This is actually really fascinating, it makes me think harder about social bubbles. Because if you asked me ‘do people realize we have a problem’ I’d say yeah of course they all realize, I mean literally all my friends and family and acquaintances agree on multiple horrible issues we’re trapped in, it’s all we ever talk about, and new people I meet very quickly open up to passionately state this too. Corporations are strangling us, governments are using our money to wage horrific unjust wars we disagree with, public systems are continually eroded for private profit, the media are a joke…. Like I know maybe one or two people who wouldn’t wholeheartedly agree with all of this.
But then I look at comment sections and have a rude awakening.
I think you and your bubble might be an exception. Ever go to a major sporting event ? War propaganda on full display with stadiums full of teary eyed cult members
Yeah no I don’t go to sporting events. But yeah I get my bubble differs from the general population… it could be for many reasons. One may be that we neurodivergent people tend to clump together and also we’re pretty good at spotting patterns.
Social media is definitely being used to target people who eg questioned the covid measures to fool them into thinking climate measures (which harm industry) are part of the same.
Perhaps we'd be better off not on social media, but organising in our local communities.
I participate in local actions as much as I can and I also take solace in finding there are like-minded souls here on Substack. It heartens me and gives me hope in my fellow humans when I read writers like Caitlin and the people contribute interesting, informative and positive comments.
I've not noticed bots but there are definitely trolls about. I now don't feel guilty about liberal use of the block option - life's too short to put up with the incessant whine.
I also try and do my bit to drown them out with lots of restacks rather than just commenting on posts & notes.
I don't know if it makes any difference but it maybe all contributes to some positive shift in the algorithm
I heard a really interesting suggestion that we could use the methodologies of our opposition to promote our angle… for example not approaching people with calls to empathy if they have already shown they aren’t moved from a place of empathy. But instead angling at what they care about. So not ‘innocent people are getting hurt’ but ‘you are being manipulated and your resources are being taken from you (in order to hurt innocent people you can but don’t have to care about).’ I think we’re sometimes too stuck in this ‘wearing our hearts on our sleeve’ mode where we genuinely argue positions that are clearly put forth in bad faith and we just waste our time and sound dumber than we are…
There is a simpler method which from my experience often tends to break off the engagement early, which I don't mind since it just saves time. Namely, establish the common context before proceeding to argue it. Do not ever let anything slip in that ends up a false presumption.
As in: when people discuss some arithmetics it's assumed they agree that 2+2=4. Otherwise the whole thing is a waste of time.
That’s a great point for sussing out if you have common ground. My thing is more about how to influence people you really have no common ground with. They might not want what you want, but you still could use their energy, right? Like dirty energy companies get us to keep using their products by convincing us we can ‘offset our carbon footprint’ by using paper straws. It’s about figuring out what your target actually cares about and angling that as opposed to trying to always reach true understanding which will fail if you’re dealing with someone with a profoundly different sense of morality
Well, the other party must be open and willing, even if unconsciously, to learn.
In your example - the "dirty" energy companies using fraudulent schemes to pull the wool over the public know exactly what they're doing. They'll listen to your arguments, they'll smile and flatter you, they'll agree politely, while continuing to do what they do (that includes the "offset" buyers - essentially the agents of the fraud). Wouldn't it be wasting your time to engage with them, rather than looking for solutions around them? That is, they don't agree with your premise to begin with, but they'll accommodate you so you'll feel better in the end. Which from your point of view is a waste of your time and effort.
And now back to "common ground". My point is to establish that common ground to begin with and ascertain it is being done in good faith. The process might look differently depending on circumstances but the idea is to keep advancing based on commonly accepted notions at each step.
Yeah my idea is we become the bad guys. Not try to debate the dirty energy companies, but use their methods. Instead of trying to get people with no interest in empathy or humanity to discover the beauty of these concepts, we offer them what they care about. It isn’t even manipulation really. There are plenty of selfish reasons one might want to fight the current political system.
Many people realize there is a huge problem with our world, but most do not get to working with others to oppose what is happening now and then to work toward finding a solution or some solutions.
The last thing one needs is to have someone throwing a wet blanket over the positive comments on these pages. But avoiding the facts is avoiding reality. So let us be rational and unreservedly accept the supremacy of reason in thinking on what can be changed and what cannot, because much needed change is what is required
So what do we know?
We all know the totally controlled mainstream media, owned and now controlled by the moneyed organisations such as BlackRock and Vanguard, controlling 25 - 30% of all major investments, worldwide, will not be producing front pages telling the truth in the near future assisted by governments like those in the USA and Israel with just too much to hide. So we have to find out some other way.
We also know that the World Health Organisation has plans to add some controls over all countries as they nearly did with the Covid fantasy.
We should also know that the Davos bunch of "special" people have plans through the World Economic Forum, all well under way with a powerful group of active adherents to their philosophies and that such people are in key positions around the globe, avoiding unnecessary publicity (thanks to the media owners / investors) once again. The World Economic Forum brings together chief executive officers from its 1,000 member companies, as well as selected politicians, representatives from academia, NGOs, religious leaders, and the media in an delightful alpine environment.
Not Your average bunch of partygoers. Not a lot in common with ordinary folks.
So its wheels within wheels, some small but ‘vital' examples follow………the word ‘vital’ used as it refers to the future of the whole world. Some collected facts…...
The Chinese biological laboratory in Wuhan is owned by Glaxo. Glaxo is owned by Pfizer (makers of vaccines). Pfizer is run by BlackRock funds.
BlackRock manages SOROS FOUNDATION which serves France's AXA.
AXA owns the German company Wintertor. Wintertor built Chinese laboratories in Wuhan.
It was acquired by a Franco-German alliance.
Black Rock again, controls central banks and manages a third of the world's investment capital. it's also a major shareholder in MICROSOFT (owned by Bill Gates), which in turn is a shareholder of PFIZER and the first sponsor of ……you guessed it…...the World Health Organization.( WHO ). Plenty more like this.
So now you have an idea. The WHO wants to control the whole world.
The Davos exclusives want to control your lives (for their benefit) through the WEF.
The Ziomists want to control the lot…..and they have had 70 years to plan it. Doing well too. Just look at the control they now have in Little Israel (America).
How to fix it.
Look around you. Almost every Western country has elections on the go. All the Party members having almost identical outlooks like the USA, the Uk, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the NATO proxies and on it goes. One political party’s objectives the mirror image of the other. (Stay afloat, follow the exceptional USA, join in any wars on the table. All under some level of influence from the BlackRocks, Vanguards and the like, through investments of a disgraceful magnitude and then, through them the very involved Zionists and with their blessing the corrupted politicians, thick on the ground, but in the USA, almost total (86%)
Not too much of a wet blanket,I hope. But certainly something of a challenge for the likes of us.
That’s true, I do run into a lot of people who agree everything is messed up but believe there’s no help for it and it’s not worth it to try anything. It’s interesting to think that the same western individualism that is supposed to make us believe an individual can create their own fortune with no help from anyone also makes you believe you’re profoundly helpless when you encounter a systemic problem. Almost like it was meant to do that.
Actually, the way you describe your situation sounds extraordinary. I haven't run into anything like that yet. The best I observe and experience is people take care to avoid touching hot topics.
That happens too. I guess maybe I’m lucky but I have tended to get close to people who care about the types of things I care about… but out in the acquaintance zone yeah, a lot of people are just skirting the issue.
What scares me is that we are being walked into authoritarianism no matter who wins the upcoming election but not many others are grasping it🫤 I voted for Democrats my entire voting life and things have only gotten worse. Everyone blames the Republicans but the Democrats never do anything. Voting rights, nope. Filibuster.
Bodily autonomy, nope. Filibuster.
Universal healthcare, nope. Filibuster.
Gun control, nope. Filibuster.
Get rid of the filibuster? Biden, nope🤷♀️
Biden voted for Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito. He was horrible to Anita Hill. Biden implemented the EXACT SAME border policy as Trump's. Absolutely no one is calling Biden out on it🤬 Same for Trump's wall, which Biden is building.
here the first step seems to be to look beyond those two. team trump will be entirely responsible for everything he'll do if he's elected, team biden will be entirely responsible for everything he does if he's elected. both will be responsible for what the other does when they're not elected, because they were not a good enough alternative. you should vote 3rd party.
Please vote for Dr. Jill Stein, who is anti-war and stands for progressive politices. She is running on the Green Party ticket and may be on the ballot, and if not, write her in, at least there will others joining you. Writing in a name with no others joining in with you is far less effective as a protest vote.
well, morally it's better to not count for 3rd party then for genocide joe. consider yourself lucky. it will be counted and at least send a signal if stein is on the ballot.
Same complaint as people in blue states. But don't you worry - from your comment it seems you're voting blue no matter who. The blue states will cover for you.
I'm sorry you seem to think the US is a democracy🤣 It's not and it never has been. You see it was founded by wealthy, genocidal, white men to keep slavery alive. England outlawed it in 1799. There first person freed from enslavement happened in 1772. The Revolutionary War was fought shortly thereafter. The writing was on the wall and the founders fought a war to keep POC enslaved on their stolen land. And the Civil War wasn't fought to free the enslaved people, it was fought because the government wouldn't allow slavery to expand westward. The government never told the South they had to give up the practice just that they couldn't expand it. And the "businessmen" of the South threw a royal hissy fit over it.
