Flat Earth and AstroTurf: An In-Depth Examination of the Line Between Information and Disinformation
(Stillness in the Storm Editor) Shem fromDiscerning The Mystery wrote this article last year. After reading it, I was immediately compelled by the insightfulness and clarity of his commentary.
Since that time he has created his own website, featuring more of his commentary and analysis.
The following is an exploration of the psychological reasons that Flat Earth theory is gaining such popularity of late. Also, it investigates how these topics are presented to the public, suggesting some form of manipulation of the masses is taking place. The answer to the question, is the Earth Flat or Round, isn't as important as the effects of its discussion on the people in general, specifically concerning the awakening community.
I posted the following related article where I offered commentary on this topic. I presented evidence that suggests the Flat Earth theory has grown in popularity of late, most likely due to a very real recognition of deception within the masses at large.
Related Flat Earth Theory Exploding in Popularity -- Is the Earth Flat and ...
The people seem to be subconsciously aware that civilized life as we know it, is a grand illusion and fraud, not unlike what the allegorical Matrix Trilogy series describes. And the Flat Earth theory has the potential to stimulate inquisitiveness because we've all perceived the world to be flat, more or less, all our lives. It takes abstract thought and comprehension to accept a spherical Earth model, making it a perfect issue to divide the masses.
Whether the Earth is round or flat doesn't change the fact that despotic elites oppress the people, deception via propaganda is prolific, and that we make a difference via our mind and consciousness, if only we can work together. We each have the capacity to cooperate to make the world a better place, and ultimately the shape of the planet doesn't become an issue of importance until we start asking big questions about the universe and our place in it. And to be sure, these issues are paramount to discuss, but in asking them, we need not divide ourselves to the point of self-destruction.
The vast majority of us don't really know if the Earth is round or flat, so why fight about something we aren't certain of?
This article is not intended to belittle or downplay your beliefs. It seeks to ask the question, is the Flat Earth topic, and how it is presented, part of disinformation or a divide and conquer campaign? Given how powerfully this theory has broken up previously unified awakening communities, I'd say that it is another tool of control. And the reason why relates to a larger issue of psychology, which is, as a species we've been trained to fear independent thought, and go along with the crowd, even if we don't have any clear reason to do so.
As Shem details, peer-pressure presentation styles are commonly used in Flat Earth material, leading many to accept the theory out of fear, instead of a rational conclusion based on critical thinking. But elements of the Flat Earth community who employ intimidation are not the only ones; nor is everyone who subscribes to this theory so dogmatic in their approach. There are many fear-based presentations on the internet, countless belief systems promoted in a dogmatic and closed-minded way, taken up by people who cling on to them out of group pressure and need to fit in. As a result, questioning such beliefs, even if done with tact and kindness, tends to cause reactions of defensiveness and conflict—exactly what the would-be masters of this world need to rule from behind the scenes.
While we bicker about the shape of the Earth, the NWO agenda of enslavement unfolds all around us at nearly every level of society. But we need not continue to be so distracted and divided.
The power of agreeing to disagree can't be overlooked. In our overly polarized world, we tend to create controversy because of intolerance; we tend to push prejudice and violence onto those we feel aren't like us. If someone has a different belief, we are told to hate them and even oppress them. Consider that almost every major war in human history was founded on one group's intolerance of another's beliefs. But if we can look past these divergences, and find the common ground uniting us all, we can quickly restore peace and prosperity to this world.
- Justin
by Shem El-Jamal, January 26th 2016
Disclaimer:
This article is an objective exploration and critique of the ideology known as “flat-Earth”. It is not an attempt to dismiss "all" subject-matters of discussion on the topic, nor is it an endless discussion on shape. I believe that some of the possible conspiracies discussed within the theory require further study and exploration (though none of these considerable conspiracies originated from the theory itself). There are, however, a concerning amount of common characteristics between modern disinformation tactics and the typical flat-Earth presentation. This article is intended to root these tactics out, and to bring to light possible reasons behind their frequent use within these presentations.
