Francis Berger
  • Home
  • Blog
  • My Work
  • Contact

The World's Greatest Threat Is Not A Virus or Racism- It's Affluence

7/25/2020

13 Comments

 
Back in March, the birdemic was the greatest threat in the world, and it was uniformly heralded as a harbinger of unprecedented destruction and death. This in turn prompted the implementation of an unprecedented series of draconian measures meant to save the world from imminent doom.

A mere two months later in May, racism suddenly and unexpectedly eclipsed the birdemic as the world's greatest threat. The global threat of racism was so immediate and profound that anyone rallying for cause of anti-racism was immediately exempted from having to follow and obey the social distancing and lockdown measures that had, until then, kept the world safe from unimaginable megadeth. The menace racism posed back in May also required the granting of special privileges and powers such as the right to loot, riot, vandalize, and terrorize with wild abandon.
 
We are now in July, and there's a new (actually, old) greatest threat in town - affluence. Make no mistake - the birdemic virus is scary and racism is evil, but the biggest danger the world faces today is people possessing a deal of money and accumulated wealth.

How is this a threat?

Well, a person with money buys things, and the more money a person has, the more things he or she will buy.

I still don't get it. How is this a bad thing? People with money buying things are called consumers and consumers are the engine of the economy.

Yes, yes, but most people with money are not really consumers, but over-consumers; hence, our economy is not really about consumption, but over-consumption. Overconsumption is killing the environment and creates global inequality - and we can't have that now, can we?

Before going any further, it is important to recall that the birdemic was never primarily about providing protection from a virus, but was instead a cover the Establishment utilized to obscure their successful de facto global totalitarian takeover.

Now at first glance, this defacto totalitarian takeover seems superfluous. After all, the global elite represents the famous top 1% of the world's population who control 50% of the world's wealth. This top 1% not only outrightly own half the world, but they effectively 'control' the 30% of the world population that effectively 'owns' the other half of the world. This, in essence, is the System.

The remaining 70% of the world's population - those who earn less than about 8000 euros annually - essentially owns less than 1% of the world's wealth. Though the people in this portion of the world's population have seen their standards of living and life expectancies improve in the past half-century, they continue to exist on the fringes of the System. In a set up such as this, what possible advantage could the Establishment gain from an outright global takeover? More importantly, why would these global dictators actively seek to transform the System that has served them so effectively and well?

From a purely material perspective, the global dictatorship's rallying cries against affluence and consumption make no sense at all. After all, the global elite owes a great deal of its accumulated wealth and power to the mass consumerism it has created and generated. On top of that, the Establishment has invested an inestimable amount of time, energy, and resources into encouraging people of the world to acquire goods and services in ever increasing amounts. This, in turn, has allowed the Establishment to grow even more wealthy and powerful. Following this logic, it would be in the Establishment's best interest to intensify consumerism rather than dampen it, especially since the bulk of the world's population are on the cusp of becoming functional consumers themselves. 

Many argue the Establishment have recognized that post-World War II levels of consumption are no longer sustainable, and that the environment simply cannot sustain another two or three billion rabid, Western-style consumers. The Establishment are quick to push this narrative as well, as evident in  a recent post in one of its premiere public relations outlets, the World Economic Forum (bold added):


  • Affluence is the biggest threat to our world, according to a new scientific report.
  • True sustainability will only be achieved through drastic lifestyle changes, it argues.
  • The World Economic Forum has called for a great reset of capitalism in the wake of the pandemic.

A detailed analysis of environmental research has revealed the greatest threat to the world: affluence. 

That one of the main conclusions of a team of scientists from Australia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, who have warned that tackling overconsumption has to become a priority. Their report, titled Scientists' Warning on Affluence, explains that true sustainability calls for significant lifestyle changes, rather than hoping for efficient use of resources will be enough.


The irony in all of the above is too glaring to dismiss or ignore. To begin with, it immediately dispels any notions of an eventual return to normal so many are counting on. Secondly, it lays bare the Establishment's main objectives in this birdemic era. The birdemic is not a temporary blip, but a turning point.

For decades the Establishment have promulgated affluence and consumption as a veritable panacea for mortal life. 'Getting and spending' was not only promoted as an ultimate virtue, but was deemed a genuine duty; the highest mark of success; a grand expression of personal freedom. It formed the foundation upon which everything else was measured. Though affluence and consumption were not without benefits, the Establishment has wielded both as weapons to ground man in the material and coax him to reject the spiritual, as the Elder Zosima so accurately observes in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (bold added): 


Look at the worldly and all who set themselves up above the people of God, has not God's image and His truth been distorted in them? They have science; but in science there is nothing but what is the object of sense. The spiritual world, the higher part of man's being is rejected altogether, dismissed with a sort of triumph, even with hatred. The world has proclaimed the reign of freedom, especially of late, but what do we see in this freedom of theirs? Nothing but slavery and self-destruction! For the world says:

“You have desires and so satisfy them, for you have the same rights as the most rich and powerful. Don't be afraid of satisfying them and even multiply your desires.” That is the modern doctrine of the world. In that they see freedom. And what follows from this right of multiplication of desires? In the rich, isolation and spiritual suicide; in the poor, envy and murder; for they have been given rights, but have not been shown the means of satisfying their wants. They maintain that the world is getting more and more united, more and more bound together in brotherly community, as it overcomes distance and sets thoughts flying through the air.

