Close to a year has gone by since this stinking, ugly world took away my best friend, the only one/thing I truly cared about in this hell hole, and my one true love, King Scooby Doo.
And I have never been more depressed.
Without my best buddy, my Soul Brother, this world means shit to me.
My sweet little bear…
To me you were the only decent thing this world has ever produced.
From the very first time Scooby & I met, I knew there was something very different about him.
As we first drove home, and I worried about not having a carrier in my truck for him, I simply placed him in the truck, and hoped for the best.
He was right at home being free in that truck, and never a nuisance by getting between me & controls (brakes, gas, etc.).
We continued to drive together like that for 16 glorious years.
Scooby was always a bit clingy, and always wanted to be near my side.
I had a full-sized shower at my house with sliding glass doors, with like a 2″ ledge on the top frame holding those shower doors.
Scooby would jump, from the vanity sink to the top of that shower door ledge, whenever I showered, and just lay there on that small 2″ ledge, so that he could be right next to me while I showered.
I loved playing with my kitty. Since he was so clingy and always followed me around the house, I used to get a lead, hide behind wall corners, then jump out & surprise him as he approached. Then we would start play-wrestling.
But Scooby loved imitating me, and starting doing the exact same to me.
He too began hiding behind corners, would wait for me to approach, then jump out & surprise me (often wrapping his paws around my ankles, as if to “get” me). My letting out a fake shriek in surprise seemed to make him even happier over his “attack” on me.
Those sneak attacks would then lead to some serious rough play.
I used to travel by truck weekly, often hundreds of miles each week. And my Scooby loved riding in the truck with me.
There are pictures of Scooby with me in the truck, wrapped around my neck, looking out the window as we drive.
I had to be cautious when Scooby & I would be walking, since any open car door presented an opportunity for him to go on a ride. Scooby would often try or successfully jump into cars.
Scooby and I would do at least 4-6 walks outside, every single day – morning, noon & evening. Whether in the country, the suburbs or in town, Scooby was smart enough to know how to have fun outside on our walks, and how to stay safe.
No leash or harness, but Scooby would faithfully stay by my side.
One of my biggest challenges when I first met my Scooby was his constant desire to go outside, as he was born & raised as a kitten outside, and loved being outside.
Since I didn’t want Scooby out alone, our compromise was our daily supervised walks.
Scooby could go outside as long as he stayed within my sight & reach.
And Scooby would mostly “heel” right next to me as we walked, always keeping eyes on his surroundings, but always keeping eyes on me at the same time.
Scooby would never let me get too far behind him, if he saw me lagging he would wait for me to catch up.
I absolutely loved the way Scooby would look up at me as we walked, and seeing the sheer joy of walking outside in his eyes.
I’ll admit to it, I loved showing-off Scooby during our walks outside. People loved watching, often in amazement, as Scooby walked side-by-side with me, never straying. At intersections I would simply ask Scooby to wait until it was safe, then when all traffic was gone, I’d start crossing and Scooby would safely follow.
Most asked if they could pet him, which he loved. In neighborhoods, drivers would often slow down or pull over to comment on what an amazing guy Scooby was as they watched us walk together.
There are leash/at-large laws where we last lived, but the cops would not only not bother us on our walks outside, but many would stop & comment how amazing it was that Scooby was so well behaved.
Along with his habit of being clingy, my Scooby loved touching me. Being next to me wasn’t enough, he had to be physically touching me.
Laying on top of me, or sometimes just placing a paw on me.
And I loved it.
Though I often called Scooby a “special needs” kitty due to his desire for my constant attention & touch, truth is I needed Scooby, he was the center of my universe.
Our routine at bed time included him joining me in bed like 10 mins after me, giving me time to fall asleep and not disturb him.
Scooby would then jump into the bed, which would be my cue to turn on my side, to allow him to snuggle right up against me. My arm would then go over his body, like I was snuggling a teddy bear.
One of my pet/nicknames for Scooby was “Bear” (vars. Scoo-Bear, Beary) because he was like a living teddy bear, warm, fluffy, snuggly.
If that initial jump didn’t wake me or get me to turn, Scooby would then proceed to gently paw my shoulder, in order to wake me.
I would often tease Scooby and continue to be asleep & not turn over, and chuckle silently as Scooby would then escalate his attempts to wake me, just so I would turn over to snuggle with him.
After a while Scooby would start jumping, from one side of the bed to the other, to wake me up, to snuggle. Pawing one shoulder, jumping then pawing the other. Eventually resorting to face licking if I didn’t comply.
But I could never resist too long, as I loved Scooby snuggles.
He would purr and we would both fall asleep.
When I would turn onto the other side in the middle of the night, Scooby would get up, walk to that other side, and snuggle again.
In the Winter, as I tend to keep my places colder, Scooby would not only go through our snuggle routine, but in addition I would have to lift the comforter, to allow Scooby to crawl under it, then snuggle with me safe, warm & happy under that blanket.
Scooby was like my own living heating pad, he was so warm & comforting
Scooby snuggles are one of the things I loved most, and one of the things I continue to miss most (his snuggles were always so comforting during troubling moods).
I loved falling asleep with Scooby in my arms, I loved waking up with Scooby in my arms.
He was the fluffiest, softest, warmest and most comfortable buddy. And he always smelled great.
We loved being together.
Doing a lot of work outside, and in order to break from the extreme heat, I would often start work early. That would allow me time to take a break & short nap in the afternoon.
I would lie down on a couch, and Scooby would jump up on my chest, I would pet him & he would purr.
Then, when he was ready to nap he would tilt & slide his body towards the back of the couch, wedging himself in the space where my body met the couch, my arms would go over him, then we could nap, with Scooby purring until he fell asleep.
One of my pet/nicknames for Scooby was Monkey Boy.
As a kitten, rather than walking on the ground to get around the house, Scooby loved & preferred jumping from one piece of furniture to another piece of furniture to get around.
Scooby was always ready to play, and always looking to make “monkey” play of most anything.
I noticed that Scooby had the strangest habit of growling, seemingly out of the blue. One moment he would be fine, the next his ears perked-up & him growling.
One day I happened to be looking out the window when Scooby started growling and I saw a couple of coyotes. Those coyotes, foxes, etc. were what Scooby was sensing.
Scooby loved fresh corn on the cob. It was one of his favorite foods.
In early Summer I was thrilled when some of the best corn (mostly Colorado) would become available.
I would go home, and simply start to shuck one ear of corn, which would be all it took for Scooby to run over, and start meowing in anticipation of that sweet corn.
I would always have to give Scooby the first bit, by slicing off kernels from the top 2″ or so. then slice more when he finished that.
Two things that Scooby loved the most – being with me and being outside.
Much of my work was done outside, and Scooby could often see me working outside as he sat inside, which didn’t make him happy (since he wanted to be out with me). Scooby would often stand at the screen door & call for me.
So most anytime I was doing something that would also allow me to keep an eye on Scooby, he would join me at work.
He especially loved as I worked my compost piles, as he could hunt for critters.
Scooby knew….
Scooby was the smartest guy I’ve ever known, he knew & understood things I could never comprehend in him. I was always fascinated & curious at what Scooby was thinking at times. I often felt bad that I sometimes couldn’t figure out what Scooby was thinking/needing.
