Listen to a reading of this article: ❖ In a 1933 essay lamenting the rise of Nazism in Germany, Bertrand Russell wrote: "The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”
I do believe that most unskillful and hurtful behavior comes from a place of suffering. Those who are psychopathic, though, may not be suffering but they lead unexamined lives and make others suffer. Stay brave and hold yourself tight. You are not alone, you have many comrades.
Thank you, Cailtin. That is some lovely artwork and this article resonates on many levels.
The quote by Bertrand Russell is spot on, however, I believe he’s ‘one of them’…
“I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is mass psychology... Its importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda. Of these the most influential is what is called 'education.' Religion plays a part, though a diminishing one; the press, the cinema, and the radio play an increasing part.... Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions are generated … It may be hoped that in time anybody will be able to persuade anybody of anything if he can catch the patient young and is provided by the State with money and equipment.”
—Bertrand Russell, “The Impact of Science on Society”
To add to your tips above, I find stoicism useful in dealing with the slights and hardships that come with this life. It involves a detached observation of our circumstances and encounters that is objective rather than judgmental. This can be a powerful approach in cultivating a healthier internal response and more realistic worldview.
“My third maxim was to endeavor always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and change my desires rather than the order of the world, and in general, accustom myself to the persuasion that, except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power; so that when we have done our best in things external to us, all wherein we fail of success is to be held, as regards us, absolutely impossible: and this single principle seemed to me sufficient to prevent me from desiring for the future anything which I could not obtain, and thus render me contented.”
Political smears are nothing new, especially in the wild and woolly post-2016 days. What has changed, first gradually and then all at once, is that elected officials and their appointees are now apparently far more likely to use conspiracy theories as a defense.
So what is the Fabian Society, and what are its tactics? Despite the wild and esoteric rumors put forth by Carson and others, the Fabian Society in actuality is, at least relative to these rumors, rather tame. It is an openly left-leaning British think tank co-founded by children’s author and political activist Edith Nesbit with the stated purpose of advancing the principles of democratic socialism; indeed, the Fabians were an original founder of the UK’s Labour Party. In their own words:
The Fabian Society is a socialist organisation which aims to promote:
greater equality of power, wealth and opportunity
the value of collective action and public service
an accountable, tolerant and active democracy
citizenship, liberty and human rights
sustainable development
multilateral international cooperation
Jeet Heer, a staff writer for The New Republic, pointed out that conspiracy theorists often focus on wild stories of secret deals because to acknowledge the reality of sweeping social unrest would also be to acknowledge the reality of major socioeconomic disparities and how other groups profit from them.
According to Fox News, they are Fair and Balanced, and CNN tells us they are America's Most Trusted News Source. Etched in stone in the lobby of the old CIA HQ are the Latin words for "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". The new HQ is dubbed the "George Bush Center for Intelligence." Point being that not everything that comes directly from the source should be taken at face value, but I suppose only 'conspiracy theorists' believe such absurdities.
There are a lot of buzzwords in the FS' objective list that seemed benevolent to me at one time, however after some observation of 'progress' and consideration of the actual goals, I now find them nefarious. I'm sure we won't agree on this which is fine, so I won't elaborate other than to say I'm very skeptical of concentrated power because at the top of *every* power structure is nothing but people who seek power... who overwhelming tend to be the very people who are the subject of this article.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
― C. S. Lewis
BTW, did you know that the hackneyed term 'conspiracy theorist' was popularized by the CIA to marginalize critical thinkers?
When did George Bush become a member of the Fabians?
So many people to cancel. Like Water Cronkite, I hear.
There really is no hope, because even if we did succeed in creating the idyllic global villages, it could not last. Humans are destined for extinction, it is built into the mix, just hope they do not take most of Nature down with it. The robber barons have been running the show a long time, hierarchy wins.
I just do not personally think the Illuminati, the Masons, or the Fabians are the big problem, every generation or two creates there new bigger and better monsters. The Bushes are still in charge in this last cycle, and the oil racket never dies.
