Signs of the Times – part 32
Originally posted Aug. 8, 2013.
Quotes of the Times:
“Fear is a fantastic marketing tool… Fear sells. Fear makes money. The countless companies and consultants in the business of protecting the fearful from whatever they may fear know it too well. The more fear, the better the sales.” Daniel Gardner, ‘The Science of Fear’.
“I care not that they hate me, as long as they fear me.” Caligula, Roman Emperor.
“Social control is best managed through fear.” Michael Crichton, ‘State of Fear.’
“Mention UFOs and in the past you would be have been greeted with a chorus of derision, but today lots of people admit to having seen mysterious flying objects, and we are not talking the bewildered and the backwards – these are astronauts, pilots and defence officials. At the same time governments around the world, have started releasing their classified documents on UFO sightings and New Zealand is about to follow suit.” 60 minutes (TV news show) New Zealand edition, 2010.
“I became clearly convinced that there was substance to what was being reported in that we had ground visual, ground radar, airborne visual and airborne radar confirmation of some of these sightings.” Lt. Col. Charles Brown, official US Air Force, UFO investigator, interviewed by 60 minutes, NZ.
Question: Are there people on this planet who possess more wealth and power than others?
Answer: Yes! That is obvious.
Question: How do these people who possess more wealth and power than others, protect their wealth and power, from the others?
Answer: This time not so obvious. But nevertheless obvious after due consideration – they protect their already acquired and established wealth and power, by accumulating more wealth and power – wealth begets wealth and wealth begets power and power begets power.
There are many statistical sources and references that can be quoted to prove that there is a rapid escalation of wealth and power into the hands of the few at the expense of the many. Here is one, regarding the situation in America:
The super rich – the top 0.01% of the population own more of the natural wealth now than at any time since 1928, just before the Great Depression. And the richest 1% of the US population? They own a third of all US net worth… Now one in every seven Americans lives below the poverty line – that’s a record 42.2 million people, although it might actually be higher. The Guardian (UK Newspaper), Nov. 16, 2011.
Thus is established a progressive, escalating cycle of wealth and power in the hands of a few – and a progressive, downward cycle for the many. That this cycle is approaching its apex, is becoming increasingly obvious to the many. The rise of movements such as ‘We are the 99%’ testifies that people are seeing this phenomena at work in their own lives
Question: How then, do those bent on accumulation even more wealth and power, keep those who are losing wealth and power, from becoming aware that it is happening?
Answer: diversion and distraction. And the best distraction of all is – FEAR.
We can trace the ‘politics of fear’ back to the Italian Philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli (1469 – 1527). In medieval times, he wrote the manual for successful mediaeval rulers. His treatise was called ‘The Prince.’ Lesson 101 said: “Do not try and be popular – this will only be interpreted as weakness.” Lesson 102 said: “To establish authority and respect the people must fear the rulers.” The rest of the lessons dealt with practical lessons in brutality, duplicity and tactics. The ruling elite of the time enthusiastically embraced Machiavelli’s advice and history is replete with brutal kings, popes and all manner of tyrants who ruled their kingdoms through fear. [There have been occasional exceptions but in general the ‘politics of fear’ have been the rule].
However, when it comes to modern times, ‘the politics of fear’ do not work quite as well in modern democracies and republics, where politicians are elected by popular vote. In these political systems we are supposed to ‘love’ our leaders and our leaders are supposed to love us – otherwise why would we vote for them – no one is going to vote for someone that they fear.
In the more democratic systems, we now have institutions where people are supposed to take a more inclusive part in the political process. However, ‘the politics of fear’ are still employed and used effectively to steer the political agenda of all nations. The only thing that has changed is the method. In the past common brutality was employed, today we are much more sophisticated and civilized. The fear is now delivered through the media, directly into the minds of the lumpen proletariat, in the form of ‘issues’ (although common brutality is still an option – how often have you heard the mantra ‘all options are on the table’).
There are many fearful issues to choose from, the best ones are those that have a universal impact – those that affect the whole planet. As the worrying effect of one issue wears off, another is sought to take its place. For example, just a few years ago we were all going to die in a nuclear holocaust, and we had to be constantly on the alert for ‘reds under the bed.’ After the demise of the Soviet Union, we have been inundated with a succession of scary scenarios. There have been many public health scares, there was a time when we were all going to die of AIDS – and then we all going to die of cancer because of the hole in the ozone layer – and then there was ‘SARS’ (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) – and then Bird Flu – and then Swine Flu. They even invented a scary new word for the end of the world, called ‘pandemic’ (the fright factor used to be limited to ‘epidemics’ – but ‘pandemic’ has a nice world-wide ring to it).