Regardless where we lived, everywhere we lived began with Scooby-proofing, meaning finding all the loose windows, doors, panels, etc., anything that Scooby could figure out how to move, maneuver, manipulate, etc.
Scooby would watch as I did most anything, in order to learn & mimic later.
Doors had to be locked/latched, windows had to be secured (Scooby knew how to open windows & pop screens out), etc.
Scooby would watch me work door knobs, latches & such and try to work them himself.
But it also meant I could talk to Scooby about things, and he sure seemed to understand.
It took me a while, but I finally learned that when Scooby & I were having problems getting along, I could just talk to him about it, ask him to do his part, and things would always get better.
In fact, the last few years of our relationship were amongst the best because of his ability to listen, understand & learn (learn better how to tolerate me).
In fact my whole curiousities and concepts of knowledge, awareness, feelings, intelligent thought, the supposed “hierarchy of species”, and such have been radically transformed thanks to natural wonder that was Scooby.
I’ve read way too much from people that claim that animals don’t really engage in intelligent thought, but act more on instinct, and to them I say you’ve likely never observed my Scooby.
One of the things I loved about our walks was giving Scooby control over where we went, and I loved watching as we came to a fork, or corner, etc., and seeing Scooby scope out the surroundings of each, in what sure seemed calculated reasoning.
Every night as we were snuggling I would tell Scooby how proud I was of him, because he was so smart, so loving, so happy, so playful, such a great friend & companion, warm, fluffy, snugly.
I always told he that he was my perfect little boy.
Scooby was the greatest being I’ve ever known.
Meeting my Scooby was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
Living with my Scooby and being graced by his presence for 16 years was the best thing to ever happen to me.
I loved my life with my Scooby.
I don’t pretend to understand how this existence works, but there was some wort of special, unique bond that Scooby & I shared between each other.
A bond I’ve never had with anyone else.
And he left me way too early.
My heart, spirit and soul have all been crushed & irreparably damaged with the loss of my beloved Scooby, my best buddy, my soul brother, my closest companion of 16 years, and quite simply the greatest being I’ve ever known.
So many people have come to me with the advice that losing a loved one gets easier over time.
But what if that loved one was also your best friend?
The one friend that was always there for you, helping you through the hard times?
What if that loved one existed as the very center of your universe?
If all your plans had always revolved around that loved one, often including them in your daily activities, simply because you love being around them?
If that loved one served as your refuge from the aggravations, chaos, anger, hate & such that envelopes this existence?
Or when all the things you loved doing on a daily basis included being with that loved one?
What happens when the very one that you turned to for comfort in the face of grief, is not just gone but even worse their death is now causing you the most grief?
Scooby spoiled me for all things. Everything was more fun with Scooby, and now those things are meaningless.
Because he was so smart, so much fun, so affectionate, so loving, and brought me so much joy, etc., I’ve lost all zest, because nothing is the same without Scooby.
The more time that passes the more I realize how much I loved and miss my best buddy, Scooby.
And the tougher it gets.
Young child with dreams
Dream every dream on your own
When children play
Seems like you end up alone
Papa says he’d love to be with you
If he had the time
So you turn on the only friend you can find
There in your mind
Scooby, when I was young
I used to call your name
When no one else would come
Scooby, you always came
And we’d play
Young boy with fire
Something said he understood
I wanted to fly
He made me feel like I could
Held my hand out, and I let Scoobs take me
Blind as a child
All I saw was the way that he made me smile
He made me smile
Scooby, when I was young
I used to call your name
When no one else would come
Scooby, you always came
And you’d stay
Had a dream, and it filled me with wonder
He had other plans
“Got to go, and I know that you’ll understand”
I understand
Scooby, when I was young
I used to call your name
When no one else would come
Scooby, you always came
Come today
-End-
Scooby Doo the cat was the greatest being that I’ve ever known.
You are missed dearly.
This is a tribute to my best buddy, my soul brother, my constant companion, and the love of my life, my beloved friend Scooby the Cat (Scooby Dooby Doo) – RIP 12/14/22.
He was truly a kind, gentle, loving and beautiful spirit.
With his passing, this world has now completely crushed my spirit.
For most of my life I’ve been listening to “Conservatives”, “Republicans” and “Right-leaning” folks talk of their contempt for “socialism.
And of their respect for Big Business, a supposed antithesis of Big Government, and in false belief that big companies are a sign of a free market in action.
And cater to those that accumulated wealth (Big Money).
For most of my life I’ve been listening to “Liberals”, “Democrats” and “Left-leaning” folks often talk of their admiration of socialism”.
And of their respect for Big Government, a supposed antithesis and defender against the abuses of Big Government.
And talk about the need for those with accumulated wealth to share that wealth.
There are many different forms & types of “socialism”.
Like Elite Party, Cartel Party, Democratic, Christian, Communist, Environmental, Nationalist, Progressive, and so on.
Yet rather than being about fairness, and equality, and freedom, a main tenet of most forms of “socialism” is central control & planning.
And that central planning does not necessarily come at the behest of citizens, or workers, or trustworthy representatives.
That central planning can come under to control of corporations, and or the Executives that represent those corporations, or under control of the wealthy Elite that largely own those corporations.
So what happens when Big Money combines with Big Government, and those with the massive amounts of accumulated wealth become the central planners & controllers of a “socialist” economy?
When not only Politicians, but also Bureaucrats are managed by those with the massive hoards of wealth?
Structuring tax systems to force the Middle Class to become the primary funders of social welfare programs?
Whilst those wealth hoarding Elite are allowed to largely escape tax obligations?
Even worse, structure those centrally planned governmental social welfare systems to become wholly reliant on those corporations for administration of those programs?
For massive profit?
And those Big Corporations are allowed to merge & combine, via convoluted systems of concentrated share ownership schemas (i.e. Cartels of Big Asset Management firms & Big Banks owning the largest concentrations of shares of most “competing” corporations, in most every single industry, becoming the controlling shareholder s), and get bigger, literally able to destroy smaller companies, and any semblance of a free market system, enabling them to maintain ever-greater controls over production, inventory, pricing, wages, etc?
That scenario seems to be exactly where we are at today.
And has seemingly caught most everyone off-guard, and thrown systems of partisan political ideologies in total disarray.
“Liberals”, “Dems”, and “Left-leaning” folks are still led towards continuing calls for support for wealth redistribution, but that wealth redistribution is coming from the control of Corporate neo-feudal Lords, and is hitting the checkbooks of those folks the hardest.
They’re supporting the Big Corporations they’ve been complaining & rallying against.
“Conservatives”, “GOP”, and “Right-leaning” folks are still led towards continuing calls for deregulation, and for support for wealth accumulation, but the Corporate neo-feudal Lords accumulating & hoarding that wealth are now leading a centrally-planned “socialist” system, using “deregulation” as a means to destroy small businesses, using their wealth to create corporate mergers & consolidations, which is destroying any semblance of a free market, and now actively suppressing the rights, liberties & justice that “Conservatives” proclaim to cherish.
Plus, they too are getting hit with the bills for growing social welfare spending coming at the behest of those Corporate neo-feudal Lords they previously supported, whom are profiting massively off the administration of those programs.
It’s the worst of the worst.
Whereas true democracy is supposed to be about compromise, about creating win/win scenarios, the current schema is a lose/lose…for all but those Corporato-Socialist neo-feudal Lords.
