In Canada, 25% of people are now saying they support sending troops to Ukraine even if it means casualties. With about 65k active personnel, who wants to bet that 25% of the country has never volunteered to serve in our military? But they are happy to send our young men and women to die in a war they know nothing about. The ideology, indeed, IS their identity. Sickening.
Funny thing is... They have a choice. Ukraine is going visa-free and NATO is supplying arms. They can fly over there and be fighting by the weekend. To want others to put themselves on the line for their ideology (and risk nuclear war) is extremely selfish. A handful of people out of Ireland have already flown over to get themselves killed. At least they put their money where their mouth is... But I don't forsee any Canadians doing so. If they do, I hope they stick them with the Canadian trained Azov Battalion and they can see what they are really fighting for/where their tax dollars are going.
Trudeau just claimed a guy (likely fed operative) with a swastika flag in Ottawa represented all freedom protestors. Yet he has no issue financing an insurrectionalist neo nazi battalion in Ukraine with your tax dollars.
I read the post and start thinking (not for the first time), hmm, maybe I need to take a break, do some meditation, get religion, etc. Then I see the most liked comment at the top (yours) and start reading the thread and I read this last one about the CAF, and I realize I'm about to blow a gasket already. Case in point I guess, hard to escape this shit.
...or forever. I think it's undeniable at this point: immediately shutting down all social media would actually be a massive, tangible benefit to the public health, unlike all the nonsense we've been told/forced to do for the past two years.
Same. TBH, I get as much, if not more from the comment sections. I enjoy the discussion as much as the articles themselves, particularly when there are opposing views. Substack has really helped me develop my seriously under-developed critical thinking skills.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve never been on FB or twitter and have never been more happy about that fact than I am now. Social media is a leading contributor to the downfall of society. Who would’ve guessed that our complete collapse could have been initiated/hastened by something so seemingly fluffy and harmless....
No, msm is the leading contributor to the downfall of society. When flipping Kim Kardashian and her ex are the highlight of the day, day after day followed by Harry and Megan you know the world is upside down.
I haven't participated in social media since 2010. I suppose Substack is "sorta" social media, but it's the only one I am involved with. I never forward or share memes, but will occasionally forward a link to an entire article about a subject. I don't feel like I've missed out on anything. One psychologist I heard a few months ago said most people look at their cell phone once every 15 seconds and that was enough for me to get rid of cell service entirely. This crap is destroying the people. IMHO
It's Ash Wednesday here. I'm using a little booklet to help me structure my Lent this year. The suggestion is for a total media fast (working day to day). And here I am 3 hours after getting up and I'm still online!
Did that about 3 months after opening a fascistbook account circa 2009. Didn't take long to realize that most people just use it to be even more freaking annoying than in person...
No. Reason tells us that something doesn’t come from nothing, that everything in this universe has a cause. That cause must be outside the universe - God. And given how much we’ve learned about the universe, you can only stand in awe of the Creator. It seems the Covid fanatics (largely atheist, it seems to me) are the ones who’ll believe in anything- masks, lockdowns, vaccines, the government.
What do you do, just sit around all day picking your teeth? Whether God exists or not is the most important question of all. The answer should define your existence.
Christianity teaches that you have an obligation to love your neighbor. Materialism / atheism teaches that we're all random collections of atoms, so carpe diem and to the victor, the spoils, right?
Dr Semmelweis observed that washing hands decreased child birth mortality significantly. He could not prove it why. Was he a fool? I doubt. (but all Austrian doctors treated him as one because he suggested the mighty doctors are 'dirty')
You prove my point. Look at all the stupid things white Christian Americans believe in … like the free market and American Exceptionalism not to mention the virgin birth …
What on earth are you talking about? Why the "white" qualifier? If that is your experience, then we are obviously hanging out in different circles. I can't speak for everyone who calls themselves Christian, and neither can you, but you are sure displaying some irrational hostility.
And what devil provoked you into mentioning "the virgin birth"? You will regret trying to make a joke about that.
Thom, evolution and the Covid vax -- same salesmen, both ideologies and not science. Climate change? It does all the time, but I am skeptical about how much man causes it and not interested in the globalist solution of killing lots of people to deal with it.
