From Wikipedia: “Oligarchy (Greek Ὀλιγαρχία, Oligarkhía) is a form of government where political power effectively rests with a small elite
segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family, military
powers or occult spiritual hegemony. The word oligarchy is from the
Greek words for “few” (ὀλίγος olígos) and “rule” (ἀρχή arkhē). Such
states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose
children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power
of the oligarchy. This type of power by its very nature may not be
exercised openly; the oligarchs preferring to remain “the power behind the throne“, exerting control through economic means. Oligarchies have been tyrannical throughout history, being completely reliant on public servitude to exist. Although Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy,
oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs can simply be a
privileged group. Some city-states from Ancient Greece were
oligarchies.”

There
has been an enormous upsurge in the mainstream media of mention of a
“New World Order”, which specific terminology has heretofore been the
primary domain of conspiracy theorists. Just about every major world
leader, past and present, and many of the corporate elite have spoken
those words by now, including Time Magazine
in a recent brazen title article. Their echoes resonate around the
world, entraining ears not attuned to the double entendre.

I
went to college in the ’80s and studied languages and international
relations at a top university. I was not aware of any conspiranoid
theories at the time and never questioned the intelligence of
globalization. I was all for it.

I
still am. There is no doubt that today’s technology gives the planet
the opportunity to create a new order of cultural understanding and
economic prosperity. However, now that I am aware of the ancient plots
and potential misuses of this philosophy, I tread this ground more
carefully. This new age also gives rise to global corporations that
rape not just their home town, but rain forests and oceans across the
planet. Globalization sounds good in theory, but in practice, it has
been abused and led to the destruction of our environment as well as
the growth of a bloated elite who care nothing for the common man or
their local communities. I watch with trepidation for the totalitarian
one world government waiting in the wings, for a natural catastrophe,
Planet X, or UFO landing, to gather us into its scaly claws. It may
even only take this current economic crisis.

Globalization,
it its real and truest sense, must come from within. It must be the
joining together of a multitude of small, successful and peaceful
communities – it must be grassroots, not trickle-down. While a new
world order might claim to be the answer to religious wars and economic
disparity, it also still saves a place for the Oligarchy. They still
make the rules - they make the products – they grow the food and say
what fuel source powers our cars and homes. They say what form of ID we
must show, they go to war, they make the weapons, they sell them to
terrorists and teach them how to use them. We, the “public servitude”,
still only just work for Them.

The military is still advancing new, even scarier technologies,
the small organic farmer is facing more and more difficulty, and people
are still warped by all kinds of toxins in the air, food, water,
prescription drugs, and who knows what all else. I’d like to see free
energy devices freed from black projects. I’d like to hear the new
administration talk about subsidizing organic community gardens, not
look the other way when Monsanto takes a small farmer to court because
some evil suicide seeds got blown into the neighboring garden patch.
I’d like to hear about HAARP’s destructive potential, and see it turned
off. I’d like to see communities developing their own currencies, their own methods of feeding themselves, of producing energy and bartering.

We
don’t have to lose our global community – we can keep the Internet,
keep trading with each other, keep our arts and culture, keep in touch
and continue to develop our global friendships. But we need to be
locally self-sufficient. The bail-out needs to start at home, in our
own backyards, literally. What crafts, products and specialties that
are traded internationally, should not be basic necessities. Otherwise,
if and when the system breaks down, it will indeed be global revolution
and massive starvation. (Of course, some believe this is exactly what
the Oligarchy has in mind, as they wait patiently in their underground
bunkers for the masses of surface flesh to disintegrate.)

When
I hear the new administration talking in these terms, I will drop my
spoon and wipe the drool from my gaping jaw. As good as the new guy
might sound right now, unless this very real and basic tenet of local
sustainability is implemented, nothing will really change. A recent article by Chris Hedges at Truthdig quotes political philosopher Sheldon S. Wolin
regarding our current situation, “The basic systems are going to stay
in place; they are too powerful to be challenged.” Mr. Hedges’ article
is entitled, It’s Not Going to Be OK, if that’s any indication.

Propping
up the old paradigm will not work. Refueling the previous modus
operandi will just result in another eventual crash. The entire system
must be reconsidered.

