As a Marxist, I oppose putting identity politics at the center of the struggle for social equality. Of course Marxists are opposed to any kind of unequal treatment for any group of people, be it racial, sexual, national or any other divisive category, But we insist that class is the most important factor Police don't just murder poor blacks. They murder poor whites, too. The common denominator is class. Both black and white victims are POOR or WORKING CLASS. The main war is class war. Always has been and still is. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when I was young and protesting against the empire and its wars and other social crimes, black and white citizens were struggling together against the oligarchy, not fighting each other. Racialist theories have driven a huge wedge between black and white and all other colors and this is just what the powers that be want. They want us to fight amongst ourselves instead of going after THEM. Don't help them get away with this, Caitlin.
When my kids were in school, 1990's, their friends included 4 different races. They were kids and had fun together and all got along. They grew up and a lot stayed friends. Now they still each have a few of those friends and absolutely do not judge a person by race. BUT my granddaughter, who is in grade 8 heard a kid calling another kid a racist almost every day. This obviously came from government and supposed groups who are paid to fix the racism. They ruined it.
Why would you say that is absurd? It's one of the new "buzz" words. In fact our PM called people who refused to take the COVID vaccine racist. He called the truckers freedom convoy racist. The word is used as an insult for any supposed offence which has nothing to do with racism. Hmso I don't know how you think the government isn't pushing "racism" in everyone's face?
yep....gay/ transgender...abortions...religions...are all distractions the oligarchy loves to use over and over again.....it's immediately clear as a bell whenever evangelicals spew it ......so please don't be like another intolerant church bell Carolyn...
nB - you might want to get educated on the topic - check out these video interviews with experts. Start with the first one, about what's going on in Florida:
Non-government racism and government racism are not mutually exclusive. If you think the government doesn't benefit from racial discord among the masses, and doesn't see that benefit, and doesn't fan the flames for that purpose, you should feel bad for yourself.
Yes 'they' have very successfully got us discrediting each other with accusations of racism and sexism. 'They' attack anyone who dissents from the narrative. 'They' smeared the truckers protest for their right to bodily autonomy by calling them racist. 'They' smeared the feminists protest for right to women only spaces as transphobic. 'They' accused Bhakti who spoke out against the mRNA jabs as being anti-semitic. I think there was also a sexual offence levelled at Assange which was dropped.
People who ARE actually rude, racist and sexist such as Jordon Peterson, Jeremy Clarkson and Andrew Tate do very well out of the system and are rewarded, because they promote the white (even though AT is mixed race), western hegemonic patriarchy and are part of the Imperial core.
Who are 'they'? The people who have best adapted to the aggressive, materialistic, dominatory system. You could say its biggest victims.
You've just discovered one of Substack's most useless features: you get notifications when someone *also replies* to a post you replied to. No offense intended to you.
I never would promote the race theory from what I know of it. I have witnessed that people, especially kids, do better when left alone to make their own conclusions when interacting and playing with all races. I don't think their being told at a young age they are an oppressor or the oppressed does either of them any good. In fact, I think it does great damage
Carolyn: "playing with all races" shows that you believe in the theory of race. There are ethnicities of people due to their upbringing. There are differences in eye, skin, hair color, musculature, etc. but that doesn't mean people are of a different "race".
Hahaha, I don't know what "theory of race" means, and I'm not really sure I want to know. I just know that both my kids played with kids that were from different ??????? (I'm afraid to fill in anything for fear of what I will be called). I knew the kids and I knew their parents and I knew they came from 3 different countries. And most importantly, we all got along just fine.
So many words and so many ideas put into words seems to create divisiveness. We are all people, some good and some not so good.
I tend to use "white" and "black" but only to be brief. If I take my time I say "Anglos or European ancestry" and "African heritage" or something along those lines. Asian is too broad a term. Japanese and Chinese and Vietnamese etc. are all very different cultures.
Here in our town the population is slightly more Anglo than Hispanic but us Anglos are aging fast. 70% of the schoolkids are Mexicans and they are almost all Mexicans from Michoacan State though some have been here for generations. This area used to be part of Mexico.
People come from different cultures and climates but as you write, we are all people. Some good, some bad, some are just plain boring.
You don't have to quibble with Caitlin about anything! Undoubtedly 'the main war is the class war', in this neoliberal dystopia. Her worry - as I understand it - is that some on the 'left' expects the blacks and the browns to set aside the institutional racism they are subjected to daily and join the class struggle. For that to happen the class struggle has to encompass all social injustices - racism is one of the whole. The class struggle is no longer purely economic; it is all the struggles that diminishes life.
It is not 'racialist theories' that ' have driven a huge wedge between black and white ' it is the unthinking, unsympathetic attitude of the pseudo left. I have often wondered why there were so few whites in Black Lives Matter protests.
And of course the empire weaponises everything, racism most of all.
You may find the writings of Professor Adolph Reed, like you, a Marxist, to be quite instructive.
The contemporary emphasis on idpol is entirely intentional.
Now that the Soviet Union is gone, and People Of Influence And Authority no longer have to toss the masses a bone or two, they would much prefer that we dissipate our energy on dreary arguments about cultural appropriation and how many LGTBQXYZPDQ can dance on the head of a pin, endless and endlessly performative struggle sessions, rather than raise questions about how the economic pie is sliced.
Put another way - to paraphrase Chris Hedges - elites will gladly discuss race, they will decry gender inequality most piteously, they will demonstrate a touching sensitivity to the rights of sexual and gender minorities so oppressed that they have not been discovered yet. They will affect great sympathy to those who call themselves a different species, and woe betide those who don't go along with the charade. Those same elites will not readily discuss economic class.
Or, in the negative formulation - if businesses were to stop opposing unionization of their workers, the result would be a transfer of wealth, of concrete material benefits, to brown and black and yellow and white working class people greater than all the allyship statements ever penned, all the diversity committees ever instituted, all the preferred pronoun tags ever attached to a corporate email. Which is precisely why they will not do this.
If we knew then, what many of us know now regards the manipulation of society by the globalist parasites and their political puppets ... the World would be a better place.
Quick rant, whilst I drink my first cup of coffee of the day; so it maybe incoherent.
Whether it is about class or not; the elitist parasites have the wealth, contacts and power to use race, creed, culture, social standing and every other tool in the satanic tool box to divide us - divide the ignorant masses and even bring out strong emotions in people like me (who should know better)
One example is race (well I think it is more culture, but hey ho!). Living in the UK, not only are we being swamped and I do mean swamped by immigrants (mainly non-white, non-Christian), we read, hear or see how they are given priority of social housing, money, education etc, etc...their mosques can churn out the call for prayer 5 times a day, whilst our church bells are silenced .... YES I KNOW IT IS DELIBERATE POLICY, but when even our government bodies put out job adverts stating "the candidate must be non-white"... ((white privilege; my ****); it starts to take it' toll on people... which is their goal. We do not have the same problem regards race in general in the UK as you can find in the US; but the elitists are trying to emulate it. and these parasites play the "nudging" game well.. little by little or quietly, "quietly, catch the monkey !"
I do believe that they are instigating the Kalgeri plan.
Now we also have our history, culture, social structure being changed (ripped apart) or shamed; statues of our greats ripped down, street names changed, blah blah blah. The demise of the education system and the loss of freedom and free speech are matters - not for this early rant.
I also believe that they are trying to bring in so called "cultural Marxism" ... although I DISAGREE totally with all these geberalised descriptions like "socialist, communist, fascist, Marxist etc" (not aimed at you, no offense intended)... because basically it goes back to what you state - the elite rule with total authority, power, force ... and rule in a totalitarian state; whilst us "useless eaters" nod our heads agreeing with them, whilst bowing.
Going back to the divide and conquer ... if they can divide us; then we have social unrest.. and of course that fits into their plan well... "Out of Chaos, Comes order". Now another cup of coffee.
Carolyn L Zaremba: Oh yeah, I've seen this story before. The Marxists kill "Them" (for example the Czar of Russia and his family in cold blood) and then go on to create a paradise in the Soviet Union.
Marxism doesn't apply its equality to the leaders of the Marxist nation. You want to pretend that by equaling the classes we achieve justice but nothing like that has ever happened in a truly Marxist nation. Injustice and class divisions happen across all societies and political models including marxism/socialism/communism/fascism/democracy/republics.