Oh puh-lease. Agreed that climate crisis has been weaponized by the Davos elites but it is a reality. Dunno what we can do about it tho’. Also I’m not an atheist. Agnostic which is not the same. Gives shouldn’t be killing people with the vaxxed or economic sanctions on Cuba or Venezuela or Iran for that matter. Why is Israel exempt from nuclear inspection by the IAEA. Kennedy strongly opposed acquisition or nukukar weapons by Israel. Kennedy was killed and Israel got nukukar weapons. If there was a god he/she would not have allowed Kennedy to be killed.
You need a foundation as a human being, or you'll float rudderless. Pople in the west have been berated over several decades, or more, that there is no truth, even going back to Rousseau, the philandering philosopher of 200 years ago, and it makes many easy preys to manipulation. Remember Pontius Pilate washed his hands and said, "What is Truth?" to avoid responsibility over the unjust and violent death of Jesus. There is right and wrong, good and evil, and the proverbial tree will bear fruit of its character.
I’m glad I have the truth. The truth I know is no one knows if there is a higher power. So you can believe all you want. I just know I don’t know, and no one else does with any certainty. That makes the atheists just as arrogant as the believers.
epistemolgy: when truth is believed disappeared on 3 nov 2020 (or was it hanging chad in 2000?) when they closed the count so the trucks and printers could work.
Social media is addictive, but unlike most addictions, it has not limiting factor. You never get full the way you do with junk food. You never have an orgasm the way you do with porn. You never lose consciousness the way you do with alcohol or drugs. You just keep doing hit after hit after hit.
Interestingly enough, that failure to reach satisfaction in a frenzy of feeding is presented as a feature of hell in classic mythology and in Milton's "Paradise Lost."
Bravo, el gato. This is the Rosetta Stone for understanding the turnkey emotional manipulability of the agitariat. The concept of oppositional external validation alone is solid rhodium.
Because the agitariats are devoid of substance and individual identity, they can be filled and scripted at will.
So perhaps, just maybe, we can counteract that vulnerability by helping them to develop their own ideas, personalities, and abilities? If they focus on some passion, talent, or skill instead of defining themselves in opposition to the ragebait of the moment, maybe they will no longer be swayed by the power of the negative?
Somehow, ionic bonds come to mind:
“Ionic bonds are created because atoms want to have their outer shells full of electrons; so, when an atom has an outer shell that is not full, it will be attracted to other atoms that have extra electrons.” (https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-chemical-bonds.html)
Agreed! This was an excellent post. Here are some observations:
- Within 2 years following the introduction of television into a society, their crime rate increases substantially.
- Television has a tendency to alter brain waves, hence brain states and brain composition, making one more subject to suggestion. Furthermore, it impaired "the ability to recognize their own and another person’s beliefs, intents, desires, and knowledge."
- Television "screen time" is replicated in our use of computers and smart phones, with the same overall effects. Of particular relevance is our attention span. The average American attention span went from approximately 20 seconds in 1990, to 12 seconds in 2000, to 8 seconds in 2015.
- Social media (as well as the MSM) have employed hundreds of psychologists to develop algorithms aimed at taking advantage of this for a variety of purposes. They have researched how to mentally addict you to these platforms.
You may be saying, "Gosh Hounddog, you lost my attention at obser....." Here is a point that is relevant to the essay:
In order to receive information to induce critical thinking, the Agitariat need to be able to process your attempt in under 8 seconds, which is nearly impossible.
Excellent points, Mrhounddog. This analysis of how China is using TikTok to further dumbify and neuter Western audiences (its citizens have a different version of the app) further underscores your thesis:
So before any progress can be made, we need to detach the NPCs from all screens and devices. During their withdrawal period, they need to learn how to read books and identify propaganda so if they are ever exposed to the brainwashing waves again, they will not succumb to the hypnotizing spell. Quite the challenge …
I'm reminded of Bonhoffer, yet again, and the cultivation of ignorance, dumbing down societies into tweets and memes and tiny little thoughts that pump adrenaline and dopamine like a crack addict nightmare, all reverse engineered by our favorite messiahs into the newsfeed nipple we suck on hard with infantile attempts at nourishment and meaning.
Yes, Margaret. It inspired my comment. Wonderfully animated explainer. The fact he was executed is another chilling reminder regarding the edicts of our tyrannical politicians, censorship and the destruction of opposition. But regardless, I still live in optimism as much as that is possible in any given moment. I hope you do, too.
Margaret, I just found this on this thread and had to send it to you. I'm lost for words. From the US Govt Guidelines in Case of a Nuclear Blast - I suppose we need this now !?
