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theshedding · 3 years

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Lil Nas X: Country Music, Christianity & Reclaiming HELL

I don’t typically bother myself to follow what Lil Nas X is doing from day to day, or even month to month but I do know that his “Old Town Road” hit became one of the biggest selling/streamed records in Country Music Business history (by a Black Country & Queer artist). “Black” is key because for 75+ years Country music has unsuspiciously evolved into a solidly White-identified genre (despite mixed and Indian & Black roots). Regrettably, Country music is also widely known for anti-black, misogynoir, reliably homophobic (Trans isn’t really a conversation yet), Christian and Hard Right sentiments on the political spectrum. Some other day I will venture into more; there is a whole analysis dying to be done on this exclusive practice in the music industry with its implications on ‘access’ to equity and opportunity for both Black/POC’s and Whites artists/songwriters alike. More commentary on this rigid homogeneous field is needed and how it prohibits certain talent(s) for the sake of perpetuating homogeneity (e.g. “social determinants” of diversity & viable artistic careers). I’ll refrain from discussing that fully here, though suffice it to say that for those reasons X’s “Old Town Road” was monumental and vindicating.

As for Lil Nas X, I’m not particularly a big fan of his music; but I see him, what he’s doing, his impact on music + culture and I celebrate him using these moments to affirm his Black, Queer self, and lifting up others. Believe it or not, even in the 2020′s, being “out” in the music business is still a costly choice. As an artist it remains much easier to just “play straight”. And despite appearances, the business (particularly Country) has been dragged kicking and screaming into developing, promoting and advancing openly-affirming LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 artists in the board room or on-stage. Though things are ‘better’ we have not yet arrived at a place of equity or opportunity for queer artists; for the road of music biz history is littered with stunted careers, bodies and limitations on artists who had no option but to follow conventional ways, fail or never be heard of in the first place. With few exceptions, record labels, radio and press/media have successfully used fear, intimidation, innuendo and coercion to dilute, downplay or erase any hint of queer identity from its performers. This was true even for obvious talents like Little Richard.

(Note: I’m particularly speaking of artists in this regard, not so much the hairstylists, make-up artists, PA’s, etc.)

_____

Which is why...in regard to Lil Nas X, whether you like, hate or love his music, the young brother is a trailblazer. His very existence protests (at least) decades of inequity, oppression and erasure. X aptly critiques a Neo-Christian Fascist Heteropatriarchy; not just in American society but throughout the Music Business and with Black people. That is no small deal. His unapologetic outness holds a mirror up to Christianity at-large, as an institution, theology and practice. The problem is they just don’t like what they see in that mirror.

In actuality, “Call Me By Your Name”, Lil Nas X’s new video, is a twist on classic mythology and religious memes that are less reprehensible or vulgar than the Biblical narratives most of us grew up on vís-a-vís indoctrinating smiles of Sunday school teachers and family prior to the “age of reason”. Think about the narratives blithely describing Satan’s friendly wager with God regarding Job (42:1-6); the horrific “prophecies” in St. John’s Book of Revelation (i.e. skies will rain fire, angels will spit swords, mankind will be forced to retreat into caves for shelter, and we will be harassed by at least three terrifying dragons and beasts. Angels will sound seven trumpets of warning, and later on, seven plagues will be dumped on the world), or Jesus’s own clarifying words of violent intent in Matthew (re: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” 10:34). Whether literal or metaphor, these age old stories pale in comparison to a three minute allegorical rap video. Conservatives: say what you will, I’m pretty confident X doesn’t take himself as seriously as “The true and living God” from the book of Job.

A little known fact as it is, people have debunked the story and evolution of Satan and already offered compelling research showing [he] is more of a literary device than an actual entity or “spirit” (Spoiler: In the Bible, Satan does not take shape as an actual “bad” person until the New Testament). In fact, modern Christianity’s impression of the “Devil” is shaped by conflating Hellenized mythology with a literary tradition rooted in Dante’s Inferno and accompanying spooks and superstitions going back thousands of years. Whether Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Scientologist, Atheist or Agnostic, we’ve spent a lifetime with these predominant icons and clichés. (Resource: Prof. Bart D. Erhman, “Heaven & Hell”).

So Here’s THE PROBLEM: The current level of fear and outrage is:

(1) Unjust, imposing and irrational.

(2) Disproportionate when taken into account a lifetime of harmful Christian propaganda, anti-gay preaching and political advocacy.

(3) Historically inaccurate concerning the existence of “Hell” and who should be scared of going there.

Think I’m overreacting?

Examples:

Institutionalized Homophobia (rhetoric + policy)

Anti-Gay Ministers In Life And Death: Bishop Eddie Long And Rev. Bernice King

Black, gay and Christian, Marylanders struggle with Conflicts

Harlem pastor: 'Obama has released the homo demons on the black man'

Joel Olsteen: Homosexuality is “Not God’s Best”

Bishop Brandon Porter: Gays “Perverted & Lost...The Church of God in Christ Convocation appears like a ‘coming out party’ for members of the gay community.”

Kim Burrell: “That perverted homosexual spirit is a spirit of delusion & confusion and has deceived many men & women, and it has caused a strain on the body of Christ”

Falwell Suggests Gays to Blame for 9-11 Attacks

Pope Francis Blames The Devil For Sexual Abuse By Catholic Church

Pope Francis: Gay People Not Welcome in Clergy

Pope Francis Blames The Devil For Sexual Abuse By Catholic Church

The Pope and Gay People: Nothing’s Changed

The Catholic church silently lobbied against a suicide prevention hotline in the US because it included LGBT resources

Mormon church prohibits Children of LGBT parents to be baptized

Catholic Charity Ends Adoptions Rather Than Place Kid With Same-Sex Couple

I Was a Religious Zealot That Hurt People-Coming Out as Gay: A Former Conversion Therapy Leader Is Apologizing to the LGBTQ Community

The above short list chronicles a consistent, literal, demonization of LGBTQ people, contempt for their gender presentation, objectification of their bodies/sexuality and a coordinated pollution of media and culture over the last 50+ years by clergy since integration and Civil Rights legislation. Basically terrorism. Popes, Bishops, Pastors, Evangelists, Politicians, Television hosts, US Presidents, Camp Leaders, Teachers, Singers & Entertainers, Coaches, Athletes and Christians of all types all around the world have confused and confounded these issues, suppressed dissent, and confidently lied about LGBT people-including fellow Queer Christians with impunity for generations (i.e. “thou shall not bear false witness against they neighbor” Ex. 23:1-3). Christian majority viewpoints about “laws” and “nature” have run the table in discussions about LGBTQ people in society-so much that we collectively must first consider their religious views in all discussions and the specter of Christian approval -at best or Christian condescension -at worst. That is Christian (and straight) privilege. People are tired of this undue deference to religious opinions.

That is what is so deliciously bothersome about Lil Nas X being loud, proud and “in your face” about his sexuality. If for just a moment, he not only disrupts the American hetero-patriarchy but specifically the Black hetero-patriarchy, the so-called “Black Church Industrial Complex”, Neo-Christian Fascism and a mostly uneducated (and/or miseducated) public concerning Ancient Near East and European history, superstitions-and (by extension) White Supremacy. To round up: people are losing their minds because the victim decided to speak out against his victimizer.

Additionally, on some level I believe people are mad at him being just twenty years old, out and FREE as a self-assured, affirming & affirmed QUEER Black male entertainer with money and fame in the PRIME of his life. We’ve never, or rarely, seen that before in a Black man in the music business and popular culture. But that’s just too bad for them. With my own eyes I’ve watched straight people, friends, Christians, enjoy their sexuality from their elementary youth to adolescence, up and through college and later marriages, often times independently of their spouses (repeatedly). Meanwhile Queer/Gay/SGL/LGBTQ people are expected to put their lives on hold while the ‘blessed’ straight people run around exploring premarital/post-marital/extra-marital sex, love and affection, unbound & un-convicted by their “sin” or God...only to proudly rebrand themselves later in life as a good, moral “wholesome Christian” via the ‘sacred’ institution of marriage with no questions asked.

Inequality defined.

For Lil Nas X, everything about the society we've created for him in the last 100+ years (re: links above) has explicitly been designed for his life not to be his own. According to these and other Christians (see above), his identity is essentially supposed to be an endless rat fuck of internal confusion, suicide-ideation, depression, long-suffering, faux masculinity, heterosexism, groveling towards heaven, respectability politics, failed prayer and supplication to a heteronormative earthly and celestial hierarchy unbothered in affording LGBT people like him a healthy, sane human development. It’s almost as if the Conservative establishment (Black included) needs Lil Nas X to be like others before him: “private”, mysteriously single, suicidal, suspiciously straight or worse, dead of HIV/AIDS ...anything but driving down the street enjoying his youth as a Black Queer artist and man. So they mad about that?

Well those days are over.

-Rogiérs is a writer, international recording artist, performer and indie label manager with 25+ years in the music industry. He also directs Black Nonbelievers of DC, a non-profit org affiliated with the AHA supporting Black skeptics, Atheists, Agnostics & Humanists. He holds a B.A. in Music Business & Mgmt and a M.A. in Global Entertainment & Music Business from Berklee College of Music and Berklee Valencia, Spain. www.FibbyMusic.net Twitter/IG: @Rogiers1

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rosarenn · 3 years

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All things are ephemeral

I've been thinking a lot about the illusion of certainty and the way it holds us back from achieving great things.

There's this idea that if something is temporary, transient, that it isn't worth putting any effort into. That something is only worth your time if it endures, if it's permanent. That the investment must be followed by a payoff or why bother.

I am very much talking out of my own experience here, as a white settler/colonizer raised in a more or less middle class family. I know my experience is not universal, and I am still going to talk about "we" and "us" because I want to include myself in this group, and I'm noticing a pattern that I want to talk about. If you have never experienced certainty, or are in a stable position for the first time in your life, this is probably not about you, for example. Take what you need and compost the rest.

I'm reading Nine-Tenths of the Law: Property and Resistance in the United States by Hannah Dobbz, which discusses squatting in the US. One of the themes that comes up over an over again is the idea that because a squat is temporary, because the police could kick you out at any moment, because you don't have ownership or equity or any kind of title on your side and you could lose everything in a moment's notice, that it doesn't make any sense to improve the home you're living in. That the work would be wasted, and who wants to work their ass off and not reap the benefits? Why would you bother?

And this, to me, is so incredibly short-sighted, and represents an internalization of the logic of capitalism. Why would you bother? Because you are fucking living there. You're living there, you're passing your limited time on this planet in this space, and why would you live in a dump if you don't have to, if you don't like living in a dump, if you would feel better, be happier, enjoy your time there just a little bit more than if you didn't clean it up. It's the same reason I've painted countless rental apartments - even though I don't know how long I'll be there, while I'm there I eventually get sick at looking at plain white walls. It's why I'm planning to paint a mural in my rental apartment - it will bring me daily joy for as long as I am here. It's why I decorated my office when I still had an office. Because if this is where I am passing my time, I want it to be a little more pleasant.