Class doesn't even need to exist. It seems to come about when too many resources are avaialble to a society and they use them to create spectacles and masters. Social regimentation was invented by a bunch of dead parasites and we can uninvent it just as easily by simply refusing to love false promises like Greatness and Unity and poisoning them whenever we encounter them.
distracting away from mass murdering war criminals like Obama with transgender issues or abortions or any other evangelical poppycock is so bloody obvious..
I was so emotionally invested in defeating the evil R regime I cried that night in 08.
I was such a sweet summer child back then. The new me doesn't forget his betrayal of the human race for his pieces of silver. Or a nice mansion, built on innocent blood.
Welcome to the party, all presidents and more generally all politicians are lying, thieving, murderous scum who do not deserve respect and should never be looked to for moral or ethical leadership.
So many pitch-perfect points, as always, Caitlin. I just really hope you'll come to understand the transgender stuff someday soon.
Recently, I stood outside a prison holding a protest sign in solidarity with women inside (most survivors of male violence) who now have men locked in their cells. Not long afterwards I met with people who deeply love their children and are fighting an excruciating uphill battle to protect them from being fed to Big Pharma by their schools....many have lost that battle, and the Cult has even persuaded their children to cut off all contact with them. Yesterday, I chatted with lesbians who hold secret female-only meetings to figure out what to do about all the men (claiming to be women) in lesbian spaces and the attacks on lesbians who refuse to date these men. All of these battles are real, and people will fight them, including me....and I totally agree with you that we can and must engage in class struggle...for economic justice, peace, ecological sanity.
You're missing the reality of what Gender Identity Ideology is actually all about, and this undermines your analyses. Gender Ideology is a hoax wreaking huge damage people will not ignore. You're also missing the fact that organizing to fight the Gender Cult's oppressive agenda is fertile ground for building the class-focused movement for system change that we need. Thanks again for all your work, Caitlin....please get it soon on the gender madness.
So many people are blind to the idea that all of the various "issues" in the modern world are driven by the same propaganda control machine. Climate Change, LGBTQI+++, War, COVID and more all are executed as propaganda campaigns, during covid they even added some random minor crisis like coin shortages - do you remember that one ?
It is done to overwhelm the average person with disaster news..
Spot on. Sadly, the LGB (and actual women) are once again under attack by, and because of, the TQ++. The 'trans' crowd are not facing huge injustices, but are committing them.
I was so disappointed I labeled Obama, Obummer. Lot's-O-Hate for that. The most disappointing president of my lifetime and they were all mass murders. I however don't believe as notBob there can be no one that changes how governments work. The other side of Marx.
I'd like to dive a little deeper into the following paragraph:
"There will never be a meaningful working class movement against the ruling class which doesn’t include black and brown and LGBTQ people, and no meaningful working class movement which includes those marginalized groups can ever exist without class solidarity taking the form of resolving to fix the injustices they face. Standing together means lifting up the most disempowered among us, not pushing them down to stand on their backs and demanding they act like that’s fine."
The first phrase is self-evident, but already fulfilled in today's labor movement. There are in fact laws that prevent racial discrimination in the membership of labor unions. And clearly, if a union's grievance process discriminates against a racial group, there will be no solidarity. Nobody today argues that minorities should be discriminated against in hiring or promotions. There are, however, people arguing that females and minorities should be given preference over white males, to make up for past discrimination. This is a truth that is not a denial of racism.
There are definitely individual managers and others who act on a preference for a particular race or gender. There are white males who prefer to hire white males and minorities or females who give preference to minorities and females. Both are problems and the rest of us should discourage that behavior. However, there are no corporate or government POLICIES that countenance discrimination against women or marginalized minorities. There are, however, corporate and government policies that favor the hiring and promotion of minorities and women TO THE DISADVANTAGE OF OTHERS (ie, white males). This drives a wedge through the heart of the working class.
Also, Critical Theory, which teaches that white males are universal beneficiaries of systemic racism and sexism leaves behind millions of poverty stricken white males that came from disadvantaged broken families. Such racism also turns American history on its head. Instead of crediting such heroes as Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, James Reeb, Viola Liuzzo, Abraham Lincoln, Hans Christian Heg, Robert Gould Shaw, Elijah Lovejoy and John Brown who gave their lives or William Lloyd Garrison who risked his life and was almost lynched, such heroes are denied, forgotten or even slandered. This also drives a wedge into the working class.
Why do you suppose certain issues are referred to as "wedge issues?"
100%. The answer to racism and sexism is NOT more racism and sexism, directed at a different group. It's still racism, sexism, whatever-ism. The answer to oppression isn't oppressing the oppressors. That's only oppression multiplied, and it's exactly what's happening to us now. It's crazy that people can't see that. Equity and equality are not the same thing, but it seems like really smart people are missing that distinction. Organizing along class lines lifts everyone up, without having to agree on the identity issues that divide people.
Identity is personal by its very nature, not universal. This idea of "intersectionality" and hyper-focusing on all the identity politics is a losing proposition. That's forcing agreement where you may not have it or require it, which is unnecessarily divisive.
No one should be forced to take up someone else's victimhood, subjugate themselves, or be "the right kind of ally" as a precondition of organizing against the empire that wants us all wiped out.
You lost me in the second half, there and I can't help but wonder if that was kind of a hot-take response to Jimmy Dore's disastrous interview with Dr. Cornel West, maybe?
“We don’t think you fight fire with fire best ; we think you fight fire with water best. We’re going to fight racism not with racism, but we’re going to fight with solidarity. We say we’re not going to fight capitalism with black capitalism, but we’re going to fight it with socialism. We’re stood up and said we’re not going to fight reactionary pigs and reactionary state’s attorneys like this and reactionary state’s attorneys like Hanrahan with any other reactions on our part. We’re going to fight their reactions with all of us people getting together and having an international proletarian revolution.”
Well said. I think she is a contrarian and when she notices her reader base embracing the new anti-DNC populism of Jimmy Dore/Tucker Carlson/Glenn Greenwald/ Grayzone, who never mention race or Trump, she feels the need to push back, which ironically brings her closer to the Democratic party she despises.
Critical theory is any theory of criticism of an ideology, a concept, a theory, any philosophical entity. Nothing is inherently invalid about criticism. Nobody has a natural right to love lies.
You're thinking of Critical RACE Theory, which is analogous to social and symbolic rentier capitalism. That is an offshoot of Critical Legal Studies which was basically the study of lawfare in structural reproduction, and is actually valid.
"Critical Theory" has little to do with "critical theory" as you've defined it. Critical Theory is the belief that the discrimination of any sort is entirely based on power, that a person of minority race can never be racist or a woman can never be sexist because racism and sexism are entirely power based. CRT argues that blacks by definition can not be racist. I deliberately left out "race" to generalize the term to include women who discriminate against men and latinos who discriminate against anglos and others.
What is actually happening here is that Protestant capitalist ideologues are lying about what critical theory actually is, and using Pavlovian conditioning to make you think that criticism is improper. It is critical race theory, and as I said, it is exactly this idea of neoliberal "human capital" and the idea of identity as a rental property.
You left our "race" because you're one of those Protestant capitalist ideologues and a liar.
You’re absolutely correct in saying, “ it’s divisive to say the left must ignore racial injustice and focus solely on economic injustice.” We can and must be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. But when it comes to gender ideology you have a huge blind spot. That ideology—which asserts that sex and biology aren’t real; that children can be born in the wrong body and that pushing puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and surgery on children is liberating ; that any man who “identifies” as a women should be entitled to women’s sports teams, rape shelters, affirmative action programs, bathrooms and prison cells; that homosexuals are bigots if they select their partners based on biological sex rather than subjective “gender”—is reactionary to the core as it oppressed women, gays, lesbians, children and everyone who believes in rational thought. In the past, you have chided those who call this out, arguing (against what you have written here) that to fight gender ideology is to sideline the class struggle. No! It is part of the class struggles, much as fighting racism, xenophobia, homophobia and sexism are. Please examine and think about your double standard here. And educate yourself. See for example https://brucelesnick.substack.com/p/with-gender-ideology-the-left-is and https://www.youtube.com/@biologymatters5739
I agree with you Catlin regarding your views of the evils of Western Empire.
