While researching several ideas for this essay, I started reading from Apocalypse of John, the last book in the Christian bible, called Revelations. Incidentally, the word apocalypse means revelation or that which is uncovered.

The word apocalypse comes from the Greek word apockalypsis, which means to uncover, reveal, lay bare, disclose, unveil, or divulge. The preferred pop culture and secondary meaning is universal or widespread destruction or disaster by the forces of evil.

Apocalypse of John is a compilation of his letters to the seven Roman provinces in Asia Minor, the area we call Turkey. John was concerned that these fledgling churches would stray from the newly formed faith in Christ and succumb to Roman politics. Part 1 of the book contains moral admonitions, and Part 2 is John’s visions and allegories for failing to observe the warnings and the resulting upheaval.

The final battle in Part Two of John’s letters occurs in Megiddo, Israel. I speculate that our fatalistically biased memory of this tale jumps to the end and equates Armageddon, the battle at Megiddo, to apocalypse. While scholars’ interpretations vary wildly, they generally accept that Part Two warns of ignoring Part One.

The less obvious rationale for our gloomy view is that this compilation became a weapon classically used by the church to frighten, control, and recruit believers. Like most biblical and historical interpretations, it’s used to manage by fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD).

* FUD “is a propaganda tactic used in sales, marketing, public relations, politics, polling, and cults. FUD is generally a strategy to influence perception by disseminating negative and dubious or false information and a manifestation of the appeal to fear.” (Wikipedia)

I attribute this popular connotation of cataclysm and catastrophe to man’s natural tendency toward fatalism and FUD. Admittedly, John’s writings in part 2 are ominous, yet their message is intended to convey the seriousness of his admonitions and visions.

As an approach, FUD should raise an eyebrow or two; it describes America’s government style from the beginning and is the basis for all governments.

Mankind relentlessly selects, interprets, and co-ops information to suit its purposes. We took John’s letters to Asia Minor and superimposed them over the Christian World writ large. Although the cautions are appropriate to all churches and Christians, the forewarning was intended for a specific audience.

A fascinating insight into most texts is that they reveal a different message each time you read them, mainly depending on your recently acquired knowledge, state of mind, or emotional state at the time you read them. You can define these epiphanies – apocalypses – as inspired or revealed, but they are more a factor of your openness to the information at that particular time. I do not discount it being divine since at least 48 biblical references support that God works in mysterious ways…

Ask yourself, does it matter the source of enlightenment, or is the insight sufficient?

Probity ~
Our choice to selectively interpret and misconstrue John’s letters is only one among many other convenient corruptions Americans ignore and embrace. Look at what we have done to our Declaration of Independence and Constitution and how we battle over interpretations, language, and word choices.

Frankly, interpreting the language of 18th-century authors or any pre-twentieth-century writer using 21st-century understanding is ludicrous. Our lexicon is vastly different, so to appreciate the spirit of these documents, we must abandon our prejudices and embrace the concepts as expressed and intended.

We all recognize the Machiavellian phrase, “The end justifies the means.” It connotes that a desired result is so good or critical that any method, even if morally wrong, may be used to achieve it.

Most Americans only know what we’re told, but if you’re an inquisitive super-cynic like me, you acknowledge these calculated deceptions and begin pursuing facts. This level of investigation is not superficial. As I’ve written in past articles, there are more lies than truth; all are a matter of perspective.

There’s the rub… Fact is no longer categorical but based on the point of view and, in America’s case, biased by political opportunism.

A dilemma arises by blurring the lines between fact and fallacy. This obscurity and variability of facts and their vagueness provides stimulating points for conversation but often result in legal and moral ambiguities questioning, and challenging concepts of right and wrong.

Are there now degrees of good and evil, right and wrong?

Suppose you accept what we see in the media as accurate. In this case, the only possible reply is an emphatic – YES – based solely on the ends justifying the means, and that fuzzy decision process requires a mutable multi-tiered system for what’s allowable and permissible to support the assertion.

Suppose your ideology teaches right and wrong are absolutes based on “The Ten Commandments or other religious-moral text.”

There is no – Kind Of – in these exact precepts.

Either you did, or you didn’t transgress.

Your answer must be a resolute No!

What’s the latitude on “Thou shall not bear false witness?” Are you saving someone’s feelings, trying not to hurt them, or lying to have your way?

