The Report from Iron Mountain and Other Inventive Ignorances
There seems to be some underground belief of some people in this country, and in the much larger world, that America is too powerful and will soon fall. That it will do itself in. The preachers of this theory are all doom and gloom, submitting ill logic and long-established hoaxes as evidence. I suppose this creates a state of panic in some ignorant minds, and a mechanism of control for the preacher of doom.
I was reading a blog this morning about "The Report From Iron Mountain On the Possibility and Desirability of Peace", a book published in 1967, detailing a group of 15 experts, brought together by the US government, and their conclusion that peace would be the downfall of our national economic system. Their assertion was that war drove the control of the economy. That without war there would be no need for government.
Interesting book. Even made the New York Times Bestsellers list in its day. It also includes a plan for world leaders to "mimic" war, should peace happen to break out. One such strategy is to create a national and expensive social welfare program. Another was a permanent, ritualized, ultra-elaborate disarmament inspection system. A-ha, one might start to think there's something to this. The U.S. government has obviously used these strategies to create and continue war. After all, we have our hand in pretty much every major war. And it does make sense that war fuels the economy. We spend more on defense than on any other pursuit combined. And, believe it or not, a good third of the world is currently at war with one another. However, this book is a hoax. There was no study at "Iron Mountain" by 15 US government experts. The book was the sole penmanship of a New York freelance writer, Leonard C. Lewin. Lewin finally stepped forward to admit he was the author in 1972.
The report was the result of political satire magazine "Monocle" editor, Victor Navasky, who mentioned to Lewin in 1966 that the stock market had dipped because of a 'peace scare'. Lewin and Navasky wanted to provoke thinking about peace and point out the absurdity of the Arms Race. So Lewin went to work. Dial press agreed to publish the book as non-fiction.
Well, this blogger, of Time Code 11, bases his latest blog on formulaic calculations. These supposedly calculable conclusions (of which he does not give the formula) lead him to prove dooming dates in US history. One of which is the date this report was published. Using his numbers theory, he states to his readers that he believes the government is not only on some secret plot to stabilize our economythrough war, but that this theory of his also proves something catastrophic was going to happen on Sept 11th. He also states that the New World Order will officially begin on Dec. 25th, 2012. How he comes to this prediction is beyond me. How he justifies not researching enough to realize there's nothing to the Iron Mountain report, that it's just a hoax, as proclaimed by the author himself, is beyond reason. Or perhaps he does not care to research it, that it is good enough to further his own purposes.
It is galling to me that these people are out there and writing on blogs for all to see. However, I am greatful for the freedom this supposedly doomed country has given him and myself to post so freely.
Most people who happen upon this man's blog may not look into the Iron Mountaion Report. They may believe this man and his preachings of doom. These sort seem to feed on people believing them. They gain a sense of power over others by preaching that something awful will happen. It's a fear control. I've seen it too many times. There was a friend of mine in highschool who was controlled this way by her mother's boyfriend. As soon as he left them she got her daughters baptized. He heard of their baptism and showed up a week later with tales of how he saw a cricket three times in a row and how they had to move or something bad would happen to them. Neighbors tracked them down and he agreed to let her hang out with me for a little while longer. She told me he beat her and her mother. He then told her I was wicked and of the world and that he'd seen another sign. He pulled her into his truck and I never saw her again. Ignorance is only bliss for a brief wink of time, and after a catastrophy. That should be the real fear. To not be educated enough to know when someone else is trying to gain control over your mind through fear.
I would like to also disclaim any notions that America is perfect. No, far from it. But it is a strong government, it is not a perfect form of government, but a good one, and the best anyone has come up with so far. When one says "the US government" they do not mean one mind or one entity, though many of these doom-sayers do seem to speak of it that way. What makes this government so great are all the checks and balances. The different parties and political houses. But even more so are the people who vote these representatives in. We are the people of the United States of America. It is not by numbers we fall, but by our own actions toward one another. We do have major flaws, embarrassing ones for which we have to answer abroad. But the good news is at least we have the freedom to own up to those flaws, learn from them, and the freedom to educate ourselves against the tergiversations of ignorant doomsayers.