That said, you are, imo, very misguided in your Marxist bent to believe in the fantasy of "equality" and "justice" in the context of class and/or race/"marginalized" people. All totalitarian philosophies have a utopia vision at the core of the philosophy. That is is the fantasy.
Look at nature Catlin. Is nature fair? When a tree scatters it's seed to wind, some land in perfect conditions....most don't, and never grow. Is that fair? Is it fair when a Storm destroys a thriving habitat, killing all liviing things? Is it fair when a human faces the heart break of disease, or birth defect? Is it fair that for whatever reason, some humans are born with stronger...or far lower... capabilities than most...be it in the arts, sciences, or sports?
Life isn't fair. It can't be, because nothing in nature is "fair"....hence why your assumption in can be "fair" is just another vision of a impossible utopia. And there is copious proof of how such visions ended up in total disaster for the poor humans subjected to such visions. Plus, the utopia is that if a human brain....hence biased, and almost certainly flawed. You yourself point out how flawed human thinking is...so why are so certain yours isn't flawed as well?
Yes, you can say the same about my thinking. But, I try to see human affairs in the context of nature...which I consider to be both self evident, and far more powerful than humans. That is why the capitalist system, based on individual liberty and hatred of tyranny, makes the most sense for organizing societies. Nature proves living organisms have self interest as a, if not the, primary motivating force to sustain life. You see this order based on self interest from the simplest organism to humans.
That doesn't mean that altruism can't thrive. It doesn't mean people can't choose to help other people. But it does mean that the most important ingredient for humans to succeed in pursuing happiness and reaching full potential is to be free of tyranny in all its forms...especially political and government tyranny. That is why the founding principles of the US are both incredibly unique and powerful. The concept of equality is equality UNDER LAW....not under politicians, governments, or political movements.
Hence, imo, the struggle mankind faces is what is always has been: to ward off and fight tyranny in all its forms. But to see a utopia, where "equity" exists, where all "marginalized" groups have their "struggles" "honored" and "addressed" is fantasy in terms of being a legitimate fix for the evil that is storming about the globe.
>Yes, you can say the same about my thinking. But, I try to see human affairs in the context of nature...which I consider to be both self evident, and far more powerful than humans.
No, you're simply rehearsing the infantile cosmology of Plato because you have been conditioned to need drama and spectacle in your life. Perfectionism is a mental illness, pathos is a lie, and aristocracy is a cancer.
I guess we figure that as a 'more evolved' species we can, and should, rise above Nature and our human nature.
It's spring where I live and several bird species are fighting over nesting resources, sometimes in physical altercations. There's no 'fairness' and the stronger ones usually win. Humans aren't much different.
You are correct LizC--the idea the humans are "more evolved", or "higher" is the basis and justification behind various humans telling other humans why theirs is the "right" or "better" way. I think it total fallacy to believe humans are one bit different, better, or "higher," or "more evolved" than any other living thing. All living things are created by, and part of, the same creation. To believe creation plays favorites is a fundamental fallacy, imo.
I have to put my cards on the table. The whole world puzzled then sickened me with the utter unashamed black man nonsense about O'Bomber when he was elected. You all showed me you believed that colour of skin was of paramount interest. I begged to differ immediately. I care not one jot or iota what colour a human's skin is but I made it clear to all around me that it is of cardinal importance what his actual policies are and not his skin or eye colour, left handedness or not, sexual preferences, blah blah blah. I told them to wait and see what these policies would be and not fall for oily electioneering words. By their actions you will know them has been rightly said throughout the ages.
Discrimination on the basis of skin colour is foul discrimination whether negative discrimination or positive discrimination. The utter rubbish that becomes exposed whenever the terms 'racist/racism' appear is tedious in the extreme. I'm coming from the land of science. I ask where in zoology, when it comes to Homo sapiens [sic], in the Linnaeus classification system, is 'Race'? It does NOT exist. 'Race' is a *political* construct. We have been deliberately politically divided where no such divisions exist in real science and we continually dance to this hideous tune. But we are all one! We are the Human Race with, alas, great disparities of intelligence present in the community. We need to recover from this 'racist' madness dumped upon us by those with dangerous mental illnesses. I've visited too many places on this Earth to entertain ridiculous notions of innate white superiority.
Bottom line is you can't call me 'racist'. I await the tsunami of ignorant howls of protest.
Obama with a nobel for peace and whom campaigned on a anti war platform outbombed Bush who dropped 70000 bombs.after only 8 months in office - On top of that the President with a Nobel for Peace signed a kill list every Tuesday - While claiming to be fighting terror !
In the last year of the Obomba - it has been conservatively estimated that some 26,000 bombs of various size and power were duly dropped against enemies in various nations. In other words, nearly three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day.
In total Obama dropped 100000 bombs in 7 countries .... 30000 more bombs than Bush.
Obama legalized the use of propaganda via the NDAA.
Obama's secret oil wars in Africa.
Obama admitted the US role orchestrating the 2014 coup in Ukraine.
Obama hired former monsanto executive as his FDA advisor.
Obama taught constitutional law for 12 years, as a lecturer for four years, and as an senior lecturer for eight years and taught courses in due process, racism and law...to then let his licence to practice law lapse before disrespecting the US constitution (he sworn an oath to uphold) and violating international law.
Obama studied law like a professional burglar studies the security system on a bankvault.
Obama extended the Patriot act.
Obama expanded the drone assassination program.
Obama increased military spending.
Obama expanded military involvement in Africa.
Obama puts pesticide pusher in charge of agricultural affairs.
Obama indefinitely imprisons detainees without charges.
Obama embraces militarism and lawlessness, pretty. paradoxical for a former senior lecturer in constitutional law to start shredding the very constitution he sworn an oath to uphold to breaking international laws, and that is just the short list.
The answer to racism and sexism is NOT more racism and sexism, directed at a different group. It's still racism, sexism, whatever-ism. The answer to oppression isn't oppressing the oppressors. That's only oppression multiplied, and it's exactly what's happening to us now. It's crazy that people can't see that. Equity and equality are not the same thing, but it seems like really smart people are missing that distinction. Organizing along class lines lifts everyone up, without having to agree on the identity issues that divide people.
Identity is personal by its very nature, not universal. This idea of "intersectionality" and hyper-focusing on all the identity politics is a losing proposition. That's forcing agreement where you may not have it or require it, which is unnecessarily divisive.
No one should be forced to take up someone else's victimhood, subjugate themselves, or be "the right kind of ally" as a precondition of organizing against the empire that wants us all wiped out.
You lost me in the second half, there and I can't help but wonder if that was kind of a hot-take response to Jimmy Dore's disastrous interview with Dr. Cornel West, maybe?
Both parties are onboard with the resource war agenda. They're also marching in lockstep pro vaccines.
Listen to David Martin when he speaks of the nonsense coming from Ron Johnson (who is pro war against Russia and in full support of arming the Ukraine) and Rand Paul , who also plays games with Fauci instead of moving forward with prosecuting him. Both parties are financed by the MIC and Big Pharma and march in lockstep... so you're only jumping on the divide and conquer bandwagon by advocating wearing anything that avoids the real issue. https://www.bitchute.com/video/13Zg9z2G0nzG/ 4:44 in video
This comment was directed at the first person who commented on this thread, advocating a sweatshirt that said something to the effect: "When I die I won't be voting Democrat."
That person deleted his comment... so it appears I'm directing this at Caitlin, when I agree entirely with Caitlin's position on her post.
Yesterday I came across this one uncensored 10 second loop of a tree burning from the central core, spewing flames out, while its leaves were unburned and a truck drove by, again and again and again... This is from a local person. All private-citizen local videos were immediately removed from social media, but this one was picked up by a local news station and looped, sort of like the WTC collapse videos that are burned into our memories. Watch the flames shoot from the core of the tree, while unburned leaves blow in the breeze.