Oh, yes, you can always beat the CIA over ones head. But we still love our Tim Leary. I guess even the Dalai Lama was CIA funded. You can cancel everyone in the end, for some reason, because we all could be complicit in some awfulness.
Clearly with 8 billion on a planet that is swiftly being demolished, civilization will collapse and it will be a lot uglier than it is at the moment and no one will be talking about the Fabians any longer.
"When did George Bush become a member of the Fabians?" I don't believe he did, or maybe so, who knows, who cares. I was drawing a comparison that I thought you might relate to. I couldn't care less about the fabians, just another bunch of arrogant 'think tank' kooks who are out to 'save the world'. What do you make of their coat of arms?
The Bushes are minions like all politicians, or are we to believe Dubya and Jeb are running the world? That's a good one. The Rothschilds don’t appear on the Forbes 400 despite their hallucinated wealth being in the many trillions. With the power to create money, they can literally buy who and what ever they want. It is the central bankers who make the wars and fund both sides to enslave them in debt. This covert method of takeover has been used since the Napoleonic wars.
The forever wars in the middle east are not about oil, that’s a cover story as can be seen when one traces the contracts. There are much bigger objectives such as the Kalergi plan and a wacky attempt to fulfill biblical prophesy, creating an eretz Israel which is required for the return of Moschiah. That sounds insane because it is, but the fundamentalists are true believers.
And don't worry about nature, it will be just fine. It’s been through way more than anything humans can throw at it, and the universe will continue on in it’s endless cycle of birth-growth-peak-decline-death — inevitable as the laws of thermodynamics. So sit back, enjoy the show, and try to have a laugh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgJKrmbYfg
And did you know they call everyone a communist who is not a Republican or privatization extremist? Lots of flavors here on the nuanced spectrum, but go ahead Marjorie Green, give it to us.
M. Green is some politician, right? I don't follow that nonsense. But they sure have you right where they want you, sucked into their fake L/R paradigm of political theater. How simple it is to divide and rule.
I think in this excerpt of Russell, he is not celebrating those possibilities but warning of them. Otherwise I think this would be quite out of step with all of his other work I've read.
Maybe, I've only read one of his books, but I think a lot of the high profile writers tended to be in the club, eg. Huxley and Orwell. Our educational system was definitely founded for nefarious purposes.
Again, i think Huxley was giving a warning... my conspiracy theory friends think otherwise, but they think every prominent person in western culture is in on it.
Huxley, Orwell, and Russell were all members of the Fabian society, for whatever that's worth. There are also concepts known as predictive programming and revelation of the method which may be too out there for some, but I believe there's something to them -- mass psychology is some crazy shit.
My skepticism of prominent voices stems from the fact that all literature or other forms of expression can be promoted or memory holed by whoever controls the publishing houses and other information channels. For example, a few scenes from Python's Life of Brian aired at the premier but were then redacted before distribution because Hollywood only permits two Abrahamic religions to be criticized or ridiculed. Those scenes were on YT some time ago, but I'd bet they've been scrubbed since.
Today google, youtube and SM platforms are the gatekeepers of what messages are meant for public consumption. Those they (govcorp) want promoted appear at the top of searches, while those they dislike will be pages deep if there at all. I know from personal experience as a lot of what was easily accessible has since been disappeared.
Well being a member of the Fabian society did not mean you were into turning the west into communist Russia.... i'm sure there were plenty of well meaning folks who went that route.... if some of the leaders had nefarious plans (I can't remember now what those plans were) not everyone who joined shared them i'm sure. A lot of conspiracy theorists have a great fear of anything that might smack of socialism. Their anti Chinese sentiments play into the hands of the war planners and the deep state. Ironic though it may be.
The education system was started by the Rockefellers as was the allopathic medical system that promotes big pharma... omg, does that make me a conspiracy theorist too....? But it's the facts...