"When you have reached a safe place, try to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household. If possible, wear a mask if you’re sheltering with people who are not a part of your household."
Have you ever seen the footage documenting the trial of Bonhoeffer and his fellow conspirators? It is astonishing to realize we have that bit of history captured on film:
Ionic bonds... hmmm. To me they look more like the Borg. The description my wife uses for them is "belligerent, self-righteous attitude of entitlement."
Complex, in-depth, nuanced, out-of-the-litterbox genius I can only assimilate on third reading. It's been shocking to watch the media masses switch, in less than 12 hours, from Covid to Ukraine, as if Covid magically just disappeared, not that it was there in the first place. I feel even more alienated than before. What movie are we in??? It brings the whole notion of mind-capture to a startling new level. But as Brandon has his SOTU speech tonight, I guess it was all carefully planned as per usual. George Carlin would have made mincemeat out of him, out of all of this. George? Are you there??
People have such pathetically short attention spans, and can turn on a dime, apparently. Next!! And yes...Carlin would be such fun to listen to right now.
Gato: "just about no one even noticed when the russians used chemical weapons in syria."
Little bit disappointed that you have apparently swallowed this story hook, line and sinker. Here are just 2 articles that should raise at least considerable doubt in the mind of any objectively-oriented person:
Your posts have given me so much joy, despite the fraught times. Finally signed up to be a paid subscriber. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. Long live your feline musings!
For me, my methods of internal self sufficiency will always lie in making things with my hands; dabbling in music and art; growing plants; practicing contrariness as an antidote to conformity and boringness; seeking breath, silence and zen midst the chaos (as an antidote to my sometimes manic contrariness!) - and, of course, engaging in the requisite worship of our household feline overlords. Simple pleasures!
There is no way out but through; we don’t turn back the tide on this. But we have an option. Our best bet is in-person community. Intimate, connected, warts-and-all gathering of people. The introvert memes are funny, but we can’t let them win. The devilry of the past two years worked like never before because the machine successfully kept us from holding hands. The foundation of the communities we build now is that we will not allow this again. We will hold hands until they ride through our ranks, and then hold hands again. We will sing songs and meet them with mirrors sewn into our clothes.
And we will laugh. We will laugh and laugh and laugh.
Yes! As the real communities were destroyed we saw the emergence of fake communities i.e. anyone who had a shared grievance, sometimes extended to describe any group with something in common (football community, tall community, doesn't matter how stupid the grouping is). The protesters at NZ Parliament are being smashed up right now. A group of freedom loving people from all every walk of life and guess what? Whenever I visited the vibe was amazing! Everything was free and thousands of people were fed everyday. Supporters gave heaps of money to make this happen. People danced, sang and played and really made an effort to get on with each other. Obviously this could not continue.
You speak of the virtue and beauty of collectivism. The mortal enemy of righteous collectivism is social isolation. Collectivists need to declare a new war, a war on social isolation and the things that trap people. However, Collectivists are trapped in social isolation by way of addictive electronic devices. So we're seeing the worst aspects of collectivism (group hysteria, authoritarianism, attacks on individualism, thoughtless compliance, forced uniformity, etc) as an offset to the worst elements of individualism. Collectivists are being torn apart, addiction on one side and ideological panic on the other. The addiction is hiding safely and holding firm. The ideological side is becoming ever more deranged, looking for targets. Vladimir Putin might now be ground zero for this insanity, himself suffering from the same derangement as well as being the target of such derangement. I don't know where this is going, but we need the ideological derangement to start fighting against the thing that's causing the derangement, which is the worldwide pandemic of digitally induced social isolation.
I’m not sure how you get collectivism out of a call for community; I’m too baffled to argue. What I’m saying, as clearly as I possibly can, is that the only way we triumph over the technocracy is by creating the one thing it *can’t*, which is a truly shared humanity, face to face.
Thanks for the honest feedback. Collectivism isn't a bad word, is it? I thought it was neutral but maybe not. My perhaps faulty premise is collectivism and individualism are the two primary ideologies, existing is tension with each other and morally equivalent. When you said "community" was the answer, I saw this as a virtuous aspect of collectivism, which sparked my response. Your comment was quite unique. What I'm mostly seeing is deranged collectivism in bitter conflict with individualism.
“Collectivism” is such a dirty word in my book that I may have overreacted to your post:) Yes, it is a bad thing. Collectivism implies ownership by a collective. As this is not possible, what it actually means is the abrogation of property rights of the many by the few *in the name of* the many, whether they like it or not.
