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Dear friends, whether some of you realize it or not, we are constantly being manipulated by our own government, by the mainstream news media -- by both liberal and conservative news outlets -- by the entertainment industry, by the social networks, by the publishing industry, and by anyone else who has any degree of power and strong influence over our lives. A false narrative is constantly being created and promoted in order to confuse us regarding the actual facts, and to create a false reality in our minds. The ultimate goal of this devious process is to influence our world view, to bend and mold us, to control us, and to affect the decisions that we make in our daily lives, so that they conform to the will of the unseen manipulators themselves.

In modern lingo, this method of manipulation is sometimes referred to as "gaslighting". The term was first used in a 1938 British play called "Gas Light". This play was later performed in the United States of America under the title "Angel Street". Likewise, the play was twice adapted into a movie called "Gaslight" in 1940 and 1944. According to the Wikipedia website, "gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem."

As I thought about this issue, I was immediately reminded of British novelist George Orwell's well-known 1949 book called "Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel", which is more commonly known to most people as simply "1984". If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it, along with viewing the excellent 1984 film adaptation of the book starring John Hurt, Richard Burton and Suzanna Hamilton. As many of you will no doubt already know, in the novel, the story takes place in one of three totalitarian superstates called Oceania, and involves the very repressive government of the "Party", which is led by a dictatorial leader who is known as "Big Brother". The citizens of Oceania are kept in a constant state of fear and paranoia by way of the ever-vigilant "Thought Police", and constant surveillance by ubiquitous "Telescreens" -- two-way televisions -- cameras, and a plethora of hidden microphones.

Groupthink is the name of the game under Big Brother's very watchful eye. One misstep, one doubt, or even one display of a lack of patriotism, and a person could easily disappear for good. Make no mistake. There's no room for any degree of resistance or rebellion in this "wonderful" society. It is in this dark, depressing environment that we find our main character -- Winston Smith -- who on the surface appears to be a loyal, reliable bureaucrat who works for the "Ministry of Truth". Of course, the truth is what "Big Brother" states is the truth. Not only that, but the truth is very flexible, and can be one thing one day, and then be the exact opposite the next day, according to the need. Yesterday's enemy can be today's friend, and vice verse, for example.

In short, the purpose of the "Ministry of Truth" was quite simply to engage in constant historical revisionism, and to ensure that the citizens' reality bubble conformed to the thoughts and will of "Big Brother" and the "Party". If a past event no longer fit the current narrative, then it was the job of the "Ministry of Truth" to change it. This revisionism was accomplished by way of a carefully crafted government-sanctioned language known as "Newspeak", which consisted of simplified grammar and restricted vocabulary that was designed to limit the freedom of thought.

I won't be delving more into the plot of the novel and the movie, because I do not wish to spoil anything for those of you who have not yet read the book, or viewed the movie. But with the plot details I have shared with you here, I am sure that you already understand that the government of "Big Brother" was clearly engaged in full-scale gaslighting. It was constantly changing the daily reality of its citizens, and causing them to doubt what they assumed to be true at any given moment in time. Thus, by keeping its citizens off balance, it also kept them under strict control. After all, no one wanted to be found guilty of a "thoughtcrime" and then suddenly disappear.

Now I am going to make you feel rather uncomfortable. Does anything I have just shared with you from Orwell's "1984" seem familiar to you? If not, it should, because the reality of the matter is that what Mr. Orwell described in his novel is clearly here with us today in full form. The "Ministry of Truth"? You bet! If you doubt that it exists, please re-read the very first paragraph of this article. We are constantly and repeatedly being told what is supposedly the truth every single day of our lives by the aforementioned parties. If we are hammered long enough with some particular idea, some of us will eventually grow to accept it as being true, even if deep down we know that it really isn't so. We have just been gaslighted.

But what about 1984's groupthink and "Newspeak"? If you doubt that groupthink exists, then I suggest that you take a good look at the public school system and see how our children are all being taught to walk, talk and think exactly the same, to respect authority, and to never question anything. I learned many years ago through an experience involving my very young daughter that individualism is frowned upon in the public school system. It is alarming to see how much authority the public school system has over our children's lives. In fact, as some of you have probably already discovered yourselves, that authority at times can exceed the authority of a child's own parents. They want to make our children the children of the state, and they are slowly stripping us of our parental rights and responsibilities. It has been going on for years now.

