Helter Skelter
@flowerchilde (12529)
United States
November 19, 2012 10:15pm CST
More than 30 years ago, I read a book called "Child of Satan, Child of God" written by one of the female followers of Charles Manson. She wrote about what had happened.. and she wrote that she had been saved, as the saying goes. Even though she sounded sincere to me, that's not what this discussion is about.
- She said that the main thing about Charles Manson was a thing he called "helter skelter" which was his prophecy that one day the races and the classes of people would all turn on one another (especially I think in the U.S.?) and war would break out all over. The murders he planned and inspired was his attempt to start this "helter skelter".
- For a couple of months now, it has entered my head from time to time, and my question is, do you think ole Charlie Manson, may have been, in his mad 'genius' kind of way, correct in this prophecy, whether in a large way or a small way..? Are you falling prey to this? Or are you a peacemaker? Who believes there are 'good' and 'evil' intentioned in all groups and races? (But especially in one race! The HUMAN race!?
) Or do you think some people are more to 'blame' for the world and life as we presently know it? And in their shoes you would do better?
) Or do you think some people are more to 'blame' for the world and life as we presently know it? And in their shoes you would do better?2 people like this
11 responses
@chrystalia (1208)
• Tucson, Arizona
20 Nov 12
Manson was far from the first person to envision the apocalyptic collapse of civilization as we know it--but things aren't going well at the moment. Mankind, as a whole, strives to survive-- and each person or group of persons strives to justify whatever they do to survive-- look at Israel and Palestine, North and South Korea, North and South Vietnam, Iran--Humans have a strong survival instinct, and an equally strong ability to rationalize their actions, whether "good" or 'evil".
Those who commit acts of hatred, acts that injure others without justification and are allowed to "get away" with it are those who cause most problems.
What is hateful to you, don't do to your neighbor.
Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to think:
If it's hateful to me, then I should do it to my neighbor first-- so he can't do it to me. And that's the problem--whether it is hate speech, or racism, or genocide. All, fundamentally, are equal-- because if they are hateful to you--do you want to be the target of hate speech, racism, genocide? No? Then you, or I, or the other guy, should not do these things to our neighbor-- any neighbor.
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
20 Nov 12
Humans aren't immune to hate so even if he said that we're bound to turn against each other without any referrence to race, it'll come true. I think the main reason why people turn against each other is because of the difference of belief.
I've worked in a call center before and, what's interesting is, every customer who was charged for our service without them knowing (an automatic subscription program) always complained as though we, the customer support, signed them up for that program when in fact they did that themselves. They ignored the terms of service and overlooked how the whole service works that's why most of them got charged for several months while using the service only once. My point here is people will always think that everyone is against them. I think this also counts as a factor why people start wars. Even I do this automatically. Whenever I canvas for gadgets in any department stores, I don't trust the salesman who approaches me thinking he'd sell me something more expensive while ripping me off of the features when, in reality, they're just trying to reach their quota and most of the time they're giving you the correct information about the product.
2 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
20 Nov 12
Perhaps that's why it's been sort of easy, throughout history, to stir folks up against one another..
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
20 Nov 12
I think there is mostly good in people you meet in everyday life. But those in power are another matter. They play upon the evil that lurks in all of us--look at how class and racial warfare worked in the last election. There are evil people in positions of power, both political and financial, that will trigger the "helter skelter" when it suits their needs and they will reap the benefits.
I think as long as people are too lazy to think for themselves we are in constant danger of such manipulations and it doesn't matter how many good people are out there, the sheeple will outnumber them.
1 person likes this
@lampar (7584)
• United States
20 Nov 12
I wouldn't call Charles Manson a 'genius' at all, he is just a cunning manipulator and a cult leader who is good in brainwashing white women to do his evil act of murdering people. Those women followers are some what ignorant and may suffer from mental stress to be fallen under his mind control, they really believe he is a messiah of God ( Satan) to say the least. I have pity on them becoming so easily influent by most of his nonsense. 
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
20 Nov 12
Absolutely! It's rather amazing how many people can be led by others.. especially when it winds up in such despicable and evil acts.
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
20 Nov 12
Have you really had that book in your mind for 30 years? Some things are just not worth reading and this book sounds like one of them, you need to forget even the name of this terrible man.
Of course the races are not going to turn on one another any more in the future than they have in the past. I believe that we are more enlightened now regarding so called classes of people, we just have some who are richer than others but that doesn't make them better or worse. As for races, well this world is too small now for us to think that one race is superior to the other, people from all races excell in their various fields.
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
20 Nov 12
It hasn't been on my mind for thirty years.. only recently, since hearing some things said during this latest U.S. political campaign.. some comments (many tweeted) about rioting if the wrong person was elected, for instance. There's been a lot of throwing around the word racist as of late, as if one party voting for their party are now racist to do so. And I've also been hearing a lot about wealthy persons being bad people.
When I figure we, mankind, have created a monster, so to speak, (the system) and that all have built it, not just some..
.. only recently, since hearing some things said during this latest U.S. political campaign.. some comments (many tweeted) about rioting if the wrong person was elected, for instance. There's been a lot of throwing around the word racist as of late, as if one party voting for their party are now racist to do so. And I've also been hearing a lot about wealthy persons being bad people. When I figure we, mankind, have created a monster, so to speak, (the system) and that all have built it, not just some..
@MsControversy (446)
• United States
20 Nov 12
As far as Charles Manson goes, I don't think anything about that man is "genius" or should be taken in any sense of the word. He's a devil-worshiping satanist sadistic lunatic to be completely honest. As far as people being to blame for the world that we presently live in, absolutely. But Charles Manson, didn't "foresee" that happening, it had been happening long before the 1970's. I don't personally think that all races will turn on each other, if anything, at least in the United States minorities are progressing. Is there still racism? Yes, but not enough in this world to make every race for himself, No, I don't believe that.
2 people like this
@perfectstranger (727)
• Indonesia
21 Nov 12
I think whatever happens (destruction or peace) that is caused by human action itself. I never trust any prediction of the astrologer and anyone. What distinguishes what is going to happen is not a forecast, but what we do today.
@redredrose (1105)
• United States
20 Nov 12
I totally agree that Charles Manson wasn't genius in anyway , but he was a sadistic killer. I think maybe he said what he did about the races and war to justify why he killed. Also people have been at war way before Charles Manson and the 1960's because of race. It didn't happen just because of him.
@andy77e (5156)
• United States
20 Nov 12
Was he right? Possibly. Was he a genius? Not at all.
Human beings have fought over "class" and "race" for thousands of years. This isn't new, or a flash of brilliance.
This is looking at thousands of years of human history and predicting, that human beings will remain human beings. This should be about as insightful as suggesting it might snow again this winter in Ohio.
Even a broken clock, is right twice a day. That doesn't mean the clock was being a prophetic genius by saying it was 2:15 for 24 hours. Nor is Manson a genius for suggesting that the same reasons wars have been done in the past, will be used to have a war in the future.
1 person likes this
@natliegleb (5175)
• India
20 Nov 12
i have heard about it ,but does it mean so much of significance to the human race and how does it affect us?
1 person likes this
@christylynn41 (200)
• United States
20 Nov 12
What this man was just plain sick and unexcusable. He was nothing but a full blooded killer.