We've so internalized the logic of the state and the market that we have this illusion that home-owning provides certainty, that it makes sense to invest in a home you own because it can't be taken away at a moment's notice. But it's a lie. The bank could repossess your home. The sewer could back up. A flood or a wildfire could make your home vanish in a moment. With climate change these events are only going to increase in frequency, as will the unrest and failed states and all the other forms of violent dispossession that that entails. The entire stock market could blow itself to pieces tomorrow, the currency we've all agreed to use could become worthless pieces of paper, anything can happen. I could die tomorrow. I could die today. There is no certainty, any where, ever. Anything I work for could be for nothing - nothing except for what I make of it here and now. I want to live before I die.

I think about the way I've been indoctrinated to delay gratification to the extreme. That's what the promise of capitalism to the middle class is, after all. Work tirelessly for all of your productive years, save your coins prudently, invest them in the stock market for the future and never take out your principle because compound interest is magic and you'd be a fool to forego that sweet, sweet "free" interest income. And then, and only then, you can retire for a few years and live a tiny sliver of your life free from the constant grind of daily waged labour. If someone is not able to make ends meet, I was taught, it's because they are too loose with their spending, they aren't able to delay gratification long enough for the real payout, the poor dears. Scrupulously saving, denying ourselves the momentary joys of right now in order to chase a possible future prosperity, is positioned as a moral good.

Of course this is a lie, and a terrible way to live (even as it is incredibly privileged). I lived this way for years and I'm only now beginning to come to terms with it. There's so much grief there. How much did I miss out on? Think of all the joy, vitality, and the things that make life worth living that I denied myself - and for what? To chase certainty in the future, because I couldn't accept the ephemerality of today.

There's a delicate balance needed here, of course. There's an argument to be made that what we need is more delayed gratification, not less. The constant churning consumption, the endless extraction from the earth and our bodies, putting today's profits ahead of tomorrow's, or even above the survival of our own children - these are features of capitalism and they are destroying us.

But they need to sell us this lie, that if we work hard today we can be happy tomorrow, to keep us working. Because if we truly looked at horrors of this reality, if we truly knew in our bones that everything we have today could be gone tomorrow, that everything in life is fleeting - would you still go to work, day after day after day? I know I sure wouldn't. Even though I don't know what I would do to survive instead. Even though stepping into that unknown is terrifying. Even though I have no answers, I would have to take that leap.

I think, too, about the way I sometimes see people talk about revolution - and I include myself in this group. That until we are ready to make a global revolution, until we are all but guaranteed success, until the moment we reach critical mass, all we can do is wait. Maybe we agitate, maybe we form unions and organizations and try to spread the word, but until success is certain we can't act, not truly. I see this more in communist circles than in anarchist ones, and it was especially present in the critiques of the temporary autonomous zones that popped up in the midst of last summer's uprisings - they would never succeed, they would be quickly dismantled, and thus were doomed to failure and shouldn't even be attempted. As if there was no value in the experiences, however fleeting. As if the way we live our lives is irrelevant. As if a thing bringing you joy is not enough justification in itself.

Even though I skew more towards anarchism, I can still feel this attitude infecting my own thinking. I don't want to try to unionize my workplace because it will fail and I'll get fired and it won't matter, really, anyways. I don't want to talk openly about my politics when I know people don't agree with me, because what's the point when I already know I can't change their minds. What's the point of guerrilla gardening when the city can just come by with a weed whacker and destroy our labour. So on and so on ad nauseum, every endeavour doomed to be temporary and thus, automatically, a failure.

I think of my friend who spent the past two summers building up an incredible garden, who now has to move, suddenly, before the end of the growing season. My first reaction was that it was such a waste, that she had put in so much effort and time and money and now wouldn't even be there to collect the final harvest, that it would be better if she hadn't done the planting, somehow. As if she hasn't taken immense pleasure and pride in her garden for the past two years. As if she hasn't harvested throughout the whole summer. As if the harvest she planted suddenly winks out of existence if the benefits go to someone other than her. As if this somehow invalidates everything that came before. But this line of thinking is horseshit. Someone will still eat those vegetables. If nothing else, the birds and the beasties will love eating what she has grown. She learned so much and will be able to carry that knowledge forward with her. On and on, there was great value in this venture even if she will not be there to reap every last piece of the harvest. And if it wasn't a sudden move, it could have been a drought, or a violent storm, or an infestation, or theft. Or or or. The possibilities are endless, results are never guaranteed, and if we are only working to achieve an ends, we might need to take a good long look at what we're up to.

I wonder if the roots of this ideology stretch all the way back to the agricultural revolution. Ephemerality would have been the day to day lived experience of hunter-gatherers. Here today, gone tomorrow, pick the berries now, while they're ripe and before the birds get them. But agriculture? Prepare the field, plant the seeds, water, tend, wait. wait. wait. then finally harvest. Finally finally your labour has paid off and you can eat. Careful though because there won't be another harvest until next year, so be careful, ration, wait. Would you plant the field if you didn't know if you'd be around to harvest it? That's a tough sell, for sure.

I think of flatwormposting, on instagram, who announced suddenly that they would delete their account today. That they felt like they had accomplished what they wanted to accomplish, that they were complete, and ready to move on. The immediate response, of course, was no, don't go, or if you must go, please don't delete the account. Leave it up, to sit in perpetuity, an archive of your work and legacy. Please, you did good work, please let us keep it. As if deleting their account deletes their work. As if they won't carry it forward with them. As if people who interacted with the account while it was up weren't changed in some small way. As if a thing that is temporary - which is all things - is somehow less important than a permanent thing.

And their response was simply, all things are ephemeral. All things are ephemeral, everything could be gone tomorrow. If they didn't delete this account, instagram could. A hacker could take it. Nothing is certain, everything is a constant renegotiation. Given that, what now?

What now? How do we want to live before we die? What choices might we make if nothing was certain? What risks would we take? How would we live our lives if we knew, deeply, truly, in an embodied way, that another world is possible, as the Nap Bishop constantly reminds us? That the continuation of this one as it is, that the status quo is not and has never been certain? That each day we wake up we make this world again, and we could simply chose to make it differently, to paraphrase David Graeber. If we no longer privileged that which is over that which could be. If we no longer held onto the illusion of certainty and control and permanence.

All things are ephemeral. What now?

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arcticdementor · 5 years

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Ok, I'll do my best to try, because reading some of the galaxy brained takes about China and the Chinese government have cemented in my head the agonizing fact that most people prefer simple narratives and have little understanding of history, let alone an understanding of how history affects the present.

This will be long and requires some groundwork on explaining the modern Chinese mindset as a whole. Disclaimer: I am currently in Hong Kong, I hold British citizenship by birth and frequently do business with Chinese companies.

1) Big China and Collective Society.

This is something most people really don't grasp the scale of. To assign shared characteristics to fully one quarter of the human race would be broad enough to make those descriptors basically meaningless. Dividing sections of China along any non-geographical lines, economic lines, socio-political lines, this is all incredibly difficult. Despite a massively homogenous Han Chinese population, just looking at Chinese food culture would tell you just how freakishly diverse and different each section is. There are different dialects, accents, lifestyles all across China. When people say "China" it is often completely unhelpful when it comes to pinning down what they mean. For the sake of this discussion, we're assuming that we're talking about the type of Chinese person that the central government has taken pains to portray to the world. Which is, the middle class, consumerist, worldly and tech-savvy Han Chinese. Native of a Tier 1 city (e.g. Shanghai or Beijing).

Most Chinese people are aware of just how big the country is and how difficult a task it is keeping it all together, on a scale I've seen very few people outside of China appreciate. There is a real ethos of "tianxia", or the concept depicted in the Jet Li movie Hero (criticized for being state propaganda at the time, it was largely missed that most Chinese understand, if not support, this thesis). Chinese see themselves as sharing in a common destiny and collective group ethos. This can be traced back to Confucianism - a young person can have said to have "come of age" when they have fully adapted to and understood their role within a harmonious society. This both gives the common Chinese a shared purpose and skin in the game. They literally feel a stake in the collective power and status of their own country. This is not the flag-waving nationalism that the western nations consider passe, but a belief that China must hold together as a shared country and people.

…

Chinese pride is young, and very damaged. There is a sense of grievance and hurt pride that has never been resolved, and this is occasionally glimpsed in everything from their foreign policy to their mass market serialized literature. The reasons behind this can be traced back to a century of colonialism and rampant opportunism by the world powers during the 19th and 20th centuries. Chinese histories and memories are very long, and despite happening a few centuries ago this is very fresh in people's minds. An old joke about China's view of history has the Chinese waiting to see if the French Revolution is still a good idea. China has never forgotten that despite a massive population and huge amounts of territory it fell from being one of the world's oldest civilizations to becoming the "weak man of Asia", and their modern politics has mostly been about resolving this pride. There is a shared belief, or a hidden form of mass psychosis, that China has been denied its destiny as the foremost world power, either through treachery, the work of foreign powers, or other means. Even worse is the proof that the old rival Japan, a similarly impoverished nation, had managed to drag itself onto the stage of the world powers in the late 19th/early 20th century. This has caused some real complexes in the Chinese psyche.

Adding to this is the understanding of recent history. Coupled with historical understanding that ruling China is an incredibly difficult job and only people like the legendary Emperor Qin were able to unify the country in the first place, China collectively remembers the much more recent history of the Communist revolution, the Great Famine, the Cultural Revolution, and more. The fact that China's current financial power and global status is largely a result of Deng Xiaoping's market reforms and liberalism is besides the point - the defining thing that most Chinese in the older generation take away is that revolution led to some truly fucking heinous shit and a death toll enacted on its population greater than any ever seen in the history of mankind, and as a result they have no taste for another revolution. The government stays in power largely because the older generation are aware of just how much death is involved with a changing of the guard. There is also no promise that whatever comes to replace the government will be in any way better than what came before it. Sure, the kuomintang government were corrupt as sin, but was that really preferable to having everyone starve because nobody knew how to farm land for years?

…

It is no surprise that the most radical nationalist pro-Chinese are the young students sent overseas to study in western universities. The Chinese attitude towards these western academies is not great; they attend for credentials and status, but these places of study have become cultural battlegrounds and ground zero for showing Chinese students that the Western societies and arguments are fractured and impotent. Students are given courses and humanities curriculum that demonize western civilization and its achievements, and emphasize the breaking down of existing power structures. Of course this would lead to nationalist students violently attacking pro-Hong Kong protesters and demonstrations, as both sides consider each other indoctrinated suckers (and one sees the other as trying to destroy the power structure of the country). An attack on China and Chinese identity is both a dangerous attack on national and societal cohesion and stinging Chinese pride. They have been handed something that can be easily interpreted as an attempt by foreign powers to fracture the unity of Chinese society, cause chaos in their country, and stop China from achieving its destiny of world #1 power and subjugator of other nations.

