Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One: What Is the Great Reset?
There’s an eternal tension in the human soul between the desire for freedom and the desire to be told what to do by those in authority.
The human ability to work together in partnership is one of the great strengths of humanity, as is the ability to dissent from the accepted wisdom of the day. Many pollsters have noted the trend that, no matter the question, there’s roughly a quarter of the population that will have an opposing view. Some have taken to calling it the idiot 25 percent of the population, and yet I see it as an evolutionary advantage, giving humanity unprecedented flexibility.
Let’s imagine we’re in a small tribe of about sixty people in the last Ice Age. Our leader, Thaag, tall, handsome, and a great warrior, suggests a certain route to the winter caves. It’s the route the tribe has regularly used for the past several years.
But another member of the tribe, Uther, says, “There’s been a lot of early snow, the glaciers are advancing, and I think that route will likely be blocked. Many might starve if we take that route. I know another route. It’s a little longer, with some challenging terrain, but we’ll definitely make it to the winter caves.” Uther is known as the thinker of the tribe—maybe he’s a medicine man—and sometimes he seems a little crazy, like when he starts talking about the spirits of the ancestors.
Many outcomes are possible.
Neither Thaag nor Uther knows the actual truth about which route makes the best sense.
Thaag and Uther might be enemies, with long-simmering rivalries. Thaag might demand the tribe take the traditional route, declaring that any who do not follow his decision should be banished from the tribe. Uther might respond that Thaag makes poor decisions, thus questioning his leadership of the tribe. Maybe there are ten to fifteen people who side with Uther, and they take the alternate, longer route to the winter caves. The group following Thaag all die, but the small band led by Uther survives. Maybe the group led by Uther, being much smaller in size, meets with another tribe who wipes them out.
The tribe survives, but, whether it is Thaag’s or Uther’s group that survives, the community is greatly weakened.
However, maybe Thaag and Uther are the best of friends, respecting the strengths of the other while also understanding the weaknesses. Uther understands that persuading Thaag is the best chance to ensure the survival of the greatest number of their people. And Thaag understands that some of Uther’s crazy ideas have resulted in unprecedented success.
They talk and come up with a plan. They’ll start the trek to the winter caves on the traditional route but send their fastest runners ahead to make sure the path is open. If the traditional route is blocked, at the early stages of the journey it will be easy to take a detour and switch to Uther’s route.
That is how the strongest tribes are created, by talking through disagreements, and coming up with better plans.
This is not what we are doing in our world today.
* * *
For those readers who are more religiously minded, you might ask, What does the Bible say about the proper role between rulers and the people?
You might be surprised to learn that one of the earliest books of the Bible, the Book of Samuel, takes a very dim view of rulers, especially kings.
The Book of Samuel takes place after the Jews have fled Egypt in the Exodus and reestablished themselves in Israel. At this time, Israel had no king but instead had judges who would settle issues brought before them. This period was known as the Age of Judges and lasted about a century.
In his old age Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel. His first-born was named Joel, his second son, Abijah; they judged at Beer-sheba. His sons did not follow his example but sought illicit gain and accepted bribes, perverting justice. Therefore, all the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.”
Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the Lord, however, who said in answer, “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king. As they have treated me constantly from the day I brought them from Egypt to this day, deserting me and worshipping strange gods, so do they treat you too. Now grant their request; but at the same time, warn them solemnly and inform them of the rights of the king who will rule over them.”
Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king. He told them: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
“He will use your daughters as ointment-makers, as cooks, and as bakers. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and asses, and use them to do his work. He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.” 1
A person might be forgiven if he comes to the conclusion that God was the original insurrectionist. However, the correct interpretation is that God was suspicious from the beginning that having a king, or any ruler, was a good idea. His preference was that the people kept Him in their hearts, and thus would not need any rulers.
When one uses the frame of the Samuel story, it becomes clear why many believe the United States to be a divinely ordained nation. Our founding documents clearly place the people as the true masters of our country, if only we act like it. The rulers serve the people, not the other way around. The more power is given to the people, the more God’s will is accomplished. People who demand more freedom are working in God’s interest, because they trust themselves to hear God’s voice. The faithful are not fearful of the world around them. If you find a person filled with fear, then God is not with them.
The premise of this book is that the battle we are fighting against the Great Reset is nothing more than an ancient battle between the forces of freedom and tyranny. And yet, the critical piece of this fight is not found with those who are publicly advocating for our historic freedoms, or among those advocating for greater governmental control of your life.
The battle is won or lost by you, the public, deciding whether you want freedom over your life and decisions or more governmental control.
Choose wisely.
* * *
Before we get to the Great Reset, we should ask the question, Who is its most well-known advocate?
