We Are Entering An Era Of Shattered IllusionsBrandon Smith Catastrophe occurs when too many people refuse to accept that around us always are two universes at work. There is the cold, hard reality that underlies everything. And on the surface is a veil of deceit and compromise. The more humanity compromises vital truths in order to enjoy the comfort of illusions, the more mind-shattering it will be when those illusions fall away. These two worlds can coexist only for short periods of time, and they will always and eventually collide. There is no other possible outcome. I think it could be said that the more polarized our realities become, the more explosive and disastrous the reaction will be when the separation is removed. I feel it absolutely necessary to relate this danger because today humanity is living so historically far from the bedrock of reality, political reality, social reality and economic reality that the stage has been set for a kind of full-spectrum destabilization that has never been seen before. Though my analysis tends to lean toward the economic side of things, I am not only speaking of shattered illusions in the financial realm. In my next article, one last time I plan to go over nearly every mainstream economic statistic used today to misdirect the public (from national debt to unemployment to inflation to retail sales and corporate profits) and expose why they are false while giving you the real numbers. Most of my regular readers are familiar with much of this information, but I think it important to consolidate it all in a single article so that we can take stock of where our society sits fiscally as we enter 2015. For now, though, I want to discuss the core problem of self-deception, the problem that makes all the rest of our problems possible. When the initial phase of the global collapse was triggered in 2007 and 2008, there was a substantial explosion in interest and education in terms of liberty issues and alternative economic awareness. I remember back in 2006 when I had just begun writing for the movement that the ratio of people on any given Web forum or in any given public discussion was vastly opposed to alternative viewpoints and information at least 50-1 by my observations. We were at the height of the real estate frenzy; everyone was buying houses with money they didnt have and borrowing on their mortgages to purchase stuff they didnt need. Life was good. The shock of the credit crisis came quickly and abruptly for most people, and there has been a considerable shift in the kinds of discussions many are willing to entertain about our future. Yet the idea that such things can happen despite a consensus of social and geopolitical health does not seemed to have soaked into the thick skulls of average people. Time, unfortunately, has a magical ability to erase vigilance. Its not that the public has necessarily forgotten that danger can strike anytime anywhere (though some of them have). Many of them know full well that our culture is floating on a paper-thin ship in a turbulent sea. However, the disturbing trend today reveals that people have decided they do not care. Taking the blue pill is the rising rally cry from the so-called new normal. Yes, the economy is an illusion, the political system is an illusion and the various global conflicts our society participates in are mostly illusions. But we cant do anything about it, so we might as well profit from these illusions while we can, right? It has been said that during the economic collapse of the 1930s that the Great Depression was a depression only for the 30 percent of people who had lost everything. For the employed and the financially secure, the depression was much like any other time. This is the point at which we stand today in the collective mindset. With nearly a third of the U.S. population kicked off the unemployment rolls and approximately half the country dependent on a government check of some kind for their survival, the current depression is only now beginning to feel like a depression for anyone. The soup lines have received a fresh candy coating of EBT cards and welfare payments, but the illusion is finally fading, and this should be of great concern to us all in 2015. Even more frightening is our cultures deluded sense of what a collapse actually looks like. For many, collapse is a cinematic and overnight affair, with zombies, nuclear bombs and mass panic. In real life, and throughout history, collapse is a process. Since at least 2008, the U.S. and the rest of the world have been experiencing that process. Everyone is waiting for equities to implode and for social unrest to erupt before they take the threat seriously, but these are not signals of collapse. These are the things that occur when a collapse has run its course. Collapse never occurs overnight. It takes years for the effects of social and fiscal breakdown to be visibly felt. And when they are felt, many people refuse to notice. Eighty years ago, America was halfway through the Great Depression, and mainstream economists were STILL claiming that recovery was right around the corner. Illusion and self-deception can be so powerful that the worst miseries can be normalized, at least for a little while. And it isnt only the general public that is stricken with crippling bias. There are those within the liberty movement who have bought into false paradigms for various reasons, and this threatens any progress we have made over the past several years. There are those who still think that the conflict between Eastern and Western politicians and banking elites is somehow real. There are those who believe that Russia and China, despite their numerous and undeniable ties to the global banking syndicate (information I have covered in multiple articles over the years), are the good guys, while Western nations are the bad guys, rather than them all being mere subsidiaries and franchises of the same monstrous globalist machine. They hold onto this illusion, I think, because it is much more frightening to accept the reality that we are alone, that the liberty movement is the first and last line of defense against centralization, that the responsibility for the future of independence and individual freedom rests on our shoulders. It is much easier to fantasize that there are others out there, nations