World's Gone Mad Cookbook--Part 3

A Simple Recipe to Take Down Civilization

This is the third and final piece to this series—These are my views of how and why society has devolved to such a worrisome state. I’m really glad to be done writing this—It’s been cathartic and grueling—And I don’t plan to take these roads again any time soon.

Like the warnings I’ve given before Parts 1 & 2, the same holds true here: It’s not my intention to add stress to the life of anyone—Ever.

If you read on, please go into it knowing that this bell cannot be unrung. So if you’re susceptible to severe anxiety, please skip this series of articles and I’ll see you again in a lighter, happier theme.

After reading Part 1, a very smart and well-informed person who I’ve known for years told me something like, “I read that warning for Part 1 and thought, ‘Yeah, OK, whatever’ but you were right. I didn’t expect to be so disturbed by it. I almost wish I didn’t read it—But, it’s really well-documented and ultimately, I think it’s better to know.”

I agree. I need to know the truth of things. Do I enjoy staring into the darker parts of humanity to get there?—Not at all. But in the pursuit of truth, I can’t look away.

If you too can’t look away, join me once again down the rabbit hole. And remember, each part in this series builds on itself. If you haven’t read Part 1, then Parts 2 and 3 will lack context, so please read them in order.

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A Pinch of War

If there is a single aspect of human behavior that communicates the smoldering pathology of our species, it’s war. Purposeful killing on a grand scale—I know of no better reason to explain why the intelligence behind the now well-documented UFO’s zipping around our skies hasn’t yet made open contact with our global population. If there’s a reason to be ashamed of our kind, it’s war.

And yet it continues to this day.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is the obvious current example, but a gut-wrenching list of countries teeter on the precipice of combat in the near-term, some of which also possess nuclear weapons.

There are those who feel that circumstances exist when war may be justified. Others question if war can ever be justified. Licit or not, I’ll let philosophers with more patience than I debate the moral calculus of any given war—But what is not debatable is that wars are rife with lies. If not for war propaganda, I doubt that any empathic being could condone the horrors of battle.

"The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it.”—Joseph Goebbels, Nazi party propagandist

War propaganda, parroted by complicit media, is not some innocent white lie. It’s an ugly and brutal thing, delivered meticulously adorned in honorable and virtuous packaging, the spoonful of sugar to make the poison go down. The purposeful manipulation of the masses—The means to a vile end, whose science has been honed for decades. So often based on deception, wars share a common goal—Controlling the narrative to exploit a vulnerable population into sanctioning the obliteration of our most precious commodity—Each other. Who would orchestrate such a thing?

“I heard a lecture by an Army psychologist who contended that after 90 days of combat, the casualty rate was 98 percent. Those not wounded physically were wounded psychologically. The other 2 percent were psychopaths.”

Oh, that again—So what could motivate psychopaths to start wars? There could be many reasons, including thrill-seeking to avoid boredom and being motivated to hurt their peers—Both common qualities of this group. But perhaps most importantly, war is immensely profitable and psychopaths seek reward, no matter the consequences. And war, at a level that doesn’t decimate the planet entirely, could not only bring them personal reward, it can also be used to initiate sweeping changes in society, as summed up in The Beveridge Report, a plan for rebuilding the UK after WW2:

“Now, when the war is abolishing landmarks of every kind, is the opportunity for using experience in a clear field. A revolutionary moment in the world’s history is a time for revolutions, not for patching.”—The Beveridge Report

It’s not unreasonable to conclude that sociopathic or psychopathic individuals in leadership positions can march us into unnecessary wars, since both psychopathy and sociopathy are common mental disorders that have been associated with war crimes.

“Scientists have long known what psychopaths lack: emotions like empathy, fear and remorse. Now, a new study focuses on what they may have — a brain abnormality that may lead them to seek rewards like money, sex or fame at any cost.”

There is something to be said for the good ol’ days. We may currently be at the pinnacle of accumulated knowledge for our species, but the same cannot be said for the status of our imperiled civilization. Not only are we less civil than we once were, a global societal collapse is predicted by the 2040’s.

“…nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy--or of a collective death-wish for the world.” —JFK

But instead of averting these confrontations, our leaders have edged us ever closer to the brink of thermonuclear war—According to Biden, the world is at risk of nuclear “Armageddon.” So what is being done to de-escalate the situation? After all, government higher-ups may have access to a city-size nuclear bunker under a hollowed-out mountain, but that’s not the case for the average Joe and Josephine.