That designation must surely belong to Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. This is how Schwab was described by Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of the software company Salesforce, in the forward of Schwab’s 2016 book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution:
As the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum and its internationally renowned annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Klaus Schwab is uniquely placed to synthesize the experiences and views of leading global economic and technological experts, leaders of the world’s largest businesses and the perspectives of government and civil society representatives into a panoramic view of the challenges ahead.2
That’s a helpful piece of information. If you think the attendees at the World Economic Forum, held every year in Davos, Switzerland, have an accurate view of what’s happening at the street and neighborhood level of their respective countries, you’re likely to be impressed by Schwab’s credentials. If you believe the wealthiest individuals of every country are somewhat clueless about what’s genuinely going on in their countries, perhaps blinded by their expensive cars, enormous mansions, kids with drug problems, and private jets which spew an enormous amount of carbon into the atmosphere as they globe-trot every year to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, you’re likely to be less impressed. Here’s how Benioff finishes his introduction to Schwab’s book:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is an important book for understanding the major trends shaping our world. It provides a way of thinking and analyzing the historic changes taking place so that we can collectively create an empowering, prosperous, human-centered future for all. I am sure that you will gain valuable insights for navigating the future from reading this fascinating book.3
As I’ve reviewed Schwab’s work, he reminds me of a stage magician, diverting your attention with one hand, so you don’t see what he’s doing with the other. It’s easy to be fooled, as Schwab is comfortable with the kind of gee-whiz, ain’t it cool, upbeat, pop psychology business books that were once so popular. One can view him as a well-trained persuader, but once you see the game he’s playing, it’s difficult to retain any respect for him.
The construction of the last paragraph of Benioff’s introduction is a case in point. He tells you Schwab’s book is important for “understanding the major trends shaping our world,” as well as “thinking and analyzing the historic changes taking place.”
You might find yourself being lulled into acceptance, thinking, Yeah, I wouldn’t mind reading a book about some important trends in our world. But Schwab isn’t interested in persuading you. He’s interested in getting you to accept the plans of the richest and most powerful people in the world to make even more money and to have even more power over your life.
Benioff reveals the true intention of the book when he states that the purpose is to allow us to “collectively create an empowering, prosperous, human-centered future for all.”
Really?
Do you think Marc Benioff or Klaus Schwab is genuinely interested in your opinions? The truth is they simply want us to be silent as they enact their plans.
Here’s a reality check.
Have any members of the Davos Group come up to you in the past few years and said, “Hey, I really want to understand your life. Can we talk for a couple hours? I’ll give you my email and cell phone number in case you think of something later.”
I doubt it.
* * *
Let’s jump right into the words of Klaus Schwab, with the very first paragraph of the introduction to The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Schwab wrote:
Of the many diverse and fascinating challenges we face today, the most intense and important is how to understand and shape the new technology revolution, which entails nothing less than a transformation of humankind. We are at the beginning of a revolution that is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, what I consider to be the fourth industrial revolution is unlike anything humankind has experienced before.4
Are you ready for an exciting journey, boys and girls? One almost expects Schwab to tell us how to get in touch with our sixth chakra and access our inner child. However, beneath the breathless, flowery language, he makes it crystal clear that this is about the “transformation of humanity.” How does that strike you? Ready for the transformation? You probably didn’t realize that was part of the deal.
The thorn of totalitarianism is hidden among the rose-colored language of Schwab. Can you find the thorn?
We are witnessing profound shifts across all industries, marked by the emergence of new business models, the disruption of incumbents and the reshaping of production, consumption, transportation and delivery systems. On the societal front, a paradigm shift is underway in how we work and communicate, as well as how we express, inform, and entertain ourselves. Equally, governments and institutions are being reshaped, as are systems of education, healthcare, and transportation, among many others. New ways of using technology to change behavior and our systems of production and consumption also offer the potential for supporting the regeneration and preservation of natural environments, rather than creating hidden costs in the forms of externalities.5
Let’s count the number of subtle calls to increased control over your life contained in that single paragraph. We’ve got the “profound shifts across all industries,” which will lead to the “disruption of incumbents and reshaping of production, consumption, transportation and delivery systems.” And let’s not forget the blatant lies they tell, like leading you to believe they want incumbents to be disrupted.
They’re the incumbents.
They’re doing this so they don’t get disrupted. They want a front row seat, with their hand on the wheel, as they reshape “production, consumption, transportation, and delivery systems.”
Then Schwab moves to the “societal front” where he breathlessly informs us that “a paradigm shift is underway in how we work, communicate, as well as how we express, inform, and entertain ourselves.” Again, let’s note the subtle persuasion. It’s already happening, he wants you to think, almost like the guy who pesters a woman for a dinner date, then when she finally agrees, says, “Would you like to have sex before or after dinner?” How much does Schwab and his gang intend to control? Just how you work, communicate, express, inform, and entertain yourself. The one frontier where you may still have some level of control is your thoughts, but they’re probably just waiting for Elon Musk to perfect his Neuro-Link device, so they’ve got a straight shot into your brain.
Next, he moves to the institutions: “Equally, governments and institutions are being reshaped as are systems of education, healthcare, and transportation, among many others.” Let’s put that into the plain person translator, and we conclude they just want to control the schools, the medical system, and your freedom of movement. You can’t say that Schwab and his gang aren’t ambitious.
