The confusing web of conspiracy theories....

"I believe that Alex Jones is contributing to irrational fear regarding this issue." Caelidh

I like Alex on some things but you are right about him on this one. A lot of people in the patriot or tea party or Constitution/Libertarian movements see anything environmental as part of the New World Order and anti-Christian. They fear a pagan revival, hence the "threat" of Gaian thought or deep ecology. But this is their hangup. Yes, there are many forces - corporate, religious and otherwise - trying to co-op the environmental movement but to add Avatar into that mix, just because it is a big budgeted Hollywood movie, is indeed irrational.

...would it still be considered "fear mongering" to warn the people who live there?

Paranoia coupled with speculation leads to some pretty thin "conspiracies" - but when a track record of proven deceit proceeds cold hard evidence, then you've got a fire to attend to. I'm not altogether sure about Alex Jones (and I'll save my reasons for another thread) but aside from his usual excited delivery, I'm not aware of him ever bringing attention to something that was untrue. HIS reaction to the information doesn't have to be yours. In fact, nobody's emotional response to ANY information should be mirrored. Emotions, as stated in Century of the Self (glad to see you suggested that in your follow-up comment, Caelidh) have been used against us TO control us. (If you haven't seen the documentary, it gives a much more detailed explanation as to how that came about. Definitely a good investment of your time.)

But just as the "Peace and Love" movement was directed into something more to the PTB's liking (New Age movement), wouldn't it be naive to expect that it WOULDN'T happen again? Just as it has been pointed out, movements are infiltrated and then re-directed, regardless of how "right" or "noble" those movements may have begun.

In regards to the planet - true, we could be better to our planet. But shouldn't we be better to our fellow humans first? And for that matter, all of the struggle for resources has been about control - not control over the people who have them, but control over the people who depend upon those resources. Alternative energy has encountered one obstacle after another, obstacles that have been erected by the same forces who are killing people FOR those resources, to ensure our continued dependence on them. If wind turbines, solar panels, electric cars, magnetic motors, perpetual motion motors and the like were employed as a matter of fact, that means there wouldn't be the same level of pollution choking our world, and we wouldn't be paying our masters month after month FOR those resources. Less to pay every month means more time for the stuff that matters, like creative expression, or helping someone else to achieve that same ease of living. It's only a struggle because of this system that's in place.

I liked Avatar. I, too questioned the possibility of it being used for something less warm and fuzzy prior to hearing anyone else talk (or rant) about it. I don't get all worked up about it like Alex does, but I've got the same concerns. We're manipulated in more ways than just the little and big screens in front of us. If you're familiar with E.L.F.s (extra low frequencies), then you probably already know that your emotions can be manipulated with them - without you even being able to detect them. Electromagnetic pollution is another topic all unto itself. Cell phone tower repairman is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Why do you think that is? I'm not trying to add to the list of shit to be afraid of, but awareness of the fronts in which this war is waged is very important. If you take the messenger out of the mix and just look at what he or she is pointing at, then it's up to YOU to decide what you're going to do with that information.

You wrote: "Govt on the other hand may or may not entirely be colluding with corporate entities. Depending on how far they have been infiltrated by corporations."
Here's one for ya...
Super Bowl-style corporate ads for candidates?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_on_bi_ge/us_campaign_finance

Still not so sure? I'm not going to offer a slew of links, but I think it's pretty much common knowledge in forums such as this one that former heads of organizations like the FDA can later be found in "consulting positions" for the companies that mass manufacture the poisons they approved for the public.

To be clear, we are in agreement about being "on the verge of a system SHIFT of consciousness and the powers are fighting hard"....and if they're fighting hard, I'll not make the mistake of underestimating them. There's much I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that there is a far greater level of technology being employed than what the latest iPhone has. Know your enemy. In this case, and pretty much all cases - it's the ego. Like you said, too much separation is preached as gospel and it's clearly in disharmony with what really is.

Peace, y'all

I too was thrown by a loop by the strong, negative reactions I encountered on Evolver by posting a piece on Lord Monckton. My head was reeling, suddenly a community of seemingly forward thinking folks were busting out all this NWO stuff, as if the corps don't ALLREADY own everything and Monckton isn't working for them. Almost overnight everyone is burying their head in the sand and claiming that there is no evidence of human caused climate change and it's all just a scheme to get Bulgarian troops on U.S. soil and flouridate pregnant mothers or whatever...

