79. The Secret Destiny of America by Manly P. Hall

My penchant for asking questions, for seeking the news behind the news have led me to reading many varied and 'beyond the borders' books. And The Secret Destiny of America by Manly P. Hall is one of such books, the kind many referred to as Conspiracy Theories. A word created to prevent people from asking questions and seeking answers. Suddenly gone, were the days when seekers of truth and knowledge were called philosophers, like Plato, Socrates, Kant and many others. Today, asking such questions lead to the label 'Conspiracy Theorists'. Where there are no conspiracies there would be no theories to formulate. In fact, I have had friends questioned my objectivity in criticising that which sound illogical to me. In my language we say that the person who loves you is the one that criticises you the most. At least the import of this is quite clear. Why shouldn't I question why rebels in Libya were able to set up a Central Bank just before the uprising? why shouldn't I questioned the interest of the French in Cote d'Ivoire? is it because they love the people? Just that? why should I take it as absolute truth - one beyond questioning - the reasons why certain individuals were calling on the president of the United States to show his birth certificate? What interest do they have in asking for it? Why shouldn't I seek the reason why Building 7 collapsed even though no plane passed through it during the abominable 9/11? Why shouldn't I question why some people's lives seem to be worth more than others? 

There is a politics of words which is gradually entrapping us, making us fearful to act. For instance, if I care about the common man I am a Communist or, mildly, a Socialist. But if I think about my self, seeking ways to enrich myself even if it is at the expense of my brother, my country, my continent, my world, my ecosystem, my very survival, I am a capitalist. Today being a Capitalist is synonymous to being Rational. Governments are afraid of formulating policies that helps society at large for fear of being tagged Socialist. Obama was tagged a socialist when he implemented the TARP - Troubled Asset Relief Program. In fact people are not afraid of helping one another, they are afraid of names.

The Secret Destiny of America is a book consisting of two previously published books: The Secret Destiny of America (1944) and America's Assignment with Destiny (1951). The first part tells of how America was used as a platform to launch an ideal state, a form of utopia, where freedoms are respected and from where democracy - something the ancient keepers of knowledge has been working at - would begin to spread. In all these we see the 'spiritual' side of this destiny. Names of individuals who helped in the realisation of this dream were mentioned. Here the true nature of the man Francis Bacon and Christopher Columbus were unveiled. However, behind all these are the workings of a secret societies, the Freemasons and earlier ones. From Egyt to Greece, Aztecs to the Mayas, and then to America, Hall connects the dots. Sounding warnings and proposing theories that reminds me greatly of Ayi Kwei Armah, Hall writes

Competition is natural to the ignorant; and cooperation is natural to the wise. (Page 44)

Lack of cooperation would make the building of a man of nobility would be impossible.

We can not hope to build a nobility of man upon the sterility of a narrow, competitive, materialistic educational policy.

 In this book, Hall - who himself was a Mason - elaborately writes of how America is to lead the way and the qualities required to do this. For instance, he stated that 

The Mayas were not a warlike people, and there is no support for popular belief that they were by nature cruel or barbaric. (Page 87)

and then

It is believed that the Mayas hold the world record for continued peace. They flourished as a great nation five hundred years without war with other tribes or internal strife. (Page 87)

And how could a nation such as this have lived without wars when we are told that from war cometh peace? When the very people supposedly chosen to lead dabble themselves in Wars? Hall continues

The Mayan nation was a collective commonwealth living under an advanced form of socialized order. They possessed all goods in common, and shared equally in the benefits of their production. They possessed no money or monetary symbol of any kind; and it has been suggested that this lack of currency was in part responsible for their five hundred years of peace. ... There seems to have been no poverty, and little if any crime. No buildings have been found which suggest prisons or other places of confinement. (Page 88)

And how much truer could this be? What are the causes of all these strife we have with us presently? Yet, one could not ask questions without being labelled. Unlike Jim Marris's Rule by Secrecy which considers Secret Societies as a clandestine organisation with world dominance as the key, Hall shows how philosophers and selfless individuals, working in the inner chambers of these organisations, work to put the world in order. To create the kind of world talked about by Plato and practiced by the great Egyptian Kings. 

The second book America's Assignment with Destiny was less interesting but equally educative and answered most of my questions. In the Foreword, Manly writes:

The light of the ancient Vedas is slowly but surely illuminating the whole world. The vision of man's noble destiny and the sacred sciences which made it possible the realization of that vision have been guarded and served by "the silent Ones of the earth". (Page 145)

He went on to say that we are gradually heading towards peace. At that point I had a problem: Could peace be achieved through military might, through covet operations, wars, motivated coups, organised and carried-out coups? If such visions are noble why aren't countries allowed to willingly adapt and adopt them? Again, I also perceived that Manly's utopian world would only be attained through capitalism and if so how could this lead to peace if the Mayas engaged in peace for 500 years because of the lack of a capitalist system? However, Manly provided some answers:

Progress is not bound inevitably to any nation or people. Social and political structures are instruments for the advancement of the Great Work only to the degree that they keep the faith. If ambition or selfishness breaks the bond, the privilege of guardianship is forfeited. This does not mean that the project fails; rather, that which fails the project loses the privilege of leadership. The Plan then passes to the keeping of other groups and other ages. (Page 148)

Reading further, Manly clearly shows that selfishness, materialism, personal ambitions, impedes the Great Plan but does not destroy the plan. If the oil that moves the country chosen to lead the world into peace is sales of military accoutrement and equipments, how could peace be attained? The shedding of blood to these countries would mean economic growth, so long as the war is not within its borders.

This is an interesting book. In it we learn the history of the United States from a different perspectives. Not the usual history book but one that offers a lot of things to think about. If you are not offended by the Occult and Secret Societies, you might enjoy it. However, if you believe in the lay-man history and believe in whatever you are told, please pass it by. This is book is not for you.