"I'm sorry you seem to think the US is a democracy🤣 It's not and it never has been. You see it was founded by wealthy, genocidal, white men to keep slavery alive."
I see you're a product of recent education innovations. The first question I have for you then is this: Which (substantial-sized) country's system, created prior to 1776, *should* have provided the model for the US to follow?
I have plenty of other top questions, but they all respect history, kairos, and realpolitik, concepts that seem to have disappeared down a memory hole at the prompting of nefarious forces.
They left England in order to expand slavery. Fought the Revolutionary War to keep it🤷♀️ They created a "democracy" with three anti democratic mechanisms: The Senate, SCOTUS, and the electoral college. All allow for tyranny of the minority. The US has always been an oligarchy. Sure you vote, who picks the candidates you vote for🤔
"I'm sorry you seem to think the US is a democracy" - my comment definitely suggested that. And thank you for the historical excursus.
Still, your original short comment suggested you were upset you're in TX and your blue vote goes to waste basket. Even though not so much anymore with the influx of libs from elsewhere.
Voting doesn't matter🤣 Only because of the white supremacy issues here. It doesn't matter who you vote for, we won't get nice things 🤷♀️ The US has always been an oligarchy.
To borrow a saying from Mr Galloway, the Dems and the Reps are two cheeks of the same back side. And the one to “unite” them was a billy boy from AR. The US electorate has been lulled into this dystopia for over 3 decades.
Yeah I wanted gun control until I realized the crazy gun nuts might just be right about our tyrannical government. Be careful not not support other flavored authoritarian that tasted good to you
There is a Russian joke. Two men, an American and a Russian, are sitting next to each other on the plane on the way to the US from Moscow. The American asks the Russian what he is going to do in the U.S. The Russian replies that he is going to investigate propaganda in the U.S. The American says “What propaganda?” And the Russian says “That’s what I mean”.
It's a long-running decrease in leadership rather than an increase in stupidity. Even if the latter is instead an increase in ignorance (much more likely than an increase in biological stupidity), it was still caused by the decrease in leadership.
The question is 'why did leadership decay?' What caused them to become selfish and/or lazy?
But apparently this didn't happen to a noticeable level in government between the American Revolution and the Civil War, nor in industry from the Great Depression through at least the Reagan era. Something greater than a mere sum of individual motives is at work, something that I think arches over hundreds of years, not decades.
The megalomania in the United States started in earnest after WWII. Those in positions of power and wealth saw an opportunity to increase their wealth and power vastly. Europe was in shambles, as was most of the northern hemisphere, with a distinct exception... the United States. This was seen as an excellent opportunity to become the world's only hegemon.
the answers are so appallingly ignorant that the task ahead of us appears hopeless. There is no self-awareness of the US role in creating the wars raging around the world.
had a look, I use Quora a lot for science discussions, but not for politics. Not one voice of sanity, no appreciation of say, comparing the equivalent of Russia threatening to set up nuclear armed bases in Canada, or engineering a rabid anti-American coup in Mexico and pouring money and arms into the illegal government's push back when America steps in to put a stop to it.
and They/Them of the USSA Coup gov Continue to Poke the Bear. Personally, I think Putin and the Russian people have shown amazing restraint in the face of naked aggression.
and I'm an Ultra Conservative, rinoRat hating American Constitutional Patriot. not a democRat DEI Bolshevik for sure
the Russians, like the Chines and the Iranians show amazing patience and restraint - but as Ukraine shows, there are limits - perhaps Taiwan will be one.
I am also "restrained" by knowing what will be unleashed when the dogs of war are let go. Discernment & Reason are the first casualties of any war. .... and CW is being Pushed by the DC Deep Statists to initiate another Covid/Political Martial Law shutdown.
My people have suffered under great suppression and tyranny from the Feral Coup gov stemming from Jan 6th imprisonments onwards .......
In economics, treating human labor as just another factor of production, without proper regard for human rights I might add, is the cornerstone of capitalism. This is golden calf ideology, aka propaganda, not physical law, as neo-liberals would have people believe. The Law of Supply and Demand is just another man-made corollary to the it-takes-money-to-make-money trope. All wealth comes from the human labor expended to create it. Capitalist economics is such pure propaganda that it overshadows ethics and morality; even war is downstream from the greed. Thank you for keeping the truth in play.
I don't remember exactly when this happened, but decades ago there was the "Personnel Department". Then it got changed to "Human Resources" and its been that way ever since. 🫤
I remember the day when I called my friend's workplace and asked for 'Personnel," and was told that was not the "Human Resources" Department. I was shocked. This would have been in the early to mid-1960's.
As you point out, both war and the economy are sold to us as moral forces, separating the good from the bad, when in reality they separate the powerful from those without.
Currently stuck on Palestine Deep Dive on YT. Matt Kennard book The Racket. Ryan Dawson interview on Judge Napolitano YT. Dawson film How Israel Stole the Atomic Bomb and Killed JFK. Max Blumenthal comedy standup set at Icarus Fest 2024 Appears more of our society are reacting to “screwed” propaganda. Ralph Nader his Capitol Hill Citizen newspaper read May-June issue. Thanks Caitlin for this spot-on platform to share my “currently stuck”.
The opening question is quite controversial but very important.
(from the transcript)
"my friend how is it that American uh Middle
East foreign policy has been managed by
uh American Jews at the present time one
of whom was born in Israel fought for
the IDF and today has joint Israeli
American citizenship and this seems to
happen no matter who the president is or
which party controls Congress"
Be sure to watch the inserted video at about 7minutes of Amos Hochstein who is calling for war in Lebanon.
Scott Ritter says Israel has lost all justification for its existence. He tries to talk only about Zionists, and he is right to try, but the answers are tortured because they don't identify people in the US government like Hochstein. (and Blinken, and Sullivan and Nuland and...)
Israel is Losing Big on All Fronts and It is just Getting Worse | Scott Ritter
If people read the Old Testament, they would have no doubt that this sort of behavior and ideology is not limited to Zionists. The Jewish religion was founded in extreme violence, and it is a serious problem.
Then you haven't read the Old Testament. Way before there were Zionists, there were Jews. Whose core tenant belief is that they are God's chosen people, and everyone else is completely disposable.
Yes, one need not be a Old Testament scholar to recall all the Sunday School stories about how God repeatedly cast "his people" out, then how they returned over and over again, with "Joshua and David" and other "heroes" who might today be considered to be "Fascists".
Many Orthodox Jews have been coming forward to disavow Israel as this Glenn Greenwald interview shows. (There are several other such interviews on YouTube) They often say that God looks upon Israel as an abomination in that they refuse to obey God's commands. I'm not really interested in this debate except to say it exists.
And then there are Jews like Blumenthal, Mate, and Finkelstein who call Israel Fascist.
But, here's where it gets "difficult". Does Israel exist to serve the interests of a small group of the Oligarchy who all "just happen" to be Jews? Does the Mossad actually work for this group? If Israel didn't exist, would they still pursue the same ruthless "(criminal?) capitalism" that they do now?
One should never make the mistake of declaring that only Jews make up the American Plutocracy. Nor should one talk about "all Jews". But one should remember that it was the "Italian Mafia" once upon a time and that Meyer Lansky ran the "Jewish Mafia".
We must not allow AIPAC or ADL to accuse us of anti-Semitism when we identify Jews who commit fraud, extortion and other crimes. I'm sorry, but there's a reason (which I can only guess at) Trump's daughter is married to a Jew; there's a reason (which I can only guess at) Clinton's daughter is married to a Jew. Does it help to call these guys "Zionists" or is that just a way of making excuses for them? Do they support Israel for religious reasons or because it furthers their American Imperialist agenda to control the world?
I really don't know the answer to this question, or even how to ask the question.
I'm voting for Jill Stein. That should provide some idea of how conflicted I am.
The whole "but all Jews aren't Zionists" is just a way for Jews to deflect attention away from their history, which is predicated upon bloodthirsty domination of everyone who isn't them. Zionists are saying the quiet part out loud, and the rest of the Jews try to pretend they don't want the same exact thing.
There is an supremacist monstrous God of the OT, and there is a loving heavenly father in the NT? I don't think they are the same? People who wish peace and harmony on earth INSISTED that they are the same god?
Oh my thank you. I've such gratitude for those who I feel as if they, you, are holding my hand, helping me walk through this delightful time. It sure is the time for a revolution. Helping to expose these hot right- left political deceptions, rings of fire. Silly me but got that song Come on Baby "Light my Fire" ? I'm dancing to it right now! Woodstock generation Granny (who killed JFK?)
Let us not "dis-remember" that Judge Nap used to be on Fox.
Much like Tucker, why is it he changed his spots? I'm not going to speculate, but do wonder.
The "only one" (meaning the only one I can think of) who has been totally consistent for over 30 years is Chris Hedges. His condemnation of Israel is total. (Medhurst and Murray are also worth listening to.)
But Hedges also worked for some MSM didn't he? Why smear people who worked for Fox and leave others alone? Was Judge Nap corrupt while on Fox? Tucker Carlson?
True. Hedges was fired from the NYT. Also, recently, from the "Real News Network". There are videos easily found explaining that.