The
new administration is busy getting fitted with its shining armor, and
to many, it’s sounding promising. Many appreciate seeing the elite get
taken down a notch, myself included. Taking away the CEO’s outrageous
benefit packages is news, to be sure. Witnessing the destruction of a
large portion of the overblown wealthy lifestyle is somewhat
entertaining. It is now quickly becoming shameful to have multiple
houses, cars, boats, luxury vacations, etc., during the crisis. It’s
reminiscent of a historical revolution against a decadent monarchy. Cut
off their heads! It is being done, metaphorically and symbolically, for
the benefit of the masses, who still have no cake to eat.

Having
grown up and been brainwashed that capitalism and its associate “free
democratic” government is the best way, along with the accompanying
understanding that the alternative, communism, is anti-American, I
watch all of this in wonder.

The
average Joe may think it is more equitable that the wealth be more
evenly distributed – where indeed is all that money going in these huge
government bail-outs? Is this how true capitalism is supposed to work?
If it’s not given the name “communism”, or its opposite, the equally
despotic “fascism”, most people won’t realize what is really being
done. Is the term “socialism” even acceptable to Americans? I can’t say
for sure. But even in Europe, where socialism is often the standard,
allowing governments to bail out bloated industry is being questioned.

In
a simpler time, this crisis might have led to the creation of entirely
new industries and modes of production and survival in a natural way,
perhaps aligned with Mr. Smith’s notions of free market capitalism. If
new energy sources and new ideas were allowed to flourish and not
squelched by the domineering corporate tycoons, for example, there
would be a new world order quite naturally and harmoniously, no
oligarchy required.

But
at this point, it can be argued that too many people would starve
waiting for the revival to occur as a result of a healthy free market
(which doesn’t really exist, anyway). As well, the oligarchy is not
really going anywhere. This group is vague, unspecific, mostly unnamed,
difficult to trace and avoids any official label. They will remain
behind the scenes, perhaps with a smaller wealth (though probably not
by much, compared to the rest of us), and forced to now be less
ostentatious, at least for now. They will simply morph and adjust as
need be. They know what is happening. They’ve likely been preparing and
planning for it for awhile now. The new world order that is appearing
is just the wolf changing costumes.

I
yearn for abundance and prosperity for those who are suffering now. I’m
not personally able to offer any alternative, here and now, in this
fleshly incarnation, in this present time. You might be able to learn
how to ascend this dimension. But until then, what to do about the
misery so many people are experiencing? One can preach balance, and
love and harmony, but before we get there, we all have to eat. And many
of us are not.

Which
brings to mind the term “useless eaters” so often quoted by the
powers-that-be. In fact, on the heels of this economic “reorganization”
is the increasing call to reduce the world’s population. So, again,
average Joe thinks, yeah, this is a good idea. I agree to a certain
extent – having 14 kids
is irresponsible if you’re not living in the dark ages when most
children died before age one, and people had to farm their own land to
survive. In today’s developed world, it’s downright ridiculous.

I
would like to see us all have the inner wisdom to come to these
conclusions ourselves, so that we could self-regulate the hardship we
are placing on our environment. But admittedly this will not happen
overnight, if ever, at this point, at least in the present era, due to
traditional mindsets and religious brainwashing. One the other hand,
making it a matter of law reeks of totalitarianism. But barring any
other alternative, it seems like the Oligarchy’s long-term love of
eugenics is also becoming acceptable mainstream discussion.

We
are coming near the end of a road. The old world order has been
toppled, quite extravagantly and symbolically, since the taking down of
the World Trade Center in 2001. Since then, we’ve experienced a very
finely-crafted destruction of the remaining structures, culminating in
the election of a leader who promises to guide us into a new age.

Like
many others, I wait to see whether apocalyptic prophecies are about to
be fulfilled, or whether a real, positive change is occurring, that
will usher in a new prosperity in harmony with the planet, and with
each other.

What do you think?

“If
you want to be a great leader, you must learn to follow the Tao. Stop
trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world
will govern itself.”

