The View from the Top

When I first reported to the submarine U.S.S. Woodrow Wilson back in my Navy days, I was immediately classified as an “air breather”. This particular designation was given to me – and all new submarine sailors – based on the fact that I was not capable of contributing anything productive.

I wasn’t qualified to stand any watches, I didn’t know how the ship’s systems worked, I couldn’t repair equipment; I didn’t know how to do anything other than the most rudimentary tasks.

About all I could effectively do was breathe the air. The same air that could have been used – and should possibly have been reserved for – those crewmembers who did productively contribute to the operation of the boat.

The labeling was meant to be an incentive for me to hurry up and get to a point where I would become a productive member of the crew. After all, nobody likes being called an “air breather” (i.e., worthless).

All of this was done primarily in fun, of course, but the distinction was also very clear and very real: there were those who deserved the air on that submarine, and there were those who did not.

Class distinction, in its most basic form.

Throughout history, people have always been delegated into a class structure. In it’s most simplified form, civilizations were made up of a very small minority called the aristocracy, and a much larger group which was essentially everyone else. The “common” class.

The aristocracy considered themselves above everyone else. Certainly they had their own internal subdivisions of status, power, & wealth, but as a group they were held to be entirely superior to any of those who were not a part of their small circle.

As a society today we no longer have an official “class” structure, but merely denying the existence of a hierarchy doesn’t make it go away. We no longer use the term “War on Terror” either, but what has actually changed other than the elimination of that particular term? Nothing.

Do we really believe that there is no class distinction today? If we do, it’s only because we aren’t paying attention. You can see it easily if you look.

But so what? Is that a bad thing? I mean, if our societies have always been like that anyway, what difference does it make if we’re still like that now?

Consider that these people – the very wealthy & powerful – are still a very small minority. Consider also that they fully control our government, either by holding the political seats of power themselves, or by leading the institutions that influence what direction our government takes.

Everything they do may be entirely legal, but does that even make any difference when they are also the ones who make and interpret the laws?

Again, so what? What’s wrong with that? Well, nothing on the surface. At least, nothing that those of us who belong to the vast majority of the common class could necessarily tell.

The problem with us, though – the common rabble – is that we assume that because we are good people, everyone else is too. We are all decent human beings. We care about each other. We all have the same basic core values.

But in making that assumption, we’re forgetting a basic principle: There are those who deserve, and there are those who do not. Who do you think today’s “aristocracy” thinks is “deserving”?

For a small insight, consider the below:

“I do not pretend that birth control is the only way in which population can be kept from increasing . . . War…has hitherto been disappointing in this respect, but perhaps bacteriological war may prove more effective.

If a Black Death could be spread throughout the world once in every generation survivors could procreate freely without making the world too full… The state of affairs might be somewhat unpleasant, but what of that? Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people’s…

There are three ways of securing a society that shall be stable as regards population. The first is that of birth control, the second that of infanticide or really destructive wars, and the third that of general misery except for a powerful minority…”

Those are verified passages from Bertrand Russell’s “The Impact of Science on Society”, written in 1953. Understand that Russell was hailed as one of the most brilliant philosophers of the 20th century. He was also a Nobel Prize winner; the recipient of an elite title bestowed to the elite by the elite.

Do we really believe that Russell was alone in his thoughts? Do we really think that other “high-minded” people don’t think exactly the same way? A little research may convince us otherwise. Do some searching on what the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and others in their class have openly stated; you may be surprised at what you hear.

But again, what’s wrong with that? So what if they think they’re better than everyone else? Who cares? What difference does it make? Let them live in their privileged little world and they’ll let us live in ours. They always have before.

Yes, they most certainly have. But then again, they never really had a choice before, because never before in recorded history has there been means of doing anything about it, at least, not anything on a global scale.

Now there is.

Which really leaves only one unanswered question: Will they act on their beliefs?

We may think it’s incomprehensible that anyone could ever even contemplate such a thing, much less actually do it, but remember, there are those who deserve, and there are those who do not.