But what I speak of, and it sounds like you also endorse, is *community.* This is not a collective, but a voluntary, fluid, and dynamic collaboration that adapts organically because it is only the sum of its parts.
And you're spot on with "voluntary". The caricature of libertarianism is each person alone and hostile to all others, which is nonsense. The apotheosis of libertarianism is each person free to *voluntarily* come together in community with others. Not coerced community, which is the essence of identity politics and collectivism.
Well said. When you say, "This is not a collective, but a voluntary, fluid, and dynamic collaboration that adapts organically because it is only the sum of its parts.", you describe what I think America was intended to be.
I definitely endorse your original comment. I'll have to reassess my terminology. To advance the discussion, we need neutral terminology that has philosophical substance and has not been politicized.
Very very good - it reminds me of the result of Professor Iain McGilchrist 30 years research resulting in an update of the previously discredited Left / Right brain theory. He is of the opinion that those dominated by the brain's left hemisphere are leading us into destruction & much of what you describe above fits in with that as - they can never be wrong, everything is either black or white, anger is their dominant emotion, big into reductionist materialism & all that spawns from that.
He worked for years on split brain research & he mentioned a patient who had a right hemisphere stroke after an accident in which he also lost an arm. He was reduced to only the Left side which was illustrated by the fact that he refused to believe that he had lost that arm - maybe Biden has had a stroke or various mini ones.
Bravo! Steve. As a person who is prone to seeing multiple sides to every situation and or argument, I find this very interesting in deed. Wasn't there an old saying about left handed people being in their right mind?
Yes indeed - according to IM's hypothesis the right hemisphere controls the left hand & vice versa for the right hand. I find the whole thing fascinating & as with your quote folklore from many cultures reflects it. There is a wonderful tale that McGilchrist recounts from I forget which Native American tribe about 2 brothers whose actions represent both hemispheres which was obviously based on an intuition by the author or more likely the original oral storyteller.
In Canada, 25% of people are now saying they support sending troops to Ukraine even if it means casualties. With about 65k active personnel, who wants to bet that 25% of the country has never volunteered to serve in our military? But they are happy to send our young men and women to die in a war they know nothing about. The ideology, indeed, IS their identity. Sickening.
The minute I ask such screamers when they're signing up and shipping out they explode like a human bomb as if this is an outrageous suggestion.
Funny thing is... They have a choice. Ukraine is going visa-free and NATO is supplying arms. They can fly over there and be fighting by the weekend. To want others to put themselves on the line for their ideology (and risk nuclear war) is extremely selfish. A handful of people out of Ireland have already flown over to get themselves killed. At least they put their money where their mouth is... But I don't forsee any Canadians doing so. If they do, I hope they stick them with the Canadian trained Azov Battalion and they can see what they are really fighting for/where their tax dollars are going.
Trudeau just claimed a guy (likely fed operative) with a swastika flag in Ottawa represented all freedom protestors. Yet he has no issue financing an insurrectionalist neo nazi battalion in Ukraine with your tax dollars.
He didn't just finance them. He had CAF members TRAIN them.
I read the post and start thinking (not for the first time), hmm, maybe I need to take a break, do some meditation, get religion, etc. Then I see the most liked comment at the top (yours) and start reading the thread and I read this last one about the CAF, and I realize I'm about to blow a gasket already. Case in point I guess, hard to escape this shit.
😂😂😂
the non-military are the most happy to send others off to die
What is this group's stance on the vaccination status of the would-be warriors?
Well just like how they accepted BLM protests during the peak of the pandemic they will accept military with no vaccinations fighting in a 'just' war.
EVERYTHING = ATLANTIS 2.0. ... anticipating the purge.
Better being killed in Europe than beating dissident canadians up.
Good reason to give up social media for Lent.
...or forever. I think it's undeniable at this point: immediately shutting down all social media would actually be a massive, tangible benefit to the public health, unlike all the nonsense we've been told/forced to do for the past two years.
Really love substack because of the long form articles and the level of critical thought in the comment section.
Same. TBH, I get as much, if not more from the comment sections. I enjoy the discussion as much as the articles themselves, particularly when there are opposing views. Substack has really helped me develop my seriously under-developed critical thinking skills.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve never been on FB or twitter and have never been more happy about that fact than I am now. Social media is a leading contributor to the downfall of society. Who would’ve guessed that our complete collapse could have been initiated/hastened by something so seemingly fluffy and harmless....