Judge Nap left Fox because of sexual accusations against him. (Reminds me of Scott Ritter.) I've extensively looked into Ritter's story and find it to be a trap engineered to place him in jail for pissing off Joe Biden. I have not looked into Judge Nap's story. I find Nap's youTube channel to be very, informative. I agree with at least 90% of what he says. All I'm saying here is, "he used to work with Fox".
I can say the same thing about Tucker except that I recall the "bowtie" on Fox and his commentary. The "Jon Stewart" "just stop it" interview especially stands out. Look at what Stewart has become.
What is your definition of "corrupt"? Nap and Carlson were selling what Murdoch wanted to hear, until they weren't. Hedges doesn't seem to have ever compromised.
This isn't an accusation made Tucker or Nap, but surely, the Bernie betrayal must have burned something into your soul. Or the apparent flip-flop of Tulsi?
Who you listen to and the network supporting that person, is very important. Most people still think the WaPo and NYT just tell the truth.
Yet Hedges worked for NYT. To count NYT as not a propaganda tool ever is naive at best. "Murdoch" is used for Fox often, but not "Sulzberger" for NYT, for some reason.
"Much like Tucker, why is it he changed his spots?" - that's what you said about Judge, suggesting they were puppets for Murdoch. Why were they dealt with (fired, pushed out, etc) then, similar to Hedges?
I'm just amused how Fox is singled out on forums like this. Suggests to me inner shitlib in commenters just can't be contained.
As an Australian, I’m proud to follow Caitlin. She speaks plain sense. As a doctor, I found the most difficult patient to help was always those with a chronic psychosis as my advice seemed to “bounce off” their brains. I couldn’t seem to impact their belief systems. But of course, I hear you say- they’re psychotic. Australians are like that in a way- we seem to flout along in our vast island , like the tree in Swiss Family Robinson, safe from the “wild animals “of the world below us. We are so safe that we don’t even know there are “wild animals”, so safe that we aren’t interested in conceptualizing their existence.
Trying to advise these “patients” that their reality is unreal doesn’t seem to hit the mark.
Thank you so much for this piece. It addresses some of the thoughts I have almost every time I read any of your other also always excellent essays. Mainly, some version of, “Yeah, but what can I DO???” And I realize that there is no easy answer. I’m not that much in touch with many people, something of an introvert, and the ones I do have contact with don’t seem to have much interest in hearing anything. For one thing, they are busy with their everyday lives. That, of course, is one of the features of this system. It is designed to keep people occupied that way. Anyway, I will try where I can, and try to think of other things to do.
Thank you Diana. I also have a huge problem with the leadership of the “free” world supporting genocide in Gaza. I just don’t understand the fetish with ‘freedom’ or being ‘free’.
NATO USSA Ukraine war on Russia will initiate WW 3. Then the Middle East joins in, then the "Pacific" theater, along with Our own Domestic 3 way "Yugoslavian" CW.
Eyes Wide Shut, 2024 tells the tale ...... CYA
Of course IF DJT can resume the Presidency there might be a "Chance" at peace.
I repeat, A "Chance".
Despite All the B & M ing of All that is Wrong, which is True, any other "Workable" Reality isn't posted. I repeat Again, "A Chance".
Caitlin, as usual I agree with most everything you’ve said. My agreement matters only that I believe I’ve not been brainwashed with anyone’s bullshit. I have certain beliefs; here’s one of them:
Learn how the federal monetary system actually works!
The federal government is the sole issuer of the US Dollar and has a different set of rules to follow from users of the dollar.
Every dollar the government spends is a new dollar issued for the purpose. Federal taxes received cannot fund any expenditures and are deleted.
Local and state governments are users of the US dollar the same as you and me, therefore Taxes, borrowing, and various federal allotments do pay for expenditures.
The US Dollar economy is a closed-loop circulatory system. The government spends into the economy and closes the loop by taxing out of the economy, regulating the amount of money available for spending by the public. Where money is paid into the economy, and taxes are levied in the economic strata also matters. Currently, huge amounts of money are in the accounts of the ultra-wealthy. That doesn’t matter if the bottom 50% has enough money to live comfortably.
Inflation is a function of the law of supply and demand.
The “Federal Deficit” and “Federal Debt” are accounting identities that show how much money is in the economy. If the economy is functioning well those amounts don’t matter. Too much money in the economy causes excessive spending which leads to inflation. Too little money in the economy causes unemployment to increase.
Although this is about the US system, any country that issues fiat currency such as Canada, Japan, or Australia follows these rules. Countries such as France and Germany that use the Euro do not.
Any information you’ve seen to the contrary is fiction promoted by worldwide banking and other moneyed organizations which include governments. They have their agenda for doing so which in my opinion is not in the public's best interests.
There’s much more to the Federal Monetary system. Several books under the heading of Modern Monetary Theory explain it in detail.
I am curious how the sale of tens of billions (trillions?) of dollars in US treasuries to entities like China for example, works in the closed monetary system that you have described.
The video you linked is from a "Crypto Bro" - i.e. a crypto fanboy. Even the resources linked are sourced by crypto propagandizers.
BTW, "Inside China Business" channel has ONLY one video - the video you linked. I would not trust such sources.
Also, tether is one of the worst stablecoins anyone can use. Maybe you don't follow the crypto markets and are not aware of all the issues. Even so called "stablecoins" are flawed. BTW, there are many models of stablecoins - Fiat-collateralized (eg. tether), Crypto-collateralized (i.e. based on other cryptocurrencies), Commodity-collateralized (i.e. based on precious metals), and the worst kind - Algorithmic stablecoins.
Here are just some (of the many) links for further research on "Tether" and its issues:
>>"China, Russia using USD-backed cryptocurrencies for commodities trade"
NO
Some (a very very small minority) of companies are using tether. China and Russia (especially the official govt.) are NOT using tether. Infact, China has officially banned crypto since 2017 (though illegal crypto trading and mining still occurs), and Russia is planning on banning Crypto too.
"Inside China Business" has dozens, if not hundreds, of videos. I linked to just one which was most appropriate for this discussion.
I know very little about crypto, believing it to be a scam, but then all money is a scam. Which "crypto" is best is just a subjective guess from people who may or may not know what they're talking about.
I have no reason to believe Walmsley is trying to scam me. At least he provides links to his sources. (is "Bloomberg a crypto-fanboy?) I also tend to agree with the titles of his videos. They are often independently backed up by other sources like Ben Norton, Richard Wolff, Blumenthal, Ritter, and Michael Hudson. Maybe not directly where Walmsey lays out "Plot A" and the others sing in chorus, but they do present a certain harmony when looking at things in a "bigger picture".
The important thing about the specific video I linked to was the alternative international transactions scheme. Walmsley pointed to the many Chinese banks who were anxious to avoid secondary sanctions. The tether option discussed provided a way of avoiding those sanctions. (maybe just one of dozens) It is only 7 minutes long. How was he to address the myriad possibilities.
If you don't like what he has to say, don't listen to him. Just as if you don't like what Caitlin has to say, don't read her.
Yes, John Zwiebel - you are right. I apologize. The channel does indeed have many videos.
>>"The important thing about the specific video I linked to was the alternative international transactions scheme. Walmsley pointed to the many Chinese banks who were anxious to avoid secondary sanctions."
I understand the point you were trying to make. Thank you for clarifying. (I think I misunderstood your comment).
>>"If you don't like what he has to say, don't listen to him."
I am not an expert on the Federal reserve? But, at least I know that it is for profit organization? The Feds clicks on the mouse and create 2 trillion for Biden to use as he wishes? In returns, Biden signs IOU interest on the 2 trillions about say 3% per year, plus he adds 2 trillions to the debts he owns this gang (the federal reserves).
At this point, I asked why Biden needs the Feds to issue the 2 trillions? If he clicked on the mouse himself, he will need not to tax us to pay the 3% interest, or to repay the 2 trillion debts ever.
So, they say so far we owe 30 trillions give or take? Suppose Biden or Trump goes to congress and says WE WILL CLOSE DOWN THE FEDS, AND WE WILL PRINT OUR OWN DOLLARS, AND WE WILL TELL THEM FORGET THE 30 TRILLIONS LOANS?
Now, without thinking of assassination as the first thoughts the comes to mind? Why not think monitoring and house arrest to all the people who potentially order the assassination? Voila! A clean break! No debts, less taxes! What is wrong with that ?
I have two points to contend. First of all, I think just about everyone thinks society is sick. The list of people who think things are fine is probably Steven Pinker. But that was step one of your analysis, and from there it goes downhill, because many people have only a vague feeling that things are off, no clear idea of WHAT is wrong or why; and others have a clear idea but they're full of shit. We'd have to have widespread agreement on what's wrong before we could scheme, as a 99%, how to correct it.
