Craig Swartz's Blog

I was asked this question a couple of weeks ago but due to traveling obligations and a busy schedule, I didn't respond quickly enough and the question disappeared from my dashboard. I'd like to post my response on my blog instead. It's a great question which I believe we all ask ourselves at different points in our lives. The question was "If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?"

Since I am a science fiction nut and grew up reading Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Delaney and Heinlein, my choice would be any of the faraway worlds that their wondrous stories took me. Samuel Delaney, in his "Babel -17" was one of those fictional worlds, where you met humans and aliens alike, working together to solve, an all-out galactic invasion. The book was written in 1966, and when the first Star Wars came out, I saw Delaney's vision in the bar scene straight away. He has a scene in Babel where the lead has to find a pilot, who ends up looking like a man-lion, to take her across the galaxy and she finds him in a bar full of pilots. Sound familiar?

I believe I'd like to find myself in that kind of fictional world, and I'd be a pilot, explorer and maybe even a philosopher type.

In these times of ours, I believe that is one of the principal reasons science fiction, super hero action themes and the like, are so popular. We're already at the dystopian future stage in human development with constant wars, societal breakdowns and massive inequalities in health, food and sanitation, not to mention wealth. Oh yeah, Delaney covered that in his seminal work; "The Two Towers".

I hope I answered the person's question, but for now, all I can do in this world is keep on speaking truth, stay above the noise and hope for a better world.

When the Tunisian street merchant Mohamad Bouazizi set himself on fire in December 2010 in protest of his government’s brutality and corruption, he set in motion a series of events that rocked the Muslim world over the next several months culminating in the toppling of governments (Tunisia, Egypt), civil wars (Libya, Syria, Yemen), brutal repression (Bahrain) and some mild reforms (Jordan, Morocco). And even though Bouazizi lit the match, he wasn’t responsible for the powder keg. The explosives themselves were slowly built up over time in the form of extreme income inequality, high youth unemployment and endless intransigent autocratic government. Reaction to the uprising varied in the West and depended on whether you were just an ordinary person on the street or someone whose vocation was directly tied to the events unfolding there, such as those working in the world of finance, government and the military. This was the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 and one may argue that in 2016 the United States of America is witnessing something in its own backyard that is eerily similar to the Arab Spring and which is giving rise to our own American Spring.
The explosive combination that set the Muslim world afire has the same key ingredients right here as well; income inequality at its highest levels, unending inner city youth unemployment and a long-standing political duopoly exercising total control over state and federal governments. There are other similarities such as inattention to crumbling infrastructures, increasing racial and religious discrimination, rising barriers to educational opportunities and the continuous militaristic responses to domestic and international crises. We may not see someone self-immolate here in the U.S. over the government’s seemingly inattentiveness to its economic irregularities and political stagnation, but there have been isolated incidents of late that strikingly mirror the desperate actions by a single person and which government leaders are frustratingly unable to explain; mass shootings by lone gunmen and suicides among veterans. And again, depending on where one sees themselves situated economically, socially and politically the reactions to all of these events are varied. There are those that simply refuse to see what all the fuss is about and vigorously maintain that piece meal and orderly changes are the appropriate response to many of the problems the U.S. faces because their overall situation has improved or maintained and they feel comfortable with the direction the U.S. government has taken. But there is at least an equal or greater number who have found themselves falling further behind financially and who are feeling desperate and want nothing more than someone to lead them.
And that is why in the midst of this American Spring we see an increasingly toxic national political election in which the campaigns by political outsiders such as Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are giving voice to the disenfranchised electorate who has felt ignored and isolated for a generation or more by their respective political establishments. One common emotion shared by the outside forces of the left and right is an unrepentant hatred of those representing the status quo and a joined realization that if the political establishment remains in control of Congress and the White House in the near term then nothing of consequence will change for the long term either. Having said that, whatever the outcome in the upcoming elections, the underlying current of vitriol will not subside anytime soon.
The powder keg of present-day U.S. politics was lit generations ago yet it has had a stubbornly long fuse. At various times, the political establishment on both sides of the aisle has sought to extinguish it by employing different tactics such as voter suppression, gerrymandering, endless international crises, incessant use of red herring issues such as abortion, gun control and immigration and the subliminal messaging by the mass media in tamping down such simmering emotions. However, poll after poll show that the economy ranks at the top of concerns for the ostracized left and right and their continued exclusion from it. And just as in the case of the Arab Spring wherein social media greatly assisted in the spread of the political firestorm, so it is here too in the American Spring that social media has kept alive the burning coals of rage shared by large but disparate segments of our population who only yearn to be finally heard. And if they choose to stay the course or only employ superficial and temporary fixes to the myriad problems here, then the political establishment ignores them at their peril.