I can't speak for all 'conspiracy theorists', but many people with 'anti Chinese sentiment' are able to make the distinction between the Chinese govt and the Chinese people. The CCP is a totalitarian regime that allows corporations to use their subjects as slave labor among other ongoing atrocities and aggressions, and the globalist/socialist oligarchs view this as the model govt. https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/10/archives/from-a-china-traveler.html
Hi Caitlin. One of the ways I have learned to deal with my perception of being attacked has been to recall Don Miguel Ruiz's book entitled "The Four Agreements". Agreement #2 states Don't Take Anything Personally. This helps me remember that I am not - and cannot be - defined by the malicious words or actions of another human being. Nor do I have to allow them to have power over me. When I stop to recognize that any attack seemingly aimed at me is instead a reflection of another's inner struggle / turmoil / unresolved issues, I can - occasionally - see my attacker through the lens of empathy. (But only on occasion. What can I say? I am a work in progress.)
When I get attacked I try to understand what made that person do it. For people I know, I know their personal pain and insecurities, so I send them light and love. Strangers can't wound me as deeply and I don't know what made them so nasty, so it's easier to brush them off as trolls who only feel better about themselves by tearing someone else down. Pretty pathetic way to live, so I just feel sorry for people like that. Remembering there are people who think highly of me keeps me from going down the drain.
Great advice, thank you. I suspect more visual interaction in social media would likely help. A ‘ twitter’ where people responding to a post have to respond with a quick video. This would reduce trolling and the power of the thousands online whose job or objective is to maintain the status quo.
Face to face but with the buffer of time and distance will help override our cognitive biases significantly ... people will see honesty, sincerity and deception more easily... yes, the plutocratic media will still deceive with a flawless smile but it’s the social media space where the 99% are trying to be heard and seen without the smearing and status quo narratives dominating.
We have a right to privacy but a need for transparency. Human hierarchies of domination and the ego both thrive on hiding and deception.
Caitlin, you're a true gem. Like Bertrand Russell, your work is a rare and poetic combination of courage, logic, humility and empathy, as well as a refreshing absence of doctrinal rigidity.
Thank you for being a brave voice. I am a victim of diseased psychopaths in my own family, who have gone to great lengths to do grave harm to me. I think all one can do is to completely cut them out of your life, have NO contact, and just wait for them to die off.
I have been mulling over their complete lack of empathy and humanity for a long time, and all I have come to accept that makes any sense at all is this explanation: that perhaps they really aren't human! They are fucking robots, made of wires and circuits, with a prime directive to seek out life and destroy!
Well, to be honest, psychopaths and sociopaths have always been able to infiltrate and reach the upper echelons of society. The only way to stop them is to use the system against them. When the type advances to a certain level – manager, congressperson, financial directorship, leadership position – the system must demand a thorough profile of that person be made. Once a psycho- or sociopathy is detected, then that person must be electronically monitored 24/7. Aberrant behavior of any kind is then rewarded with exile to a position which has potentially little or no negative effect on society.
This would essentially do to them what they want to do to us, i.e., have complete control.
“He has the capacity to veer with every wind, or, stubbornly, to insert himself into some fantastically elaborated and irrational social institution only to perish with it. [For man is a] fickle, erratic, dangerous creature [whose] restless mind would try all paths, all horrors, all betrayals ... believe all things and believe nothing ... kill for shadowy ideas more ferociously than other creatures kill for food, then, in a generation or less, forget what bloody dream had so oppressed him”
If no one has seen this Curtis documentary it is a classic. THE CENTURY OF THE SELF. He also did THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES and many other greats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ3RzGoQC4s&t=4s
I do believe that most unskillful and hurtful behavior comes from a place of suffering. Those who are psychopathic, though, may not be suffering but they lead unexamined lives and make others suffer. Stay brave and hold yourself tight. You are not alone, you have many comrades.
Love your work....and really loved “Wizard” ❤️
Thank you, Cailtin. That is some lovely artwork and this article resonates on many levels.