Second, we have little time. You focus on the injustices of the Washington-centralized empire, which is only a part--although it plays a large role in blocking solutions. But the ecological damage is actually more urgent--and it's not just climate change, that's just one facet of human overshoot. We also have plummeting biodiversity, all manner of harm to oceans, plastics and thousands of chemicals in the biosphere, and all those nuclear weapons AND power plants, even if we manage to avoid nuclear war, are a radiation hazard for hundreds of thousands of years. Some of these have the potential to cause human extinction within this century, not to mention what they're already doing to so many other species. We really can't wait several hundred years for humanity to wake up, come to understand where the real problems lie, and come to agreement on what to do about it (depose the sociopaths, yes, but if you only replace them with other sociopaths you haven't solved anything).
i don't know what the solution is--and I'm not saying focusing on Gaza and other inter-human injustices is wrong. Allowing the fanatical Zionazis to eliminate Palestinians from Palestine--which I think is the objective--solidifies the general approach to the world's problems of the "western" colonialist mindset, which I think is moving toward a fortress mentality of reserving the world's remaining resources for themselves (white people, in essence). The only way to escape from all these crises without massive premature human death, is to eliminate war, wealth, inequality and the notion of human separation and ownership of the rest of nature.
Radiation hundreds of thousands of years? As a nuclear physicist, that is what they told me, but, as a regular observer, I noticed Hiroshima is not radioactive after only 80 years? Is it possible that they taught me wrong?
Not an expert, not that I'd trust most of them. But while nuclear bombing was and is bad, nuclear reactor meltdowns are far worse and do damage far longer. Chernobyl is the better comparison: still radioactive. I suspect part of the reason Nagasaki and Hiroshima aren't now highly radioactive is air dispersal (vs ground level meltdown). Or the background radiation the world over increased as it dispersed in air from the bombs; I think I read this explanation before. One reactor vs two bombs and the reactor is and remains the issue. So if reactors are bombed in this near-future war? And what determines the war's winner?
I don't know, but I know it depends on the elements--I think it's plutonium that has a half life of hundreds of thousands of years. I know the bombs used in 45 were later considered little primitive ones compared to the ones developed subsequently. Maybe they didn't use plutonium, or not much of it? Or maybe there's some other factor
Thank you for stating the obvious. Not so obvious for most. Materialism has the world in a trance. Pursuit of stuff, which includes status, vacations, toys of all sizes shapes and types, more, bigger, fancier, never enough. Work longer, be online constantly, ignore your children, spouses, neighbors, coworkers- head down! Get ahead!! Take more pills! Binge watch more tragedy, porn, violence. Loving that high speed 5G starlink on my house. My headaches are caused by my boss/spouse/kids-EMFs are perfectly safe and necessary for the information age! Cmon man, Roomba and Alexa are awesome! Make sure to talk on the phone while driving cuz otherwise, BORING to just stare out the windshield-I can multitask and still be present. My facebook scrolling mostly happens behind the wheel anyway and I have yet to cause an accident. Also, I saw one bee last year-they aren't dying. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and almonds at Costco last weekend. Famine isn't coming-I saw the line at Starbucks this morning...everything's fine. Its America, land of plenty. War is "over there". We can vote our way out of things. We are protected by our Constitution dont forget-thats what makes us special. Look at all the people who want to come here...to live in a Democracy! Keep the borders open- these are just people who want a shot at the American Dream and should be given access to a better way of life-plus, we get more Chinese food! Please move over and give them your seat. Its the kind thing to do-like taking poison to keep your 'community-immunity' high! And please dont turn your nose up at those who identify as naked rainbow unicorns who enjoy copulating with children. They're just people too and they have feelings. Free to be you and me, right Marlo?
As I read your post, and I got to the part about the burning house, and fire, and extinguishing, I immediately thought of brave, brother, Aaron Bushnell.
It’s like we’re all in some sort of trance.
How can such a brave, selfless act, like the one that Aaron showed us all, be so quickly and thoroughly memory holed???
He was no keyboard warrior.
He was the real deal.
He led the way, with his courageous display.
But, to what end???
Just his own???
At least “the students” and their supporters are carrying his mantle forward.
And, Yemen’s with him.
Do I at least have the courage, conviction, and conscience to tell the hard truths to my grandchildren???
"The biggest obstacle to our freedom is people’s belief that they are already free. "
This. If a bird was hatched inside of a cage, how do they know that they are caged? They will assume that all birds have a limited space to fly around in. Helping others learn to think for themselves (teaching them critical thinking skills) helps the see the cage bars and realize that there is a bigger world out there beyond them. So, keep on reading and sharing Caitlin's and others' posts here at Substack with your friends and family members who need to understand what true freedom really means.
The problem with revolutions and wars is that the winners just become the same as their enemy. The Russian revolution has finally resulted in Putin who is very much a Czar now. The Chinese revolution got rid of the Emperors, but replaced it with a one party virtual dictatorship. The Iranian revolution replaced the brutal regime of the Shah with the brutal regime of the Ayatollahs. The list of disastrous revolutions in Africa and Latin America is disappointingly long. Not forgetting the American revolution, which booted out the murderous British Empire, only for the US finally to become a murderous empire itself. The British and French fought against Fascism, but are now in danger of becoming themselves fascist. The case of Israel is self evident. So - a peaceful transition is required!
"The Russian revolution has finally resulted in Putin who is very much a Czar now."
I disagree. There was a second, recent Russian revolution in 1989 when the empire of the Soviet Union dissolved. Putin is one of the best current world leaders.
Revolutions eventually lead to empires because people become insouciant. They allow those who worship power and wealth to take control.
1989 turned out more as another slaughter though. putin gets credit for rebuilding something despite the loss of (cultural and financial) sovereignty. being one of the best world leaders mainly comes from all the nitwits pulling down the bar and him knowing that.
He certainly outclasses most western politicians - imagine Liz Truss going over there to negotiate with Putin - but even so blundering fools like Boris Johnson caused him enormous problems - it's difficult to combat stupidity on a Trump level
I think he is a good leader in many ways, possibly managed to avoid the collapse of Russia after Glasnost and Yeltsin - but he certainly seems to wield enormous power and tolerates no real opposition. And I guess, unlike the Czars he will not have a dynasty.
Interesting proposition. Though, I don't see any examples of those from history (maybe my historical knowledge is limited). Do you have examples where peaceful revolutions/transitions have worked and brought about the change needed?
This is exactly the work. My role in helping people unlearn is in my songs - presenting them on stage IRL each week… and online. I can attest: We have a long way to go.
This is actually really fascinating, it makes me think harder about social bubbles. Because if you asked me ‘do people realize we have a problem’ I’d say yeah of course they all realize, I mean literally all my friends and family and acquaintances agree on multiple horrible issues we’re trapped in, it’s all we ever talk about, and new people I meet very quickly open up to passionately state this too. Corporations are strangling us, governments are using our money to wage horrific unjust wars we disagree with, public systems are continually eroded for private profit, the media are a joke…. Like I know maybe one or two people who wouldn’t wholeheartedly agree with all of this.
But then I look at comment sections and have a rude awakening.
I think you and your bubble might be an exception. Ever go to a major sporting event ? War propaganda on full display with stadiums full of teary eyed cult members
Yeah no I don’t go to sporting events. But yeah I get my bubble differs from the general population… it could be for many reasons. One may be that we neurodivergent people tend to clump together and also we’re pretty good at spotting patterns.
NOTABOTORTROLLHeel, Obey, Conf
I think some of the comments are bots and trolls.
Social media is definitely being used to target people who eg questioned the covid measures to fool them into thinking climate measures (which harm industry) are part of the same.
Perhaps we'd be better off not on social media, but organising in our local communities.
I think we should do both if possible Jo
I participate in local actions as much as I can and I also take solace in finding there are like-minded souls here on Substack. It heartens me and gives me hope in my fellow humans when I read writers like Caitlin and the people contribute interesting, informative and positive comments.
I've not noticed bots but there are definitely trolls about. I now don't feel guilty about liberal use of the block option - life's too short to put up with the incessant whine.
I also try and do my bit to drown them out with lots of restacks rather than just commenting on posts & notes.
I don't know if it makes any difference but it maybe all contributes to some positive shift in the algorithm
You are right- even if only online- finding like minded people and learning new things is very encouraging and helpful.
I heard a really interesting suggestion that we could use the methodologies of our opposition to promote our angle… for example not approaching people with calls to empathy if they have already shown they aren’t moved from a place of empathy. But instead angling at what they care about. So not ‘innocent people are getting hurt’ but ‘you are being manipulated and your resources are being taken from you (in order to hurt innocent people you can but don’t have to care about).’ I think we’re sometimes too stuck in this ‘wearing our hearts on our sleeve’ mode where we genuinely argue positions that are clearly put forth in bad faith and we just waste our time and sound dumber than we are…
There is a simpler method which from my experience often tends to break off the engagement early, which I don't mind since it just saves time. Namely, establish the common context before proceeding to argue it. Do not ever let anything slip in that ends up a false presumption.
As in: when people discuss some arithmetics it's assumed they agree that 2+2=4. Otherwise the whole thing is a waste of time.
That’s a great point for sussing out if you have common ground. My thing is more about how to influence people you really have no common ground with. They might not want what you want, but you still could use their energy, right? Like dirty energy companies get us to keep using their products by convincing us we can ‘offset our carbon footprint’ by using paper straws. It’s about figuring out what your target actually cares about and angling that as opposed to trying to always reach true understanding which will fail if you’re dealing with someone with a profoundly different sense of morality
Well, the other party must be open and willing, even if unconsciously, to learn.