…

Many people have asked me why Chinese people put up with their government being totalitarian, so many human rights abuses, this and that. Social credit system, organ harvesting. No end of horrible things we hear about Chinese government. The corruption. The dark things the CCP has done to consolidate its power. Tiananmen.

Well, the unfortunate answer is that China, as a collectivized group, wants to fuck over people who looked down on them, even if it means causing itself grievous injuries in the process. It's painful to admit, but the regular Chinese is perfectly okay with the Uighur death camps, even if the government goes to some length to pretend they don't exist. After all, surely they must be doing something to destabilize and weaken Chinese society if the government is putting them in death camps. Don't you know Uighurs can be unpredictable, barbaric, and violent? And if Chinese society is destabilized and weak, the Chinese people won't achieve our common destiny of being the #1 world power.

Chinese people don't care that there is anti-Chinese sentiment internationally. In fact, it even helps. It plays into the narrative that people hate China now because China is strong.

Privately, Chinese people will celebrate the NBA and Blizzard backing down in fear, because they equate this with power and respect. It is perfectly natural for the NBA to apologize for offending the Chinese government, because this is a display of strength. How will you be able to tell that you are stronger than someone, if they are not underneath your boot heel?

…

China has gone from largely a nation of rice farmers to modern state with terrifying speed. They are now the world leader in 5G communications technology, technological integration into daily life, the world's biggest consumer market. By every single metric, logistics, travel, entertainment, living standards, Chinese life has gotten better. And they are completely aware of this. Twenty years. Thirty years?

…

So there is an unspoken pact between the government and the people. In exchange for getting rich, the people have willingly given up their freedoms. Because you can't eat freedom. Many of the social problems in China are rooted in this short-term manner of business thinking; tomorrow, there may be trouble. Maybe the country would be in trouble. I'll never see this customer or client again. Why bother maintaining anything? If I can get a benefit out of cheating, why wouldn't I do it?

Chinese, especially the older generation, understand existential failure on a level the western nations don't. They don't take anything for granted, including the attitude of the government (and this has in fact driven a lot of asset flow out of China into other nations). They remember the Cultural Revolution, the societal madness that took hold when roving gangs of diehard Communists went around lynching people who wore glasses or owned books. They understand that the possibility of that shit happening again, or coming for them, is non-zero. So the attitude is to use every trick in the book to make sure that they come out on top.

…

There is a recurring belief from Americans that most Chinese are brainwashed by their authoritarian government, and if they only understood democracy, knew about the atrocities of the CCP, or were exposed to the taste of an All-American cheeseburger, there would be a great awakening and China would truly "become free". While certain elements of brainwashing and information control are most certainly true, there is a certain level of arrogance in this method of thinking.

For one, this viewpoint has completely ignored the possibility that China already knows exactly how cheeseburgers taste, all about the atrocities of its own government, and about democracy.

…

China's political and social state project has openly stated its intent to utilize and take advantage of what worked before, while adapting it to fit their own situation. Throwing away what doesn't work, surgically excising elements they consider dangerous or don't like. 'Socialism with Chinese characteristics'. 'China Dream'. These are adapted policies, methods, and ideals, refocused through the lens of the Party. Yes, they are stealing. They are also adapting.

Any good propagandist will tell you that the ideological battle is the first battle that must be won, and on this note America has failed utterly at defending democracy and personal freedom. This is not by Chinese design; rather, a combination of factors including financial inequality, changing demographics, chaotic governance, political point-scoring and media clickbait have done their best to demonstrate that American government is both unstable and spectacularly inept, and no longer believes in the values set down in the Declaration of Independence. America has considered the argument for democracy so thoroughly won that it has forgotten to defend it, or even the value of it. Into this void steps the Chinese government.

…

It is impossible not to watch. The US is the world's only really global power, and the current measuring stick by which all global powers are compared against. China wants what the US has, but is going to attempt to do so without the mistakes the Americans have made. After all, American empire is ending, or so everyone says. The bars are equalizing. America was a leader in space travel, so China will become a leader in space travel. America was a leader in world culture and entertainment, so China will become a leader in world culture and entertainment. America has a strong military, so China will have a strong military.

…

To leave with one last note, in the online kerfluffle surrounding Hong Kong's current situation, Chinese netizens think it's fair play to "support 9-11" and advocate for California seceding from the United States, as payback for a mistaken belief that the fight in Hong Kong is over independence. When confronted with the fact that edgy teenagers in America have been making 9-11 jokes barely a week after the tragedy and a non-zero amount of non-Californians in the US would also prefer it if California sunk into the ocean, they are legitimately surprised. The idea that this kind of independence would be preferred by both parties is almost completely alien to the Chinese, who wonder and are surprised at the fact that Americans apparently wish their country to be weaker.

#reddit #the motte #read the whole thing

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flanneryhb · 4 years

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Week 5: At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul, Rocha, Jancovich

Jancovich expands on the topic of the varying expectations from rivaling fans of the horror genre. A common feeling for many horror movie fans is that if it is not excessively gruesome and full of jump scares, it is not terrifying enough. They want to see characters meet violent Texas Chainsaw Massacre level fates. But in some ways this particular form of horror film may be more concerned with shock value than with underlying implicit messages. Get Out, on the other hand, contains very little overt violence, but an overwhelming social/political commentary. In doing so, the film takes a different route than a typical slasher or supernatural horror, but is haunting nonetheless. At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul includes factors of each of these routes. Of course it depicts a cold-blooded serial killer who meets a rather vicious end, but it also looks at how characters embody certain ideologies. The Rocha reading is concerned with internalized colonialism, which is especially indoctrinated in Ze’s mind. Despite the fact that he is no different from the rest of his community, he truly believes himself to be above them. He projects his self-loathing onto the people around him, but also believes himself to be so high-ranking that he must reproduce for the sake of continuing his bloodline. His unwavering entitlement tells him he should be able to choose anyone he likes to be the bearer of his offspring, similar to the colonial thought that one can simply choose any plot of land or civilization they like and claim it as their own. In the end, Terezinha, the person that Ze attempted to colonize, gets back at him. But, being the female character in a horror film, she is not completely avenged. She still had to lose her life and be violated in the process, An attribute which she shares with Nosferatu’s Ellen.

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resonanteye · 4 years

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via http://resonanteye.net/the-new-american-death-cult/

The New American Death Cult: why your grandpa lost his mind, in 4 chapters.

Yes, we are dealing with a destructive cult. Yes, the people who want to “open up” and who are arguing with you about numbers and validity of studies and all that shit are arguing in bad faith and lying, because they want to die and they want to kill. That’s their goal.

They are not debating you or questioning to learn. They are using your space online to repeat the same propaganda they’ve been handed, and to get you tired out from fighting. Don’t let them do it.

Why now?

I should say, this didn’t start with trump. The roots of this cult are deep in America*. Trump may be the flower on the branch, but that’s all.

being arrested along with other KKK members

It started before I can rightly cover in this post, in any post. I am not a historian. I’ll be speaking only of more recent events, of things I have read and researched personally, of my own experiences and stories and accounts I’ve heard.

Part One: How Grandpa Lost His Sharp Mind

Many people know someone who was a professional, a scientist, a smart person, but who has lost their ability to discern reality from fiction.

I’ve seen this described as “boomers warned us not to believe anything on the internet, and now they believe everything on the internet” and “my aunt was a FUCKING RN and now she doesn’t believe in bacteria and viruses, what happened to her decades of knowledge” and “it’s like their brain has decayed, they don’t believe in reality, and they have selective dementia, is that a real thing“, among other poetic and despairing descriptions.

it started before ebay, we can’t blame that

I think, from my personal experience, talk radio was the start of the slide for a lot of the (men, in particular) who are now part of the NADC (New American Death Cult). Screaming jocks mocking women, minorities, the poor. I won’t mention the more prominent except to say that trump himself was given a really large audience by Howard Stern for many years, for no real reason at all. There are far worse talk radio hosts. This of course, is all conservative or right wing talk radio, although the “beginner” shows pretend to be centrist.***

Of course then we can throw in the American history of spite**, racist behavior and systems, misogyny in every imaginable form, and homophobia (trans phobia being more recently brought to attention, but part of all of it). Racism and misogyny are probably the most deeply embedded aspects of spite and hate in our country. The combination of the two is devastating for Black women and always has been. Talk jocks pushed this, hard.

Repetition and an appeal to the lizard brain, the spite, the racism/sexism/general xenophobia- this is where it starts. The more it’s repeated, the more it’s believed. Classic cult indoctrination includes repetitive, loud and affirming messages mixed with abuse. All cults share this. It’s how they get people firmly anchored in the alternative reality of the cult.

mugshots.

Grannie Too?

And then there’s “churches”. Personally I do not think many of these qualify as religions at all, but only as smaller cults. Certainly, believing that you will be healed of cancer if you watch the right TV show is ridiculous- and when the show in question espouses political beliefs about minority or oppressed groups, it becomes even more questionable.

holy rollers change their brand, not their product

In the USA, there are certain religious/cult groups that are*** really happy to think the End Times might be here. Others that actively want to work to make the End Times.

slick, for the time

Holy Rollers are an older group in the Appalachians, who believe that your behavior doesn’t matter at all, only if you’ve “got the spirit in you” (been chosen). Prosperity cults believe the same thing- except they also believe that being rich means you were chosen. That you can make yourself rich by believing in the cult. That poor people are bad, because (insert any sin you please here) and that cult members can be anything- pedophiles, murderers, doesn’t matter- they must be good, because they are rich, because they were “chosen”. It’s a sick twist, and definitely a cult.

Dominionist cults believe all this and more. There’s also the idea, here, that they, being the chosen, should be in charge of the world and make the laws and enforce them so that everyone is following the rules of their cult.

To be clear these are cults rooted in Christianity, but they are not Christian. They are cults.

The more extreme groups believe in a variety of things- flat earth, young earth, all the anti-science you can imagine. These are the people who are terrified of microchips, of vaccines. These are the people who get in deep, after the time spent listening to repetitive cult propaganda they will go looking online for backup and there are plenty of conmen ready to sell it to them, in bottles or in words.

All of these cults believe women are not equal human beings- they are often violently anti-education, anti-birth control, anti-abortion. The control of women is very important to them.

There are parallels here to Islamic cults, to the Middle Ages and Dark Ages (outdated term, I think).

Next time: What about my cousin Bob?

