Transcript for Unknown Ism of Interest

In this post post-modern world, there is a new ism emerging that has not been observed previously. This new ism is called an Unknown Ism of Interest, or Unism for short.

The Unism is a type of convergence of interests that is not seminal, but unprecedented in breadth and depth of penetration and influence. The corporations that control – or should I say exploit – the world's resources and information continue to dwindle in number but increase in scope, concentrating a continual expansion of power in a continually decreasing number of hands.

The accretion of power in private hands translates to untoward influence in global governments. For example: The company formerly known as Monsanto convinced the FDA that GMO foods are not substantially different from non-GMO foods, thus do not require special labelling, while convincing simultaneously the U.S. Patent and Trade Office that GMO foods are different enough from regular foods to be awarded patents.

This phenomenon recreates in function, if not design, the monolithic power structures of past centuries that combined economic, political, and social powers into a single-minded force. And so the Unism marches toward a facsimile of pre-20th century society, before the monarchies fell and the raping-and-pillaging capitalists were reigned in.

The East India Company was dominant player in the world of commerce from the year 1600 until its dissolution in 1874. It was the Walmart of its day, and like Walmart it was controlled by a few exceedingly wealthy private interests. But in those days, that meant being controlled by land owners, who were also lords, who also sat in parliament or were appointed seats in government. Wealth, land ownership, and control of government were inseparable. Policy and laws favored the wealthy because the wealthy made the policy and laws. Good work if you can get it.

The perennial struggle between the haves and have-nots has always hinged on the control of the peasantry. How does one balance the formula of subjugation and distraction, such that the peasants will continue to produce – even if grudgingly – but are not so disenfranchised that they are motivated to challenge the status quo? Examples of such disenfranchisement include France’s Yellow Vests, England’s Brexit, and America’s Tea Party slash MAGA movements.

Having learned from previous history that top-down subjugation and targeted genocide are not effective long term solutions for control, the Unism has settled on a strategy of peasant self-regulation through designated prefects, factionation, and planned opposition. While the peasants are busy calling each other names and blaming one another for the impending collapse of modern society – when not distracted by imaginary people flying around in brightly colored leotards – the Unism is consolidating its power globally across banks, corporations, and governments. Perhaps you can think of organizations in the world that might be working toward this objective.

The political discourse of the peasantry then devolves into pointless debate of abstract ideologies not dissimilar to school children arguing on the playground about Batman fighting Superman. There is nothing moral, just, or inherently superior about any of the arguments being presented by the factions, but they do serve a purpose: Mass distraction of the peasantry.

The peasantry will continue to decline in prosperity and influence unless and until it learns to stop fighting itself and focus on the real oppressors – but the clock is ticking.