I think the Pareto distribution is generally applicable here.
~80% of the populace are generally sane, moral people that simply want to live their lives in peace. ~20% of the population may swing to the dark side depending on conditions.
~80% of the above ~20%, although susceptible to barbarism, will under normal conditions remain sane and…
I think the Pareto distribution is generally applicable here.
~80% of the populace are generally sane, moral people that simply want to live their lives in peace. ~20% of the population may swing to the dark side depending on conditions.
~80% of the above ~20%, although susceptible to barbarism, will under normal conditions remain sane and moral, if for no other reason than conformity.
It is the ~20% of the initial ~20%, or ~4% that are the truly dangerous ones. These are the sociopathic war criminals and grifters that above all else want to control and loot others, and as such, the more powerful the State becomes, they more they are drawn to it like carnivorous dung beetles reveling in the guano on the floor of the bat cave.
And once these parasites are in power, they will ruthlessly eliminate any that exhibit any scruples, ethics or morality.
It is this dynamic that has come to full fruition in our times, from the little Napoleons in the local construction permitting office all the way up to Jacobin Joe and his merry band of prancing and preening socialist diversity hires regurgitating incoherent drivel.
These four percenters have always been with us and likely always will be, so the only way to keep these barbarians from power is to not have powerful institutions for them to infest and colonize.
I view most of this woke (and climate) nonsense as just another permutation of the ancient mantra of rulers, what the Romans termed divide et impera, modernized with the addition of perhaps the largest grift in the history of mankind.
"[I]f experience teaches us anything at all it teaches us this: that a good politician, under democracy, is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar. His very existence, indeed, is a standing subversion of the public good in every rational sense. He is not one who serves the common weal; he is simply one who preys upon the commonwealth"
~ H. L. Mencken, From "The Politician" in Prejudices: A Selection, edited by James T. Farrell
Well said. The problem with covid was that the folks who "just wanted to live their lives" were, to some extent, the reason the madness was protracted.
Funny. I told my nephew that the wind is "caused" by the sun and he told me that if we weren't destroying the atmosphere we wouldn't have high winds on occasion.
It was all I could do to keep from bursting out in laughter.
Yeah "killing grandma" is nothing compared to "killing earth".
I successfully converted one younger cousin (20 years younger), but the rest of them think I'm a "denier".
In the past three years, I-- along with Joe Rogan and a few of his guests- have successfully turned my college graduate stepson.
My favorite shocker from him is when I noted that the environment was way better now that it was in the 70s/80s. That never occurred to him. Then his father came home and said the same thing.
Mind. Blown. LOL.
I've also found that many young people have not had their college indoctrinated ideas challenged in a nice way. If you can have normal conversations with them and start challenging their beliefs, it can, I think, go a long way.
Absolutely! We must all burst out laughing because if we have not the courage to assert and affirm the simple truths we run the risk of losing the power to even ask the questions about the more complex truths; like who are we? why are we here? and what really matters? Not to mention what's really going on?
Back in the old, old ,old days, like thousands of years ago, these 4 percenters were dragged in front of the wise chief, sentenced, and then pushed off a cliff.
As anyone who has interacted with a PTA or homeowners' association board will testify, people given power have an innate desire to exercise it. Even if that exercise is irrational, and that person has never acted irrationally before.
Power tends to corrupt (and absolute power corrupts absolutely) -- Lord Acton
It takes self-actualization to resist this temptation, and our society and education system are no longer creating self-actualized citizens. There's a reason they call it the "Me Generation."
Strange - but - was watching "The Crown" to understand what the heck monarchy is about/like/for - and Edward VIII was "suited" to the throne but hated it (Liked Wallis Simpson better). Much better was George VI, who was speech impaired, unready, unwilling - and yet, became a strong monarch.
He who is unwilling to serve is probably the best candidate.
"Political tags, such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth, are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."
Correct, it is Margaret Anna Alice’s portmanteau, shared without reservation and without seeking notoriety. It’s great to see her get credit though. My thoughts: it’s a potent contribution to the lexicon.
