I want to really think differently than the very consistent liberal-media line of, Well if they just knew better they would vote differently. They’re under-informed, they’re under-educated. I think it really misunderstands something, which is that, just because people are not acting rationally in accordance with what you think is rational, doesn’t mean that they’re not acting rationally. And I think there’s perfectly rational voter behavior in voting for Trump. For economic reasons and social reasons.
Life is getting worse. You are less comfortable in your own house, in your own town, in your own skin. Your outlook for the future is worse with every passing year. And you conscientiously voted for people through this entire time. So it is actually an established fact that the system did not work for you. This representative democracy thing. And so you go and lob a grenade at it, when the grenade becomes available. And that is rational.
– From the excellent interview of Masha Gessen via The Atlantic
In yesterday’s post, I discussed the future opportunity and danger presented by that large mass of the American public that self-identifies as part of “the resistance.” Before I continue, we should revisit a few of the key points made. For example:
With Trump’s election, the mask is finally off. Even Trump supporters admit that his election was a reaction to how corrupt and fraudulent our economy and society had become during the 21st century — first under Bush and then Obama. Independents such as myself, despite finding Trump revolting and dangerous, tend to agree with this assessment.
The only significant group of people who simply refuse to admit this fact are those who proudly proclaim themselves to be part of “the resistance.” Many of them thought everything was going just fine for the country while Obama was President simply because things were going well for them, which is just human nature. If things are going fine for you on a individual level, there isn’t much incentive to peek behind the curtain and question what’s really going on. You’re simply too busy feeling good about yourself and focusing on getting ahead. I know because I’ve been there.
Also this:
It’s tempting to just write these people off as useful idiots being easily corralled into the vicious arms of neocons and deep state psychopaths following the emotional trauma inflicted upon their psyche by the election of Donald Trump. It’s tempting to do that, because in many ways that’s a fairly accurate description of what’s going on, but I want to try to be less judgmental right now. When thinking back to the early days of my awakening, I remember how malleable my mind was to all sorts of influences, both positive and negative. This is what happens to people when your entire worldview is suddenly shattered or disrupted. Human nature is to look for an alternative narrative that can help you once again make sense of the world. Unfortunately for most card-carrying members of “the resistance,” nefarious characters within corporate media and U.S. intelligence agencies were ready with a comforting narrative which gave them permission to avoid confronting reality: Russia did it.
We should not write off our fellow humans simply because they voted for Trump, or because they foolishly embraced some delusional conspiracy which blames Russia for everything. There are tens of millions of very decent people within both these groups who genuinely care about the country and making things better. We must never forget that convincing one group of voters to hate and dehumanize another group of voters serves the interests of the power structure and no one else. People have been successfully manipulated into thinking that their fellow citizens with essentially zero power are the real enemy as opposed to the oligarchs who actually destroyed and pillaged the country. This is why I focus pretty much all my posts on the bigger picture and direct my energy to calling out those with actual power. If you spend your entire day fuming about how stupid Trump voters are, or how “the resistance” are just a bunch of brainwashed useful idiots, you’re being intentionally played by those who’re really in power.
As discussed yesterday, Trump’s election caused a mental breakdown across a wide swath of the U.S. population. This happened because millions upon millions of people thought things were going just fine under Obama, simply because things were going fine for them. The corporate media and discredited neocons/neoliberals working in tandem with U.S. intelligence agencies immediately saw this crisis for the opportunity it was. They could present themselves as leaders of “the resistance” and blame Trump’s rise on Russia. This way demoralized, yet financially successful, Hillary Clinton voters could continue to tell themselves the same comforting tale that everything’s inherently fine in this country were it not for Russia. You couldn’t come up with a more perfect narrative for the rejected status quo to use in order to reestablish its authority if you tried. Unfortunately, it’s largely worked thus far.
Sounds depressing, I know. Nevertheless, just because it’s worked so far, doesn’t mean it’ll work forever. One of the key points I highlighted in yesterday’s piece is that people are very vulnerable to manipulation and bad ideas in the immediate aftermath of any trauma that comes with one’s worldview being shattered. People tend to look for grand enemies in the face of such distress, whether that be the Rothschilds, the Illuminati or Vladimir Putin. It’s all the same in the end. This isn’t to say I deny the existence of extremely rich and powerful people in the world who wield tremendous influence in world affairs, I certainly think there are. Rather, it’s to say that human beings often times get so caught up on grand conspiracy theories they do nothing to change the world around them. This leads them to just sit around shivering in fear warning everyone around them about the masters pulling the strings, and how these forces are unstoppable.