We have not seen a cult this big in a long time. Probably the moonies and the flagellants (in the dark ages) come closest in number. It is definitely dangerous- destructive cults harm not only the members, but all those around them. And this cult in particular actively wants to kill as many people as possible.

Be safe, and be aware.

*”American” is used in this essay to describe citizens and residents of the United States, and is not intended to disparage Canada, Mexico or any other American Continental nation. I’m sorry.

**”spite” is being used as a catch-all term in many cases throughout, but generally means “to wish to harm others for no logical reason, simply because they exist as they do”

***I would like to note that many Death Cults are, globally speaking, not right wing. Many have been left wing (jonestown was sold as ‘socialist’) and many are from other religious traditions (isis, am Shinrinkyo, to name a few). cults are a human phenomenon, not an American one.

next time;

Part Two: What About My Cousin Bob?

disclaimer that people didn’t read, apparently.

#anti mask #antimask #cults #death cult #destructive cult #plague rats #spreading covid #trump death cult #politics #true stories #you

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fuckyeahasexual · 8 years

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hey so i know radicalism can gain a lot of followers, esp when i see regs here are almost always aphobes, biphobes, enbyphobes and intersexists all at once (even if they deny some of it, they try to weed out 'straight bi's' and 'not lgbt bi's', force 'women aligned' and 'men aligned' on nb ppl against their will to see if their relationships are gay enough, and don't believe intersex ppl can each decide if they want to be part of the community), and i see reg rethoric and terf rethoric (cont)

and it's the FUCKING SAME. in an effort to inform young bby queers on radfem rethoric to avoid, i ventured into terf blogs, which i normally block bc safety. generally, terfs were all aphobes and biphobes. the ones who didn't mention it were reblogging aphobic posts THINKING IT WAS ABOUT TRANS WOMEN. their arguements are WORD FOR WORD. if you replace the oppressed group, word for word. and it's fcking terrifying that regs have 'no terfs/swers/homophobes/transphobes/truscum' in their about (cont)

and actively enable terf rethoric. i've been well versed in radfem rethoric bc i've been trained to avoid it since day one, so i can recognize the dogwhistles terfs and other regs use, but not a lot of people do. so they see a post that 'makes sense' (men/straight ppl shouldn't feel they can invade women's/lgbt spaces) and reblog, and get indoctrinated slowly. and it's such a mess. tumblr lgbt+ politics in general are swarming with radfem rethoric and it's disgusting and terrifying (cont, sorry)

(tw suicidal thoughts and abuse) now, the regs literally made me feel suicidal and gaslighted me to no end, sent abusive and violent messages my way, simply for believing aces are not straight?? lmao?? i deleted my tumblr, but i'm still traumatized. not only did they gaslight the abuse i faced for being ace, but as a traumatized abuse survivor, they made me feel unsafe. with my identitiy, with myself, and w other queer ppl. i'm terrified this rethoric will spread. do u think it's very widespread

on the internet and in other spaces or would you say it's just a vocal minority?? idk what to do i'm terrified. i'm pretty sure regs tried to hack into my email and fb account too since i got a notification for both those things. i live constantly afraid and i'm terrified it's going to get worse. especially since so many ppl think they're NOT radfems or are spewing twerf rethoric and say are pro bi (REAL bi!!) and nb ppl and ppl BELIEVE that like...i'm terrified. sorry 4 length thank u so much

I don’t think acephobic exclusionarism is largely widespread, and neither are other forms of radicalism, depending on the community. Other blogging platforms like reddit and livejournal definitely don’t have the same vitriol you see on Tumblr, and when fuckh8 expressed typical acephobia, people on facebook went off on them.

While radicalism isn’t Tumblr-centric, there’s definitely a disproportionate concentration of REGs here versus anywhere else.

- Fae

#ask box #acephobia #ace stories #Anonymous

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theonyxpath · 8 years

Link

Hi, folks!

As the new year begins, we’re in the final stages of development on A Thousand Years of Night. One of the big points of this project is to provide frameworks for making history meaningful in your games. And something I love in vampire media is flashback scenes that show us our elders in previous lifetimes.

In order to facilitate playing flashbacks on the spot, A Thousand Years of Night includes dynamic scenes you can insert into a session, with sample stakes, and roles for multiple players. I’d like to share a few!

(These scenes are written by Matthew Dawkins, and inspired by the framing scenes from Hurt Locker, as conceived by David Hill and Malcolm Sheppard.)

Intrigue

What better cause to persist for centuries than the unsolved mystery, the Machiavellian scheme, and the political competitiveness of Kindred? Vampires pursue intrigues lasting centuries, conspiring to one-up each other in the fields of influence, power, and blood potency. Grudges linger, mysteries expand to encompass further mysteries, and elders pull the strings of neonates attempting to wade through the morass of plots. The instigation of intrigues and the beats at which they progress construct important points in an elder’s life.

The Lost Clan

When pioneers hiked the Oregon Trail, attempting to settle untouched parts of America, their unpreparedness resulted in no few casualties. Few Kindred accompanied such small bands of travelers, as scarce food resulted in rapid torpor.

In this scene, a caravan comprising near 100 fur traders, animal herders and their families sets out on the Trail. The elder rides as a secret passenger.

As the pioneers endure wearisome environments, sickness, hypothermia, and poor maps leading them off-track, the true horrors commence at nightfall. A band of Kindred, unlike any the elder has encountered, materializes from harsh gales and plucks the resting kine from their bedrolls. They leave only drained corpses marked with carvings for relatives to find.

These new vampires intrigue and terrify the elder. They possess unfamiliar powers, and appear to be of the indigenous Shoshone. The elder may learn much from these night horrors, or question why no other vampire claims to have encountered them.

Bonds

The Trapper represents the mortal interests, and continues pushing them west and north, despite the dangers. His insistence that they continue moving on endangers the group.

The Guide is indigenous to the region. It appears he led the pioneers in to the vampires’ territory, and the Trapper holds him responsible. In truth, he knows nothing of the Kindred, and begs for freedom.

The Veteran attempts to rally a group of pioneers to go hunt the vampires. If the elder accompanies him, she may discover more of this clan.

Stakes

The elder risks torpor on this journey. The Kindred will not attack the elder, unless she attacks them, but they will leave her hungry after killing every mortal in her company.

The elder may discover the truth of this vampire clan, if she enters their good graces by offering the kine as willing sacrifices. Such rare knowledge is powerful, though limited in its use. The Ordo Dracul and Circle of the Crone hold great interest in obscure lines and Kindred history.

If the elder protects the mortals the full length of the Trail, she will have a sizeable Herd at her disposal. From this group, she could gain ghouls or childer.

Resolution and Moving On

The elder experiences a mystery that continues to gnaw at her. Who were these vampires? Where did they go? Only in the modern nights do the Dragons and the Acolytes show enough interest to sponsor membership in their covenants, providing the elder discovers the truth.

Childer and ghouls may form from the pioneer group. The Veteran, Guide, and Trapper all possess valuable skills in Persuasion, Survival, Firearms, and Animal Ken.

The elder may form bonds with the secretive vampires. These will likely be Contacts, rather than Allies. If relations are fostered, introducing this clan to one of the domains along the Trail grants the vampire great Kindred Status.

Love

The Daeva believe there are few emotions as powerful as love. Some love objects. Others love causes. Vampires may love one another, or pursue the ill-fated love for a mortal. Love drives vampires to bold pursuits, and ascendancy beyond the pettiness of politicking. Love also carries tragedy on its back. When love is unrequited, a jealous vampire might strike out violently. When a foe destroys love, the elder vampire repays unkindness with ferocity. Love compels a vampire to great deeds, and foolish ends.

Sturm und Drang

The idea of freely expressed emotional extremes entered cultural vogue in 18th century Germany. The Sturm und Drang movement rebuked the Enlightenment’s rationalism and embraced impulse over calculation.

The Kindred of Leipzig fanatically pursue the concept of forbidden love, often leading to tempestuous violence and heartbreak. The domain plunges into emotional hedonism, under the influence of the Daeva Marquis.

The elder falls in love as the city rages around him. While his peers pursue human excess in twisted mimicry, he experiences true affection for another of his kind. Eager to see the relationship play out, the Marquis gives the elder the blessing to share Vitae and experience passion at its fullest.

In the wings waits a jealous Ventrue, horrified to see the elder bind her childe. She challenges the elder to a duel over the childe. Without intent, the elder’s true love is pulled into Leipzig’s Sturm und Drang; another play of vengeance and passion.

Bonds

The Marquis manipulates the emotions of all the Leipzig Kindred with his powers of Majesty. He is decadent, and would happily see his domain ruined if it was through love, lust, and passion. He encourages every vice.

The Beloved is a source of affection for her sire and the elder. Her Vinculum to the elder sways her to him, but she questions whether her affections are true.

The Ventrue will not allow her childe to join the elder’s illicit union. She challenges the elder to a duel to torpor over the Beloved’s love.

Stakes

Passions run high in 1770s Leipzig. The elder may experience true love and gain an ally in the form of the Beloved, at the same time as developing a permanent foe in the form of the Ventrue.

The Marquis will happily tutor the two vampires in the ways of Kindred romance, indoctrinating them into perverse blood sharing ceremonies. The Beloved will likewise tutor in her own Disciplines.

The duel between Kindred results in one succumbing to torpor. In the modern nights, the loser will awake, and continue to seek vengeance.

Resolution and Moving On

With the rise of the Circle of the Crone, the Marquis switches covenants, and attempts to bring all his students ? the elder included ? with him.

Sharing blood with the Beloved assists the elder in learning Ventrue powers, as she is of that clan. If the two drink multiple times, they become Touchstones to one another.

If the elder loses the duel and falls to torpor, he awakens to discover his love gone. The feelings of love still linger, so a quest to track her down naturally follows.

Loving acts inspire high Humanity. If the vampires share blood, it also inspires the Obsession Condition.

Masquerade

Concealment is the vampire’s greatest weapon. The ability to hide oneself in plain sight despite predatory urges and necessities enables the Kindred to pursue agendas and obtain blood without raising flags with hunters who would see the Danse Macabre exposed. Sometimes a vampire’s cloak of subterfuge slips, however. When that happens, the Kindred must work fast to plug the gap.

The Curse That Wasn’t There

In the late 19th century, Frenchman Louis Le Prince pioneered the new single lens camera, capable of recording motion. Others ? including renowned inventor and scientist Thomas Edison ? claimed credit for the discovery, yet it was Le Prince’s invention that enabled cinema to take its first step.

Upon the advice of his Kindred patron, Le Prince filmed the elder feeding from one of the kine. The patron assured the elder that the recording showed only blurred motion and nothing evidencing a vampire living out her Requiem. Yet, when the short film was revealed to a coterie within the domain, the vampire’s actions were visible to all.

