I call it love (sectarian tribalist religion has so corrupted the word "god"). And it seems to me rhat it is not about merely "knowing" about our interconnectedness (as conceptual knowledge) but actually FEELING it, feeling another's pain as my own. Or in other words, compassion/love. Possibly the only sensation and realization (not knowledge but visceral realization) that can heal deeply wounded and divided humanity
Regarding wjat Caitlin said, agree with everything, except that the empire is acting illogically. It is not. The Ruling class know exactly what they are doing when they make sure humanity lives in a constant state of tribalist division, hatred and war. Here is exactly why they do this, and exactly why trump put the Godless NeoCon Zionist WarHawks in charge of tue global empire https://open.substack.com/pub/johnspritzler/p/the-trump-foreign-policy-team-will
Two profound must-read essays (with full citations) that will show you exactly the logic and rational of the billionaire ruling class (whether it is trump or biden or obama or bush or any other performer inhabiting the white house) and exactly why trump has appointed these hate-filled bloodthirsty zionist billionaire puppets to run their global empire..
PS. And i also wrote on my profile about the rational and logic for the coming world war planned by the corporate-capitalist global empire, if there's an interest
I do not understand your comment, knowing nothing about you, but I can surmise ... Snark? Since you are still around, maybe you haven't thrown yourself on a sword yet?
indeed snark (from europe no less). thanks to aaron bushnell we learned that individual self sword-throwing doesn't seem to make a dent. voting against the genocide was a 'no brainer', imo.
in europe i voted for communists unequivocally opposing it and calling for sanctions. non-voting is not a clear statement against the genocide, imo. a low turnout can be explained in a lot of ways. no one will explain this one by claiming that people stayed home because they opposed the genocide, because they obviously didn't care enough to use the possibility to state their position on the matter.
Half a shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich. Wondered why no one was putting up yard signs. Afraid to let neighbors know who you support. That is a sad thing. To be afraid of others you know. So I have declared peace and gone home. Knowing that there is an ongoing massacre of those in the Holy land. Knowing my government is using our money to help another monster. I refuse to hate. It helps that we have been following Caitlins column. I resisted the draft in the sixties. Even more now to resist and embrace how this is another reason to make local politics even more local by treating this Thanksgiving like a first supper of reckoning with the family across the table eye to eye and heart to heart.
Caitlin, you are 💯 on target with EVERYTHING in your article, and I appreciate your ability to simultaneously convey nuance and "pointed criticisms" - a difficult thing to balance.
Yes, Democrats AND Republicans are to blame, but I can't help but blame the Democrats MORE for a couple reasons:
(1) In spite of a 1 year+ genocide, the Democrats still supported Israel (and the Republicans didn't object). Knowing this, people still voted for Harris when much better (and rational) candidates (like Jill Stein) were an option. SO, I blame the Democrats (and EVERYONE that voted for Harris) for most things that will transpire over the next 4 years
(2) The Democrats moved RIGHT (instead of LEFT) by aligning with the likes of the Cheneys. They ignored the will of so many young people and people with conscience and morality. They spurned Muslims and Palestinians. Why are people surprised that Harris lost?
The American people (BOTH Democrats and Republicans) have brought this upon themselves. The good thing is that Trump will speed up the DEMISE of the US Empire. The bad thing is that ordinary people (all over the world) will land up paying the highest price for the moronic behavior of American voters (normal Republicans, MAGA Republicans, and all the varieties of Democrats).
The onus for the Democrats' defeat belongs squarely to Biden's hubris and his immoral USA's participation in the genocide of Palestinians and the arrogance, condescension, and traitorousness of the DNC (democratic national committee). Traitorousness. Were they faithful to "government of, by, for the people" i.e. democracy, we would have selected the presidential candidate in an open convention. They selected her for us to rubber stamp. Authoritarian-like.Just like they railroaded our choice for Bernie, and pushed on us Delaware Credit Card Bank (now) Genocide Joe. Authoritarian-like. Pelosi, Schumer and others - if they had a speck of decency - would resign because of their engineering the loss of the Executive and Legislative branches. This crew has been antagonistic toward primaries, especially when fresh progressive blood runs against a Dem incumbent. Then, they punish the fresh blood.
That's because the DNC is a private corporation. They don't believe in democracy and I don't either. Hierarchies are inherently authoritarian. They cannot be "democratic." The ruling class doesn't care which ruler you choose. They only care that you keep choosing to be ruled.