The quote by Bertrand Russell is spot on, however, I believe he’s ‘one of them’…
“I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is mass psychology... Its importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda. Of these the most influential is what is called 'education.' Religion plays a part, though a diminishing one; the press, the cinema, and the radio play an increasing part.... Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions are generated … It may be hoped that in time anybody will be able to persuade anybody of anything if he can catch the patient young and is provided by the State with money and equipment.”
—Bertrand Russell, “The Impact of Science on Society”
To add to your tips above, I find stoicism useful in dealing with the slights and hardships that come with this life. It involves a detached observation of our circumstances and encounters that is objective rather than judgmental. This can be a powerful approach in cultivating a healthier internal response and more realistic worldview.
“My third maxim was to endeavor always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and change my desires rather than the order of the world, and in general, accustom myself to the persuasion that, except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power; so that when we have done our best in things external to us, all wherein we fail of success is to be held, as regards us, absolutely impossible: and this single principle seemed to me sufficient to prevent me from desiring for the future anything which I could not obtain, and thus render me contented.”
—Rene Descartes
Political smears are nothing new, especially in the wild and woolly post-2016 days. What has changed, first gradually and then all at once, is that elected officials and their appointees are now apparently far more likely to use conspiracy theories as a defense.
So what is the Fabian Society, and what are its tactics? Despite the wild and esoteric rumors put forth by Carson and others, the Fabian Society in actuality is, at least relative to these rumors, rather tame. It is an openly left-leaning British think tank co-founded by children’s author and political activist Edith Nesbit with the stated purpose of advancing the principles of democratic socialism; indeed, the Fabians were an original founder of the UK’s Labour Party. In their own words:
The Fabian Society is a socialist organisation which aims to promote:
greater equality of power, wealth and opportunity
the value of collective action and public service
an accountable, tolerant and active democracy
citizenship, liberty and human rights
sustainable development
multilateral international cooperation
Jeet Heer, a staff writer for The New Republic, pointed out that conspiracy theorists often focus on wild stories of secret deals because to acknowledge the reality of sweeping social unrest would also be to acknowledge the reality of major socioeconomic disparities and how other groups profit from them.
https://www.truthorfiction.com/what-is-the-fabian-society/
According to Fox News, they are Fair and Balanced, and CNN tells us they are America's Most Trusted News Source. Etched in stone in the lobby of the old CIA HQ are the Latin words for "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". The new HQ is dubbed the "George Bush Center for Intelligence." Point being that not everything that comes directly from the source should be taken at face value, but I suppose only 'conspiracy theorists' believe such absurdities.
There are a lot of buzzwords in the FS' objective list that seemed benevolent to me at one time, however after some observation of 'progress' and consideration of the actual goals, I now find them nefarious. I'm sure we won't agree on this which is fine, so I won't elaborate other than to say I'm very skeptical of concentrated power because at the top of *every* power structure is nothing but people who seek power... who overwhelming tend to be the very people who are the subject of this article.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
― C. S. Lewis
BTW, did you know that the hackneyed term 'conspiracy theorist' was popularized by the CIA to marginalize critical thinkers?
When did George Bush become a member of the Fabians?
So many people to cancel. Like Water Cronkite, I hear.
There really is no hope, because even if we did succeed in creating the idyllic global villages, it could not last. Humans are destined for extinction, it is built into the mix, just hope they do not take most of Nature down with it. The robber barons have been running the show a long time, hierarchy wins.
I just do not personally think the Illuminati, the Masons, or the Fabians are the big problem, every generation or two creates there new bigger and better monsters. The Bushes are still in charge in this last cycle, and the oil racket never dies.
Oh, yes, you can always beat the CIA over ones head. But we still love our Tim Leary. I guess even the Dalai Lama was CIA funded. You can cancel everyone in the end, for some reason, because we all could be complicit in some awfulness.
Clearly with 8 billion on a planet that is swiftly being demolished, civilization will collapse and it will be a lot uglier than it is at the moment and no one will be talking about the Fabians any longer.