Some of these fright issues have been more successful than others. For the fashionably frightened, one of the more successful scary scenarios was/is ‘Man-Made (anthropomorphic) Global Warming.’ But here too, the results have not been as rewarding as hoped. The fright factor failed to deliver the necessary world-wide legislation at the Copenhagen Summit in 2009. Since then the fright factor attached to ‘Global Warming’ has fizzled into ‘Climate Change’ (indicating that the climate is changing – “ho hum, it always has” – “woe is us, the fright factor has departed”).
However, we can always fall back on ‘the war on terror’ – which has huge fright factor built into it, because, it is progressively terrifying and it can go on for ever and ever and get closer and closer. For example, the terrorists used to live overseas and wear funny clothes – they were easy to identify and easy to kill. Now they are living in the same neighbourhood, soon they will be living right next door. They are no longer easy to identify, they wear the same clothes as us, they even look like us – “Oh no! We are the terrorists now! How did that happen?”
Unfortunately, the ‘war on terror’ does not come with ‘warm fuzzy feel good factor’ – it is a divisive factor between nations and peoples. The ideal scary scenario is one that unites the people of the earth in a common cause to defeat it (in this respect the global warming scare was almost perfect – it had ‘warm fuzzy feel good factor’ – the noble cause of saving the planet for future generations – what a buzz – what a shame it did not last!).
So taking what we have learned about the universal appeal of global warming, where are we going to find our next ‘fright fix?’ One that will have ‘noble cause’ – ‘warm fuzzy feel good factor’ attached to it – one that will unite the planet and usher in a one world government to fight the fright.
Let’s see, we need an enemy that is common to the whole of mankind – an enemy that threatens the whole planet – an enemy that we can all unite against. Of course! Why didn’t we think of it before! How about the UFO/Aliens phenomena???? Well, actually someone did think about that before, and he told it to all and anyone, who would listen, including the United Nations. That person was Ronald Reagan (maybe he watched too many Hollywood movies).
After being the staple diet of many Hollywood movies and TV shows and after being covered for several decades by the alternative media, the UFO/Aliens phenomena, is slowly gaining the attention of the main stream media. Even the Catholic Church is coverings its bets. In the official Vatican newspaper (L’Osservatore Romano – May 13, 2008), the official Vatican astronomer Fr. Jose Gabriel Funes, SJ, gave an interview under the headline, ‘The Alien is my Brother.’ [The Jesuits have two observatories, one in Italy, one in California]. The question we have to ask ourselves is why? Why is the UFO/Alien phenomena becoming mainstream, when it always dwelt in the shadows, in the past? Why is it getting a facelift now? Is it possible that the UFO/Aliens phenomena, is going to be attached to someone’s political agenda? And thus become a Sign of the Times! In order to understand this, we need to look very briefly at what the UFO/Aliens phenomena is, and what it is not.
In spite of all the ridicule and misinformation, UFOs and their alien hitchhikers, have been the subject of long and intense scrutiny, by reputable and competent investigators. After many years, some of them have come to the same conclusions (independent of each other):
- What it is not: it is not visitors from outer space.
- What it is: it is actually the deceptive work of supernatural entities.
- Some go so far as to identify these entities as demons.
- These demons are not friendly – they are hostile to mankind.
- The only people, who are protected from this demonic activity, are committed followers of Jesus Christ.
- The UFO/Alien phenomena is hostile to Christianity.
Some of these investigators, after beginning their journeys of discovery, as atheists and unbelievers, have ended their journey as committed followers of Jesus Christ themselves. These conversions to Christ are compelling evidence in, and of themselves, to the fact that, the UFO/Aliens phenomena, is exactly what these investigators say it is: – demonic.
Now, demons are really good at scaring people. Ronald Reagan thought so. In a speech he gave, before the assembled dignitaries, at the United Nations, he said the following:
“In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences world-wide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world.” Sept. 21, 1987.
Reagan liked to share this ‘idea’ with all and sundry, including the Secretary General of the Soviet Union in a speech at Fallston High School, Maryland; he commented on recent meetings that he had had with Mickail Gorbachev:
“How easy his task and mine might be in these meetings that we held if suddenly there was a threat to this world from some other species from another planet outside in the universe. We’d forget all the little local differences that we have between our countries…” Dec. 4, 1985.
