Stop the Pathocrats from signing away our rights and our lives!

On a recent trip abroad a friend was talking to a street vendor. "Where are you from?", asked the vendor. "America", our friend replied. The vendor grimaced in a way that suggested at once pity and distaste. "I'm not responsible for Bush!" our friend protested. The vendor summed up his feelings in one word, "Fascists". Our friend could hardly disagree, "Fascist pigs!" he exclaimed.

While many foreigners can see the current unmasking of an overtly fascist form of government in the USA, too many home-grown Americans cannot. Over six years of incessant "terror threat" propagandizing from the US government and the mainstream media has hystericized the American mind to the point that the ordinary citizen is no longer able to think clearly and differentiate lies from truth and fascism from democracy.

To explain exactly what we mean here, take some time to study the following terms and definitions, which are coined by Andrew M. Lobaczewski, author of Political Ponerology - The Scientific Study of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes :
Ponerogenesis: This is the formation and development of evil. Several factors contribute to ponerogenesis, the first being the atrophy of normal people's ability to recognize pathological individuals (i.e. they accept pathological behavior as normal). This is one symptom of the hysterization of society. This and other human weaknesses create an opening whereby pathological individuals (psychopathic and characteropathic) infect a group of predominately normal people through the process of "ponerization".

Ponerization: This is the infection of a group with pathological individuals, resulting in a ponerogenic union (that is, a group that contributes to the formation and development of evil). Primary ponerization (which gives rise to primary ponerogenic unions) creates groups that are obviously deviant, like mobs and gangs, and they are generally rejected by the society of normal people. Secondary ponerization (which gives rise to secondary ponerogenic unions) is the method by which pathological individuals infiltrate and subvert the ideology of a group of normal people. Like a Trojan Horse, they operate 'under the radar' of the group's normal members. Ponerization successfully takes place during periods in which society is hystericized.

Hystericization: This is the process whereby a society becomes more egoistic/hedonistic (self-serving and selfish), egotistic (self-important), egocentric (narcissistic), mendacious (having contempt for truth), histrionic (overly dramatic and emotional), moralistic (judgmental), open to schizoidal writings (naive interpretations of human actions), and thinking becomes increasingly conversive (illogical). This process can be, and is, manipulated by ponerogenic elements through the means of mass trauma and constant psychological terror. As hysteria is contagious, society thus becomes increasingly arrogant, immoral, rigid. The use of paramoralisms spreads similarly. The highest point of the hystericization of society conditions and hides the genesis of "pathocracy."

Pathocracy: This is the result of hystericization and ponerization, and once achieved, can last for millenia. Its essential characteristic is essential psychopathy. In such systems, 100% of essential psychopaths assume leadership positions, keeping the majority of people in constant fear. After some years of pathocratic leadership, normal people, while suffering from some pathological material and the deadening effects of psychopathic personalities, manage to create a network of normal people in which to function as human beings. Normal society is thus de-hystericized and achieves a great interpersonal solidarity and knowledge of one's own and other's humanity.
In our world today, the formation and development of evil is most readily seen in the increasing rate in which Western democracies are utilising tactics usually reserved for totalitarian regimes, i.e. regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior and asserts its authority through the use of force and/or coercion. What hundreds of respectable current affairs commentators have for the past 6 years been calling "creeping fascism in Western democracies" is today being revealed as overt totalitarianism, with the USA at the front of the herd.

A clear example can be seen in a recent bill that was passed by the US House of Representatives during the week of October 23, 2007. The bill, "H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007," which is to become attached as a new subsection of the Homeland Security Act, is clearly a measure designed to give free rein to the psychopaths who control all aspects of our lives, including our governments.

Because the bill uses the term "Prevention Act" most people will assume that the bill will protect them from terrorism. Nothing could be further from the Truth.

By all appearances the bill is designed to label those who speak out against the government's proven lies, deceit and ever increasing fascist tendencies and allows the government and law enforcement agencies to strongly and rapidly stifle any and all dissent. Said otherwise, the bill - should it become law - removes your right to disagree with anything the government says or does and places you at extreme risk of becoming arrested and possibly "disappeared", or to use the Bush government's euphemism, "rendered".

Lets take a brief look at some of the wording, beginning with the definitions:
SEC. 899A. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this subtitle:
(1) COMMISSION- The term 'Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.

(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term 'violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.

(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term 'homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term 'ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs.
First we need to clearly point out that we do not condone violence in any form or fashion. That said, the government obviously does condone violence otherwise they wouldn't be killing and torturing people in Iraq and Guantanamo. Our point is that nowhere has the government openly and clearly defined what it means by the term "violence."

