The above image was made by with stable diffusion using the prompt 'Systems theory and the control regime.'
Every system has a purpose. This purpose is evident in the actual results of the system's operation. The intentions of the system's creators don't matter. Neither do the intentions of those who operate the system, or the beliefs of those who talk about the system. This concept is neatly summed up by a popular heuristic in systems theory: The purpose of a system is what it does (POSIWID)
Through this lens, one obvious purpose of our total system is to steal power from individuals in order to increase the control regime's power. Another obvious purpose is to convert ecological wealth into financial wealth for elites by devastating ecosystems. Yet another obvious purpose of our total system is to impair our thinking by poisoning the information space with censorship and propaganda while poisoning our bodies with pesticides and industrial chemicals.
In light of these things, the overarching purpose of our total system appears to be transforming the world into a dystopia for the masses that's ruled by the powerful from their pockets of secure opulence. Although this system is profoundly undesirable for most of us, it cannot be fixed, because it isn't broken. From the perspective of the control regime, the system is operating perfectly.
The dystopia we see coming into being all around us isn't accidental. It is the product of profitable enterprises and bad government. Within the control regime, corporate and governmental actors compete with each other in endless power games. But the regime as a whole always behaves as a single, self-interested class.
At its heart, the regime is the machine that controls the total system. It's formed from millions of smaller machines, each of which continually executes codified procedures according to relevant algorithms. The individuals comprising the control regime come and go. These individuals never really wield power. Instead, the positions and offices they occupy wield the power. Personalities are operationally irrelevant to the system. The oligarchs ruling over our dystopia may be benevolent or despotic, but they can only ever act through the system's machinery.
Most people are aware of this situation on some level. Many even avoid taking personal responsibility for their actions with phrases like "I'm just doing my job" and "hate the game, not the player." These sentiments elevate the job and the game to untouchable status while excusing any behavior in service to these untouchable systems.
To my way of thinking, all of this raises questions. What if our total system had a better purpose? What if it took care of people and the planet? What if it was designed to support individual sovereignty and protect us from exploitation by the powerful?
A system with a better purpose isn't too much to ask for. It's what we should be creating at every opportunity. Sadly, opportunities for systemic change are few. For now, the best most of us can do is dream.
Read my novels:
- Small Gods of Time Travel is available as a web book on IPFS and as a 41 piece Tezos NFT collection on Objkt.
- The Paradise Anomaly is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
- Psychic Avalanche is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
- One Man Embassy is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
- Flying Saucer Shenanigans is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
- Rainbow Lullaby is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
- The Ostermann Method is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
- Blue Dragon Mississippi is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
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See my NFTs:
- Small Gods of Time Travel is a 41 piece Tezos NFT collection on Objkt that goes with my book by the same name.
- History and the Machine is a 20 piece Tezos NFT collection on Objkt based on my series of oil paintings of interesting people from history.
- Artifacts of Mind Control is a 15 piece Tezos NFT collection on Objkt based on declassified CIA documents from the MKULTRA program.
Great blog! A core consideration we all need to be talking about is the role of captured government agencies in all aspects of society and life. The control regime can stay hidden in plain sight through those public-private partnerships.
For sure. A large segment of the regime is fully privatized, pulling government's strings from the shadows.
If our total system can actually be restructure, it will go a long way in doing massive good to us beyond which we can every imagine
I agree.
Our total system just needs honest people to be at the top and things will get better
The goals are clear but those who are there failed to do something
I'm not sure it's possible for honest people to get to the top in our system.
A system that is not offering that which need to be offered to me needs to be replaced
For sure.