[ROCKMAN]

PO - I agree. Some of our biggest problems get even worse when folks refusing to negotiate don't realize their actions (or inactions) are actually making their situation even less tenable.

[Ibon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'I') have posted for years around here that BAU will continue so long as TPTB can hold onto it no matter the cost. It will continue until it absolutely can not be maintained, and only then will a real paradigm shift occur.

We have already grossly stretched what BAU means for Joe6P, I am not talking about that aspect. I am referring to the powerful elites who have power and wealth because of the system as currently designed. Changing their BAU means losing that wealth/power/control and they will fight that to the bitter end.

[claman]

HARM - "Human beings are too innately myopic, selfish, ignorant, irrational, greedy and intellectually lazy to connect the dots..."

When you think about it, it is quite clear that every major power/culture has its own alphabetic system that they don't want to leave at any price. The West has the old greek alphabet, The Russian have the old Cyrillic alphabet, the Chinese have their own particular system that they more or less share with the Choreans and the Japanese
The Iranians, the Indians, the Arabs and many others have their own particular way of writing.
We heavy internet users in the west, can easily get the impression that what we write in our own alphabet is easily understood by all people in the world - I am afraid it is not so.

The local TPTB around the world are very keen on keeping their underclass unaware of global thoughts, ideas and solutions. They do that by not learning them the western alphabet ( a privilege that belongs only to the upper class itself.)
They have total control over the majority of the people because the control the written language.

CONTROL THE WORD AND YOU CONTROL THE PEOPLE

[ennui2]

That's a new one.

My daughter's learning Chinese. That wasn't even a supported language when I was growing up.

Geez, do people just construct their own Machiavellian conspiracies...

[claman]

Ennui2, "That's a new one."
It was actually a new one to my self, but i think it's pretty close to the truth.

[claman]

ennui2 , Yes, people do construct their own Machiavellian conspiracies when they think that they are actually there.
There is no doubt that a common alphabet or script system keeps a culture/religion strongly knit together.

[AgentR11]

I am a "peaker" as it were; and I have never underestimated TPTB, especially the Fed's ability to keep this system rolling regardless of the number of digits in the national debt... or the price of a hamburger. They aren't even getting warmed up yet.

[ennui2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('claman', 'T')here is no doubt that a common alphabet or script system keeps a culture/religion strongly knit together.

[claman]

ennui2, so I guess we agree :"Sure. But it's not "meant" to keep anyone out. That whole mentality is quasi-religious. It's an "intelligent-design". This idea that there is always a reason or a single guiding hand behind it all."

A local written language is the result of a long cultural development.
But it is also, in present times, a way to keep the majority of the people out of contact with the ongoing global debate.
All africans and south americans can read peakoil, but only a small percent of arabs, chinese, russian or indians can have the pleasure of reading our rants or points of view.

[claman]

May be after all the present global crisis is a war about which alphabet should be the dominant.
The West may have thought that the internet would make our alphabet the predominant, but that is for moment being not the case. Arab, Chinese and Russian each have their big slice of the cake.

[radon1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('claman', '.') The West has the old greek alphabet, The Russian have the old Cyrillic alphabet, the Chinese have their own particular system that they more or less share with the Choreans and the Japanese

[claman]

Most Arabs feel humiliated by the western interference in the muslim world. At the same time the wast majority of arabs can't read western characters.

Russia has a long history of west european invasions, beginning with Napoleon and later Germany . Nato is for the Russians just an other invasion in its beginnings.
The population of Russia can't read western characters.

China has gone through its "hundred years of humiliation" (the opium war, the boxer revolt and the Japanese invation + plus more)
Ordinary Chinese people can't read western characters.

Because we westerners in general don't speak or spell in either of these languages, there seems to be a lack of communication from people to people.

When it comes to the internet, these people basically can't read anything but sites in their own language and those sites are- seen from a western point of view- often under some kind surveillance.
It is difficult to get messages through among ordinary people because of the incompatibility of our written characters.

If anybody would try to make global understanding, they should try to get a common written language. That would not be in the interest of their leaders, but it would sure be in the interest of ordinary folks .

[claman]

radon1 :"As to TPTB - their desire and ability to maintain "BAU" may be overestimated. As far as their concerned, as long as their personal BAU is OK they don't care about the rest. The BAU goes on mostly for objective reasons, rather than due to some artificial designs."

What you just described are the archetypical Sheeple, not the 1%-ers

[ennui2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('claman', '
')If anybody would try to make global understanding, they should try to get a common written language. That would not be in the interest of their leaders, but it would sure be in the interest of ordinary folks .

[claman]

ennui2 , I guess you are right on that. But some how it still think that f.ex. the Russians lack of understanding of the western alphabet is a great hindrance for mutual understanding .
We in europe would like the russians to be member of the club, but honestly I think they would rather be a hangaround minding their own business.

[StarvingLion]

Gail Tverberg has just made the most shocking of announcements at http://oufiniteworld.com.

TPTB are maintaining the Status Quo by building a MASSIVE BUBBLE.

Noooooo!!! I could never imagine those degenerate low life cokeheads doing anything else besides building bubbles. Thats all those 1-trick ponies do know! Should be great for the Oil industry when it finally blows up.

Gail Tverberg says:
September 8, 2016 at 8:36 pm

This is worrisome. Everything is being propped up at the same time. It is clear that a massive bubble is forming.

[regardingpo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('claman', 'T')he population of Russia can't read western characters.

[claman]

regardingpo, I'm really glad to hear what you are saying. Maybe I was unfair to the russian people, but that is how it goes when things are starting to look like the good old cold war times again.

[regardingpo]

The real problem is that TPTB (or whoever) don't need to go as far to confuse people as your theory suggests.

They just need to clog the media with their own propaganda and create a glut* of contradicting information and basically turn everything into a two-sided arugment. And average Joe and his girlfriend plain Jane are part of the problem too, since they're not making too much of an effort to get to the bottom of things.

* I said glut on purpose XD

[Ibon]

How much of underestimating TPTB has to do with the vast majority of the worlds citizens choosing willfully to submit to the trash that is fed them by the media. Trash that is fed them by our "leaders". Kind of like religion, how willfully and unquestioning the vast majority of the planets inhabitants swallow hook line and sinker the belief in the invisible man in the sky, so do they as well swallow hook line and sinker the messages of the invisible men and women who behind the curtains decide on what or what not is news worthy.

How willingly we eat trash and don't question it sums it up pretty well in my opinion.

How few actually step outside of the comforting box of mediocrity and raise their middle finger to the status quo? Aren't the vast majority of humans happy to be lead on a leash and feel quite comfortable with the collars around their necks?