Given the Bush government's track record of repeatedly redefining the exact meaning of the word "torture", we can safely assume that they'll define "terrorism" and "violence" in whatever way best suits their fascist psychopathic goals.

Lets take a look at the so-called "Findings" section of the bill:
SEC. 899B. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The development and implementation of methods and processes that can be utilized to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States is critical to combating domestic terrorism.

(2) The promotion of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence exists in the United States and poses a threat to homeland security.

(3) The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens.

(4) While the United States must continue its vigilant efforts to combat international terrorism, it must also strengthen efforts to combat the threat posed by homegrown terrorists based and operating within the United States.

(5) Understanding the motivational factors that lead to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence is a vital step toward eradicating these threats in the United States.

(6) Preventing the potential rise of self radicalized, unaffiliated terrorists domestically cannot be easily accomplished solely through traditional Federal intelligence or law enforcement efforts, and can benefit from the incorporation of State and local efforts.

(7) Individuals prone to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence span all races, ethnicities, and religious beliefs, and individuals should not be targeted based solely on race, ethnicity, or religion.

(8) Any measure taken to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism in the United States should not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents.

(9) Certain governments, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have significant experience with homegrown terrorism and the United States can benefit from lessons learned by those nations.
Do you see the implications here? If the government can define "violence" any way they want then nearly anyone can become labeled a "domestic terrorist."

The bill requires the formation of a "Commission" within 60 days of the passage of the bill into law, with the purposes of the Commission to "Examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States, including United States connections to non-United States persons and networks, violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in prison, individual or 'lone wolf' violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence, and other faces of the phenomena of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence that the Commission considers important."

Furthermore, according to the text of the bill, "the Commission may, to such extent and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into contracts to enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this section."

So if the "Commission" is prepared to hire outside contractors to figure out exactly who is and who isn't a "domestic terrorist" - which could be anyone who in whatever way threatens the pathocracy - that's only a small step away from hiring contractors to round up and imprison all dissenters or "disgruntled citizens" as former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge called them over 4 years ago. And if people took to the streets in protest by the millions in cities all over the country, do you think even for one second that they'd hesitate in contracting "crowd control" from companies such as Blackwater?

Sure, the bill contains wording that would supposedly "not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents" but we've already seen how the government is more than willing to suspend Habeas Corpus, and precisely what constitutes a "lawful" citizen is changing by the day. As far as the government is concerned you have no rights other than those to which they decide you are entitled.

For those of you who still think your vote matters, it's not the votes that matter, but who counts them. For those that think your representatives in government are going to protect you, think again. Some 410 representatives voted on the bill with 404 voting for, 6 voting against, and 22 of your representatives didn't even bother to show up!

It's up to each of us to stand up for Freedom and the Truth. No one is going to do it for us.

Most of you reading this found the Signs of the Times web site and continue to read it because you were looking for the Truth. You probably felt somehow adrift in, and out of sync with this world and its values - values which for the most part are based on lies and illusions. When you found Signs of The Times you probably recognised in it something you had not found anywhere else out there in the world. Maybe you recognised a long forgotten "taste" - the taste of the Truth.

Maybe it wasn't something any of you could put our fingers on, but there it was, subtle and beyond words adequate to describe it, but you knew it. This recognition was facilitated by the existence of a small, pure and hidden part of yourselves that was still able to recognise the Truth when you stumbled over it. Despite this, the lion's share of your being is far from pure, far from hidden, and is of a rather different nature.

All of us, to one extent or another, are the walking wounded, abused by a world and the people that inhabit it where human beings are valued only insofar as they can be exploited for personal gain. Henry David Thoreau concluded that "most [people] lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them". We at Signs of the Times don't think he was correct in ascribing this state to "most" people. Most people are in no way deeply troubled by life. Although he was not aware of it, Thoreau was, we think, speaking for himself and a relatively small number of other human beings - people who long for the Truth.

It was and is our lives of "quiet desperation" - the result of something within us that recognises the potential for another way of life, another reality - that leads each of us to resonate with the material and associated commentary presented here at Signs of the Times.

The Truth is - and you may not yet be aware of this - that there is no one to "save your ass", we either do it alone or we give ourselves a fighting chance and join forces to oppose, in whatever way we can, this creeping fascism that threatens to consume us all. The Truth is that if YOU don't help to do it, not only are you giving up any chance of a world free from oppression for yourself but also for your children, and your children's children.