"Newspeak" is likewise clearly with us as well. However, in today's society we call it "political correctness". Everyone is being programmed to watch their language. After all, we don't want to offend anyone, do we? That is why a dictator is no longer called a dictator. He is just an autocrat. And a homosexual is no longer a homosexual. He is just gay. And, of course, we no longer use that nasty word "abortion". We say "women's reproductive rights". And on and on it goes. I find such political correctness quite sickening. People have become such wimps. They bow to peer pressure and are afraid to say what they really feel and believe.

Just as patriotism, loyalty and blind obedience were upheld as characteristics of a model citizen in Oceania, and were in fact demanded by Big Brother's government, so too, we see modern politicians employing the same tactics. For example, I will never forget how former American president George W. Bush famously declared that any American who did not support the ill-conceived and misguided Iraq War was not patriotic. Wow! The message was clear. According to Bush, if a person did not fully support the government's program -- which in that case meant the invasion of Iraq -- then there had to be something terribly wrong with them, because the government is never wrong. Such was the attitude and mentality of Bush and his fellow war hawks -- Cheney, Wolfowitz, Powell, etc. -- as I believe I discuss in the article "Obama, McCain and the Bush Legacy". Sigh.

As I mentioned earlier, the society of Oceania lived under constant surveillance. This in turn created an atmosphere of constant fear and paranoia. People were in fact encouraged to rat on individuals they suspected of being disloyal citizens. It is my understanding that this occurred in Germany as well during Hitler's era. I have read that children were told to turn in their very own parents if they were not loyal to the party. Turning again to former President Bush, many of you will no doubt remember how he likewise attempted to use fear and paranoia to get his way -- that is, to get the American people to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq -- when he warned of a potential mushroom cloud over America. In his October 7, 2002 speech, Bush stated the following:

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"Knowing these realities, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud."

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As we all know, or at least should know by now, despite the false claims which had been made by the Bush administration, and despite many months of trying to find them, no weapons of mass destruction -- WMD -- were ever found in Iraq, and no mushroom cloud ever appeared over the United States. In short, the threat of nuclear annihilation coming from Iraq was a completely bogus story, much like the "truth" which was disseminated by Big Brother's "Ministry of Truth". But, the campaign of fear and paranoia was successful, and the U.S. Congress and the American people were pressured into supporting that terrible war. They were indeed gaslighted. They were made to believe that there was great danger from Iraq when there really was no such danger; at least not the kind that Bush and his cohorts strongly promoted.

I find this issue of widespread surveillance quite amazing. Allow me to explain to you why this is so. On a number of previous occasions, I have mentioned the fact that sometimes when a government wants to achieve a particular goal, it will go about it in a very deceptive way, so that the country's citizenry will desire that particular thing themselves. They will make the people think that it is actually THEIR idea, and not the government's idea to do it.

In other words, while a national, state or local government may have some unpopular goal in mind which they already know the people will not be willing to accept, they will give it a positive spin, conceal their true motive, and present the idea in such a way so that the citizens will support it. Let me give you a simple example which I have mentioned before. Because of their knowledge of the Holy Bible, many Christians have a negative view regarding RFID technology; particularly when it comes to the issue of implantable biochips. Many of us Believers adamantly refuse to ever allow such a biochip to be implanted in our bodies. If you doubt that this is so, simply visit Facebook or some of the other social networks, and read the many comments which are being made regarding this issue. It is a very hotly-debated topic.

So, what do governments, health agencies and other entities do? They put a positive spin on it. They are quick to tell us how implantable chips help to keep track of your livestock, or assist you in recovering a lost pet or finding some other lost item, or help keep grandma or grandpa who sadly suffers from Alzheimer's disease from wandering off. They remind us of how we won't have to remember so many passwords anymore, and how doors will automatically open for us, how lights will automatically come on when we enter a room, how our purchases will automatically be deducted from our bank accounts, etc. They promote all of the positive benefits of being chipped, and the added convenience it will bring to our lives. Oh, it is all so wonderful, isn't it? It makes life so much easier, doesn't it?