How would the core of a tree burn out while the bark and leaves are not burned? It's like a microwave oven heating my coffee, but not the mug, isn't it? Microwave energy is like radar. The wavelengths excite polar molecules and may be completely absorbed by electrically conductive metals. I can remember putting old China in a microwave, the kind with that tiny metallic edge accent, which got really hot and burned me when I picked up the bowl. I didn't do that again. Polar molecules, like water, but not only water, absorb microwave energy, and it is converted to heat in the material which contains them. Would that include automotive windshields and windows? There are so many images of melted windshields draped over dashboards like a melted cheese slice on a hamburger patty... I googled it below, and below that is a video posted by Dora in the comments at The Automatic Earth, of Canadian trees, mobile-homes, houses and cars burned in unusual ways. It is a video interview of a Forensic Arborist who studied a lot of forest fires around human towns and suburbs in Canada. Water-loving trees like willows burned from the core, sometimes only the core burned, leaving a charred bowl in the center, or a charred cave in the middle of a large tree with unburned bark. Willows along a river, with roots in the water, all burned, while dry pines going up the mountainside next to them did not burn. A mobile home is completely burned out, while the trees around it and the dry wooden landing steps up to where the front door was are unburned.
The materials required to make a windshield
The key ingredients to make windshield glass are soda ash, silica sand, limestone, dolomite and cullet. There are little quantities and traces of aluminum oxide and potassium oxide also included most of the time.
Silica is the major ingredient and around 65-70% of the windshield glass is just silica. This is what makes glass. After silica, soda ash is added to the mixture when silica is being heated. It decreases the melting point of the mix. Dolomite makes the mixture easier to work with, whereas limestone increases the efficiency of the glass and gives it a good finish. Limestone is also a key ingredient for making the glass more durable.
Then some water is poured into the mixture and heated at a specific temperature. All these chemicals and materials being blended and heated together give birth to glass.
Perhaps this kind of disinformation might prompt investigation of a much larger question: how did climate science and renewable energy get included in the culture war and various conspiracy theories?
I have a rough theory. Societies are concerned with their own reproduction: their ways of collectively thinking, building, cooking, playing, and last but not least labor-exploiting. In a spiritual sense, capitalist cosmology can be viewed as a single act of capture, repeated ad infinitum in the large and small. Conservative Christian societies are particularly fixated on the precision and fidelity of that reproduction, and the need to continuously adjust ("husband", "steward", or "perfect") the world around them to meet that destiny. Having developed, and securely possessing, reliable devices and rituals for exploiting fossil carbon energy, all other considerations are a distraction from their "property" and (to their mind) should be resisted, lest they find their place in society "corrupted" relative to their dream.
Stinky: The head of Raytheon just did a demonstration of how powerful his company's directed energy weapon is and more importantly, how precise it can be aimed.
The lightning causes instant heating inside the tree from so much electric current flowing through the high resistance and being converted to heat.
It seems that the effects of a high-energy microwave beam would do almost the same thing, at least as for the instantaneous creation of heat in the water-carrying layer of young wood below the bark.
The energy level is not set and documented. The lightlning has a range of voltages and currents, across high resistances within sapwood, so one can envision the process without exact numbers.
Sudden conversion of photon-energy of microwaves into heat in the sapwood of a tree can be envisioned similarly.
Power transfer in a period of a few seconds or less is the variable.
Since the power-input variables are not known, to be plugged-in, one cannot do the math, but setting up the though problem is straightforward.
Caitlin, you don’t want to hear this, but most of us agree with Jimmy Dore, not Cornel West. Whatever right wing (Tucker Carlson!) fake-populist pitfall you are trying to protect us from, it’s a moot point because the Democratic party under Biden is more fascist than Trump could ever aspire to be.
As far as the class vs race debate goes: there are wealthy and influential black people and lgbtq, however there are no wealthy and influential poor people. There are no laws on the books that discriminate against races or sexuality, yet there are plenty that are there to keep poor/working class people down.
Also, please stop apologizing for criticizing America and bring up your American husband proofreading your work. Gives off major ‘I have black friends’ vibes. You don’t need an ‘in’ or a pass. Idgaf if ‘an American’ co-wrote the article; you know very well it doesn’t give it any more credibility. I have never seen any comments that proclaimed you weren’t qualified or allowed to hate on America or Americans. I am willing to bet most of your reader base is American and they agree whole heartedly with your criticism.
First, just love you Caitlin. You pretty much write down what I’m thinking.
I’m simply not interested in having an endless intellectual, academic discussion about black, white, queer, straight. Waste of time. Midt working folk out here on the street don’t have time to worry about these wedge issues.
In my daily life I treat others with respect and TRY to practice unconditional positive regard. As the Panthers, Fred Hampton and others knew, you simply start by reaching out to the group that is supposed to be the demon enemy (choose any, the Empire doesn’t care) and start the conversation: We must stop wrestling with one another and look up. The MIC, PIC, big pharma and Wall Street is the enemy. Once the eyes are open to that, then the collaborative organizing can begin. One problem- the U.S. murders people that are successful at reaching others with this method. It may be difficult to find true leaders of a socialist left due to the fact that most folks want to live, even in the current world such as it is.
"The Powers that Be" don't have to work hard to divide us, we divide ourselves over the most frivolous issues and matters, like what sport team you like or what state you live in or what part of what state you live in or what part of town or what street you live on. We even divide ourselves in our own houses or families. Those powers have only to steer that division to expend our efforts and energies into useless dead ends that leave them untouched and in power.
This system of control has existed for thousands of years and became scientific in the mid 1800's with the advent of Psychology and Psychiatry. They know what makes us tick.
To better understand the system we are in, read Machiavelli's "The Prince", and then Edward Bernay's "Propaganda". When you learn how this system is used, then you can recognize when it is being expressed against us.
The only way to counter this system control is to not participate in it. Buckminster Fuller said...
“In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a new model and make the old one obsolete.” This is wisdom....
Be a good example to others of how to be, which will raise awareness and as awareness rises then the people around you will ACT ACCORDINGLY .....this is KEY, as it can become all pervasive.
"Enlighten the People generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." Thomas Jefferson had this wisdom. You can, too...
In my opinion based off of my life (60+ years) experience, there is no white, black race etc. Why, because there is only one race, which is the Human Race.
When we as a people realize that, than maybe we can obtain control from the few that pit us against each other.
Yes I am of the human race, thats my birth right. Yet also i am a Native (mixed tribal heritage etc) American. Awansgi.
As a Marxist, I oppose putting identity politics at the center of the struggle for social equality. Of course Marxists are opposed to any kind of unequal treatment for any group of people, be it racial, sexual, national or any other divisive category, But we insist that class is the most important factor Police don't just murder poor blacks. They murder poor whites, too. The common denominator is class. Both black and white victims are POOR or WORKING CLASS. The main war is class war. Always has been and still is. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when I was young and protesting against the empire and its wars and other social crimes, black and white citizens were struggling together against the oligarchy, not fighting each other. Racialist theories have driven a huge wedge between black and white and all other colors and this is just what the powers that be want. They want us to fight amongst ourselves instead of going after THEM. Don't help them get away with this, Caitlin.
When my kids were in school, 1990's, their friends included 4 different races. They were kids and had fun together and all got along. They grew up and a lot stayed friends. Now they still each have a few of those friends and absolutely do not judge a person by race. BUT my granddaughter, who is in grade 8 heard a kid calling another kid a racist almost every day. This obviously came from government and supposed groups who are paid to fix the racism. They ruined it.
"This obviously came from government"
Absurd claim.
Why would you say that is absurd? It's one of the new "buzz" words. In fact our PM called people who refused to take the COVID vaccine racist. He called the truckers freedom convoy racist. The word is used as an insult for any supposed offence which has nothing to do with racism. Hmso I don't know how you think the government isn't pushing "racism" in everyone's face?
Do you really think that the current fascist White Nationalist Christian movement - as racist as it gets -originated in government?
I feel bad for you.
Don't feel bad for me. I believe what I witness with my own senses, especially when it is forced down my throat.
yep....gay/ transgender...abortions...religions...are all distractions the oligarchy loves to use over and over again.....it's immediately clear as a bell whenever evangelicals spew it ......so please don't be like another intolerant church bell Carolyn...
Could you out yourself as a racist and race hustler any faster than naming the problem: fascist White Nationalist Christians ?
nB - you might want to get educated on the topic - check out these video interviews with experts. Start with the first one, about what's going on in Florida:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5LQeB4NaMP07hevcXFMyHQ
Actually, Christianity is a slave religion and ought to be abolished on that account alone.