Le Prince disappeared in France, in 1890, shortly after destroying the original version of his vampire recording dubbed “The Lovers.” The elder ? terrified her nature will be exposed for all to see ? desperately attempts to secure all copies of the recording, and silence any witnesses including the vanished Louis Le Prince.

Bonds

The Inventor never intended to record something monstrous on his camera. When Le Prince saw what was on his film, he destroyed the original and disappeared into the night. Though not the Patron’s ghoul, the vampire previously exerted a mental hold over Le Prince.

The Patron hired the Inventor to film vampires as they fed, ignorantly assuring that a Kindred curse would protect her identity ? “the dead do not show up on film.” When the Party watch the footage, word quickly spreads about a Masquerade breach, and the quirky Patron seeks sanctuary wherever she can find it.

The Party discover Le Prince’s talents, and demand he shows them his small catalogue of recordings. As they watch the elder feeding, shock infects the room. The Party give the elder one night to sew up this Masquerade breach before they sear the wound by whatever means necessary.

Stakes

The elder may gain a talented Retainer in the form of Louis Le Prince, or a longtime Ally in the form of the Patron, if she can provide safety to either. Conversely, she gains Status in the domain and within her covenant if she silences both permanently and destroyed Le Prince’s work.

Forming a bond with the Inventor, confirming his silence and taking him from a dangerous domain, allows the elder a new Touchstone and potentially an increase in Humanity, if she doesn’t mentally subjugate Le Prince.

Allowing the footage to escape into the wild increases the elder’s Fame, for better or worse.

Resolution and Moving On

The Party either respect the elder for serving the Masquerade, or detest her for her frivolous breach. While they will not seek to destroy her, they treat her as impulsive and foolish forever after. She gains a poor reputation that never fades.

If the elder maintains Le Prince’s footage, she gains dots in the Library Merit, with media-savvy vampires desirous of the recordings come the modern era. Curating the Inventor’s work grants the elder dots in Academics and Crafts.

If the elder saves the Patron, she grants the elder any boon within her power. If the elder destroys the Patron, she claims the eccentric vampire’s Haven and dots in Resources. The Patron was an Unaligned loner, with no close companions to kick up a fuss following her death.

Heroism

Rare as it may seem, Kindred occasionally perform feats of heroism. Any sapient being is capable of throwing himself on the grenade to protect his friends. Only at the depths of humanity do murder and callous cruelty appear reasonable actions. Neonates are more likely to behave based on modern moralistic behavior than elders, but elders learn much from their descendants. The dedicated fledgling who saves an elder’s life may deeply affect the older vampire. The elder who sees a mortal child in danger and against better judgment, plucks her from the grip of the city Sheriff, is in his own way heroic. Heroism contributes to a vampire’s reputation, for better or worse. Not all seek the mantle of “hero,” but few deny the impression it leaves when declared as such.

The Starving Masses

In the mid-18th century, the Kingdom of Ireland suffered the Year of Slaughter. Following years of frost and damp, followed by drought and poor harvests, nearly 40% of the Irish population succumbed to starvation, hypothermia, or disease.

The elder exists in this domain, a bystander as kine wither and die around her. Most of the Kindred flee to healthier shores as Ireland rots, but the elder remains, caretaker over her people and determined to outlast the Year of Slaughter.

A choice faces the elder. If she sacrifices personal wealth and uses her Disciplines on the correct people, she may be able to ensure food from grain ships reaches those who need it. Alternatively, if she bides her time and waits for the kine to grow weaker, she can play robber baron with the grain stores and docklands domains, only conveying the food to those she chooses.

Bonds

The Baron is a mortal with massive grain stores, withheld from the starving masses for the use of his own family. The Baron locks himself away and hopes to weather the frost, ignoring the cries of the people outside. The elder may seek to emulate this mortal, or manipulate him into gifting his stocks to the people.

The Priest represents the Church of Ireland, and at great sacrifice, arranges the distribution of coal and meat. The Priest is aware of the elder’s nature, and humbles himself, asking that with all the vampire’s gifts, she do something to stave off the nation’s hunger.

The Rioter is hungry, angry, and supported by a small army of starving Irish. He intends to raid the next ship in the docks for its stores, even though doing so may prevent future ships from docking. A passionate and charismatic mortal, the elder may twist his anger into service, or convince him to pacify his people.

Stakes

The elder may become a hero in this scene, or profit from the kine’s misery. By ensuring the people remain fed and healthy, the elder is acclaimed and revered as a champion to the common folk. The loyalty engendered causes kine in the know to offer their services as ghouls, with the Priest and Rioter as potentially useful retainers in the future. Both carry influence in different areas.

If the elder cares little for the dreadful ongoing situation, she gains from the weakened kine. Feeding becomes easier, the mortals more desperate and willing to abase themselves for mercy and the smallest kindnesses.

Resolution and Moving On

The heroic path leads to a depletion of Resources and Contacts as the elder expends her power to strengthen the domain’s kine. She does however benefit in the long-term, as the kine remember her for her kindness. The elder gains dots in Empathy, for her close proximity to the suffering mortals.

The path involving less sacrifice makes feeding easier in the short-term, as the kine put up little resistance. Dots in Allies increase as the Baron and other peers respect the elder’s restraint. Other vampires resent the damage the elder does to the Irish kine. The elder gains dots in Manipulation and Subterfuge for controlling the mortals’ chances of survival, though her Humanity decreases.

As one of few Kindred remaining in the domain, she claims Kindred Status and title within her covenant, gaining dots in Politics.

#Onyx Path Publishing #White Wolf Publishing #Vampire: The Requiem #Vampire The Requiem #Chronicles of Darkness

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republicstandard · 6 years

Text

Northern Ireland Is Ripe For Invasion: Police, Media, Politicians Bow To Islam

Considering the bloody history of Northern Ireland when it comes to sectarian violence, one might understand the reticence there to recognize the threat of Islam. On the other hand, given the bloody history of Catholic versus Protestant, one might expect a greater understanding of what turf wars between religious rivals can look like.

It appears that we must again recognize the power of the Cathedral; what the neoractionaries call the sometimes-self-aware social construct of media, education, and government. The narrative that runs through all aspects of this profane artifice is one of tolerance above all else- shattering the wisdom of Karl Popper and setting the stage for destruction.

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Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. ~ Karl Popper

There is a small pan-Christian identitarian group in Northern Ireland which has adopted the moniker Generation Sparta. One might have imagined a slightly more Celtic influenced name, but in any case, the group is counter-jihad in orientation and have taken it upon themselves to alert their countrymen to the threat posed by Islam to the West. What I am about to describe mirrors almost perfectly both my own experience as a young man growing up in an almost entirely White town in Yorkshire and also that of the YouTuber Millenial Woes in his own White Scottish village.

People in virtual ethnostate conditions have no idea how good they have it. They may look at a pamphlet that bears uncomfortable news and uncritically reject it. We are all, I am sure, guilty of this at some point. We have only people like ourselves to contend with, which becomes boring. Mundane. We might fantasise about the exotic East, or the cosmopolitan cities; far away from the backwards looking troglodytes we are spawned from and fear to become. Islam itself becomes exciting, culturally enriching, and a colorful counter to the dour gloom of the slate-gray Ulster skies.

I will wager good money that I know of someone who feels today as we once felt. So begins the story of Northern Ireland resident 'Meg'.

This insane and terrifying pamphlet was posted through my door yesterday wtf pic.twitter.com/vHWJadJej5

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) April 3, 2018

Yes indeed, this looks like a scary leaflet to receive if one does not have the prerequisite education -or rather, if one has the requisite indoctrination- to understand the reality of it. It is easy to dismiss as insane and terrifying that which we do not understand. To assist Meg in understanding this matter, let us look at the claims made by Generation Sparta.

CLAIM: Will Britons be a minority in the United Kingdom in 2066?

Yes; at least according to Professor of Demography at Oxford, Peter Coleman and the Migration Observatory.

“On current trends, European populations will become more ethnically diverse, with the possibility that today’s majority ethnic groups will no longer comprise a numerical majority.”

This study does refer specifically to the White British, which as we have written about before are a distinct ethnic group; with a distinct culture and set of values. Generation Sparta are correct in saying that British people were not balloted on immigration- frequently they voted for parties that promised to curb immigration and were ignored. Though I have asked many times myself for a reason why Britain will not become a country where the indigenous population is a minority, I have never received a reasoned answer. Without fail, the question is dismissed as implausible. Without fail, this question is treated as evidence of racism.

The police came round, impressively speedy response from @PoliceServiceNI. They took the pamphlet with them and are gonna investigate

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) April 4, 2018

Until sufficient evidence is produced that disproves the projections of demographic replacement, we must -if we claim to be living in a somewhat evidence-based shared reality- recognize that replacement migration is real. Generation Sparta are entirely correct to make the claim in their leaflet. We know that the UN itself desires this process.

CLAIM: Nothing is done following terrorist attacks in England.

Can any deny that this is true? The bombing of a pop-concert in Manchester is quickly replaced in the narrative by the tragedy of Grenfell; dealing with terrorism is hard. Blaming Britain for poor constructions that incinerate illegal immigrants is easy. We have seen no steps taken in the United Kingdom to even contend with the difficult questions around Islam as a philosophy. We cannot discuss it, not even in the House of Lords.

youtube

We must agree again that Generation Sparta are correct- in so far as nothing positive is done- we see our civil liberties eroded a little more after every Peace-Stabbing or Peace-Bomb.

With emotive language, Generation Sparta lay the blame for this dire future at the feet of their own politicians. Note that well- there is no mention of violence, or hate towards Muslims- or anyone else. The political elites are whom Generation Sparta blame for the enrichment of Ireland; and if the responses to Meg's original tweet are to go by from Alliance Party members, we must again agree with the pamphlet.

I'd definitely pass that to the police. Goes way beyond opinion to incitement. The fact that it's deranged notwithstanding 🙄

— Naomi Long MLA (@naomi_long) April 3, 2018

I know! And there are a significant amount of Muslim people in this area, I'd hate for them to feel unwelcome because of a few hateful people

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) April 4, 2018

Alliance's policies also indicate a fatal misunderstanding of human population dynamics; buying in entirely to Lockean blank slate ideas, that all humans are fundamentally interchangeable.

Is the cry of RACIST! unfamiliar? As the Journal reports:

South Belfast DUP MP Emma Little Pengelly and MLA Christopher Stalford have condemned the distribution of the leaflets.

“These leaflets, distributed by an unknown and anonymous group, do not speak for the people who live in that area or the vast majority of people across Northern Ireland,” they said.

“We have seen attempts before to incite racism within Northern Ireland and thankfully they have failed on every occasion.

It is absolutely wrong and dangerous to try and stir up racist sentiment by conflating an entire religion with the vile, violent acts of terrorists, who are just masquerading under the cover of religion."

