Perception of Futility Serves Whom?

Portland Version

"We talk a lot about it here. Controlling information flow has been the most cost-effective means of influencing mass agency for some time now. The competition for who does is perhaps the most important conflict that we humans engage in.

"Abdication is to cede authority to a person or persons who may have very little interest in our well-being, the common good or maintaining the planet's ecosystem for the long term."

The earlier discussion revolved around the seeming paradox that otherwise well informed people felt somewhat powerless to change some of the more perplexing of imposed orders. That they did not have a voice and so decided not to waste energy trying to speak.

On deeper examination many of those same people had clung to the notion that 'new' meant less secure even when readily available evidence showed that not to be the case. There was a significant correlation between listening to repeated phrases and distrusting the send-only medium responsible for distributing them.  Fair enough.

What made less sense is, after awhile, people began trusting conversation less - both in-person and in the presence of technology.  Its as if 'communication' itself was suspect.

Put in such simple terms, it does sound silly that such a thing could happen with the most capable agents on the planet. But that is the way it is, is it not? Truth is, the most brilliant among us are smart enough to admit they are on auto-pilot most of the time.

Meanwhile, back in the witches' cave ...

© 2011 Buzz Hill