Objective Reality & Freewill

It's remarkable how even a modicum of logic and scientific philosophy demonstrates the difficulty of defining what is real and the rules to describe it. Like a sandpit the more one struggles the tougher it gets. So an important value to question is objective reality. The closest match might be scientific laws which are merely consistent principles and the most powerful ones are just statistical constructs.

This lack of objective reality implies a lack of objective truth, but really this philosophical assumption leads to neither clarity nor accurate interpretations. Even a state of total chaos has statistical uniformities. Consensus can be found and in fact it's remarkably prevalent. Commonality can be found and built upon at many levels but absolutes are less meaningful here than consistency; ultimate reality is fuzzy because it's a product of probabilities. The key is to utilize the solid and avoid the ambiguous, bet on the likely and not the unlikely. "There is no reason to suspend belief in an underlying reality. It's just that the steps we take to establish it determine what it will be found to be. Reality is contextual." ¹

The randomness of nature is a powerful asset because it negates the credibility of teleology, that purposeful predestination that undermines freewill. So one actually has the option to passively accept the socio-historically established concoction of absolutes, truth and moral laws, the objective reality which can be nothing but myth. Or you can accept real for what it is and assume the healthier role of active participant constantly defining existence through perception and intelligence. In this way defining existence is predicated upon life, conscious awareness of sensory input combined with critical interpretation of what that input means. And the more highly developed the conscious or the greater the intelligence the more effective and meaningful is existence.

Hence the difference between passive 'social' and active 'political' nihilism is that one accepts whatever happens within futility and pointlessness while the other destroys/creates meaning and value. Which path a person takes is a personal decision within the limits of ability and that means one does have choice; existence is not predetermined or fatally ordained. However default answers and the compulsion of conformity shouldn't be overlooked. Reality is contextual.

The Pitfalls of Artificial Law

It may seem peculiar how terms like 'moral', 'liberal' and 'conservative' are used in conversation. People will tell you they're moral individuals but they don't say moral according to who or what even though every culture and religious order has different standards. They'll tell you they're liberal and one is supposed to assume they mean it politically instead of liberal users of peyote or stamps on heavy envelopes. 'Progress' is another favorite, progress is good but as in the spread of cancer? Or maybe they mean the spread of Wal-Mart's to every town in the world with at least 5,000 people?

But the consistent message people are trying to convey in conversation is their own subtle deviation from the political and social norm and from the ambient morality which is to say from the definitions and standards processed, packaged and pumped into them by media, government and church authority. Since all these concepts are unable to be empirically codified they assume elastic values that are easily warped to serve despots and unhealthy outcome, which is why Nietzsche wisely stated:

"Morality is the best of all devices for leading mankind by the nose."

But moral laws aren't the only kind that can be warped to serve disingenuous ends. The greater the personal wealth and property one controls or possesses the more laws are needed to protect that wealth. Conversely the less one owns the fewer laws are needed for protecting it. At a point of total poverty where one has nothing but the self they would only feel the need for laws against killing i.e. 'thou shalt not murder'. In other words the degree of law desired is directly proportional to the wealth in possession. Laws protect that vested power and the people owning it by providing consistent codified support for the control and distribution of that wealth. But even though the stated desire for legality is universal the interpretation of that legality is not, clearly varying between haves and have-nots, a schism fervently exploited by Marxists. Enter the lawyers who are mercenaries paid to reinterpret the law to favor the client. Since the rich have the money to buy the most powerful lawyers and since the establishment of precedent is defined through epic court battles, common law is gradually skewed in favor of those rich patrons. Hence the emergence of a class-bifurcated, sanctimonious justice system and the erosion of law fairness. Scientific research shows that in a police lineup witnesses' who choose an incorrect person are just as confident as ones that choose the correct one because human memory fills in the blanks with assumptions. Furthermore juries are just as credulous of false or inaccurate testimony as legitimate because all that really matters is strength of conviction. The criminal justice system warps science and the witness to its own ends because the only thing that matters is which side you are on - prosecution or defense.