Is “success” having a good amount of money, or assets, or other stuff?
Is “success” living in a large, perhaps fancy home?
Is “success” owning a thriving business?
Or are those things perhaps merely products of chance, luck, happenstance?
If a person is “successful” with one business, in one endeavor, or in one trade, does that mean they’ll be successful in all endeavors?
Or can a person find “success” in one endeavor, only to find failure in another?
Can “success” even be defined merely as accomplishing what one has set-out to accomplish?
Many of the greatest Inventors & Innovators have experienced far more “failures” than “successes”.
Often, those finding “success” in one endeavor have found far more “failures” in other endeavors.
And even those regarded “failures” were often used productively as chances to learn & grow.
Leading to “success” elsewhere.
Often those finding “success” in one aspect of their lives have found continued “failures” in other aspects.
I like to read about the real micro-histories of business & individuals through time.
I was recently reading about Polaroid Corporation Founder Edwin H. Land.
Whom found tremendous “success” with his instant camera.
But whom experienced tremendous “failure” in his Polarvision home movie camera.
It’s often reported that Polarvision was a main reason for Polaroid Corp. to declare bankruptcy, writing off some $89 million (in about 1980), and sell-off and liquidate many of its assets & products.
Despite the tremendous success of his instant cameras, Land’s unsuccessful Polavision instant movie system was a financial disaster, and he resigned as Chairman of Polaroid on July 27, 1982.
And though he reportedly set himself up for a decent retirement, some 6,000 employees of his lost most all of their retirements/pensions, not to mention their jobs.
This is just one example of too many to list.
Many “successful” Entrepreneurs, Inventors, business “leaders” & other such, having found “success” in one time/place, have found tremendous failures in other times/places.
And vice-versa.
Many of the greatest inventions & discoveries were mere accidents and/or results of “stupid” luck.
Philo T. Farnsworth, often credited as the Inventor of the modern working television, perhaps one of the most innovative & important inventions of modern times (that helped spur numerous other inventions, like computer monitors, phone screens, even the internet & other such), reportedly died poor, broken, even homeless.
Charles Goodyear, a self-taught & “successful” Chemist & Manufacturing Engineer, whom is often credited with inventing the process of rubber vulcanization (which spurred the multibillion dollar rubber industry), reportedly died poor, and broken.
Charles Goodyear wrote:
“In reflecting upon the past, as relates to these branches of industry, the writer is not disposed to repine, and say that he has planted, and others have gathered the fruits. The advantages of a career in life should not be estimated exclusively by the standard of dollars and cents, as is too often done. Man has just cause for regret when he sows and no one reaps.”
Thus “success” often transcends the mere acquisition of more stuff, money, assets & such.
And many people have found “successes” in aspects that will likely not be, even perhaps never be recognized as such, by conventional standards.
I’ve personally known too many (though still not enough), though oft-ignored & disregarded people whom have been “successful” in just living decent, selfless lives, working to help other people, performing random acts of kindness, without regard to, nor receipt of fanfare nor personal reward.
I hold dear the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson (though perhaps mis-attributed) when he (reportedly) stated:
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.“
“Living well” not meaning the pursuit of mere materialism nor possessions.
But living well in being honorable to all other people, and towards all other things in existence.
Being honorable in life often means making personal sacrifices, for the benefit of others.
I have a friend whom, for the past two years, has expressed an extreme fear of “covid”.
He has gone through all the extreme measures to “protect” his health.
Isolating, masking, vaxxing, distancing, etc.
Really, ceasing to live a normal life. Ceasing to enjoy living a fulfilling life.
In fear of presumed death.
Sadly, he just told me the other day that he was just diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
And has begun starting to feel the effects – tremors, shakiness, instability, loss of balance, increasing loss of control of bodily functions, increasing loss of muscular control, etc.
In essence, he went through drastic measures to try to prevent one ailment (the one currently most heavily pushed by the media & other powers), only to succumb to another.
He was so pinpoint focused on “covid” that he never even considered that other quite-real ailments may impact him.
I’ve known way too many people that have suffered from numerous ailments like MS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, and other such.
Ailments that continue to make enormous impacts, year-after-year, decade-after-decade.
And I’ve seen how those greatly reduce quality of life.
I’ve also witnessed, first-hand, “healthcare” and “medical” industries that greatly profit off those ailments.
Perhaps even prolonging agony is pursuit of greater profit.
I’m not sure the exact point of this essay, other than perhaps it’s better to live a happy & fulfilling life rather than worry about our inevitable death.
And maybe failing to live a happy & fulfilling life in fear of death is perhaps irrational, even wasteful.
At least for me (and that said, I have no right to speak for others).
Those many other ailments & illnesses, and just the everyday risks of & to life, continue to exist.
But I’m also increasingly curious as to what that “life force” is that drives most everything I’ve observed (including animals, insects, plants, etc.) to strive to live…..
At any cost.
(I’ve observed plants pulled from the ground that desperately try to re-root, in attempt to survive. I’ve witnesses critically wounded animals & insects that strive to hang on, until their injuries finally overtake them).
I’ve absolutely no fear of death.
It is a perfectly normal function of life.
Like the ancient Roman statesman Cicero wrote:
“After death the sensation is either pleasant or there is none at all. But this should be thought on from our youth up, so that we may be indifferent to death, and without this thought no one can be in a tranquil state of mind. For it is certain that we must die, and, for aught we know, this very day. Therefore, since death threatens every hour, how can he who fears it have any steadfastness of soul?”
For me, I choose to continue to live a fulfilling life.
Rather than suspend that fulfilling life, in fear of death.
I have lived an exciting, adventurous, and interesting life.
And if I die doing what I love, it has been a success.
Xenophobia & germophobia are closely related.
Fear of the “foreign”.
Fear of the unknown.
Two different manifestations of the same general psychological failures.
Hence oftentimes a reason that exclusive groups are formed (aka “in-groups”).
Which then proceed to push & require Groupthink.
A “vaccination” from divergence.
Total conformity & obedience.
“Liberals” and “Conservatives” are far more like each other than either will ever admit.
They may choose slightly different paths towards the same destination, but they eventually end up at the same place.
In fear, isolation, protectionism, etc.
Amongst their “own kind”.
Asleep (a closing of the mind) in presumed “safety”.
Insecurity & uncertainty often beget fear.
Fear often begets anger & hatred.
Anger & hatred are often displaced & manifested as xenophobia & germophobia.
Cicero, the ancient Roman statesman, and oft-regarded true defender of true Liberalism and Republicanism, wrote:
“The one who engages in conversation, should not debar others from participating in it, as if he were entering upon a
private monopoly; but, as in other things, so in a general conversation he should think it not unfair for each to have his turn.”
—M. Tullius Cicero – De Officiis—
And yet medicine & “healthcare”, like most all others things in contemporary society, are now being politicized, often amongst “partisan” lines.
Each seeking to silence & exclude the other side, their tribal opponent.
The “Blue Pill” people want to create a private monopoly on their brand of “healthcare”, attacking, criticizing and excluding the “Red Pill” people, whom similarly want to create their own private monopoly on their own brand of “healthcare”.
But sadly, both of which largely fail.
The funniest & most ironic part is that the “partisan” “healthcare” of both camps are largely being dominated & controlled by the same corporations & firms.