Once again we are treated to the gloriously myopic bleatings from cuckold politicians who claim to know the minds of religious fundamentalists better than the religious fundamentalists themselves. This, from a hardcore Protestant Unionist party who have campaigned in the past to "save Ulster from sodomy" and advocated for creationism in schools. Let us not pretend that this party is one of tolerance and such fancies- but even the DUP cannot bring itself to say; No- we do not want an Islamic Northern Ireland. Strange then, that over a year ago the atheist community in Northern Ireland submitted a letter to the Home Secretary "raising serious concerns about the UK Government’s ‘independent review’ into Sharia courts in Britain."

Strange that in Northern Ireland the godless will go where the God-fearing fear to tread.

CLAIM: The media tar opponents of multiculturalism as racist

Of course! It's racist to point it out. As predicted in their own pamphlet, Generation Sparta are accurate again. Now, one might say- well, of course, the press will say this pamphlet is racist because it is racist! The counter is simple- there is nothing racist in the pamphlet unless we are to believe that Islam is a race- and therefore immune from critique. This is a fundamental point of contention. If you cannot criticize ideas because it is racist to criticize those ideas, you are living under tyranny. You are living under laws that persecute blasphemy.

I will say that it is wrong to use the image of Fusilier Lee Rigby in this manner. There is no need to politicize his death further- he shall not be forgotten, but sympathy must be shown to his family; who have repeatedly requested that his image is not used by activists. That should be respected- and Generation Sparta should know better. This being said, the words accompanying his image are also accurate- these are the sites of terrorist attacks in England. Far more than 1500 English girls have been raped by predominantly Pakistani men. These facts are not in dispute, surely.

You have seen the pamphlet and read the criticism in the press, but I want to show you the depths to which our media outlets will sink in search of a bias-confirming story. Here are the tweets from the press, begging for a comment from the girl who received the pamphlet.

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Hi Meg, I'm from the @IrishTimes - would it be ok for us to use your pics of the leaflet as part of our coverage?

— David Cochrane (@davidcochrane) April 5, 2018

Can you follow for a DM?

— Arthur Strain (@Fronkenstrain) April 4, 2018

Meg, I'm a reporter with https://t.co/aSXrpCFHE9. Would you mind if we were to share this image with full cred to you?

— Kate Demolder (@katedemolder) April 5, 2018

Hi Meg, my name is Michael and I work for the @BelTel - would it be OK to use these images of the leaflet?

— MichaelSheilsMcnamee (@MichaelOnassis) April 5, 2018

In lockstep, these so-called journalists role out the same talking points with the same downstream thinking. We only ever look at the effect, and never the cause. We may even find out that indeed Generation Sparta are racists or such, but that information will never come from the spineless British press. I have reached out to Generation Sparta myself to obtain a comment, and will update this article should i receive one.

And so we see how a crime is manufactured from the truth.

Chief Inspector David Moore of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said:

"We are treating this as a hate incident at present and we are making a number of enquiries.

"The PSNI continues to make it clear that hate crime, in any form, is unacceptable."

That a pamphlet of relatively uncontroversial statements reveals that Ireland, which spent much of the last century witnessing extreme sectarian violence, can now no longer bear criticism of Islam is truly saddening. It is a hate crime, after all, to say “This is Ireland. This land is of the Irish.” Isn’t that what we were looking for, all those troubled years? Are we so deluded that we ignore that the most likely thing to unite a people is a common foe? I am willing to bet that if this group is bringing Protestants and Catholics together, there might actually be something to be learned; if not from the beliefs of Generation Sparta per se, but surely from how sectarian lines may be bridged.

I suppose as she reported the pamphlets to the police, we should leave the last word to Meg herself. Remember; the pamphlet warns against rape gangs. It is, you might say, an anti-rape leaflet.

If you talk to any woman about rape or sexual assault, the chances are that they will have a story about a time they were raped or almost raped or in fear of being raped. I don't think men realise that.

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) March 28, 2018

May I suggest that the men of Generation Sparta realize that very well?

It is very easy to just be accepting of everything. To imagine that nothing really matters, and history was backward, dirty. Racist. Homophobic. This way of thinking leads us to value nothing, to preserve nothing of ourselves. The very idea that somewhere a religious person might be offended by a leaflet drives a multi-branch crackdown to root out these evil people who have looked at the world as it is, and not as we would wish it to be.

The establishment is terrified. You can see it in the reaction to wrongthink. It is this lack of thought in the response that will ultimately prove Generation Sparta right, and the media, the police, the political establishment and probably-gender-studies-major-Meg, will all be proven wrong. If you cannot think freely, then you will act as a slave.

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The worst part of that reality is that it is so easily preventable; if we steel ourselves, put our shoulders back, and contend with the problems at hand. All we have to do is take responsibility for our own futures.

Is that really so hard?

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the-truth-just-sounds-bette-blog · 7 years

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The Fall of the Roman Empire & its Correlation to America Today