Agree. Though the people that voted (for Harris and Trump) also share responsibility for the consequences. THERE WERE OTHER, BETTER CHOICES - but for a multitude of reasons (some understandable, some not), it is what it is. My opinion is that the American people have yet not collectively felt ENOUGH PAIN to make better choices and decisions.
Historically the Dems were the party of the working class, going back to an era before Reagan. Oligarchs infiltrated the party's administration and voters haven't caught on to the takeover. Ironically Howard Dean once advised the Democrats to "stand for something" and their eventual response (after they destroyed his presidential campaign) was to design the Circle D corporate icon. They are a sham party, an elitist club with a junior high school mentality.
They've been antagonistic and afraid of primaries ever since Julian Assange exposed their cheating tricks, and the court sided with them. Their organization is the biggest farce imaginable.
anyone who saw the US political party solicitation letters and emails can easily spot the template used by chokaski when it dumps pre-canned inane gibberish.
it's uncanny the format, structure, capitalization, etc. so funny. chokaski took courses no doubt.
you mean these political party solicitation emails?, can't say i have. can you post the template chokaski used? (i guess it was a feeling of injustice and deceit being committed that inspired your initial comment?).
Caitlin, face it: America has never believed in the most important fundamental democratic principle that underpins all others and that we have hollowly championed to the world for over a century: people's right to self-determination.
Our brainless chickenshit policies toward Palestine are probably the highest level of hypocrisy we've demonstrated in abrogating that fundamental right. And it's cut across every political party. When coming up against tough choices we always either favor the powerful and brutal or we avoid the issue and sit and watch as others make their fateful moves.
Yes yes YES!! At last Caitlin says what I've been saying for a year, since I realized there is no global conspiracy of the .001%,...there may be small conspiracies here and there like those that let 9/11 and 10/7 happen, but a big overall plan likely does not exist. We get the world in its current insane trajectory because the world is already run by machines. People worry about what AI will do--and I do hope collapse comes before we find out--but the world is already run by machines--corporations and billionaires.
The US Supreme Court ruled that corporations were persons with all the rights of persons--way back in 1886--but everyone knows they are not really persons. However, too many people think they are LIKE people--that they think and care and decide, and can be shamed. No, they are like machines, and will do what their programming dictates they do, like any machine. Corporations are programmed to maximize profits and that's what they do. True, their human components, spokespeople and managers, make decisions and make statements, but if these are not designed to further the goal of maximizing profits (sometimes by putting out a PR campaign to pretend to care about whatever has the public up in arms)--if they prioritize something else like the environment or their workers--they will be tossed and replaced like any other defective component, and they know it.
Billionaires are human, but they seem to exhibit machine-like thinking. They and their corporations have succeeded in defanging every possible check on their power, and they're using this power in service of their monomaniacal obsession;: to get richer and richer and richer and richer, never mind that they already have more money than they could spend in 20 lifetimes. Many of the current richest, the tech bros, also have weird obsessions of merging with machines, notions of moving to Mars which a little scientific investigation will show is utterly impossible--so they're human but they have machine-LIKE thinking.
So each special interest has its lobby to protect it from regulation or taxation, to garner subsidies, to get laws passed criminalizing protest and direct action when the mere humans realize how their survival is being threatened. And it's all in a day's work, morality never comes into it. Even human survival doesn't matter. There is no overall plan, just a drive by special interests to maximize profits. And as Caitlin often says, but it can scarcely be said too much--control of the narrative is the key. Without that, the people would have overthrown this awful system long ago.
summed up: the problem is systemic, but there are people up in the higher regions of the programming of the machine who have become aware. but since they found themselves in that position they saw no other alternative to supporting and maintaining it.
I would be OK with corporations being treated like people if they were punished like people. ie. a suspension of their ability to operate for the same time a person would get a prison sentence for the same crime; and total dissolution (like 5-10% of their assets sold each month until all is sold, with previous winners ineligible to bid ) for those corporations convicted of killing people.
I don't think Trump will end the Ukraine war. After all, the US government needs to weaken Russia as China's strongest allies. The European Union is being prepared for the task to continue in Ukraine. In my Substack, I have and will be writing about this topic.
groundwork to fully steal the blocked 300 billion in russian assets is on. redirection of social safety net funds to a european corporate controlled mic is full steam ahead. still quite some juice in the equally tame european middle class to be squeezed.
maybe european education is just slightly better for the time being, but they've been working on that too. education also does not mean that much without a certain kind of consciousness, imo.
