I am not a big fan of sugar-coated holiday messages that are basically a collage of tired clichés. I also do not enjoy reading “let’s be positive” articles that sound like a page taken from a $2.99 self-help book written by some douche-bag spiritual guru. However, today, I will be combining both of these horrible things in one big sentimental, tear-jerking article … no, I won’t.

But, as 2011 comes to an end, I would like to reflect a bit on the content that was published on the Vigilant Citizen and the reason why I feel this kind of information needs to be known by all regardless of age, sex, faith or ethnicity. So here are some thoughts about this site, its purpose and its potential effects on people.

About the initial shock of learning the “Truth”

I remember when I first learned about the “Truth” and it wasn’t pretty. I remember learning about how the mass media lie to our faces on a daily basis. About how the educational system only teaches the youth what they need to become obedient workers. About how politics are merely a puppet show and that, regardless of who is in office, the same Agenda will be going forward. About how our rights and freedoms are being revoked. About how the masses are purposely being dumbed-down. About how simple values are rejected from popular culture and replaced by shallow materialism and glorification of immediate fulfillment of impulses.

Learning about these things was overwhelming and, to be honest, it really pissed me off. I remember being depressed for days, repeating to myself “Everything I was ever told was a lie”. I was disgusted by the world I grew up in and the people I used to look up to. That was an awful phase. But, looking back, I realized that it was just a phase – one that all seekers of truth eventually need to go through. It is shocking, disheartening, confusing and totally not cool. But necessary.

As I pursued my research and as I gained a little wisdom and experience, that nasty feeling eventually went away. Gloria Steinem famously wrote “The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.” That is certainly true. But after the “pissed off” phase, better understanding our world leads to an extremely valuable reward: Knowledge, wisdom and happiness.

Although I do not consider this site to contain all of the “Truth”, simply a small part of it, I nevertheless hope its contents is insightful enough to prompt in some people a “thirst for more”. I sometimes get e-mails from readers who are still under the initial shock of learning the Truth. They describe the same symptoms I felt when I was in the same situation and some are rather mad at me for causing this in them. Although I realize that this kind of information can engender fear and even paranoia in some people, I believe that the sooner one goes through that phase, the better. Because once the blizzard goes away, a new path appears … and it looks pretty darn nice.

Converting the initial shock into useful knowledge

After learning about the true nature of the forces shaping our world, a natural response is to look for solutions. One might say “Now that I know all of this, what can I do to fix the problem?” I usually leave this part of the thought process open-ended in my articles because I believe that the thinking, the questioning and the research required at this stage is something that all of us should do. After having been told what we should do during our entire lives, it is time to get our own brains going. Only a healthy, well-educated mind can determine what should be done next. I believe that those who push ready-made, one-size-fits-all solutions do not help their fellow men (in fact, they might be trying to exploit them). Instead of encouraging independent thinking they are simply furthering the “sheep” mentality that is so prevalent today … just with a different shepherd. For this reason, I do not push a great big solution for all. I do, however, encourage readers to discuss and debate their views, because it is one the healthiest thing we can do.

The clash of ideas found in the discussions on this site is certainly one of its most important features. The insight provided by commentators is often enlightening (thanks to those who participate in discussions!). Some force us to consider unique ideas and perspectives. Some people believe non-violent protests are the ultimate solution, while others state that salvation must go through religious faith while others want to see an all-out revolution. Others do not believe that any of this is even happening. I honestly do not claim to know the exact path that would lead humanity to freedom. There is however one thing that I KNOW helps all the readers of the site: Understanding what is real and what is fake.

Differentiating the Real from the Fake: A Liberating Step

After a period of time of actively seeking the Truth through research and questioning, discerning what is real and what is illusion becomes an easy task. Instead of mindlessly absorbing everything that is communicated through mass media, a truth seeker will have the ability to say “Wait, this is BS. I do not believe it and I reject it.” The erection of a gateway that controls the acceptance of messages in our minds, also known as “critical thinking”, is one of the main benefits of truth seeking. This site focuses on mass media because its multiple outlets are used to sell illusion and delusion to the masses. They also define what is acceptable, what is desirable and what is not.

Watching a few hours of MTV programming is enough to understand that its contents promotes a specific set of values to the youth, notably the importance of materialism, the cult of celebrity and fame, the glorification of appearances and of the superficial, the sexualization and fetishization of everything and so forth. A young person that has not developed the ability to think critically will absorb this information, integrate it and, ultimately, live by it. However, an educated mind will realize that all of these values are artificial constructs and deceiving illusions. A great majority of spiritual currents in History have identified these very things as the “great deceptions”, pitfalls for the soul. Today, mass media are so omnipresent and persuasive that billions willingly fall into that trap. It takes a lot of “deprogramming” to make the average person realize: “I am not super famous, I do not have paparazzi after me, I am not on the cover of magazines, I do not have a Gucci handbag nor a BMW with Louis Vuitton seats … and so what? That is all garbage anyway!” Coming to this realization is one of the most liberating things one can experience, as a lot of unnecessary pressure magically disappears.

This realization also leads to a new appreciation for the simplest things in life that are, coincidentally, the most important things in life. Spending time with loved ones, appreciating the world’s beauty and becoming a better person cost absolutely nothing, yet they are keys to true happiness. Our current System is looking to lead us away from these values because they create people who are not dependent of the System. The System needs us to crave and want, and to live for the crap that is sold to us. It needs us to spend our paychecks, to load our credit cards and to take on ridiculous mortgages in order for us to replicate what we see on TV. Our debts are the chains that link us to them and we willingly chain ourselves.

What is more profitable to them? A strong family based on morals, values and traditions or a shallow individual who looks to fill the gaping hole in his/her life with appearances and consumer products? Who is the easier to influence toward a specific idea or agendas? Our current System is a giant wheel that needs each one of us pushing in order for it to advance. Without us, the wheel goes nowhere.

The effects of rejecting what is fake and embracing what is real is the equivalent of eradicating a cancer that slowly eats away the spirit. But before curing an illness, one must identify it. The articles on this site attempt to locate and identify the cancerous message that is being communicated to the masses, especially to the youth. Once the cause is known and understood, it is a lot easier to cure the sickness.

So, despite the doom and gloom, knowing the ugly truth should not lead to unhappiness. Quite to the contrary, learning what we should avoid also leads to learning what we should embrace. These wonderful things are within our reach and always will be. Some would say that these things are the very reason why we are on earth … and no power-hungry elite can ever take these things away from us.

So, that was my corny message for the holidays. Thanks to those who followed my articles, contributed information and participated in discussions this year. You are the reason why this site is so great. I will keep BOTH of my eyes open in 2012 and I will do my best to report mass media deceit on a regular basis. I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

VC