Sunday, February 22, 2009

Movie Review: The International

I saw The International with my Dad today. It wasn't the best thriller, but it was fun and it is most certainly relevant today, because of globalization and the the conspiracy theories related to globalization. Obviously the bank, The International Bank of Business and Credit (which curiously has a webpage),
is obviously a stand in for the World Bank. The leaders of the bank were so corrupt that they could cause global conflicts. Interestingly, many people believe that the World Bank has the same kind of influence on the world.

Do we know that the world bank operates in the way portrayed in this movie? No, we don't. But The International provides an excellent example of how the World Bank would control politics and the world at large. Anyone who has an interest in global conspiracy and the economy should watch this movie.

They explain quite well how banking effects global politics, through debt.

On a side note: The International has a scene in which a bank official explains his actions in that life caused him to turn the way he did. The hero however faught this idea. Clearly Hollywood doesn't want to accept the idea that we have less influence over our lives as we really do. The banker was absolutely right. The same events that made him evil madeAnakin turn into Vader and a young boy running on the River Danube into the ruthless killer, Hitler.

Friday, February 20, 2009

What is New Age?

I've been asked this a number of times before and I've had a difficult time explaining it because it is difficult to pin New Age down. I'm going to defer to this website:

http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/new-age-movement/what-new-age-movement

The website says:
The New Age Movement is difficult to define because "there is no hierarchy, dogma, doctrine, collection plate, or membership." It is a collection, an assortment of different theologies with the common threads of toleration and divergence weaving through its tapestry of "universal truth."

and...
The New Age movement has many sub-divisions, but it is generally a collection of Eastern-influenced metaphysical thought systems, a conglomeration of theologies, hopes, and expectations held together with an eclectic teaching of salvation, of "correct thinking," and "correct knowledge." It is a theology of "feel-goodism," "universal tolerance," and "moral relativism."

I think that summarizes it well, although it doesn't really nail down a definition either. I'm going to have to peruse this website more. And I'll try to find some sort of idea of how the New Agers define themselves too.

Right now, I'm leaning towards a definition that includes a "thirst for knowledge of the hidden universe." But it's not based upon scientific principles, like those who study quantum physics or astronomy. It's based upon metaphysics. I'll return here with more later.