"The gears of capitalism are turned by the blind pursuit of profit."
It's time to throw a wrench into the gears of capitalism and destroy the profits of the war machine!
If you find yourself fighting the duopolists and taking those cross and jabs in the face, do this: Kick them in the crotch. It's one way to end their abuse!
The last 2 sections of your essay today are so insightful and point to the fundamental problem facing our species.
Jesus’ “Law of Love” (love God, love neighbors as yourself, LOVE ENEMIES and pray for them, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, do not repay evil with evil, overcome evil with good, do not seek vengeance, do not participate in mindless violence, forgive, seek reconciliation)..….extended out to all of creation is the philosophically obvious, undeniable “salvation” offered to the whole world…….whether you are “religious” or not.
Few, if any, can believe it, let alone actually live it out in their lives.
We don’t want to hear it, can’t hear it, refuse to hear it. We won’t even consider the possibility. We think it’s some “head in the clouds” unrealistic, sissy dream. Certainly not applicable to “the real world”……
Jesus said something like “those who have ears to hear, let them hear”……We never have heard it…..and probably never will. Our hope lies in humanity’s willingness to embrace this “Law of Love” over all other laws.
It’s hard not to become hopeless….but anything worth doing is hard. Keep hope alive.
I'm just ready to start throwing the Molotovs😈 There must be some clever hackers out there who can wreak havoc on the global stock exchanges, banks, and credit agencies. An update with a bug shut down airlines, banks, etc. It's 100% doable and probably simpler than you'd think. Take away the rulers money, take away their power.
In an earlier era he was active with the cyphurpunks and that group was targeted by the feds. Not certain whether or not these arrests were for hacks made by group members. We saw what the government did to him for merely exposing leaks; if he'd been convicted of hacking into private computers, he'd never have seen the light of day. (Of course when it comes to cyber crime, the government has free rein to invade our privacy.)
"Elliot, a brilliant but unstable cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker, becomes a key figure in a complex game of global chaos when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation his company is paid to protect."
"When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the US Congress on July 24th of this year it was really a pep rally for the forthcoming presidential election which was much ado about nothing. He just dropped by to make sure his conscripts were tuned up for the coming election.
Even though he had a lot of blood on this hands he received a vociferous endorsement of his leadership with no less than 58 standing ovations. He could go home assured his backside was covered and his genocidal mischievousness could go on unimpeded.
The Dem-adjacent Lib media keep referring to this “post-truth era”, whilst simultaneously repeating lies and propaganda, in what is more accurately described as the “post-democracy era”.
"This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one's tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all men. This oft misunderstood and misinterpreted concept -- so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force -- has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John:
Let us love one another; for love is God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. If we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Let us hope that this spirit will become the order of the day. We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate."
Unfortunately, urging consciences that have been formed by propaganda is like blowing oxygen into the liquid of a swamp: the bubbles that form are only oxygen that the liquid refuses to associate and remains a swamp that then becomes a peat bog. The only solution to clean the swamp would be to filter the water to separate it but the aquifer from which it derives and its quantity makes this impossible. Therefore, the only way to transform the swamp into a lake is a stratagem, that is, an unexpected and unpredictable action that triggers a self-cleaning process. It will be done. Incomprehensible solution? Well, if it is incomprehensible for the water of the swamp it will also be incomprehensible for those who formed it.
“unconscious people — more unconscious even than the average human — whipped about by forces within themselves that they’re not at all aware of like unresolved trauma and maladaptive coping mechanisms.”…the root of all (at least a lot of) evil. “ swept up in the momentum of forces which they do not understand, both internally and externally.” “ The challenge facing us is to become a conscious species”…preach it, because that’s the stuff. Self-Awareness…the mystics were on to something there.
Another wonderfully accurate summation of our time- especially of the systemic dysfunction and corruption. We can only try, through our own deepening, to help deepen the mass consciousness of humanity writ large. It is the system that, whether intentionally or as an indirect effect, stifles the deepening of consciousness of humanity.
Very good article, Caitlin. I knew Jill Stein would not win, but I could not in good conscience vote for the two war criminals.😢☮️🇵🇸
I did not vote. There’s another option for you …first time not voting in 61 years!
I had a better option. I voted for the Socialist Equality Party. The only meaningful change is going to come from revolution.
The revolution in my opinion is knowing that we are all interconnected…Nature and the Universe. We are all affected by one another.