I was reading a blog this morning about "The Report From Iron Mountain On the Possibility and Desirability of Peace", a book published in 1967, detailing a group of 15 experts, brought together by the US government, and their conclusion that peace would be the downfall of our national economic system. Their assertion was that war drove the control of the economy. That without war there would be no need for government.
Interesting book. Even made the New York Times Bestsellers list in its day. It also includes a plan for world leaders to "mimic" war, should peace happen to break out. One such strategy is to create a national and expensive social welfare program. Another was a permanent, ritualized, ultra-elaborate disarmament inspection system. A-ha, one might start to think there's something to this. The U.S. government has obviously used these strategies to create and continue war. After all, we have our hand in pretty much every major war. And it does make sense that war fuels the economy. We spend more on defense than on any other pursuit combined. And, believe it or not, a good third of the world is currently at war with one another. However, this book is a hoax. There was no study at "Iron Mountain" by 15 US government experts. The book was the sole penmanship of a New York freelance writer, Leonard C. Lewin. Lewin finally stepped forward to admit he was the author in 1972.
The report was the result of political satire magazine "Monocle" editor, Victor Navasky, who mentioned to Lewin in 1966 that the stock market had dipped because of a 'peace scare'. Lewin and Navasky wanted to provoke thinking about peace and point out the absurdity of the Arms Race. So Lewin went to work. Dial press agreed to publish the book as non-fiction.
Well, this blogger, of Time Code 11, bases his latest blog on formulaic calculations. These supposedly calculable conclusions (of which he does not give the formula) lead him to prove dooming dates in US history. One of which is the date this report was published. Using his numbers theory, he states to his readers that he believes the government is not only on some secret plot to stabilize our economythrough war, but that this theory of his also proves something catastrophic was going to happen on Sept 11th. He also states that the New World Order will officially begin on Dec. 25th, 2012. How he comes to this prediction is beyond me. How he justifies not researching enough to realize there's nothing to the Iron Mountain report, that it's just a hoax, as proclaimed by the author himself, is beyond reason. Or perhaps he does not care to research it, that it is good enough to further his own purposes.
It is galling to me that these people are out there and writing on blogs for all to see. However, I am greatful for the freedom this supposedly doomed country has given him and myself to post so freely.
Most people who happen upon this man's blog may not look into the Iron Mountaion Report. They may believe this man and his preachings of doom. These sort seem to feed on people believing them. They gain a sense of power over others by preaching that something awful will happen. It's a fear control. I've seen it too many times. There was a friend of mine in highschool who was controlled this way by her mother's boyfriend. As soon as he left them she got her daughters baptized. He heard of their baptism and showed up a week later with tales of how he saw a cricket three times in a row and how they had to move or something bad would happen to them. Neighbors tracked them down and he agreed to let her hang out with me for a little while longer. She told me he beat her and her mother. He then told her I was wicked and of the world and that he'd seen another sign. He pulled her into his truck and I never saw her again. Ignorance is only bliss for a brief wink of time, and after a catastrophy. That should be the real fear. To not be educated enough to know when someone else is trying to gain control over your mind through fear.
I would like to also disclaim any notions that America is perfect. No, far from it. But it is a strong government, it is not a perfect form of government, but a good one, and the best anyone has come up with so far. When one says "the US government" they do not mean one mind or one entity, though many of these doom-sayers do seem to speak of it that way. What makes this government so great are all the checks and balances. The different parties and political houses. But even more so are the people who vote these representatives in. We are the people of the United States of America. It is not by numbers we fall, but by our own actions toward one another. We do have major flaws, embarrassing ones for which we have to answer abroad. But the good news is at least we have the freedom to own up to those flaws, learn from them, and the freedom to educate ourselves against the tergiversations of ignorant doomsayers.
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