I believe it is a good and responsible practice to explore a subject matter as an exercise in mental responsibility. However, that same mental responsibility requires us to question the reasoning behind any information we receive so as to fully determine its true origin, and the intent behind its communication. Please know that throughout this article, the intent is to uncover any possible cabal tactics used by flat-Earth presenters. It is these tactics that are the target, and no particular person or persons within the flat-Earth movement. The goal is to reveal the truth, not to accuse. You, the reader, are responsible for your own opinions and conclusions thereabout. With that said, let us continue.
AstroTurf
“Astroturf” is a term used to describe fictitious grassroots movements which appear to be initiated by ordinary people engaging in common cooperative efforts, but in reality these movements are created, funded, and perpetuated by corporate and financial interests for deceptive and/or divisive purposes.
In recent years, there seems to be an explosion of new movements and organizations forming left and right, each for their own individual purpose. It can be very difficult sometimes to wade through the numerous names and causes in order to determine which is truly authentic, and it requires a critical, knowledgeable, and discerning eye to determine the true purpose of each one. In order to do so, it can be very useful to not simply listen to the message of a source or group, but to examine the method by which that message is communicated. After examining both message and method of numerous videos on the flat-Earth theory, and speaking to a number of people who faithfully subscribe to it, I have noticed multiple concerning similarities between this movement and the common-place, cabal manipulation typically found within “astroturf” movements. Lets take a look at these similarities.
The Dividing Factor
This modern age of change is said to be unique from any other in history. People of all walks of life seem to be waking up by the thousands to the truth and value of their own identity, to the limitless possibilities of life, as well as that which is working to prevent us from reaching our true potential. They are beginning to see the ills of our modern global situation, as well as the cause of these ills. These are the psychopathic greed, callousness, and destructiveness of a small group of manipulative elitists who are bent upon world domination and control.
One of the main tactics of choice for this criminal cabal is known as “divide and conquer”, or “divide and rule”. Many will know this to be the method of strategically determining any differences within a population—whether actual or fictitious—and exploiting those differences in order to turn the population against itself. The elite will then freely exploit the population while blaming every problem that arises upon one particular group, causing the rest of the population to appose that group, and ultimately maintain division of the masses. This method of blame and diversion ensures that no one figures out the true cause of societal problems, allowing the elitists to maintain power. This method is used within virtually every society, whether it be related to race, gender, religion, ideology, or economic status. It has also, at times, been used to divide the truth movement.
Divide and Rule according to Wikipedia
"Divide and Conquer" - A Documentary on German Tactics of Propagand...
The subjects of focus within the truth movement are numerous and broad-spectrum. Consequently, differences of opinion are common. These differences are not typically a problem. However, any difference can become a problem if those who hold a particular opinion choose to ignore the importance of the free will of others, and choose instead to force their own beliefs upon them. Many extremist religions and belief systems use this forceful, absolutist position to spread their message. Though these religions and groups may have a remnant of truth hidden within their messages, that truth is rendered powerless because the forcefulness of these groups disallows any true, natural development within any individual. Instead, these groups force their would-be followers down a prefabricated set of ideas for the ultimate goal of unified thought control among large populations. This method of submission to artificial absolutism is in stark contrast to the more natural, life-honoring method enjoyed by the majority of those within the truth movement. This absolutism has also been used to spread flat-Earth ideology.
The absolutism with which the shape-of-the-Earth concept is communicate has historically been used by elitists to successfully divide otherwise unified populations. If this method is applied for a long enough period of time, this division will occur. It is unavoidable. Some will submit to the idea simply because of its forcefulness, while others see its lack of respect for free will, and resist. This use of absolutism has caused me to question the true origin of the flat-Earth concept and the true motives of its main spokespeople. With this in mind, one might wonder as to how such absolutism might be applied. For the answer, lets continue.