I call that thing, God (not religion).
I call it love (sectarian tribalist religion has so corrupted the word "god"). And it seems to me rhat it is not about merely "knowing" about our interconnectedness (as conceptual knowledge) but actually FEELING it, feeling another's pain as my own. Or in other words, compassion/love. Possibly the only sensation and realization (not knowledge but visceral realization) that can heal deeply wounded and divided humanity
Regarding wjat Caitlin said, agree with everything, except that the empire is acting illogically. It is not. The Ruling class know exactly what they are doing when they make sure humanity lives in a constant state of tribalist division, hatred and war. Here is exactly why they do this, and exactly why trump put the Godless NeoCon Zionist WarHawks in charge of tue global empire https://open.substack.com/pub/johnspritzler/p/the-trump-foreign-policy-team-will
And here https://www.pdrboston.org/us-wars-not-meant-to-be-won-just-waged
Two profound must-read essays (with full citations) that will show you exactly the logic and rational of the billionaire ruling class (whether it is trump or biden or obama or bush or any other performer inhabiting the white house) and exactly why trump has appointed these hate-filled bloodthirsty zionist billionaire puppets to run their global empire..
PS. And i also wrote on my profile about the rational and logic for the coming world war planned by the corporate-capitalist global empire, if there's an interest
couldn't bring yourself to oppose a genocide?
I do not understand your comment, knowing nothing about you, but I can surmise ... Snark? Since you are still around, maybe you haven't thrown yourself on a sword yet?
indeed snark (from europe no less). thanks to aaron bushnell we learned that individual self sword-throwing doesn't seem to make a dent. voting against the genocide was a 'no brainer', imo.
Hey thanks for the nice reply! How did you vote against the genocide?
Also, can you see how some people view non-voting as voting against the genocide?
in europe i voted for communists unequivocally opposing it and calling for sanctions. non-voting is not a clear statement against the genocide, imo. a low turnout can be explained in a lot of ways. no one will explain this one by claiming that people stayed home because they opposed the genocide, because they obviously didn't care enough to use the possibility to state their position on the matter.
That is why I did not vote. The genocide…
In all honesty, I probably should have never voted in my entire life. Life is definitely a truth bomb if one is open to Truth.
I voted for her too, Smoky. I’ll never again vote for another individual while being forced to hold my nose.
I also voted for Dr. Stein again, for basically the same reason as in 2016, against the wars...
US voting for POTUS is a national opinion-poll with multiple steps to revise and interpret those opinions into a chief executive.
I always try to express my honest opinion clearly, as I have done since 1976.
I have always been an outlier...
Ditto. My last vote for a member of the duopoly was Obama's last term, and I lived to regret it.
Half a shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich. Wondered why no one was putting up yard signs. Afraid to let neighbors know who you support. That is a sad thing. To be afraid of others you know. So I have declared peace and gone home. Knowing that there is an ongoing massacre of those in the Holy land. Knowing my government is using our money to help another monster. I refuse to hate. It helps that we have been following Caitlins column. I resisted the draft in the sixties. Even more now to resist and embrace how this is another reason to make local politics even more local by treating this Thanksgiving like a first supper of reckoning with the family across the table eye to eye and heart to heart.
When my father was alive, he used to say to me, as a little girl, “What if we had a war and no one showed up?”
Caitlin, you are 💯 on target with EVERYTHING in your article, and I appreciate your ability to simultaneously convey nuance and "pointed criticisms" - a difficult thing to balance.
Yes, Democrats AND Republicans are to blame, but I can't help but blame the Democrats MORE for a couple reasons:
(1) In spite of a 1 year+ genocide, the Democrats still supported Israel (and the Republicans didn't object). Knowing this, people still voted for Harris when much better (and rational) candidates (like Jill Stein) were an option. SO, I blame the Democrats (and EVERYONE that voted for Harris) for most things that will transpire over the next 4 years
(2) The Democrats moved RIGHT (instead of LEFT) by aligning with the likes of the Cheneys. They ignored the will of so many young people and people with conscience and morality. They spurned Muslims and Palestinians. Why are people surprised that Harris lost?
The American people (BOTH Democrats and Republicans) have brought this upon themselves. The good thing is that Trump will speed up the DEMISE of the US Empire. The bad thing is that ordinary people (all over the world) will land up paying the highest price for the moronic behavior of American voters (normal Republicans, MAGA Republicans, and all the varieties of Democrats).