But, beware, my friends, because there is a trade-off which they will purposely avoid discussing in the open. That is the fact that once that biochip is implanted in your body, they will be able to track you wherever you go. Many people are already aware of the fact that there are now millions of closed-circuit TVs -- or CCTV -- scattered throughout every major metropolitan area in the world at this present time. Big Brother's surveillance system is ALREADY in place, and has been for years now. Folks are used to it, even if they really don't like it. Of course, it is all done for our own personal safety and security, right? Hmmm.

But now that we have become used to CCTV, the higher powers want to take it a step further. Enter implantable biochips. However, since so many people have such an adverse view of biochips, our crafty overseers have done the next best thing, and they have made us think that it is OUR idea. What am I talking about? Stop and think about it. Right now, there are literally millions of desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones which contain Facial Recognition -- or Facial ID -- software, and both audio and video recording hardware and software. In fact, every year we clamor for better cameras in our devices. We want to take better pictures and videos, and we want to make better audio recordings for our families and friends. We want to have the latest and the greatest, and we will even stand in long lines, even overnight, in order to be the very first ones to get the latest models. True or not?

But that is not all. According to statistics I read recently, out of all of the computer devices which are owned by people around the world, about 80% of those devices are smartphones. In this day an age, for many people, it is impossible to live and function in society without a smartphone. We don't simply use them for personal entertainment purposes. We use them for important communications, for banking, for online shopping, for making appointments, and for so many other things. They are like an extension of our own body, and we never leave home without them. We are totally addicted to them, and that is precisely what our overseers want to happen. Why?

Well, here's the kicker. Most smartphones have the capability of being used as tracking devices, because they each contain a variety of technology such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and in the case of Apple devices, something that's called "Location Services", which in fact incorporates all the aforementioned technologies. Of course, at the current time, the device user still possesses the option to disable these functions on the device. However, by so doing, it will break some of the main features of the phone. Thus, many people leave said functions enabled all the time.

Furthermore, whenever we use devices and software which are made by technology companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, we are each required to agree to their Terms of Service and their SLA. The latter can refer to a Service Level Agreement, or to a Software License Agreement. In other words, the fact of the matter is that most people do not take the time to read those long agreements which are full of both legal and technical jargon which most of us don't understand anyway. But the point is, whether we realize it or not, when we tap or click on that "Accept" button, we are more than likely giving away some of our rights -- such as some level of our privacy -- and giving that company permission to do certain things with our personal data, which we would not like, if we ever found out about it.

It really isn't that much different from what also happens in some government proceedings, such as with national budget bills. Politicians just love to surreptitiously throw in all kinds of legal junk -- or pork -- which will be of advantage to their particular party, but which in reality has nothing to do with the main purpose of that bill. As you may know, there is a lot of bargaining and back-and-forth occurring between the parties, and experienced politicians know that sometimes they need to compromise and accept certain things in a bill which they really don't like, in order to pass the things which they do like and want.

In short, we've already given the government what they want, whether we realize it or not. The technology companies waved some candy in front of our faces in the form of new features on our computers and mobile devices, and we all fell for the ruse. How so? Well, because our cellphones are usually always with us. Even if we haven't been implanted with an RFID chip, we are already making it possible for government agencies and other entities to track our movements. Let me interject here that I've also read online articles and comments which claim that even if we cover our computer camera, or have our mobile device camera turned off -- as indicated by the light being off -- it is still possible for an agency or individual with sufficient knowledge and skill, to clandestinely take pics, record videos, and make audio recordings, in addition to the ability to track our movements. How true this is, I honestly do not know. Personally, I always cover the cameras on my desktop computers.

So have I convinced you yet that we are living in the age of Winston Smith, the "Party", the "Ministry of Truth", and the manipulative government of Big Brother? Is there really that much difference between what George Orwell describes in his book, and the situation which exists in the world today? With the current COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in widespread suffering and death, disrupted countless lives, forced the bankruptcy of many businesses, and shut down many countries, many individuals are indeed experiencing a high level of fear, paranoia and depression. Exactly how widespread the fear and paranoia is, I really do not know, but I suspect that it is intentionally being seriously overblown by certain parties -- both political and otherwise -- who seek to take advantage of the current situation.

