The Taste of Cultural Decline

The Erosion of Traditional Farming, Cultural Diversity, and Human Connection in the Pursuit of Technocratic Transformation

The Great Reset envisions a societal transformation that some argue could lead to permanent limitations on fundamental freedoms and increased surveillance. This transformation involves certain sectors being sacrificed to strengthen the dominance and influence of pharmaceutical corporations, high-tech and big data giants like Amazon and Google, major global chains, the digital payments sector, and biotech companies.

Under the pretext of a 'Fourth Industrial Revolution,' the Great Reset was leveraging COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions to advance its agenda. This agenda includes the bankruptcy or absorption of older enterprises, effectively shutting down significant portions of the pre-pandemic economy. As a result, economies are being 'restructured,' and an increasing number of jobs may be performed by AI-driven machines.

In a now deleted video, the World Economic Forum (WEF) envisions a future where by 2030, individuals will "own nothing and be happy." The video portrays a cheerful face and showcases a drone delivering a product to a household, likely ordered online and packaged by a robot within a massive Amazon warehouse. The video emphasizes that no human involvement was necessary in the manufacturing, packaging, or delivery process, ensuring a virus- and bacteria-free product.

Even in 2030, there will be a continued need to perpetuate a fear narrative to maintain complete control over the population. This fear narrative is seen to sustain a comprehensive hold over society, enabling the preservation of full-spectrum dominance.

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Those who find themselves unemployed, which is anticipated to be a significant number, may be offered a form of universal basic income UBI), along with the opportunity to have their debts, which have escalated due to lockdowns and restrictions, forgiven. However, this forgiveness would come at the cost of surrendering their assets to the state or, more specifically, the financial institutions involved in driving the great reset. The World Economic Forum proposes a future where the public will 'rent' everything they need, under the pretext of 'sustainable consumption' and 'saving the planet,' effectively eroding the right to ownership. Consequently, a small elite responsible for implementing this great reset will amass vast ownership.

This approach implies that hundreds of millions of people worldwide will be considered dispensable and deprived of their livelihoods. Additionally, our movements and purchases will be closely monitored, and our primary interactions will occur online.

The approach applied to individual citizens could parallel the strategy envisioned for nation states. Former World Bank Group President David Malpass, for example, has indicated that assistance will be extended to aid poorer countries in recovering from the consequences of various lockdown measures. However, this assistance comes with conditions tied to the implementation and deepening of neoliberal reforms, which may undermine public services.

On April 20, the Wall Street Journal featured a headline stating, "IMF, World Bank Face Deluge of Aid Requests From Developing World" Numerous countries are seeking financial assistance and loans from these institutions, which have a substantial $1.2 trillion available for lending. This situation has the potential to perpetuate dependency and create a framework that fuels reliance on external aid.

As a result of debt relief or 'support' provided to nations, global conglomerates like BlackRock, including influential figures like Bill Gates, may gain increased influence in shaping national policies and diminishing the remaining aspects of nation state sovereignty.

THE INTERPLAY OF FOOD, NATURE, AND IDENTITY

There are concerns about the impact on our social and personal identity in the pursuit of commodifying and standardizing human behavior and all aspects of our lives. Critics argue that this approach could potentially lead to the erasure of our social and personal identities.

Some billionaires driving this agenda believe they can assert ownership over nature and all human beings, attempting to exert control in various ways. This control may involve activities such as geo-engineering the atmosphere, genetically modifying soil microbes, or even attempting to surpass nature by producing lab-grown synthetic food substitutes.

The proponents of this vision believe they have the ability to bring an end to history and fundamentally redefine the essence of being human. They aim to achieve this radical transformation by the year 2030. However, this approach presents a chilling dystopian outlook, as it seeks to swiftly erase millennia of culture, traditions, and practices.

Numerous aspects of culture, tradition, and practice are closely intertwined with our relationship with food and our deep connections to nature. Throughout history, our ancestors developed ancient rituals and celebrations that revolved around narratives and myths, which helped them grapple with fundamental existential questions, including themes of death, rebirth, and fertility. These culturally embedded beliefs and practices played a vital role in sanctifying their practical connection with nature and its indispensable role in sustaining human life.

Agriculture played a vital role in the survival of human beings, and customs and traditions developed around the planting, harvesting, and other seasonal activities associated with food production. In various belief systems, such as Norse paganism or Paganism, specific celebrations were dedicated to these agricultural milestones. For instance, Freyfaxi in Norse paganism marked the beginning of the harvest, while Lammas or Lughnasadh in Paganism celebrated the first harvest or grain harvest.

These ancient customs were a way for humans to honor and celebrate nature and its life-giving forces. Beliefs and rituals from that time were infused with themes of hope and renewal, reflecting a profound connection between humans and elements such as the sun, seeds, animals, wind, fire, soil, rain, and the changing seasons. These relationships were not only spiritual, but also had a practical foundation, as they directly related to agrarian production and the sustenance it provided.

According to Professor Robert W. Nicholls, the veneration of Woden and Thor was layered upon much older and deeply rooted beliefs centered around the sun, earth, crops, animals, and the cyclical nature of the seasons shifting between summer's light and warmth and winter's darkness and cold.

