3 out of 4 stars
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Civilisation Hijacked by Albert Morris describes a terrifying dystopian society with citizens controlled and manipulated by powerful people, a world where the rich grow richer while the poor starve. George Orwell could not have imagined anything more sinister, yet Morris has not imagined it at all. This book is non-fiction; this world is our world. Morris says: "The vision or worldview held by the majority of the world's population has been distorted and manipulated to suit the aims and ambitions of a small number of powerful groups." He claims decisions made high up in government and churches are usually based on arbitrary authority: feelings or perceptions which benefit those who make them, instead of facts or principles.
It is all about politics (enhancing one's status within a group) and power (the ability to influence the behaviour of others). Part One of the book deals with theology and Christianity corrupted to suit the purposes of men seeking only to increase their own power and wealth. It details some of the imperfections in biblical scripture, offering a compelling alternate narrative that makes a lot of sense. Part Two looks at the "weapons of mass deception" used by powerful groups to control us in the name of their own greed. It covers governments and sinister agencies such as the CIA meddling in the political affairs of other countries, multinational corporations making us sick with poisons in food products, the global financial system ("the debt creators"), and the media ("the numbing and dumbing agencies"). Finally, Morris suggests how humanity can - over time - improve our current deplorable situation.
I liked the break-up of this book into two parts, as the chapters within each were thematically linked. In this way, the book followed a chronological progression from the time of Jesus through to the present day. The blurb alone convinced me that it would be revealing and compelling reading. It did not disappoint. By the end of Part One, it had literally changed my perspective on the world. As a lifelong Christian (and closet science fan), I found Morris one of those annoyingly rational people who just makes too much sense to ignore.
Civilisation Hijacked opened my eyes to self-evident truths which have been skilfully hidden from the general population by the "weapons of mass deception". These weapons include power, wealth and mass-media control used to "manipulate entire populations to fit the agendas of powerful religious or political groups". Ignorance throughout time has caused "chaos, destruction, inhumanity, and confusion, which we still have today". Speaking of time, Morris published this book at the age of eighty-four! So, aside from research, it is also the product of eight decades of wisdom and life experience.
On the negative side of the scale, this book has many minor typographical, grammatical and punctuation errors. I had already found ten by the time I reached page 13. Morris often uses commas unnecessarily; for example: "The first, deals with the theological aspect, of our misguided and shackled evolutionary spiritual growth." This sentence needs no commas. There are also a few consistent spelling errors such as "monitory" instead of "monetary", and mixing up "effect" and "affect". Some very long sentences in the book were also quite difficult to follow. One sentence running from page 17 to 18 contained 51 words!
I rate Civilisation Hijacked 3 out of 4 stars. Ranked on content alone, it is a definite 4-star book: compelling, thought-provoking and eloquent. However, the lack of editing detracts from the overall reading experience. This book would appeal to anyone wishing to learn more of the harsh, cynical truth about the world around them...but be prepared - it's not pretty. Some people might actually prefer to swallow the numbing pills the mainstream media feeds us and "stay asleep". Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and if this is the case for you, stay away from this book. For those who thirst for knowledge and truth, however, no matter the cost, this book is essential.
American President Dwight Eisenhower once said: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." Our goal should be to apportion the world's resources more evenly to take care of everyone, not to simply watch the rich grow richer while the poor starve. Morris is right. This deplorable state of affairs must change for the sake of all humanity.
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Civilisation Hijacked
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