Each seemingly fighting each other for favored status of their Lords.
It seems to me that few if any of the truly & most innovative & progressive ideas, inventions, discoveries & such throughout history have come from monopolies of thought, opinion, idea.
That most of the most innovative & progressive ideas, inventions, discoveries & such have instead come from collaboration.
And it seems to me that most no one from either of these camps, both the “Blue Pill” or the “Red Pill” tribes, are able to do much for themselves.
Not think, nor act independently.
They both need strong “leaders”, Masters, to constantly & continually herd them.
Like sheep.
You must follow and you must obey your Tribal Masters.
You are either 100 percent with them, or 100 percent against them.
Now, it’s medication time.
Go take either your Red Pill or your Blue Pill.
Of course not.
Either way the drunk is still a realistic potential danger behind the wheel.
It’s a silly question, but a rhetorical one designed to demonstrate the absurdity of recent “public health” mandates.
So then, why are certain certain potentially dangerous activities being allowed to continue, whilst others are being criminalized?
Heart Disease is still being recognized as the leading cause of death in the U.S., with some 659,041 annual deaths.
As per the CDC the leading causes of Heart Disease include:
► Excess weight
► Excess alcohol consumption
► Poor/Unhealthy diets
► Physical inactivity
But no government mandates are being ordered against those conditions/causes.
Cancer is still being recognized as a leading cause of death in the U.S., with some 599,601 annual deaths.
As per the CDC the leading causes of Cancer include:
► Smoking
► Excess tanning
► Obesity
► Poor/Unhealthy diet
► Excess alcohol consumption
But no government mandates are being ordered against those conditions/causes.
Chronic lower respiratory diseases is also still being recognized as a leading cause of death in the U.S., with some 156,979 annual deaths.
As per the CDC the leading causes of Cancer include:
► Smoking
► Indoor air pollutants
But no government mandates are being ordered against those conditions/causes.
Just those three conditions (Heart Disease, Cancer, Respiratory Disease) taken together equate to over 1.3 MILLION yearly deaths in the U.S.
What would become of of our supposedly “free” and “democratic” society if Big Government enacted Draconian “health” mandates against those activities/causes, as they are with masks & vaccines?
And, enacting those Draconian “health” mandates against only those activities, masking & vaxxing, in order to “protect” public health, is much like outlawing only those drinking hard liquor from driving drunk, whilst allowing those drinking beer to legally drive drunk.
When observed reality & facts don’t match uttered/promulgated narratives, I begin to seriously question those uttered/promulgated narratives.
————————————————————————————————————–
“Law is therefore a sign of the corruption of man; and many laws are signs of the corruption of a state.“
“Law is right reason, commanding things that are good, and forbidding things that are bad; it is a distinction and declaration of things just and unjust, and of the penalties or advantages annexed to them.“
“In all countries reason is or ought to be consulted, before laws are enacted; and they are always worse than none, where it is not consulted. Reason is in some degree given to all men; and Cicero says, that whoever has reason, has right reason; that virtue is but perfect reason; and that all nations having reason for their guide, all nations are capable of arriving at virtue.“
–-Excerpted from the “Liberal” Cato’s Letters, #42 (1721)–
Whom is crazier, those decrying the many ills of society, but willingly remaining fully complicit in the systems that create those ills?
Or those choosing to actively abandon, and fight those systems that continue to create those ills, despite hardships, personal sacrifices, and other consequences of that Direct Action?
Is it better succumb to malfeasance than fight it?
If you can’t fight ’em, join ’em?
Is merely complaining about climate change ethical & just, whilst continuing to consume the products (fuels, plastics, fertilizers, etc.) that are often blamed for that climate change?
How sensible is it to express concern for the growing monopolistic and other powers of Big Tech, whilst continuing to support those Big Tech firms?
And/or griping about inequitable pay, income, wealth, etc., whilst continuing to buy from the corporations that are creating & engaging in that inequitable pay, income, wealth, etc?
And/or supporting “social welfare” initiatives, which are relying on mega-corporations for administration of those initiatives?
And/or calling for more “renewable energy” projects, that are heavily reliant on mining, that is creating it’s own ecological disasters.
I’m not afraid of covid, not one bit.
Note: The following is not intended to diagnose nor treat any disease or illness, but is simply my real-life account of my own experiences & observations.
I have absolutely no monetary stake nor financial interest in the products mentioned.
I first contracted pneumonia at age 16.
It succeeded in plaguing me for about 25+ years, becoming a chronic condition that would reoccur year-after-year, at least twice a year.
I would go through the same routine, to the hospital or clinic, be prescribed antibiotics or antivirals, which would take 7-10 days to clear that condition.
Only to have it return often about 6 months later.
Then a retired Doctor, whom had become disenfranchised with the largely-failing medical industry, had suggested I look into Eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus has been shown, in countless number of studies, to contain numerous compounds that work effectively as natural antibiotics & antivirals.
Consider that Eucalyptus has been historically in cold medicines, in cough drops, and to relieve chest & sinus congestion.
I began exploring the best ways to use that Eucalyptus.
And soon found that steam inhalation seemed to offer the best delivery, and quickest relief.
I also began experimenting with other natural compounds, like Tea Tree oil.
Which has similarly been demonstrated to contain numerous antibiotic & antiviral compounds (like flavonols, hydroxybenzoic acids and hydrolyzable tannins, and other compounds).
I sometimes also add other compounds, like White Willow Bark, which is a natural source of Salicylic acid (of which aspirin is based).
I quickly noted that steam inhalation of those compounds most often eradicated my pneumonia within 24-48 hrs. of use.
Not 7-10 days.
Plus, the frequency of recurrence of that pneumonia has since been drastically reduced.
In fact, I haven’t suffered from pneumonia now for over 10 years.
As soon as I start to feel ill I simply do a quick steam inhalation treatment with a combination of Eucalyptus (leaves or oil), Tea Tree oil, and White Willow bark.
And it has worked every time.
I haven’t taken any additional measures or steps to protect myself over the past 21 months.
I’ve had people tell me that guaranteed I will get covid.
And yet I’ve had the healthiest 2 years of my life this past 2 years.
The one time I did start to feel ill (headache, sore throat, muscular aches, bronchial congestion, cough, etc.) over the past 21 months, I simply did a steam inhalation treatment of that Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and White Willow.
And I was back to 100 percent later that day.
I have honestly taken what some would consider unnecessary risks, just in order to test these treatments.
I honestly don’t mind being a guinea pig for my own experiments.
I am more interested in discovering & learning.
And I haven’t succumbed to anything worse than that one instance of a mere 6 hours of illness.
So, I’m not afraid of covid, not one bit.
The ancient healer and regarded “Father of modern medicine” Hippocrates reportedly said “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be they food“.
He seemingly understood the roles of natural compounds in phytochemicals for their natural healing powers.
Herbs & spices are much more than just flavorings.
They are often full of these phytochemicals, aka secondary metabolites, which have been demonstrated time & again to offer natural protection from disease & illness.
In fact, some data shows that upwards of 80 percent of all pharmaceuticals used globally are based on those natural phytochemicals (but now most often synthesized, in order to offer IP & patent protections, and greater industry profits).
Caution – Always beware & take caution before attempting to self-diagnose or self-treat any condition.