Non-government racism and government racism are not mutually exclusive. If you think the government doesn't benefit from racial discord among the masses, and doesn't see that benefit, and doesn't fan the flames for that purpose, you should feel bad for yourself.
Ahh, more leftist government institution sponsored buzzwords.
Yes 'they' have very successfully got us discrediting each other with accusations of racism and sexism. 'They' attack anyone who dissents from the narrative. 'They' smeared the truckers protest for their right to bodily autonomy by calling them racist. 'They' smeared the feminists protest for right to women only spaces as transphobic. 'They' accused Bhakti who spoke out against the mRNA jabs as being anti-semitic. I think there was also a sexual offence levelled at Assange which was dropped.
People who ARE actually rude, racist and sexist such as Jordon Peterson, Jeremy Clarkson and Andrew Tate do very well out of the system and are rewarded, because they promote the white (even though AT is mixed race), western hegemonic patriarchy and are part of the Imperial core.
Who are 'they'? The people who have best adapted to the aggressive, materialistic, dominatory system. You could say its biggest victims.
Carolyn: Race Theory is a lie invented by the eugenicists. Please, don't do their evil work for them.
Race was invented by whites to keep the slaves from finding common cause. Caitlin really needs to ban your ass for confabulating.
Now I should be banned for confabulating? What did I confabulate? That in the 1990s my kids got along with other kids? This place is getting weird
You've just discovered one of Substack's most useless features: you get notifications when someone *also replies* to a post you replied to. No offense intended to you.
Oh! Hahaha. Thanks for letting me know.
I never would promote the race theory from what I know of it. I have witnessed that people, especially kids, do better when left alone to make their own conclusions when interacting and playing with all races. I don't think their being told at a young age they are an oppressor or the oppressed does either of them any good. In fact, I think it does great damage
Carolyn: "playing with all races" shows that you believe in the theory of race. There are ethnicities of people due to their upbringing. There are differences in eye, skin, hair color, musculature, etc. but that doesn't mean people are of a different "race".
Race was invented by the eugenicists.
Watch the movie "Trading Places" again.
Hahaha, I don't know what "theory of race" means, and I'm not really sure I want to know. I just know that both my kids played with kids that were from different ??????? (I'm afraid to fill in anything for fear of what I will be called). I knew the kids and I knew their parents and I knew they came from 3 different countries. And most importantly, we all got along just fine.
So many words and so many ideas put into words seems to create divisiveness. We are all people, some good and some not so good.
Carolyn: James Corbett gives a brief history of eugenics (race theory) here:
https://www.corbettreport.com/they-dont-want-your-genes-in-the-pool-a-brief-history-of-eugenics/
Your last two sentences say the truth.
I tend to use "white" and "black" but only to be brief. If I take my time I say "Anglos or European ancestry" and "African heritage" or something along those lines. Asian is too broad a term. Japanese and Chinese and Vietnamese etc. are all very different cultures.
Here in our town the population is slightly more Anglo than Hispanic but us Anglos are aging fast. 70% of the schoolkids are Mexicans and they are almost all Mexicans from Michoacan State though some have been here for generations. This area used to be part of Mexico.
People come from different cultures and climates but as you write, we are all people. Some good, some bad, some are just plain boring.
You don't have to quibble with Caitlin about anything! Undoubtedly 'the main war is the class war', in this neoliberal dystopia. Her worry - as I understand it - is that some on the 'left' expects the blacks and the browns to set aside the institutional racism they are subjected to daily and join the class struggle. For that to happen the class struggle has to encompass all social injustices - racism is one of the whole. The class struggle is no longer purely economic; it is all the struggles that diminishes life.
It is not 'racialist theories' that ' have driven a huge wedge between black and white ' it is the unthinking, unsympathetic attitude of the pseudo left. I have often wondered why there were so few whites in Black Lives Matter protests.
And of course the empire weaponises everything, racism most of all.
You may find the writings of Professor Adolph Reed, like you, a Marxist, to be quite instructive.
The contemporary emphasis on idpol is entirely intentional.
Now that the Soviet Union is gone, and People Of Influence And Authority no longer have to toss the masses a bone or two, they would much prefer that we dissipate our energy on dreary arguments about cultural appropriation and how many LGTBQXYZPDQ can dance on the head of a pin, endless and endlessly performative struggle sessions, rather than raise questions about how the economic pie is sliced.
Put another way - to paraphrase Chris Hedges - elites will gladly discuss race, they will decry gender inequality most piteously, they will demonstrate a touching sensitivity to the rights of sexual and gender minorities so oppressed that they have not been discovered yet. They will affect great sympathy to those who call themselves a different species, and woe betide those who don't go along with the charade. Those same elites will not readily discuss economic class.
Or, in the negative formulation - if businesses were to stop opposing unionization of their workers, the result would be a transfer of wealth, of concrete material benefits, to brown and black and yellow and white working class people greater than all the allyship statements ever penned, all the diversity committees ever instituted, all the preferred pronoun tags ever attached to a corporate email. Which is precisely why they will not do this.
". . . those who call themselves a different species . . . "
I like it . . .
When I was a kitten, my brother and sisters and I used to play "Lion And Tiger" and suchlike.
We outgrew it.
"Divide and conquer" comes to mind !.
If we knew then, what many of us know now regards the manipulation of society by the globalist parasites and their political puppets ... the World would be a better place.
Quick rant, whilst I drink my first cup of coffee of the day; so it maybe incoherent.
Whether it is about class or not; the elitist parasites have the wealth, contacts and power to use race, creed, culture, social standing and every other tool in the satanic tool box to divide us - divide the ignorant masses and even bring out strong emotions in people like me (who should know better)
One example is race (well I think it is more culture, but hey ho!). Living in the UK, not only are we being swamped and I do mean swamped by immigrants (mainly non-white, non-Christian), we read, hear or see how they are given priority of social housing, money, education etc, etc...their mosques can churn out the call for prayer 5 times a day, whilst our church bells are silenced .... YES I KNOW IT IS DELIBERATE POLICY, but when even our government bodies put out job adverts stating "the candidate must be non-white"... ((white privilege; my ****); it starts to take it' toll on people... which is their goal. We do not have the same problem regards race in general in the UK as you can find in the US; but the elitists are trying to emulate it. and these parasites play the "nudging" game well.. little by little or quietly, "quietly, catch the monkey !"
I do believe that they are instigating the Kalgeri plan.
Now we also have our history, culture, social structure being changed (ripped apart) or shamed; statues of our greats ripped down, street names changed, blah blah blah. The demise of the education system and the loss of freedom and free speech are matters - not for this early rant.
I also believe that they are trying to bring in so called "cultural Marxism" ... although I DISAGREE totally with all these geberalised descriptions like "socialist, communist, fascist, Marxist etc" (not aimed at you, no offense intended)... because basically it goes back to what you state - the elite rule with total authority, power, force ... and rule in a totalitarian state; whilst us "useless eaters" nod our heads agreeing with them, whilst bowing.
Going back to the divide and conquer ... if they can divide us; then we have social unrest.. and of course that fits into their plan well... "Out of Chaos, Comes order". Now another cup of coffee.
The owners need to control their puppets. They like to have multiple layers of control.
Small, medium and large blackmail, coupled with special-bribery usually work. Then there is the Kennedy-treatment.
https://drjohnsblog.substack.com/p/blue-pill-crack-pipe
Carolyn L Zaremba: Oh yeah, I've seen this story before. The Marxists kill "Them" (for example the Czar of Russia and his family in cold blood) and then go on to create a paradise in the Soviet Union.
Oh, wait....
Marxism doesn't apply its equality to the leaders of the Marxist nation. You want to pretend that by equaling the classes we achieve justice but nothing like that has ever happened in a truly Marxist nation. Injustice and class divisions happen across all societies and political models including marxism/socialism/communism/fascism/democracy/republics.
Don't project capitalist elitism onto Marxists.
Class doesn't even need to exist. It seems to come about when too many resources are avaialble to a society and they use them to create spectacles and masters. Social regimentation was invented by a bunch of dead parasites and we can uninvent it just as easily by simply refusing to love false promises like Greatness and Unity and poisoning them whenever we encounter them.
distracting away from mass murdering war criminals like Obama with transgender issues or abortions or any other evangelical poppycock is so bloody obvious..