The onus for the Democrats' defeat belongs squarely to Biden's hubris and his immoral USA's participation in the genocide of Palestinians and the arrogance, condescension, and traitorousness of the DNC (democratic national committee). Traitorousness. Were they faithful to "government of, by, for the people" i.e. democracy, we would have selected the presidential candidate in an open convention. They selected her for us to rubber stamp. Authoritarian-like.Just like they railroaded our choice for Bernie, and pushed on us Delaware Credit Card Bank (now) Genocide Joe. Authoritarian-like. Pelosi, Schumer and others - if they had a speck of decency - would resign because of their engineering the loss of the Executive and Legislative branches. This crew has been antagonistic toward primaries, especially when fresh progressive blood runs against a Dem incumbent. Then, they punish the fresh blood.
That's because the DNC is a private corporation. They don't believe in democracy and I don't either. Hierarchies are inherently authoritarian. They cannot be "democratic." The ruling class doesn't care which ruler you choose. They only care that you keep choosing to be ruled.
Well said and true.
Aye.
Agree. Though the people that voted (for Harris and Trump) also share responsibility for the consequences. THERE WERE OTHER, BETTER CHOICES - but for a multitude of reasons (some understandable, some not), it is what it is. My opinion is that the American people have yet not collectively felt ENOUGH PAIN to make better choices and decisions.
Who the hell are the Dems? Who would even vote for them?
Historically the Dems were the party of the working class, going back to an era before Reagan. Oligarchs infiltrated the party's administration and voters haven't caught on to the takeover. Ironically Howard Dean once advised the Democrats to "stand for something" and their eventual response (after they destroyed his presidential campaign) was to design the Circle D corporate icon. They are a sham party, an elitist club with a junior high school mentality.
They've been antagonistic and afraid of primaries ever since Julian Assange exposed their cheating tricks, and the court sided with them. Their organization is the biggest farce imaginable.
not totally academic, but nonetheless maybe interesting enough (for closure of the electioneering blip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiqzOGqVU9U.
anyone who saw the US political party solicitation letters and emails can easily spot the template used by chokaski when it dumps pre-canned inane gibberish.
it's uncanny the format, structure, capitalization, etc. so funny. chokaski took courses no doubt.
Says the bot.
Precisely. Humans are too busy feeling their feelings and emoting their emotions to take notice.
i think there was a 'feeling' at the basis of your initial response.
says a european who has no frame of reference. have you ever seen that which i mentioned? or is it just your feeling?
you mean these political party solicitation emails?, can't say i have. can you post the template chokaski used? (i guess it was a feeling of injustice and deceit being committed that inspired your initial comment?).
Caitlin, face it: America has never believed in the most important fundamental democratic principle that underpins all others and that we have hollowly championed to the world for over a century: people's right to self-determination.
Our brainless chickenshit policies toward Palestine are probably the highest level of hypocrisy we've demonstrated in abrogating that fundamental right. And it's cut across every political party. When coming up against tough choices we always either favor the powerful and brutal or we avoid the issue and sit and watch as others make their fateful moves.
Yes yes YES!! At last Caitlin says what I've been saying for a year, since I realized there is no global conspiracy of the .001%,...there may be small conspiracies here and there like those that let 9/11 and 10/7 happen, but a big overall plan likely does not exist. We get the world in its current insane trajectory because the world is already run by machines. People worry about what AI will do--and I do hope collapse comes before we find out--but the world is already run by machines--corporations and billionaires.
The US Supreme Court ruled that corporations were persons with all the rights of persons--way back in 1886--but everyone knows they are not really persons. However, too many people think they are LIKE people--that they think and care and decide, and can be shamed. No, they are like machines, and will do what their programming dictates they do, like any machine. Corporations are programmed to maximize profits and that's what they do. True, their human components, spokespeople and managers, make decisions and make statements, but if these are not designed to further the goal of maximizing profits (sometimes by putting out a PR campaign to pretend to care about whatever has the public up in arms)--if they prioritize something else like the environment or their workers--they will be tossed and replaced like any other defective component, and they know it.
Billionaires are human, but they seem to exhibit machine-like thinking. They and their corporations have succeeded in defanging every possible check on their power, and they're using this power in service of their monomaniacal obsession;: to get richer and richer and richer and richer, never mind that they already have more money than they could spend in 20 lifetimes. Many of the current richest, the tech bros, also have weird obsessions of merging with machines, notions of moving to Mars which a little scientific investigation will show is utterly impossible--so they're human but they have machine-LIKE thinking.