The truth of the matter is that we’re the ones ruining everything. All of us are extremely flawed, yet most of us choose to focus on and highlight the flaws of others as opposed to looking inward. As I wrote about at length earlier this year, the greatest impact that 99% of us can have on the world comes from working on ourselves as individuals. Imagine if in the course of such personal work a couple billion people on the planet truly became more decent, conscious people. Don’t you think that would change the world far more than electing another loathsome politician with false promises?
As frustrating and dysfunctional as the current political environment is, we need to remember that we’re still only one year apart from the 2016 election. The clownish “resistance” to Trump rooted in Russia conspiracy fantasies is still very young in the tooth, and I’m optimistic a certain percentage of this group will eventually see the error of their ways and move on. I’m not talking about a majority, but enough to make a difference. There are two things that lead me to this conclusion. First, since I think people are most vulnerable right after a trauma, the low hanging fruits of manipulation have been picked. Second, the argument that Russia is to blame for all that ails us, ignores the existence of the surveillance state, endless imperial wars abroad, a dysfunctional healthcare system, a parasitic financial services industry, etc. The singular focus on blaming Russia for everything as opposed to admitting that our biggest problems are homegrown is as irrational as it isn cynical. It simply doesn’t stand up to any sort of reasonable debate, and will only continue to work on people who desperately want to live a lie in order to feel better.
As Caitlin Johnstone wrote in her excellent piece, Accusing Someone You Disagree With Of Being A Russian Troll Is Admitting You Have No Argument:
There is no legitimate reason to ever accuse a stranger you disagree with of being a Russian agent. Firstly, you cannot possibly know that the stranger you’re dialoguing with works for the Kremlin. Secondly, even in the highly unlikely event that the person you are speaking to really is a secret Russian agent, you should still be able to out-debate them. Kremlin trolls don’t have magical powers. They can’t hypnotize you. If you’re interacting with one they’ll be advancing arguments and ideas just like anyone else, and if your arguments and ideas are defensible you should be able to defend them clearly and articulately.
This is exactly right, and it’s why I don’t think this Russia narrative will continue to exert the societal influence it does today as we move into 2018 and 2019. It’s a psy op which doesn’t stand up to any critical thinking, and a certain percentage of “the resistance” will ultimately move on to more productive behavior. Even if the percentage that discards the Russia obsession is only 5%-10% of the total, this might still equate to millions of people and that’s enough to result in a meaningful change to political dialogue.
Of course, I can’t predict the future and you could easily make the exact opposite argument. I get that, but my overall optimistic vision is based on a lot more than the belief a few card-carrying “resistance” groupies will come to their senses. On a much more global level, I believe the unprecedented connectivity provided to the world via the internet will eventually lead to a much more conscious and healthy environment for human beings on this majestic planet.
People are still grossly underestimating the impact of the internet on human affairs on earth.
We remain in inning 1, maybe 2.— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) November 21, 2017
This will be the main topic of conversation in tomorrow’s piece.
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“The truth of the matter is that we’re the ones ruining everything. All of us are extremely flawed, yet most of us choose to focus on and highlight the flaws of others as opposed to looking inward. As I wrote about at length earlier this year, the greatest impact that 99% of us can have on the world comes from working on ourselves as individuals. Imagine if in the course of such personal work a couple billion people on the planet truly became more decent, conscious people. Don’t you think that would change the world far more than electing another loathsome politician with false promises?”
This is the best paragraph you’ve written so far in this two-parter, Michael. What’s wrong with the world? WE’RE what’s wrong. Simple as that. NOW–how to go about effecting the change. How to do it?
Here’s a very old claim that most reject out of hand, but has never been tried and found wanting:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Unfortunately, Michael, it is nearly impossible to NOT write people off who have decided that they would like to end our first amendment rights. This is not specifically relayed to racist slurs, but simply because someone has been victorious in an intellectual argument, and the interested parties not only realize that sunlight is the best disinfectant, but they are in fact the infection.
