All I Want for Christmas - Hope for the World

Dear Humanity,

It's at this time of year that I feel a special kinship with you all, whatever race, religion, colour or creed. Wherever and however you live, whatever you do, whatever you think and however you feel, I share a connection with you all and wanted to take a few moments to give a little message of hope this Christmas.

We were all created by the same Universe, the same forces of nature have shaped us all and we have all been crafted by our experiences - by the things that we remember and the things that we hold dear - we have moulded ourselves to become what we are. The things that we do for each other we also do for ourselves. It is by helping others and by giving some of yourself to enrich and improve the life of
someone else that you grow and gain so much more than you ever gifted in the first place. It is the things that you do that define you and fill you up with the energy of those acts, be it kindness or selfishness, positive or negative, good or bad - that is your choice to make based on what vibration you want to live at and the energy you choose to amplify within yourself.

In a year when so much evil has been shown to us on a daily basis please remember that every act selfishness, every terrible deed was mirrored and exceeded by the goodness of the human heart. Imagine the MILLIONS of wonderful acts of kindness, selflessness and love that have occurred all around the world, the things that never make the fear-circus. Remember the TENS OF MILLIONS of people, of various causes who have stood up for the things in this world that are MORALLY RIGHT and the social AWARENESS which grows every day. Remember that every change that has ever happened for the good of all started with a single defiant voice and that it is the choices we make TODAY which determine how TOMORROW will be.

The world is how we choose it to be and we have the power to rebuild this world as we see fit. In the coming year we will all have a profound choice to make in our own lives, whether we wish to live in a World of Fear or a World of Love. Whether we want to see the world as it is continue unopposed or stand up for the world that we know is possible with just a little faith and belief, because that is where it all starts. Beliefs lead to thoughts, those thoughts lead to actions and those actions reinforce the beliefs. Believe in yourself and you will think you are strong, thinking you are strong leads you to act upon that strength and acting on that strength makes you stronger.

We - as the people of the world - already have the power to change this world. THEY have lead us to BELIEVE that we don't have the power and because of that we have acted powerless. But we are Awakening, we are realising the true potential that we hold in this world and NOTHING can stop us now. We are UNITED, we are STRONG and we are ready to take this world back in the name of LOVE.

Peace Be With You All,

Namaste!

Fanfare for The Conscious

Glorifying Greed - Capitalism Brings Out the Worst in Us

Greed is Good. This is what any mainstream Economic "Expert" will tell you about Capitalism and Consumer Culture. In fact, the idea that self-service, competition and material incentives are essential to drive progress in modern society is the cornerstone around which the whole socio-economic system of today is built.

Many would argue, based on anecdotal evidence, that the monetary system is the only realistic way to organise society, because humans are greedy by nature and always seek power over others. However, I would contend that this assumption largely discounts the influence of NURTURE, while inflating the importance of NATURE in human cognitive and social development.

Society as Emergent Behaviour

Emergent behaviour is the tendency for a group of creatures to self-organise around a set of simple urges or drives. It allows relatively simple rules to produce very complex patterns of behaviour without any direct planning or management of the members of that group. Examples of emergent behaviour in nature can be seen in the way flocks of birds and herds of animals move together or how ants, bees and other social insects can produce relatively complex structures without any apparent pre-planning or top-down organisation.

Is it such a stretch to imagine that many of the behaviours displayed by humans in modern society are Emergent Behaviours produced by the formal rules and perceived imperatives of society? Is it possible that the Consumer-Capitalist structure of society itself could be responsible for many of the negative behaviours seen in society? Could it be that society encourages and reinforces the more negative aspects of the human condition over the positives?

The Rules of the Game

It is my contention that the structure of the world economy, along with the consumer society it
produces, is an amplifier of the worst traits of the human condition. A society that glorifies greed by using material wealth as a measure of success will inevitably reward selfishness, profiteering and wasteful hoarding of resources.Think of playing a game of Monopoly, which is a simple simulation of our socio-economic system. How many warm, generous and giving people have you seen turn into ruthless business-sharks in order to win the game? Their behaviour is dictated by the rules of the game, it is emergent.

