Much has been said in recent months – depending on who you are, years – about who and what the World Economic Forum (WEF) is and does? I first heard of this group as some non-governmental organization (NGO) that got world leaders to speak about their countries and Leonardo DiCaprio would give speeches on not flying in private jets so much. Upon further review, the WEF has garnered a lot of attention for its recent takes – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. From topics such as the Great Reset to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, from digital ID to transhumanism. Regardless of what you think about these topics, essentially a push toward a bridge of humans and technology.
I find a lot of the ideas that the WEF presents as naïve, inflated, and irrational, such as Klaus Schwab’s writings on The Great Reset – a book authored by him with the same name – who advocates for a labyrinthine concept on how to deal with problems through something like a pandemic experienced like COVID-19. Keep in mind Klaus Schwab as he is the founder of the WEF.
“[The Great Reset] should be viewed as a ‘living network’ that adapts to changing conditions – not something set in stone, but a system of interactions that is both complex and adaptive. It is complex because it represents the ‘cats cradle’ of interdependence and interconnections from which it stems, and adaptive in the sense that its ‘behavior’ is driven by interactions between nodes” (p. 27).
This is merely jargon with no significant basis of logic, or coherent understanding about local, national, and global affairs. However, it is mainly focused on the acceleration of automation and the bridge toward humans and technology on a global scale. This is written in a way that shows humans will have more convenience from technology in the future because of these advancements and the antiquated ideas of old such as democracy, or liberty, or constitutionality are not necessary. According to the WEF, this is something that will benefit you.
“As we will see, solutions to the major challenges we face do exist and are within grasp, but they require a great deal of innovation and dramatic changes in our economies and societies, as well as in the institutions, laws and rules that govern them. Our life habits and modes of consumption will also need to change drastically” (p. 12 of The Great Narrative).
Sure, these may seem to be great ideas to solve problems in the world, but certain phrases are questionable at best. This idea that technological scientism is the way of the future, and we need to separate with outdated aspects of democracy and enlightenment values, solely because they are classical.
As an interdisciplinarian this really had me thinking. In processing this, I can not help but find some similarities between the WEF and another organization of acclaim. This organization also has a penchant for connecting technology with humans, for making the world a ‘better place’, for you to have interdependence in the words to guide your life toward fulfilment, to move up and move forward in life. Allow the video below to explain as I cannot do its full justice with words.
“We are indeed in a golden age of technology and a golden age of eternity for The Great Reset. Stop being a passenger in this golden age of advancement and create the future you want by becoming a catalyst for change, engaging in a reset to our systems to do magic in the world. Everyone has a role to play to shape the system through communication sessions to change the world. This is non-negotiable, in order to clear ourselves from the past behavior, we must work toward innovative ideas and creating the future.”
Now that schizophrenic paragraph I just wrote was an attempt to merge ideas of the WEF and Scientology. Although comical, it is concerning how much of the rhetoric is interchangeable with both. Lawrence Wright – author of the book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and The Prison of Belief – suggest people that enter Scientology in the beginning are “goodhearted people, idealistic, but full of this crushing certainty that eliminates doubt”. Much like the WEF members, some of them I am sure are goodhearted people, idealistic about the technological advancement in the future, but naively so certain that doubt cannot be found within their objectives.
An emphasis on continual change, continual building up toward new levels, resetting ourselves from the past are all solutions to handling the worlds problems, and must be completed. However, one who follows these routes fails to realize is that when something is continual rarely has a solution or endpoint – lest it wouldn’t be continual. Furthermore, completion in resetting is not completion, it is starting anew toward another completion. Thus, paradoxically, in the WEF/Scientology rhetoric of continual change and completion can both be actualized at the behest of logic.
I can only imagine the topics discussed in Davos amongst the CEOs and celebrities that feign intellectualism through a sense moral relevance similar to the grand yearly gala of Scientologists in Clearwater, Florida who talk about moral relevance through moving up the bridge. This only to realize — in both instances — these events are purely for self-gratification and networking with other ‘like minded’ people.
What about the supposed architects of these organizations? Klaus Schwab for the WEF and L. Ron Hubbard for Scientology. Much of the history is said about Hubbard in the Going Clear book and documentary, his mental issues, violent outbursts, and his lies about his time during the war where he said he hit an enemy ship, but in reality, it was merely a wooden log astray. Much of Hubbard pre-Scientology life has been seen as comedically strange as someone who cannot fit in with the normality of life. However, one claim to fame outside of Scientology is that he holds the Guinness World Record for most published works at 1,084 – mainly of the sci-fi variety.
What can be said about Schwab? Perhaps a more fulfilling life before the WEF as the German national was a son of a manager for a German industrial company and was born in 1938 during the reign of the Nazis. Not much in terms of interest involving Schwab other than his many academic achievements and early board memberships on The Swatch Group and The Bilderberg Group. He started the WEF in 1971 under the name the European Management Forum where he pioneered the concept of stakeholder capitalism – which is largely the driving force of crony capitalism.