Insult and Degradation
The term “conspiracy theorist” has, for some time now, been used as a derogatory term to describe anyone and everyone who has chosen to think for themselves with regard to the causes of the conditions of our world. These people are put down by the establishment because they are a direct threat to the control and power of the establishment. On the same token, these “theorists” are put down by those termed “sheeple” because they (the sheeple) are completely dependent upon the fictitious supremacy of the establishment, as this establishment gives them the feeling of safety and stability. The term “conspiracy theorist” exists because ridicule, degradation, and dismissal of any apposing ideology are common and effective tools of the cabal and their media.
This ridicule is a common tool used by flat-Earth presenters, as well, to shame and degrade anyone who disagrees with their shape-of-the-Earth idea. Many of these presentations include not just simple information, but also include derogatory language and tones which are directed at anyone who may otherwise disagree with the shape concept (a tactic of psychological manipulation which employs a process known as “one-trial learning”). Those who disagree with such a concept may be left feeling degraded and of lower esteem than those who agree simply for the sake of avoiding insult. Those who agree with such presenters, then go out into their lives believing that their “eyes have been opened”, and doing their best to spread the message to all who will listen, sometimes even making sure to be just as insulting, manipulative, and/or absolutist as the original presenters. They may be convinced of the shape concept, but beside the words of the original flat-Earth presenters, many do not know why they, themselves, are convinced. They believe that they are thinking and speaking for themselves even when they may be doing nothing more than parroting a Youtube video.
Many flat-Earth presenters can come across cynical, arrogant, egotistical, degrading, and hostile toward any form of disagreement. This method of degradation is typically done in order to raise the apparent status of the speaker, as specially if the speaker does not have any real authority on the subjects they discuss. Insult and disrespect are the lowest and cheapest ways to qualify one's self as a dependable source of information, and this method is commonly used in flat-Earth presentations (For more information on psychological manipulation, click here.
Related Propaganda: Do You Know You’re Soaking In It? | Public Relations an...
The Unproductive Focus
Most if not everyone I have chatted with about the flat-Earth concept ends up agreeing with me, that with regard to the improvement of world conditions, governments, business, societal issues, the environment, and overall change, that the shape of the Earth is, for the most part, irrelevant. To demonstrate this, all one needs to do is to consider every conspiracy discussed within the flat-Earth ideology, and then logically remove the shape-of-the-Earth concept while observing the impact. It doesn't take much mental effort to see that not a single conspiracy is affected by this removal. In fact, each and every one of these conspiracies stands on its own with no dependency whatsoever upon shape.
If we can all agree that the shape issue does not matter, then why does every flat-Earth video demonstrate such a strong fixation on the concept? If it truly doesn't matter, why would anyone physically invest such a galactic amount of energy, resources, engineering and construction efforts, just to fool you on the matter? If it truly doesn't matter, give me any logical reason why anyone with that amount of power would care that much to keep the secret from you, as specially when they could save all of that time, energy, and headache by simply telling you the truth. If it truly doesn't matter, then why is the theory and society named after it? The name itself is an admission of a fixation upon a moot point—a benign and inconsequential concept that does not provoke any real change at all. If this is true, who might benefit from this lack of change?
Corporate-Style Deception
One common tactic of disinformation in modern-day astroturf is to propose that deception has been attempted when in fact, the proposal of deception is itself, deception. For instance, it is common for disinformation or “disinfo” agents to claim that a certain picture found online is supposedly published by a government agency, an office of law enforcement, or recently published by NASA. This image is then criticized for being ridiculous, fraudulent, or to have malicious intent attached to it. However, in reality, the image never came from the source it is claimed to be from. The image itself is a forgery, created by the disinfo agent. This is commonly done in the hopes that truth-seekers will fall for the lie and spread the disinformation far and wide, discrediting themselves and diverting others from their search for true information. It seems quiet possible that flat-Earth presenters used this same tactic.
