For those of you following things at Collapsenet.com and related web sites, you already know that Mike Ruppert has left his post as chief of the Collapsenet.com organization. My first instinct was to say, "Say it Ain't So!". I subscribed to the site in large part because of his feedback on current events - often pointed, sometimes quite funny, always fact-based. But there's a lesson in that urge to say "Say It Ain't So!". Keep reading….
I have, of course, read much of his work (Confronting Collapse is must-read material), and have seen (and own) several of his video presentations, from his lecture at USC in 2000 which laid much of the foundation for The Truth and Lies of 9/11, through that epic video taken from a lecture given at Portland State University shortly after the 9/11 attacks, to Collapse, to his lecture in Portland, Oregon last year. I've also seen several of his lectures and interviews available on Youtube. What has fascinated me as I have viewed his work lately, however, is witnessing the evolution of a man's spirit and outlook through these presentations and work.
One can start with outward appearances (as shallow as that may seem at first) to observe this evolution. From the time he first entered the national spotlight in the mid 1990s with his infamous run-in with Secretary Of Defense-not-to-be John Deusch over the issue of CIA-sponsored drug dealing in the United States, through his years on the speaking circuit and at the helm of From The Wilderness, up until his role in Collapse, he was conventionally-dressed (often in business attire for speaking engagements), with short hair. After his appearance in Collapse, and around the time of the formation of Collapsenet.com ($10/month - check it out, you'll be glad you did.), his appearance, and demeanor, started to change a bit. Gone were the confines of the business attire, to be replaced with a hat and longer hair, and more relaxed garb.
The content of his media appearances show this evolution, as well. The periodic video reports he posted on Collapsenet were initially recorded in the confines of his home office, eventually to move to the outdoors of his acreage in Sebastopol, CA. This strikes me as symbolic in that one can see him letting go, subtly and perhaps without realizing it, of the things that confined him - the business attire, the office, and now, the day-to-day operations of Collapsenet.com. His public speeches, from the USC lecture up to Collapse, were current-event filled, fact-filled affairs, through which time one can see him beginning to formulate what can be termed as a post-collapse "survival strategy" - getting out of debt, keeping a reasonable amount of food and water reserves on hand, investing in physical gold, and prepare-prepare-prepare. In Collapse, and through his writings and video appearances on Collapsenet.com, one can see a greater sense of spirituality entering his conversation. His speech in Portland, OR in 2011 confirmed this spiritual evolution when he referred to Gaia, and the Earth-based traditions of the Native Americans. In his later videos, he appeared to be more grounded, more sure of who exactly he was and the path he was going. Try comparing the 2011 Portland speech to the one he gave in Truth and Lies of 9/11 (ironically, also filmed in Portland) - you're seeing two completely different people, in my opinion. In the earlier video, his advice on what to do was minimal, as he saw himself as primarily as a teacher of what is, and leaving what to do with the information he was imparting to the ingenuity of the viewer. While he was still very much the teacher in 2011, in the beginning of his remarks he stated that this speech would be his "heart-song". He was dealing with the spiritual aspects of his path, and displaying absolutely no regard for ideas which were still grounded in the old, "petroleum man" paradigm. Those that have studied Buddhism can tell us about the dual nature of reality - the historical, and the ultimate. In 2001, he was dealing with the facts-and-figures of the historical dimension. His 2011 speech, however, dealt with the much deeper questions regarding "why" - the ultimate dimension. The transition demonstrated by these two videos, when played in close time proximity to each other, is fascinating to witness.
Fast forward to today, June 27, 2012. According to Collapsenet.com, Mike Ruppert will be adopting a new moniker, Tracker of Truth, as given to him by his shaman. It's but a confirmation of what he's been doing his entire life - it's what he's always been.
We know the cliche that the only constant in the universe is change. We also know how anxiety-producing change can be, and in whatever form and level it comes - individual or society - it's coming whether we choose to be ready for it or not. Considering that Mr. Ruppert has stared death in the face on many occasions throughout his adult life, any anxiety produced by the changes he has undergone in his evolution are, I would propose, minimal in comparison. The choice to evolve, to move past our oil-dependent economic (and social) paradigm, and to ready ourselves as a society and as individuals for the inevitable transition (and I mean inevitable - ready or not, here it comes!), is what we are confronted with right now. Embrace the change, and we evolve, and thus survive and even prosper. Reject the change, and we stagnate, and as nature takes it's Darwinian course…
As a postscript - remember my urge to say "Say It Ain't So!"? Attachments to things, such as a person's writing style in this case, inhibit one's ability to embrace change and thus, evolve. Attachments confine, much like the business suits, home offices, and the requirements of running a business organization. Appreciate the writing style for what it is, in that Moment, because the Moment is where the freedom of the outdoors, that lack of walls around you, resides.
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