--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Alex Stanley" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > > Now that you've brought up the subject, there is a > > > series of three documentary films made by the BBC > > > that I *highly* recommend. You can download high- > > > quality MP4 versions of them at: > > > > > > http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares > > > > > > This is one of the strongest and most well-made > > > documentaries on the real issues of our time I > > > have ever seen. Its basic thesis is that modern > > > politicians have stopped trying to sell people > > > noble and inspiring dreams, and in fact are in > > > the business of "selling nightmares," of *creating* > > > fear, and of then making empty promises to save > > > the people from the fears that they themselves > > > have created. > > > > How is this any different from how it's always been? To me, > > it sounds no different than making people think that they're > > sinful and destined for eternity in hell and then selling > > them salvation dogma. > > I didn't write the documentary, and thus can't answer > for the filmmakers who did, but my answer would be > that what seems to different in the modern paradigm > is that there *IS* no salvation promised, merely > a *temporary* suspension of a fear that never goes > away because the people selling it don't *want* it > to go away. > > "Salvation dogma" promises something after one dies; > another variant would be promising suckers enlight- > enment as long as they keep contributing money to > the org that holds the keys to enlightenment. In both > cases there is a positive carrot held out in front > of the donkey. > > The "selling nightmares" phenomenon is devoid of such > a positive carrot; it's more along the lines of trying > to get everyone terrified of a nameless evil that > only they (the politicians, the sellers of nightmares) > can "protect" us from, and only temporarily. It never > ends. The danger that they talk about is very much here > and now, not in some afterlife, and it goes on forever. > ("The war against terrorism will never end." - G. Bush) > > Even though the sellers of nightmares make announce- > ments from time to time to make people feel safer for > a short time, those announcements are *always* > followed up by announcements of the next danger. > In other words, there *IS* no salvation, merely temp- > orary pauses in a general fear that never stops. > > That's what the politicians who take advantage of > this new world view are selling. They count on the > fundamentalist religions that are their allies to > sell people the "there's hope after you die" carrot. > While the people are alive, however, these sellers > of nightmares want the people afraid. Their adver- > tising slogan could be, "All fear, all the time." > A few things occurred to me as I read this:
1. This 'war on terror' is being used to greatly expand the power of the US Presidency, to in effect declare dictatorship under the war powers act, justifying anything the President does because 'we are at war'. According to that perverted interpretation of the Constitution, he has the authority to do anything he deems necessary in order to protect us during a time of war. Now, if the war never ends, the President's power becomes absolute. This is the argument proposed by the Atty. General today. 2. The ability to see that politicians are now creating nightmares in the minds of the electorate comes from the mind dwelling in the cusp between localized identity and nonlocalized identity. Such things are easily seen when we place ourselves there, and look around. 3. Rather than follow the obsolete adage, 'fight fire with fire', the only way to escape the fear born of this strong maya gripping our planet is to do as we have always done, and gain liberation. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