Other more complex simulations of Capitalist Economies, with a more tangible sense of attached value, exist in the more modern realm of computer games. In these virtual worlds value can be attached either via "real" currency or by time invested gathering resources. The Verge recently printed an article about emergent classes in modifications of Minecraft which had a trading and currency system modification installed. Also, my own experiences in the brutal sci-fi simulator Eve Online - where destroyed items are lost forever and almost everything you can purchase has been found, built or stolen by another player - taught me that emergent behaviour in a competitive/capitalist system affects even the most humane of us, despite ourselves.
 
Although you may think the comparisons I have drawn above are weak, I challenge you to find an Eve Online player and ask them how real the loss of an expensive internet-spaceship feels. The time invested in acquiring the in-game currency gives those pixels a solidity that I would contend rivals the material and the in-game currency (ISK) actually has an effective, albeit one-way, exchange rate with real currencies. It also gives a stark example of the kind of behaviour that could be displayed in an unregulated capitalist society, as detailed in this article from the financial times online. Extortion, scamming and espionage are considered part of the norm in Eve, just the way the game is played.

The Bottom Line

In the digital age, the detachment we have from the source of money's value has increased further and the structure of big business means; that many of the highest earners in the management positions of big companies not only have low personal productivity, but are so far removed from the people they are supposed to be supporting that their role is little more than a title. Couple this with the whole idea of the financial markets and it's easy to see how people can become so extraordinarily detached from the damage being done by their quest for profit and material wealth.

The current socio-economic system causes us to express some of the worst traits of the human condition. When Greed is Good, it is "acceptable" to sell goods for more than they a worth, to pay the front-line employees of a company as little as possible and to engage in immoral market-fixing in order to gain more material wealth. While it may have driven progress in the world through competition, it has done so at a great cost to the environment, equality and our own views on human nature.

Fanfare for The Conscious

Sources

Finances Online: Income Inequality vs. Crime Rate
Non-Linear Effect of Wealth on Crime
The Verge: Problems with Capitalism shown in Minecraft
Financial Times: Hardcore Unregulated Capitalism in Eve Online 

Five Short Videos to Change the Way You Think

As it's the first of December and our year is into it's final chapter, I wanted to take a moment to share five short videos which I have found emotional, inspiring and thought-provoking. Their messages have touched me on a deeply personal and fundamental level and I find it prudent to share them with you today, at a time when so many are distracted by consumerism.

Christmas is a time when many celebrate their bounty, while so many people have nothing. A time which I enjoy simply for the closeness of family, the coming together of friends and the simple act of giving, be it a hug, sympathy, or simply the time of day - everything we do for each other without asking anything in return is a gift. Those who recognise the birth of a religious figure, of whatever faith, should try to remember the messages of love, tolerance and charity preached by these people.

1. Bill Hick's Message to Humanity

A rant about drugs and lack of objectivity in mainstream media turns into a profound spiritual revelation and a simple message about changing the world we live in.

2. Charlie Chaplin's Speech from "The Great Dictator"

Charlie Chaplin's speech which was featured at the end of his parody about Hitler "The Great Dictaror"and is one of the most emotionally touching things I have ever had the pleasure of being exposed to. Listen to the late, great comedian talking about the state of the world and the nature of humanity. As relevant then as it is now.

3. Howard Beale - We're in a Lot of Trouble (Network - 1976)

This clip is probably even more relevant now then it was back then, this clip has a telling message about the concentration of media ownership into the hands of the few and the power of the propaganda machine that is the mainstream media.

4. Alan Watts - What if Money was no Object?

The importance of doing what you love for your own satisfaction, regardless of external idea's of your level of success. Alan Watts' monologue speaks volumes of why our society has stagnated at this stage of mindless consumerism and increasing spiritual and intellectual malnourishment.

5. V - The Revolution (V for Vendetta)

Probably my favourite speech taken from fiction. V (the Protagonist), breaks into the government television centre and uses the emergency broadcast system to try to encourage an uprising against the oppressive police-state.

