As a former psychology student (and current marketing student), I found this video very blogworthy. It’s part of a BBC series called “The Century of the Self” and covers psychoanalytic theory and its ties to successful marketing through fear and unconscious desires. It’s a shame that Freud is so maligned in undergraduate psychology theory classes as being non-PC and out-dated. Apparently all that stuff I spent years studying has practical applications (for fun and profit). Part 1 of the video is embedded below.

The remaining parts of the series are available on Google Video: Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

H/T:  The Daily Paul

If you go into a bookstore, you’ll find George Orwell’s 1984 in the “classics” section. I always remark when I walk by the classics section that they should create a “currents” section for it and other dystopian works. It’s unfortunate that a lot of folks won’t read such an important work. However, as Howard Beale pointed out in the movie Network, “since less than three percent of you people read books,” you can at least make the effort to watch the movie version (embedded below):

Of particular note, the constant state of warfare, how language is frequently changes, the lack of meat in daily rations, and the presence of an arch-terrorist whose face is plastered across television screens in order to incite the masses. As I said, the book really belongs in a “currents” section.

For those who are in the militant book-reader marketing segment (and we know who you are), you can also read 1984 online.

A lot’s been going around over the last week or so about a report issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), an intelligence clearinghouse or fushion center that feeds information to law enforcement entities in Missouri. The report states that there are militias that conduct domestic terrorist activities and that you can tell who they are by bumperstickers advertising the Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party, the Campaign for Liberty (and their associated political candidates like Congressman Ron Paul and former Congressman Bob Barr). There’s been such a buzz on the blogosphere that I decided to wait it out before putting fingers to keyboard. Since it’s started to receive some mainstream media coverage, there are now videos available that cover the issue, such as the following Glenn Beck and Penn Gillette conversation:

The MIAC report is flawed (err, you know, as in completely wrong and misinformed) in a number of ways.

First and foremost, a person’s peaceful associations do not translate into making that person associated with violent groups. Specifically, in the case of card-carrying Libertarians, we carry cards that specifically state that we will not initiate force to achieve political, social, and/or economic goals (unless this has changed since the last time I renewed my membership). Anyway, the adoption and adherence to a non-initiation of force principle makes for a lousy potential to be terrorists.

The second major flaw is that the report assumes every person in a militia-type of organization is violent or intends to initiate force. Having met people claiming to be involved in such organizations (which is nearly impossible not to if you live in a rural area of middle America), I really wouldn’t be too afraid of them. Those I’ve met have been old, overweight, ex-US military members who are simply concerned about where the country is heading. They have families and children, they attend church, and they think that the Constitution’s a good thing. That describes a large majority of all our neighbors (and they were always so quiet). I wouldn’t be surprised if there aren’t even elected politicians (especially from the mountainous Western states) who had some sort of formal militia ties. Luckily for me, I forgot the names and whereabouts of all these random persons that I bumped into in all of my wilderness excursions and wouldn’t be able to tell you a thing about them (especially under conditions of extreme torture). 

The big unfortunate in this situation is that a lot of people will leave this as Libertarians being singled out, so why care? It’s Libertarians today, but maybe it’ll be you tomorrow. And in preparation, the Department of Homeland Security’s got a number of intelligence fusion centers at the ready in your state.

H/T:  The Smoking Argus, Deleware Libertarian, Kn@ppster, Independent Political Report, and others