- Tao Te Ching #57

I have some friends here in Hawaii who, like many others on this remote and abundant island, choose to live unfettered by technology for the most part. They choose to live close to the earth, and close to each other, rather than close to a wireless signal. When you go to their house, they inevitably offer their overflow of goodies like starfruit, breadfruit or if you’re lucky that day, miracle fruit, which is one of the strangest and most unique experiences I have ever had with food. They work lovingly and diligently on their beautiful green corner of the world, and are always a joy to visit with.

They don’t have cell phones, a cordless telephone for their landline, or cable television, though they do own a set with a DVD player to watch the occasional rental. Before, when we’d get into conversations at their house, they would reach for one of an assortment of reference books and encyclopedias to find a certain fact. I remember trying to explain to them what kind of information they could find online if they got a computer, but I would just get a kind smile; no need, they explained gently. And indeed, they were already very well-informed and thoughtful people, even without a computer. Amazing.

Last year, though, they broke down and took in a hand-me-down laptop from a family member because they recognized that their small business would likely benefit from advertising online. It was a big step for them. Another family member on the mainland built a site for them, and I helped out by downloading some pictures to the webmaster, setting up emails, and finding sites to post their link. I also tutored them on the basics of using a computer. I spent many hours the last couple of years teaching myself Wordpress.org as well as the myriad ways to connect and gather information online, but I’m not a total geek. I still need help myself sometimes. However I knew enough to get them started – and I mean really get started. Like where the on button is, how to double click a mouse, and what a Google was. 

The first few months I would get phone calls about various pop-ups or gurgles from their desktop, and I would explain which ones to ignore, and which ones to be concerned about, as far as I knew. It was interesting to watch this pair of newborn PC users find their way around. They have asked the most interesting and surprising questions, and were understandably concerned when their computer showed its own brand of intelligence, remembering settings and things about them like where they had gone online. Seeing it through their eyes has been quite enlightening, and not a little frightening when I stopped to think about it. I still hope they will start their own blog some day, because I for one would love to see them spread their knowledge about gardening and sustainable living. But, that is a BIG step for them; they still keep their time online pretty brief, not to mention they are private people, which I can appreciate.

Yin Yang Breadfruit

The most recent question came as unexpected as the rest. What is Twitter?, they asked, curious about the suddenly popular social application. Well, I had to admit, I didn’t really know much about aside from that it was an online chat type of place, that people could use from their cell phones too. I try to sign up for all the places people go online these days, but I hadn’t gotten to that one yet. (I’m still trying to figure out Facebook. I still really don’t get all the hoopla around that one, particularly when it’s common knowledge that the CIA uses it to recruit…and likely for other snorting around as well.) But I was curious too; everyone seems to be Twittering these days, including Barack Obama. In fact the first news of Flight 1549 on the Hudson came from a twitter-er.

So, I signed up, mostly out of curiosity. Add me if you like. I work a full time job too, so I probably won’t be around there much. I’m also not much of a texter, so I probably won’t use my cell phone with it either. But it’s clear that blogging isn’t enough anymore; now there’s microblogging, where people can exchange thoughts in a more rapid-fire and real-time way. On the one hand, I can see that Twitter seems to represent the next stop along the endless quickening of the Internet, this pre-cursor to the noosphere. However, it’s also a bit disconcerting. It’s like Big Brother demanding to know what we’re doing or thinking about every second of the day. Creepy.

Being that it is merely hours before his inauguration, it seemed fun to find Obama on Twitter and add him. His team is known for being very savvy online, and anyway you couldn’t miss the news that his inauguration would be live on Facebook and Twitter, among other sites. Knowing that didn’t ease the strangeness, though, of getting an email today saying he was now following me on Twitter as well. It makes me feel a little self-conscious, even though of course he isn’t personally doing any texting these days, much as he might like too. Recently I noticed a bit of a hubbub about him not wanting to give up his Blackberry when he becomes President, though he will be forced to stop IMing for security reasons. Bummer, dude.

For my computer neophyte friends here in Hawaii, this online, new-tech, real-time social networking is simply unnecessary. For them, communicating with nature, and each other, still takes precedence. I appreciate the fact that when I email them pictures or a link, they don’t always just return the email – they actually CALL me – on the phone! What a concept. They continue to remind me, and us all, of the actual person-to-person relationships we value.