I was so emotionally invested in defeating the evil R regime I cried that night in 08.
I was such a sweet summer child back then. The new me doesn't forget his betrayal of the human race for his pieces of silver. Or a nice mansion, built on innocent blood.
Good to see that you got wise.
Too many just kept doubling down.
Almost one billion for his library.
"This one can see" !
Welcome to the party, all presidents and more generally all politicians are lying, thieving, murderous scum who do not deserve respect and should never be looked to for moral or ethical leadership.
So many pitch-perfect points, as always, Caitlin. I just really hope you'll come to understand the transgender stuff someday soon.
Recently, I stood outside a prison holding a protest sign in solidarity with women inside (most survivors of male violence) who now have men locked in their cells. Not long afterwards I met with people who deeply love their children and are fighting an excruciating uphill battle to protect them from being fed to Big Pharma by their schools....many have lost that battle, and the Cult has even persuaded their children to cut off all contact with them. Yesterday, I chatted with lesbians who hold secret female-only meetings to figure out what to do about all the men (claiming to be women) in lesbian spaces and the attacks on lesbians who refuse to date these men. All of these battles are real, and people will fight them, including me....and I totally agree with you that we can and must engage in class struggle...for economic justice, peace, ecological sanity.
You're missing the reality of what Gender Identity Ideology is actually all about, and this undermines your analyses. Gender Ideology is a hoax wreaking huge damage people will not ignore. You're also missing the fact that organizing to fight the Gender Cult's oppressive agenda is fertile ground for building the class-focused movement for system change that we need. Thanks again for all your work, Caitlin....please get it soon on the gender madness.
So many people are blind to the idea that all of the various "issues" in the modern world are driven by the same propaganda control machine. Climate Change, LGBTQI+++, War, COVID and more all are executed as propaganda campaigns, during covid they even added some random minor crisis like coin shortages - do you remember that one ?
It is done to overwhelm the average person with disaster news..
Spot on. Sadly, the LGB (and actual women) are once again under attack by, and because of, the TQ++. The 'trans' crowd are not facing huge injustices, but are committing them.
I can’t disagree. I’ve long not felt respect for Obama, etc. protested his actions as well with other like minded good human beings.
Did you learn the lesson to not look to any politician to be ethical and moral ?
I was so disappointed I labeled Obama, Obummer. Lot's-O-Hate for that. The most disappointing president of my lifetime and they were all mass murders. I however don't believe as notBob there can be no one that changes how governments work. The other side of Marx.
I'd like to dive a little deeper into the following paragraph:
"There will never be a meaningful working class movement against the ruling class which doesn’t include black and brown and LGBTQ people, and no meaningful working class movement which includes those marginalized groups can ever exist without class solidarity taking the form of resolving to fix the injustices they face. Standing together means lifting up the most disempowered among us, not pushing them down to stand on their backs and demanding they act like that’s fine."
The first phrase is self-evident, but already fulfilled in today's labor movement. There are in fact laws that prevent racial discrimination in the membership of labor unions. And clearly, if a union's grievance process discriminates against a racial group, there will be no solidarity. Nobody today argues that minorities should be discriminated against in hiring or promotions. There are, however, people arguing that females and minorities should be given preference over white males, to make up for past discrimination. This is a truth that is not a denial of racism.
There are definitely individual managers and others who act on a preference for a particular race or gender. There are white males who prefer to hire white males and minorities or females who give preference to minorities and females. Both are problems and the rest of us should discourage that behavior. However, there are no corporate or government POLICIES that countenance discrimination against women or marginalized minorities. There are, however, corporate and government policies that favor the hiring and promotion of minorities and women TO THE DISADVANTAGE OF OTHERS (ie, white males). This drives a wedge through the heart of the working class.
Also, Critical Theory, which teaches that white males are universal beneficiaries of systemic racism and sexism leaves behind millions of poverty stricken white males that came from disadvantaged broken families. Such racism also turns American history on its head. Instead of crediting such heroes as Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, James Reeb, Viola Liuzzo, Abraham Lincoln, Hans Christian Heg, Robert Gould Shaw, Elijah Lovejoy and John Brown who gave their lives or William Lloyd Garrison who risked his life and was almost lynched, such heroes are denied, forgotten or even slandered. This also drives a wedge into the working class.
Why do you suppose certain issues are referred to as "wedge issues?"
100%. The answer to racism and sexism is NOT more racism and sexism, directed at a different group. It's still racism, sexism, whatever-ism. The answer to oppression isn't oppressing the oppressors. That's only oppression multiplied, and it's exactly what's happening to us now. It's crazy that people can't see that. Equity and equality are not the same thing, but it seems like really smart people are missing that distinction. Organizing along class lines lifts everyone up, without having to agree on the identity issues that divide people.
Identity is personal by its very nature, not universal. This idea of "intersectionality" and hyper-focusing on all the identity politics is a losing proposition. That's forcing agreement where you may not have it or require it, which is unnecessarily divisive.
No one should be forced to take up someone else's victimhood, subjugate themselves, or be "the right kind of ally" as a precondition of organizing against the empire that wants us all wiped out.
You lost me in the second half, there and I can't help but wonder if that was kind of a hot-take response to Jimmy Dore's disastrous interview with Dr. Cornel West, maybe?
“We don’t think you fight fire with fire best ; we think you fight fire with water best. We’re going to fight racism not with racism, but we’re going to fight with solidarity. We say we’re not going to fight capitalism with black capitalism, but we’re going to fight it with socialism. We’re stood up and said we’re not going to fight reactionary pigs and reactionary state’s attorneys like this and reactionary state’s attorneys like Hanrahan with any other reactions on our part. We’re going to fight their reactions with all of us people getting together and having an international proletarian revolution.”
― Fred Hampton
I was thinking the same thing (about the Dore/West interview) while reading this piece
Well said. I think she is a contrarian and when she notices her reader base embracing the new anti-DNC populism of Jimmy Dore/Tucker Carlson/Glenn Greenwald/ Grayzone, who never mention race or Trump, she feels the need to push back, which ironically brings her closer to the Democratic party she despises.
one point of clarification:
There are no "really smart people are missing that distinction"
Those people are corrupt liars who pretend not to see the distinction because it serves their purposes.
Critical theory is any theory of criticism of an ideology, a concept, a theory, any philosophical entity. Nothing is inherently invalid about criticism. Nobody has a natural right to love lies.
You're thinking of Critical RACE Theory, which is analogous to social and symbolic rentier capitalism. That is an offshoot of Critical Legal Studies which was basically the study of lawfare in structural reproduction, and is actually valid.
"Critical Theory" has little to do with "critical theory" as you've defined it. Critical Theory is the belief that the discrimination of any sort is entirely based on power, that a person of minority race can never be racist or a woman can never be sexist because racism and sexism are entirely power based. CRT argues that blacks by definition can not be racist. I deliberately left out "race" to generalize the term to include women who discriminate against men and latinos who discriminate against anglos and others.
What is actually happening here is that Protestant capitalist ideologues are lying about what critical theory actually is, and using Pavlovian conditioning to make you think that criticism is improper. It is critical race theory, and as I said, it is exactly this idea of neoliberal "human capital" and the idea of identity as a rental property.
You left our "race" because you're one of those Protestant capitalist ideologues and a liar.
Stinky: What is your theory? Do you ever feel like those folks in Plato's Cave just looking at reflections of the real world?
"Nobody has a natural right to love lies." Okay, that sentence cracked me up.
Do we have a natural right to love the truth?
People can believe whatever they want as long as they hurt no one else.
You can believe it is a sin to step on an ant (some do).
You can believe it is a right and a good to step on an ant (some do).
Great points.