Personally, I don't live in such a fearful state, and I don't know anyone else who does either. Yes, I am most definitely concerned about the ongoing pandemic because I am considered high risk, and I do take the necessary precautions. However, I do not freak out about it. As I point out in my BBB Blog post "Is COVID-19 the New Normal?: Don't Freak Out! Trust the Lord!", I have complete peace regarding the current situation and I continue to trust the Lord. After all, it is imperative that we each remember that no matter how dark the world may become, God still remains in control. If you are weak in this area of your life, then perhaps the following group of verses will encourage your heart. You may even want to commit some of them to memory:

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."


"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."


"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."


"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."


"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."


"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."


". . . for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."


"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."


"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."


"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."


"I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust . . . A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."


"Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield."


Whatever you do, please remember that the mainstream media, as well as many of the politicians, are not to be trusted, because it may very well be that we are being given a false narrative by them. Due to their own politically-motivated agendas, they are more than likely exaggerating the current situation in one direction or the other. If you happen to live in the United States, this is particularly true right now as the nation approaches a very important presidential election. Personally, I sense that the level of violence is being greatly exaggerated, and that the hatred between the different ethnic groups is being exaggerated as well. The modern "Ministry of Truth" is being kept very busy indeed.

I can only speak for myself, but I hold no animosity towards any ethnic group. As a Bible-believing Christian, I have long believed that each individual should be judged on their own merits. We shouldn't be too quick to paint with a broad brush because the truth of the matter is that while there are bad apples in every bunch, that most certainly does not make the whole lot wicked and evil. In fact, even the Bible teaches us that God is no respecter of persons. The Scriptures inform us that He judges each of us according to our works, and in His eyes, all that matters is whether or not we have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Consider the following group of verses as evidence of this point:

"Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."


"These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment."


"To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress."


"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"


"For there is no respect of persons with God."


"And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."


"But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."


"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"


"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."


To continue, as some of you probably already realize, these crafty manipulators are purposely sowing hatred, violence, mistrust and discord in order to influence the outcome of the November election. Some online commentators even go so far as to claim that the ultimate goal of Black Lives Matter and other radical groups is to foment revolution and civil war, for the purpose of ushering in a socialist government. To reiterate, I really don't know how much confidence should be placed in their claims. We all know, or at least should know, what a rumor mill the Internet is. The only thing I do know with certainty is the following:

"And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?"


"And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end."


"But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub."


Let the previous verses be a stark warning to all Americans. If you gun-toting radicals continue along the path that you are now on, you may reach a point where it is impossible to turn back. You may end up digging a ditch wherein you will fall yourselves. So my advice to you all is that you gain control of your emotions, and pull back on the reins before it is too late. Don't let the country burn.

As I have stated a few times now, my sense is that we are purposely being gaslighted to some degree, both regarding the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as with regards to the level of violence which is now occurring in certain American cities. The liberal mainstream media in particular is painting as dark a picture as they possibly can, because for almost four years now, they -- and other parties who are aligned with them -- have been doing their utmost to cause problems for President Trump. As we all know, their attacks against the Trump administration have been relentless, and with the presidential election only two months away, they are becoming even more ferocious. These people are very desperate to prevent Trump from winning a second term, because they fully understand how his policies and decisions will affect the nation for decades to come, should he triumph in November, beginning with one or two more conservative justices appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

To a certain degree, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a gift to these radicals. Clearly, they are following the playbook of now-deceased community activist, Saul Alinksy, who in his 1971 "Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals", under the section entitled "Communication" wrote ". . . in the arena of action, a threat or a crisis becomes almost a precondition to communication." Since that time, the main lesson which has been drawn from that quote has been popularized in the phrase "Never let a good crisis go to waste". So with the COVID-19 pandemic as a backdrop, they are now pulling out their biggest guns, and painting a false picture, so that American voters will be influenced to vote for the opposition candidate, Joe Biden.

As I said, they are gaslighting us. After all, if you listen to or read the daily news, you are given the impression that widespread violence is going to break out all across America any day now. You are given the impression that everyone is filled with fear and paranoia. You are given the impression that everyone hates each other. You are given the impression that the American economy is about to implode. You are given the impression that President Trump is the most hated man on the planet and in America. As I mentioned earlier, they are painting as dark a picture as they possibly can, in the hope that it will result in Trump's defeat in November.

Please go to part two for the conclusion of this article.

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