Here comes the vicious dynamics of viscous pathocracy cycle, explored in empirical depths by Andrzej Łobaczewski of Political Ponerology fame 🙂 Logocracy logically sprouts out as the most welcome alternative --> ponerology.substack.com/p/logocracy-chapter-1-introduction 👌
It's for a reason the 'stack has a name like that 🙂 You'd be remiss to not give yourself a rewarding tour there. Just don't be surprised when kinda addiction develops in no time. Such a treasure trove! 🔥👌
Indeed. Wonderfully communicated. On this point, "And once these parasites are in power, they will ruthlessly eliminate any that exhibit any scruples, ethics or morality," I might add one bit of embellishment. Hannah Arendt is on the red courtesy phone. She wants to thank you for updating her thesis!
I think the Pareto distribution is generally applicable here.
~80% of the populace are generally sane, moral people that simply want to live their lives in peace. ~20% of the population may swing to the dark side depending on conditions.
~80% of the above ~20%, although susceptible to barbarism, will under normal conditions remain sane and moral, if for no other reason than conformity.
It is the ~20% of the initial ~20%, or ~4% that are the truly dangerous ones. These are the sociopathic war criminals and grifters that above all else want to control and loot others, and as such, the more powerful the State becomes, they more they are drawn to it like carnivorous dung beetles reveling in the guano on the floor of the bat cave.
And once these parasites are in power, they will ruthlessly eliminate any that exhibit any scruples, ethics or morality.
It is this dynamic that has come to full fruition in our times, from the little Napoleons in the local construction permitting office all the way up to Jacobin Joe and his merry band of prancing and preening socialist diversity hires regurgitating incoherent drivel.
These four percenters have always been with us and likely always will be, so the only way to keep these barbarians from power is to not have powerful institutions for them to infest and colonize.
I view most of this woke (and climate) nonsense as just another permutation of the ancient mantra of rulers, what the Romans termed divide et impera, modernized with the addition of perhaps the largest grift in the history of mankind.
"[I]f experience teaches us anything at all it teaches us this: that a good politician, under democracy, is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar. His very existence, indeed, is a standing subversion of the public good in every rational sense. He is not one who serves the common weal; he is simply one who preys upon the commonwealth"
~ H. L. Mencken, From "The Politician" in Prejudices: A Selection, edited by James T. Farrell
Well said. The problem with covid was that the folks who "just wanted to live their lives" were, to some extent, the reason the madness was protracted.
Indeed. The PTB certainly succeeded in spooking the herd, that is for certain.
A century of progressive progressivism, particularly government "education" dominated by unionized State employees, has had its intended effect.
Given where we are as a society, I am almost surprised it wasn't worse.
Of course, there is always next time...
Correct!
I know I sound like a broken record, but I'll say it again:
GCC propaganda is probably a bigger threat to our liberties than covid was.
If for no other reason than 2 generations think its gospel.
No argument here.
Funny. I told my nephew that the wind is "caused" by the sun and he told me that if we weren't destroying the atmosphere we wouldn't have high winds on occasion.
It was all I could do to keep from bursting out in laughter.
Yeah "killing grandma" is nothing compared to "killing earth".
I successfully converted one younger cousin (20 years younger), but the rest of them think I'm a "denier".
In the past three years, I-- along with Joe Rogan and a few of his guests- have successfully turned my college graduate stepson.
My favorite shocker from him is when I noted that the environment was way better now that it was in the 70s/80s. That never occurred to him. Then his father came home and said the same thing.
Mind. Blown. LOL.
I've also found that many young people have not had their college indoctrinated ideas challenged in a nice way. If you can have normal conversations with them and start challenging their beliefs, it can, I think, go a long way.
Perhaps your nephew should talk to the folks on Jupiter about the horrific winds their SUVs are creating.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/jupiter_lrs.html
Absolutely! We must all burst out laughing because if we have not the courage to assert and affirm the simple truths we run the risk of losing the power to even ask the questions about the more complex truths; like who are we? why are we here? and what really matters? Not to mention what's really going on?