It is common for these presenters to claim that school has deceived us all by “conditioning us to believe in a spherical Earth”. I suppose this is a fair question to ask, but to make such a preemptive accusation is a bit excessive and presumptuous, in my opinion. What would be the benefit of changing Earth's shape in this case? Would this difference of shape change anything other than the globe in the corner of the room or the diagram on the computer screen? History would still be distorted to serve cabal interests, science would still be manipulated so that no one could make too much progress, and mathematics might not even change at all. This accusation is made without any proof ever being presented by those making it. Though school does have a way of conditioning students in different ways, I have yet to hear any logical reason as to why anyone would bother to do so on the subject of a shape. Besides, the conditioning schools employ is specifically centered around causing students to forgo independent observation or thought, and to, instead, default to the word of authority. I find this very interesting because not only do most (if not all) flat-Earth presenters omit this fact, they use this exact same method that schools use. They themselves seem to depend upon their audience blindly trusting their words (or the applicability of supposed proof) without ever bothering to question the validity thereof. In light of this, one has to wonder... Is this supposed shape deception by schools actual or fictitious?
Ethical Journalistic Process in Determining Accuracy of Information
Many times, manipulative and dishonest people will use accusation as a divertive countermeasure. In other words they will use accusation as a method of diverting the attention of their audience away from themselves, helping the liar to avoid being discovered, but in their moment of impromptu self-preservation, they will inadvertently include their own immoral actions in their accusation against the other party (a sort of projection of blame). So the accusation ends up being a form of confession from the dishonest individual. Consequently, it is fairly easy to uncover the true actions of a manipulative person by the accusations they make. I believe this is very important to remember as specially when dealing with individuals making accusations without any supporting evidence or logical reasoning behind them. With this in mind, one has to consider... Who has more incentive to condition masses of people with regard to shape?
Metrics in Journalism Evaluation
After an accusation has been made, many flat-Earth presenters will portray themselves as “too smart” to fall for the idea even when that idea was never communicated as deception to begin with. This causes suggestible audience members (who also want to be seen as “smart”) to blindly accept the opinions of the presenter. This is a typical tactic used in astroturf movements, and in mainstream media as well. For example, in news broadcasts, the opinions of the news-readers and commentators are presented as part of the story itself so that the audience will blindly accept the corporately-approved opinions offered. Instead of encouraging the viewers to think for themselves and to responsibly form their own opinion, they are psychologically corralled into believing the entirety of an unproven ideology simply because a small portion of that ideology seems loosely accurate and familiar.
CONTINUE READING @ discerningthemystery2000plus.blogspot.com
_________________________
http://discerningthemystery2000plus.blogspot.com/2016/01/flat-earth...
The Unproductive Focus
Most if not everyone I have chatted with about the flat-Earth concept ends up agreeing with me, that with regard to the improvement of world conditions, governments, business, societal issues, the environment, and overall change, that the shape of the Earth is, for the most part, irrelevant. To demonstrate this, all one needs to do is to consider every conspiracy discussed within the flat-Earth ideology, and then logically remove the shape-of-the-Earth concept while observing the impact. It doesn't take much mental effort to see that not a single conspiracy is affected by this removal. In fact, each and every one of these conspiracies stands on its own with no dependency whatsoever upon shape.
If we can all agree that the shape issue does not matter, then why does every flat-Earth video demonstrate such a strong fixation on the concept? If it truly doesn't matter, why would anyone physically invest such a galactic amount of energy, resources, engineering and construction efforts, just to fool you on the matter? If it truly doesn't matter, give me any logical reason why anyone with that amount of power would care that much to keep the secret from you, as specially when they could save all of that time, energy, and headache by simply telling you the truth. If it truly doesn't matter, then why is the theory and society named after it? The name itself is an admission of a fixation upon a moot point—a benign and inconsequential concept that does not provoke any real change at all. If this is true, who might benefit from this lack of change?
Corporate-Style Deception
One common tactic of disinformation in modern-day astroturf is to propose that deception has been attempted when in fact, the proposal of deception is itself, deception. For instance, it is common for disinformation or “disinfo” agents to claim that a certain picture found online is supposedly published by a government agency, an office of law enforcement, or recently published by NASA. This image is then criticized for being ridiculous, fraudulent, or to have malicious intent attached to it. However, in reality, the image never came from the source it is claimed to be from. The image itself is a forgery, created by the disinfo agent. This is commonly done in the hopes that truth-seekers will fall for the lie and spread the disinformation far and wide, discrediting themselves and diverting others from their search for true information. It seems quiet possible that flat-Earth presenters used this same tactic.