Virtual, relatively anonymous chatter, is a fun side benefit of our new technologies, and I look forward to using them to find more ways to communicate some important concepts to a wider audience. (And occasionally, we do find some real keepers that start out virtual, and become actual, which is always a joy, for there are some really great folks out here. You know who you are. ) But in the end, our real support and survival in the world will come not from virtual sources, but from the actual 3D people in our neighborhoods. It will come from digging in the garden and sharing the bounty, not posting comments online across the globe. Let’s just all make sure we have a nice balance of both.

That said, I think I’ll post a brief note on my Twitter. And then, I’ll give my friends a call, and maybe go by to check out the garden and see if the starfruit is ripe. They’re my favorite.

• Deja vu: Biggest full moon of the year, following December’s biggest full moon of the year.

• Yellowstone tremors: some say there’s nothing to worry about. Others are accused of creating unnecessary panic, as this article explains. There hasn’t been a swarm of earthquakes such as these for over 20 years, but supervolcanoes do tend to do this now and then. It’s overdue for its eruption by 40,000 years, but hey, don’t worry, probably nothing will happen. Probably. The Cave noticed some earthquakes discrepancies from the USGS, here and here, and wonders if there is some censoring going on. Going down the rabbit hole a little I found Dark Secrets of Yellowstone Park Revealed – scary stuff. Hope it’s not true.

• Meanwhile Kilauea may indeed be slowing down as I wondered last time.

• Apocalypse 2012? “It’s been a long running feud, but science and ancient prophecy now appear to be in agreement about something. Yipes…”

• Can’t miss the timing on this one: Obama-Bush teams to stage ‘disaster’ exercise

• Chorus call for the New World Order. Foundation of New World Order is Uncertainty. Kissinger calls on Obama to create a New World Order. Global central bank could prevent future crisis. Swiss bank closes U.S. secret offshore accounts. Schafly: Global Agenda?

• First ever Masonic ball to be held in honor of Obama’s inauguration.

• Check out all these unexpected deaths of people involved with elections. Real Estate Executive Found Dead in Apparent Suicide.

• Unconventional Weapons against The People of Gaza

• Digital TV mind control? The Sound of Silence: The Antithesis of Freedom

• Vietnam Vets Sue CIA for Secret Drug Experiments on GIs

• Finger scanning to be lunch card of the future. India considers mandatory RFID in cars. Chipless RFID updates.

• Now for some fun: video of shoveling show off a Mauna Kea observatory

The other day I posted a blurb in my notes about keeping an eye on earthquake activity, particularly on the US West coast. There is a full moon on its way (actually the biggest and brightest of the year), which some believe influences earthquake activity, and I took note of this random find regarding the upcoming month's possibilities in that regard.

However, I had not made note of the earthquake swarm near Puerto Rico and the threat of tsunami on the US East coast, and I think now that it just might warrant that mention. Also just over a week ago the AP reported a series of small earthquakes in Arkansas as a warning that more could be in store. But I usually check the seismic monitor several times a day and there does seem to be an increase in activity as of late in these areas, as well as a few recent large quakes around the ring of fire. A couple of other things caught my attention too: that of a third spectacular superbolide meteor in as many weeks caught on tape a few days ago, as well as a large solar prominence suddenly erupting from an otherwise quiet sun. It also seems the SIDC ended the all-quiet in terms of sunspot activity on December 2.

The Cave has been giving great updates on various such activities, including a post about the coming solar wind stream, set to arrive on December 11th. The Cave also noted the huge tides that just wiped out a hospital among other buildings in New Guinea.

In other Earth news, Cyclone Nisha tore up southern India, and volcanoes are hitting the headlines in the Caribbean and Chile. For updates on this and more, also check sites like The Great Red Comet or Earthweek.com.

Not sure what to make of it. Planet X, HAARP, galactic alignment, global warming, random movements, whatever. Just putting it out there. Make sure you have your emergency kits well-stocked and have a plan to keep family safe and calm.

The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision.

-Tao Te Ching 12