And what do Schwab and company actually want? Well, helpfully, they tell us: “New ways of using technology to change behavior and our systems of production and consumption also offer the potential for supporting the regeneration and preservation of natural environments.” They’re the ones who want to use technology to reshape us, as well as control the means of production and consumption. In other words, you’ll eat our plant-based burgers and lab-grown meat when we tell you.
This may sound like a minor point, but Schwab is a really bad writer.
However, I think Schwab’s writing and persuasion skills lie at the heart of this book. One can make the argument that all writing is about persuasion. But the quality of the writing is determined by the quality of the author’s thinking. Brilliant writing is the result of a brilliant mind. The most engaging writing is generally the result of the author being willing to explore provocative ideas in a way the reader may not have considered before picking up the book.
Schwab is a ham-handed persuader, always relying on the same three-pronged approach.
First, use a lot of flowery, gee-whiz, isn’t progress amazing sections with some interesting facts of which the reader might not be aware.
Second, introduce some threat such as instability of the system, to make people uneasy.
Third, let the reader know that Schwab and his Davos Group have the answer.
This is generally known in persuasion as the problem, reaction, solution dynamic.
* * *
It’s said we don’t think in facts, but in narratives. If we have a compelling narrative, we will subconsciously dismiss facts that don’t fit the narrative and give greater weight to those that do fit the narrative. Schwab is VERY interested in giving you the narrative for his plan:
The changes are so profound, from the perspective of human history, there has never been a time of greater promise or potential peril. My concern, however, is that decision makers are too often caught in traditional, linear (and nondisruptive) thinking or too absorbed by immediate concerns to think strategically about the forces of disruption and innovation shaping our future.6
Understanding the persuasion game is probably one of the most important things you will learn in this book. If somebody wants you to make BIG changes, they need to convince you that the problem is also BIG.
Schwab would have you believe that “The changes are so profound, from the perspective of human history, there has never been a time of greater promise or peril.” Would any reputable historian agree with that statement? How about World War II? The Cuban Missile Crisis, when the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war? The Black Death in Europe of the fourteenth century, which killed an estimated seventy-five to two hundred million people?
Schwab is clearly using exaggerated language (outright lies) to convince you to follow his suggestions. In real life, when somebody lies to you, you stop listening to them. However, we’re going to go even deeper to reveal the extent of Schwab’s deceptions and the true plans of his Davos Group.
After his clearly inflated claim about the “promise and peril” of our current time, Schwab moves to breaking down the defenses of those who might frustrate his plans when he writes, “My concern, however, is that decision makers are too often caught in traditional, linear (and nondisruptive) thinking or too absorbed by immediate concerns to think strategically about the forces of disruption and innovation.”
Let’s translate Schwab’s flowery language into its true meaning.
Those currently in charge are too stupid to understand the brilliance of my plan! Stand aside, peasants, and let me unleash my massive brainpower on the world! (Insert maniacal supervillain laugh.) Honestly, is there any other way to understand the condescension in Schwab’s writing?
Near the end of the introduction of the book, Schwab lays out his vision of how this transformation will take place:
The fundamental and global nature of this revolution means it will affect and be influenced by all countries, economies, sectors and people. It is, therefore, critical that we invest attention and energy in multi-stakeholder cooperation across academic, social, political, national and industry boundaries. These interactions and collaborations are needed to create positive, common, and hope-filled narratives, enabling individuals and groups from all parts of the world to participate in, and benefit from, the ongoing transformations.7
This is not a revolution that is starting at the grass roots among the proletariat. This is a revolution starting in the corporate suites, among the bourgeoisie, where transnational business people get together at big meetings in places like Davos, Switzerland.
Are we to believe this is genuinely being done in the name of the people?
Because I’m pretty certain the average person has no idea what “multi-stakeholder cooperation” means. And does the average person go to bed at night worrying about the need to “create positive, common, and hope-filled narratives”?
This book will detail all parts of Schwab’s strategy to use the Great Reset to achieve an unprecedented amount of control over your daily life. This genuinely is a “war for the world.” It is a war to control the future of human development and capture control of the human species. We all have a vital stake in the outcome. I freely confess that in this book I use abundant satire and mockery. And yet that’s not to imply that the plans of Schwab and the Davos Group are not dangerous. I absolutely believe they are planning an enormous assault on our freedoms, and we must figure out the best way to counter their designs.
A power the elites have used for thousands of years is respect and reverence. In previous centuries we were encouraged to believe our rulers were descendants of the gods, or some type of advanced human being. I use satire and mockery to demonstrate Schwab and his minions do not deserve your respect or deference.
Our enemies are human and possess no more strength or intelligence than you do. They currently possess many of the levers of power, whether in the media, government, or finance, but eventually they are accountable to the common people.
You are the ones who will decide whether the future is one of freedom and prosperity, or bondage and suffering.
The power is in your hands.