You’re absolutely correct in saying, “ it’s divisive to say the left must ignore racial injustice and focus solely on economic injustice.” We can and must be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. But when it comes to gender ideology you have a huge blind spot. That ideology—which asserts that sex and biology aren’t real; that children can be born in the wrong body and that pushing puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and surgery on children is liberating ; that any man who “identifies” as a women should be entitled to women’s sports teams, rape shelters, affirmative action programs, bathrooms and prison cells; that homosexuals are bigots if they select their partners based on biological sex rather than subjective “gender”—is reactionary to the core as it oppressed women, gays, lesbians, children and everyone who believes in rational thought. In the past, you have chided those who call this out, arguing (against what you have written here) that to fight gender ideology is to sideline the class struggle. No! It is part of the class struggles, much as fighting racism, xenophobia, homophobia and sexism are. Please examine and think about your double standard here. And educate yourself. See for example https://brucelesnick.substack.com/p/with-gender-ideology-the-left-is and https://www.youtube.com/@biologymatters5739
I agree with you Catlin regarding your views of the evils of Western Empire.
That said, you are, imo, very misguided in your Marxist bent to believe in the fantasy of "equality" and "justice" in the context of class and/or race/"marginalized" people. All totalitarian philosophies have a utopia vision at the core of the philosophy. That is is the fantasy.
Look at nature Catlin. Is nature fair? When a tree scatters it's seed to wind, some land in perfect conditions....most don't, and never grow. Is that fair? Is it fair when a Storm destroys a thriving habitat, killing all liviing things? Is it fair when a human faces the heart break of disease, or birth defect? Is it fair that for whatever reason, some humans are born with stronger...or far lower... capabilities than most...be it in the arts, sciences, or sports?
Life isn't fair. It can't be, because nothing in nature is "fair"....hence why your assumption in can be "fair" is just another vision of a impossible utopia. And there is copious proof of how such visions ended up in total disaster for the poor humans subjected to such visions. Plus, the utopia is that if a human brain....hence biased, and almost certainly flawed. You yourself point out how flawed human thinking is...so why are so certain yours isn't flawed as well?
Yes, you can say the same about my thinking. But, I try to see human affairs in the context of nature...which I consider to be both self evident, and far more powerful than humans. That is why the capitalist system, based on individual liberty and hatred of tyranny, makes the most sense for organizing societies. Nature proves living organisms have self interest as a, if not the, primary motivating force to sustain life. You see this order based on self interest from the simplest organism to humans.
That doesn't mean that altruism can't thrive. It doesn't mean people can't choose to help other people. But it does mean that the most important ingredient for humans to succeed in pursuing happiness and reaching full potential is to be free of tyranny in all its forms...especially political and government tyranny. That is why the founding principles of the US are both incredibly unique and powerful. The concept of equality is equality UNDER LAW....not under politicians, governments, or political movements.
Hence, imo, the struggle mankind faces is what is always has been: to ward off and fight tyranny in all its forms. But to see a utopia, where "equity" exists, where all "marginalized" groups have their "struggles" "honored" and "addressed" is fantasy in terms of being a legitimate fix for the evil that is storming about the globe.
>Yes, you can say the same about my thinking. But, I try to see human affairs in the context of nature...which I consider to be both self evident, and far more powerful than humans.
No, you're simply rehearsing the infantile cosmology of Plato because you have been conditioned to need drama and spectacle in your life. Perfectionism is a mental illness, pathos is a lie, and aristocracy is a cancer.
I guess we figure that as a 'more evolved' species we can, and should, rise above Nature and our human nature.
It's spring where I live and several bird species are fighting over nesting resources, sometimes in physical altercations. There's no 'fairness' and the stronger ones usually win. Humans aren't much different.
You are correct LizC--the idea the humans are "more evolved", or "higher" is the basis and justification behind various humans telling other humans why theirs is the "right" or "better" way. I think it total fallacy to believe humans are one bit different, better, or "higher," or "more evolved" than any other living thing. All living things are created by, and part of, the same creation. To believe creation plays favorites is a fundamental fallacy, imo.
I have to put my cards on the table. The whole world puzzled then sickened me with the utter unashamed black man nonsense about O'Bomber when he was elected. You all showed me you believed that colour of skin was of paramount interest. I begged to differ immediately. I care not one jot or iota what colour a human's skin is but I made it clear to all around me that it is of cardinal importance what his actual policies are and not his skin or eye colour, left handedness or not, sexual preferences, blah blah blah. I told them to wait and see what these policies would be and not fall for oily electioneering words. By their actions you will know them has been rightly said throughout the ages.
Discrimination on the basis of skin colour is foul discrimination whether negative discrimination or positive discrimination. The utter rubbish that becomes exposed whenever the terms 'racist/racism' appear is tedious in the extreme. I'm coming from the land of science. I ask where in zoology, when it comes to Homo sapiens [sic], in the Linnaeus classification system, is 'Race'? It does NOT exist. 'Race' is a *political* construct. We have been deliberately politically divided where no such divisions exist in real science and we continually dance to this hideous tune. But we are all one! We are the Human Race with, alas, great disparities of intelligence present in the community. We need to recover from this 'racist' madness dumped upon us by those with dangerous mental illnesses. I've visited too many places on this Earth to entertain ridiculous notions of innate white superiority.
Bottom line is you can't call me 'racist'. I await the tsunami of ignorant howls of protest.
If it is ignorant howls of protest you seek, you came to the wrong place. Maybe try Reddit.
We have lots of stuff on Obama....
Obama with a nobel for peace and whom campaigned on a anti war platform outbombed Bush who dropped 70000 bombs.after only 8 months in office - On top of that the President with a Nobel for Peace signed a kill list every Tuesday - While claiming to be fighting terror !
In the last year of the Obomba - it has been conservatively estimated that some 26,000 bombs of various size and power were duly dropped against enemies in various nations. In other words, nearly three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day.
In total Obama dropped 100000 bombs in 7 countries .... 30000 more bombs than Bush.
Obama legalized the use of propaganda via the NDAA.
Obama's secret oil wars in Africa.
Obama admitted the US role orchestrating the 2014 coup in Ukraine.
Obama hired former monsanto executive as his FDA advisor.
Obama taught constitutional law for 12 years, as a lecturer for four years, and as an senior lecturer for eight years and taught courses in due process, racism and law...to then let his licence to practice law lapse before disrespecting the US constitution (he sworn an oath to uphold) and violating international law.
Obama studied law like a professional burglar studies the security system on a bankvault.
Obama extended the Patriot act.
Obama expanded the drone assassination program.
Obama increased military spending.
Obama expanded military involvement in Africa.
Obama puts pesticide pusher in charge of agricultural affairs.
Obama indefinitely imprisons detainees without charges.
Obama embraces militarism and lawlessness, pretty. paradoxical for a former senior lecturer in constitutional law to start shredding the very constitution he sworn an oath to uphold to breaking international laws, and that is just the short list.
Aside from that how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
How about mass murderers like Fauci, Collins, Bourla, and Bancel? They've killed more people than the others you mention.
https://www.rebelnews.com/research_team_estimated_13_million_deaths_worldwide_from_covid_19_vaccines
The answer to racism and sexism is NOT more racism and sexism, directed at a different group. It's still racism, sexism, whatever-ism. The answer to oppression isn't oppressing the oppressors. That's only oppression multiplied, and it's exactly what's happening to us now. It's crazy that people can't see that. Equity and equality are not the same thing, but it seems like really smart people are missing that distinction. Organizing along class lines lifts everyone up, without having to agree on the identity issues that divide people.
Identity is personal by its very nature, not universal. This idea of "intersectionality" and hyper-focusing on all the identity politics is a losing proposition. That's forcing agreement where you may not have it or require it, which is unnecessarily divisive.
No one should be forced to take up someone else's victimhood, subjugate themselves, or be "the right kind of ally" as a precondition of organizing against the empire that wants us all wiped out.
You lost me in the second half, there and I can't help but wonder if that was kind of a hot-take response to Jimmy Dore's disastrous interview with Dr. Cornel West, maybe?
How about not supporting Republicans or Democrats who wage resource wars?
It wasn't the Democrats who started wars against Iraq and Afghanistan. It wasn't the Democrats who stole Syrian Oil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0_iScuXOGI.
Both parties are onboard with the resource war agenda. They're also marching in lockstep pro vaccines.
