Awake, O Sleeper…

\”For anything that becomes visible is light.
Awake, O sleeper..\”
(Ephesians 5:14)

Does it seem like it\’s getting harder to find the truth?

Feel like you can\’t breathe sometimes,
like you\’re suffocating underneath all the lies?

If you answered \”yes\”, well– join the club.
But if you answered \”no\”, well–it seems that
you haven\’t been paying attention.

But wait a minute.  

Don\’t we live in the \”information age\”? 

Welcome to the (un)Information Age

In the 1990s, we entered what is known as the Information Age. It was a moment in time when technology took a giant leap, and our world  was radically changed, forever. Personal computers, the worldwide web and email began to transform how we communicate.

Today, pretty much any information we want is at our fingertips–literally. Ironically though, many people are more confused than ever, not knowing what or who to believe.  Lately, anyone who spots a lie being told by those in a position of authority,  and  is brave enough to speak up is swiftly attacked. Individuals who speak up and question an \”official\” story that doesn\’t add up are labelled \”conspiracy theorists\”. The concerns they raise are dismissed as nonsense. Legitimate questions are not properly addressed. And should an expert who is armed with special knowledge dare to come forward, the  mainstream media will descend on them with a vengeance. The expert is swiftly discredited, and he or she will likely become the target of a smear campaign. Depending on the line of work, he or she may lose their job.

What is happening to free speech?

Who–or what— is behind such censorship?

In Corporations We Trust?

 We live in an age when corporations have grown to such enormous size, they now pose a real threat. Some threaten the wellbeing of communities or ecosystems. Some threaten the health of plants, animals or even humans.  But they also can undermine democracy by influencing or even controlling governments. Important industries are dominated by a handful of giants that often operate on a global scale. Some have economies larger than those of smaller nations.

The media industry is following the same trend, with large corporations buying up small ones. The content of mainstream news is now controlled by a handful of billionaires. Often centrally \”produced\”, it is a mixture of cherry-picked facts and half-baked truths, sprinkled with lies. TV news has been steadily degrading over the decades.  Now most of it is basically junk journalism: news \”shows\” that are biased, scripted and carefully crafted to manipulate public opinion. More and more thoughtful, intelligent people are switching off in disgust. 

Why Tech Billionaires are Buying Old-School Media

The internet  changed the way we get our news, and it has put tremendous pressure on those who create and publish it. The Washington Post was no different, and several years ago, the iconic newspaper found itself struggling to survive. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he made the decision to purchase the company because \”it is the newspaper in the capital city of the most important country in the world\” and \”has an incredibly important role to play in this democracy.”  Interesting. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv_vkA0jsyo

After watching only the first 15 minutes of the above interview, I found there was a lot to think about.  Jeff Bezos has charisma, and you find yourself wanting to like him. He truly surprised me when he started talking about the importance of \”intuition\” and \”heart\” when making decisions, and then he told a story about starting Amazon back in the 90s, about how he used to drive packages of book ordered by customers to the post office. I found myself really wanting to believe in him. That said, I cannot quite swallow this story, that his motive for purchasing the Washington Post was to rescue an iconic newspaper from the dustbin of history.

A couple of years ago, Forbes published an article examining the recent trend of billionaires investing in media companies. Everyone, it seems, is talking about this phenomenon lately.  A recent article in the New York Times article suggests that it is good PR for the super wealthy, making them appear as \”civic-minded saviours\”. 

In 2013, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos surprised everyone when he suddenly purchased the Washington Post. 

Marc Benioff is the founder and CEO of Salesforce.com Inc., a cloud computing/ software giant based in California. In 2018, he announced plans to buy Time magazine.

I\’d like to believe Jeff Bezos\’ story about why he bought the Washington Post. I\’d like to believe it were that simple, but our 21st century world isn\’t that simple. I have learned too much about giant transnational corporations and how those who steer them operate, and that they adhere to a particular worldview.