Furthermore laws are designed to protect the incompetent and mitigate the influence of the capable. For example a cop with a gun is a greater danger than a 'criminal' because they have an official sanction to kill; their murder is backed by the concept of law. The government and legal institutions have no higher morality than the 'criminal' does; they are prone to heinous conduct just as, if not worse than the 'criminal' is. One party can act with impunity; the other will be executed. So what of "rights"? Nihilism views rights as irrelevant because it's the underlying structures of morality and the roots of truth, myth and collective delusions that dictate significance. Morality and ethics are artificial byproducts of culture and through hypocrisy and abuse are warped into becoming illusory forces.

Some argue that money is a proxy for achievement, but this is false. Money is aggregated amongst the already wealthy. Nor does our capitalist society promote achievement through the educational establishment, the mythical system of western mandarinism perpetuated by certain intelligentsia members. The true nature of the system is based more on connections and wealth than merit. The number of slots to get on this escalator to social achievement is limited, and the already powerful get to choose who gets those slots, so guess who really gets in! It has never been truer than today, the rich get richer while the poor get poorer.

Evolution isn't aided by government or legislation, not even by laissez faire economics. After all, evolution operates in chaos (the natural order), government usually impedes growth, progress and positive change. Government typically forces creativity into well regulated and impotent conduits, directing it into futile creations that stifle natural development and negate willpower, like curing one disease to make way for another more insidious one, or 'must see TV'.

War or Revolution?

Before I continue it is imperative that I clearly define the differences between war and revolution and their significance to Nihilism. All too often the two words are used interchangeably because they both convey a sense of violent action and social upheaval but they have very different meanings. Part of the problem involves the nature of modern warfare, which is increasingly an urban phenomenon that affects civilians even more than soldiers. Guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency efforts all blur the distinction between revolution and warfare. But this doesn't mean the two concepts are synonymous; in fact warfare and revolution are opposites. A war is started by an established government and fought against an organized enemy. Revolution is an effort to overthrow and replace an established government or authority structure.

"It is better to deal with a government in difficulties than with one that has luck on its side," said Mayer Amschel Rothschild. "The best bargains can be found when the streets flow red with blood," is widely attributed to the Rothschilds as well. Cyclical, traditional European wars of the type funded by the Rothschilds culminated in World War One, once referred to as 'the war to end all wars'. Many bankers and rapacious industrialists gained fabulous wealth from the death and mutilation of millions. Just think of [Sir] Hiram Maxim who amassed an astronomical fortune from the invention of the machine gun! 'Build a better killing machine and the world will beat a path to your door'. War is about the monetary profit of Kings and plutocrats.

Revolution is an anti-war, ideally it's the effort to destabilize the machines of the industrialists and overthrow the Kings. Still it would be naïve to think that many revolutions aren't manipulated by the same people they purport to overthrow.

Political leaders realized long ago that in order to achieve their goals and maintain the legitimacy of authority it was necessary to have the support of public opinion. Unfortunately the masses are conservative by nature and rarely desire to be dragged into the bloody machinations of their governments. The solution is to create the proper national event or circumstances with which to manipulate popular sentiment into supporting your campaign. This is called social engineering and like all tools it can be used to help or hurt. One infamous example involved F.D. Roosevelt who lured the Japanese into Pearl Harbor neatly creating the proper domestic outrage required for entry into another suicidal escapade known as war.

It's ridiculous to assume these people will protect us from anything. The Russians, Germans, Japanese, even the British believed their governments would achieve greatness and keep them safe. I guess WW II was a rude awakening? How many Americans used to think employment was guaranteed in a large corporation, or that Social Security funds would always be there? Apparently theft isn't a crime when it's sanctioned by authority. Support of this Empire is futile; the only choice is to destroy it for safety and sanity.

