Babylon the Great

(Book excerpt by Calvin Heathman)

…Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to 600 Pine Street, and cried incessantly, “Risen is Babylon, risen!” As many of those, He provoked much laughter among those who were standing around just then. “Has he got lost?” asked one. “Did he lose his way like a child?” asked another. “Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? emigrated?”—Thus they yelled and laughed.

The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his eyes.

♦

“Ignorance! Ignorance is the substratum on which the system builds its lies. A lie that is built creates stepping-stones to blindness, and to become blind is to engender and believe a false truth. A long time ago, men wanted to build a tower unto heaven, but God confused their language causing the mass dispersion of all. Thousands of years later, by way of a progressive and novel method, these men returned upon new soil, having mastered each ones language, cultures and principles. What was once confusion and indifference became a city. What was once foreign but conniving aspired again to the heavens. The obtainment of an indelible effectual truth was not their aim whilst their motive for gathering was purely selfish, entailing the destruction of “supposed” primitive societies, eliminating them before the height of their evolution—at the very start. The original inhabitants were slaughtered, raped, plundered, and then, concentrated; an unfortunate remnant remains unto this day scarred in their historical memory). These men started a slave system, built a marketplace, and established a governing body to expand further on their exploits. The denizens of this new republic considered themselves free and independent—in peace. In so short a time, the system enslaved everyone, with the exception of the select few “blessed ones” who must, as their initiation and continual ritual duty, do the devils bidding. Babylon the great was born. Men began to turn clay into bricks, extract iron, steel and many precious metals from the earth, depleting our mother of her nature. Buildings and skyscrapers were erected, the sacrilegious testament to Men’s awesome power. Every created thing was assigned a certain value, an illusory worth. Men became both consumers and commodities, and both were bought and sold. And many would die at the foot of society’s pyre. For Hundreds of years thenceforth, the citizens of Babylon have been working in ignorance, their purpose only to generate the endless stream of capital to build the largest cities and empires—all hailing the corporate sun God. Progress. Each citizen, captive of this apparatus of internal and international war, has willingly succumbed to his enslavement. Men work for worthless paper and illusory credit but not for what they have long discarded—their well-being. Babylon is but one thing in purpose and origin—total and tyrannical—for the people do not know for what purpose they truly exist. The soot of a million chimneys obscures the truth that all exist for the well-being of all those alive.”

♦

“One governing illusion that all Men have come to believe is their dependence on this system by fact. But what is this collectivity of minds and ideas focused on if not the urge to consume—subjecting oneself wholly to the collective drowning. In such a society as this, self-centeredness is magnified and Man’s ego is bolstered, as if it were on stilts, and we find an individual reaching out, and grasping and means that will prolong his supposed “well-being”—his comfort, longevity, salubriety, image, reputation and materials all subordinated to the temple of self. In this system, he is chained and numbered. Whatever he profits is given back in full to the system that feeds him. Truth in Babylon exists only in appearance to sedate the masses—for their entertainment. Babylon’s pernicious propaganda gives men the appearance that their souls have achieves their fullest possible growth, concealing its true, necrophilic nature. There is talk, provided at the economic mess halls, of a social ladder, giving all the idea of ascension. Quite disheartening is what Men will do for the illusion of peace, security, and success. One must either completely relinquish or conquer all regard for humanity to climb this epic ladder. First, he must keep it in his mind to be selfish. Second, he must determine himself to succeed in his selfish aim. Third, he must keep at heart his promise to sacrifice any and all things for this self. Fourth, and most importantly, he must deny his free nature to obtain this coveted, covetous state. Having climbed this ladder, he finds he has truly descended into a state of absolute slavery. He has amassed wealth, yet succumbed to complete control. Corporations have lost all interest in people, but insist on having them work. The must generate capital. Forever. And ever. Needless to say, the principle behind this system is intentionally senseless, and must bear only a semblance of truth. He who owns land must work to own it, he who owns a home must work to keep it. All belongs to Babylon. The wealthy few, those who control all the means of production are guilty of enslaving the masses, and must live with the burden of themselves. Fortunately, they are not too perturbed. All come into the world having nothing and leave the world having nothing; who then, is to say that there was anything in between?”

♦

“Money is the golden calf that comes to devour Babylon. Man has transfigured money into power, yet something that now wields power over him. Money will yesterday, today and likely, despite my gravest prayers, always remain the latest crave, wave, hype, craze and everything that is vain and false. Today’s clay is money and the Babylonians have returned to build and abstract tower, build on capital and credit that aspires to the heavens. The (t)ower is simply (p)ower and pride its substratum. It is so that order springs from systems, and systems spring from causes; money for the system is the chief of all causes. By pride, the devil fell, and by pride, Men climb the social ladder. So it was that Babylon was formed anew, evolved inimically and adopted a unifying commercial language. Men gathered to create this empire that profits false souls. E Pluribus Unum. From many, one order? Though in previous times, people lived in tribes and clans and raised their own banner, spoke their own language, and controlled their own territory. Now where have we come? We have been beset on all sides by the least expected forces of tyranny, like ants crawling rapidly to rebuild their colony. The greatest trick the devil has ever played was convincing Man he does not exist. There is no liberty aside from the system; there is no liberty against it. As long as Man generates capital, he becomes the system. E Pluribus Unum. The World Is ‘Ours’.”

♦

Here the madman fell silent and looked again at his listeners; and they, too, were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last, he threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke into pieces and went out. "I have come too early," he said then; "my time is not yet. This tremendous event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time; the light of the stars requires time; deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than most distant stars—and yet they have done it themselves…