“The mind of the people is made up for it by . . . those persons who understand the manipulation of public opinion and know how to skillfully supply the public with ‘inherited prejudices’ and ‘verbal formulas.’ ” – Ty & Charlene Bollinger
“Man is what suits a particular type of society in a particular historical stage. Society is not created to suit man and his humanness, but man is socialized and educated to conform to society. In fact, it is not that man is educated to conform but that education itself is culture forming” – Paul Goodman – Growing Up Absurd
“Every culture educates its young into the meaning of their heritage.” – R.J. Rushdoony – Intellectual Schizophrenia
“It is my belief that the man made, or anthropogenic, global warming (AGW) concept is a flawed theory based upon misleading, incomplete and heavily politicized science whose time has come and gone and will only be referred to in the context of pointing out its obvious myths.” – John Casey – Dark Winter.
Casey goes on to state that: “The theory of man-made global warming and climate- change based on human greenhouse gas emissions is the greatest international scientific fraud ever perpetrated on the world’s citizens.”
I sat beside a leading climatologist on a flight from Vancouver to Toronto. He was the top governmental man in this department. I asked him if he believed in the Ice Age. To which he replied, “Of course!” I then asked, “What precipitated the dramatic change that caused the Ice Age and then resulted in itsthaw,consideringthatman’s‘carbon footprint’ was not a factor?” He did acknowledge that my question cast a shadow over current global warming theories but quickly emphasised that we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
So, what is my point? Our minds are shaped by those who control the media and education. The fact is that those seeking total power, whether a Roman Caesar, a Nazi Fuhrer, a Communist regime, or a democratically elected party, will endeavor to suppress, intimidate or remove any power that will hinder the implementation of their goals. An old saying states: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Will you give me the right to hold an opposing point of view without being stereotyped, marginalized, vilified, criminalized or outright persecuted? If the protection of one group muzzles the voice of another, do we really have freedom of speech? If I say that the behavior of a kleptomaniac is wrong, am I attacking his character or promoting hate? If I use words that diminish the value of the person, then I have crossed a line. Behavior must be viewed as a choice of the will not a definition of value.
Our culture has developed a strong antagonism to anyone who stands up and says, “I’m right and you’re wrong.” When a person, from a transcendent set of values, challenges the lifestyle choices of the culture in which he/ she lives, there is often a backlash. Our danger is that we begin to stereotype the person. The Dictionary of Modern Sociology” defines a stereotype as “A preconceived (not based on experience), standardized, group shared idea about the alleged essential nature of those making up a whole category of persons, the most significant of such group shared ideals being without regard to individual differences among those making up the category and being an emotional charged negative evaluation.”
From my point of view, the media (including movies and music) has used its power to shape the view of the masses relative to global warming, abortion, euthanasia, gender identity, homosexuality and free enterprise. Remember, truth out of context is non-truth.
For example, a New York prosecutor referred to two Christians who were on trial for praying in front of an abortion clinic, as “rabid Christians.” The dictionary defines rabid as “fanatical, fierce, furious, insane, raging, rampant, virulent, violent.” No evidence was given to support the accusation.
The fact is, we all operate from an established worldview. A worldview is like a cabinet, with a drawer for every bit of information that we gather in our life. It provides a place from which we establish the nature of man, the meaning of life, the existence of God, the role of government, the meaning of family, the place of education and the existence of the universe. Our worldview is not always articulated in succinct statements of fact but it is there governing our choices, determining our values, motivating our goals, and coloring our judgments.
What is the worldview that establishes the priority of jobs over the criminal actions of a company? What is the worldview that presents legislation that bans wearing, or having, personal religious symbols at your place of employment? What is the worldview that crafts legislation that gives the teacher the right to keep the primary child’s questions of gender identity from the parent?
Our culture is shaped and our worldview altered by “those persons who understand the manipulation of public opinion” and know how to skillfully supply the public with “inherited prejudices.” As we prepare for an election may I encourage you to persistently ask the question: “What is the worldview that is shaping the policy?” Is it consistent with the foundational values of our nation? Does it stereotype, marginalize, vilify or criminalize a targeted group? Be an informed voter!
Duane Harder