"When did George Bush become a member of the Fabians?" I don't believe he did, or maybe so, who knows, who cares. I was drawing a comparison that I thought you might relate to. I couldn't care less about the fabians, just another bunch of arrogant 'think tank' kooks who are out to 'save the world'. What do you make of their coat of arms?
The Bushes are minions like all politicians, or are we to believe Dubya and Jeb are running the world? That's a good one. The Rothschilds don’t appear on the Forbes 400 despite their hallucinated wealth being in the many trillions. With the power to create money, they can literally buy who and what ever they want. It is the central bankers who make the wars and fund both sides to enslave them in debt. This covert method of takeover has been used since the Napoleonic wars.
The forever wars in the middle east are not about oil, that’s a cover story as can be seen when one traces the contracts. There are much bigger objectives such as the Kalergi plan and a wacky attempt to fulfill biblical prophesy, creating an eretz Israel which is required for the return of Moschiah. That sounds insane because it is, but the fundamentalists are true believers.
And don't worry about nature, it will be just fine. It’s been through way more than anything humans can throw at it, and the universe will continue on in it’s endless cycle of birth-growth-peak-decline-death — inevitable as the laws of thermodynamics. So sit back, enjoy the show, and try to have a laugh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgJKrmbYfg
I was joking about Bush being a Fabian.
And did you know they call everyone a communist who is not a Republican or privatization extremist? Lots of flavors here on the nuanced spectrum, but go ahead Marjorie Green, give it to us.
M. Green is some politician, right? I don't follow that nonsense. But they sure have you right where they want you, sucked into their fake L/R paradigm of political theater. How simple it is to divide and rule.
certainly is. apparently enough people lap it up and take it down very easily. i guess some call it the koolaid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fabian_Society_coat_of_arms.svg
1918 sort of ruined it for any serious reforms.
Been there.
I think in this excerpt of Russell, he is not celebrating those possibilities but warning of them. Otherwise I think this would be quite out of step with all of his other work I've read.
Maybe, I've only read one of his books, but I think a lot of the high profile writers tended to be in the club, eg. Huxley and Orwell. Our educational system was definitely founded for nefarious purposes.
Again, i think Huxley was giving a warning... my conspiracy theory friends think otherwise, but they think every prominent person in western culture is in on it.
Huxley, Orwell, and Russell were all members of the Fabian society, for whatever that's worth. There are also concepts known as predictive programming and revelation of the method which may be too out there for some, but I believe there's something to them -- mass psychology is some crazy shit.
My skepticism of prominent voices stems from the fact that all literature or other forms of expression can be promoted or memory holed by whoever controls the publishing houses and other information channels. For example, a few scenes from Python's Life of Brian aired at the premier but were then redacted before distribution because Hollywood only permits two Abrahamic religions to be criticized or ridiculed. Those scenes were on YT some time ago, but I'd bet they've been scrubbed since.
Today google, youtube and SM platforms are the gatekeepers of what messages are meant for public consumption. Those they (govcorp) want promoted appear at the top of searches, while those they dislike will be pages deep if there at all. I know from personal experience as a lot of what was easily accessible has since been disappeared.
Well being a member of the Fabian society did not mean you were into turning the west into communist Russia.... i'm sure there were plenty of well meaning folks who went that route.... if some of the leaders had nefarious plans (I can't remember now what those plans were) not everyone who joined shared them i'm sure. A lot of conspiracy theorists have a great fear of anything that might smack of socialism. Their anti Chinese sentiments play into the hands of the war planners and the deep state. Ironic though it may be.
The education system was started by the Rockefellers as was the allopathic medical system that promotes big pharma... omg, does that make me a conspiracy theorist too....? But it's the facts...
