John Berge 1990  Published in: The Northwest Technocrat, 1st quarter 1990, No. 318  

It is easy to be misled by all the excitement and emotion portrayed in the media. But we are being cheated; we are given only superficial information that conceals the real events. Beneath the surface is a different story and one can get a better understanding of events only by persisting in uncovering the facts hidden from view. Let us cite an example.

One might be curious about the elimination from the histories, from the school textbooks and from libraries of much or any mention of an invasion of Russia by the U.S., England, France, Italy and Japan. This was a war that went on, beginning in 1918, for about three years, a war which the allies lost.

The reason for the war was simply plunder! The riches of Russia were probably thought to be virtually unprotected except by indigenous peasants who wouldn’t offer much trouble. But the Russians fought hard to protect their homeland and won. Later, Hitler gave it another try, and he, too, lost.

But there is more to the story, and it bears on events today — 70 years later. The allies, having failed at invasion, tried to starve the Russians into submission by setting up a belt of states around Russia called the Cordon Sanitaire, from which “unsettling influences” could be launched. The Russians countered by setting up a belt of buffer states inside the Cordon Sanitaire known as the Cordon Rouge. This was in the early 1920s. World War II did not change the adversarial relationships except that Russia, now the U.S.S.R., was in a position where she could enlarge her belt of protective buffer states and neutralize some of those who were her most vicious enemies in WWII. Antagonisms haven’t dimmed altogether, and the U.S.S.R. is probably well aware of its position.

Perhaps the U.S.S.R. became convinced that the buffer state arrangement was more of a liability than a benefit. Or, it may be possible that the U.S.S.R. realizes that peace is more of a threat to the West than war. Our defense effort, so-called, has replaced constructive activity in North America to such an extent that it is difficult to visualize how immense it is.

Without war or the preparation for war, the West would probably be in an economic condition worse than the 30s. And the leadership of the West, seemingly outmaneuvered in an unfamiliar game, and in order to save face, must try to “seem” interested in disarmament.

Meanwhile, technology is steadily replacing man-hours, undercutting the chances for people to participate in their own civilization. We are becoming outsiders in our own country, living off the leavings while, increasingly, what is produced is wasted because of the Price System. Technology could be used to benefit people directly, but instead, it is directed at profit.

It is in your interest to question information, to get the whole story. When you do go after the facts, you will find that Technocracy can show you that you do have a future, and so does this planet. But you and everyone else have everything to lose and nothing to gain in stubborn loyalty to a system that blinds you to your own best interest.