Just wanted to give you all some food for thought.

Fanfare for the Conscious

Anonymous - An Inside Perspective

Defining Anonymous is a difficult task for many reasons. What originally started out as a group of Activist Hackers (Hacktivists) on the imageboard 4chan, has grown over the last 10 years into a worldwide phenomenon which transcends the boundaries of faith, race or religion. Anonymous is now more a movement united by a common goal, than a clearly defined group of people. Anyone who believes in Anonymous and wants to be part of Anonymous - is Anonymous.

There is no centralised leadership to the movement and Anonymous members are free to organise protests and operations at their own discretion, relying on the shared ethos and ideas of the group to encourage participation in these events. As such, what follows is only my personal representation of what the Anonymous Movement, the Guy Fawkes Mask and the Million Mask March mean to me as an Anon, based on my own research and experiences with other members at Anonymous events.


The Anonymous Movement

The video below features a speech from the end of Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator". It was inspirational to me in my decision to become more politically active, join the Anonymous movement and ultimately states; what I feel about the state of the world, why I protest and why I believe that there IS another way.

Anonymous members are ordinary people, united by an idea and driven by the belief that things CAN be different. To me Anonymous is a movement united by one simple idea, that the world is fast becoming a place ruled by corporations, not by the people. Whether protesting against TTIP, Corporate Tax Evasion, or the Restriction of Free-Speech, all the Anons I have encountered seem to have the same basic understanding, regardless of what they choose to draw attention to. Anons the world over are tired of working for slave-wages while the companies they work for siphon money out of their country tax-free. They are tired of Energy Cartels holding them to ransom with expensive and unsustainable fossil-fuels and of wars where thousands of innocents are killed for the profit of an elite few. But most of all, they are tired of the inequality which the current system only serves to exaggerate and of political parties who put the profit of their donors above the needs of the people they are supposed to be serving.


The Guy Fawkes Mask

Why hide behind a mask if you've done nothing wrong? This is a question I hear all the time, and one that I could offer a few answers to. For me it serves three distinct functions:- as a "symbol of unity", as a "statement of purpose" and as a "tool of empowerment".

As a symbol of unity the mask provides a shared face and icon for the movement. It shows that no matter what race/age/gender we are, we are all the same. United by a common goal, purpose and opponents. As a statement of purpose it shows our ultimate aim, which is; To bring down the corrupt network of financial giants who control the mainstream political parties of the world, manipulate our media and manufacture conflicts the world over through these mediums for their own personal gain. As a tool of empowerment, it gives people a freedom of expression which they would not usually enjoy in everyday life. It helps people to speak loudly and proudly about the things which they are passionate about, people who wouldn't usually take the stage feel like they can finally be heard, and freedom of expression is almost always a good thing.

Yes, it IS an image popularised in "V for Vendetta" - a film for which Time Warner owns the copyright and thus the merchandise. But most Anonymous members are fully aware of this, and are usually advised to buy cheap copies from sources other than Time Warner. Some charitable groups have even started making copies of their own so that any profits are put to good use within communities that need the funds.


The Million Mask March

This event takes place on 5th November every year in cities all over the world. Protesters from many different organisations come together to mark Guy Fawkes Night - the anniversary of the day Guido Fawkes tried to blow-up the Houses of Parliament in the Gunpowder Plot.  This day has an anti-establishment significance and is used to let the establishment know that we are a growing movement that will not ante until justice is served. It is a day to galvanize public support, educate the masses about the wrongs of the system and to encourage them to join us.

Anonymous realize that they will not change the world over night. But as the movement continues to grow - as more and more people come to realise that the world can be different if they will it to be - one day the protesters' numbers will be too great to ignore, the oppressed people of the world will unite and the establishment will fall. No matter how many are silenced, beaten and imprisoned there will always be more to take their place. This is the strength of a leaderless movement, it cannot be beheaded, it cannot be crushed; because what they are driven by is an idea, not a person.