No, msm is the leading contributor to the downfall of society. When flipping Kim Kardashian and her ex are the highlight of the day, day after day followed by Harry and Megan you know the world is upside down.
Substack is a form of social media. Just read the comments.
Follow the right substacks, however, and it is a particularly erudite and well-reasoned form of social media.
I haven't participated in social media since 2010. I suppose Substack is "sorta" social media, but it's the only one I am involved with. I never forward or share memes, but will occasionally forward a link to an entire article about a subject. I don't feel like I've missed out on anything. One psychologist I heard a few months ago said most people look at their cell phone once every 15 seconds and that was enough for me to get rid of cell service entirely. This crap is destroying the people. IMHO
It's Ash Wednesday here. I'm using a little booklet to help me structure my Lent this year. The suggestion is for a total media fast (working day to day). And here I am 3 hours after getting up and I'm still online!
Did that about 3 months after opening a fascistbook account circa 2009. Didn't take long to realize that most people just use it to be even more freaking annoying than in person...
I was going to give up tobacco, but this seems like a much better option!
They’re not mutually exclusive. :)
Let's not go crazy. It's not the Buddhist monk Olympics.
...because the CCP killed and imprisoned them all. Amirite? *rimshot*
guttermouth.substack.com
She's here all week folks! 😂
Tip your waitress.
😂😂🥰
If you don't stop writing such superb analysis, I won't be able to quit the internets.
LOL!
if you don't believe in God, you will believe in anything
Actually, if you believe in god then you will also believe anything
No. Reason tells us that something doesn’t come from nothing, that everything in this universe has a cause. That cause must be outside the universe - God. And given how much we’ve learned about the universe, you can only stand in awe of the Creator. It seems the Covid fanatics (largely atheist, it seems to me) are the ones who’ll believe in anything- masks, lockdowns, vaccines, the government.
Atheists and Believers are no different, just on other ends of the spectrum.
Only a fool believes in things they can't prove. It’s okay to admit we just don't know.
What do you do, just sit around all day picking your teeth? Whether God exists or not is the most important question of all. The answer should define your existence.
Good for you.
I have better things to do with every waking hour of the day. I doubt figuring out this question will somehow save us from ourselves.
Believing in "God" relieves humanity from the task of being responsible for itself.
Christianity teaches that you have an obligation to love your neighbor. Materialism / atheism teaches that we're all random collections of atoms, so carpe diem and to the victor, the spoils, right?
Christianity is not the only belief that teaches you to love your neighbor.
Dr Semmelweis observed that washing hands decreased child birth mortality significantly. He could not prove it why. Was he a fool? I doubt. (but all Austrian doctors treated him as one because he suggested the mighty doctors are 'dirty')
You prove my point. Look at all the stupid things white Christian Americans believe in … like the free market and American Exceptionalism not to mention the virgin birth …
What on earth are you talking about? Why the "white" qualifier? If that is your experience, then we are obviously hanging out in different circles. I can't speak for everyone who calls themselves Christian, and neither can you, but you are sure displaying some irrational hostility.
And what devil provoked you into mentioning "the virgin birth"? You will regret trying to make a joke about that.
And evolution, the fetus as god and not accepting facts about climate change. SAD!
Thom, evolution and the Covid vax -- same salesmen, both ideologies and not science. Climate change? It does all the time, but I am skeptical about how much man causes it and not interested in the globalist solution of killing lots of people to deal with it.
Kate, you are throwing your pearls before swine.
Oh puh-lease. Agreed that climate crisis has been weaponized by the Davos elites but it is a reality. Dunno what we can do about it tho’. Also I’m not an atheist. Agnostic which is not the same. Gives shouldn’t be killing people with the vaxxed or economic sanctions on Cuba or Venezuela or Iran for that matter. Why is Israel exempt from nuclear inspection by the IAEA. Kennedy strongly opposed acquisition or nukukar weapons by Israel. Kennedy was killed and Israel got nukukar weapons. If there was a god he/she would not have allowed Kennedy to be killed.
Nope.
What if we just don't know? Then what do we believe in?