The answer from my perspective—Not much.

And as if things couldn’t get more surreal, instead of taking material steps to avert disaster, New York City has run nonsense PSA’s on “nuclear preparedness.” A saccharin lie at best—A single nuclear warhead could obliterate the whole of New York City.

This PSA is an example of how many of us live our lives. In denial. About so many things. And since I’m just another primate caught in the vortex that is the human condition, I’m not claiming to be above it all. So our initial reaction, mine included, might be to think it impossible for any sane world leader to start a nuclear war. But is that necessarily true? Some very bad things happen incrementally, why not nuclear Armageddon?

According to intelligence analyst Jeremy Shapiro:

“Once an escalatory cycle begins, a series of individually rational steps can add up to a world-ending absurdity. In Ukraine, both sides have publicly pledged that they cannot lose this war. They hold that doing so would threaten their very way of life and the values that they hold most dear. In the Russian case particularly, a loss in Ukraine would seem to threaten regime survival and even the territorial integrity of the country.”

As I worked this through in my head, I became troubled by the enormity of it all. That those who’ve wielded global levers of power have committed genocide in the name of virtue. That governments virtually everywhere, including in the US, are teeming with corruption. And that corruption is intimately associated with war.

“There is a very strong connection between corruption and war. Half of the countries in the bottom quartile of Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index are in conflict. This is significantly higher than any other quartile of countries.”

And the saltiest of wounds—The crowns corrupt leaders wear have been placed upon their heads by a strident public, gullible enough to believe and propagate pretty lies. And all the while, essential truths are intentionally dismissed as ugly misinformation—The result, deserved distrust of government.

But despite this, surely our leaders have taken steps to ensure our safety, haven’t they? Corruption and profiteering may be one thing—Life and death quite another—But is it, when many of those in charge lack empathy?

Given that they’ve not been able to, or have chosen not to, maintain supply chains, keep inflation and crime in check, or even keep baby formula on the shelves, it may be overly-optimistic to count on them to prevent a war.

Famine, Season Liberally to Taste

Yes, famine in the 21st century.

I remember sitting with my college friends in 1985, awestruck—Glued in front of the TV, watching the We Are the World music video to raise money for African famine. Despite the weight of my big 80’s hair, I remember thinking, “How could this be happening?” It seemed implausible that famine could occur, even then.

Although technology in 1985 was cringeworthy by current standards—A 2017 smartphone was 170 times more powerful than a state-of-the-art 1985 computer—Let’s not forget that humans did walk on the moon in 1969. And by the 1980’s, we did know how to feed ourselves. So what happened?

I think that to understand the Ethiopian Famine, we should first examine another great famine of the past. The Irish Potato Famine started due to several years of a fungus that wiped out much of Ireland’s potato crop. Ultimately, starvation killed a million Irish citizens—But Ireland was part of what was then the world’s wealthiest nation, the UK. Surely they could have fed their starving people.

According to Tony Blair:

"The Famine was a defining event in the history of Ireland and of Britain. It has left deep scars. That one million people should have died in what was then part of the richest and most powerful nation in the world is something that still causes pain as we reflect on it today. Those who governed in London at the time failed their people through standing by while a crop failure turned into a massive human tragedy.”

The Famine didn’t have to result in massive death. Had the elites in London responded rationally and empathically to the needs of their populace, catastrophe could have been averted. But the overwhelming response was deafening inaction. A fungus started the famine, but it didn’t kill a million people—A lack of empathy did.

Switching gears to the Ethiopian Famine of the mid-1980’s, yes there was a drought in Africa at the time. But just as fungus sparked the Irish Potato Famine but it was indifference that damned a million to die, so too did drought light the match, but political corruption left the Ethiopians to a demise which was largely preventable.

“A defector who formerly headed Ethiopia's food relief effort says that his Government's policies, as much as drought, were responsible for the catastrophic Ethiopian famine of 1984 and 1985. And, the former official asserted, these policies threaten to cause continuing starvation in the future.

''We called it a drought problem but it was more of a policy problem,'' said the former official, Dawit Wolde Giorgis, who spoke in a recent interview, his first since leaving Africa on Oct. 25. ''Drought only complicated the situation. If there is no change in our policies, there will always be millions of hungry people in Ethiopia.””

I guess what I’m trying to say is what I’ve said before: Sh*t happens—It’s how we respond to these events that determines our fate. Will hardships be addressed with intelligence and compassion? Will the principal goal be to reduce human suffering? Or will adversity be exploited time and again by those who are literally unable to feel empathy due to their neurophysiology?—Yes, it all comes back to sociopathy and psychopathy.

Given our planetary resources, it’s hard for me to get my head around how a global famine is even possible in the near term if we respond with intelligence and benevolence. But the chain is only as strong as its weakest link—What if most of our governing chain is weak?

As I’ve reviewed in Part 1, it’s well-established that sociopaths and psychopaths make up 5% of the population. And the prevalence of these personality disorders among politicians is sobering. So let me rephrase my previous statement: It’s hard for me to get my head around how a global famine is even possible in the near term, unless it’s intentional. Yet already, 2022 has been a year of unprecedented hunger.

“In India, the cost of lemons has skyrocketed. Jollof rice has become so expensive in Nigeria that people are skipping meals. In Mexico, avocado prices have jumped, making them a luxury few can afford. Orange groves in Florida are yielding the lowest amount of fruit in years. And in Japan, a shortage of salmon is hitting the sushi trade.

Zoom out and it's clear: A food crisis is unfolding around the world, with prices shooting up everywhere. And when that happens, everyone feels the pain. People can cut back on movies or even driving when the cost of tickets or gas surges, but everyone needs to eat.”

And the cause has been attributed to the usual suspects:

“Today, the world is witnessing a severe global food crisis triggered by heavy inflation, supply chain disruption, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.”

“Triggered” is the operative word. How are these different than the Irish Potato Famine’s fungus or the Ethiopian Famine’s drought?

As inflations soars and supplies tighten, people are hoarding food, with the global crisis nearing a deadly event horizon.

“With regard to food shortage, yes we did talk about food shortages, and it's gonna be real…”—President Biden

In what nuanced, thoughtful, and effective way are our leaders responding to this problem? To answer this, I thought “What are they saying in Iowa?”—After all, more than 85% of Iowa’s land is farmed.

From the Des Moines Register:

“Here’s the real question: If the Biden administration’s disastrous handling of the still-unsolved baby formula shortage is any indication, does he have a plan to mitigate potential food shortages? Logic would dictate that supporting America’s farmers would be the first step. To not do so would be like hearing a thunderstorm is coming and not closing your windows. 

It appears Biden has taken the second route. “We’re in a crisis right now,” John Boyd Jr., the president of the National Black Farmers Association, warned back in May.”

Rather than providing support for farmers to farm, the federal government has recently increased payments to farmers to leave farmland fallow—It’s part of a decades old program that environmentalists don’t think is working, but which has recently been maxed out by our government. Meritless or not from an environmental standpoint, it’s clearly bad timing to increase these payments in the midst of a food shortage.

Speaking of the environment, I’m a huge proponent of cleaning it up—What I’m not a fan of is using this cause as a card in a political poker game. How is it greener to buy oil from abroad and incur greenhouse emissions to ship it here rather than pumping it here and having a stable economy? The hypocrisy is daunting. Here we are in 2022, and tractor-trailer trucks, heavy machinery, and cruise ships are all still allowed to belch out onerous amounts of noxious fumes, but farmers are paid not to farm when we’re on the cusp of famine. Doesn’t seem right.

A quick detour to take a look at similar examples of saving pennies while spending dollars at the worst possible time, a recent study found that California’s wildfires, in the single year of 2020, spewed out more than twice as much greenhouse gasses as was reduced by the whole of California’s efforts over the past roughly 20 years.

Why are people surprised by this? The writing was on the wall years ago—We’ve known about the significant greenhouse emissions from wildfires since at least 1991. California could have made meaningful differences by instituting more stringent policies to prevent and police wildfires, as 90% are started by humans—But they obviously weren’t successful as 2020 demonstrated.

So here we are with gasoline-powered cars banned in California by 2035, arguably before they’re ready, as their electric grid is in such dire need of upgrade that shortly after the ban was announced, residents were asked to use less air conditioning to save electricity.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m in favor of electric cars and whatever we can rationally do to save the environment, but I think that government should work both compassionately and intelligently—I’m seeing little of either.

But I digress, probably because I’m subconsciously delaying veering into controversial territory—What if famine and other shortages are being planned? It’s not like purposeful famine hasn’t been used in the past as a tool to implement government changes, and the past tends to repeat itself.

“The Ukrainian famine…unlike other famines in history caused by blight or drought, this was caused when a dictator wanted both to replace Ukraine’s small farms with state-run collectives and punish independence-minded Ukrainians who posed a threat to his totalitarian authority.”

As I said before, with all the global resources at our disposal. it’s hard to believe that planet-wide food shortages can occur in the absence of intention.

“What we are currently living through is a kind of major tipping point or a great upheaval … we are living the end of what could have seemed an era of abundance … the end of the abundance of products of technologies that seemed always available … the end of the abundance of land and materials including water…”—Emmanuel Macron, President of France

As reviewed in Part 1, psychopathy and sociopathy are shockingly common in the population. Are we paying the price for not paying closer attention to this? In the words of liberal author and Drake University associate professor Nate Holdren:

“Every day in the pandemic, many people’s lives end, and others are made irrevocably worse. These daily losses matter inestimably at a human level, yet they do not matter in any meaningful way at all to the public and private institutions that govern our lives. Our suffering is inconsequential to the machinery of power and to those who compose and operate that machinery…for some reason I still continue to greet the latest twists and turns of the pandemic with disbelief and a gut level sense that surely now public officials will do something. This takes a particular and tiring mental toll, and I know I’m not alone here — I have lost count of the number of friends who have quietly asked me “do you ever feel like you’re losing your mind from all of this?” Perhaps we feel what the powerful refuse to. I’m unsure.”

Unlike war, famine is a far more forgiving ingredient for this deranged recipe to take down civilization. Famine can be distributed globally, set to a slow simmer, and manipulated to control large swaths of the population over a long period. Yum.

In unrelated news, Bill Gates has been quietly buying up farmland, making him the largest private owner of US farmland. And as China hoards grain, its ownership of US farmland has increased over 20-fold in the past decade. Oh, and there have been unexplained fires at multiple food processing plants throughout 2022. All of this may be random noise. It could be coincidence—I genuinely mean that—But maybe it’s not.

It is What it Is

Sociopathy, thought to be environmentally-induced as opposed to psychopathy’s primarily genetic etiology, is becoming more common. Why? Social media may be partly to blame for this disturbing shift in our societal personality.

When I first learned years ago that psychopaths often achieve positions of power, I was highly disturbed. But should I be? CEO’s are 4-12 times more likely than the general population to be psychopaths. Attorneys are the profession with the 2nd highest rate of psychopathy—And yet they both provide necessary functions in society. So now, after years of letting myself get used to the idea, focusing on not over-reacting and keeping my emotions in check, I revisited my feelings on the matter—Yup, still highly disturbed.

But despite that, I now recognize that some anti-social personality traits are not only advantageous for psychopaths to get ahead in the world—They can sometimes be beneficial for the general public:

“Doctors were low on psychopathy, but surgeons were actually in the top ten, so there’s kind of a dividing line between surgeons and doctors.”

I’ve heard it a lot—That being a surgeon is a perfect example of when psychopathic traits can be beneficial. The argument goes that if a surgeon were to have too much empathy for a patient, it would lead to crumbling under the stress of performing surgery.

I guess the key is in finding balance. If psychopaths are let on a long leash, the world could come undone—If there is oversight by the compassionate majority, then psychopaths can make important contributions to society. But what if other psychopaths are providing oversight? What if the hierarchal organizations that run the world are broadly peppered with people who don’t feel empathy or remorse, and we put them in power? What then?

Look around—We may be there already. Please take a peek at Part 2 to get perspective on The Great Reset.

I think we can start by bringing empathy back to the governing of our species. And I don’t mean the fake stuff that gets people elected. My suggestion would be a simple one—That politicians and CEO’s of large corporations be required to undergo testing to detect sociopathy and psychopathy, and not be allowed to serve in these positions if found to have either disorder.

Imagine having politicians and corporate CEO’s that actually cared about us.

This small safety measure could materially change the world for the better, but then again, if we’re dealing with sociopaths and psychopaths, the testing would likely be rigged.

Gotta have a work-around for that.

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