World Order

New World Order
$19.98
This film is more or less a series of episodes about people who have adopted a Conspiracy theory lifestyle. The film offers a cross-section of these people's lives and their suspicions about emerging global totalitarianism, but never goes into specifics or offers any evidence to support its claims. There are no interviews of government insiders, experts of any kind or evidence of any real research to lend credence to any of the film's innuendos and conspiracy theories. In fact, a good portion of the film is simply Alex Jones babbling about wholly unrelated issues in hotel rooms or heckling security guards and tourists. A couple of times Jones claims that a car is following the camera crew or Secret Service agents on bikes are stalking them. In the case of the latter, the camera pans across the street to some overweight guy on a bike with his shirt off pouring water over his head. That's supposed to be the stalker Secret Service guy. You'd think they were kidding -- but they're not. So I was disappointed, because I didn't feel I got any real juicy conspiracy stuff. I check these things out to get my mind blown or horrified by at least a dreadful possibility (like Dean Koontz's novel DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART), and this film did neither. However, if you want to see a sociological study of a subculture (like the film TREKKIES), NEW WORLD ORDER does illustrate the lives and perspectives of hard-core conspiracy theorists.

Corporatism: The Secret Government of the New World Order
$16.95
I wanted to like this book, I really did! Having said this, I fully realize that it is clich��� to have made this statement; especially here on the web-logs of Amazon, but this is such a poorly reasoned book that I scarcely know where to begin. I want to make it clear, however, that I said poorly reasoned, not poorly researched. In effect, Mr. Grupp has created another reality. I do not harbor any doubts that this author has spent a great deal of time researching corporatism and its dehumanizing effects, but I feel compelled to state that "Corporatism: The Secret Government of the New World Order" amounts to little more than anti-intellectual blather. In and of itself, the subject of corporatism is compelling enough and far too important to be "toyed" with in such a trifling manner. In short, if you want an illusory account of "evil corporations" and secret government conspiracies, then, by all means, buy this book. However, if you are looking for an unbiased, cogent and scholarly work, then I suggest looking somewhere else. Having said this, let me begin by stating that I am not going to go into some point-by-point counter analysis of this book, for it is far too time consuming and will, for the most part, be a waste of time.

It suffices to say that, after posting this review, I am likely to be called a government-educated automaton, or worse, a corporatist, but, as I have noted, the dehumanizing effects of corporatism; the sellout of our government; capital-concentration in the hands of the few and the dire effects of propaganda, should be enough to garner our attention. On all of these points, the author and I can surely agree, but this, "Chariots of the Gods" approach to corporatism, is just too much for me. In fact, I suspect that it'll be too much for any serious-minded person. Like the religious or pseudo-scientists, Mr. Grupp has provided himself with the typical "get out" clause. For example, on page 26, Grupp states that, "Nearly any of the ideas and concepts that do not fit into and agree with the unverifiable picture of reality conveyed by the American educational system and the mainstream media typically will be quickly, aggressively, and angrily called a `conspiracy theory!' `Quackery!' and so on [sic], by educators and media celebrities". The implications of this statement conjure the image of the "holy-man" who claims that with just enough faith, one can move mountains. When asked how much faith is required to move mountains, he simply replies, "Well, just enough faith to move mountains." In the end, if the mountain doesn't move, then you simply didn't have enough faith, but his entire concept of faith goes unchallenged. Although modernized, the notion is reinforced in Rhonda Byrne's non-scientific fairytale, "The Secret." The simple fact of the matter, this stuff is verifiable; it's called science, and I fail to understand how one can seemingly understand so little about science and its self-correcting, peer-reviewed nature; especially when one is educated.

What I find so striking about Grupp's statement is that it amounts to nothing more than an intellectual "cop out" which actually shifts the burden of proof from him, to those who might disagree with him. Crafty indeed, but don't be fooled by this slick anti-intellectualism. He is making the claims regarding "his reality", so the burden of proof lies with Grupp, not his readers. What is perhaps most striking of all is that this man possesses advanced university degrees, yet he reasons as if he's merely an incoming freshman. In as much as he tries, his work comes across as one gigantic anti-intellectual conspiracy theory that -contrary to what he claims - is not grounded in reality; it's his manufactured reality. Nevertheless, let me stress that the growing threat of corporatism is indeed real and its effects ever more tangible, but this book would have been so much better had he left out 911 conspiracies, the Devil, Cone-head skulls and the like. For those who care to examine the evidence, each of these either lacks any supporting evidence or, more likely, it has been explained. That aside, Mr. Grupp does provide some extraordinary insight regarding the insidious power of propaganda. Indeed, HR 6166 passed all-too-quietly quietly in late 2006, and no one I spoke with at the time had even heard of it; let alone understood its republic-destroying implications.

There isn't any question that the United States of America has, in many ways, become the Orwellian nightmare that he claims, but, equally so, it has become the inane, consumptive money culture that is portrayed in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World." As I have always said, "We should never allow emotion to cloud our reason", yet I contend that this is exactly what has happened with Mr. Grupp. I believe that most people who aren't under the somatic spell of propaganda will agree that the United States - and to a large degree, the world - is clearly under the corporatist threat. I do not, however, subscribe to Mr. Grupp's brand of sensationalism, for it reminds me of a World History course I once took. The professor spent most of the night discussing Ancient Sumerian culture, but only to spring on us that he believed the Sumerians were descendants of alien beings and that they had knowledge of rockets and that they interbred with aliens. Look, let's face it; this stuff is real enough; frighteningly real enough without the need for him to add-in all of his "embellishments." In short, I was very disappointed with the content and editing of this book, but not with the subject, for, at our own peril, we ignore the rising threat of corporatism.

Just A Girl in the World
$1.99
I really like Jeremy Sisto as one of the detectives on this show. He formerly played Billy on 6 FEET UNDER and had a fans from there he's carried to this show. This episode gives him the star turn this time of making a prime jackass out of himself over the female star witness in a case he is working. Even worse, as the case goes forward, it begins to seem that she is less a witness and more a suspect. The expression "sweating bullets" could have been coined for him for this episode. I really enjoyed seeing Sisto get a meatier role this time out. I hope the show does it again.

New World Order
$13.96
No other artist was more aware of the world's political and spiritual pulse than Curtis. Recorded while lying paralyzed as a quadriplegic, if not made aware of his tragic 1990 stage accident, one wouldn't believe he was suffering from any handicap when listening to his still smooth voice. Curtis was the conscience of a people; all people for the 20th century, and "New World Order" picked-up after years of silence without missing a beat. Every track is a listening gem. Curtis just had a way with expressing himself, not only when it came to delivering great messages of wisdom(We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue), a song that with this rerecording still brings tears to my eyes, but also through some of the most heartfelt love songs as well(The Girl I Find Stays On My Mind). We've lost one of the recording world's greatest poets, and "New World Order" was Mr. Mayfield's grand finale.