curious to a mind educated and organised to understand the interplay of  the three-word sentence in numerous interpreted contexts! The obvious similarity in the two-forms is that 'please' has been oddly inserted / stated, when we know politeness has various expressions in varied cultures. Burping is good in some class-circles foreign-cultures, while a grand "faux-paux" in others. Secondly, 'this' was used in one sentence and 'that' used in the opposed 3-word sentence. And finally, I have never used "press this", only "iron that"! Please write to me as to if "social-class" or "dated" usage of "press" usage or if predominantly American used word? I really do not know English language grammar to know, yet I allegedly speak and write it. Also I know as a thumb-rule, and understand that usage make the final definition of acceptability of grammar. If i start saying "press this" for an "ironing" request, I would change from my social-class and age or use American vocabulary. I like how I am perhaps, and not through globalisation.

Then I would identify Hollywood as a source of mass-media and communication for the masses of English-speaking and pseudo-English spoken audience. Already has been mentioned how "Star Wars" is a globally recognised phenomenon. Oliver Stone seem to make epic films of historical events; as if re-telling history in some alternatively interpreted way of the facts - called "artistic license". Mr Stone's selected movie portfolio include Platoon ('86), Born on the Fourth of July ('89), JFK ('91), Alexander (2004) etc. All the films mentioned revealed degrees of political and idealogical controversy, hence the FPM assertion of "alternatively interpreted way of the facts". The Oliver Stone film that ALL financiers will remember is his Wall Street ('87) series of films. As well as Wall Street bankers and bankers globally, the liberals and intellects find pertinent, is the 2010 film "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps".

Filmed in the aftermath of the 2008 started financial crash and the consequent Great Recession, FPM uses this to show how a global larceny running into trillions of dollars was committed without rousing the angst of the viewing public. In the formulaic happy-ending story-telling of a Hollywood block-buster with its distortions, there is an empyrean truth: that the financial crisis allowed 17 or so "too big to fail" banks and similar financial players benefitted from the greatest transference of wealth in history from the taxpayer-funded the public purse to the so-called free-market private sector financial institutions. Why do you think the "National Debt" of the USA / America and other key countries have ballooned to the tune of trillions of Dollars? This truth paragon could be said to be the crux of the film to rouse the public taxpayer's ire; but instead the director air-brushes over with fantasy about Gordon Gekko's reformation and how he saved his family and donated £100 million to the "Green economy". Happy ending, neatly wrapped was up the story of greatest robbery by todays' robber-barrons.
Mere story telling which ultimately distorts global perspectives of history in the viewers eye is still a lie. The ancient civilisation used to believe that a picture taken of them steals their souls; similarly a "picture steals your soul and time", is also true.