ex-l wrote:The sort of thing I would like to know is, how much do the BKs financially benefit from each episode of scaremongering?
Yes, a review of their income correlating to various external events would be interesting.
If someone had the wherewithal, it would also be interesting to see how much money simple things like income from web clicks, sales from online merchandising etc makes them, or if some BKs have found nice sidelines selling unauthorised merchandise or courses! (The latter is not so bad given that BK Gyan is itself just a syncretism).
GuptaRati 6666 wrote:Here is this video, which has been censored and not allowed in the main stream media.
That video featuring Buttar is exactly the one someone else sent me. I have no truck with these conspiracy theories. It is part of a culture that proudly spawns and celebrates a Gates type success story, then distrusts him because it unconsciously doubts that the system that gives so much success and power to one individual can at the same time keep a check on abuse of that.
Another difference between my view and yours is that I accept that corruption exists in practically all organisations, hence my analogy of mafia bosses. Its a matter of,
a) Whether the core responsibility is being fulfilled, and
b) If the means and processes by which corruption can be spotted and minimised exist.
First Noble Truth - **** Happens.
Other Noble Truths - It is possible to minimise, even eliminate the ****.
Madhyamaka version - Don't think that even if eliminated it won't come back because, well, see first noble truth.
The most important thing in all these conspiracy theories about side players, albeit influential in their way, is this. They are not the government. Truman had a plaque on his desk that said - The Buck Stops Here. The rpesident took ultimate responsibility. Nowadays, in the popular imagination, the buck stops everywhere but with those who have the decision making and enforcement powers.
I see typical methods of propaganda at play, from Goebbels Dictum ”
repeat a lie enough times and it becomes the truth” to advertising truths such as ”
appeal to emotion is more effective than facts”. Then the best that American culture has to offer -
"never give a sucker an even break”,
"there’s one born every minute” and ”
if you can fake sincerity you've got it made”.
The American dream = "my success depends on others relative lack of success". Its shadow is "my lack of success is because of the other guy’s success". No questioning the culture or the structure or whether there’s a better way. Hubris before the fall of the empire?
I look at the motive for thse claims first - who benefits if a false allegation is accepted, who benefits if the piece is actually true?
Does Buttar - an American DO - have more information and ability to put it together than all the specialist bodies? Most of these conspiracies are simply echo chambers that reference each other and build on that with more and more distortions.
Formula - Take ”recognisable name of some figure - person, group, who is not me or mine”, add quote or mention incident without full context. Mix with public anxieties; and there you have a ”plausible” meme that appeals to ignorance of those too lazy or lacking in the acuity needed to question, let alone check the veracity, of the various pieces of that jigsaw.
EG part of the Gates conspiracy is that he aims to vaccinate all children so as to depopulate the world. A cunning plan! How would lower population benefit Gates?
We know that when there is security, both in terms of prosperity and health (low infant mortality) then birthrates decline. So vaccinations help that security and will encourage many to have fewer children. That is all he meant.
What would Gates get out of such ”plots"? At his age, with his wealth and achievement?
Sci-fi geeks (and Gates is one) have speculated for decades about technology like what you mention. Technology can be used for creating a Utopia or a Dystopia - the technology is neutral.
I would ask - why does a potentially useful technology feel like a threat?
Answer - because you don't trust the underlying systems of your society and government.
Then do something about the systems & government so that technology can be utilised for the good.
Anyone who understand a little about political systems knows that the American democracy is more than seriously compromised, its been corrupted to serve the oligarchs behind both major parties. Americans are fooled into thinking one side or the other is there to serve their interests. its really choosing between the lesser of two evils, which mafia boss will at least do some of what he promises while the cream is skimmed for his ”clan”?
Real life example - Singapore and SK have had great success suppressing the virus’s spread issuing mobile phone apps for quick contact tracing.
Australia has asked and received assistance from Singapore to develop its own version. When the PM speculated it might be mandatory (stupid idea, impossible to police effectively anyway), there was immediate public backlash. That forced them to adjust their plans, they have re-specified the design and the data it gathers, trimmed how long data is kept and said that the code for the app will be made public for anyone to examine for possible alternative uses or flaws (public domain, open source, full transparency). Legislation is to be passed before its release that include a sunset clause that the data be wiped at the end of the pandemic period.
Epidemiologists working from information from SK and Singapore say that they need 40% of th popuation to cooperate and use it for it to be effective, more is better though. Public health versus privacy. What data? Is it a threat?
Smartphones need to be switched on, have the app installed and have Bluetooth enabled.
If a person stays in bluetooth proximity with another person (actually another bluetooth enabled phone, no person needed! ) for more than 15 minutes, both phones register data
The data that is registered is - the phone ID, the name of the owner and their residential postal code (suburb/town). Not even the location of where they met is kept - not needed.
Data is stored for 21 days in the phone.
If uploaded it goes to state ( not federal) public health departments only
If either party reports sick and tests positive, usually more than a week or two after being infected, then as well as directly interviewing them about their contacts and movements where they may have infected others, they can upload the app's data showing who they were in
long enough proximity with which might have led to infection. The data that’s gone to the state public health department is not even accessed unless needed. And only keeps the last 21 days movements.
You can choose - not download the app, leave your bluetooth off, leave your phone at home etc. It is based on community cooperation. Real lefty stuff!
As the public are kept informed of the nuts and bolts of what's proposed, as openness and transparency is shown to be key in gettign co-operation ( otherwise the public will strike!) the support has changed from being small minority to a large majority. Our system is still uncorrupted enough, the checks and balances transparent enough to be trusted.
Is this be a creep towards a surveillance state or a sensible compromise? Only if there are no checks and a real concerted effort to abuse this, a major risk.
Could it happen in a culture and ”democracy” like the USA? Ha!