So each special interest has its lobby to protect it from regulation or taxation, to garner subsidies, to get laws passed criminalizing protest and direct action when the mere humans realize how their survival is being threatened. And it's all in a day's work, morality never comes into it. Even human survival doesn't matter. There is no overall plan, just a drive by special interests to maximize profits. And as Caitlin often says, but it can scarcely be said too much--control of the narrative is the key. Without that, the people would have overthrown this awful system long ago.
summed up: the problem is systemic, but there are people up in the higher regions of the programming of the machine who have become aware. but since they found themselves in that position they saw no other alternative to supporting and maintaining it.
I would be OK with corporations being treated like people if they were punished like people. ie. a suspension of their ability to operate for the same time a person would get a prison sentence for the same crime; and total dissolution (like 5-10% of their assets sold each month until all is sold, with previous winners ineligible to bid ) for those corporations convicted of killing people.
yep
I don't think Trump will end the Ukraine war. After all, the US government needs to weaken Russia as China's strongest allies. The European Union is being prepared for the task to continue in Ukraine. In my Substack, I have and will be writing about this topic.
EU has no money!
groundwork to fully steal the blocked 300 billion in russian assets is on. redirection of social safety net funds to a european corporate controlled mic is full steam ahead. still quite some juice in the equally tame european middle class to be squeezed.
I can tell you one thing.............the Europeans/USA have NO power to STEAL this money from Russia.
"Tame middle class'.....yes. just like USA but the difference is that we do have a better educational system than the US.
TRY putting Americans in a class of Philosophy/Economics/civics
They would be in 1st grade.
Take a look at the charts of Countries with regard to education?
I would think Sri Lanka/India are way above you.
maybe european education is just slightly better for the time being, but they've been working on that too. education also does not mean that much without a certain kind of consciousness, imo.
"SLIGHTLY". My daughter was educated for some time in the US!
Don't talk to me about your State Education system!
NO Geography/No world History/No civics.
Most Americans do not know anything about the world! Nor do they know anything about how their Government works.
What consciuoness do the American people have.
Have you ever been bombed/have you ever seen mass killings other than in YOUR schools.
Go away and think!
dear jenny, i've lived in europe all of my life. i'm european. looking at the outcomes, i maintain my position at 'slightly'.
Wrong.
There is plenty of money in Europe. These are some of the world’s biggest economies.
They are now all cutting spending on people and pouring it into buying weapons from US weapons manufacturers and the ones in Europe.
This is going to cause the electorate to fall into the hands of demagogues seeded the the military industrial complex, in no small irony.
Because people are too stupid to support actual progressiv populists.
Rubbish.
We were supported by US money.
The new budget coming out of France is: cutting budgets for Towns.
Why?
We have very little military.
NOW the French decide to arm themselves.
That’s nonsense. Enriching Boeing and Raytheon and Exxon is all that’s going on.
"The gears of capitalism are turned by the blind pursuit of profit."
It's time to throw a wrench into the gears of capitalism and destroy the profits of the war machine!
If you find yourself fighting the duopolists and taking those cross and jabs in the face, do this: Kick them in the crotch. It's one way to end their abuse!
Gouge out their eyes as well TRC!
The last 2 sections of your essay today are so insightful and point to the fundamental problem facing our species.
Jesus’ “Law of Love” (love God, love neighbors as yourself, LOVE ENEMIES and pray for them, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, do not repay evil with evil, overcome evil with good, do not seek vengeance, do not participate in mindless violence, forgive, seek reconciliation)..….extended out to all of creation is the philosophically obvious, undeniable “salvation” offered to the whole world…….whether you are “religious” or not.
Few, if any, can believe it, let alone actually live it out in their lives.
We don’t want to hear it, can’t hear it, refuse to hear it. We won’t even consider the possibility. We think it’s some “head in the clouds” unrealistic, sissy dream. Certainly not applicable to “the real world”……
Jesus said something like “those who have ears to hear, let them hear”……We never have heard it…..and probably never will. Our hope lies in humanity’s willingness to embrace this “Law of Love” over all other laws.
It’s hard not to become hopeless….but anything worth doing is hard. Keep hope alive.
Um, Jesus never existed. He's man-made.
Hi Marcus
I believe that a man named Jesus walked the earth and was a great teacher. Nothing more.