I can't speak for all 'conspiracy theorists', but many people with 'anti Chinese sentiment' are able to make the distinction between the Chinese govt and the Chinese people. The CCP is a totalitarian regime that allows corporations to use their subjects as slave labor among other ongoing atrocities and aggressions, and the globalist/socialist oligarchs view this as the model govt. https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/10/archives/from-a-china-traveler.html
Never doubt your gift of wisdom Caitlin! Keep shining the light, that is the only way! Loved "Wizard"!
Hi Caitlin. One of the ways I have learned to deal with my perception of being attacked has been to recall Don Miguel Ruiz's book entitled "The Four Agreements". Agreement #2 states Don't Take Anything Personally. This helps me remember that I am not - and cannot be - defined by the malicious words or actions of another human being. Nor do I have to allow them to have power over me. When I stop to recognize that any attack seemingly aimed at me is instead a reflection of another's inner struggle / turmoil / unresolved issues, I can - occasionally - see my attacker through the lens of empathy. (But only on occasion. What can I say? I am a work in progress.)
When I get attacked I try to understand what made that person do it. For people I know, I know their personal pain and insecurities, so I send them light and love. Strangers can't wound me as deeply and I don't know what made them so nasty, so it's easier to brush them off as trolls who only feel better about themselves by tearing someone else down. Pretty pathetic way to live, so I just feel sorry for people like that. Remembering there are people who think highly of me keeps me from going down the drain.
Great advice, thank you. I suspect more visual interaction in social media would likely help. A ‘ twitter’ where people responding to a post have to respond with a quick video. This would reduce trolling and the power of the thousands online whose job or objective is to maintain the status quo.
Face to face but with the buffer of time and distance will help override our cognitive biases significantly ... people will see honesty, sincerity and deception more easily... yes, the plutocratic media will still deceive with a flawless smile but it’s the social media space where the 99% are trying to be heard and seen without the smearing and status quo narratives dominating.
We have a right to privacy but a need for transparency. Human hierarchies of domination and the ego both thrive on hiding and deception.
Caitlin, you're a true gem. Like Bertrand Russell, your work is a rare and poetic combination of courage, logic, humility and empathy, as well as a refreshing absence of doctrinal rigidity.
Thank you for being a brave voice. I am a victim of diseased psychopaths in my own family, who have gone to great lengths to do grave harm to me. I think all one can do is to completely cut them out of your life, have NO contact, and just wait for them to die off.
I have been mulling over their complete lack of empathy and humanity for a long time, and all I have come to accept that makes any sense at all is this explanation: that perhaps they really aren't human! They are fucking robots, made of wires and circuits, with a prime directive to seek out life and destroy!
I've gone no contact. They seek to destroy anyone with a soul, and they are totally incapable of change, not that they'd want to.
I love your work. You are truly inspiring.
ty for the confidence to fight another day > > >
OMG, your Wizard is so moving and amazing. May it shake the rusty souls and free J.
Well, to be honest, psychopaths and sociopaths have always been able to infiltrate and reach the upper echelons of society. The only way to stop them is to use the system against them. When the type advances to a certain level – manager, congressperson, financial directorship, leadership position – the system must demand a thorough profile of that person be made. Once a psycho- or sociopathy is detected, then that person must be electronically monitored 24/7. Aberrant behavior of any kind is then rewarded with exile to a position which has potentially little or no negative effect on society.
This would essentially do to them what they want to do to us, i.e., have complete control.
you cannot change the world by oversimplification
“He has the capacity to veer with every wind, or, stubbornly, to insert himself into some fantastically elaborated and irrational social institution only to perish with it. [For man is a] fickle, erratic, dangerous creature [whose] restless mind would try all paths, all horrors, all betrayals ... believe all things and believe nothing ... kill for shadowy ideas more ferociously than other creatures kill for food, then, in a generation or less, forget what bloody dream had so oppressed him”
— Loren Eiseley —
https://howtosavetheworld.ca/2009/09/21/the-philosophy-of-loren-eiseley-in-verse/
If no one has seen this Curtis documentary it is a classic. THE CENTURY OF THE SELF. He also did THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES and many other greats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ3RzGoQC4s&t=4s