Reagan has helped us to identify another reason for scary scenarios, with a high degree of fear factor. For many years, the powers that be, have been trying to create a one world government. They have been trying to sell us this new world order, using the fear factor. Global Warming almost did it for them. It almost succeeded because it was sold to us as a universal, global, world-wide problem – even those cute/cuddly polar bears were going to starve or drown. Unfortunately, those ignorant and selfish Chinese and Russians (and some other moral bankrupts) would not sign at Copenhagen. Nevertheless, lessons have been learned – it has been recognized that a good universal, global, world-wide scare can almost get them there.
What evidence do we have that such a scare might be just around the corner (or in the sky)? At this point in time not a lot – however, we do have some prophetic indications. It is written that the time will come when: “Men’s hearts (will be) failing them for fear…“ (Luke 21:26). When is this fearful event going to happen? Well, it is also written: “For when they begin to say peace and safety, sudden destruction comes upon them” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). ‘Hmm, I wonder what Homeland Security is all about… and all that other legislation… what’s the purpose of it…?’ Anyway, moving on, we’ve also been told that demons will be central stage in the ‘latter times’ – “But the (Holy) Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in the latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach” (1 Timothy 4:1. Amplified Bible). Paul penned this warning nearly 2000 years ago, therefore it is pretty much a certainty, that we have reached the ‘latter times’ – and at this time demons are going to be teaching us deluding doctrine – I wonder what that could be? And there is more: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine… And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy. 3, 4). Surely, we sophisticated ‘end-timers’ don’t believe in fables do we? – fables are for children.
In addition, in these ‘latter times’ there will be a ‘demonically assisted’ major power, on the earth, with the ability to do ‘great wonders’ – even – ‘bringing fire down from heaven.’ I wonder what nation that could be? It must be a powerful nation, with some very fancy technology, up its sleeve. But we don’t have to speculate about the purpose behind these miracles and wonders. The purpose is to scare the people of the earth into giving their allegiance to another power, known as the “first beast whose deadly wound was healed” (see The Book of Revelation, chapter 13).
Moving on again, we find that demons are sent forth to organize the whole world for war (which necessitates some form of one world government, see Revelation 16:13, 14). Finally, this one world government comes to light in Revelation chapter 17 – here we find a woman sitting on a beast – it is also stated that she sits on waters and mountains (in other words she sits on everything and everyone – controlling and directing everything on the earth). This control is further empathically stated, by the fact that she “commits fornication (illicit union) with the kings of the earth’ – in return these kings ‘have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast’ (the woman is in control of the beast). And let’s not forget that other centre of global power – banking and finance. That too, is under the control of the woman and the beast – (see Revelation Chapter 18, especially verses 11-14, 23).
If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, we will be aware of this structure being built right in front of us. It only needs a good scare to see this modern day Tower of Babel completed. So, if you get an excited phone call from friend or family, in the not too distant future, telling you to turn on your TV, don’t believe what you see… and don’t see what you believe.
God bless, Bruce Telfer.
Note: Ronald Reagan was not the first to desire aliens running around the back yard in pursuit of world peace. Many others have promoted the same idea, and a long time before Reagan, here are two:
“Someone remarked that the best way to unite all the nations on this globe would be an attack from some other planet. In the face of such an alien enemy, people would respond with a sense of their unity of interest and purpose.” John Dewey, professor of philosophy, Columbia University, 1917.
“The next war will be an interplanetary war. The nations of the earth must someday make a common front against attack by people from other planets.” General Douglas MacArthur, speaking to graduating class at West Point (prestigious US Military Officers School) 1955. The General gave this same speech, several times, elsewhere.
Extra Note: in 1938 Orson Welles (actor and radio host), adapted the H. G. Wells book ‘The War of the Worlds’ (about an alien invasion from Mars), for radio. The broadcast was mistaken for a real alien invasion by a large segment of the American public in the north east area of America. The result was wide spread panic – thousands of people fled their homes to escape ‘the Martians.’ It was an interesting event. It demonstrated that, even an unintentional and fictional account, of an alien invasion, can generate great fear. [H G. Wells’ book was recently made into a Hollywood movie].
Extra Question: why do the Jesuits (a religious order), think it is necessary to have their own observatories? What are they looking for?
