Leaf from BUDDHIST CULTURAL CENTERE Jôdo-Shinsû Harry Pieper from Montpreveyres, CP 29, 1018 Lausanne.
Internet as a weapon of mass destruction, like a virus spreading
a war-driven delirium! (1)
“Conspiracy theorists” did not have to wait long to watch the marvellous dream of the Internet (from the very beginning a cock-and-bull story, to say the least!)—supposedly broadcasting Knowledge For All in every direction (so said its promoters, naturally focused first and foremost on humanity’s well-being!)—turn into one of the most sinister waking nightmares (2).
A tree is judged by its fruit…
In less than five years, a paltry caricature of the Spanish flu and a special military operation, both streamed worldwide via the Internet (in 2-D, thus robbing the “masses” of any sense of true depth—namely, the spiritual one), have driven whole populations to extreme alienation, apathy and corruption. So profound is their demoralisation that they can watch—staring without thinking or reacting, even feeling a kind of morbid excitement—a genocide (in the Holy Land!) live-streamed on their mobile phones, revealing a decadent, degraded, corrupted state of mind, perhaps worse than that of the spectators at the circus games of Antiquity.
Without lingering on Augustine’s reaction—as he was on the way to sainthood—clinging to a railing so as not to enter the circus and thus preserve the sacred character of his humanity: where today do we see any reaction aimed at preserving the sacred character of humanity among Western or strongly Westernised populations?
Whatever one may think of taking to the streets to be heard—something sages, saints and itinerant preachers have done everywhere and at all times, favouring the marketplace to make their voices heard—back in the seventies, during massive demonstrations, crowds united against the war in Vietnam.