What works for one person may not work for another.
Our bodies are each quite unique, highly-dependent on own own unique micro-biome composition.
And, just because something is natural does not mean it is safe.
And, as in the words & advice of 16th century Swiss Physician Paracelsus, “The dose makes the poison” (paraphrased from “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.“).
Thus in sufficient quantities, even seemingly benign or useful compounds can produce toxicity.
A short & sweet bit of advice.
Those whom think they know most, often don’t know nearly as much as they fool themselves about.
True knowledge is in recognizing one’s own limitations, and always seeking greater knowledge/greater improvement.
Even when we think we have answers, we should never stop questioning those presumed answers.
And continue asking questions.
“…for it is not having insufficient knowledge, but persisting a long time in insufficient knowledge that is shameful…“
–Cicero – De Inventione, Section 2.9.3–
“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge”
–Charles Darwin- The Descent of Man-
I remain constantly amazed at how so many of those whom refer to the Dunning Kruger effect in regards to others, that simultaneously fail to consider their own ignorance, remaining prone to the same failures of overconfidence.
Especially often by those in positions of “authority”.
Whom seemingly think the Dunning Kruger effect applies only to others.
Way too ignorant to recognize their own massive ignorance.
“Even the dreaded plague, in Lucretius’ account—and his work ends with agraphic account of a catastrophic plague epidemic in Athens—is most horrible not only for the suffering and death that it brings but also and still more for the “perturbation and panic” that it triggers.
It is perfectly reasonable to seek to avoid pain: such avoidance is one of the pillars of his whole ethical system. But how is it possible to keep this natural aversion from turning into panic, panic that only leads to the triumph of suffering? And, more generally, why are humans so unhappy?“
― Excerpted from The Swerve (2012), by STEPHEN GREENBLATT―
Would you seek to help & comfort others in those final hours, or take as much as possible for yourself, for that remaining short-term?
Would you allow your fears & anxieties to guide your towards irrational & selfish behaviors?
Would you ensure you engaged in excesses, allowing others to fight over growing scarcities?
“What unhappy beings men are! They constantly waver between false hopes and silly fears, and instead of relying on reason they create monsters to frighten themselves with, and phantoms which lead them astray.”
― Charles-Louis de Secondat, de la Brède et de Montesquieu, Persian Letters ―
Both the “Left” and “Right” are being most-completely manipulated, with few-to-none of either side recognizing that massive manipulation.
The strategy of Divide & Conquer, aka Divide & Rule has been utilized for centuries as a method of controlling populations. By keeping a population busily distracted fighting amongst themselves, it becomes easier to prevent large segments of that population from rising up against the powers that be.
Divide & Conquer has been perhaps one of the most covert methods of controlling a population.
Existing largely as gregarious creatures, humans often seek group identity, membership, loyalty, adherence, etc.
One of the best ways of maintaining group cohesion, is by distracting away from individual differences within that group, and one of the best ways of accomplishing that distraction is by the identification of another “opposing” group, and recognition of their differences (in-group vs out-group dichotomy).
Most wars on fought on this very principle.
Just as there is reverse-psychology, so too is there reverse-propaganda.
And whereas some choose to define reverse-propaganda as an attempt to defeat false & malicious propaganda, there is also a very different type of reverse-propaganda.
Reverse psychology is a technique involving the assertion of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is actually desired.
Propaganda is largely a psychologically-based activity.
Thus reverse-propaganda is the use of reverse-psychology, the intent of modifying behavior that is opposite to the one seemingly desired.
Like taking a “villain”, and getting that “villain” to promote some cause, in order to dissuade the foes of that “villain” from taking up that cause.
Note: Before proceeding, I want to point out that whilst Donald Trump initially came out against the covid narrative, creating partisan divisions, he eventually did a near 180-degree turn, fully supporting the Operation Warpspeed vaccine (not-vaccine) roll-out, and even claiming to have become infected by SARS-CoV2.
And yet the “Liberal” vs “Conservative” partisan narrative regarding covid has largely remained.
Evidence that the near-entirety of the covid event has been an exercise in insanity.
Ad Hominem is a logical fallacy generally referring to a rhetorical strategy where the speaker attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making an argument rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.
Appeal to Authority is a logical fallacy wherein the opinion or position of an authority figure is center of an argument rather than the substance of the actual argument.
Appeal to authority can work in two different, opposite ways – either supporting a position based on the support of an authority figure, or opposing a position based on the opposition of an authority figure.
Partisan politics often make use of the Appeal to Authority fallacy, with followers of political parties often accepting those positions of their party leaders, and rejecting those positions of opposing party leaders.
It is akin to Tribalism.
The book Thinking, Fast & Slow, by Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, illustrates what it claims as two types of mechanisms of thinking, a quicker thought process governed more by emotion, and a slower more deliberative thought process governed more by evidence, logic, reason & such.
Emotive thinking can often overcome the more deliberative thought process, leading to less logical and more irrational conclusions.
As such, leading an opponent to a emotionally-charged state can help overwhelm their deliberative side, forcing them to succumb to fallacious conclusions.
Appeal to Emotion is a logical fallacy, related to the claim above, that occurs when a misleading argument, and particularly one that is unsound or missing factual evidence, is used with the goal of manipulating people’s emotions. For example, a person using an appeal to emotion in a debate might encourage the audience to ignore facts that their opponent brought up, by attempting to elicit anger, resentment, and distrust against their source.
The appeal to emotion can be highly effective as a rhetoric technique, due to the nature of human cognition. This is because, when people process information and make decisions, they often rely primarily on their intuitive, emotional response to things, rather than on a logical, fact-based reasoning process. Furthermore, in many cases, people might utilize a reasoning process when making a decision, but will do so in a flawed way, in an attempt to confirm their emotional intuition, without being aware that they are doing so.
I am astounded & perplexed by two recent developments:
1. At how so many “Liberals” have most-completely embraced restrictions on individual liberties, via the covid narrative, after spending decades criticizing suppression of those same individual liberties at the behest of “conservative”-led narratives, like the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, the War on Immigration, etc.
Their embracing of those restrictions seems drive & supported more by their absolute hatred for Trump, than their support for individual liberties.
Hate is a powerful emotion.
As is fear (fear of death).
2. At how so many “rebels” I know, most of whom have spent decades criticizing industries like Big Med, Big Pharma, etc., are now most-completely embracing those same industries, and due largely just to their hatred for Trump.
They are now embracing the very same industries & institutions they have spent their lives criticizing.
And mostly via emotional triggers.
Trump has been effectively presented the greater of two evils, and now scores of people are being led towards accepting other evils, in their emotionally-charged hatred of him.
It absolutely fascinates me to watch as people act in completely contradictory & hypocritical ways, and observe as most aren’t even aware of their biases & actions.
I’m also fascinated at how to opposing sides, can each support suppression of individual liberties, based on differing narratives.
But simultaneously criticize the “other” side for their calls for suppression, whilst doing the same themselves.
Liberty cannot be a merely subjectively defined term.