Alas, put no faith in such a bond of union. Interpreting freedom as the multiplication and rapid satisfaction of desires, men distort their own nature, for many senseless and foolish desires and habits and ridiculous fancies are fostered in them. They live only for mutual envy, for luxury and ostentation. To have dinners, visits, carriages, rank and slaves to wait on one is looked upon as a necessity, for which life, honor and human feeling are sacrificed, and men even commit suicide if they are unable to satisfy it. We see the same thing among those who are not rich, while the poor drown their unsatisfied need and their envy in drunkenness. But soon they will drink blood instead of wine, they are being led on to it. I ask you is such a man free? 

Zosima's insights shed light on the metaphysical confusion caused by the dissemination of affluence and consumption. Demonic forces have used this metaphysical confusion to reap damnation for centuries. Our own contemporary world demonstrates that affluence and consumption alone cause malaise, as exemplified by the term affluenza, which refers to a lack of motivation, a sense of guilt, and a feeling of isolation among those who have acquired a certain degree of wealth. On the whole, all of Western civilization is currently suffering from this malaise, which, at its core, is spiritual in nature. In this sense, the obsessive push of the affluence/consumption agenda has been extremely effective tactic for soul damnation. Despite its success, this tactic is now coming to an end. 

The Establishment have flipped their stance. What was once considered virtue will now be treated as vice. More metaphysical confusion will ensue. Having said that, I do not believe this alone will be enough to convince most modern people to abandon their materialist/hedonistic ways. As a result, I expect the needed lifestyle changes the Establishment are advertising will be forced upon us in the same manner social distancing, mask-wearing, and lockdowns were forced upon us. It will become extremely difficult to maintain affluence and consumption when the mechanisms that create affluence and consumption are systematically dismantled and destroyed, which is exactly what the Establishment is currently doing within the fog of the birdemic and subsequent racism nonsense. 

Despite entire ideologies erected in opposition to it, capitalism - another word for affluence and consumption - is not a wholly negative phenomenon. Utilized in the proper manner, with the correct moral and ethical (ultimately, spiritual) foundations in place, capitalism can provide individuals and society at large certain degrees of personal autonomy and freedom. The demonic forces guiding our global dictators are now working to eliminate this autonomy and freedom altogether.


Needless to say, the lifestyle changes the Establishment will demand of average citizens in the West - changes like the expectation of air travel, car-driving, dairy and meat consumption (check the linked essay above for more details) - will certainly not apply to them. I simply cannot imagine any of our elite giving up their affluence, their private jets, multiple homes, or animal-protein rich dinners for the sake of anything, but they will insist we give up our cars, houses, and overseas vacations for the good of humanity and the planet.

Then again, they won't to need to insist. They will simply remove the mechanisms that make those things possible. Thus, the influenza will cure us of our affluenza and help establish a 'safe and just space for humanity', which to me sounds like thinly-veiled code for hell on earth followed by eternal damnation.
Picture
​Note added: A single blog post is not enough to cover this topic. I will have to return to it many times in the near future in order to properly flesh out the implications, but the general thrust of what has been outlined above must not be callously dismissed. The powers-that-should-not-be are insisting there will be no return to normal. As always, the spiritual aspects of these developments should be our primary focus.
13 Comments
Tony S
7/25/2020 22:29:36

Spot on observations and analysis. Although for a few the Covid-19 reaction and anti racism rioting are seen as a means to an end, most would completely deny this. However, in talking with quite a few who don’t make the connection, it seems they frequently will say something along the lines of “we really need to change the way we do things going forward”; so essentially the masses are primed for the great reset that you have diagnosed.

Reply
bruce charlton
7/26/2020 15:38:15

And what makes this even wierder is that the masses are so resistant to believing this agenda; despite its being explicit; and also despite that many on the Left already *claim* to believe that this is what the rich establishment have *always* been doing - now that it has actually started happening to almost everybody (except the ultra-elite) they still can't believe it!

On the face of it, hardship might be expected to increase religiosity - as during the second world war. But I think (and presumably this is what They are banking on) when religion has been so thoroughly destroyed as is the case now, then maybe that doesn't happen.

Maybe it needs religion to grow religion, like a seed; and when there is no seed, nothing will grow?

One supporting observation is that i nthe past personal disasters like bereavement or some personal disease or disater used to increase faith; while nowadays the assumption is that this will destroy faith - and apparently it sometimes does.

...Suggesting that weak faith is not faith at all - which indeed seems to be the case - looking at the massive (increasingly self-inflicted) collapse of the 'Christian' churches through the birdemic.

