ByEthan Indigo Smith

 

Despite the constraints ofoureducational systems, there are some excellent teachers. And there are some not so excellent instructors. We learn a lot in school, but it is also important to learn outside of school as well.Some of the most valuablelessons are not found in the teacher’s answer book, and yet some teachers operate by the book, at right angles, making no adjustments for the humanity of their students.

Not surprising given thatthe school system itself is geared toward creating two things: employment and expectation.

Like most people who are interested in history I dreaded math and algebra, and may actually have found myinterest in history out of my disdain and fear of division and multiplication. What I didn’t realize then was how much addition and subtraction is actually involved in writing our history.

I remember the first time I learned how to add. I thought I had tackled the math thing then and there. I also remember the first time I was frozen in front of the class, unable to do long division on the chalkboard. And yet the mathematical lesson I have used the most since its revelation to me, and the one I remember most distinctly, turned out to be more than just a mathematical lesson.

A Tangible Math Lesson

An elder grew up in a country where government lies and propaganda were commonplace.

One day, when I was a child, he was grilling a friend and I on our multiplication tables.After a while he paused and said,

“Let me think of a hard one–alright, what is eight times seven?”

My friend and I deliberated and answered “fifty-six”.

“Wrong. Think again.”

Well we checked and double checked our arithmetic.

“Fifty-six.”

“No.”

“It’s fifty-six, I think.”

“You’re wrong, it’s fifty-eight.”

“I think it’s fifty-six.”

“Wrong it’s fifty-eight.”

We held our guns, but because he was the authority figure, finally capitulated to his insistence that he held the correct answer.

“Ok fifty-eight.”

Afterwe gave in, he explained the lesson.

Never submit to the half-truths, distortions and liesofauthorities, particularly when you already knowthe answer.

*(Today one would have to remove all electronic devices with a calculator to teach this lesson.)

Idiots and Elitists

The realityis, authorities are bound to distributelies and half-truthsinsupport oftheir own ends and agenda.

This lesson is huge part of George Orwell’s novels 1984 and Animal Farm. The removal and replacement of whole segments of language by those in control is a key part of the dystopian backdrop of1984. Over time, the state dictionary shrinks, while events are changed or removed altogether from “history”.In Animal Farm, the agreed social rules of the farm, posted in publicfor all to see, are progressively altered in both word and in spiritby anemergingpower faction, whoargue linguistic technicality whileinsisting thateverything isunchanged and enforcing the altered“rules” to their own ends.

Orwell’s works were an eerily accurate exploration of the inherent potential for corruption in our heavily institutionalized society.The real world is full of similar such occurrences. Elitists often censor, suppress andobscure the truth, while information is removed, falsely discredited, evenreplacedor entirelyconjured. Meanwhile,euphemisms are inserted into the widervocabularytosteer not only people’s perceptions and decision making, but the very subjects they will reasonably consider.

“Idiots don’t question relevance and act on ignorance. Zealots question limitedly, in accordance to preconceptions. Elitists question in order to advance power and do not share information. Patriots question and share information openly.”~ from The Matrix of Four.

In accordance with the Matrix of Four, there are four types of lie, all of them involving some nugget of truth. For the sake of this discussion, let’s look to the nuclear experimentation industry for examples.

  • The first type of lie is the addition of information. Sometimes the addition of a small bit of information can change the story entirely. For example: yes the ailing Fukushima reactor is still spewing radioactive pollution…but did you know, according to nuclear industry supporters, low level exposure toradiation isactually good for you?
  • The second type of lie is the subtraction of information. The removal of small key components can result in entirely different meaning. For example: with the nuclear site in Miami operating dangerous above standard ‘safety’ limits, the regulator temporarilyincreased the limit, averting an “emergency” by subtraction.
  • The third type of lie is multiplication of information. Exaggerations of situations connected with the story as well as exaggerations of extraneous information are included in the presentation to dilute it.
  • The fourth type of lie is division of information. The facts are interlaced with disconnects and the significance of information is separated or underplayed. To exemplifythe third and fourth types: nuclear industry advocates claimnuclear energy to be ‘clean’ and ‘safe’. To support this belief (not fact), theyexaggerate the relevanceof nuclear’slow carbon emissionsin comparison to other energy systems whileignoring or downplayingthe permanent environmental destructiontheirnuclear waste causes and discrediting the science that clearly proves radiation exposure = cancerand death.

The problem for the ‘powers that were’is,we eachhave a mind thatcan compute math tricks as well as self-serving political gimmicks-both of which are constants in today’sinstitutional operations.

Sure, this mixed up mathematics, irregular logic, circular reasoning andill rhetoric is sometimes just due to a lack of information, combined with an unreasonable unwillingness to admit one doesn’t know everything. But given how extensive and common such twisted representations are in modern politics, one can only assume that,more often thannot,we are witnessingaweb of implicit agendas runningcounter to the assumedprogram of communitygovernance. And we all know it.

Sowhat is still sustaining a system we know is failing? Fear and hate.