The oft-renowned “Father of Spin”, Edward Bernays, in his 1928 book Propaganda, wrote the following:
“Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.“
“In almost every act of our lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons […] who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind, who harness old social forces and contrive new ways to bind and guide the world.“
“Who are the men, who, without our realizing it, give us our ideas, tell us whom to admire and whom to despise, what to believe about the ownership of public utilities .. about immigration who tell us how our houses should be designed, what furniture we should put into them, what menus we should serve at our table, what kind of shirts we must wear, what sports we should indulge in, what plays we should see, what charities we should support, what pictures we should admire, what slang we should affect, what jokes we should laugh at?“
“If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it?“
Most people most often don’t know, realize nor understand how propaganda is being used against them.
There is propaganda, and there is reverse propaganda.
One PR campaign that Edward Bernays is known for is his Torches of Freedom smoking campaign.
Wherein, working for Big Tobacco companies, in looking to promote smoking amongst women during a time when smoking for women was largely unacceptable, he portrayed smoking as women exercising their freedom.
And yet that “freedom” largely led to women’s dependence on Big Tobacco, via addiction.
A type of reverse propaganda.
Another type of reverse propaganda is getting a largely-unpopular protagonist-type figure promoting an idea, leading opponents of that protagonist-type figure to adopt the opposite stance/idea.
The covid event has seemingly most-completely disrupted most people’s psyches.
It sure seems to me that emotionalism is overriding most peoples more deliberative cognitive thought processes.
War on Drugs?
War on Terror?
War on Viruses?
Why does it seem that the U.S. is in a constant state of war?
“What unhappy beings men are! They constantly waver between false hopes and silly fears, and instead of relying on reason they create monsters to frighten themselves with, and phantoms which lead them astray.”
― Charles-Louis de Secondat, de la Brède et de Montesquieu, Persian Letters―
Some Stats at a Glance, That May Help Explain the True State of the Nation:
☼ Since the 1940’s the population of the U.S. has more than doubled (from 132,164,569 in 1940 to 331,449,291 in 2020).
☼ But since the 1990’s the number of publicly-listed companies has decreased by about 70 percent (meaning much fewer jobs (percentage of jobs to population), as corporations merge, eliminating duplicate positions).
☼ Since the 1990’s the number of new small businesses starting has been reduced by close to 70 percent (again, meaning much fewer jobs, as small businesses used to make up a large segment of the employed).
☼ Wealth & assets have increasingly been concentrated into the hands of the ultra-rich (there may be more billionaires, but that means more wealth is being hoarded, leading to reduced economic activity, as growing numbers of people have less to spend, and economies require increased spending to show continued growth).
☼ In 2000 the median price of a home was about $166,027.
☼ More recently, in 2020, the median price of a home is about $365,524.
☼ The median income in 2000 was about $31,216 (an income to home ratio of 1:5.31).
☼ Whereas the median income in 2020 is only about $35,598
(an income to home ratio of 1:10.26 – almost double that of 2000).
☼ Though the median income has increased by only about 14 percent between 2000-2020, inflation has risen by over 58.5 percent in that same time (even that number doesn’t take into account the year-over-year recent explosion of inflation from 2020-2021 of 13.4 percent).
☼ The U.S. workforce in 2000 was about 159,593,548.
☼More recently, in 2020, that workforce is only about 151,827,459.
So, despite a population increase, with fewer companies & fewer jobs, far more people are employed as there just aren’t the jobs being created by those billionaires whom are hoarding increasing amounts of money.
War on drugs.
War on terror.
War on viruses.
Increasing suppression of rights, freedoms, liberties, etc.
The U.S. needs constant wars to provide continued distraction away from the quickly crumbling Empire.
An Empire being destroyed by Shysters.
DIVIDE & CONQUER?
Phony “partisan” political issues are continually being promulgated, designed to keep the masses distracted, & divided, busily blaming & fighting each other (via Groupthink), rather than turning on the neo-feudal Lords whom are rapidly plunging this country into utter chaos.
I’m seeing a trend lately, where so many people I know, anywhere from Maintenance Workers to Executives to Teachers to Bureaucrats to whomever are proclaiming that they were and/or are great at what they do.
And yet none are doing anything truly exceptional, nor outstanding, nor groundbreaking, nor remarkable, nor even above average.
How often do we hear anyone proclaim “I suck”, or I’m number two”, or “I really need to improve”, or similar?
Constantly, the mundane & average are being spun as greatness.
In my lifetime I don’t recall seeing such as bad quality, and/or service, and or education, and/or such lackluster efforts being put into most everything, but witnessing so many people & companies proclaim how great they are, as I’m seeing in recent times.
I remember when I first started working, at how many actually good companies I dealt with that based their operational strategies & reputations on allowing their customers to define good quality & good service, and not in defining those concepts themselves.
It doesn’t matter how great a person and/or company thinks themselves, but how those they work for evaluate them.
But that concept seems completely lost today.
I often keep the cognitive bias known as the Dunning Kruger effect on my mind.
Often summarized as “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge” (via a quote by Charles Darwin).
Though often pertaining to perceived knowledge, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias stating that people with low ability at a task overestimate their own abilities, and that people with high abilities at a task(s) underestimate their own abilities.
And that bias seems to be standard thought in current times.
Goals like improvement, exceptionalism, breakthroughs, remarkable performance, and such come from those not satisfied with their current performance.
Those constantly seeking true mental, physical & task progression and advancement.
Satisfaction rarely produces true exceptionalism.
It’s those seeking true exceptionalism, progress, innovations & such that are able to know & recognize their own flaws, faults, failures, shortcomings & such.
And are able to overcome those setbacks.
And yet society seems stuck on overestimating abilities.
The attitude of “good enough” reigns supreme today.
Without first recognizing our flaws, and recognizing that we need improvement, we can’t make true progress.
Critique is NOT the same as contempt.
I’ve worked on mechanical systems most of my life.
And without being able to identify the weakest parts of those systems, we can’t make them better.
Same holds true of most all systems & process, whether mechanical or humanistic (psychological, physiological, etc.).
Critique should be the honest evaluation & analysis of systems, for sake of recognizing weaknesses and flaws, for sake of improvement.
But too often, thoughtful critique is dismissed merely as contempt.
I admire good Writers.
I am not one, but I write anyway.
I write to try to express certain ideas. And yet I’m keenly aware of the numerous deficiencies in my writing style(s).
But I would never consider myself a true Writer, as my skills in the art are just too mediocre.
Way too many factors of life currently seem based on that standard of mere mediocrity & theater (aka spin).
The Everything Bubbles we’re seeing in most all asset classes, for example, are based on mere mediocrity & “good enough” attitudes & satisfaction, not true exceptional performance.
Our U.S. economy is hardly thriving but existing on magically created money. In a theater of economic activity that has proven completely disastrous time & again in the past.
Similarly, we’re being told that we’re facing a horrendous health crisis, aka pandemic, but the oft-regarded (spun) “breakthrough” & “revolutionary” vaccines (not-vaccines) that are being touted 24/7/365 seem to be doing little more than reducing related symptoms (if even that), not truly protecting people.
That’s considered exceptional?
Really?
I call those major problems, not major advancements.
And I often feel alone in recognizing that plague of mediocrity we seem to be infect with.
Stagnation increasingly seems marketed as progressivism.
Failure as achievement.
Debt as wealth.
Inheritance as deserved achievement.
I fully believe in efficiencies.
In finding the best ways to do the most productive things in the best possible ways.
If one employs more efficiencies to do things correctly, then one can do more things better, leading to more lasting results.