I'm not religious, but historically this seems likely to be true, especially the part about what they did to him.
Like I said
you mean: god says shut up.
I'm just ready to start throwing the Molotovs😈 There must be some clever hackers out there who can wreak havoc on the global stock exchanges, banks, and credit agencies. An update with a bug shut down airlines, banks, etc. It's 100% doable and probably simpler than you'd think. Take away the rulers money, take away their power.
I do wonder why there are not more hackers.
It's a good way to get shot of the whole bunch.
Look at what they did to Assange for the answer.
Assange was not a 'hacker!' Neither was Chelsea Manning. Yes they got secrets but I am talking about 'hacking' into personal computers in the swamp.
Information he discovered was leaked info, but he surely had the tech literacy to hack if he'd chosen to do so.
I don't know.
In an earlier era he was active with the cyphurpunks and that group was targeted by the feds. Not certain whether or not these arrests were for hacks made by group members. We saw what the government did to him for merely exposing leaks; if he'd been convicted of hacking into private computers, he'd never have seen the light of day. (Of course when it comes to cyber crime, the government has free rein to invade our privacy.)
Jasmine, I’ll help you make the Molotovs. And if you haven’t got a semiautomatic you can borrow one of mine.
Any time for “diplomacy” is past.
>>"There must be some clever hackers out there who can wreak havoc on the global stock exchanges, banks, and credit agencies."
Check out the TV Series: Mr. Robot (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4158110/)
"Elliot, a brilliant but unstable cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker, becomes a key figure in a complex game of global chaos when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation his company is paid to protect."
"When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the US Congress on July 24th of this year it was really a pep rally for the forthcoming presidential election which was much ado about nothing. He just dropped by to make sure his conscripts were tuned up for the coming election.
Even though he had a lot of blood on this hands he received a vociferous endorsement of his leadership with no less than 58 standing ovations. He could go home assured his backside was covered and his genocidal mischievousness could go on unimpeded.
He departed with the empire in his back pocket.
The Dem-adjacent Lib media keep referring to this “post-truth era”, whilst simultaneously repeating lies and propaganda, in what is more accurately described as the “post-democracy era”.
Laughing. Well said.
"This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one's tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all men. This oft misunderstood and misinterpreted concept -- so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force -- has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John:
Let us love one another; for love is God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. If we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Let us hope that this spirit will become the order of the day. We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate."
the votes are in, let's put 'em back to sleep with some vague centrist religious gibberish.
When the USA becomes a Zionist/Evangelical State do not come crying to me.
"Religion is the opiate of the masses? " attributed to Karl Marx and everyone after also George Orwell.
You have little to no History USA.
How many wars have been started in the name of religious doctrine..
We do know in Europe which is why we have 'separation of religion from the State.'
•• An Open Letter to Trump Voters ••
The True Cost of Your Ignorance and Idolatry
https://open.substack.com/pub/patricemersault/p/an-open-letter-to-trump-voters?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Very well written and so very accurate. Thank you!
Thanks! I welcome you to subscribe (free).
The Alternative was Disaster
Unfortunately, urging consciences that have been formed by propaganda is like blowing oxygen into the liquid of a swamp: the bubbles that form are only oxygen that the liquid refuses to associate and remains a swamp that then becomes a peat bog. The only solution to clean the swamp would be to filter the water to separate it but the aquifer from which it derives and its quantity makes this impossible. Therefore, the only way to transform the swamp into a lake is a stratagem, that is, an unexpected and unpredictable action that triggers a self-cleaning process. It will be done. Incomprehensible solution? Well, if it is incomprehensible for the water of the swamp it will also be incomprehensible for those who formed it.
the musky solution: nuke the swamp :-).
No, it would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Well Fu*k, this is a sobering piece. I need to read again.
“unconscious people — more unconscious even than the average human — whipped about by forces within themselves that they’re not at all aware of like unresolved trauma and maladaptive coping mechanisms.”…the root of all (at least a lot of) evil. “ swept up in the momentum of forces which they do not understand, both internally and externally.” “ The challenge facing us is to become a conscious species”…preach it, because that’s the stuff. Self-Awareness…the mystics were on to something there.
Another wonderfully accurate summation of our time- especially of the systemic dysfunction and corruption. We can only try, through our own deepening, to help deepen the mass consciousness of humanity writ large. It is the system that, whether intentionally or as an indirect effect, stifles the deepening of consciousness of humanity.