Although both took very different paths to their leadership, Schwab is still alive, currently 83, where Hubbard passed in 1986 at the age of 74, they are both idealists and both curate problems for the world with personalized solutions. Both want/wanted to be seen as saviors to a cause and both see problems with the evolution of man. In this thread, the key problem both have is a Marxian analysis on mans connection to material things where Schwab has stated human desires for consumption as a problem for the planet, and Hubbard has clarified mans connection to the material world is a detriment to the immortal mind. Not to mention, some of the more outlandish claims from Schwab, such as the “fusion of technologies across the physical, digital and biological world” (from The Fourth Industrial Revolution), and Hubbard’s space stations on stars for Sea Org member training outline this ideal technopia that would have most at a dinner party wanting to find others to talk to.
Some of the most pernicious similarities are the way both the WEF and Scientology deal with criticism. Let’s just say both do not deal with it well, arguably, Scientology is worse with ‘squirrel busting’ gangs harassing former members constantly with private investigators and cameras verbally harassing what Scientologist’s call SP’s or suppressive persons. The WEF is not as out front, but they have used the term misinformation to those who challenge their findings, and the concept of misinformation comes right out of the Scientology playbook — things that are true but we don’t accept as our vision. Scientology has used the phrase of misinformation involving the many issues of harassment by leader David Miscavige as intentionally meant to deceive from the truth of Scientology. Similarly, some of the claims about the WEF are flagged as misinformation as intentionally trying to misconstrue the language of Schwab as something sinister. Regardless of what you think is true or not, both Scientology and the WEF encounter a failure of discourse and logic.
Both the WEF and Scientology are renown for lacking nuance in their discussion on plans and outcomes of their respective organizations. They both take the tact of ‘our way or the highway’ framing that their processes are for the good and anything less is failure of you. For example, given the many testimonials done by former Scientology member Leah Remini, the organization really focuses on the informal fallacy of questionable cause such as everything good that happens to you is because of Scientology, and everything bad is your fault, not Scientology. Such as the reason the world is not in a good place right now is because people are not actualizing their role toward a sustainable future. However, if people are focused on a sustainable future the world is viewed as a great place with loads of potential. None can seem to find nuance outside of their objective which introduces them to failure with understanding positive and negative outcomes in a logical sense.
Lastly, much how like the Celebrity Center for Scientology has created this walled-off club for elites like Tom Cruise, John Travolta, or Kirstie Alley — the WEF works the same way as a walled-off club for hedge fund CEOs, bankers, and celebrities who feel a need to something other than their day job. Hugh Urban — professor of religious studies at Ohio State University — stated that Scientology’s appeal to celebrities caters to the narcissistic proclivities of celebrities.
“But then I think the reason that celebrities would be interested is because it’s a religion that fits pretty well with a celebrity kind of personality. It’s very individualistic…These aren’t people who need more wealth, but what they do need, or often want at least, is some kind of spiritual validation for their wealth and lifestyle, and Scientology is a religion that says it’s OK to be wealthy, it’s OK to be famous, in fact, that’s a sign of your spiritual development.”
Similarly, the WEF embraces this mindset as well, given the star studded event in Davos. Where else could Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, CEO of JP Morgan Chase Jamie Dimon, U2 singer Bono, and Oscar winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio go to talk about change in the world for people who are ‘just like them’? In 2020, BBC did an exposé on the famous meeting of the minds at Davos to question its elitist accusations. Stated openly, it is a place for high profile figures to “influence the global agenda” like Prince William and David Attenborough to offer ‘stark’ warnings about climate change. To be invited is free; however, to be a member costs £480,000, and even attendees are not treated equally as colored badges worn by the attendees determine who get to talk with whom. Quite the connection to George Orwell’s “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” from Animal Farm.
Only if you pay your way, can you truly move up the bridge at the World Economic Forum, sound familiar?
In closing, one can feel some sort of discomfort knowing that the WEF has a role influencing global markets and global leaders in changing policy, this is not a conspiracy, it is out in the open. Many world leaders are clear in stating they are continual WEF members or former young global leaders following the ‘sustainable’ future touted by the organization, and in a democracy should be heavily debated. However, I see the WEF as a comedy considering no one actually believes a room full of CEOs, celebrities, and political leaders would put their personal idea aside and work together — given a corporatist, celebrity, and politician are the biggest narcissists on the planet. But it should give you something to think about before outright supporting this cause and ask yourself: ‘does this organization touting world change use the same strategy as the organization who thinks intergalactic lord Xenu dropped humans in volcanoes, only to blow them up with hydrogen bombs.’
I’ll leave you to decide.
carsonbabich.com 