In your example - the "dirty" energy companies using fraudulent schemes to pull the wool over the public know exactly what they're doing. They'll listen to your arguments, they'll smile and flatter you, they'll agree politely, while continuing to do what they do (that includes the "offset" buyers - essentially the agents of the fraud). Wouldn't it be wasting your time to engage with them, rather than looking for solutions around them? That is, they don't agree with your premise to begin with, but they'll accommodate you so you'll feel better in the end. Which from your point of view is a waste of your time and effort.
And now back to "common ground". My point is to establish that common ground to begin with and ascertain it is being done in good faith. The process might look differently depending on circumstances but the idea is to keep advancing based on commonly accepted notions at each step.
Yeah my idea is we become the bad guys. Not try to debate the dirty energy companies, but use their methods. Instead of trying to get people with no interest in empathy or humanity to discover the beauty of these concepts, we offer them what they care about. It isn’t even manipulation really. There are plenty of selfish reasons one might want to fight the current political system.
Many people realize there is a huge problem with our world, but most do not get to working with others to oppose what is happening now and then to work toward finding a solution or some solutions.
Huge problem, indeed, Susan T.
The last thing one needs is to have someone throwing a wet blanket over the positive comments on these pages. But avoiding the facts is avoiding reality. So let us be rational and unreservedly accept the supremacy of reason in thinking on what can be changed and what cannot, because much needed change is what is required
So what do we know?
We all know the totally controlled mainstream media, owned and now controlled by the moneyed organisations such as BlackRock and Vanguard, controlling 25 - 30% of all major investments, worldwide, will not be producing front pages telling the truth in the near future assisted by governments like those in the USA and Israel with just too much to hide. So we have to find out some other way.
We also know that the World Health Organisation has plans to add some controls over all countries as they nearly did with the Covid fantasy.
We should also know that the Davos bunch of "special" people have plans through the World Economic Forum, all well under way with a powerful group of active adherents to their philosophies and that such people are in key positions around the globe, avoiding unnecessary publicity (thanks to the media owners / investors) once again. The World Economic Forum brings together chief executive officers from its 1,000 member companies, as well as selected politicians, representatives from academia, NGOs, religious leaders, and the media in an delightful alpine environment.
Not Your average bunch of partygoers. Not a lot in common with ordinary folks.
So its wheels within wheels, some small but ‘vital' examples follow………the word ‘vital’ used as it refers to the future of the whole world. Some collected facts…...
The Chinese biological laboratory in Wuhan is owned by Glaxo. Glaxo is owned by Pfizer (makers of vaccines). Pfizer is run by BlackRock funds.
BlackRock manages SOROS FOUNDATION which serves France's AXA.
AXA owns the German company Wintertor. Wintertor built Chinese laboratories in Wuhan.
It was acquired by a Franco-German alliance.
Black Rock again, controls central banks and manages a third of the world's investment capital. it's also a major shareholder in MICROSOFT (owned by Bill Gates), which in turn is a shareholder of PFIZER and the first sponsor of ……you guessed it…...the World Health Organization.( WHO ). Plenty more like this.
So now you have an idea. The WHO wants to control the whole world.
The Davos exclusives want to control your lives (for their benefit) through the WEF.
The Ziomists want to control the lot…..and they have had 70 years to plan it. Doing well too. Just look at the control they now have in Little Israel (America).
How to fix it.
Look around you. Almost every Western country has elections on the go. All the Party members having almost identical outlooks like the USA, the Uk, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the NATO proxies and on it goes. One political party’s objectives the mirror image of the other. (Stay afloat, follow the exceptional USA, join in any wars on the table. All under some level of influence from the BlackRocks, Vanguards and the like, through investments of a disgraceful magnitude and then, through them the very involved Zionists and with their blessing the corrupted politicians, thick on the ground, but in the USA, almost total (86%)
Not too much of a wet blanket,I hope. But certainly something of a challenge for the likes of us.
That’s true, I do run into a lot of people who agree everything is messed up but believe there’s no help for it and it’s not worth it to try anything. It’s interesting to think that the same western individualism that is supposed to make us believe an individual can create their own fortune with no help from anyone also makes you believe you’re profoundly helpless when you encounter a systemic problem. Almost like it was meant to do that.
Actually, the way you describe your situation sounds extraordinary. I haven't run into anything like that yet. The best I observe and experience is people take care to avoid touching hot topics.
That happens too. I guess maybe I’m lucky but I have tended to get close to people who care about the types of things I care about… but out in the acquaintance zone yeah, a lot of people are just skirting the issue.
NOTABOTORTROLLHeel, Obey, Conform and Pray.
Oh Yes-- the Comment Section:
NOTABOTORTROLLHeel, Obey, Conf
So what ???🤔🤔🤔🤔
What scares me is that we are being walked into authoritarianism no matter who wins the upcoming election but not many others are grasping it🫤 I voted for Democrats my entire voting life and things have only gotten worse. Everyone blames the Republicans but the Democrats never do anything. Voting rights, nope. Filibuster.
Bodily autonomy, nope. Filibuster.
Universal healthcare, nope. Filibuster.
Gun control, nope. Filibuster.
Get rid of the filibuster? Biden, nope🤷♀️
Biden voted for Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito. He was horrible to Anita Hill. Biden implemented the EXACT SAME border policy as Trump's. Absolutely no one is calling Biden out on it🤬 Same for Trump's wall, which Biden is building.
here the first step seems to be to look beyond those two. team trump will be entirely responsible for everything he'll do if he's elected, team biden will be entirely responsible for everything he does if he's elected. both will be responsible for what the other does when they're not elected, because they were not a good enough alternative. you should vote 3rd party.
I'm in Texas so my vote for president probably won't count anyway because of the electoral college🤬
If it probably won't count then why not vote with your heart and your conscience?
I can't remember the original source offhand but this sums it up for me:
"Better to vote for something you want and not get it, than to vote for something you don't want, and get it."
I really like that idea. Thank you😁 I'll write in Neil DeGrasse Tyson or Bill Nye😊
Please vote for Dr. Jill Stein, who is anti-war and stands for progressive politices. She is running on the Green Party ticket and may be on the ballot, and if not, write her in, at least there will others joining you. Writing in a name with no others joining in with you is far less effective as a protest vote.
I'm thinking about writing in Neil DeGrasse Tyson or Bill Nye. Both highly intelligent, progressive, and kind people.
Wow! The bulb has been dim all this time then. I'm sorry my previous interaction with you assumed otherwise. Good luck with awakening.
you should have absolutely no qualms to vote 3rd party then.
As I stated earlier, being in a red state means my vote for president, unless it's for Trump which is not going to happen, will not count🤬
well, morally it's better to not count for 3rd party then for genocide joe. consider yourself lucky. it will be counted and at least send a signal if stein is on the ballot.
Good point.
Same complaint as people in blue states. But don't you worry - from your comment it seems you're voting blue no matter who. The blue states will cover for you.
I'm sorry you seem to think the US is a democracy🤣 It's not and it never has been. You see it was founded by wealthy, genocidal, white men to keep slavery alive. England outlawed it in 1799. There first person freed from enslavement happened in 1772. The Revolutionary War was fought shortly thereafter. The writing was on the wall and the founders fought a war to keep POC enslaved on their stolen land. And the Civil War wasn't fought to free the enslaved people, it was fought because the government wouldn't allow slavery to expand westward. The government never told the South they had to give up the practice just that they couldn't expand it. And the "businessmen" of the South threw a royal hissy fit over it.
"I'm sorry you seem to think the US is a democracy🤣 It's not and it never has been. You see it was founded by wealthy, genocidal, white men to keep slavery alive."
I see you're a product of recent education innovations. The first question I have for you then is this: Which (substantial-sized) country's system, created prior to 1776, *should* have provided the model for the US to follow?
I have plenty of other top questions, but they all respect history, kairos, and realpolitik, concepts that seem to have disappeared down a memory hole at the prompting of nefarious forces.
They left England in order to expand slavery. Fought the Revolutionary War to keep it🤷♀️ They created a "democracy" with three anti democratic mechanisms: The Senate, SCOTUS, and the electoral college. All allow for tyranny of the minority. The US has always been an oligarchy. Sure you vote, who picks the candidates you vote for🤔
"I'm sorry you seem to think the US is a democracy" - my comment definitely suggested that. And thank you for the historical excursus.
Still, your original short comment suggested you were upset you're in TX and your blue vote goes to waste basket. Even though not so much anymore with the influx of libs from elsewhere.
Voting doesn't matter🤣 Only because of the white supremacy issues here. It doesn't matter who you vote for, we won't get nice things 🤷♀️ The US has always been an oligarchy.
*The.
To borrow a saying from Mr Galloway, the Dems and the Reps are two cheeks of the same back side. And the one to “unite” them was a billy boy from AR. The US electorate has been lulled into this dystopia for over 3 decades.
>>"he US electorate has been lulled into this dystopia for over 3 decades."
Much, much longer than that...
Very true…for some our living memory doesn’t go back that far :)
Exactly!
Yeah I wanted gun control until I realized the crazy gun nuts might just be right about our tyrannical government. Be careful not not support other flavored authoritarian that tasted good to you
There is a Russian joke. Two men, an American and a Russian, are sitting next to each other on the plane on the way to the US from Moscow. The American asks the Russian what he is going to do in the U.S. The Russian replies that he is going to investigate propaganda in the U.S. The American says “What propaganda?” And the Russian says “That’s what I mean”.