And how about “Thou shalt not steal.” Is the subtext – Unless you’re hungry, destitute, or homeless?

Who decides, and using what criteria?

And then there’s “Thou shalt not kill.” How do you rationalize this commandment? There must be some latitude on this one since the Old Testament is replete with wars and the wrath of God, which sparks another interesting moral discussion.

Maybe this edict is the one exception to the rule and requires discussion… It would most certainly make for an interesting commentary.

Who arbitrates and decides?

Where can I find the – right versus wrong – scale Big Brother uses? This dilemma is where “The End Justifies the Means” becomes germane, disqualifying any controversy.

Government In Our Lives ~
Retiring President Eisenhower warned about the Military Industrial Complex, which was in league with Congress to perpetuate wars to maintain the cash flow and garner power. Many wiser leaders saw the consortium for what it was, and Congress was added. Now we have The Military Industrial Congressional Complex, MICC; they became Big Brother.

This consortium approbates that war was highly profitable and sound business forging a symbiotic relationship. Congress allocates money for the government to purchase necessary weapons and support merchandise. The manufacturers would, in turn, sell them weapons, etc. The purveyors of these goods and services to the government would return the favor to the politicians through contributions and bribes. The Military would have all the implements of mass destruction needed to wage the wars and save democracy in the process; Congress instigated and endorsed the use of military force in the first place.

QED, symbiosis.

Since America effectively maintains a two-party strategy, the MICC’s scheme could inflame and kindle the president’s passions to ensure continuing military actions elsewhere. Eisenhower warned us about this in his farewell address in 1961.

* NOTE: There have been 285 distinct conflicts since 1946.

The impetus for this treachery is a time-honored motivator called sovereignty. This quest for supreme power and authority is a sufficient pretext to betray one’s country, especially since the end justifies the means.

Also known as – “Selling your soul to the devil…“

Constitutional Republic ~
America is NOT a democracy!

We are a constitutional republic. Yet, there is no end to the references and failures of our democracy.

You need to understand the differences; if you don’t appreciate them, look it up.

We choose representatives who carry our messages, concerns, and desires to the federal government through congress. They vote on our behalf about topics germane to our republic. These are the people that we choose to represent us. However… The day they take their oath of office, they are no longer partisan politicians; they speak for all their constituents – you and me.

In 1789 the First Congress adopted a simple oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.”

Since then, they realized that this simplistic oath needed more specificity.

The 1860s oath of office became more specific: – “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me, God.”

* NOTE: …an Oath that both the author of what you are reading, and the Editor of this publication took may decades ago – and STILL abide by said Oath! ~ Editor

These elected representatives swear (affirm) allegiance to the republic’s Constitution, not their respective political parties; this is a critical point of departure from the current partisan construct. The two main political parties have usurped power through the MICC.

The construct of partisan politics is archaic and useless in our republic. Its only purpose was to identify the candidate’s political affiliations and ideologies during the election cycle. Once the state-level elections are completed, political partisanship has served its purpose.

From this point forward, the representatives’ ONLY concern is their duty to all Americans, not just those in their respective parties, and to the Constitution of the United States of America. Everything else is counter to the original tenet of the republic, especially political deference for financial support.

* Sell your soul to the devil…

Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned that parties were likely “to become potent engines by which . . . unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

Guardrails ~
There are countless places to read our Constitution; I highly recommend that you do so frequently since this is one of the documents Americans love to misquote and misrepresent to suit our immediate purposes. It is a favorite of politicians who prey on our ignorance of the foundational instrument.

Every country has a guiding charter; most are based – loosely – on our version, with a few caveats ceding power to an oligarchy or dictator but rarely to the people.

The current state of this country underscores that Congress, the opposite of progress, and our entire government violate their oath of office. You cannot sort-of break that oath; there is no almost or sort of – either you honor it or break it.

Specific legal provisions for violating the oath of office include removal from office, confinement, and fines. Since we have a primarily two-party, cult system, and congressional members align with one of them instead of with the country they serve, who will prosecute them? Can one cult faction indict the other impartially and fairly? If there is prosecution for dereliction, it’s frequently attributed to partisan acrimony rather than a legal transgression.

Do you remember President Washington’s stated concerns about the two-party system?