Fanfare for The Conscious


Related Articles

5th November 2014: Million Mask March - Manchester


Sources

Wikipedia - Anonymous (group)
Alan More - V for Vendetta (BBC "Viewpoint" Article)
The Guardian - Million Mask March 2014
UK Anonymous Events

5th November 2014 - Million Mask March in Manchester

 This post will be my account of the Million Mask March (Anonymous) Protest as it took place in Manchester on 5th November 2014. As an attendee I obviously have a bias towards the event and thus this is merely a subjective account. Also, any estimate of numbers is just that, I really wasn't counting!

Arrival and the Gathering

I arrived at Manchester city centre for about 5pm that evening, parked on the outskirts of town and walked into the city past Piccadilly Railway Station. I was feeling apprehensive, excited and a little bit nervous. This was my first Million Mask March and with some of the footage I had seen in both mainstream and alternative media I was unsure of the sort of atmosphere I would be encountering. Still, my overall emotional state was positive. For the first time since I started really looking at the world with my own eyes - since I started to wake-up - I was making a stand about the things I believed in instead of just complaining.

By about 5.15pm I had met with a friend of mine and fellow Anon who was working in town that evening and had picked-up a couple of masks for us both. We had intended on getting coffee from a local independent coffee shop, but due to it being closed we resorted to going to Soulless Coffee Inc. for our caffeine fix. We wandered by Piccadilly Gardens about 5.30 on the way to get our beverages, but saw no sign of an early gathering, suspecting that there were probably numerous anons loitering around in anticipation.

Descent on the Gardens

It was around 5.50pm by the time we had acquired coffee and returned to Piccadilly Gardens. Seeing no sign of anyone with a flag, we decided to put on the mask and begin getting ourselves noticed in Piccadilly Gardens. Again, presuming there were many Anons around just waiting to see some kind of signal.

Within minutes, people began to trickle in. Masks started appearing and people began to gather around us, flags and signs were revealed and the group began to grow. People began talking to each other, asking questions and getting to know one another. By about 6.20pm numbers had grown to about 50+ and other members of the public had started paying attention.

The First March

It was around 6.45 when the march set off. By then numbers had swelled to around 80-100. An African drum had appeared and some people had even brought their kids, something which I found very encouraging!

We marched out from Piccadilly Gardens and down towards Deansgate, following the tram lines. The March was done quietly to the sound of drumming. We gave peace signs to the trams which passed us by and and received honks in return along with high-fives and other supportive gestures from passers-by.

All of this was mirrored as we marched down Oxford Road, we even received a massive cheer from people queuing for an event over the road from the Palace. I felt very proud to be there, surrounded by people of like mind and cheered onwards by the public.

From there we turned left towards Factory, and then left again across Canal St and then right back towards Piccadilly Gardens.

Getting Noisy and the 2nd March

We gathered once again in Piccadilly Gardens and people became vocal, addressing the group over issues of organisation and communication, talking about the things that we were angry about and what we needed to do about it. It seemed that everyone had a different piece of the puzzle, and it was nice to hear them vocalized by passionate voices.

From here our numbers began to dwindle, but undeterred the remaining 50 marched down market street to a short interlude outside a nearby McDonald's. But the area was quiet so we headed back up market street to Piccadilly Station. Chants of "Who's street? Our Street!" and "The Government are Corrupt!", broken up with shouts of "Turn off your Television!" were heard in both directions and continued as we marched around the station, picking up our first significant police presence of the night despite our dwindling numbers.

The Dispersion

From here the night seemed to wind down, we had some time outside Piccadilly Station where we talked about the things we were angry about and discussed ideas for further action, and how to organise ourselves better next time. But besides a last huzzah around the station by the final 30 without meaningful intervention from the police, the protest was essentially over.

Overall, I feel that this was an incredibly positive event which has encouraged me (and I'm sure many others) to become much more active and visible with regards to my own activism. I believe that they way forward for this movement is to gain positive exposure and support for the public through education of the masses. So many people in the world don't even know that we are fighting for them, and have no idea of the crimes committed by the people in government and the selfish corporate interests that fund them. The can only sympathise with us if they understand what were are fighting against. If we are to have a peaceful revolution we need mass support from the public, as our numbers are too low for more direct action without demonising ourselves. Knowledge is power people! We have the knowledge, now it's time to empower the public!