I’ve been gone a while; did I miss anything? It appears there’s been a lot of back and forth going on these past months in the Geo-political world. 2014 must have been a busy year. From all the headlines it seems the world has careened from one crisis to another smashing headlong into the next one and always with a surprised expression. What with the weather going wild yet again to someone else committing massive financial fraud all combined with continuing racial divides and the ubiquitous terrorist ending another life. It all sounds out of control, doesn’t it? Nothing seems planned anymore. There aren’t any new horizons for us. Everything is limiting us! Why aren’t we getting along?

Well, if you ask me it’s simply because our will is prevented from doing so. Simply put, there are forces out there that act in accordance with their own will and desire, and thus you have conspiracy. As a conspiracist (I don’t use the term “conspiracy theorist” since it’s not theory) would remark, many of the most recent examples of open collusion such as the oil price plunge by OPEC and Congress’ most recent and blatant dismantlement of financial regulation only reinforce what we’ve been saying for years; someone else is at the wheel and it’s not you. So the ultimate question is asked; what can be done about it? And the ultimate answer is nothing. That is, nothing that they would want you to do and this of course is developing the universal will amongst us. The universal will that surpasses both intellect and emotion in its ability to voluntarily unite all for a common purpose benefiting humanity.

Let’s look at a topic such as the environment/climate change. On this one subject there should be no debate about the generally accepted notion that we leave this place better than the way we inherited it. One might expect that most everyone would agree with this and generally go along with measures to ensure it happened. However, most out there would also agree with the argument that we haven’t been good caretakers of the planet, particularly as of late, for various reasons and now we’re arguing endlessly about how to clean it up going forward with some even saying it isn’t necessary at all. Bewilderingly, our division on even this one issue boggles the rational mind. So let’s try to get to generate some universal will on this particular matter by using Pascal’s Wager. According to this argument, humanity bets their lives that extreme climate change exists or not. Given the possibility that extreme climate change is happening and assuming an infinite gain or loss associated with the belief or unbelief in extreme climate change, which could be interpreted as Earth naturally maintaining or Earth mutating, a rational group should live as though extreme climate change is happening and seek ways for Earth to naturally maintain. And even if extreme climate change is not occurring after all, then all of humanity still reaps the benefit by just cleaning up after itself.

So it begs the question; how could anyone argue with that? One can’t, yet they have succeeded at just that, by having us argue continuously with each other resulting in diverting us from our universally held beliefs, our shared and desired will to leave this Earth better off or at least the same. And whilst we’re at it; why is it always an either/or thing? Going “green” doesn’t have to mean the end of one thing over another. Humanity needn’t be limited in its scope and vision on its endeavor toward a better future. That’s why I’ve always had a penchant for the science fiction genre and revered the great writers like Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Delaney, Dick, Heinlein, Orwell, Wells and Verne for their limitless imagination in showing us myriad of possibilities of either humanity’s fate or destiny.

So purely from a science fiction perspective, how can humanity embark on achieving universal will on a specific subject within the realm of the environment and climate change? By simply answering the following scientific question with a yes: Is one of the principal reasons we exist on Earth because of the Sun? Then from that universally held starting point humanity could devote its resources toward achieving abundant and clean energy for everyone on this Earth. I won’t say free because nothing is ever free so it will require all sorts of “buy-ins” by everyone with a vested interest, which is of course the public at large. But this venture could include even those who don’t subscribe to climate change simply based on the investments that would be secured to finance such a venture. Private-public partnerships could be formed building the necessary components for the venture.

One possibility of such a venture comes readily to mind and sounds like science fiction but it’s not and that is space-based solar power. Space-based solar power has been scientifically achievable since the Sixties as espoused by Dr. Peter Glaser who just recently passed in 2014. Dr. Glaser proposed that a solar collector placed in orbit around the Earth could beam solar energy via microwave to a ground-based receptor and distribute it as electricity at a rate and amount that far surpassed any ground-based collection method could dream of achieving, and therefore there would be no need for thousands of acres devoted to solar collection. Even back then the cost to build such a system was staggering; however, as we know now financial cost cannot be the primary determining factor when it comes to the Earth’s future. An investment of this size and scope would surely benefit everyone and allow for our other natural resources like coal and oil to be used for different and better purposes. Japan is currently underway with such a scheme that if successful would generate 1.5 gigawatts of electricity.

Historically, energy generation and the forces that control it, have immeasurably, and in some cases irreparably, shaped human affairs since the first time someone figured out how to mine coal in a big enough quantity for more than one household. Energy has directly affected nations and their policies for centuries now. Japan was cut off by America of nearly all its oil imports prior to World War II for its bad behavior in China and they lashed out at the U.S. at Pearl Harbor. Russia is being punished now for its own bad behavior in the Ukraine with oil prices plunging thus dragging Russia’s economy down and making its foreign forays very expensive. ISIS partly exists because it is seizing oil wells, selling it on the black market and leveraging the profits by its expansion of territory. For how long now even here, oil prices rise and fall with the flip of a switch at someone else’s bidding but the results cost billions to the economy and even scarcer dollars for the person just trying to afford getting to work.