India serves as a prime example showcasing the profound relationship between culture, agriculture, and ecology, particularly the crucial significance of the monsoon season and the cycles of planting and harvesting. Even among urban Indians, rural-based beliefs and rituals rooted in nature persist. These cultural practices are closely tied to traditional knowledge systems that encompass livelihoods, seasons, food production, cooking, processing, seed exchange, healthcare, and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge. This interplay forms the core of India's cultural diversity.

Despite the industrial age leading to a detachment between food and the natural environment as people migrated to cities, traditional “food cultures” — encompassing practices, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding food production, distribution, and consumption — continue to thrive. They underscore our enduring connection to agriculture and nature.

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOCRATIC INTERVENTIONS ON FOOD, FARMERS, AND CULTURAL IDENTITY

In the 1950s, Union Carbide presented a corporate narrative through a series of images portraying the company as a metaphorical 'hand of god' descending from the sky to 'solve' various challenges faced by humanity. One notable image depicted the hand pouring the company's agrochemicals onto Indian soils, subtly suggesting that traditional farming practices were outdated or inferior.

Contrary to the claims made by Union Carbide and similar entities, the adoption of a chemical-intensive approach did not lead to increased food production, as discussed in Prof. Glenn Stone's paper titled 'New Histories of the Green Revolution.' Instead, this approach has resulted in long-term and devastating ecological, social, and economic consequences. Vandana Shiva's book 'The Violence of the Green Revolution' and Bhaskar Save's influential open letter to Indian officials provide further insight into the detrimental impacts of this approach.

The book 'Food and Cultural Studies' by Bob Ashley et al. highlights a past example where a Coca-Cola television advertisement campaign associated modernity with a sugary drink and depicted ancient Aboriginal beliefs as outdated and harmful. This portrayal positioned Coke, rather than rain, as the source of life to the thirsty. Such advertising campaigns reflect a broader strategy aimed at discrediting traditional cultures and presenting them as deficient, thus creating a narrative where assistance from "god-like" corporations is portrayed as necessary.

In the current year of 2023, we observe an acceleration of these processes. Within the realm of food and agriculture, traditional farming practices in countries like India face mounting pressure from big-tech giants and agribusiness to embrace lab-grown food, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), genetically engineered soil microbes, data collection tools, drones, and other “disruptive” technologies. These emerging technologies are being promoted as innovative solutions, potentially overshadowing and transforming traditional agricultural methods.

As part of the Great Reset, there is a vision for farmerless farms that would be operated by autonomous machines, monitored by drones, and reliant on chemical inputs to cultivate commodity crops from patented genetically modified (GM) seeds, primarily for industrial purposes. The resulting biomass would be processed and transformed into something resembling food. However, the question arises: what will happen to the farmers in this scenario?

In a post-COVID world, the World Bank discusses assisting countries in recovering from the crisis through structural reforms. It raises the possibility of enticing tens of millions of smallholder farmers away from their land by offering individual debt relief and universal basic income. This approach could lead to the displacement of these farmers, causing the destruction of rural communities and their cultural heritage. The Gates Foundation, in the past, has even advocated for such displacement and cynically referred to it as “land mobility.”

By cutting through the euphemisms, it becomes apparent that individuals like Bill Gates, along with other incredibly wealthy proponents of the Great Reset, endorse traditional colonialist strategies. These strategies involve various forms of dispossession, such as mining, appropriating and commodifying farmer knowledge, expediting the transfer of research and seeds to corporations, and facilitating intellectual property infringement and seed monopolies through the manipulation of IP laws and seed regulations.

In countries like India, which still rely heavily on agriculture, there is a concern that the lands of already heavily indebted farmers may be handed over to tech giants, financial institutions, and global agribusiness to produce high-tech, data-driven genetically modified industrial products. This potential scenario raises questions about whether it aligns with the “own nothing, be happy” vision promoted by the World Economic Forum.

If the connection between food production, nature, and culturally significant beliefs is completely severed, we may be left with individuals who consume lab-grown food, depend on state-provided income, and are deprived of meaningful productive engagement and genuine self-fulfillment. This raises concerns about the potential erosion of satisfying livelihoods and the loss of deeper connections to our surroundings and the activities that bring true fulfillment.

The interference of technocratic interventions has already had detrimental effects on cultural diversity, meaningful social connections, and the delicate ecosystems associated with agrarian societies. These ecosystems have relied on centuries of traditional knowledge, which is increasingly acknowledged as a valid approach to ensuring food security. For further insight, refer to the article “Food Security and Traditional Knowledge in India” published in the Journal of South Asian Studies.

The current envisioned technocratic transformation treats humans as commodities, subject to control and surveillance, much like lifeless technological drones and artificial intelligence systems that are being promoted. However, the promise of a property-less existence and happiness within an open prison-like environment—characterized by widespread unemployment, dependence on the state, health passports with tracking and chips, the elimination of cash, mass vaccination, and dehumanization—may raise concerns and apprehension.

The true power to shape this world has always lain in your hands. Choose well!

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