If people do not understand the dire situation Western civilization is in, then we are fucked. We do live in an idiocracy and you can't fix stupid.
It's an increase in stupidity. And in Europe it is going to lead to recession and war.
"It's an increase in stupidity. And in Europe it is going to lead to recession and war."
As well as in the United States, who is the perpetrator.
It's a long-running decrease in leadership rather than an increase in stupidity. Even if the latter is instead an increase in ignorance (much more likely than an increase in biological stupidity), it was still caused by the decrease in leadership.
The question is 'why did leadership decay?' What caused them to become selfish and/or lazy?
"The question is 'why did leadership decay?' What caused them to become selfish and/or lazy?"
Usually, when people gain a position of power, they can not control their desire for more power and wealth.
But apparently this didn't happen to a noticeable level in government between the American Revolution and the Civil War, nor in industry from the Great Depression through at least the Reagan era. Something greater than a mere sum of individual motives is at work, something that I think arches over hundreds of years, not decades.
The megalomania in the United States started in earnest after WWII. Those in positions of power and wealth saw an opportunity to increase their wealth and power vastly. Europe was in shambles, as was most of the northern hemisphere, with a distinct exception... the United States. This was seen as an excellent opportunity to become the world's only hegemon.
"Those in positions of power and wealth saw an opportunity to increase their wealth and power vastly."
Meanwhile, the populace (unwittingly) decided to start taking it easy.
Preaching to the choir but when Quora was asked: "Putin says there was ‘no choice but to invade Ukraine’. What do you think?"
https://www.quora.com/Putin-says-there-was-no-choice-but-to-invade-Ukraine-What-do-you-think
the answers are so appallingly ignorant that the task ahead of us appears hopeless. There is no self-awareness of the US role in creating the wars raging around the world.
had a look, I use Quora a lot for science discussions, but not for politics. Not one voice of sanity, no appreciation of say, comparing the equivalent of Russia threatening to set up nuclear armed bases in Canada, or engineering a rabid anti-American coup in Mexico and pouring money and arms into the illegal government's push back when America steps in to put a stop to it.
and They/Them of the USSA Coup gov Continue to Poke the Bear. Personally, I think Putin and the Russian people have shown amazing restraint in the face of naked aggression.
and I'm an Ultra Conservative, rinoRat hating American Constitutional Patriot. not a democRat DEI Bolshevik for sure
the Russians, like the Chines and the Iranians show amazing patience and restraint - but as Ukraine shows, there are limits - perhaps Taiwan will be one.
the restraint is so amazing that it is a bit sus at times.
I am also "restrained" by knowing what will be unleashed when the dogs of war are let go. Discernment & Reason are the first casualties of any war. .... and CW is being Pushed by the DC Deep Statists to initiate another Covid/Political Martial Law shutdown.
My people have suffered under great suppression and tyranny from the Feral Coup gov stemming from Jan 6th imprisonments onwards .......
That tells you everything you must know about sites like "quora". What and whom it serves.
It's like trusting wikipedia re political and/or social issues. Even facts will be skewed and distorted to serve an agenda.
agree about politics - but quora is good for non-political topics
Just like wikipedia.
In economics, treating human labor as just another factor of production, without proper regard for human rights I might add, is the cornerstone of capitalism. This is golden calf ideology, aka propaganda, not physical law, as neo-liberals would have people believe. The Law of Supply and Demand is just another man-made corollary to the it-takes-money-to-make-money trope. All wealth comes from the human labor expended to create it. Capitalist economics is such pure propaganda that it overshadows ethics and morality; even war is downstream from the greed. Thank you for keeping the truth in play.
I don't remember exactly when this happened, but decades ago there was the "Personnel Department". Then it got changed to "Human Resources" and its been that way ever since. 🫤
I remember the day when I called my friend's workplace and asked for 'Personnel," and was told that was not the "Human Resources" Department. I was shocked. This would have been in the early to mid-1960's.
AKA Capitalist Realism, Why It's So Hard To Imagine Life After Capitalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaASqPnpq5Y
As you point out, both war and the economy are sold to us as moral forces, separating the good from the bad, when in reality they separate the powerful from those without.
Currently stuck on Palestine Deep Dive on YT. Matt Kennard book The Racket. Ryan Dawson interview on Judge Napolitano YT. Dawson film How Israel Stole the Atomic Bomb and Killed JFK. Max Blumenthal comedy standup set at Icarus Fest 2024 Appears more of our society are reacting to “screwed” propaganda. Ralph Nader his Capitol Hill Citizen newspaper read May-June issue. Thanks Caitlin for this spot-on platform to share my “currently stuck”.
Since you mention Judge Nap, this interview is revealing.
Phil Giraldi : Israel’s Control Over America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViTjfgIG4M8
The opening question is quite controversial but very important.
(from the transcript)
"my friend how is it that American uh Middle
East foreign policy has been managed by
uh American Jews at the present time one
of whom was born in Israel fought for
the IDF and today has joint Israeli
American citizenship and this seems to
happen no matter who the president is or
which party controls Congress"
Be sure to watch the inserted video at about 7minutes of Amos Hochstein who is calling for war in Lebanon.
Scott Ritter says Israel has lost all justification for its existence. He tries to talk only about Zionists, and he is right to try, but the answers are tortured because they don't identify people in the US government like Hochstein. (and Blinken, and Sullivan and Nuland and...)
Israel is Losing Big on All Fronts and It is just Getting Worse | Scott Ritter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBnX7-FTMF4&
The question is incredibly delicate, but it must be asked we Americans want to remain free from APAIC control.
If people read the Old Testament, they would have no doubt that this sort of behavior and ideology is not limited to Zionists. The Jewish religion was founded in extreme violence, and it is a serious problem.
Not all Jews are Zionists. Not all Catholics are pedophiles. Not all Secularists are globalist/capitalist genocidal psychopaths.
Then you haven't read the Old Testament. Way before there were Zionists, there were Jews. Whose core tenant belief is that they are God's chosen people, and everyone else is completely disposable.
Actually I have studied the Pentateuch and the old Torah, along with many of the gleanings.
Must be missing quite a few pages.
Yes, one need not be a Old Testament scholar to recall all the Sunday School stories about how God repeatedly cast "his people" out, then how they returned over and over again, with "Joshua and David" and other "heroes" who might today be considered to be "Fascists".
Many Orthodox Jews have been coming forward to disavow Israel as this Glenn Greenwald interview shows. (There are several other such interviews on YouTube) They often say that God looks upon Israel as an abomination in that they refuse to obey God's commands. I'm not really interested in this debate except to say it exists.
Orthodox Rabbis on Condemning Israel's War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSSjlFKLYA
And then there are Jews like Blumenthal, Mate, and Finkelstein who call Israel Fascist.
But, here's where it gets "difficult". Does Israel exist to serve the interests of a small group of the Oligarchy who all "just happen" to be Jews? Does the Mossad actually work for this group? If Israel didn't exist, would they still pursue the same ruthless "(criminal?) capitalism" that they do now?
One should never make the mistake of declaring that only Jews make up the American Plutocracy. Nor should one talk about "all Jews". But one should remember that it was the "Italian Mafia" once upon a time and that Meyer Lansky ran the "Jewish Mafia".
We must not allow AIPAC or ADL to accuse us of anti-Semitism when we identify Jews who commit fraud, extortion and other crimes. I'm sorry, but there's a reason (which I can only guess at) Trump's daughter is married to a Jew; there's a reason (which I can only guess at) Clinton's daughter is married to a Jew. Does it help to call these guys "Zionists" or is that just a way of making excuses for them? Do they support Israel for religious reasons or because it furthers their American Imperialist agenda to control the world?
I really don't know the answer to this question, or even how to ask the question.
I'm voting for Jill Stein. That should provide some idea of how conflicted I am.
The whole "but all Jews aren't Zionists" is just a way for Jews to deflect attention away from their history, which is predicated upon bloodthirsty domination of everyone who isn't them. Zionists are saying the quiet part out loud, and the rest of the Jews try to pretend they don't want the same exact thing.
There is an supremacist monstrous God of the OT, and there is a loving heavenly father in the NT? I don't think they are the same? People who wish peace and harmony on earth INSISTED that they are the same god?
A loving father sends his son to die on torture rack? Sounds very much like the same God of the Old Testament. The actions of a psychotic sociopath.
Oh my thank you. I've such gratitude for those who I feel as if they, you, are holding my hand, helping me walk through this delightful time. It sure is the time for a revolution. Helping to expose these hot right- left political deceptions, rings of fire. Silly me but got that song Come on Baby "Light my Fire" ? I'm dancing to it right now! Woodstock generation Granny (who killed JFK?)
Let us not "dis-remember" that Judge Nap used to be on Fox.
Much like Tucker, why is it he changed his spots? I'm not going to speculate, but do wonder.
The "only one" (meaning the only one I can think of) who has been totally consistent for over 30 years is Chris Hedges. His condemnation of Israel is total. (Medhurst and Murray are also worth listening to.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk2Igqxfnxs&
But Hedges also worked for some MSM didn't he? Why smear people who worked for Fox and leave others alone? Was Judge Nap corrupt while on Fox? Tucker Carlson?