It is common for these presenters to claim that school has deceived us all by “conditioning us to believe in a spherical Earth”. I suppose this is a fair question to ask, but to make such a preemptive accusation is a bit excessive and presumptuous, in my opinion. What would be the benefit of changing Earth's shape in this case? Would this difference of shape change anything other than the globe in the corner of the room or the diagram on the computer screen? History would still be distorted to serve cabal interests, science would still be manipulated so that no one could make too much progress, and mathematics might not even change at all. This accusation is made without any proof ever being presented by those making it. Though school does have a way of conditioning students in different ways, I have yet to hear any logical reason as to why anyone would bother to do so on the subject of a shape. Besides, the conditioning schools employ is specifically centered around causing students to forgo independent observation or thought, and to, instead, default to the word of authority. I find this very interesting because not only do most (if not all) flat-Earth presenters omit this fact, they use this exact same method that schools use. They themselves seem to depend upon their audience blindly trusting their words (or the applicability of supposed proof) without ever bothering to question the validity thereof. In light of this, one has to wonder... Is this supposed shape deception by schools actual or fictitious?
Ethical Journalistic Process in Determining Accuracy of Information
Many times, manipulative and dishonest people will use accusation as a divertive countermeasure. In other words they will use accusation as a method of diverting the attention of their audience away from themselves, helping the liar to avoid being discovered, but in their moment of impromptu self-preservation, they will inadvertently include their own immoral actions in their accusation against the other party (a sort of projection of blame). So the accusation ends up being a form of confession from the dishonest individual. Consequently, it is fairly easy to uncover the true actions of a manipulative person by the accusations they make. I believe this is very important to remember as specially when dealing with individuals making accusations without any supporting evidence or logical reasoning behind them. With this in mind, one has to consider... Who has more incentive to condition masses of people with regard to shape?
Metrics in Journalism Evaluation
After an accusation has been made, many flat-Earth presenters will portray themselves as “too smart” to fall for the idea even when that idea was never communicated as deception to begin with. This causes suggestible audience members (who also want to be seen as “smart”) to blindly accept the opinions of the presenter. This is a typical tactic used in astroturf movements, and in mainstream media as well. For example, in news broadcasts, the opinions of the news-readers and commentators are presented as part of the story itself so that the audience will blindly accept the corporately-approved opinions offered. Instead of encouraging the viewers to think for themselves and to responsibly form their own opinion, they are psychologically corralled into believing the entirety of an unproven ideology simply because a small portion of that ideology seems loosely accurate and familiar.
CONTINUE READING @ discerningthemystery2000plus.blogspot.com
_________________________
Source:
http://discerningthemystery2000plus.blogspot.com/2016/01/flat-earth...
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Replies
Mines tiny but hey, its not the size of the prize, its the way of the lay ;)
oh.. and also oneupmanship"... thats the other cringe worthy thing.. Lol..
I think its fine to use the term "reptilian brain". I dont cringe at that as much as cringe at how some folks try to wow others by going off on intellectual rants.. Lol.. (speaking in general terms)...
that sure is true...it´s a real swamp out there...
We don´t need the cabal to spread dis-info, there are enough people on this earth that enjoy creating and spreading hate and fear based info. We can see this on ACC, some folks love this stuff and they will defend it with insults, abuse and heaps of other tactics, for this is how they think and relate to others. No amount of facts or reason will persuade them they might be wrong. I guess they are thinking with the lower reptilian brain....the lizard within is the real danger to us while we focus on external enemies.
In the ouside world and in ACC, exist control freaks, those who have to feel in control want to have all the answers, it makes them feel as though they have control in their lives when if fact they are at the mercy of "feelings" our feelings, their feelings, whatever gives them the "feels" scares the shit of out them, so they keep shouting "facts" at us to drown out the sound of their own hearts..When I see is a few ACC members screaming "facts" that they defend rigorously, I just think ..bleh.. here we go again!