Fear, HateandTruth

Hate isthe ultimate control mechanism.Itprevents us fromseeing thebrotherhood in humanity. Itenablesinstitutions to promote (very profitable) war and killing. It createsclosed-mindedness and closes the heart tospiritual healing.In is endemic to a war mentality, whereboth sidesrationalizeviolent acts in the name of peace, liberty and freedom,all the while hating the evil “others” who are invariably demonized or dehumanized bytheintentionalrhetoricofwar.

Fear is toxic and debilitating, and worst of all, much like ignorance -itis contagious. It’s no secret, most people don’t like change- particularly large scale change.Fearis by definition, an emotional response to the unknown, to a change that has not yet happened or something that does not yet exist. And today, ourinstitutions aredesigned to combat change of all kinds; we’re equipped for war, not peace. We’re busy fighting “climate change” instead of building sustainability. We have built entire institutions around suchfears,constantlybracing againsta perceivedand mysterious threat to our future peace and security.

Ironically, it is byinstitutionalizing war and this culture of fear that weembed conflict, lack and separation into our collective consciousness. And it is from this point that acts ofmilitarism and invasion become normalized in our minds.

[Fora deeper look at the institutionalization of war,check out my previous articleWhere are the Peacemakers? Our Institutions are Designed for War]

The intentional seeding of fear and ignorance into our social psycheholds us back as a collective, limiting our knowledge of our actual (not perceived) world, our expectations and ultimately, how we manifest our future reality. Initiating a ‘flight or fight’ response, at a primal level,our self-protective impulsescan propelus to take aggressive(re)actions, which in turn seed more hate and fear in those around us.And when that fear relates to the question ofsocial programmingor collusion, the deep sense of trust and security that is embedded in our relationship with “society” and “the system”causesmany to closetheir minds, fearful of evenquestioning such fundamental beliefs, and hateful toward those who do.

Truth, the antithesis of evil, exists without fear- of outsiders, of alternative perspectives, of otherlifestyles, ofwhatmay be seen heard or spoken, ofwhat maycome next, oflosing control, of truth itself.

In our ongoingsearch for truth,we invariably encounter bothignorance and pro-institutional propaganda. So,when encountering those whoespouse the relative meritsof our corrupted, failing structures (while often alsomocking alternative views),it canvery be difficult to understand whichpeople are in factidiots and which are entangled with elitist philosophies and institutions.Do they ignore the facts because of fear, imparted ignorance andmental numbness? Or do they perpetuateignorance intentionally, in order to disempower – a commontactic in executing covertagenda.

The best mathematical lesson I ever learned taught me to question the deductions and answers of “authority”of all kinds. Where authority exists, so too does an imbalance of power, and from a point of imbalance, thetruth is easily corrupted – by addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

When you encounter un-truths, you may wonder – arethey idiots, zealots or elitists? Don’t waste your energy. Your best weapon is truth.True patriots question and share information openly, free offear andagenda. Be a patriot.

The Complete Patriot’s Guide

Ethan Indigo Smith’s bookThe Complete Patriot’s Guideisan insightful exploration ofhistory, philosophy and contemporary politics of today’s heavily institutionalized society.

An inspiration for positive, peaceful individual action,The Complete Patriot’s Guideis pro-individual in its perspective and, although political, discusses our society and its institutionsfrom neither left-wing nor right-wing perspectives, exploringmetaphors and symbolism relative to the fictional work of George Orwellthrough real history, philosophy and contemporary politics. Layered with insight, it is in part a literary exploration of the themes raised inOrwell’s 1984, andprovides theories forindividual and collective empowerment.

The Complete Patriot’s Guideis available now on Amazon.

Previous articles by Ethan Indigo Smith:

About Ethan Indigo Smith:

Activist, author and Tai Chi teacherEthan Indigo Smithwas born on a farm in Maine and lived in Manhattan for a number of years before migrating west to Mendocino, California. Guided by a keen sense of integrity and humanity,Ethan’s work is both deeply connected and extremely insightful, blending philosophy, politics, activism, spirituality, meditation and a unique sense of humour.

The events of September 11, 2001 inspired him to write his first book,The Complete Patriot’s Guide to Oligarchical Collectivism, an insightful exploration ofhistory, philosophy and contemporary politics.His more recent publications include:

  • Tibetan Fusiona book of simple meditative practices and movements that can help you access and balance your energy
  • The Little Green Book of Revolutionan inspirational book based on ideas of peaceful revolution, historical activism and caring for the Earth like Native Americans
  • The Matrix of Four, The Philosophy of the Duality of Polarityon the subject of the development of individual consciousness
  • 108 Steps to Be in The Zonea set of 108 meditative practices andsteps toward self discovery and individual betterment, including techniques to develop balance, transmute sexual energy and better the self
  • and the controversial book,Terra-ist Letters, a work that humorously contrasts the very serious issues of global nuclear experimentation promotionand globalmarijuana prohibition

For more information, visit Ethan onFacebookand check outEthan’s author pageonAmazon.

Article adapted for Wake Up World byAndy Whiteley.