Too many idealistic crusaders fall for the trick of turning their revolutions into wars at the behest of established authority, in other words be sure to rub-out the right people and hit the correct target. The wise realize that the visible is a product of the invisible in the sense that ideas define outcome, values define product and the moral topology defines the superstructure; and if we think it's impossible it'll never happen but if we think it can it will.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
 - Ephesians 6:12 with a little 'translation'

This is the true nature of the system we're dealing with. It's an unfortunate fault of simplistic human nature to first target the visible elements. But to merely attack the visible superstructure of capitalism, church and politicians is doomed - the mistake of anarchism. The real enemies are the "demons" in the public consciousness, the myths and the lies, the foolish ideas and the self-destructive notions and secondly the people that preach it. The relativistic moral codes of "good" is this and "bad" is that, they're cynically reinvented by self-righteous leaderships to achieve misguided, mystical goals. And the intangible, non-verifiable goals make the sweetest bait because no one can claim otherwise! If you want to change a belief you must first change an environment because what the masses believe is formed by what they hear and see around them.

"The great revolutions are those of manners and thought. Changing the name of a government does not transform the mentality of a people."
– Gustave Le Bon

The strategic success of revolution, if I may use the word, is predicted upon reaching these roots. How? Two means and the first is the acidic dissolution of delusion. Ridicule the ridiculous, highlight absurdity contradiction and irony. Make fun of the foolish and faithful alike but more importantly the notions they use and discredit delusion by every means available.

Second, propagate the replacement and fill the vacuum left by the discredited myths. Fill it with facts built from the boundaries of the known and the unknown in order to deal with the present and not some fictional afterlife. Counteract religious modes - convince the public that natural behavior and instinct are normal again. Work to build havens from mass-media and pop-cultural influences allowing anyone the freedom of independent thought and introspection unfettered by the corporate sponsored, brand positioned homogenized opinions doled out like drug-laced candy. Communicate the message and the inveterate popularity of entertainment shouldn't be underestimated as a tool for changing opinion, it's the best way to connect with mass audiences. On a more localized level never begin with a frontal assault but instead aim to first disarm you opponent by using say, humor or unexpected actions. And never forget the effect of reinforced statements, one voice is nonsense but two is the sound of authority - use it.

So when does the revolution start? It already has! Act accordingly in what you do and what you say. There's no half measure and no fence to sit on, everyone is a participant in this omnipresent psychological war because it has no front-line or boundaries. Every mind is a battlefield and every person with above room temperature body warmth and IQ is a combatant. Now's the time to decide which side to be on.

Systemic Self-Destruction

Nihilism is an awareness that destruction is at least as important as construction, even more so when institutions have outlived their usefulness to become corrupt and unhealthy. Idealist crusades fail because they never remove the vestiges of the past order. Think of it biologically, would Homo sapiens have evolved out of the Mesozoic era, or would they have just been dino-snacks? We're here because of a previous mass extinction! The old order didn't mutate, it was catastrophically destroyed because that's the only way radical, meaningful change can occur. Revolutions fail because the willpower to enact the necessary severity of change is lacking. Actually its not just willpower it's the total vision that's usually lacking. Some call Karl Marx a revolutionary but Marxism isn't genuine revolution it's just rearranging the artificial order. Every ideology on the books is merely a convenient way to re-order the present situation; they just shuffle the same old cards and the people end up worse off than before! Nihilism plays a completely new game, but the old game of lies and myths always self-destructs eventually. These are the cycles of history, the recycling of flawed ideologies and our era is a prime example.

Every political ideology has been discredited as an affront to freedom and well-being. From capitalism to communism the fatal flaw is always the same - actualization, the predictable literalization of faith and myth. Besides producing voluminous hypocrisy and tyranny the byproduct of sham ideologies and fractional logic includes extensive pollution of both the human mind and the Earth's ecosystem.  Think of the billions of dollars spent to produce nuclear, biological and chemical weapons all to have them rust and leak in storage bunkers from Tooele to Tomsk-7. Millions toiling to produce ultra-deadly nerve gas and radioactive waste with a four and a half billion year half-life. Nihilists know who to 'thank'- and who to stop from doing it again.