and governments with armies and capital, that are on our side and will fight our battles for us. This illusion will be a painful one for many in the movement as they begin to realize that the East is actually working in tandem with international financiers instead of working against them. There are also those in the liberty movement who cling to the notion that the fight against globalism will be won without physical conflict. They believe that if we simply protest long enough, play the political and legal game long enough, nullify long enough, refuse to participate long enough, that the elitist edifice, an edifice which has existed for centuries and has manipulated historical precedence for just as long, will suddenly disappear in a puff of fairy dust. The first problem with this strategy is that it relies on the assumption of time. Sure, anything is possible given ample opportunity. Perhaps the movement could grind away at the New World Order over the course of several decades until the majority of the masses are awake and aware (which is exactly how long it would take). However, I think it infinitely foolish to presume that we have decades to accomplish such a task. If the past has shown us anything, it is that tyranny does not respect reason and, at a certain point, couldnt care less about image. Tyranny respects only power. It does not respect the protestations of ants it can crush under foot, but it will make a wide path around a rattlesnake ready to strike. While there is utility in the pursuit of intellectual and philosophical combat, if you are not willing to be the rattlesnake as well, then you are not going to affect change against such an opponent. You will eventually be stepped on. The refusal to accept responsibility for ones own defense is yet another product of fear fear that the enemy is too powerful, that all resistance is futile. But resistance is only assured failure if resistance is never undertaken. Sheeple defeat themselves within their own minds before they ever stand up, and so they never stand. This is the only reason totalitarian elements ever achieve success. Again, many in the liberty movement are going to face a rude awakening when they realize they have relied too much on the notion of the system policing itself, instead of preparing for the worst-case scenario. And finally, the globalists themselves suffer from a veritable fog of illusions to which I can speak only briefly. We are stepping over the threshold of an age that will shatter the illusions of everyone, and the internationalists are no exception. The root pillar of elitist globalism itself is that some men are born to rule, while other men are born to serve. Some men are born kings, and other men are born slaves. The psychopathy of this belief system should be evident, but psychopathy also elicits blinding ego and hubris, which smothers any inherent questions of motive. I do not think the elites ever actually consider the validity of their own philosophies. I am relatively certain their manner of viewing the world is much like that of a cult, a religious sect driven by the brutality of zealotry rather than the empowering nature of understanding. Such men cannot be reasoned with. In fact, zealots often revel in their ability to trample all other worldviews as they grasp for complete dominance of their ideology. The illusion of rightness is far more important to them than actual truth, and this is their greatest weakness. Hidden under all the posturing and power grabbing, deep in the recesses of their own assumed omnipotence, I sense an ever present terror within the globalist culture. I sense a brand of terror that comes only from the seed of doubt. The incredible array of propaganda leveled at the public, the constant war gaming and mind gaming against the citizenry, the endless hailstorm of legal maneuvering designed to erase our sense of connection with our natural rights and liberties, the tidal wave of fearmongering, and all the manipulations and scapegoats and elaborate theatrical displays, all reek of fear. For if the globalists were truly as omnipotent as they pretend to be if they really were all-knowing philosopher kings born to rule then they would already have their New World Order. They would not need lies. They would not need the threat of force. The undeniable power of their ideology would be enough if their ideology actually had any validity. Lies are designed to hide lack of validity and lack of strength. The globalists are, at bottom, a hollow shell desperately clamoring for substance. What may appear to be the thoroughness of the elitist con is actually a form of micro-management that exhibits a fundamental doubt of success. The globalists wish they could predict the future, but they cannot. So they are just as afraid as the most of humanity. I believe we are entering an era in which they will feel the stark pain of shattered illusions and the destruction of their own fantasies, no less felt than the pain of the rest of the world. Our mission as an opposing force to globalism is to come to terms with our own illusions and to erase them, to stop compromising and to stop waiting for the final shoe to drop and to take positive action now rather than after the endgame develops. This means preparation and organization for the worst-case scenarios. This means making ones family, neighborhood and community as self-reliant and secure as possible. The excuses have to stop. The distractions and intellectualized silver bullet solutions have to stop. Hard work and risk are all that are left, all that matters. If we do this, and if we do this now, then victory is possible. In any contest of strength and will, he who knows himself best, he who sheds all illusion, will be the winner. REMINDER: Alt-Markets winter donation drive is now underway! If you would like to support the publishing of articles like the one you have just read, visit our donations page here. We greatly appreciate your patronage. You can contact Brandon Smith at: brandon@alt-market.com A very impressive write. There are to many fine points to list them here in praise. I would add a few points, but distraction from this important write would be unkind. I hope this gets read by a great many people. Ill start it off tick tock tick tock the clock is ticking , do you feel it ? i sure do we