Humanity has been handling its energy resources like this for a long time; no planning, no long-term vision as to how we might do it different and perhaps reduce the cost in human misery. All of which results in the continuing deterioration of our environment and the missed opportunities to correct our abhorrent course. The conspiracist in me knows the “how” and the “why” behind all this but the science fiction lover in me still constantly seeks the answer to the “what if”.

Will Durant defined “voluntarism” as “the doctrine that will is the basic factor, both in the universe and in human conduct.” So by that doctrine it becomes immediately apparent how so many competing wills in the world make it impossible to come to any consensus; but what if we could.

It’s Spring again and the time for resurrection, well at least for those of us who reside in the Northern Hemisphere of this world. Usually at this time of year the major religious denominations will pontificate on the act of resurrection and remind their followers of a specific instance of this occurrence happening to a young man a couple of thousand years ago. And it will be imagined by many as a one-time thing, but Nature reminds us that it goes on all the time repeatedly, and that humans either ignore it or try to suppress it.

Take the Ukraine for instance. A sizable majority of them want to rise up and shake off the winter of their discontent, to break off their dead and withered entanglements from the old mother tree, but the hardened branches refuse to let go. Several years ago, the Arab Spring was another example of souls attempting to resurrect, to create something anew where nothing had grown for decades, and yet unnatural forces continue to fight steadfastly to prevent this new growth. Even in the U.S we saw isolated and sporadic attempts to plant new seeds of political and spiritual growth with the Tea Party and Occupy Movements and then witnessed their subsequent subjection to ridicule and rejection.

But Nature is patient and those of us who desire to see change and new growth must be as well. For now we must be like the fallow ground. We must allow the nutrients necessary for such future uprooting to store inside ourselves by taking in new ideas, discussing them among ourselves, building underground connections that will be impervious to the contaminants from above and finally refusing to be plowed prematurely back into the old tired ways of doing the same thing over and over again.

If you haven’t read Jerzy Kosinski’s book, Being There (1971) then I strongly suggest you do so. The allusions to Nature that the central character, Chance (the gardener), makes in the story are as relevant now than at any time in history. Kosinski even back then showed us how the media, established political and religious institutions and multi-national conglomerates constantly block any sprouting forth of new growth on our part and eventually coopt the attempt itself. And that’s why nothing has changed for us in over forty years.

Humanity needs to be planting new ideas all the time by nurturing the dreams and idealism that springs up whenever the right conditions allow it. Growth should be encouraged for these political offshoots whenever possible if only to see where it goes. We must respect the natural order of all things in life; otherwise, we will eventually wither away and die without any chance of resurrection.

Last August I was invited to appear on a local AM radio talk show to speak about my book. I had presented the host beforehand with a copy of it so he could be prepared about the subject matter. He hadn’t read it but his wife had, and she loved it. At any rate, he let me speak at length about the book and the various genres covered in it. I began with conspiracy theory.
Many people will either roll their eyes or look askance when you mention the word “conspiracy”, but those same people will suddenly re-focus their attention when you explain the word’s origin and provide modern examples. The Latin origin is the word “conspire” which means to “breathe together “or “breathe with”. Now, when given an example, like when people meet secretly as Vice President Cheney did with energy executives in the White House to discuss energy policy for the U.S. and didn’t bother to discuss the details of it to the public afterward, then they begin to see it in action. These people were “breathing together” in secret and planning our energy future. Or Rahm Emmanuel, President Obama’s chief of staff, when he met privately at the White House (maybe they breathed in the same room Cheney used) with health care executives to discuss the President’s forthcoming health care proposals, we weren’t told of the details of that discussion either. Conspiracies abound all about us.
Here’s my favorite one. The Federal Reserve was conceived in secrecy and to this day most of its most important decision-making processes are kept from the public eye, including the federal government. You do know it’s a private bank. If you do, then count yourself in the less than 10% of the public that do know that fact. Most people assume it is part of the federal government because it has the word “federal” in its name. It’s a private bank created like the one the British have used for centuries, the Bank of England. Probably owned by the same families for all we know. Whenever any pundit or writer talks about the Fed and its history, they automatically put you in the John Birch Society camp, and label you a nut job for even bringing it up.
Having said that, take a moment and reflect on the current level of trust that exists between the public and our government. You soon discover that as a result of the unexplained events (JFK, Gulf of Tonkin, 2000 Election), and even the ones unearthed in their aftermath (Watergate, Iran-Contra, Iraqi invasion), distrust has accumulated over the decades precisely because of conspiracy. Of course corruption has to account for much of it, but that is a discussion for another day. But conspiracies happen all the time, from your parent’s bedroom trysts to corporations’ boardrooms. Some of these affected us personally like what we received for Christmas, if someone we knew got killed in some far-off war or even if we were wiped out financially in the last recession.
So the next time you find yourself talking with someone or reading an article and they discuss a secret meeting that took place that determined the lives of people you may not even know or care about, don’t roll your eyes or shut off your brain; take a moment and lend them your ears, open your mind, and breathe.