Religion: independent theologies and decentralized organizations have replaced the Church/State monopoly. With the loss of government support (money) the Church has revealed its true nature as the giant profit motivated scam that it is. The theological monopoly has been broken and now any faith is just as valid as any other is. History will rate the separation of Church and State as one of the most critical pivots of the modern era. The secondary effect of this is that the national population doesn't know which faith to choose, and although religion can't be eliminated it can be easily replaced. Now all the God addicts will have to make do with a pluralistic methadone.

Every election season has its battle over education in some form or another. These conflicts only become more heated as relative values polarize amidst social disintegration and concomitant increase of media attention on school violence. But this incessant emphasis on 'education' has little to do with training skills in socialization or adaptability and everything to do with myth indoctrination! This is why religious groups fight like hell for separate private or home schooling. What's commonly referred to as 'education' is really about molding and warping young minds when they're most impressionable. And given the stunning uselessness of 95% of school material within an actual employment setting it seems difficult to explain the education scam otherwise except perhaps as hollow tradition or keeping the kids off the streets for a few hours each day. Employers and authority powers all look for those stamped and notarized pieces of paper to effortlessly determine the gullibility and exploitability of a person, how quickly they'll latch on to authorized opinions and follow orders without questions, or at least that's how a cynic would posit degrees and diplomas are really being used.

Elimination of monarchic rule: those inveterate despots and prostitutes for the Church, one of mankind's long lasting afflictions has finally been relegated to the proper place in the dusty archives of history. Unfortunately the new master, the mass media, has simply replaced much of monarchic authority.

Patriotism follows the same pattern of obsolescence because anymore it has been hijacked to mean obedience to the suicidal dictates of corrupt authority. As long as the domestic death-toll can be kept to a minimum war is good and noble because it generates employment and corporate profits.

The traditional faith in the military establishment is on increasingly questionable grounds. The creation of the volunteer/ professional military is a radical departure from historical precedent. The worlds of the military and the civilian used to be intricately related. Now the two are rapidly spinning in opposite directions. Mistrust, ignorance, and incompetence have created a re-evaluation of the mission of the military and even its very necessity.

The character of the mass media is beginning to be viewed as the imperative threat to collective survival that it is. Democracy is a sham when the primary media filters and manipulates 98% of the information the voter needs to judge candidates. Not only do the same companies own the networks they're owned by the same people and the trend towards consolidation and mergers continues unabated.

Governments are drowning in a self-created morass of hyper-legislation. Criminality is not always a self-evident concept; laws create criminals. The beauty of legislative suffocation is that more laws mean more criminals and the more criminals on the streets the greater the need for more protective legislation. Lawmaking is the ultimate sinful addiction of corrupt regimes. Global economic and political aggregation is building a new tower of Babel.

This highlights a few elements of the decaying superstructure but to stop at that would be a fatal flaw - Marx's mistake. This decaying process has only begun and it's crucial it not end before being burnt to the ground and dead to the root. The nihilist plays an important role in this process but not as part of the dying system. The nihilist is apart from that system, the suicide orgy of everything attached to the crumbling edifice of dying gods. There's no reason to play games which can't be won or fight for lost causes.

Nihilism: Through the Eyes and Into the Minds

The natural world and its inviolate rules consist largely of violence and dominance with a tenuous overlaid veneer of artificial order at certain moments; it's those news stories of conflict and suffering so distant and easy to disbelieve. If you keep glued to your TV and immersed in that fantasy world and if you go to church and get down on your knees in prayer every night just maybe that dark angel of reality will skip your house and take the next one ... or maybe you and your friends will be the one's in tomorrow's headlines. Too many are blinded by subjective morality, they fail to see the purpose Pol Pot and friends serve. It's that glimpse of reality, the natural world so foreign to our insulated world of film and suburbia, that transient mythical realm inhabited for a moment most believe is forever. Regardless of good or evil Pol Pot brought that potential for brutality into the homes and media of not just a tormented South East Asia but an entire planet. He generates fear, we know how far and how fast the halo graced angel of man can fall from heaven and the wise who watch now have an impetus to keep from falling further. So you see, I'm trying to stretch that deadened range of sensation to include a fraction of the evil as well as the good, and if you don't like it you can't just change the channel or move to the suburbs. Escape is an illusion, peace is an illusion, deal with the war that we are all a part of and be prepared mentally and physically to defend and attack, otherwise you're just dead meat.

