aether sanctum interview.

Page 3 of 3.

A.S.: Tell me about the 'Unplugged' Tour...

EYE:

Do you mean the EYE "unplugged tour" of Canberra's infamous shopping mall, kindergarten and abbotoir circuit? Well, EYE were quite annoyed at MTV exploiting and misrepresenting what was originally EYE's idea, so EYE thought EYE'd go a step further in the unplugged realm; being a predominantly electronic based group EYE played "unplugged" in the true sense of the word. All the synths, modules, guitar amplifiers and microphones were set-up as normal, but in keeping with the true meaning of the word, all equipment was left "unplugged" - including the microphones. The audience was most amused indeed. Some spoil-sports however did not see the funny side. The film of the "tour" is soon to be screened globally on prime-time commercial t.v.

A.S.: Favourite conspiracy theory?

EYE:

That aliens, the pink ones with green horns, are seeking to undermine the human population's faith in establishment institutions and ideologies, through the A.C.T. Government's funding of "EYE". It is strategised that as a result of exposure to EYE, each person will realise that their perception of reality is not as real as they had really assumed. Also, that their trusted social authorities are far from infallible. Then, when each person is totally disenchanted, alienated, and in their darkest hour of confusion and despair, as a result of the incessant questioning induced by listening to EYE, the aliens, the pink ones with green horns, will land and have a jolly good laugh at how gullible we all are. "Orgle-borgle ksdiewu", they'll say, "uwhfn sdivjw EYE ifms icjenfidsjgf! Piwnvcndi idjr djfi! Zrof sdkygfoe PWRKS osaj! Aisjrt jfjsd EYE asnd biggle-wig-diggle!" This can be roughly translated as: "What silly creatures," they'll say, "they listened to EYE and actually seriously pondered what EYE says! Of course your authorities were always correct! Of course reality is exactly as YOU believed! And you just had to go and listen to EYE and become confused!"

As a result of this taunting, in a mood of complete humiliation and embarrassment, earth's human population will don their favourite brand of social-status-enhancing sneakers and consume fatal quantities of aspartame-loaded diet-soda. The aliens, the pink ones with green horns, will then be able to use earth as a pleasant holiday resort, free from the noise and silliness of the irrational egocentric bipedal primates who previously inhabited it.

IT's TRUE! IT's TRUE! This is all prophecised in the holy scriptures! However, there IS something YOU can do to stop this. If you'd like to stop this tragedy from happening, send all your money to EYE NOW! If EYE receive enough money, EYE will be able to retire straight away and won't have to be puppets to the plan of the aliens, the pink ones with green horns, and they'll then leave us in peace. But don't delay, send EYE all your money NOW - it's the ONLY WAY! Just remember, if you don't send EYE all your money, you'll only have yourself to blame when the aliens, the pink ones with green horns, land and mock you to suicide.

One thing EYE'd like to comment on is the meaning some people attach to the words "conspiracy theory". Many people like to use the phrase "Sounds like a 'conspiracy theory'!" in a fashion which is intended to deride a certain viewpoint. The phrase "conspiracy theory" has become an emotionally 'loaded' phrase, in that for many people this phrase carries a negative dismissive connotation. For many people the words "conspiracy theory" seem to carry the same meaning as "sounds like a load of bullshit".

Some people consider that conspiracies do not happen in reality. Perhaps this is because they find the prospect that there are some things in this world that they do not know about too disturbing to contemplate - an infantile need to believe they are the centre of the universe? These people who think they know everything are perhaps the most stupid and dangerous people in the world, because it is through such "I am always right" ignorance that atrocities are allowed to occur.

All that the word conspiracy means is that one party plots to achieve a certain (illegal) goal while keeping the goal and plan to achieve it a secret from certain other parties. Honestly, isn't this something that we all have done at some time in our lives? Conspiracies are an everyday occurrence of corporate and political life. Of course, there are many half-baked crap conspiracy theories being promulgated by certain parties. It is up to each person to consider what they think is crap and what is plausible - be skeptical of everything!

Another thing, as EYE tried to illustrate in the above aliens, the pink ones with green horns diatribe, is that conspiracy theories are also used by vested interests to manipulate people through fear, to achieve certain goals. In other words, there are certain conspiracy theories which are promoted by conspirators to manipulate public opinion. For example, the Nazis disseminated fear-inducing information about "the Jewish conspiracy to rule the world" in order to build support for their own movement. EYE have come across a number of contemporary conspiracy theories which reek of an attempt to persuade people to generalise about and discriminate against certain segments of humanity.

And another thing! As fear is perhaps the greatest motivator of human behaviour, real-life conspirators will often promote conspiracy theories about how powerful their conspiracy is to induce fear and apathy in those people who would fight against it. If you can't keep your conspiracy a secret then it seems the next best thing to do is to make people think that your forces are so powerful that it is inevitable that you will achieve your goal; that it is too late for the average person to do anything about it. For instance, there is a lot of information floating around about the New World Order being a plot for a totalitarian world government run by the globalist corporate and banking interests, run for their own agenda. EYE consider that this position is quite plausible and is in line with contemporary global events. However, some literature leaves the reader feeling totally powerless and in fear, which makes for the perfect apathetic conditions for a conspiracy to reach fruition.

In totalitarian societies, the average persons fear of speaking out helps perpetuate the system. I know of many people, who have certain knowledge which would enhance the lives of others, but who are in fear of speaking out because of some perceived retribution against them if they do so; a retribution which in most cases is unlikely to occur - our liberal democracy still has a bit of a way before it becomes completely repressive. . . The point is, we have certain freedoms in this country, but if we don't exercise those freedoms, such as freedom of speech, or raising concerns to our parliamentary representatives, then these freedoms will atrophy and gradually become null and void. If you live in fear then you will attract the situation you fear because you don't do anything to stop it.

"Thank-you and good-night, you're the best audience EYE ever had."