Chapter 6

PART TWO – UNDERMINING

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Chapter Six – Removing The Veil (Part 1)

At birth we are connected to the real world and then, subtly, without our nascent consciousness even being aware of it happening, a veil is slipped over our minds. As we proceed through our lives layer after layer is wrapped around us to suppress any inquisitiveness we may have. It’s impossible to know exactly when the first ragged holes start to appear in the Veil of Ignorance, but by the time they do, for most people, that wild spirit of curiosity that would have troubled our young minds had they not been veiled is gone. We are enmeshed in lives that leave little room for inquiry, and so set in our ways by the constant forces that have governed our thoughts that we do not seek out truth – we only seek out what the system has taught us are worthy goals: money, material possessions, career progression, synthetic happiness and whatever “dream” our adoptive country is driven to aspire to.

This chapter is about undermining the Veil of Ignorance in its many forms, so that we will be able to at least recognise what is going on around us and, even with no further help, allow us and those we care about, and those we feel should be aware, to make our own decisions. In order to undermine this, The Most Powerful Tool of All, we must first learn what makes it tick and thus what can make it stop…

Chapter Six – Removing The Veil (Part 2)

About two years ago, while still living in the south of England, I spent some time walking up and down Oxford Street in London. I was looking for a pub in which I was meant to meet a few people prior to a music gig at the 100 Club. I found the pub, but then had an hour or so to kill, so took it upon myself to free a few people. The first liberation was outside a shop – I can’t remember exactly what it was, but there was a flat screen television in the window showing rolling advertisements, and on this side of the window was a woman in her forties staring. Just staring. From my pocket I brought out what looks like a car immobiliser: black with a button on top and a small infra-red LED bulb at the front. I clicked and immediately the television in the shop window went off (it was a Sony, they are always quick). The woman seemed to wake up, then turned and walked away without a second glance. In HMV, a music and movie store, I got a little more brazen, turning off the screens above the checkouts – the ones that screen music videos interspersed with adverts – and then came across a row of four screens all showing the same commercial for a movie box set. I stood behind the adjacent row of DVD shelves and switched the first screen off (a Panasonic, it took a little longer). The young man who had been raptly watching the commercial moved to the next screen. I switched this one off and he moved on. I switched the next two off, unavoidable due to the acute angle between me and the screens, and he moved away entirely…

Chapter Six – Removing The Veil (Part 3)

Once or twice a week I go into peoples’ houses and fix their computers. On most occasions they will pay me a bit of cash; on a good day they will have something to barter for my work, but more of that later. Sometimes I need to call up internet service providers or telephone companies, and without fail the person on the other end of the phone refers to me either as “Sir” or “Mr Farnish”. It makes me squirm. Not on my behalf, although I would love to have my first name recognised as a significant part of my identity, but on behalf of those I am speaking to. If I get the chance then I will ask to be called “Keith”, which happens at first, and then reverts to type, partly because these empodded souls are having their calls carefully monitored for any etiquette aberrations, partly because they have been conditioned to be subservient to the customer…