The leaders of our republic hurdled the Constitution from representing us to enforcing and dictating the direction of our republic. They are directly involved in every facet of our lives and affect controls to ensure their jurisdiction. They see their role as the country’s guardians, like an older, more experienced sibling, only more controlling.

In reality, they are what George Orwell described in his 1949 dystopian novel 1984 as Big Brother.

Big Brother IS watching!

Bias ~
It is “a particular tendency, trend, inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned, originating from impulsively accepting a particular perspective without considering other alternatives.”

90% of what we know emanates from one of six major companies, The Corporate Media, who tell us what to think and foreordain our reactions by skillfully selecting and frequently crafting points that dovetail with their corporate political narrative, loosely defined and misrepresent it as journalism.

Because facts are now mutable, mainstream media are the architects of reality. Everything we know comes through the connections controlled by their partners and allies, Big Tech.

America’s mass indoctrination camps program their attendees are programmed not to think but to do. They are not leaders; they were programmed to be followers. They’re fed a steady diet of propaganda and prepared to regurgitate them on command like communal Pavlovian drones; they respond with crafted and metered factoids that support the narrative.

Their bias is preprogrammed into the canned replies. The message tracks the narrative, and that end justifies the means.

Government ~
Events of the past 50 years caused me to reconsider America’s form of government. Intellectually I know America was founded as a republic, but my apocalypse indicates that we’ve strayed from that original design, and functionally, we’ve become nearly unrecognizable and undefinable.

The best description I can find is an oligarchy. It’s a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or a dominant class or clique; government by the few. Their implied claim is they act in our best interest, but how would they know?

They didn’t ask; they assumed.

I find an enormous disconnect in attributing wisdom and insight based on net worth. Consider whom we look to as an example or for guidance. These are celebrities, primarily film and sports stars whose claim to fame is good looks, play-acting, or playing games at a professional level for gazillions of dollars. Listening to most of them is akin to a conversation with Kamala Harris or John Fetterman. Yet, these are the people we trust for leadership and guidance

The Billionaire class may be financially astute, but many have taken moral and legal shortcuts to garner their wealth. In whose interest are they acting? These people hire people to think for them. They trust immense fortunes to financial consultants with the appropriate credentials to manage their wealth. Regarding earthbound issues, they are country bumpkins like us, just as susceptible to scams and nefarious bridge and snake-oil salesmen.

Who do they serve? Their replies are the people, of course, but the reality is that they serve the ones holding the purse strings.

Our elected leadership enters service indebted to their party and donors. Their indentured servitude continues as they climb the ladder of success. Their indebtedness thrives, and the donors’ control matures until they are slaves of the cartel that elected them. BTW – that’s not you and I; we are the means to an end.

We KNOW who these actors serve!

The exception I note is that many of the people in the government are moral and right-minded people just doing their jobs and following their leaders. These drones are products of America’s mass indoctrination camps that we term federal and state-sponsored public education. They were programmed not to think but to do. They are not leaders; they were programmed to be followers.

We have precisely what we created – drones.

That’s my apocalypse. It’s been a process, not a destination. I’m still learning and smarting from the lesson life teaches. I proudly wear the bumps, bruises, and whip marks I earned over the past sixty years. I know that the beatings will continue until I learn what I need to know.

Remember that life is a cruel teacher, who gives you the test first and the lesson later….

But she kills all of her students in the end!

~ The Author ~
Charles R. Dickens was born in 1951, is a veteran of the Vietnam war, for which he volunteered, and the great-great grandson of the noted author, whose name he shares.

He is a fiercely proud American, who still believes this is the greatest country on the planet, with which we’ve lost control and certainly our direction. He grew up in moderate financial surrounding; we’re not rich by any stretch, but didn’t go hungry – his incredibly hard working father saw to that. As most from that era, he learned about life from his father, whose story would take too long to tell, other than to say that, he is also a fiercely proud American; a WWII and Korean war, veteran Marine.

Charlie was educated in the parochial system which, demanded that you actually learn something, and have capability to retain it before you advance. He attended several universities in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, and chased the goose further to a master’s, and has retained some very definite ideas about education in this country.

In addition, Charlie is a retired blues guitar and vocalist – a musician. This was his therapy career. Nothing brings him as much joy as playing music, and he wishes that he could make a living at it… but alas… life goes on!