Threat Assessment
Glenn Gould
August 30, 2008
My favorite metaphor is the commercial broiler chicken and the house chicken. Imagine a broiler – suddenly infused with a kind of self-awareness. This bird realizes he is in a sea of birds, all destined for the dinner table. He realizes further that the beloved farmer is in reality his executioner, or at least party to the plot.
He realizes that the entire environment in which he dwells is nothing more than a scientifically engineered tool to promote his kind´s rapid and profitable growth to a full-grown bird in the shortest time and least expensive method possible.
Now, what threat does this knowledge pose to the farmer, or, for that matter, to the chicken industry in general? None.
This bird will not communicate his realization to his fellows – they would not understand him if he did. He will not have offspring to which to pass this knowledge. He will live his life and meet his end like his fellows. Worst case, he may escape and with any luck, despite his genetic makeup (after all he has achieved self awareness) might learn to survive and find a wild chicken to breed with. Or he may simply stand next to the highway and wonder what to do next.
In any event, the chicken poses no threat to the system or the farmer. There is no reason for anyone to take any action against this bird for his sudden and annoying social beliefs. There is no actual threat to the farmer or the chicken business.
Similarly, I sometimes feet I am as a chicken in such a condition. I cannot communicate my ideas to anyone – they would not believe me – or, would think me quite mad. I have no offspring to which to pass this information. The Internet is rife with such insane paranoia; so another drop in that bucket is harmless. No proof exists for the allegations I make, unless one sees it without being shown. For the proof is so obvious it is hidden in plain sight. And the media acts like the chicken house, controlling everything that we take in and all we let go. I pose no conceivable threat to anyone and therefore should not expect to be chastised for having any particular opinion.
Now, returning to the metaphor, the broiler sapiens would only become a threat to the system were he to become able to communicate this knowledge to his fellows, or to reproduce this knowledge in his offspring and others through association. If he became militant and assaulted the farmer, or caused a revolt among his fellows he would be eliminated. He threatens the system only when his condition enables the growth of this concept beyond the borders of his own mind and local environment.
Does this awareness save him? Does it provide him some level of security from the inevitable to which he is destined? Will it help him avoid the last roundup and the ride to the processing plant? Perhaps, if given a window of opportunity he may escape. Many do, albeit accidentally. But their destiny is not much enhanced by their ostensive freedom – they remain prisoners of their own perceptions.
Imagine further that this self-awareness spreads to the community of chickens. Imagine a revolt, a chicken coup, so to speak. A farmer is killed by a flock of hostile and stampeding chickens suddenly aware of their impending fate. The solution on the part of the chicken industry of course would be to destroy all the birds and end the infection. If the infection spread beyond the bounds of the local house, an industry wide action may ensue wherein there would be no chickens left in a wholesale destruction of chicken flesh to protect the public. It is only when a large number of broiler sapiens emerges that any threat presents itself to the chicken industry.
A logical defense against this problem is the isolation and division of chicken houses – not too many birds in one house. Were natural biological or conceptual issues of this nature to evolve, the separate condition of the houses provide a good preventive to wide spread inclusion of many animals. The genetic issues surrounding the modern chicken is a main reason that the raw material for the chicken industry is grown in so many isolated and remote areas, rather than on a giant chicken farm, all maintained by the chicken processors. The isolation provides a safety barrier to the spread of disease.
In a similar manner, our nationalized civilization keeps us divided and safe from widespread contamination, particularly from ideas. By enabling freedom of religion and freedom of speech, we (westerners) naturally divide against one another. The concept of the African American is an example of artificial cultural division. Few blacks in America have ever been to Africa. They are only slightly more African than everyone else – we are all from Africa. But it is an exceptional tool to divide them from us on a highly politically acceptable level. The two party political system is a great example of this kind of public manipulation – including the adherence to the hot button topics associated with these two created entities. A united society is the most dangerous condition imaginable. Government will do everything in its power to keep this condition from appearing.