True. Hedges was fired from the NYT. Also, recently, from the "Real News Network". There are videos easily found explaining that.
Judge Nap left Fox because of sexual accusations against him. (Reminds me of Scott Ritter.) I've extensively looked into Ritter's story and find it to be a trap engineered to place him in jail for pissing off Joe Biden. I have not looked into Judge Nap's story. I find Nap's youTube channel to be very, informative. I agree with at least 90% of what he says. All I'm saying here is, "he used to work with Fox".
I can say the same thing about Tucker except that I recall the "bowtie" on Fox and his commentary. The "Jon Stewart" "just stop it" interview especially stands out. Look at what Stewart has become.
What is your definition of "corrupt"? Nap and Carlson were selling what Murdoch wanted to hear, until they weren't. Hedges doesn't seem to have ever compromised.
This isn't an accusation made Tucker or Nap, but surely, the Bernie betrayal must have burned something into your soul. Or the apparent flip-flop of Tulsi?
Who you listen to and the network supporting that person, is very important. Most people still think the WaPo and NYT just tell the truth.
Yet Hedges worked for NYT. To count NYT as not a propaganda tool ever is naive at best. "Murdoch" is used for Fox often, but not "Sulzberger" for NYT, for some reason.
"Much like Tucker, why is it he changed his spots?" - that's what you said about Judge, suggesting they were puppets for Murdoch. Why were they dealt with (fired, pushed out, etc) then, similar to Hedges?
I'm just amused how Fox is singled out on forums like this. Suggests to me inner shitlib in commenters just can't be contained.
As an Australian, I’m proud to follow Caitlin. She speaks plain sense. As a doctor, I found the most difficult patient to help was always those with a chronic psychosis as my advice seemed to “bounce off” their brains. I couldn’t seem to impact their belief systems. But of course, I hear you say- they’re psychotic. Australians are like that in a way- we seem to flout along in our vast island , like the tree in Swiss Family Robinson, safe from the “wild animals “of the world below us. We are so safe that we don’t even know there are “wild animals”, so safe that we aren’t interested in conceptualizing their existence.
Trying to advise these “patients” that their reality is unreal doesn’t seem to hit the mark.
Are Americans the same?
Stating the obvious, you can't classify "all" in either case.
But absolutely many Americans are just too stupid to live. (Maybe I'm one of them?) In someways, that's not their fault.
I do hope you listen to/contribute to the "Honest Government Ads"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNxXRigHri4
He (probably correctly) stopped making ads about the US, but that doesn't mean the one's he's putting out aren't amazing.
Watched it - thank you.
Thank you so much for this piece. It addresses some of the thoughts I have almost every time I read any of your other also always excellent essays. Mainly, some version of, “Yeah, but what can I DO???” And I realize that there is no easy answer. I’m not that much in touch with many people, something of an introvert, and the ones I do have contact with don’t seem to have much interest in hearing anything. For one thing, they are busy with their everyday lives. That, of course, is one of the features of this system. It is designed to keep people occupied that way. Anyway, I will try where I can, and try to think of other things to do.
I'm wondering if the genocide in Palestine is what is opening people's eyes.
Seeing G7 leaders affirming their commitment to Israel gives me shivers up my spine -- the wrong kind of shivers.
Our western leaders are supporting genocide...
I think Israel as well as the Western leaders have had a major reputation damages that will take decades to repair.
For the young people to chant cease fire now is considered TERRORISM? It is a clown world.
Thank you Diana. I also have a huge problem with the leadership of the “free” world supporting genocide in Gaza. I just don’t understand the fetish with ‘freedom’ or being ‘free’.
I would value fairness more than freedom any day.
NATO USSA Ukraine war on Russia will initiate WW 3. Then the Middle East joins in, then the "Pacific" theater, along with Our own Domestic 3 way "Yugoslavian" CW.
Eyes Wide Shut, 2024 tells the tale ...... CYA
Of course IF DJT can resume the Presidency there might be a "Chance" at peace.
I repeat, A "Chance".
Despite All the B & M ing of All that is Wrong, which is True, any other "Workable" Reality isn't posted. I repeat Again, "A Chance".
Conduct Yourselves Accordingly.
Caitlin, as usual I agree with most everything you’ve said. My agreement matters only that I believe I’ve not been brainwashed with anyone’s bullshit. I have certain beliefs; here’s one of them:
Learn how the federal monetary system actually works!
The federal government is the sole issuer of the US Dollar and has a different set of rules to follow from users of the dollar.
Every dollar the government spends is a new dollar issued for the purpose. Federal taxes received cannot fund any expenditures and are deleted.
Local and state governments are users of the US dollar the same as you and me, therefore Taxes, borrowing, and various federal allotments do pay for expenditures.
The US Dollar economy is a closed-loop circulatory system. The government spends into the economy and closes the loop by taxing out of the economy, regulating the amount of money available for spending by the public. Where money is paid into the economy, and taxes are levied in the economic strata also matters. Currently, huge amounts of money are in the accounts of the ultra-wealthy. That doesn’t matter if the bottom 50% has enough money to live comfortably.
Inflation is a function of the law of supply and demand.
The “Federal Deficit” and “Federal Debt” are accounting identities that show how much money is in the economy. If the economy is functioning well those amounts don’t matter. Too much money in the economy causes excessive spending which leads to inflation. Too little money in the economy causes unemployment to increase.
Although this is about the US system, any country that issues fiat currency such as Canada, Japan, or Australia follows these rules. Countries such as France and Germany that use the Euro do not.
Any information you’ve seen to the contrary is fiction promoted by worldwide banking and other moneyed organizations which include governments. They have their agenda for doing so which in my opinion is not in the public's best interests.
There’s much more to the Federal Monetary system. Several books under the heading of Modern Monetary Theory explain it in detail.
https://a.co/d/dIMv6lU
I appreciate the lesson/information.
I am curious how the sale of tens of billions (trillions?) of dollars in US treasuries to entities like China for example, works in the closed monetary system that you have described.
Any insights you can share???
The question is incredibly complex because "money isn't real".
The book "Web of Debt", provides an introduction to this concept.
This "Inside China Business" video shows how "unreal" money is.
China, Russia using USD-backed cryptocurrencies for commodities trade using Hong Kong, Dubai banks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUSS1Azo4RY&
The video you linked is from a "Crypto Bro" - i.e. a crypto fanboy. Even the resources linked are sourced by crypto propagandizers.
BTW, "Inside China Business" channel has ONLY one video - the video you linked. I would not trust such sources.
Also, tether is one of the worst stablecoins anyone can use. Maybe you don't follow the crypto markets and are not aware of all the issues. Even so called "stablecoins" are flawed. BTW, there are many models of stablecoins - Fiat-collateralized (eg. tether), Crypto-collateralized (i.e. based on other cryptocurrencies), Commodity-collateralized (i.e. based on precious metals), and the worst kind - Algorithmic stablecoins.
Here are just some (of the many) links for further research on "Tether" and its issues:
(1) https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/ssogsx/analysis_why_is_tether_a_scam_and_its_better_to/
(2) https://newrepublic.com/article/160905/tether-cryptocurrency-scam-enrich-bitcoin-investors
(3) https://coingeek.com/is-tether-a-scam-think-twice-before-using-usdt/
>>"China, Russia using USD-backed cryptocurrencies for commodities trade"
NO
Some (a very very small minority) of companies are using tether. China and Russia (especially the official govt.) are NOT using tether. Infact, China has officially banned crypto since 2017 (though illegal crypto trading and mining still occurs), and Russia is planning on banning Crypto too.
Here are some links:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cryptocurrency_by_country_or_territory
(2) https://www.wlglobal.solutions/blog/all-you-need-to-know-about-crypto-regulations-in-china-its-complicated/
(3) https://cryptobriefing.com/russia-crypto-ban-reinforce-ruble/
(4) https://beincrypto.com/russia-ban-crypto-us-sanctions/
(5) https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/01/14/dont-assume-china-will-ease-crypto-restrictions-anytime-soon/
"Inside China Business" has dozens, if not hundreds, of videos. I linked to just one which was most appropriate for this discussion.
I know very little about crypto, believing it to be a scam, but then all money is a scam. Which "crypto" is best is just a subjective guess from people who may or may not know what they're talking about.
I have no reason to believe Walmsley is trying to scam me. At least he provides links to his sources. (is "Bloomberg a crypto-fanboy?) I also tend to agree with the titles of his videos. They are often independently backed up by other sources like Ben Norton, Richard Wolff, Blumenthal, Ritter, and Michael Hudson. Maybe not directly where Walmsey lays out "Plot A" and the others sing in chorus, but they do present a certain harmony when looking at things in a "bigger picture".
The important thing about the specific video I linked to was the alternative international transactions scheme. Walmsley pointed to the many Chinese banks who were anxious to avoid secondary sanctions. The tether option discussed provided a way of avoiding those sanctions. (maybe just one of dozens) It is only 7 minutes long. How was he to address the myriad possibilities.
If you don't like what he has to say, don't listen to him. Just as if you don't like what Caitlin has to say, don't read her.
Yes, John Zwiebel - you are right. I apologize. The channel does indeed have many videos.
>>"The important thing about the specific video I linked to was the alternative international transactions scheme. Walmsley pointed to the many Chinese banks who were anxious to avoid secondary sanctions."