Also, we all watched as Jeff Bezos\’ net worth skyrocketed in 2020, and learned that he had become the first person to be worth more that $200 billion. What I didn\’t hear, though, was anyone saying that it bothered him to watch so many brick & mortar businesses closing their doors. Some of these businesses that crumbled were second or third generation family operations that had stood the test of time and served their communities for decades, only to be destroyed by the lockdowns. I know Amazon isn\’t to blame for the lockdowns, but I was still waiting for something from this super rich guy who\’d suddenly accumulated so many more $billions during the pandemic to do something to help. After all, didn\’t a large chunk of the income they\’d lost in 2020 end up in his wallet?  I am sure quite of few of them were sort of icons in the cities they\’d served for so long.

A Trend that Began in the 90s with… Bill Gates

In 1996, Microsoft  entered into a joint venture with NBC News, a partnership \”intended to help NBC to expand its reach\”. Hmm. 

Or was it the other way around?

MSNBC = Microsoft + NBC (1996- 2012)

Bill Gates\’s more recent financial ties to the media are far more disturbing. Through his Foundation, Bill Gates has been moving around $billions over the past decade, funding university departments, research groups and non-profits that align with his own aims and interests, under the guise of \”philanthropy\”. This is a huge topic that I cannot get into in this article, but I do want to point out that an enormous amount of otherwise taxable profits from Microsoft were channeled into the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and from there Gates was able to re-distribute that money to help further his agendas.  Some of the generous \”donations\” have gone to media firms, and not just recently.

A decade ago, the Seattle Times reported that ABC and the Guardian were among the recipients of Gates Foundation donations. And in August of 2020, the Columbia Journalism Review reported that there were many others funded by Gates, including BBC, NBC, the National Journal, The Guardian, the Financial Times, the New York Times, and many more. The CJR tallied up the donations to a whopping $250 million. You can\’t help but wonder what possible effects this might have.

Is it possible that the grateful recipients  would be less likely to publish an article that in some way criticizes Bill Gates or his Foundation? Small wonder that more and more of us are tuning out mainstream media, preferring to get our news from small, independent sources we can trust, even \”citizen journalists\”.

Is There Still a Free Press?

The graph below is from an article published in December 2019. The graph in the original article is larger, showing the 25 CEOs and companies that control the most media outlets. A handful of people now decide what stories and events will be covered on mainstream media, and equally importantly, what will not be mentioned at all. The image below is a live link to an article  that is worth reading.

No matter what actually happens in the lives of other people, it isn\’t part of your reality if you don\’t know about it. This speaks to the enormous power of the media, which influences our perception of reality, and in turn, shapes the world in which we live. Such power should NEVER be in the hands of only a few individuals. 

A Long History of Manipulation

There has been a deliberate and well-organized effort to manipulate the American people for about a century now, and this is where it has led us.  And of course, what began in the U.S. soon spilled over into Canada, Europe and Australia–and any country that embraced an artificial culture based on consumerism. 

Sigmund Freud had a nephew by the name of Edward Bernays who played a key role, athough many have still never heard of him.

Sigmund Freud\’s nephew, Edward Bernays

Although he remained outside of the public eye, Ed Bernays was well-known to members of both the corporate and political elite. In fact, he was one of the most well-connected and influential men in 20th century America. 

After studying the theories of psychology written by his uncle in Vienna, Bernays went to America, where he successfully applied them for the benefit of his clients, thus earning him the title of \”father of public relations\”. Ed Bernays\’ \”success\” was to create a fake culture shaped by ads and PR campaigns designed to manipulate citizens.

Paid-for ads are one thing; we come to understand that they are designed to influence us. But we are entering dangerous territory when privately-owned media corporations get in on the game: televised news and newspapers that we believe are following professional journalist standards, that we believe to be pursuing the facts and unbiased.  Not only have we entered into these waters, but we are completely immersed. In fact, we are in danger of drowning. 

Doctors Forbidden to Speak about Treating Patients?

In 2020, a group of U.S. board-certified physicians tried to raise several concerns about the the official health policies being followed, but were almost entirely ignored by the media.