are waking up but what does it matter , when the SHTF happens its every man for him self AND THEY KNOW IT that is why they have underground bases ready to go while the rest of us get to fight it out . I know im very negative but lets be realistic their guns are better then ours . Watch the doc Engines of domination we better get these tools working for the people . tc and great article . shatter this: losethename.com P.C. Hodgell That which can be destroyed by the truth should be. What. A. Post., Brandon More and more as I encounter friends, relatives, and colleagues I find the majority are ready and just waiting patiently for it to all come tumbling down. Unfortunately, they will only come to a united front in the 11th hour. Most people I know today work their best under pressure. By the looks of everything going on today, Id say that hour is here. This fine summation of what is happening and your cry for NO MORE EXCUSES should be copied by all and taken to their next local town meeting. Sign in for your 2 minutes and PLEASE READ THIS OUT LOUD. I guarantee you that every problem item on your agenda is directly related to The NWO Powers That Want To BE. .your cry for NO MORE EXCUSES should be copied by all and taken to their I dont think you quite get the point! what am I missing? as TRUTH below comments: just because weve identified the problem,, one assumes they are awake . When you point out this information to people who are just arguing back and forth with each other (i.e. town meetings) maybe the collective will put their differences aside for a moment to come to realize the bigger picture. It was a simple suggestion for those who dont know what they can do. thankyouverymuchplease Excellent piece, cant wait for the next with compiled information. The NWO is very afraid and it can be seen in their collective actions. Fearing people is their top concern. Between gun control and internet control, they believe they will have the population contained. The time to become more active and more cohesive is now. If a person is unsure how to approach others, begin with a personal story of feeling the pinch of rising health insurance or foods. Most everyone identifies with these things. Do not approach with hard-core ideology or survivalism, but with comments on what things will be like in a month or two, or how the stores seem so empty now. Start small, proceed carefully, remember opsec, but begin new alliances. Yes, this is a good article but unfortunately people have the idea that identifying the problem is the solution and we all wipe our hands and go back to the same activity that got us here. All I ever hear is, when people wake up, or, when the shit hits the fan I do not wish to lord over anyone nor them over me. The bad news. 2 The shit has been hitting the fan for sometime now. It will take bold action. Our society has been purposely fractured to the point of being a million little bubbles, and darlene who said, it will be every man for himself so far is correct. You know this is true because you read the same infighting from commenters on many different websites including this one. I hear a lot of fighting and name calling. These are the words of children. One ordinarily would have to visit a playground to hear such articulate and mature statements. And the real culprits are sitting back laughing at how easy it is to manipulate you into doing their fighting for them. We are surrounded by white collar criminality, but we are too busy picking at each other over foolish contrived reasons to notice. Until the people come together and make the laws apply to everyone equally they will be manipulated and oppressed. We have paper tigers who are experts at frightening everyone into believing there is nothing that we can do. So no one tries. One well placed blow will send these cowards crumbling and we will wonder why didnt do it much earlier. A cognizant, prescient and sentient reply. I am not puncturing your hypothesis, but feel compelled to point out a conundrum that is difficult to resolve. I use your own words in the presentation of; Until the people come together and make the laws apply to everyone equally they will be manipulated and oppressed. That statement could be echoed by the globalists with confidence- so much so that it basically encapsulates their primary argument for a NWO. And therein lies the rub, as it is said. After a great deal of thinking on this very topic, Ive come to the conclusion that the only group large enough to sustain itself as a functioning society is at the tribal level..ideally 200 hundred persons or thereabout. At that level, aberrations are noted at an early age. We can refer to the 4% estimate of persons with psychopathic tendencies. (There is significant research to be easily had). Such persons are either never allowed near the center of responsibility for the tribe, or, depending on the degree of psychopathic manifestation, would be killed or driven into exile; a death sentence in the deep jungle. The KEY to this success is found in the numbers. Small enough that everyone will know everyone. There is ample proof of this success in the jungles of South America. Anyway, thats the issue. I think any re-set is doomed for all but the most very isolated and living in a cave. The electronic control grid is complete. The military is at minimum 40 years beyond what is publicly known. There is a system that is so tight, when they finally do pull off their gloves.well, better to leave that alone. With current drone imaging capabilities, a person above ground doesnt stand a chance. And please remember, YOU dont have to be personally sought by the NWO policeANYONE not accounted for is going to be bagged and tagged. This is not paranoia, but fact. The globalist bastidos will indeed crawl into their holes and emerge after the destruction, with all the tools to mop up the mess. Anywayhave a super day! P.S. I resent any reference to them as elite. I find the word elite to deserve better treatment that an alignment with psychopathic, mass murdering criminals that want us dead. Well written and timely. Sometimes I think our levels of consciousness are 3 tiered, we reside in either: As we tug and pull at their belief set. Yo Linus, its about your blanket It takes courage to face the truth at this time. A time to re-member who we be. 