Reply
Francis Berger
7/26/2020 21:01:55

@ Bruce - Those are good observations. I can't wrap my head around the denial aspect of this either. People seem unable to bring themselves to even consider the possibility of lower standards of living in the near future - as if such a thing were physically impossible.

The itinoy of the great reset is it addresses issues that really do need to be addressed - vapid consumerism, pollution, resource allocation, a measurement of life that extends beyond GDP, etc - but these issues will not be addressed in the manner in which they need to be addressed. As you pointed out in your great post today, the measures being proposed today are not anchored in a love of God. Hence, they are sure to lead to disastrous consequences, regardless of how well or bad intentioned they are.

Reply
Larry K
7/26/2020 17:07:11

I can not find fault with your analysis. I also do not see how this does not go to the pitchfork and torches end game. Throw in a rather excellent chance for a regional war or two and possible the blundering into a 3rd world war any and all of which may involve the use of nuclear weapons and the future of all of us rich and poor alike is getting very dark.

Reply
Francis Berger
7/26/2020 21:04:06

@ Larry - Yes. The Establishment is probably in less control they believe themselves to be. As a result, I expect many unforeseen consequences in the near future.

Reply
Magnus Stout
7/26/2020 18:36:31

Excellent post.

I think we have the barebones mechanism now: their "essential" vs "non-essential" dichotomy. Even if the birdemic passes (doubtful--just imagine: Covid-20, 21, etc...), you can keep the same framing but change the reason ("antiracism," green living, etc...). It feels like they finally struck upon an effective tactic after years of little "progress" with shaming people about "saving the environment" and "overpopulation."

It's amazingly effective: this fake virtue. It seems that this universal sacrifice must be harnessed by a new kind of religion, no? Thinking back to H.G. Wells' "Open Conspiracy," we are witnessing the birth of the often-promised global scientific socialism. They just need a combination of sufficient spiritual blindness plus material privation to have the masses begging for a "solution."

Reply
Francis Berger
7/26/2020 21:06:38

@ Magnus Stout - I like your point about essential and non-essential. Church was considered non-essential; 'peaceful protests against racism", on the other hand, were deemed essential.

I have no doubt the powers that should not be are working hard to create conditions in which people will beg for solutions. No doubt at all.

Reply
William Wildblood
7/26/2020 23:45:49

People begging for solutions is exactly the scenario predicted for the appearance of the Antichrist. He will come to save us from our problems and offer us safety and happiness. In this world.

Reply
Francis Berger
7/27/2020 06:10:34

@ William - As you well know, any offer of safety and happiness in this world via the Antichrist will only lead to slavery and self-destruction.

Reply
ApoloDoc
7/27/2020 00:38:37

It depends where you live. In Alabama we have kept churches open for all but a very few weeks. Yesterday I mentioned attending worship to someone from Florida who was visiting a neighbor. She was surprised and said that churches weren't open in FL. Different states, different agendas.

Reply
Hamish
7/27/2020 08:22:41

I’m struck by the incredible conceit and delusion of technocratic leadership. They think the can do a ‘controlled demolition’ of culture and economy, but the result can only be chaos and evil unleashed, given how interconnected things are and the unprecedented division of labour in modern economies. Their seemingly ‘sophisticated’ lack of belief in the existence of evil only makes them more efficient tools in fostering it, wielded by those dark forces behind the scenes.

Reply
Francis Berger
7/27/2020 12:41:25

@ Hamish - Thanks for the comment. The whole thing reeks of hubris, no doubt about it. Though it easier to destroy than create, a controlled demolition of the sort you mention requires extensive planning, perfect timing, and flawless execution to keep the whole thing from descending into chaos. I'm with you - I think they'll lose control somewhere along the line.

Reply
a kullervo
7/27/2020 23:46:22

<i>... [A] controlled demolition of the sort you mention requires extensive planning, perfect timing, and flawless execution to keep the whole thing from descending into chaos.</i>

Greetings,

After all, <b><i>9/11</i></b> went exceedingly well; it's not difficult to conceive <b>tptSNb</b> feeling tempted to extend their machinations onto a larger, global scale: enter the birdemic.

Best regards.


Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Blog and Comments

    Blog posts tend to be spontaneous, unpolished, first draft entries ranging from the insightful and periodically profound to the poorly-argued and occasionally disparaging.
     

    Comments are moderated. Anonymous comments are never published (please use your name or a pseudonym). 

    Emails welcome:

    f er en c ber g er (at) h otm   ail (dot) co m
    Blogs/Sites I Read
    Bruce Charlton's Notions
    Meeting the Masters
    From The Narrow Desert
    Brief Outlines

    No Longer Reading

    ​Steeple Tea
    Berdyaev.com
    Junior Ganymede
    ​
    Deep Britain and Europe
    ​
    The Orthosphere
    ​
    Fourth Gospel Blog
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

Proudly powered by Weebly