I have some friends who insist that places like ATS are government psy-ops, or at least have been infiltrated by paid trolls to maintain discord among
the people.
I have
posed this question in a thread, and was amazed at how quickly that thread was
shut down, although there was far less trolling and bickering going on there than in many other threads on this site.
It appears (to me) that ATS owners and operators do not like to be questioned about their motives, perhaps citing that this subject is "old
hat"....nonetheless, if you poke the beast in a certain way, you will get a reaction.
Now, there a certain groups in this world who thrive on human discord. Anyone who is even partially awake and aware of the human condition can see
that.
This discord is perpetuated through various systems which we have come to think of as perfectly normal:
-War Is The Answer-
While one of the cornerstones of a strong nation is a strong defense, it doesn't take a professional historian to see that many countries have
trouble minding their own business.
There is a difference between national defense and pre-meditated offense. Wherever there is a chance to gain territory and resources, there is a plan
to do so.
Of course, many sing the song of patriotism to justify all of the actions necessary to go into another country and impose the policies and customs of
their homeland. Spreading 'freedom' and 'democracy' through the site of a gun and the screen of a guided missile system has become the standard
excuse for perpetual conflict.
-High Interest Rates Are Normal-
Banks rely on public ignorance, mailing out millions of credit card offers at interest rates that initially seem fair. Younger people, especially,
fall victim to this concept. What the banks do not openly tell you (it's in the fine print) is that if you fall on hard times and cannot make your
payments, you will be slammed with late fees and the interest will pile up and never, ever stop.
Eventually you will be sued and your paycheck will be garnished. The courts will rule that you must still pay ongoing interest, regardless of your
financial situation. Your other option is bankruptcy, which will run you around $1200 at least - hard to do for someone who is already struggling.
Again, they rely on the ignorance and impulsiveness of people who want things NOW, rather than saving up their money and simply buying what they
want.
My advice is that if you want to build your credit, set aside money specifically for that purpose, and get a card with a modest limit, use it
sparingly and never spend more than the cash you have saved for this purpose.
-Everyone Has The Right To Happiness Through Government Programs-
People have all but given up their personal power in exchange for security via receiving government help. In the US, half of the citizens are on
welfare, while the other half pay 20-30% of their earnings to support the government and its dependents.
This ratio of workers to non-workers has just about reached its sustainable limit. You simply can't have all of the people on welfare, because there
would be no workers to pay into the system. The other alternative would be government work programs (labor camps)... at which point you would have a
very 'Chinese' model of a country.
Socialism/Communism as a concept may seem favorable to some (everyone gets a "fair share") but the X-factor here is intent; Government does not want
to see their people thrive, because any acquisition of wealth is a potential threat to their power.
-Good News Is No News-
We are kept in a pen of fearful uncertainty about the world we live in. They say bad news travels fast. When we drive past a car wreck, we all crane
our necks to see how much damage and gore we can see.
This is because it's a relief to us - "glad that's not me!" - to see others in discord and disarray. Remember how it felt when the teacher was
yelling at someone else in class? It was hard to hold in our giggles sometimes, wasn't it? But when we are the one in trouble, oh boy!
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