But I see a world around me where most everyone is putting in the least amount of efforts, for the most mediocre end-results. Mediocre end-results that fail prematurely.
Perhaps even worse than that trend of commonplace & wide acceptance of mediocrity is the trend of rejection of true exceptionalism.
The few people I do know that continue to strive for improvement & excellence are more often turned away, dismissed, ridiculed, etc.
Yet those that dismiss that true exceptionalism most often settle for, even praise a pseudo-exceptionalism.
A false sense of exceptionalism that exists in phrase only.
Following that Dunning Kruger model, the true ignorants, being incapable of understanding more complex & comprehensive bases of knowledge, often reject those more complex & comprehensive concepts. It’s just too hard for them to understand. Simplicity is key in the Dunning Kruger model.
And hence that attitude follows for true exceptionalism.
When most people are doing most things the easiest ways possible, producing mediocre results, complex problems requiring complex cognitive thought processes are often too confusing, misunderstood, and thus rejected.
There are seemingly too many of those that find criticism as a lack of pride, as an attack.
Rather than as a method of analysis & improvement.
I used to do Consulting work for a once-large software company. This company at one time was considered the industry standard & leader in its field.
But that status of industry “leader” led to complacency & haughtiness. Pride that became arrogance, and quickly morphed into unfettered superiority.
They began to ignore their customers desires, and industry needs. They thought they were great, and so rather than try to improve, they simply merely existed, continuing to churn out increasingly mediocre products.
They even began engaging hostile & confrontational relationships with their users, their customers that provided their revenue stream.
“Love it or leave it” could’ve been their motto. It certainly became their mode of operation.
Pleas for improvement from customers were simply disregarded as warrantless complaints, and/or as attacks against the company.
I would monitor phone calls between customers/users and Reps. in their Customer Service, Sales and Tech Support departments, and was astonished at the hostilities, even direct insults that these Reps would lodge at customers expressing frustration over software glitches, bugs & deficiencies.
The company Owners saw declining revenue, and thus hired me to analyze the causes of that revenue decline.
And yet they often scoffed at most any hints & suggestions of improvement.
Any suggestions of improvement were simply disregarded as attacks.
They wanted more revenue, but didn’t want to make the effort nor spend the money to improve their performance.
I would at one moment be witting in front of a Board & company Executives, listening to them worry about declining revenue, but at the next moment find myself up against near total resistance to any change.
Same ole, same ole.
Why improve?
They were the dominant force. They had spent years building their reputation and user-base, they felt immune from competition.
Why spend time, resources, energy and money on improvement, when their users had to rely on them, as there were no viable alternatives?
But then it finally happened. Another company launched a new product to compete with this industry standard.
This other company began dedicating large amounts of time & resources towards developing a better product.
That once leading industry software company has now become a mere afterthought by the industry they once thrived in.
And yet I now see the exact same trend happening all around me.
Amongst most people, and in most industries.
Oft regarded exceptionalism is most often just wishful thinking & corporate & personal spin.
It’s ok to have pride in one’s work, even perhaps natural, but pride should not devolve into arrogance, nor prevent growth, nor stifle improvement, nor stagnate true progress.
I know this “Progressive” couple, whom recently moved next door.
They often tout their environmental concerns. Even brag about moving to a fairly rural area, anticipating the collapse of society.
But they drive their gas-guzzling SUV’s everywhere.
Even to the stores, which are only about 2-3 blocks away.
Rather than walk.
They proclaim to rail against economic inequality.
But live on the retirement of their public service jobs.
From higher-salaried positions (relative to much of the dying private sector),
now with comfortable pensions that are paid for by taxpayers.
Taxpayers of often much-lower income brackets.
They bought one of the most expensive homes in the area.
Looking to take advantage of an extremely bubbled housing market.
Enforced by “capitalist”-driven, massively-lowered & manipulated interest rates.
And they are often seeking free or low-cost labor to do their work for them.
Often via subsidized programs.
Again, paid for by other taxpayers, of often much lower income brackets.
They support the region’s “Progressive” Politicians.
The career Politicians that have made a living off the very massively corrupted corporate-political system they proclaim to despise & fight.
They even rail against highly-corrupted Corporate America.
The same highly-corrupted Corporate America that exists as the largest campaign donors of those cherished “progressive” political leaders.
And despite that continuous railing against that highly-corrupted Corporate America.
They continue to live & engage as enablers, passive & mindless consumers of the destructive wares constantly peddled by that highly-corrupted Corporate America.
Further enriching the same corrupted systems they proclaim to despise.
They often warn that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely“.
But insist on the integrity of their own absolutist leaders.
Whilst simultaneously condemning the absolutist policies/actions of other groups’ leaders.
They are scared to death of “covid”.
Even publicly condemning those refusing to mask and/or vax.
Proclaiming that others have the social duty to protect them.
But they smoke like chimneys.
One cigarette after another.
Continuously.
This “Progressive” couple recently relocated to the “Progressive” state where I currently reside.
They say they did so because they feel the state is more inclusive than the largely “conservative” state they moved from.
And yet this “Progressive” state I currently reside in has one of the lowest black populations in the entire U.S.
And amongst the lowest minority populations in the U.S.
Where they moved from has about 200 percent more, per population, of each.
Unfortunately, anti-black rhetoric is not uncommon in this “Progressive” state.
A visiting Professor I knew of Chinese nationality that was teaching at the local college here used to tell me tales of the racism & nationalism he encountered frequently in this “Progressive” state.
He said it was one of the most racist places he had ever lived.
Note: This is not intended as a criticism of just “progressives” nor of “progressivism” alone.
It is intended as a reflection, a critique designed to encourage people to think about any movements and/or groups with which they may identify, and seeks to examine hypocrisies of most, if not all movements.
Alexis DeTocqueville, 19th century French political thinker and historian, most famous for his work Democracy in America, wrote:
“The last thing abandoned by a party is its phraseology, because among political parties, as elsewhere, the vulgar make the language, and the vulgar abandon more easily the ideas that have been instilled into it than the words that it has learnt.“
Meaning that ideologies are often the first things abandoned in parties/groups/etc.
Tags, like “conservative”, “Democrat”, “Republican”, “Libertarian”, “Progressive”, etc. often exist as mere identifying labels, absent any true/underlying meanings.
I, for one, believe in true progress. True progress to me means something better than the old standard. It means constant improvement.
If a system or standard is not working or has critical failures or flaws, then progress should be employed to fix those systems or standards.
Progress often does not mean a complete dissemblance of entire systems, just for the sake of change alone. Change should be instituted for sake of logic, reason, cause, betterment, etc. And change should result in improvements.
And, there exists an inherent flaw in the progressive movement & party, a flaw that similarly exists in all movements & parties….
All movements & parties can be vulnerable & subjected to corruption, undue influence, manipulations, covert control etc.
Which is amongst the main points behind DeTocqueville’s words above.
I believe that true ideologies, like liberty, freedom, democracy, progress, republicanism, and such are essentially dead, having been merely replaced by catchy slogans.
And that too few people are holding their own groups/parties/etc. accountable for the true ideologies that are supposed to define their parties/groups/etc.
I had a Dream.
That a global Cartel of Billionaires controlled most everything.
From the energy (both “brown” & “green”) industry, to the manufacturing industry, to the money industry, to the media industry, to the consumer industry, to the medical industry, to the food & drug industries, etc….