In any war you can't win without knowing the participants, who they are and what motivates them. Humanity consists of two simplified groups the ones that think and one's that only react. One group reasons with logic and the mind, the second from fear and intimidation. Don't hate the stupid, hate the ones that act stupid yet are capable of knowing better. The real target of immediacy isn't the crooked despots or the petty authoritarians, they're predictable and linear. The enemy is the middle class fence-sitters who grant support and mandate through jaded acquiescence and tacit approval. The 9-5 taxpayer, cop's salary-paying drones suckling the teat of the myth machine, the ones that just want to cooperate with this system and make a buck after taxes, these are the ones that keep the Empires well oiled oppression machine grinding away day after day. Don't take the fight to the capitols or the cities where it's already at take it to the suburbs. Attack the havens and safe-zones the false insulation these people enjoy at the expense of the rest of the planet glibly sure everything is cute and fun because nothing bad happens here and TV says everything is perfect.

To attack directly, physically, may offer more of a thrill but it's dangerous and offers inferior benefit for the risk involved. Think like a social engineer, ideas are more powerful anyway. Take nihilism into the living room through the eyes and into the fearful minds of the public. Scare them with the facts, force the cognitive dissonance on the sheeple. Magnify conflict and inconsistencies, play the contradictory aspect of popular values against another. This will either make them nihilists too or cause them to react with fear and hatred giving the nihilists the upper hand of rationality and the authority of consistency. Remember, there's no need to be violent when the anti-nihilists so easily assume that role which just establishes your opponent as a negative, impulsive force discredited by their own absurdity. Read on to the next page and learn about the Nihilists.

Closing Comments

Often what appears to be the extreme message is actually just tomorrow's story today. One can ignore it and panic when it does arrive or learn from it and be ahead of your time prescient, prepared and devoid of fear or panic. Nihilism may never be understood let alone appreciated in modern times. Even the simplicity of anarchism is widely misinterpreted and misunderstood. We live in a dynamic era where traditional values have been warped by authorities to serve unjust ends contrary to public interests. It's an era of contradiction that often necessitates counterintuitive conduct, where sanity is nihilism and patriotism is sedition. The recourse for survival within this context of the erosion of traditional meaning is nihilism.

Nihilism is the organic logical response to artificial chaos, the intentional chaos manufactured by government, religion, and mass-media.

Many people blame nihilism for the evils of the world; some might even (erroneously) blame me as a proponent. Much of the antagonism towards this nihilism is due to its acidic affront of the everyday fantasy world most glibly inhabit. If all you want out of 'life' is the stupefying, self-delusional sense of security then stay passive or get sent to prison which will get you the same result. After all prison is the most insulated and protected place a person can be, right! Hardly.

Complacency may be cheap but its compound interest is deadly. Nevertheless even the most horrendous injustice is a lesson learned because it destroys the unhealthy delusion that ultimate responsibility for actions and consequences resides with ambiguous entities in mystical realms. The disabused realize even if they choose not to accept that ultimate responsibility resides within oneself. Life isn't fair because what's defined as 'fair' is self-centered and the universe simply does not revolve around any single person.

In a way that's all it is. That's all that's needed to revolutionize the planet because once a person finally realizes the totality of the lies that comprise everyday modern life they will become the greatest nihilist and radical imaginable.

1. The World Within The World by John D. Barrow, page 137, Oxford University Press, 1988.