Ironically, our freedom of ideas provides the system of protection from the spread of ideas by camouflage. It is hard to see the truth when so many versions of the truth are available. Everyone´s got one.
Just a thought.
He realizes that the entire environment in which he dwells is nothing more than a scientifically engineered tool to promote his kind´s rapid and profitable growth to a full-grown bird in the shortest time and least expensive method possible.
Now, what threat does this knowledge pose to the farmer, or, for that matter, to the chicken industry in general? None.
This bird will not communicate his realization to his fellows – they would not understand him if he did. He will not have offspring to which to pass this knowledge. He will live his life and meet his end like his fellows. Worst case, he may escape and with any luck, despite his genetic makeup (after all he has achieved self awareness) might learn to survive and find a wild chicken to breed with. Or he may simply stand next to the highway and wonder what to do next.
In any event, the chicken poses no threat to the system or the farmer. There is no reason for anyone to take any action against this bird for his sudden and annoying social beliefs. There is no actual threat to the farmer or the chicken business.
Similarly, I sometimes feet I am as a chicken in such a condition. I cannot communicate my ideas to anyone – they would not believe me – or, would think me quite mad. I have no offspring to which to pass this information. The Internet is rife with such insane paranoia; so another drop in that bucket is harmless. No proof exists for the allegations I make, unless one sees it without being shown. For the proof is so obvious it is hidden in plain sight. And the media acts like the chicken house, controlling everything that we take in and all we let go. I pose no conceivable threat to anyone and therefore should not expect to be chastised for having any particular opinion.
Now, returning to the metaphor, the broiler sapiens would only become a threat to the system were he to become able to communicate this knowledge to his fellows, or to reproduce this knowledge in his offspring and others through association. If he became militant and assaulted the farmer, or caused a revolt among his fellows he would be eliminated. He threatens the system only when his condition enables the growth of this concept beyond the borders of his own mind and local environment.
Does this awareness save him? Does it provide him some level of security from the inevitable to which he is destined? Will it help him avoid the last roundup and the ride to the processing plant? Perhaps, if given a window of opportunity he may escape. Many do, albeit accidentally. But their destiny is not much enhanced by their ostensive freedom – they remain prisoners of their own perceptions.
Imagine further that this self-awareness spreads to the community of chickens. Imagine a revolt, a chicken coup, so to speak. A farmer is killed by a flock of hostile and stampeding chickens suddenly aware of their impending fate. The solution on the part of the chicken industry of course would be to destroy all the birds and end the infection. If the infection spread beyond the bounds of the local house, an industry wide action may ensue wherein there would be no chickens left in a wholesale destruction of chicken flesh to protect the public. It is only when a large number of broiler sapiens emerges that any threat presents itself to the chicken industry.
A logical defense against this problem is the isolation and division of chicken houses – not too many birds in one house. Were natural biological or conceptual issues of this nature to evolve, the separate condition of the houses provide a good preventive to wide spread inclusion of many animals. The genetic issues surrounding the modern chicken is a main reason that the raw material for the chicken industry is grown in so many isolated and remote areas, rather than on a giant chicken farm, all maintained by the chicken processors. The isolation provides a safety barrier to the spread of disease.
In a similar manner, our nationalized civilization keeps us divided and safe from widespread contamination, particularly from ideas. By enabling freedom of religion and freedom of speech, we (westerners) naturally divide against one another. The concept of the African American is an example of artificial cultural division. Few blacks in America have ever been to Africa. They are only slightly more African than everyone else – we are all from Africa. But it is an exceptional tool to divide them from us on a highly politically acceptable level. The two party political system is a great example of this kind of public manipulation – including the adherence to the hot button topics associated with these two created entities. A united society is the most dangerous condition imaginable. Government will do everything in its power to keep this condition from appearing.
Ironically, our freedom of ideas provides the system of protection from the spread of ideas by camouflage. It is hard to see the truth when so many versions of the truth are available. Everyone´s got one.
Just a thought.
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