Having worked with, been arrested with, supported prisoners, and been intimately connected with a LOT of people in the environmental movement, I can truly say it's F'in crazy to think that this is all some james bond villain plot to destroy the U.S. The ultra right wing in this country uses issues like World Heritage Sites (an important step in protecting land from developers) to claim that American land is being "ceded" to the UN, and that our sovereignity is at stake. Well, I gotta say, I am first and foremost a human being, not an "American" and do not recognize boundaries. Boundaries, and "America" for that matter, were invented by capitalists, and are enforced by armies and police. Not my scene.
And, what's so bad about a Gaian mindset anyway ? I thought that was the point here in the first place...

No doubt there are dynamic individuals running around in hopes of rallying support for this or that, Alex surely among them. I think Alex generally has big sponsors somewhere in the carbon- business sector. He is rallying the red States and we also need to remember that any rally needs to fit localized memes. We can't expect all memes to blend into one, not at our stage of evolution on this confused planet phase. At least Alex is reaching across the old divides and is offering useful constructs.

Environmental-fundamentalism is way too complex and tangled to work flawlessly. Environmentalists, in their own camps, need to catch up with more progressive thinking. Fundamentalists on every side, very often have not realized their own rigidity of belief systems. Rigidity everywhere desperately needs honest-self-examionation.

I prefer to step back and point to common roots like 'conservation'. Let us make peace between red and blue mindsets-- Meat-eaters and hunters are among the strongest supporters of conserving wildlife. Likewise, many nature-lovers also love to eat meat each day, 'sanitized' by plastic wraps.... somewhere, bridges need updated repair. If a movie can bridge discussions across the divide, then good for that.

Evolution has purpose in throwing new memes and contexts in disarray. We need always to 'jump start' the broken down understandings, with patience and common sense.

I just want to start by saying this is a great blog post, and the discussion that has followed it is encouraging. I think I have a little more hope in humanity again!

I think this whole business about Avatar can be boiled down to an issue of narrative. As a person who worked VERY hard in the 9/11 Truth movement, I have a special appreciation for the propagation of narratives, it's challenges and it's results.

The christian/conspiratorial-right, clings to their narrative. The new-agers cling to theirs. The CEO's cling to theirs. Between notions of "Gaia=Satan" v.s. "End Civilization" v.s. "The market/NWO is the solution" we have to come to common ground.

Muluc mentioned the "monofocus" on carbon. Personally it annoys the hell out of me when people see my eco-efforts and ask something like "trying to reduce your carbon footprint?". NO, I reply. "I just don't like the idea of plastic in the ocean..." I have no idea what effect carbon has on the climate, but I feel like focusing on such intangible things is futile. Let's focus on REAL environmental degradation that we can affect ourselves, like deforestation, using less plastic, buying local food/products, and living more simple lives while challenging the industrial polluters.

No body wants to breath polluted air, or drink toxic water. We can't live separately from the Earth (biosphere), and most of the promises of a technological consumer society have fallen through.

But lets face it, the common environmental narrative that we've grown up with during the 90's was "CO2 causes global warming, so you should recycle". And quite frankly this is a useless narrative that diverts attention from more tangible environmental problems while proposing solutions that don't really affect change.

Avatar proposes a new narrative; "we are part of the Earth, and we cannot survive without it, so we must, by any means necessary, save our planet by destroying the offending culture and lifestyle."

SpaceHippy - "I'll bet you my left leg that if "free" energy comes about, it will somehow be sold to us, either as a subscription cost (montly bill) or more realistically, expensive methods of production that require an army of specialists to maintain and employ."

"IF" - ?!?! You do realize that I wasn't making up those methods of renewable energy, right? They exist and are employed - unfortunately, the cost of which is usually something that the average tax-payer can't handle. THOSE are the obstacles I was talking about.

SpaceHippy - "Having worked with, been arrested with, supported prisoners, and been intimately connected with a LOT of people in the environmental movement, I can truly say it's F'in crazy to think that this is all some james bond villain plot to destroy the U.S."

