Did you know there are now new sections of the Justice Department dedicated to to preventing “copyright abuse.” I kid you not – and these departments came into being in the dead of night without discussion, for the obvious reason that like most corrupt legislation they exist to pay off people who have been generous to politicians.
In a time and place where the nation is in the worst economic condition in a lifetime, when billionaires walk free after committing heinous crimes against the economy the American way is to make sure that some poverty stricken unemployed guy should not get away with saving fifty cents to download a ten year old copy of “Stargate Universe.”
Go figure.
Secondly a little odd history that actually tells us about how information flows. Information Theory, actually, is one of our primary subjects here and it’s most useful to know because unlike, say propaganda, pys-ops, advertising, or public relations, it can be viewed from a relatively objective standpoint. Also at times it bears resemblance to “Freakanomics” in that one sees consistent unexpected results from given situations.
One such case is when we ask a question and get and answer, but the answer is one step ahead of being complete and thereby we miss the whole point. A good example is “Who started World War One?” The overall answer is that the world was a tinderbox waiting to explode, as the old empires like Russia, The Austro-Hungarian empire and even Britain could no longer sustain themselves and so the assassination of the Archduke of Hungary was the spark that set things off. This is the usual understanding and basically correct.
But it’s a little more involved then that, and much less a result of chance.
When we hear the story we assume that some nutcase, anarchist, runs up to the car where the Archduke and his wife are motoring and shoots him – as if it was a spur of the moment act of a lunatic. Actually the story is different.
Serbia, where the killing took place, was at the time under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and they did not like it. Like most instances of the sort the submissive state was furious and the masters thought everything was fine. Here’s where the propaganda aspects come into play. Technically it’s called “The Great Game.” which is to say the game of international geo-politics. In the modern era we may suggest it began
Suffice to say no country will admit they place this game because, among other things, the player pieces are human lives and murder is the preferred means of scoring points. Messages are constantly being sent and they often are mixed. While appearing on the surface to be antagonistic nations may be in fact comfortable in a condition of shared goals. Likewise, as in the case of the Japanese peace envoy to the Roosevelt administration, such overt actions are meant to mask covert actions ( An attack was already underway as the envoys were knocking at the White House door)
Many a seemingly random action then is actually a specific action with a specific goal of making a specific0110104 point. The Archduke Ferdinand assassination was a classic case in point. Serbia has been struggling for independence for centuries. Some might even say, for millennia, since it was once northern Macedonia and briefly ruled the known world, but like Wales and Scotland it as the disadvantage of being too close to a greater power.
The Hungarians wanted to send a message to the Serbians, which was that Hungry was their masters . One way this is done is the parading of the ruler through the streets. It has major ritual significance, even and in fact especially if the ruler is not liked. Cognitive Dissonance theory tells us if we force people to do what they would not ordinarily do they will “adjust their thinking” and come around to our way of thinking.
Rulers have always known this. It’s nice to be loved but it is necessary to be respected. To gain respect then we must humiliate the population that is not submissive to our will. That’s why we constantly elect tough bastards like Nixon and Reagan and piss on weak faggots like Carter. Toughness is largely measured by our willingness to killor hurt people and still sleep at night.
Thus the Arch duke choose the anniversary of the day that the Austro-Hungarians first conquered the Serbs , June 28. 1389. That’s right the victory lasted over five hundred years and the Serbs were still upset. So much for time healing all wounds. He, or his advisors chose this day to humiliate the Serbs and send the message that they did not control their own nation on the most sacred day of the year.
When word of this came out, dozens of Serb men, enraged, volunteered to do the killing. The route the car was to travel was lined by over twenty assassins. Thje first two missed because the car was going too fast but when the car had to slow to make a turn the killer struck. Condemned in the international press in his homeland he was lauded as a hero.
Soon after the western world burst into flames. Thus the great game entered a new stage, and continues to this very day.
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