Explained here:
How the Offensive Charmlessness of the Media and DNC is Alienating Voters – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/26/how-the-offensive-charmlessness-of-the-media-and-dnc-is-alienating-voters/
Or even worse:
The Zuckerberg Thought Police, and How the Mad Scientists Are Inducing Mental Illness and Suicide – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/the-zuckerberg-thought-police-and-how-the-mad-scientists-are-inducing-mental-illness-and-suicide/
Peace,
Andrea
David, is politics not a hot enough topic without bringing in religion? I think that for some, Christianity is useful, but it absolutely is not a pre-requisite nor a guaranteed method to become a better person.
“God helps those who help themselves”
I’m not critical of those that voted for Trump; I am critical of those that still support him and think he will drain the swamp despite evidence to the contrary, starting from his Cabinet picks before he was even sworn in.
And In terms of “the resitance,” it is generally made up of two distinct groups: pro-Hillary and anti-Trump. While many in the pro-Hillary camp fall under your assumptions about their motivations and beliefs, this is not the same for the anti-Turmpers. The second group understands that any Russian involvement simply shined a light on a flawed, status-quo candidate. At the same time, they see the danger of having a “dangerous authoritarian” in charge.
Michael, so here’s something I don’t understand about the Russia thing:
(1) It looks pretty clear that Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort clearly had shady business deals with Russians.
(2) Trump is very reluctant to take say *anything* even vaguely negative about Putin or Russia, to the point of not implementing sanctions that passed the Senate on an astonishing 98-2 vote.
(3) For an innocent man, Trump is very upset about the Mueller investigations
(4) Trump is the type of person that puts his own interests above everyone else’s: country, political party, business partners, customers, friends, etc. (not sure about family yet). His actions seem restricted only by what he THINKS he can get away with.
(5) Based on how fragile his ego is and how easily he is manipulated by his low self-esteem, it is evident that Trump is really not nearly as smart as people assuemd based on his wealth.
(6) Trump has not relased his Tax returns
So my question is: do you really think Trump has no illegal/illegitimate Russain bussiness connections and/or conflicts of interests?
Let me summarize how I see the situation.
– I think Trump is a shady and unethical person, so I think you’ll find all sorts of shady, unethical practices in all elements of his life if you dig deep enough.
– I don’t think Trump and Russia colluded to swing the election toward Trump, and I think if such collusion existed, we’d know about it by now.
– I don’t think Russia “meddling” played any meaningful role in tipping the outcome to Trump. I think the Gessen quote at the top of the post summarizes exactly what happened, which is why I and many others paying attention predicted Trump could win all along.
– I think all of the major issues of rot in this nation can be directly traced to the greed, corruption and lack of ethics within our oligarch class, business community and government. These are all home grown issues and until we face that and deal with them, nothing will get better.
BTN, you need come to grips with the fact that the Mulatto Messiah was nothing more than another Trump who pre-dated Trump and you just can’t stop participating in the Hegelian Dialectic because you’re addicted to it.
The Mueller investigation is nothing more than a canard. Bob Mueller is just a deep state tool.
Putin absolutely owned Obama, Hillary, and Kerry, just as he will own Trump. That’s because none of them are in Putin’s league.
Now, could you please tell me what Russia can do to the US?
The answer is, nothing. Russia is not our problem. America is our problem.
That interview of Masha Gessen bothered me, as did her several years of Russia/Putin bashing at the NYT. She leaves a lot out in her narrative, for example, the background for Russia “annexing Crimea”. And note that the esteemed interviewer buys into the “Russia did it” grand diversion.
Excellent article Mike. I have never heard of unschooling until now, but live it.
Unlike some of the the sources mentioned, I do oppose school for many reasons.
1.) The institutions are nothing more than brainwashing fascist concentrentration camps that inhibit learning, creativity, personal development, personal identity, emotional well being, intelligence, morality, individuality, sensitivity, physical well being, spiritual well being, etc.
2.) The institutions teach complete lies in addition to propaganda that is easily discredited.
3.) 11.29% of American children are taking psychiatric drugs, not only proven not to work, but to exacerbate the existing mental problem. American parents are being threatened by authorities, that if they refuse to drug their children, they will be taken away from them. This usually starts with the teachers claiming that the child has ADHD, which is actually an indictment against the teacher for being a complete and total bore, or that the child is mentally ill, which means that the child is being abused.