You need a foundation as a human being, or you'll float rudderless. Pople in the west have been berated over several decades, or more, that there is no truth, even going back to Rousseau, the philandering philosopher of 200 years ago, and it makes many easy preys to manipulation. Remember Pontius Pilate washed his hands and said, "What is Truth?" to avoid responsibility over the unjust and violent death of Jesus. There is right and wrong, good and evil, and the proverbial tree will bear fruit of its character.
Good to know.
I’m glad I have the truth. The truth I know is no one knows if there is a higher power. So you can believe all you want. I just know I don’t know, and no one else does with any certainty. That makes the atheists just as arrogant as the believers.
And your certainty in not knowing…?
Without doubt, there can be no faith.
epistemolgy: when truth is believed disappeared on 3 nov 2020 (or was it hanging chad in 2000?) when they closed the count so the trucks and printers could work.
Social media is addictive, but unlike most addictions, it has not limiting factor. You never get full the way you do with junk food. You never have an orgasm the way you do with porn. You never lose consciousness the way you do with alcohol or drugs. You just keep doing hit after hit after hit.
Excellent point. There is no climax.
There is no balance.
Porn mixed into the FB newsfeed. You can climax in-between war stories and vaccine injuries ad infinitum.
Interestingly enough, that failure to reach satisfaction in a frenzy of feeding is presented as a feature of hell in classic mythology and in Milton's "Paradise Lost."
Bravo, el gato. This is the Rosetta Stone for understanding the turnkey emotional manipulability of the agitariat. The concept of oppositional external validation alone is solid rhodium.
Because the agitariats are devoid of substance and individual identity, they can be filled and scripted at will.
So perhaps, just maybe, we can counteract that vulnerability by helping them to develop their own ideas, personalities, and abilities? If they focus on some passion, talent, or skill instead of defining themselves in opposition to the ragebait of the moment, maybe they will no longer be swayed by the power of the negative?
Somehow, ionic bonds come to mind:
“Ionic bonds are created because atoms want to have their outer shells full of electrons; so, when an atom has an outer shell that is not full, it will be attracted to other atoms that have extra electrons.” (https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-chemical-bonds.html)
Agreed! This was an excellent post. Here are some observations:
- Within 2 years following the introduction of television into a society, their crime rate increases substantially.
- Television has a tendency to alter brain waves, hence brain states and brain composition, making one more subject to suggestion. Furthermore, it impaired "the ability to recognize their own and another person’s beliefs, intents, desires, and knowledge."
- Television "screen time" is replicated in our use of computers and smart phones, with the same overall effects. Of particular relevance is our attention span. The average American attention span went from approximately 20 seconds in 1990, to 12 seconds in 2000, to 8 seconds in 2015.
- Social media (as well as the MSM) have employed hundreds of psychologists to develop algorithms aimed at taking advantage of this for a variety of purposes. They have researched how to mentally addict you to these platforms.
You may be saying, "Gosh Hounddog, you lost my attention at obser....." Here is a point that is relevant to the essay:
In order to receive information to induce critical thinking, the Agitariat need to be able to process your attempt in under 8 seconds, which is nearly impossible.
My Solution: EMP, then take a nap.
Excellent points, Mrhounddog. This analysis of how China is using TikTok to further dumbify and neuter Western audiences (its citizens have a different version of the app) further underscores your thesis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7STD2ESmWg
So before any progress can be made, we need to detach the NPCs from all screens and devices. During their withdrawal period, they need to learn how to read books and identify propaganda so if they are ever exposed to the brainwashing waves again, they will not succumb to the hypnotizing spell. Quite the challenge …
This is just me spitballing here...
Surefire Ways:
- Again EMP
- Asteroid
- Giant Flood where we all hang out on our rafts for a while till the water goes down (God said he would not do that again)
Not-So Surefire Ways:
- Redirection...LOOK, a pony!
- Uh...hmmm...I'm done.
Pie-In-The-Sky Ways:
- Removal of children from the evil disaster called Public Education.
- Deny these same children access to ALL electronic devices until after their 25th birthday.
- Inculcation of a strong Objective Truth based worldview. You know, like the one that comes with its own book and shining example.
- Creation of a parallel society that shines like a beacon.
😆👍
I'm reminded of Bonhoffer, yet again, and the cultivation of ignorance, dumbing down societies into tweets and memes and tiny little thoughts that pump adrenaline and dopamine like a crack addict nightmare, all reverse engineered by our favorite messiahs into the newsfeed nipple we suck on hard with infantile attempts at nourishment and meaning.
