The Quest for Control

The human animal has always had an uneasy relationship with uncertainty.

Since the earliest days of human self awareness there has been much we didn’t understand. In the confusion and uncertainty created by phenomena not of our making, we began to label things. If they pleased or comforted us they were “good”. If they harmed or frightened us they were “evil”. We created gods and decided that those good and evil things had been so ordained by these gods. There were things that we were obviously physically never going to be able to control ourselves so our gods oversaw these things. These gods “cared” for us. We prayed to them and made sacrifices to them so they would intercede to protect us. This somehow made us feel as if we had done all we could to control our lives.

We sought to expand the availability of the good things while limiting the evil things. We sought more CONTROL over our environment.

Belonging to small groups of nomadic hunter-gatherers, we had no concept of world views or greater good. We were just trying to survive. “Good” was whatever, and whoever, helped us do that. “Evil” was whatever, and whoever, hindered that. Religions harnessed this god-centric fear of evil and used it to control the behavior of common people.

Strong, cunning, ambitious men sought to sustain their tribes by gaining control over more territory, resources and other men. This frequently (almost always) involved the use of force and bloodshed. Those who were not part of our tribe were perceived as a threat to our survival. Therefore, they too must be controlled, enslaved, converted to our religion, or eliminated.

As centuries passed, power and control coalesced into ever larger tribes, then nations. Tribal leaders, noblemen and kings issued edicts to control the behaviors of their citizens. They frequently used force to make examples of those who strayed.

Kings quickly learned that aligning themselves with religions magnified their control because they could claim their actions were ordained by god. A corroborating proclamation from the head of the church would seal the deal. Of course, the king provided financial support and protection for the church and expected his underlings to do likewise. Who would dare defy both god and king?

Time passed and science demystified many of those phenomena that had vexed ancient humanity. Religion’s control began to ebb, affecting the control of kings. The masses were increasingly likely to question authority, of all kinds.

New types of nations appeared, where the “average citizen” had a voice in government. Now, theoretically people would be able to “control” themselves. These societies were more mobile and complex. Barter was cumbersome and the concept of precious metals, then currency, as a means for settling trades came to prominence.

Now there was a very powerful means of control, Money! People became distracted from the social value of their labors in the quest for more money. Government leaders became adept at using currency to control behavior, to divide the population, and to influence events. Inevitably, those who accumulated the greatest wealth have come to hold dominion over the government itself.

The illusion of self-governance had to be maintained to pacify the masses. If enough money was doled out in enough places, and new technologies delivered enough distractions (bread and circuses) this was easily accomplished.

Now, with a docile, divided population and full collaboration with the wealthy lords of technology, governments can focus on completing work on their ultimate digital prison for the human citizens of planet earth. Global digital identification systems, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and other forms of technology will be used to track and manage everyone on the planet. Freedom will be greatly restricted. You will live your entire life within the framework of the digital matrix they have devised.

Right or wrong, good or evil, the majority of people have proven, over millenia, that they are comfortable, even happy, having an authority figure in control. They may complain about their lot in life but have allowed a god, a king or a government to dictate the terms of their existence. They have allowed power to accrue to a small number of people.

With this centralized governance, there is centralized CONTROL, therein centralizing power and wealth. Power and wealth have a corrupting influence on the human animal. This centralized control has created an “elite” socioeconomic level with which all other levels of a society simply can not compete. Their “system” will soon control your life.

Where does it go from here? In the future, the control you exert over your own life may be minimal, or nonexistent.