Reported by cchrint:
To see drug regulatory agency warnings (386), studies (429) and documented side effects of the psychiatric drugs prescribed to children, click hyperlinks below in blue (i.e., ADHD Drugs, Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, etc).
Drug Class: Age Group: Number of
People:
All Psychiatric 0-5 Years 1,080,168
Drugs
Breakdown:
0-1 Years 274,804
2-3 Years 370,778
4-5 Years 500,948
6-12 Years 4,130,340
13-17 Years 3,617,593
Grand Total 0-17 Years 8,389,034 kids on psychiatric drugs
https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-drugs/children-on-psychiatric-drugs/
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216
4.) Schools are filled with street drugs and alcohol. 35% of high schoolers drank alcohol within the last month, 35% of 12th graders smoked marijuana within the last month, and 25% of high schoolers have used at least one of the following illicet drugs in the last month.:
Amphetamines,Adderall,Opioid painkillers,Synthetic marijuana,Tranquilizers,Cough medicine,Vicodin,Hallucinogens,OxyContin,Ecstasy (MDMA)LSD,Cocaine,Ritalin, Inhalants. Salvia, sedatives.
Source:
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/teen-addiction/high-school-drug-use/#gref
5.) If they aren’t using drugs in school, they might be having sex in school:
Reported by thoughtco.com:
“NUMBER OF TEENAGE PREGNANCIES
In 2008, there were approximately 746,500 teen pregnancies involving young women and girls under age 20. The bulk of those pregnancies — 733,000 — were among teens age 15-19, while girls 14 and younger accounted for 13,500 pregnancies.
TEENAGE PREGNANCY RATE
Among teens age 15-17, the pregnancy rate was 67.8 pregnancies per 1,000 women or 7% of the population. This rate was the lowest in over 30 years, down 42% from the peak pregnancy rate of 116.9 per thousand in 1990. Among girls 14 and younger, the pregnancy rate declined 62% from a high of 17.5 pregnancies per thousand in 1990 to 6.6 per thousand in 2008.
PREGNANCY RATE OF SEXUALLY ACTIVE TEENS
The pregnancy rate of sexually experienced teens (those who have ever had intercourse) was 158.5 pregnancies per thousand young women age 15-19, which indicates that the overall teenage pregnancy rate includes a significant proportion of teens who have never had sex.
That rate reached its peak in 1990 when it was 223.1 per thousand — a decline of 29%.
TEENAGE BIRTH RATE
In 2008 the teen birth rate was 40.2 births per 1,000 women, a drop of 35% from the peak rate of 61.8 per thousand in 1991.
TEENAGE ABORTION RATE
In 2008 the teen abortion rate was 17.8 abortions per 1,000 women, the lowest rate since abortion was legalized.”
https://www.thoughtco.com/teen-pregnancy-and-abortion-rates-3534250
Reported by dosomething.org
“The US has the highest rate of STD infection in the industrialized world.
6 in 10 sexually active high school teens reported using condoms during their most recent sexual intercourse.
1 in 4 teens contract a sexually transmitted disease every year.
Less than half of adults age 18 to 44 have ever been tested for an STD other than HIV/AIDS.”
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-teens-and-stds
My own thoughts on what is the most oppressive moral outrage of our times:
The University Hustle – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/the-university-hustle/
American Universities – Of Lab Mice and Mad Men – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/american-universities-of-lab-mice-and-mad-men/
How the Offensive Charmlessness of the Media and DNC is Alienating Voters – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/26/how-the-offensive-charmlessness-of-the-media-and-dnc-is-alienating-voters/
Is Professor Elizabeth Warren on Commission With Federal Reserve?! – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/05/is-professor-elizabeth-warren-on-commission-with-federal-reserve/
The Zuckerberg Thought Police, and How the Mad Scientists Are Inducing Mental Illness and Suicide – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/the-zuckerberg-thought-police-and-how-the-mad-scientists-are-inducing-mental-illness-and-suicide/
The Best Creative Minds in America Have Moved From Art, Into Accounting, Pentagon Audit Will Be the Mona Lisa of Creative Accounting – Andrea Iravani
https://rebel0007com.wordpress.com/2017/12/08/the-best-creative-minds-in-america-have-moved-from-art-into-accounting-pentagon-audit-will-be-the-mona-lisa-of-creative-accounting/