Now, of course we've all heard the "opt out clause", the one that says: "I have nothing to contribute" and "what difference can I make anyway?" But stop and think for a moment. What kind of a "democracy" do you live in where you and your fellow citizens have been so cowed, so robbed of any sense of power or influence over your own lives that you are happy to accept such a deal from your government? Clearly, you do not live in a democracy at all, and it is just such an apathetic attitude that has led you to this point. The truth is, you, your friends, your neighbors, ALL of us got ourselves into this situation and it is in us, ALL of us together that the way out lies.

Having said that, we understand that we are all to some extent the "walking wounded". We have all been beaten down, our minds numbed and 'jellified' by the incessant propaganda and fear-mongering that are the hallmarks of a society controlled by those psychopaths who control our governments and big business, men and women who see us as "useless eaters", cattle to be 'spooked' and herded, first one way then another, in their push towards the creation of planet-wide fascism. The problem here however is in the perception of what the term 'walking wounded' actually means and what exactly any one of us can do to resist the agenda of the Pathocrats.

Allow us for a moment to go into 'metaphorical mode' and use the analogy of warriors on a battle field of old:

On the battle field, there are two types of warriors: The first is one who, having been injured, arrives at the 'field hospital' to have their wounds tended. The moment they are again able to rejoin the 'battle' they are out of their bed as fast as possible helping to defend the front line.

The second type is one who, having been injured, arrives at the field hospital to have their wounds tended, and then, finding the field hospital and the wound-tending much more pleasant than the front line, proceeds to find all manner of excuses to not rejoin the battle. "My sword arm is healed, but I have an owee on my knee!"

The first type of warrior understands the True nature of the battle and the dire need for defenders on the front line. They realise that if the defensive lines are not held, if the enemy - the psychopaths eager to turn the entire world into one gigantic fascist state - are not held at bay, then they personally lose all.

The first type of warrior understands that it is not a matter of being a mere warrior who takes orders from others and has no actual responsibility for the successful outcome of the battle. The first type of warrior understands that this is a battle for their own life and the lives of those they love, it is a battle for a better now and for a better future, it is a battle for which they, along with each of their comrades, are solely responsible.

The second type of warrior understands none of this and believes that if they can just hang out and maneuver in such a way as to be on the winning side, then all of their personal problems will be solved. Such a person is unable to understand the broader concepts and ideals for which the first type of warrior fights. They know that this is a fight for Truth, but they dismiss their own ability to contribute to that fight because they consider their part in the battle to be 'insignificant'. They think: "What's one more person? What can I do". In the actual battle field of which we speak here - the battle for Truth over lies - such a person procrastinates and calms themselves with: "what difference will one more comment and link on a blog make, what difference will one more effort to spread the word about the reality of the psychopaths in our midst make? I can't make any difference, so what's the point in even trying?"

The second type of 'warrior' fails to understand the nature of the battle with which they are faced - the battle for Truth. They fail to understand or have no faith in a True group dynamic and the effect it can have. They fail to understand the reality of non-linear dynamics - that, for example, a butterfly flapping its wings in China can start a hurricane on the other side the planet, and likewise one person making an extra effort to spread the Truth about the dire state of the world can have a tremendous and unforeseen impact on the overall outcome of the situation if it is done in the spirit of a group effort - a disparate group of people who all seek and serve the Truth. In that case their "small effort" is automatically added to the efforts of all other members of the Truth seeking group and all such efforts combine to become immeasurably more than the sum of the parts!

In short, a radically different understanding of Why each of us who make that extra effort can Totally change and vastly increase its effect.

©Warner Brothers
A True group effort can effect the world through non-linear dynamics. One person making an extra effort to spread the Truth about the dire state of the world is added to the group effort as a whole, and that can have a tremendous and unforeseen impact on the overall outcome of the situation.

Folks, we here at Signs of The Times are on the front line, we need people who can stand with us on the front line and assume responsibility for all, just as we do. Each of us will receive only in the measure that we give. Give unconditionally of your efforts and energy to the cause - the cause of Truth - which that small hidden part of yourself that drew you to search in the beginning and you will receive unconditionally, but not from us, because you are giving nothing to us. Instead, we are all giving to the Truth, to the creative side of the universe and in doing so we are giving to ourselves, to that part of us that yearns for true Being, true Freedom, true Liberty.

To do otherwise is to opt to continue in our "quiet lives of desperation" and go, as Thoreau said, to the grave with the song of Truth within us unsung.