Fanfare for The Conscious

Related Articles

Anonymous - An Inside Perspective

Science for Profit - Hijacking the Pursuit of Knowledge

Those of you who know me personally will know that Science is a subject which is very close to my heart. I believe that - in it's purest form - Science is the quest for knowledge for the sake of understanding, and the pursuit of an evermore complete explanation of the universe and our place within it. It is the conscious attempt by humanity to continually answer the one eternal and fundamental question which we have all been asking from the moment we first understood it - Why?

In this post I will attempt to highlight, describe, and outline the reasons why I believe that my beloved Quest for Truth has been bastardized, perverted and manipulated. It has turned from the pioneering explorer pushing at the boundaries of human understanding, into the shackled slave of the financial elite begging for scraps in return for further increasing their power, wealth and influence.

Suppression of Science for Financial Gain

The most obvious and widely reported case of scientific suppression was conducted by the Catholic Church, who were known to execute as heretics those who opposed their sanctioned beliefs about the nature of the Universe. However, The particular case which resonates most strongly with me is the case of Nikola Tesla, who's story is too long to recount in full on this blog, but deserves drawing attention to nonetheless.

Tesla was a Serbian inventor, engineer and (arguably) scientist who emigrated to America in the late 1800's. He is the father of alternating current (the foundation of our electricity grid) and engaged in intensive research around field and wave physics, ultimately dreaming of providing the world with limitless, wireless-transmitted FREE energy.

Unfortunately, Tesla's dreams conflicted with the financial interests of his backers. They realized that his dream of wireless energy - if implemented - would loosen the stranglehold they had on the energy industry. No one would have to pay for their energy anymore. Ultimately, Tesla's lab was burned down and the man himself left ridiculed and financially destitute by the very men who had profited from his genius.

For a more modern example you need only look to the tobacco companies of recent years. Those who touted not only the harmlessness of smoking, but claimed it was actually BENEFICIAL to human health.

Science for Profit

When 70% of all scientific research is funded by groups who stand to gain financially from the results, it is not difficult to see why much of the scientific community is in the service of profiteering corporations. Only research which has the potential for to make money receives funding, and any science conducted for these purposes only ever serves the financial interests - often in spite of human, animal or ecological concerns - of the groups that fund it.

Would you trust a drug company who makes BILLIONS from traditional cancer treatments to tell you about effective natural remedies if they existed? These companies have a vested interest to sell patentable drugs, and a patient being treated for their symptoms for life is far more lucrative than a patient cured for life.

Those interested in further reading should look into the work of John Hutchison and the numerous inventors of alleged "Free/New Energy" technology who have met their untimely ends.


Fanfare for The Conscious

Sources

Big Science - Wikipedia
Funding of Science - Wikipedia
Science Funding Crisis - The Guardian
Global Research - The Corporate Takeover of Science

A Fanfare for the Conscious Mind

Conscious individual thought is a precious commodity. It is one which I believe mainstream society places an ever decreasing value upon, and one which is essential to the scientific, spiritual and societal progression of our species.

As a Nation, we are taught to absorb and regurgitate facts as they are presented. We are rarely taught the value of questioning the authority, credibility or vested interests of those charged with the responsibility of delivering the facts.

The Purpose

The overall aim that I have for this blog is to encourage open discussion, debate and free thought around contentious issues in subjects such as:- Science & Technology, Politics and Current Affairs.

I want to create a space where people can feel free to discuss their opinions, ideas and feelings without fear of ridicule. A place where people can challenge the status quo and debate freely.

I am not looking to create a Closed Ideology Echo Chamber ; in fact I encourage people to disagree with me. It is how the best ideas are developed! But I will not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour on my blog or Facebook page.

Happy thinking, debating and researching!

Fanfare for the Conscious