I understand the point you were trying to make. Thank you for clarifying. (I think I misunderstood your comment).
>>"If you don't like what he has to say, don't listen to him."
Fair enough, I get your point.
I am not an expert on the Federal reserve? But, at least I know that it is for profit organization? The Feds clicks on the mouse and create 2 trillion for Biden to use as he wishes? In returns, Biden signs IOU interest on the 2 trillions about say 3% per year, plus he adds 2 trillions to the debts he owns this gang (the federal reserves).
At this point, I asked why Biden needs the Feds to issue the 2 trillions? If he clicked on the mouse himself, he will need not to tax us to pay the 3% interest, or to repay the 2 trillion debts ever.
So, they say so far we owe 30 trillions give or take? Suppose Biden or Trump goes to congress and says WE WILL CLOSE DOWN THE FEDS, AND WE WILL PRINT OUR OWN DOLLARS, AND WE WILL TELL THEM FORGET THE 30 TRILLIONS LOANS?
Now, without thinking of assassination as the first thoughts the comes to mind? Why not think monitoring and house arrest to all the people who potentially order the assassination? Voila! A clean break! No debts, less taxes! What is wrong with that ?
the fed reserve is a private entity, isn't it? can't touch that or else you'd be doing socialism, yikes.
I have two points to contend. First of all, I think just about everyone thinks society is sick. The list of people who think things are fine is probably Steven Pinker. But that was step one of your analysis, and from there it goes downhill, because many people have only a vague feeling that things are off, no clear idea of WHAT is wrong or why; and others have a clear idea but they're full of shit. We'd have to have widespread agreement on what's wrong before we could scheme, as a 99%, how to correct it.
Second, we have little time. You focus on the injustices of the Washington-centralized empire, which is only a part--although it plays a large role in blocking solutions. But the ecological damage is actually more urgent--and it's not just climate change, that's just one facet of human overshoot. We also have plummeting biodiversity, all manner of harm to oceans, plastics and thousands of chemicals in the biosphere, and all those nuclear weapons AND power plants, even if we manage to avoid nuclear war, are a radiation hazard for hundreds of thousands of years. Some of these have the potential to cause human extinction within this century, not to mention what they're already doing to so many other species. We really can't wait several hundred years for humanity to wake up, come to understand where the real problems lie, and come to agreement on what to do about it (depose the sociopaths, yes, but if you only replace them with other sociopaths you haven't solved anything).
i don't know what the solution is--and I'm not saying focusing on Gaza and other inter-human injustices is wrong. Allowing the fanatical Zionazis to eliminate Palestinians from Palestine--which I think is the objective--solidifies the general approach to the world's problems of the "western" colonialist mindset, which I think is moving toward a fortress mentality of reserving the world's remaining resources for themselves (white people, in essence). The only way to escape from all these crises without massive premature human death, is to eliminate war, wealth, inequality and the notion of human separation and ownership of the rest of nature.
Radiation hundreds of thousands of years? As a nuclear physicist, that is what they told me, but, as a regular observer, I noticed Hiroshima is not radioactive after only 80 years? Is it possible that they taught me wrong?
Not an expert, not that I'd trust most of them. But while nuclear bombing was and is bad, nuclear reactor meltdowns are far worse and do damage far longer. Chernobyl is the better comparison: still radioactive. I suspect part of the reason Nagasaki and Hiroshima aren't now highly radioactive is air dispersal (vs ground level meltdown). Or the background radiation the world over increased as it dispersed in air from the bombs; I think I read this explanation before. One reactor vs two bombs and the reactor is and remains the issue. So if reactors are bombed in this near-future war? And what determines the war's winner?
"Chernobyl is the better comparison: still radioactive" - Chernobyl's not the only one, are others too?
yes, of course and I had planned to come back to list every single one ... huh? Game elsewhere, d00d.
So is Chernobyl the only one or, say, three-mile-island or fukushima also apply, dudette? Heard of those?
I don't know, but I know it depends on the elements--I think it's plutonium that has a half life of hundreds of thousands of years. I know the bombs used in 45 were later considered little primitive ones compared to the ones developed subsequently. Maybe they didn't use plutonium, or not much of it? Or maybe there's some other factor
Thank you for stating the obvious. Not so obvious for most. Materialism has the world in a trance. Pursuit of stuff, which includes status, vacations, toys of all sizes shapes and types, more, bigger, fancier, never enough. Work longer, be online constantly, ignore your children, spouses, neighbors, coworkers- head down! Get ahead!! Take more pills! Binge watch more tragedy, porn, violence. Loving that high speed 5G starlink on my house. My headaches are caused by my boss/spouse/kids-EMFs are perfectly safe and necessary for the information age! Cmon man, Roomba and Alexa are awesome! Make sure to talk on the phone while driving cuz otherwise, BORING to just stare out the windshield-I can multitask and still be present. My facebook scrolling mostly happens behind the wheel anyway and I have yet to cause an accident. Also, I saw one bee last year-they aren't dying. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and almonds at Costco last weekend. Famine isn't coming-I saw the line at Starbucks this morning...everything's fine. Its America, land of plenty. War is "over there". We can vote our way out of things. We are protected by our Constitution dont forget-thats what makes us special. Look at all the people who want to come here...to live in a Democracy! Keep the borders open- these are just people who want a shot at the American Dream and should be given access to a better way of life-plus, we get more Chinese food! Please move over and give them your seat. Its the kind thing to do-like taking poison to keep your 'community-immunity' high! And please dont turn your nose up at those who identify as naked rainbow unicorns who enjoy copulating with children. They're just people too and they have feelings. Free to be you and me, right Marlo?
(What a goddamn nightmare I can't wake up from.)
Great write up LucyNeo! Why live for "tomorrow" when there is no tomorrow? Materialism FTW.
and the 'mare will probably only get worse if history is any indicator. I hope for a better turning, and We still have a chance.......
I do wish you well
As I read your post, and I got to the part about the burning house, and fire, and extinguishing, I immediately thought of brave, brother, Aaron Bushnell.
It’s like we’re all in some sort of trance.
How can such a brave, selfless act, like the one that Aaron showed us all, be so quickly and thoroughly memory holed???
He was no keyboard warrior.
He was the real deal.
He led the way, with his courageous display.
But, to what end???
Just his own???
At least “the students” and their supporters are carrying his mantle forward.
And, Yemen’s with him.
Do I at least have the courage, conviction, and conscience to tell the hard truths to my grandchildren???
Warrior or wimp???
It’s my decision.
That’s why I purchased my Kalashnikov Mike.
I’m ready for it cause I’m the furthest thing from a wimp.
Join me.
"The biggest obstacle to our freedom is people’s belief that they are already free. "
This. If a bird was hatched inside of a cage, how do they know that they are caged? They will assume that all birds have a limited space to fly around in. Helping others learn to think for themselves (teaching them critical thinking skills) helps the see the cage bars and realize that there is a bigger world out there beyond them. So, keep on reading and sharing Caitlin's and others' posts here at Substack with your friends and family members who need to understand what true freedom really means.
The problem with revolutions and wars is that the winners just become the same as their enemy. The Russian revolution has finally resulted in Putin who is very much a Czar now. The Chinese revolution got rid of the Emperors, but replaced it with a one party virtual dictatorship. The Iranian revolution replaced the brutal regime of the Shah with the brutal regime of the Ayatollahs. The list of disastrous revolutions in Africa and Latin America is disappointingly long. Not forgetting the American revolution, which booted out the murderous British Empire, only for the US finally to become a murderous empire itself. The British and French fought against Fascism, but are now in danger of becoming themselves fascist. The case of Israel is self evident. So - a peaceful transition is required!
"The Russian revolution has finally resulted in Putin who is very much a Czar now."
I disagree. There was a second, recent Russian revolution in 1989 when the empire of the Soviet Union dissolved. Putin is one of the best current world leaders.
Revolutions eventually lead to empires because people become insouciant. They allow those who worship power and wealth to take control.
1989 turned out more as another slaughter though. putin gets credit for rebuilding something despite the loss of (cultural and financial) sovereignty. being one of the best world leaders mainly comes from all the nitwits pulling down the bar and him knowing that.
He certainly outclasses most western politicians - imagine Liz Truss going over there to negotiate with Putin - but even so blundering fools like Boris Johnson caused him enormous problems - it's difficult to combat stupidity on a Trump level
Couldn’t agree more about Putin, Realist.
I think he is a good leader in many ways, possibly managed to avoid the collapse of Russia after Glasnost and Yeltsin - but he certainly seems to wield enormous power and tolerates no real opposition. And I guess, unlike the Czars he will not have a dynasty.
The United States also wields enormous power and tolerates no real opposition, but it is done with a certain amount of finesse and most don't see it.
And most of what you hear about the Russian government is U.S. propaganda
>>"So - a peaceful transition is required"
Interesting proposition. Though, I don't see any examples of those from history (maybe my historical knowledge is limited). Do you have examples where peaceful revolutions/transitions have worked and brought about the change needed?
there are very few - I can only think of Czechoslovakia separating peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia
This is exactly the work. My role in helping people unlearn is in my songs - presenting them on stage IRL each week… and online. I can attest: We have a long way to go.