I was casting around for something new to listen to when I discovered that Richard Dolan--the guest of many paranormal shows--has launched his own podcast. Since it is called "Truth Out," I expected a sort of ramble-rousing political screed, but I was pleasantly surprised that his first three-hour solo podcast kept my attention without difficulty, even though I'm only peripherally interested in UFOs nowadays. Plus, he has cooler bumper music than Coast. So I'm downloading more.
Among the stuff he covered.... He addressed, tangentially, Alex Jones, who I've always thought was unbalanced. He brought up some valid points reiterating the view of many in the paranormal counterculture, that the American republic is turning into an Orwellian police state. He related an encounter with Glenn Beck that made Beck sound mainstream. He told some fascinating UFO stories. Richard Dolan is sure to add some intellectual heft to the paranormal counterculture, which is in dire need of it. I'm able to listen to him without my usual filters and BS detectors, knowing that he has thought about what he says before saying it.
There is only one observation that I would like to make, and that's on the issue of government secrecy. I think that most of us who were persuaded to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 have been very disappointed with his administration's tendency to expand the police state apparatus that his predecessor developed. However, if you take a long, careful look at history, you can discover that with every extremist tendency or movement, there has always been a balancing counter-movement. I believe that the Internet was developed, and has exploded as it has, in direct response to the increasing authoritarianism of our age. True, if you watch CNN or the other mainstream news outlets (which I don't), you are essentially getting establishment propaganda, and if that's all we had, we'd be lost. But that's not all we have. We have a choice. And I predict that in twenty or so years, any regime that aligns itself with reactionary authoritarianism will fall. This is why I believe that China, for all its prosperity, cannot continue along its current path as an authoritarian state. And neither can the United States.
Thanks for that Ish. I've just downloaded the GRA début show (Strieber et al) and the latest show to listen to later.
ReplyDelete'However, if you take a long, careful look at history, you can discover that with every extremist tendency or movement, there has always been a balancing counter-movement.'
Let's hope it's still the case. The next couple of years could be rather traumatic for developed and developing nations due to recession. The broad middle ground is where everyone resides, but the pressures being brought to bear can make us all become more defined and extreme.
We can only hope some kind of movement takes place that puts population welfare above minority private interests and fears.