This bit of writing grew out of my own curiosity and after hours of reading + research, I ended up with a huge binder full of notes and a mind full of observations I had made somewhere along the way. I read and reread heaps of pages and paragraphs here and there. I questioned the questionable and sought answers for that which did not sit right with my soul. I thought and rethought the matters at hand as objectively as possible and I even unlearned a few prior beliefs I held as I cracked open different history books and made sense of the sentence combinations on each page in my own way. I checked out words I wasn't completely familiar with in both small, large and digital dictionaries over and over again. And I wrote it all down.. now the sum of those ideas has been condensed here. In full disclosure, the topic I am choosing to address both deeply fascinates me and also terrifies me. I want to share these findings with you not only because I find them to be genuinely interesting, but also to summarize what I have learned into one physical space & strengthen my own way of understanding it all. I'm now able to read this collective information and reflect on what I have studied, I'm also able to acknowledge what is still just a part of the unknown. I believe that American and Western culture of the twenty first century is crucially similar to that of the Roman culture thousands of years ago. There are undoubtedly major and significant differences between these eras, but the existing parallels that do exist between the times only seem to grow more glaringly obvious over time. These signs should bring even a casual observer to notice. I fully acknowledge that the vast differences between Roman era and America today are wide, including but not limited to; technological advancement, abundance, slavery, government, social class, democracy, entrepreneurship, economic dynamism, social equality, etc. But today, I am writing specifically to go over the sameness. To touch the patterns. Both Rome and America were destined to become world empires, in amazingly short periods of time in both cases. The Roman Empire was probably the closest the world has come to world government until the United Nations was established in 1945. There are many reasons for Romes fall; military overreach, invasion, inflation, corruption and political incompetence are just a few of a much longer list. I myself think that less talked about environmental factors (such as deforestation and the salinization of soil) also played a profoundly significant role in the empires final breaths. It is important to note that the Roman Empires peak of power would come about only centuries after the Republic Era. Many Roman writers and historians would look back on earlier era with fondness and nostalgia for a simpler/less brutal time as the ideal of a good government. To me, this is eerily similar to Americans who often look back positively to the period of our founding fathers as a source of inspiration. The truth becomes tainted by memories and hearsay of "the good old days." If one were to take a mere moment to study history and the 'discovery' of the states, it wouldn't take long to find that every single state is built upon someone else's broken back. POLITICAL CORRUPTION in Rome was rife, much like present day politics. The corruption of these Roman leaders was practically legendary. Domestic violence, substance abuse, assassinations and sexual abuse were almost staples of Roman leaders during the Empire period. If this doesn't sound like a familiar story to you, perhaps you should close this page out and go surf your Facebook timeline instead. Hopefully you survived the indoctrination enough to raise an eyebrow of interest if you do choose to read on. It is a well known fact that the political corruption in the USA has come to the point where most people don't trust our government at all anymore. I too, fear that the days of a government for the people by the people are long gone. I think that they've been absent for quite some time now although I guess in the end it's better to wake up late than never at all. Much like our elected 'leaders' today, Roman public politicians had great difficultly differentiating between public and private responsibility, as well as public and private resources. After time, the pockets of both public offices and their sponsors, grew larger at the expense of common citizens. All the while public services declined. Money talks: currencies have always talked and always will talk until the very last day they exist on the earth. Its influence back then upon political parties or candidates was massively influenced by the size and weight of financial ($) donation to said political party or candidate. Not much has changed today. Numerous reforms were attempted to curb excesses, but echoing the same battle within American government today, these reforms were often resisted or immediately dismissed by the patrician class. The transfer of jobs to cheap overseas (slave) labor played a large role in the COLLAPSE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS. Increased trade with China and India through the Silk Road caused crippling trade imbalance and all but crushed the Roman middle class slowly. The same issues greatly threaten Americas middle class today. In the last ten years there has been an enormous technological move to SouthEast Asia. Yes, America does currently have a large population and a sophisticated military, and while it does hold a top spot among world leaders in science, technology + business.. we must be realistic and acknowledge that many other nations are rising up and our 'focus' as a country is just simply not in favor of its own people. There are more PHD students in China at this very moment than the USA has ever had in its history. The US still leads in amount of world class universities but this number is bound to fall as other countries develop their own. Surely a large amount of people in China already fully believe that they are the new world leaders. And why shouldn't they: they literally own us. The LOSS OF POLITICAL COMPROMISE has not made it hard for anyone living in our time to see that present day 'republicans' and 'democrats' no longer have the open desire and/or ability to actually work together in order to achieve best results for the greater good of its people. Similar to the Roman Republic parties which opposed one another (Optimates/Aristocrates vs Populares/Populists), Americas present day party system is also dangerously zeroed in on personal political gain over everything. The absence of compromise between parties led to the imposition of Caesar as dictator and later the end of the Republic. Despite the fact that HEALTHCARE in the United States is among the most expensive in the world, the coverage available is merely mediocre by many current Western world standards. Citizens are brainwashed into believing that the state of the 'economy' is to blame for lack of affordable health care, yet they don't think twice when billions of their tax dollars are pumped into the war machine year after year. We bully the world, treat others with no humanity and expect a great life in return. What's wrong with this picture? Historically the civilization with the most powerful army dominates the world. It is also common practice for the most advanced technology to be developed and applied by the military before being put to use to aid the people. Many Americans will say things like 'our economy needs work' or the economy this and that but most do not truly think about 'our' economic impact or lack there of from a rational or worldly point of view. Sadly most of Americas citizens of all kinds don't even remotely see the actual and very real present day danger of an ECONOMIC COLLAPSE within the United States. The majority of us are taught/led to believe that Rome fell because it was engaged in regular wars and constant overspending. The USA has relentlessly bombed, attacked and invaded dozens of countries all throughout its history. We are currently breaking world records because we're trillions upon trillions of dollars in debt as a nation. Back in Roman days corrupt officials displaced loyal ones and drastically raised taxes to serve Self interests, the Roman Empire continued to decline as a result. The same applies now. Decisions based on greed made by these selfish 'leaders' eventually resulted in the complete dying out of the middle class. Among those who suffered were laborers, teachers, merchants, artisans.. you know - regular people. Donald Trump capitalized politically by campaigning to win back job losses particularly in the manufacturing industry. He fear mongered every day citizens into believing that under his leadership, America would be great again and that foreign trade reform would take precedent. He rallied for the troops return, then shamelessly sent thousands more overseas to fight a losing battle based on lies. I'm sure their boots are made in China too. Onto the next similarity in times: DECLINE OF MORALS AND VALUES. Once crimes of violence on large city streets began to make Rome unsafe, the empire could no longer be maintained. The morals and values which once kept Roman legions safe began to crumble. Emperors (part. Nero and Caligula) were well known for wasting money on lavish parties. Same as the political fundraisers and exclusive elite dinners held today by those who pull all strings, gluttony and booze became number one. Entertainment today has also grown increasingly more vulgar and degrading. We see a sameness to Rome in our sporting/entertainment facets daily with the rise of sports scandals, casino entertainment, violent video games, dramatized wrestling/boxing matches etc. The most populist amusement during the Roman Era was watching the gladiatorial combats at the Colosseum. These gladiator fights were regularly attended by both the rich and the poor, and often the emperor himself. One contest after another was staged (mass distraction + massive waste of money) within the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it would soon be covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on. Sound familiar? It should. INFLATION: In our present day the price of food/water/clothing/living continues to rise. Those who have retired and paid into social security for years, have not received a cost of living raise for years. After the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the Romans stopped conquering new lands and in turn the flow of gold coming into the Roman Empire decreased. Due to this change, their economy began to suffer from inflation, this inflation caused in increase in all prices. After time, the amount of actual gold used to make a single coin decreased.. and soon the coin itself becomes less valuable. In response merchants then raise their prices on goods sold to the people to make up for value lost. When things became truly grim people began to barter with others instead of even using coins at all. Salaries were paid out in food and clothing and even taxes were collected in fruits and vegetables. I don't what it will take for our generation to realize that a dollar is simply a piece of paper. And that piece of paper is printed by our government. The same government that is trillions of dollars in debt. URBAN DECAY played into the fall hand in hand with inflation, these facts are unignorable. Think of the wealthy Romans as today's 1% - these were the rich and the elite: the privileged. Most Romans, like most Americans today, were not at all rich with no savings or safety net to fall back on. The wealthy (1%) Romans lived in houses (dorms) made of marble walls/floors and intricate tiles/glass windows. The rest of the people lives in small, smelly rooms in "islands" that soon took over the city walls of Rome. These 6 story apartments were made of shakey wood and if you lived in one of the +45,000 'apartment homes,' the more stairs you had to climb to reach home - the cheaper your rent was. Many Romans rented apartments vs. owning their own homes just like life today. Often times they did not prepare their own food and went out for 'fast food.' As "island" life grew the cities eventually started to decay. This life was hot, dirty, crowded and dangerous. Those unable to pay rent were forced to move out onto crime infested streets, thus crime increased as survival was threatened. As far as MILITARY SPENDING.. well I think it's obvious even to a blind man that America wildly overspends but let's see what other things we have in common with the Romans.. For Rome, like America, the military didn't start out as a huge standing army. It was made up of the men of the Republic who would take up arms against an enemy in the case of an emergency. Rome was ultimately waned and overtaken by a series of military losses to Germanic tribes. A Germanic warrior named Odacer led a revolt in 476 from within against Emporor Romulus Augustulus. The defeat of Augustulus made him the last Roman emperor to rule Italy from Rome. The eastern part of the empire later fell to the Ottoman Empire, but remarkably survived until 1453. Prior to being overtaken completely, hopeless Romans began to lose their desire to defend the Empire, they lost their will to maintain an army that would defend its borders from barbarian attacks. This put a constant strain on the government and the increased military spending left fewer and fewer resources for other vital activities. The Empire began hiring soldiers recruited from unemployed city mobs and foreign counties to fight for them. This system for 'security' quickly grew unreliable and expensive. The DECLINE IN FAMILY parallel shared between Rome and America is so deeply concerning. A British anthropologist named Joseph Daniel Unwin chronicled the historical decline of numerous cultures (including Roman Empire) in his 1934 book titled Sex and Culture. He found that cultures which held to a strong sexual ethic thrived and were more productive than cultures that were 'sexually free.' Another profoundly interesting book, Our Dance Has Turned To Death by Carl Wilson, identifies the common patterns of families decline in civilizations like the Roman Empire. The seven stages he addresses hauntingly mirror what's happening in America today. You are entitled to completely disagree that these stages are in fact relevant to present day times - I only know what I see with my own eyes for sure and this is something I have watched unfold right before me over the course of the +25 years I have lived in the states. Stage 1) Men cease to lead families to worship, this spiritual and moral development become secondary. The families view of God becomes mathematical and mechanical. Stage 2) Men selfishly neglect care of their wives and children to pursue material wealth, this can also be political and/or military power. Material values begin to dominate thought. Stage 3) Change in men's sexual values turn into men who are now preoccupied with their word/business/war and these men are more likely to neglect their wives sexually and stray to other women or men. Stage 4) The role of women in the home has lost value and status. Women were neglected thus their roles in turn have been devalued, soon they revolt to gain access to material wealth as well as seek freedom for pleasurable sexual experiences outside of their marriage. The emphasis on sex for pleasure minimizes the intent of having sex to conceive children. Stage 5) Husbands and wives often end up competing against each other for ultimate reign over money, home leadership, career success, and most sadly - the affection of their shared children. The more marriages that end in separation and divorce, the higher the risk is for children's frustrations or hostility. This can result in their distrust/disinterest in traditional heterosexual relationships and/or eventual marriage. Stage 6: Society has become broken up into smaller group loyalties because selfish individualism has grown to an all time high. Our nation has not only become more vulnerable to its enemies but the decrease of birthdate has also produced an older population that has less ability to defend itself. Technology has only aided in the decline of respect for family by practically diminishing parental authority. Kids today are widely addicted to social media and many stare at screens for multiple hours a day. Their respect for authority has decreased along with their ability to effectively communicate face to face and/or expand social skills with peers. In a two plus two can equal five world, ethical and moral principles have all but disappeared. Political correctness takes precedent to truth even though the fact is: just because you think one way or another does not you honest or true. And it definitely doesn't make you right or just. Speaking of political correctness let's brush on religion for a moment. In America today, God has been ushered out of schools and government. What was once a Christian nation has become a secular and humanistic nation. Political correctness > everything. Over rational and critical thought. Now while famously borrowed from the Greeks, the Romans too were known for their elaborate views of mythology. One could say the way people currently idolize political heroes, celebrities and athletes today, is quite similar to the awe struck belief which ancients once felt for mythology. All the missions during the 1960's American space programs were named after Roman Gods and Goddesses; Mercury, Apollo, Gemini etc. Even present day architectural similarities are practically exact replicas of ancient Roman government buildings and temples; Supreme Court, Congress, White House etc. Yes, these two different eras are certainly not identical by any means - but how could they be? And although the Romans didn't have telephones, internet or TV their communication skills were absolutely relevant to the time period which they occupied. They were the first civilization to have daily newspapers as well and repositories of information at libraries. I have personally found that the similarities between Ancient Rome and present day USA are not only eye opening, but also that the shared commonalities greatly outweigh their differences. I do not believe that 'history repeats itself' as many others do, but rather that people continue on and make the same mistakes again.