You DO realize what you're doing when you issue statements like this, don't you? The same shit Fox News does to program people away from "those crazy conspiracy theorists" - only you're prefacing your condescension with assurances of involvement in the movements, as if that involvement makes you an authority on the subject.

zezt - "YET many conspir. theorists even make THIS an experience to be feared, claiming that these light beings are really evil aliens in disguise whose job it is to keep us coming back to be slaves of the Illuminati!"

Never heard that one before. if you've got a link, I'd be interested.

There are no blanket statements about anything that are going to be accurate. Trying to convince someone of a blanket statement is not only dishonest in its' inaccuracy, but intentionally misleading; a smear tactic taken right out of the MSM playbook. Trying to defend a particular religion or movement by attacking those who are questioning them is not employing critical thinking OR prioritizing the TRUTH, but instead discouraging those who seek it by holding them down with the same strings of attachment (to ideas, ego, etc) that are keeping YOU convinced that you've got it all figured out.

If you tell someone to "explore for yourself" - then don't shoot them down for doing so OR try to hand them YOUR opinion as the one that should be endorsed while belittling those who disagree. Let MSM stoop to those levels. We needn't follow suit.

It is just the tipping of scales ... either way ... as new green movement ideas come into play ... corporate giants "do" contemplate how to exploit them.

In the world of conspiracy ... paranoia can take over either side

How many TV commercials "employ" our societies greatest artists and actors to set the stage for familiar environments in relation to "product or ideological sales"

We all want to have a "family meal" ... just not necesarily at Mc Donalds.

Politics ,advertisement ... all pay big bucks to inccorporsate all societal talent ... and so many atists sell out .. and we of course can relate to what is shown.

Yet there is always a point where those of particularly good insightfulness, can make the distinction.between "what is shown" ... and "why it is shown"

Who is selling ... who is buyig .. that alone is the question

... the answer always being ... "knowing is knowing" ... and ... "showing is showing" ... info-tainment ... or insight .. the moment-to-moment choice is ours and ours alone ... as there is never anyone to blame for ones own complacency.

There being no conspiracy without believers

Have not seen the flic, yet! Have seen Alex's stuff,. and yes I enjoyed some of his 9/11 work,.(how this obvious lie persists is amazing, steel fram scysrapers do nof just fall IN on themselves it defies simple physics!) and some of the dark forces of the secret gov. type stuff,. i.e bohemian grove/builderburg,. . his take on the so called 'environmental movement' and the scary (to him) one world gov. stuff is too whack.
As many have alread pointed out the fight to reverse some of the destruction of our world,. or the 'environmental movment' has been attacked and discredited by the adopting and twisting of it by agent provoketer type actions of the dominator culture., the current push for a carbon market is the clearest example of this,. the reduction of many diverse actual issues into the mono-thought of "Global Warming" by the MSM,. and then the straw man solution of a carbon tax/market is a simple method to side track and confuse ppl, as well as establish yet another corrupted market system to exploit for bankster profit. Alex presents this crap info. as the essence of the 'enviro-movement' and then rightly attacks it,. however the acutal issues will never get air time with him,. . or most of the msm for that matter. Fundies just don't get it that jebus, or doG or whatever they have blind faith in,. is NOT going to fly down form the skys and save them,. they live for some fantasy life, that happens far far away, and after they are dead,. and therfor just don't care about this here world, or the human distruction of it,. My hope is that all fundamentalist dogmatic religion is eventualy looked on as what it is,. a cheap control systems for weak minds unable to cope with seeing facts. Then perhaps we can look at reality, and work to create/maintain sustainable balanced systems in which to live,.

How ppl ever became unaware of the fact that we are a simple outgrowth of life on this planet, yes just a part of this planet,. is far beyond me. If Avatar points to this then good for James.

remember when we used to play?

 iterationGAMES.com

in being governed by a spiritually bankrupt corrupt government oligarchy with a sharp salesman as president of the corporation known as the United States, incorporated in delaware? Alex helps expose the darkness with his form of light and has been instrumental in waking up many individuals. I stopped consenting to government control many years ago as I am NOT a $lave to the immorality posing as a government of We the People!

visit:  Visionary Psychedelic Surrealism by Myztico     www.myztico.mosaicglobe.com