Listen to David Martin when he speaks of the nonsense coming from Ron Johnson (who is pro war against Russia and in full support of arming the Ukraine) and Rand Paul , who also plays games with Fauci instead of moving forward with prosecuting him. Both parties are financed by the MIC and Big Pharma and march in lockstep... so you're only jumping on the divide and conquer bandwagon by advocating wearing anything that avoids the real issue. https://www.bitchute.com/video/13Zg9z2G0nzG/ 4:44 in video
This comment was directed at the first person who commented on this thread, advocating a sweatshirt that said something to the effect: "When I die I won't be voting Democrat."
That person deleted his comment... so it appears I'm directing this at Caitlin, when I agree entirely with Caitlin's position on her post.
Yesterday I came across this one uncensored 10 second loop of a tree burning from the central core, spewing flames out, while its leaves were unburned and a truck drove by, again and again and again... This is from a local person. All private-citizen local videos were immediately removed from social media, but this one was picked up by a local news station and looped, sort of like the WTC collapse videos that are burned into our memories. Watch the flames shoot from the core of the tree, while unburned leaves blow in the breeze.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd4-0OjRjCU
How would the core of a tree burn out while the bark and leaves are not burned? It's like a microwave oven heating my coffee, but not the mug, isn't it? Microwave energy is like radar. The wavelengths excite polar molecules and may be completely absorbed by electrically conductive metals. I can remember putting old China in a microwave, the kind with that tiny metallic edge accent, which got really hot and burned me when I picked up the bowl. I didn't do that again. Polar molecules, like water, but not only water, absorb microwave energy, and it is converted to heat in the material which contains them. Would that include automotive windshields and windows? There are so many images of melted windshields draped over dashboards like a melted cheese slice on a hamburger patty... I googled it below, and below that is a video posted by Dora in the comments at The Automatic Earth, of Canadian trees, mobile-homes, houses and cars burned in unusual ways. It is a video interview of a Forensic Arborist who studied a lot of forest fires around human towns and suburbs in Canada. Water-loving trees like willows burned from the core, sometimes only the core burned, leaving a charred bowl in the center, or a charred cave in the middle of a large tree with unburned bark. Willows along a river, with roots in the water, all burned, while dry pines going up the mountainside next to them did not burn. A mobile home is completely burned out, while the trees around it and the dry wooden landing steps up to where the front door was are unburned.
The materials required to make a windshield
The key ingredients to make windshield glass are soda ash, silica sand, limestone, dolomite and cullet. There are little quantities and traces of aluminum oxide and potassium oxide also included most of the time.
Silica is the major ingredient and around 65-70% of the windshield glass is just silica. This is what makes glass. After silica, soda ash is added to the mixture when silica is being heated. It decreases the melting point of the mix. Dolomite makes the mixture easier to work with, whereas limestone increases the efficiency of the glass and gives it a good finish. Limestone is also a key ingredient for making the glass more durable.
Then some water is poured into the mixture and heated at a specific temperature. All these chemicals and materials being blended and heated together give birth to glass.
https://www.smileysglass.com/blog/how-are-windshields-manufactured#
LOOKING FOR CLUES in the CANADIAN FIRES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHeoaIh7cx8
Have you ever seen a tree struck by lightning explode (from the inside out)?
That's because the sap is boiled and as it heats it expands rapidly, literally exploding.
I don't know if this is what happens to trees during a wildfire, because I have not witnessed it or done any research. Have you?
What kind of organized outfit would try to sell this directed energy weapon theory so hard? Anyone among the corporate criminals against nature?
That's certainly something to think about - as are other claims, including those of "arson" (while ignoring lighting strikes).
Meanwhile, they ignore the science and government Reports that explain the causes and failures, e.g. see:
https://bwolfe.substack.com/p/opposition-to-government-regulatory
Perhaps this kind of disinformation might prompt investigation of a much larger question: how did climate science and renewable energy get included in the culture war and various conspiracy theories?
I have a rough theory. Societies are concerned with their own reproduction: their ways of collectively thinking, building, cooking, playing, and last but not least labor-exploiting. In a spiritual sense, capitalist cosmology can be viewed as a single act of capture, repeated ad infinitum in the large and small. Conservative Christian societies are particularly fixated on the precision and fidelity of that reproduction, and the need to continuously adjust ("husband", "steward", or "perfect") the world around them to meet that destiny. Having developed, and securely possessing, reliable devices and rituals for exploiting fossil carbon energy, all other considerations are a distraction from their "property" and (to their mind) should be resisted, lest they find their place in society "corrupted" relative to their dream.
Stinky: The head of Raytheon just did a demonstration of how powerful his company's directed energy weapon is and more importantly, how precise it can be aimed.
Ka-ching!
A "corporation".
The lightning causes instant heating inside the tree from so much electric current flowing through the high resistance and being converted to heat.
It seems that the effects of a high-energy microwave beam would do almost the same thing, at least as for the instantaneous creation of heat in the water-carrying layer of young wood below the bark.
How high energy? Do the math and find the joules.
The energy level is not set and documented. The lightlning has a range of voltages and currents, across high resistances within sapwood, so one can envision the process without exact numbers.
Sudden conversion of photon-energy of microwaves into heat in the sapwood of a tree can be envisioned similarly.
Power transfer in a period of a few seconds or less is the variable.
Since the power-input variables are not known, to be plugged-in, one cannot do the math, but setting up the though problem is straightforward.
Caitlin, you don’t want to hear this, but most of us agree with Jimmy Dore, not Cornel West. Whatever right wing (Tucker Carlson!) fake-populist pitfall you are trying to protect us from, it’s a moot point because the Democratic party under Biden is more fascist than Trump could ever aspire to be.
As far as the class vs race debate goes: there are wealthy and influential black people and lgbtq, however there are no wealthy and influential poor people. There are no laws on the books that discriminate against races or sexuality, yet there are plenty that are there to keep poor/working class people down.
Also, please stop apologizing for criticizing America and bring up your American husband proofreading your work. Gives off major ‘I have black friends’ vibes. You don’t need an ‘in’ or a pass. Idgaf if ‘an American’ co-wrote the article; you know very well it doesn’t give it any more credibility. I have never seen any comments that proclaimed you weren’t qualified or allowed to hate on America or Americans. I am willing to bet most of your reader base is American and they agree whole heartedly with your criticism.
First, just love you Caitlin. You pretty much write down what I’m thinking.
I’m simply not interested in having an endless intellectual, academic discussion about black, white, queer, straight. Waste of time. Midt working folk out here on the street don’t have time to worry about these wedge issues.
In my daily life I treat others with respect and TRY to practice unconditional positive regard. As the Panthers, Fred Hampton and others knew, you simply start by reaching out to the group that is supposed to be the demon enemy (choose any, the Empire doesn’t care) and start the conversation: We must stop wrestling with one another and look up. The MIC, PIC, big pharma and Wall Street is the enemy. Once the eyes are open to that, then the collaborative organizing can begin. One problem- the U.S. murders people that are successful at reaching others with this method. It may be difficult to find true leaders of a socialist left due to the fact that most folks want to live, even in the current world such as it is.
"The Powers that Be" don't have to work hard to divide us, we divide ourselves over the most frivolous issues and matters, like what sport team you like or what state you live in or what part of what state you live in or what part of town or what street you live on. We even divide ourselves in our own houses or families. Those powers have only to steer that division to expend our efforts and energies into useless dead ends that leave them untouched and in power.
This system of control has existed for thousands of years and became scientific in the mid 1800's with the advent of Psychology and Psychiatry. They know what makes us tick.
To better understand the system we are in, read Machiavelli's "The Prince", and then Edward Bernay's "Propaganda". When you learn how this system is used, then you can recognize when it is being expressed against us.
The only way to counter this system control is to not participate in it. Buckminster Fuller said...
“In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a new model and make the old one obsolete.” This is wisdom....
Be a good example to others of how to be, which will raise awareness and as awareness rises then the people around you will ACT ACCORDINGLY .....this is KEY, as it can become all pervasive.
"Enlighten the People generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." Thomas Jefferson had this wisdom. You can, too...
In my opinion based off of my life (60+ years) experience, there is no white, black race etc. Why, because there is only one race, which is the Human Race.
When we as a people realize that, than maybe we can obtain control from the few that pit us against each other.
Yes I am of the human race, thats my birth right. Yet also i am a Native (mixed tribal heritage etc) American. Awansgi.
I am, Crazysun
Of the Earth People
Greetings....!