Re: U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption

[Guest guest]

There have been a couple of articles recently about how current world affairs parallel the 1930's and how a big war might be in the offing.

They don't realize how close to the truth they are. Beyond all the potential hotspots and the economic picture, there is a lot about society that is also the same.

In the 1930's, unemployment was high throughout the West. Economies were in tatters and none of the politicians had a clue as to how to get things set right. They were all too busy grabbing power. Indeed some even did succeed in setting up dictatorships of various flavors and even totalitarian systems in one case (Stalin, Hitler came close but not quite). Given more time, meaning if the war hadn't happened, more dictatorships would likely have been formed, probably including the US (FDR was heavily pushed to seize power to get around Congress and guide the economy). This happened because the people were afraid and couldn't adapt to events. One reason for that was that politicians kept changing the rules and laws and the people and business couldn't adapt to the daily changes. High employment and the uncertainty of those who had jobs added more pressure. The distrust of politicians, lack of faith in government and employers created an "atomization" of the people, meaning they were powerless, frightened individuals with no one to trust or lean on. Being atomized made them prey for the mass movements. Mass movements are different from mobs in that members of a mob still have some idea of individuality and personal goals. Members of a mass surrender their individuality to the goals of the mass and its leaders. These started out fairly small, as a cadre of elite in the background with "front" organizations of different flavors. They fronts had the same core beliefs but slightly different window dressing so as to draw people in. As the fronts grew, new "elite" levels were established so as to keep the hard core believers constantly competing to prove their "purity" so as to move up to a more pure level of the organization. In time, the mass movement can control a large part of the populace to one degree or another and other organizations. It is through these organizations that the few control the many. Now, a lot of this is similar today. People are atomized as described above but even moreso. In the 1930's, people still had common songs most people new the words to, read common newspapers, saw common movies, listened to common radio, went to common churches, etc. In other words there was still plenty of shared experience to unite them. Today, however, there are hundreds of TV channels, personal audio that allows even individual songs to be purchased, a vast individual internet, basically a lot of technology designed to atomize oneself from society. So, people are more isolated that before. In addition, skills are less valued today. Today, much of the skilled work is handled by automated lathes or computers in an office. One just has to know how to program and operate a machine, not anything that takes a great deal of skill. So that's another let down to the psyche. The result is that like in the past, people are yearning for "something." They want to belong and be a part of something. Sadly, education is also terrible and so people follow their emotions and so join things that make them feel good or offer an outlet for their undefined rage at the world. This makes them more vulnerable to the front movements that will suck them in and start working on them.

Right now I see several fronts. OWS and the like are the more militant fronts that will have their part to play in the violence that will come as the economy tanks even more. Many other related but not yet violent fronts exist that serve the purpose of turning people against the system and desperate for a new way. Then there are the labor and other unions that are also pushing for the new way. An unseen but great mass are all those people on government handouts from welfare to Social Security, etc. Even the mass of criminalized "youth" will have a part to play, particularly once they are organized.

Organization is another part. Totalitarian movements come about through organization. They organize people into groups and masses, indoctrinate them into the new way, and send them out to make it happen. That could be in the ballot box or busting heads and burning out enemies of the movement in the streets. So think about that when one hears about the organizing of OWS and other elements, particularly once the mass begins to grow and they organize themselves into a larger unit.

Anyway, I've written more than planned here. My point being that history is repeating. Politicians and bureaucrats are following the same very bad ideas of the 1930's with the same results. It would stand to reason that many also believe the myth that war spending saved the economy and war fervor united the people. The first is a bald faced lie while the second isn't entirely true either. However, it is common for failing nations with tin pot dictators to start wars to distract the people from looking at the rulers' incompetence. It really does seem like Obama is pushing for war with Iran. Given what I've said above and the past patterns and this one's stated aim to "fundamentally remake America" is worrisome.

In a message dated 12/29/2011 12:52:18 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption