https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78b4HsEV1-k
Who are the people making a fuss about the virus?
The people who make a fuss about viruses are mainly found in the alternative circles, the wellness sector. Not everyone, but mainly in that direction.
The explanation, I think, is that they are used to resisting mainstream society.
Now, the virus does not come from society, but the measures against the virus do. And that, while in alternative circles people have become accustomed to having a lot of freedom. That is possible today. They also have a lot of recognition in society. And they have a reasonable financial independence.
Then the virus came. And that virus didn't care about social borders, or borders between countries. It goes through everything and affects everyone. And then the measures came and they concern everyone. Unless you really don't want to have a vaccination. But you will be confronted with a lot of measures from outside anyway.
That was very scary, especially for people who were used to turning inward, thinking on a small scale, and working with individuals, for healing, wellness and so on.
And then suddenly that big outside world comes crashing in. Also in a physical way. Yes, that is frightening, frightening of what appears to be happening in that outside world.
Has conspiracy thinking been around longer?
Yes, it is very old. It is almost as old as mankind I would say, as far as we can trace it. There are already stories about conspiracies in the bible. Well, not so much conspiracy, but doom and gloom expectations. They are often about catastrophes that are being created, for us or about us.
You also had the medieval witch hunt, in which all kinds of mischief was attributed to witches. Totally wrong. So that's all very old.
Should we especially look at the World Economic Forum?
No. You have a number of clubs or meetings where world leaders come together. That's not just the WEF. There are many more. But special attention has been drawn to the WEF. That's probably because of another club, in America, called QAnon. It is supported by the industrial-military complex. That is, in short, a conglomerate of rulers in America. They want to draw attention to the WEF in order to divert attention from what they do themselves.
Look, the power formation in the world goes in two ways: through the very large companies that just go their own way. They do not need international consultative bodies. They go their own way and at most influence the World Bank or IMF, and so on. And you have the clubs that keep meeting in Switzerland or Washington. But they depend on the multinationals. They themselves have little money or executive power. So it's mainly about looking at those multinationals.
Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to a few of those world clubs. Take for example the Bilderberg Conference which is much older than the WEF, from 1954. Perhaps one of the first clubs of international leaders. The Dutch Prince Bernhard was one of the founders. Along with NATO hawks. They were concerned with the Cold War ideology.
The WEF is also not new, as is sometimes assumed. The start was already in 1971, half a century ago. In addition, they have gradually opened up and are doing good things too. You could call that window dressing. There are secret meetings and we don't know what they are up to there, but they also do excellent projects for the well-being of people and the environment. You can regularly find something about this on LinkedIn. Just type it in and you'll see it pop up almost every day. Very good things.
Well then you can say that is window dressing. You show your good activities and behind the scenes you do what you actually want to do. It could be, but there's little hard evidence for that. And there is ample evidence that they do very good things. You can take that seriously. Before proceeding with a witch hunt on the WEF, you better hunt for other bodies such as the Bilderberg Conference, or the International Monetary Fund.
What revelations about world power can you name?
Disclosures about world power are mainly found in political economics. That's the term. There they have been revealing what machinations by multinationals are taking place since the 1930s. A great example is the industrial-military complex in America. There the very big companies are really intertwined through lobbying and personnel exchanges and so on, with politics, with the military, with the mafia, with the secret services, and with government services such as for food safety regulators. It is all intertwined and in constant flux. They influence each other.
The public flag is the Republican Party. Prominent critic Noam Chomsky said: The most dangerous organization in the world is the Republican Party of the United States. Well that is what we should look at, and at the people in that industrial-military complex. Enough has been published about this in books and magazines. And on the Internet nowadays.
What do you think of the terms “conspiracy hoverers” and “system slaves”?
Well, it's annoying because they had quite a venomous connotation. The word conspiracy hoverer refers to people in alternative circles who are spiritually oriented but actually mainly in the spiritual bypass. They don't have a realistic foothold. They speculate about conspiracies in the world without checking properly.
The word system slaves refers to people who uncritically go along in society, without understanding that they are controlled by the social system: It is called conformism.
In fact, everyone is controlled, whether you like it or realize it or not, by the social system, by social history. We are all a product of social history and culture as it is. That also applies to the critics in the alternative circles. And it goes for the political economists who come up with revelations. And it applies to you and me as well. Everyone is a slave to the system.
Are the conspiracy theories plausible?
Conspiracy theories are plausible if you come up with evidence. You really need to engage scientific thinking for that. But people in alternative circles often hate science. This makes them look like Trump supporters in America, a slightly different club, but they also don't like science.
But science can actually prove your conspiracy theories. Or refute, that is inherent in science. And if your conspiracy theory is disproven, it doesn't mean you should stop. You can continue to improve your theory, based on evidence that exists. Or, if necessary, you do your own research, or you read the research of others.
What advice can you give?
Before escaping into fantasies and scary ideas, consult well-known literature, or listen to Noam Chomsky. And also do some research into your own emotional background or motivation that leads you to these kinds of fantasies or ideas.
In fact, it provides much more reassuring guidance if you do concrete research. That can be a relief. There may be less left of all your ideas. But you do have more to hold on to. This gives peace of mind. Unsubstantiated conspiracy theories often arise from unrest or vague fear while, in turn, reinforcing them again. The best way to break this vicious circle is to sober up. Welcome to the world. Look at what is known. Then you have something to hold on to. That is very important advice.
Furthermore, I would say, differentiate. In general, but also in this case. Both in alternative circles and in mainstream society you have good things and bad things. So don't just look at what's wrong in regular society and, vice versa, in alternative circles. Very good things are happening on both sides. In the wellness sector there are dedicated people who do a very good job.
World Economic Forum (WEF)
· The WEF coordinates initiatives by entrepreneurs aimed at a fairer society and a better environment.
· The WEF organizes an annual meeting of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland.
· They say they fight together against authoritarian and nationalist regimes.
· We can only speculate about what they secretly discuss.
Dangerous organizations
· Multinationals
· US Industrial-Military Complex
· US Republican Party
· QAnon
· China
· Secret Services
· Bilderberg Conference
· Trilateral Commission
· International Monetary Fund
Books
Already 20 years ago, popular books were published about self-enrichment through monopoly formation by large multinationals, at the cost of consumers and citizens at large.
Noreena Hertz, "The Silent Takeover – Global Capitalism and the Death of Democracy", Random House, New York, 2001. https://noreena.com/book/the-silent-takeover/
Naomi Klein, “No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies”, Knopf Canada, 1999, Holt US, 2000, Harper Collins UK, 2000. https://naomiklein.org/no-logo/
#QAnon #multinationals #PrinceBernhard #worldpower #monopolyformation #industrialmilitarycomplex #InternationalMonetaryFund #conspiracytheory #disclosure #scientific #politicaleconomy #anthropology #investigativejournalism #NoamChomsky #NaomiKlein #NoreenaHertz #UptonSinclair
Peter van der Werff
Anthropologist Dr. Peter van der Werff discusses suspicion and disclosures of international concentrations of power. Some organizations are more dangerous than the World Economic Forum. Conspiracy theories need a scientific approach for the purpose of verification or falsification.
Anthropologist Dr. Peter van der Werff discusses suspicion and disclosures of international concentrations of power. Some organizations are more dangerous than the World Economic Forum. Conspiracy theories need a scientific approach for the purpose of verification or falsification.
As an academic veteran, Peter van der Werff offers unique ways to get to grips with complex changes around us and within ourselves. He graduated cum laude in political economy and cultural anthropology from the University of Amsterdam, where he also obtained his doctorate. He was appointed at the same university, with a focus on the topics of oppression, exploitation and emancipation, and at the Free University in Amsterdam, with a focus on environmental issues, including the effects of climate change. For his research projects and policy advice, he stayed in 25 countries on all continents. After his retirement he transfers his acquired knowledge and insights to the wider public.