Dr. Simone Gold, who led the group, was censored on social media and then fired, in an attempt to silence her. Finally she was interviewed on FOX News.

The way the media treated Dr. Simone Gold in 2020 is a good example of how experts who raise questions on official policies are often treated.

Need I explain why this \”new normal\” isn\’t at all normal?

Do the New Normal, or Die

\”The unfolding technological revolution will usher in economic, social and cultural changes of such phenomenal proportions that they are almost impossible to envisage.\”    -Klaus Schwab 

This is the kind of \”disruption\” Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, has been threatening us with for the last several years, in the three books he has published since 2016.

I will dive into Klaus Schwab and all of his plans, including the GREAT RESET and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in later articles. But for now, it is important to pay attention when we see signs of what is to come, when it becomes apparent that new technologies are making it impossible for traditional businesses and institutions to carry on as usual. Broadcast media is literally \”under attack\” from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Google. We have to ask ourselves, what kind of world have we created, when already giant corporations are forced to merge even further, or die?

The Story of Plunder That Never Ends

Plunderers have always existed. They start wars, enslave others, and will destroy the natural world in the name of profit, if given the opportunity. Plunderers will do anything to get what they want, carefully calculating the consequences of their schemes. We are in trouble if such people are controlling the information we receive.

 Human history is the ongoing tale of tension between these amoral tyrants and those they seek to dominate. Civil wars and revolutions happen when the oppressed masses wake up to their schemes, and rise up in resistance. Unchecked, tyrants will create a hell on earth for the rest of us. Many of us in western nations have never experienced oppression, but we are not immune.

In his books, Klaus Schwab has literally told us that today\’s plunderers have access to \”disruptive\” new technologies that offer them astonishing and unprecedented power. Powerful people have been drafting plans on how to reinvent the world into one that is perfectly tailored to suit them for many decades. They are now moving forward, from planning to \”doing\”. If you think I am exaggerating, think again.  Just as it was important that they be able to create all their plans in secret, it is also very important that, as they begin transforming the world in ways that do not benefit most of us, they do it without most of us noticing. In order to achieve this, you have to be able to influence those who create the news. You must be able to control the media. Corporate control of the mainstream media has been steadily increasing, especially over the past decade. But an action often provokes a reaction, and that has happened here. In reaction to the artificial, manufactured \”news\” being pumped at us, many people are turning off the TV and no longer reading what the big newspapers publish.

 Thankfully, there is another revolution taking place. This website is part of a counter-revolution built on an authentic grassroots media movement.Dozens of small, independent media sources have popped up, as well individuals, like myself, who are so-called \”citizen journalists\”. We are people in your community who are doing a lot of research, and want to share it with those who, like us, are seeking the truth.

Seek the Truth… and Be Relentless.

It is now more urgent than ever to uncover any lies being told by those in positions of power. We must never stop seeking the truth.  We must continue to expose lies, and all that evildoers try to carry out in secret. We must question powerful people who call themselves \”philanthropists\”, because history has shown us that time and again, self-serving, power-hungry people who want do NOT want a world of justice, equal opportunity and compassion, and who do NOT believe in God-given human rights, create foundations and non-profits for reasons that have nothing to do with making the world a better place. The self-serving billionaire not only benefits from the \”philanthropist\” public image, but is able to legally avoid paying a lot of taxes by diverting money to his or her non-profit organization.  Many people are not falling for this old trick anymore, as more and more are exposed as frauds.

https://youtu.be/xE8d-SIIDK4
\”Trust Yourself\” by Blue Rodeo

Now is not the time to passively absorb manufactured propaganda.

It is the time to open your eyes, your mind and your heart. 

It is time to defend what we love.

The stakes are incredibly high right now, for the humans and for all living things on planet Earth. Ignorant people are easy targets, and they are counting on your ignorance. Disappoint them.

Join us! Sign up to receive an email with REAL NEWS… once a week. Stay on top of the facts.

… and don\’t believe in any more lies.