Yes! Convenience, etc
Still gets under my skin. I try to understand. And I do to an extent.
The fact that it went on two years is unacceptable though.
Back in the old, old ,old days, like thousands of years ago, these 4 percenters were dragged in front of the wise chief, sentenced, and then pushed off a cliff.
Well, we have certainly advanced since then.
I think a good tar and feathering would do the job just fine.
I prefer the cliff approach. Some survive tarring and feathering...
Lol.
I betcha you had to administer some tough love to your patients occasionally over the years.
That's a good thing imo.
I certainly see your point, but as the dead tell no tales, perhaps it is beneficial that some survive to serve as living, speaking reminders.
Ah yes, when men were men.
Or they were put in the front rank of the fighters as leaders in the field, but never leaders in the fold.
Selection pressure thus ensuring that they do some good and either learn to control their urges or die failing to.
We are indeed fortunate to have such an elderly witness.
;-)
Like right now.
As anyone who has interacted with a PTA or homeowners' association board will testify, people given power have an innate desire to exercise it. Even if that exercise is irrational, and that person has never acted irrationally before.
Power tends to corrupt (and absolute power corrupts absolutely) -- Lord Acton
It takes self-actualization to resist this temptation, and our society and education system are no longer creating self-actualized citizens. There's a reason they call it the "Me Generation."
"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern."
~ Lord Acton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2wNEbG_OHE
Strange - but - was watching "The Crown" to understand what the heck monarchy is about/like/for - and Edward VIII was "suited" to the throne but hated it (Liked Wallis Simpson better). Much better was George VI, who was speech impaired, unready, unwilling - and yet, became a strong monarch.
He who is unwilling to serve is probably the best candidate.
"Political tags, such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth, are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."
~ Robert Heinlein
Absolutely.
I’m afraid so.
Those 4% seems to be evenly distributed on both sides of the Bell curve.
On one end you have your stereotypical egotist narcissist violent psychopath, only concerned with instant gratification here and now.
On the other end you have the "philantropaths", who derive their perverse instead-of-real-pleasure from dominating others "for their own good".
Yes, no, maybe?
I believe Margaret Anna Alice coined the philanthropath term. I find it brilliant irrespective of who coined it.
It wasn't me; didn't mean to give the impression it was.
Margaret Anna Alice is one of the sharper knives in the Substack-drawer.
Correct, it is Margaret Anna Alice’s portmanteau, shared without reservation and without seeking notoriety. It’s great to see her get credit though. My thoughts: it’s a potent contribution to the lexicon.
SCA would agree, she loves that term "philanthropath."
Was it coined by MAA?
Yes, MAA. Credit where it’s due.
You just might be right. She uses it all the time too.
Absolutely.
Excellent - there's your 2 classes of evil: philanthropaths and robber barons.
Except that now there is overlap and entanglement between these two classes.
Then again...https://youtu.be/ppGd-2nEOVQ...at the 00:45 mark.
Forget it, Jake
"It's Cinatown."
Here comes the vicious dynamics of viscous pathocracy cycle, explored in empirical depths by Andrzej Łobaczewski of Political Ponerology fame 🙂 Logocracy logically sprouts out as the most welcome alternative --> ponerology.substack.com/p/logocracy-chapter-1-introduction 👌
Pathocracy!
Did you just make that up?
Either way it's hilarious.
You must be kiddin'! 'Tis from Łobaczewski's canon 😊
Thanks. I just learned.
Political ponerology. Interesting.
It's for a reason the 'stack has a name like that 🙂 You'd be remiss to not give yourself a rewarding tour there. Just don't be surprised when kinda addiction develops in no time. Such a treasure trove! 🔥👌
ponerology.substack.com/about
Indeed. Wonderfully communicated. On this point, "And once these parasites are in power, they will ruthlessly eliminate any that exhibit any scruples, ethics or morality," I might add one bit of embellishment. Hannah Arendt is on the red courtesy phone. She wants to thank you for updating her thesis!
Laughing.