So true, Navyo!! Heaven knows what Bonhoeffer would make of today’s stupidification feats.
I’m sure you’ve seen this, but for those who haven’t:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ww47bR86wSc
So from the vid, you either called me a loner or a stupid person. 🤨😆
If you’re here, it obviously doesn’t apply to you ;-)
That said, there’s nothing wrong with loners. See the lovely
“Party of One: The Loners’ Manifesto” by Anneli Rufus :-)
Yes, Margaret. It inspired my comment. Wonderfully animated explainer. The fact he was executed is another chilling reminder regarding the edicts of our tyrannical politicians, censorship and the destruction of opposition. But regardless, I still live in optimism as much as that is possible in any given moment. I hope you do, too.
Margaret, I just found this on this thread and had to send it to you. I'm lost for words. From the US Govt Guidelines in Case of a Nuclear Blast - I suppose we need this now !?
"When you have reached a safe place, try to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household. If possible, wear a mask if you’re sheltering with people who are not a part of your household."
https://www.ready.gov/fr/node/5152#
Right—more fear porn, of course. COVID terror has worn off, so they’re dusting off the Cold War toolkit.
Yes and yes :-)
Have you ever seen the footage documenting the trial of Bonhoeffer and his fellow conspirators? It is astonishing to realize we have that bit of history captured on film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgpbq2hd0yY
Ionic bonds... hmmm. To me they look more like the Borg. The description my wife uses for them is "belligerent, self-righteous attitude of entitlement."
That's pretty spot on.
Complex, in-depth, nuanced, out-of-the-litterbox genius I can only assimilate on third reading. It's been shocking to watch the media masses switch, in less than 12 hours, from Covid to Ukraine, as if Covid magically just disappeared, not that it was there in the first place. I feel even more alienated than before. What movie are we in??? It brings the whole notion of mind-capture to a startling new level. But as Brandon has his SOTU speech tonight, I guess it was all carefully planned as per usual. George Carlin would have made mincemeat out of him, out of all of this. George? Are you there??
People have such pathetically short attention spans, and can turn on a dime, apparently. Next!! And yes...Carlin would be such fun to listen to right now.
Gato: "just about no one even noticed when the russians used chemical weapons in syria."
Little bit disappointed that you have apparently swallowed this story hook, line and sinker. Here are just 2 articles that should raise at least considerable doubt in the mind of any objectively-oriented person:
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/01/24/opcw-investigator-testified-at-un-that-no-chemical-attack-took-place-in-douma-syria/
https://thegrayzone.com/2021/11/22/corrupting-science-in-syria-probe-opcw-erased-experts-inconvenient-findings/
El gato.....once again proving the most incisive mind on substack....is feline.
As awful as the great reset is for all of us...I find a strange satisfaction from these posts....still gives me hope.
It’s like a breath of fresh air. While living in San Francisco, a breath of fresh air is much more difficult to find than you might think.
I'd hold my breath and risk asphyxiation.
“‘Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” -Voltaire
This may be the best description of the current situation I have seen anywhere.
Thank you for the reminder that the terrible mischaracterization of pollywogs in 16th century ranine poetry still haunts us.
Superb article! Please see Eckert Tolle for additional insight on the role of fear, false hope, and hate.
lol.
ranine is one of those words like vulpine that just does not see enough use.
autochthonian.
Surprisingly it has nothing to do with tentacles.
We call them "pollysouthasians" these days, you racist.
Your posts have given me so much joy, despite the fraught times. Finally signed up to be a paid subscriber. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. Long live your feline musings!
For me, my methods of internal self sufficiency will always lie in making things with my hands; dabbling in music and art; growing plants; practicing contrariness as an antidote to conformity and boringness; seeking breath, silence and zen midst the chaos (as an antidote to my sometimes manic contrariness!) - and, of course, engaging in the requisite worship of our household feline overlords. Simple pleasures!
There is no way out but through; we don’t turn back the tide on this. But we have an option. Our best bet is in-person community. Intimate, connected, warts-and-all gathering of people. The introvert memes are funny, but we can’t let them win. The devilry of the past two years worked like never before because the machine successfully kept us from holding hands. The foundation of the communities we build now is that we will not allow this again. We will hold hands until they ride through our ranks, and then hold hands again. We will sing songs and meet them with mirrors sewn into our clothes.
And we will laugh. We will laugh and laugh and laugh.
This is the only way.