Control of everything.
The controlled most all narratives, of most all kinds, from religion to science to education to corporate to climate to space, etc.
And by controlling all the money & all the major industrial sectors, and the media, they could coordinate PR campaigns.
“Truth” was as they created it to be.
They controlled desires, habits, thoughts, beliefs, wants, trends, etc.
And they directed those PR-driven narratives to drive more money, wealth & assets their way.
Even narratives involving supposed rogue Actors, like Iran, North Korea, Russia et al, were driven by them, for profit.
By creating narratives of say “terrorism”, by say Iran, they could easily drive oil prices up.
Driving more revenue & profit.
By creating narratives of say “election fraud”, by say Russia, they could divert attention of their complete control of the world’s political industries.
Distracting from their roles as neo-feudal Lords of the globe.
For this Cartel of neo-feudal billionaire Lords even covertly controlled the “leaders” of those supposed rogue nations.
Even unbeknownst to those “leaders”, or to other leaders.
Much like how many Corporate CEO’s remain largely unaware of how they, and their colleagues at “competing” corporations, are similarly influenced & controlled by the Cartel of billionaires that own their respective corporations.
Each is led to believe they exist largely as autonomous entities, but in fact remain under the complete control of that Cartel.
And yet few to none of the mindless masses were the wiser.
The ordinary citizens continued to believe these created narratives.
Narratives that played-off personal & group biases, prejudices, beliefs, etc.
Narratives that were therefore absolutely effective.
Because most everyone believed and/or relied upon them.
Much like how fads & trends control most consumer sentiments, preferences & attitudes, so did these created & controlled narratives drive most aspects of life.
Narratives like nationalism, and racism, and sexism, and faithism, and scientism, and all other types of “isms” were all merely contrived as methods of distraction (as many group identities are).
As they were all so believable, as they were promulgated 24/7/365, by most all sources, from all directions.
And though many, if not most people claimed to be aware of these absolutely contrived & controlled systems, few were actually aware of the absolute pervasiveness of these systems of control.
One group easily identified the manipulations of another group, but failed to identify the manipulations of their own group.
Each claiming ignorance of the other.
But each steeped in their own ignorance.
And ordinary citizens, even regarded “leaders”, both corporate & national, were driven towards turning & fighting on each other by these narratives.
Rather than recognizing the massive systems of complete influence & control instituted by these Lords.
Ensuring the continuing roles of these Lords, as Lords.
Thank god it was all just a dream.
OR WAS IT?
Prelude/note:
After writing this essay I found this interesting article from the Census, dating back to 2017, titled:
As Population Ages, U.S. Nears Historic Increase in Deaths
And this article, titled:
Excess Mortality among Baby Boomers in Canada and the United States
Both serve as interesting additions to the info presented below.
The “Baby Boom” started around the mid 1940’s.
1946 was amongst the first years with the largest increases in birth rates, with an increase of ~25%.
Given a contemporary average life expectancy of roughly 72%-78%, the subsequent “Death Boom”, increases in death rates resulting from that Baby Boom, are now descending upon us.
I’ve a feeling the recent hysteria we’re witnessing regarding illness & deaths is actually being underlined & directed by the fear & insecurities of that impending “Death Boom”.
Fear of loss, aka Death Anxiety.
Those aging Boomers, whom are now sitting in political offices, sitting on corporate boards, Directing Governmental Agencies, and otherwise controlling public policy, are perhaps looking to do most anything to eek out a few more years.
From Anthony Fauci, to Bill Gates, to Joe Biden, and far beyond, most of those making or directing the public health policies are in, or quite close to that “Boomer” generation.
A definition of insanity has been offered as doing the same things but expecting different results.
I see that in action, every single day, amongst a large majority of people.
People that then look suspiciously at me, as I fail to participate in or seek to escape from their insane ways.
I ask, what is more insane, continuing to do insane things that continue to result in negative consequences, or refusing to participate in those insane things?
Where you have growing dependence, you have a lack of independence.
Where you have a lack of independence, you generally have an absence of true liberties, freedoms, rights, justice, etc.
There are massive power & profit motives behind growing levels of systems of dependence.
You can start & run your own company, doing your own things, outside the establishment system. You are only limited in scope by your own mind, your own self-imposed constraints.
You can conceive of ideas & thoughts outside the established narratives, breaking free of both manufactured consent and manufactured dissent.
You can grow more of your own foods, even your own medicines.
You can live more off the land. Even with little land, even with rented land.
The U.S., and much of the world, is often abundant with beneficial natural resources, resources largely untapped, as corporations and the Establishment are constantly herding us towards conformity, reliant on the same resources, that they control and profit from.
Independence takes effort, hard work, dedication.
But those things we have to work (not work in the sense of slaving for someone else) for often provide so much more joy, appreciation, ambition.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech.
The proverb literally means “you cannot simultaneously save your cake and eat it” (some people get confused over the use of the word “have” in the idiom, which is used to mean “save”).
In order to save it, you can’t indulge in eating it.
If you eat it you can’t save it for later.
Thus you simultaneously can’t have two opposing conditions, which can’t exist at the same time.
I bring this up because I keep reading articles from people that keep griping about things like the actions & abuses of Big Tech, but they simultaneously continue to support that same Big Tech.
Or people that are griping about billionaires and the vast concentrations of wealth that are occurring in modern times, but whom continue to engage in the systems set up by those billionaires that continue to send more wealth towards those billionaires.
Or people that complain of the massive corruptions in politics, whom continue to support the systems that send the same corrupt politicians back to office.
You can’t have it both ways.
Choosing between two opposing conditions illustrates the concept of trade-offs.
I’m often largely a fan of more alternative media, but most of that “alt” media that exists today is emerging as one among the most hypocritical.
Many of those media are remaining reliant on Big Tech companies for marketing (i.e. maintaining social media pages for reference to their own sites), but simultaneously complaining of the growth of and increasingly restrictive policies of those Big Tech platforms.
So they’re doing business with those companies, actively supporting those companies in the process, but complaining of having to comply with the terms of doing business with those companies.
Try as they might, they can’t have it both ways.
This post is also partially directed at Protestors and Demonstrators, of both “opposing” sides, like many in the BLM, Antifa, and Capital Stormers.
Those that are (rightfully) complaining of the systematic abuses occurring, like losses of liberty, freedom & justice, but whom then engage in actions that require greater police & security presence, and more laws that are more restrictive of those actions.
You can’t commit crimes, but then complain of an increase in laws aimed at preventing those crimes.
I was chatting with a fellow the other day whom was complaining of certain actions in Congress, yet when I asked if he engaged in contact with his Congress persons to express his opinions and desires, he replied “no”.
I asked simply “How can you expect Lawmakers to even consider representing your views if you don’t express those views to them?”.
You can’t have or expect a representative government to function if you don’t reach out to and hold those Representatives accountable.
And though reaching out to them may not produce the results you want, or demand, you can’t simply give-up (keeping in mind that a “democracy” requires constant compromise, and we can’t always get just our way).
One of my favorite slogans/phrases is
Talk – Action = Zero (Talk minus Action equals Zero).
If you simply engage in empty rhetoric, without taking meaningful actions yourself, your words are largely useless.
anon0sean 