Propaganda Mercenaries and the Predator Class

http://www.alternet.org/story/155643/charles_ferguson's_'predator_nation%3A_corporate_criminals,_political_corruption,_and_the_hijacking_of_america'

This link is to a review of Charles Ferguson's book that is basically a companion to the movie 'Inside Job'.

If you haven't seen it, it's worth viewing.

For years I imbibed, read and listened to the conservative end of the spectrum when it comes to issues of finance and banking. At this point while not necessarily signing on with the agenda of the Left I am probably more interested in their critiques of the system.

On the Right I'm most likely to listen to the Libertarian spectrum and yet I believe they are really quite blind when it comes to the nature of Capitalism on the grand scale. They may decry Crony Capitalism but I believe at that point their criticisms are deeply rooted in the Ivory Tower of non-reality. I've written of this elsewhere.

Some will balk at the work of Ferguson because he won an Oscar for his film. Yes, I know there is indeed something incongruous about all the millionaires in Hollywood criticizing all the millionaires on Wall Street. This is an old Right-wing argument I know well. I used to use it.

I agree, it is obscene. Many in Hollywood are indeed elitist hypocrites. And though my father was wrong on many things I'm sure there's some truth to his assertion that their charity and advocacy was really just an attempt to assuage guilt.

I'm not interested in Hollywood's opinions. I'm not excited that Matt Damon narrated the film. These people are nothing, but in the same breath I would also mention this is one (of several) reasons why I have no interest in watching professional sports. It's equally repugnant that these spoiled athletes make millions of dollars and I can't bring myself to watch them, let alone listen to them. They're a bunch of prima donnas.

All that said, the movie is worth seeing if you want a succinct grasp of the big picture. In the end it's just a starting point. If you really want to understand you have to go deeper.

What I found most interesting about this film were the connections he exposed regarding academia and the Corporate Establishment. It demonstrates that academia is in fact biased, corrupt and little interested in the pursuit of truth. At the end of the day the academy is also out to make a buck and many academics especially in fields connected to the interests of power are little more than propaganda mercenaries.

I think of all the 'scholarly' books and reviews, the think tanks, the forums and conferences...

In the end how many of them are just implements in the toolbox of power?

And how many professed believers are more than happy to enter this world and thrive within it?

As one drumming poet put it:

Glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity

I guess what's most intriguing is Ferguson's argument that the country has been overtaken by a 'Predator' class. This isn't recent. This is part of a transformation, a project if you will, to recast and reform the hierarchies of power after the disastrous 1960's and 70's.

The 70's were a decade of reformation and re-thinking. Everything was astir, the older paradigms were in a state of meltdown. The truth was escaping and the darkness was being exposed. I'm speaking of banking, intelligence, covert activities, the military and more...

By the 1980's these people who had suffered defeats were climbing back on top. This 'shadow government' was briefly exposed again during the Iran-Contra affair. That episode was in many ways more outrageous than Watergate but this time they were able to weather it and the 1990's were a golden age.

This project transcends the political parties. The people at the top don't really care which party is in control and I'm sure they chortled at the notion that a 'nobody' senator from Illinois was going to come marching into Washington and 'change' the status quo. I don't know if he just sold out, was threatened or scared but nothing has changed.

The system is corrupt, self-serving, and frankly evil. I just don't see a lot of Christian commentary that's really working to expose the system or ethically challenge those who are operating within it.

I suppose in the end many of the leaders of the Church are too heavily invested in it.

It's not a conspiracy. That's not what I'm suggesting. It's in the shadows but you can see what's going on if you bother to look. It's no great secret.

And even among the elites, there's plenty of scheming and backstabbing and no doubt conspiracies within the various camps. But in terms of the mainstream model which many people believe is delineated by two camps or factions that are against each other...that's fiction.

Because even the Left-wing senators and congressmen (with just a few exceptions) go along with the basic financial, military, and foreign policy paradigm. No matter the party they all belong to the Imperial party and command structure which incidentally contains a great number of people that were never voted for and are largely unknown to the general public.