Yes! As the real communities were destroyed we saw the emergence of fake communities i.e. anyone who had a shared grievance, sometimes extended to describe any group with something in common (football community, tall community, doesn't matter how stupid the grouping is). The protesters at NZ Parliament are being smashed up right now. A group of freedom loving people from all every walk of life and guess what? Whenever I visited the vibe was amazing! Everything was free and thousands of people were fed everyday. Supporters gave heaps of money to make this happen. People danced, sang and played and really made an effort to get on with each other. Obviously this could not continue.
It’s clear that this is the real threat because bouncy castles caused apoplectic rage in Trudeau.
You speak of the virtue and beauty of collectivism. The mortal enemy of righteous collectivism is social isolation. Collectivists need to declare a new war, a war on social isolation and the things that trap people. However, Collectivists are trapped in social isolation by way of addictive electronic devices. So we're seeing the worst aspects of collectivism (group hysteria, authoritarianism, attacks on individualism, thoughtless compliance, forced uniformity, etc) as an offset to the worst elements of individualism. Collectivists are being torn apart, addiction on one side and ideological panic on the other. The addiction is hiding safely and holding firm. The ideological side is becoming ever more deranged, looking for targets. Vladimir Putin might now be ground zero for this insanity, himself suffering from the same derangement as well as being the target of such derangement. I don't know where this is going, but we need the ideological derangement to start fighting against the thing that's causing the derangement, which is the worldwide pandemic of digitally induced social isolation.
I’m not sure how you get collectivism out of a call for community; I’m too baffled to argue. What I’m saying, as clearly as I possibly can, is that the only way we triumph over the technocracy is by creating the one thing it *can’t*, which is a truly shared humanity, face to face.
Thanks for the honest feedback. Collectivism isn't a bad word, is it? I thought it was neutral but maybe not. My perhaps faulty premise is collectivism and individualism are the two primary ideologies, existing is tension with each other and morally equivalent. When you said "community" was the answer, I saw this as a virtuous aspect of collectivism, which sparked my response. Your comment was quite unique. What I'm mostly seeing is deranged collectivism in bitter conflict with individualism.
“Collectivism” is such a dirty word in my book that I may have overreacted to your post:) Yes, it is a bad thing. Collectivism implies ownership by a collective. As this is not possible, what it actually means is the abrogation of property rights of the many by the few *in the name of* the many, whether they like it or not.
But what I speak of, and it sounds like you also endorse, is *community.* This is not a collective, but a voluntary, fluid, and dynamic collaboration that adapts organically because it is only the sum of its parts.
Not just property rights, ALL rights.
And you're spot on with "voluntary". The caricature of libertarianism is each person alone and hostile to all others, which is nonsense. The apotheosis of libertarianism is each person free to *voluntarily* come together in community with others. Not coerced community, which is the essence of identity politics and collectivism.
Well said. When you say, "This is not a collective, but a voluntary, fluid, and dynamic collaboration that adapts organically because it is only the sum of its parts.", you describe what I think America was intended to be.
I definitely endorse your original comment. I'll have to reassess my terminology. To advance the discussion, we need neutral terminology that has philosophical substance and has not been politicized.
Very very good - it reminds me of the result of Professor Iain McGilchrist 30 years research resulting in an update of the previously discredited Left / Right brain theory. He is of the opinion that those dominated by the brain's left hemisphere are leading us into destruction & much of what you describe above fits in with that as - they can never be wrong, everything is either black or white, anger is their dominant emotion, big into reductionist materialism & all that spawns from that.
He worked for years on split brain research & he mentioned a patient who had a right hemisphere stroke after an accident in which he also lost an arm. He was reduced to only the Left side which was illustrated by the fact that he refused to believe that he had lost that arm - maybe Biden has had a stroke or various mini ones.
Bravo! Steve. As a person who is prone to seeing multiple sides to every situation and or argument, I find this very interesting in deed. Wasn't there an old saying about left handed people being in their right mind?
Yes indeed - according to IM's hypothesis the right hemisphere controls the left hand & vice versa for the right hand. I find the whole thing fascinating & as with your quote folklore from many cultures reflects it. There is a wonderful tale that McGilchrist recounts from I forget which Native American tribe about 2 brothers whose actions represent both hemispheres which was obviously based on an intuition by the author or more likely the original oral storyteller.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/iain-mcgilchrist-great-new-book-the-matter-with-things/
Think I'll go back to reading Proverbs.