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clubofinfo · 7 years

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Expert: How dreadfully depressing life has become in almost all of the Western cities! How awful and sad. It is not that these cities are not rich; they are. Of course, things are deteriorating there, the infrastructure is crumbling and there are signs of social inequality, even misery, at every corner. But if compared to almost all other parts of the world, the wealth of the Western cities still appears to be shocking, almost grotesque. The affluence does not guarantee contentment, happiness or optimism. Spend an entire day strolling through London or Paris, and pay close attention to people. You will repeatedly stumble over passive aggressive behavior, over frustration and desperate downcast glances, over omnipresent sadness. In all those once great [imperialist] cities, what is missing is life. Euphoria, warmth, poetry and yes – love – are all in extremely short supply there. Wherever you walk, all around, the buildings are monumental, and boutiques are overflowing with elegant merchandize. At night, bright lights shine brilliantly. Yet the faces of people are gray. Even when forming couples, even when in groups, human beings appear to be thoroughly atomized, like the sculptures of Giacometti. Talk to people, and you’ll most likely encounter confusion, depression, and uncertainty. ‘Refined’ sarcasm, and sometimes a bogus urban politeness are like thin bandages that are trying to conceal the most horrifying anxieties and thoroughly unbearable loneliness of those ‘lost’ human souls. Purposelessness is intertwined with passivity. In the West, it is increasingly hard to find someone that is truly committed: politically, intellectually or even emotionally. Big feelings are now seen as frightening; both men and women reject them. Grand gestures are increasingly looked down upon, or even ridiculed. Dreams are becoming tiny, shy and always ‘down to earth’, and even those are lately extremely well concealed. Even to daydream is seen as something ‘irrational’ and outdated. ***** To a stranger who comes from afar, it appears to be a sad, unnatural, brutally restrained and, to a great extent, a pitiful world. Tens of millions of adult men and women, some well educated, ‘do not know what to do with their lives’. They take courses or go ‘back to school’ in order to fill the void, and to ‘discover what they want to do’ with their lives. It is all self-serving, as there appear to be no greater aspirations. Most of the efforts begin and end with each particular individual. Nobody sacrifices himself or herself for others, for society, for humanity, for the cause, or even for the ‘other half’, anymore. In fact, even the concept of the ‘other half’ is disappearing. Relationships are increasingly ‘distant’, each person searching for his or her ‘space’, demanding independence even in togetherness. There are no ‘two halves’; instead there are ‘two fully independent individuals’, co-existing in a relative proximity, sometimes physically touching, sometimes not, but mostly on their own. In the Western capitals, the egocentricity, even total obsession with one’s personal needs, is brought to a surreal extreme. Psychologically, it can only be described as a twisted and pathological world. Surrounded by this bizarre pseudo reality, many otherwise healthy individuals eventually feel, or even become, mentally ill. Then, paradoxically, they embark on seeking ‘professional help’, so they can re-join the ranks of the ‘normal’, read ‘thoroughly subdued’ citizens. In most cases, instead of continuously rebelling, instead of waging personal wars against the state of things, the individuals who are still at least to some extent different, get so frightened by being in the minority that they give up, surrender voluntarily, and identify themselves as ‘abnormal’. Short sparks of freedom experienced by those who are still capable of at least some imagination, of dreaming about a true and natural world, get rapidly extinguished. Then, in a short instant, everything gets irreversibly lost. It may appear as some horror film, but it is not. It is the true reality of life in the West. I cannot function in such an environment for more than a few days. If forced, I could last in London or Paris for two weeks at most, but only while operating on some ‘emergency mode’, unable to write, to create and to function ‘normally’. I cannot imagine ‘being in love’ in a place like that. I cannot imagine writing a revolutionary essay there. I cannot imagine laughing, loudly, happily, freely. While briefly working in London, Paris or New York, the coldness, purposelessness, and chronic lack of passion and of all basic human emotions, is having a tremendously exhausting effect on me, derailing my creativity and drowning me in useless, pathetic existentialist dilemmas. After one week there, I’m simply beginning to get influenced by that terrible environment: I’m starting to think about myself excessively, ‘listening to my feelings’, instead of considering the feelings of the others. My duties towards humanity get neglected. I put on hold everything that I otherwise consider essential. My revolutionary edge loses its sharpness. My optimism begins to evaporate. My determination to struggle for a better world begins to weaken. This is when I know: it is time to run, to run away. Fast, very fast! It is time to pull myself from the stale emotional swamp, to slam the door behind the intellectual bordello, and to escape from the terrifying meaninglessness that is dotted with injured, even wasted lives. I cannot fight for those people from within, only from outside. Our way of thinking and feeling do not match. When they get out and visit ‘my universe’, they bring with them resilient prejudices: they do not register what they see and hear, they stick to what they were indoctrinated with, for years and decades. For me personally there are not many significant things that I can do in Western cities. Periodically I come to sign one or two book contracts, to open my films, or to speak briefly at some university, but I don’t see any point of doing much more. In the West, it is hard to find any meaningful struggle. Most struggles there are not internationalist; instead they are selfish, West-oriented in nature. Almost no true courage, no ability to love, no passion, and no rebellion remain. On closer examination, there is actually no life there; no life as we human beings used to perceive it, and as we still understand it in many other parts of the world. ***** Nihilism rules. Was this mental state, this collective illness something that has been inflicted on purpose by the regime? I don’t know. I cannot yet answer this question. But it is essential to ask, and to try to understand. Whatever it is, it is extremely effective – negatively effective but effective nevertheless. Carl Gustav Jung, a renowned Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist, diagnosed Western culture as ‘pathological’, right after WWII. But instead of trying to comprehend its own abysmal condition, instead of trying to get better, even well, Western culture is actually made to expand, to rapidly spread to many other parts of the world, dangerously contaminating healthy societies and nations. It has to be stopped. I say it because I do love this life, the life, which still exists outside the Western realm; I’m intoxicated with it, obsessed with it. I live it to the fullest, with great delight, enjoying every moment of it. I know the world, from the ‘Southern Cone’ of South America, to Oceania, the Middle East, to the most god-forsaken corners of Africa and Asia. It is a truly tremendous world, full of beauty and diversity, and hope. The more I see and know, the more I realize that I absolutely cannot exist without a struggle, without a good fight, without great passions and love, and without purpose; basically without all that the West is trying to reduce to nothing, to make irrelevant, obsolete and ridiculous. My entire being is rebelling against the awful nihilism and dark pessimism that is being injected almost everywhere by Western culture. I’m violently allergic to it. I refuse to accept it. I refuse to succumb to it. I see people, good people, talented people, wonderful people, getting contaminated, having their lives ruined. I see them abandoning great battles, abandoning their great loves. I see them choosing selfishness and their ‘space’ and ‘personal feelings’ over deep affection and inseparability, opting for meaningless careers over great adventures of epic battles for humanity and a better world. Lives are being ruined one by one, and by millions, every moment and every day. Lives that could have been full of beauty, full of joy, of love, full of adventure, of creativity and uniqueness, of meaning and purpose, but instead are reduced to emptiness, to nothingness, in brief: to thorough meaninglessness. People living such lives are performing tasks and jobs by inertia, respecting without questioning all behavior patterns ordered by the regime, and obeying countless grotesque laws and regulations. They cannot walk on their own feet anymore. They have been made fully submissive. It is over for them. That is because the courage of the people in the West has been broken. It is because they have been reduced to a crowd of obedient subjects, submissive to the destructive and morally defunct Empire. They have lost the ability to think for themselves. They have lost courage to feel. As a result, because the West has such an enormous influence on the rest of the world, the entire humanity is in grave danger, is suffering, and is losing its natural bearing. ***** In such a society, a person overflowing with passion, a person fully committed and true to his or her cause can never be taken seriously. It is because in a society like this, only deep nihilism and cynicism are accepted and respected. In such a society, a revolution or a rebellion could hardly go beyond the pub or a living room couch. A person, who is still capable of loving in such an emotionally constipating and twisted environment, is usually seen as a buffoon, even as a ‘suspicious and sinister element’. It is common for him or for her to be ridiculed and rejected. Obedient and cowardly masses hate those who are different. They distrust people who stand tall and who are still capable of fighting, people who know perfectly well what their goals are, people who do and not just talk, and those who find it easy to throw their entire life, without the slightest hesitation, at the feet of a beloved person or an honorable cause. Such individuals terrify and irritate those suave, submissive and shallow crowds in Western capitals. As a punishment, they get deserted and divorced, ostracized, socially exiled and demonized. Some end up getting attacked, even thoroughly destroyed. The result is: there is no culture, anywhere on Earth, so banal and so obedient as that which is now regulating the West. Lately, nothing of revolutionary intellectual significance is flowing from Europe and North America, as there are hardly any detectable unorthodox ways of thinking or perceptions of the world there. The dialogues and debates are flowing only through fully anticipated and well-regulated channels, and needless to say they fluctuate only marginally and through the fully ‘pre-approved’ frequencies. ***** What is on the other side of the barricade? I don’t want to glorify our revolutionary countries and movements. I don’t even want to write that we are the “exact opposite” of that entire nightmare that has been created by the West. We are not. And we are far from being perfect. But we are alive if not always well. We are standing, trying to advance this wonderful ‘project’ called humanity, attempting to save our planet from Western imperialism, its nihilist gloom, as well as absolute environmental disaster. We are considering many different ways forward. We have never rejected socialism and Communism, and we are studying various moderate and controlled forms of capitalism. The advantages and disadvantages of the so-called ‘mixed economy’ are being discussed and evaluated. We fight, but because we are much less brutal, orthodox and dogmatic than the West, we often lose, as we recently (and hopefully only temporarily) lost in Brazil and Argentina. We also win, again and again. As this essay goes to print, we are celebrating in Ecuador and El Salvador. Unlike in the West, in such places like China, Russia and Latin America, our debates about the political and economic future are vibrant, even stormy. Our art is engaged, helping to search for the best humanist concepts. Our thinkers are alert, compassionate and innovative, and our songs and poems are great, full of passion and fire, overflowing with love and longing. Our countries do not steal from anyone; they don’t overthrow governments in the opposite parts of the world, they do not undertake massive military invasions. What we have is ours; it is what we have created, produced and sown with our own hands. It is not always much, but we are proud of it, because no one had to die for it, and no one had to be enslaved. Our hearts are purer. They are not always absolutely pure, but purer than those in the West are. We do not abandon those whom we love, even if they fall, get injured, or cannot walk any longer. Our women do not abandon their men, especially those who are in the middle of fighting for a better world. Our men do not abandon their women, even when they are in deep pain or despair. We know whom and what we love, and we know whom and what we hate: in this we rarely get ‘confused’. We are much simpler than those living in the West. In many ways, we are also much deeper. We respect hard work, especially work that helps to improve the lives of millions, not just our own lives, or the lives of our families. We try to keep our promises. We don’t always succeed in keeping them, as we are only humans, but we are trying, and most of the times we are managing to. Things are not always exactly like this, but often they are. And when “things are like this”, it means that there is at least some hope and optimism and often even great joy. Optimism is essential for any progress. No revolution could succeed without tremendous enthusiasm, as no love could. No revolution and no love could be built on depression and defeatism. Even in the middle of the ashes to which imperialism has reduced our world, a true revolutionary and a true poet can always at least find some hope. It will not be easy, not easy at all, but definitely not impossible. Nothing is ever lost in this life for as long as our hearts are beating. ***** The state in which our world is right now is dreadful. It often feels that one more step in a wrong direction, another false turn, and everything will finally collapse, irreversibly. It is easy, extremely easy, to give up, to throw everything up into the air, and to land on a couch with a six-pack of beer, or to simply declare “there is nothing that can be done”, and then resume one’s meaningless life routine. Western nihilism has already done its devastating work: it has landed tens of millions of thinking beings on their proverbial couches of defeatism. It has spread pessimism and gloom, and a general belief that things can never improve anymore. It has maneuvered people into refusing to ‘accept labels’, into rejecting progressive ideologies, and into a pathological distrust of any power. The “all politicians are the same” slogan could be translated clearly into: “We all know that our Western rulers are gangsters, but do not expect anything else from those in other parts of the world.” “All people are the same” reads: “The West has been plundering and murdering hundreds of millions, but don’t expect anything better from Asians, Latin Americans or Africans”. This irrational, cynical negativism already domesticated in virtually all countries of the West, has successfully been exported to many colonies, even to such places as Afghanistan, where people have been suffering incessantly from crimes committed by the West. Its goal is evident: to prevent people from taking action and to convince them that any rebellion is futile. Such attitudes are brutally choking all hopes. In the meantime, collateral damage is mounting. Metastases of the passivity and nihilistic cancers which are being spread by the Western regime are already attacking even that very human ability to love, to commit to a person or to a cause, and to stand by one’s pledges and obligations. In the West and in its colonies, courage has lost its entire luster. The Empire has managed to reverse the whole scale of human values, which was firmly and naturally in place on all the continents and in all cultures, for centuries and millennia. All of a sudden, submission and obedience have come to vogue. It often feels that if the trend is not reversed soon, people will increasingly start to live like mice: constantly scared, neurotic, unreliable, depressed, passive, unable to identify true greatness, and unwilling to join those who are still pulling our world and humanity forward. Billions of lives will get wasted. Billions of lives are already being wasted. Some of us write about invasions, coups and dictatorships imposed by the Empire. However, almost nothing is being written about this tremendous and silent genocide that is breaking the human spirit and optimism, throwing entire nations into a dark depression and gloom. But it is taking place, even as these lines are being penned. It is happening everywhere, even in such places as London, Paris and New York, or more precisely, especially there. In those unfortunate places, fear of great emotions has already been deeply rooted. Originality, courage and determination are now evoking fear. Great love, great gestures and unorthodox dreams are all observed with panic and mistrust. But no progress, no evolution is possible without entirely unconventional ways of thinking, without the revolutionary spirit, without great sacrifices and discipline, without commitment, and without that most powerful and most daring set of emotions, which is called love. The demagogues and propagandists of the Empire want us to believe that ‘something ended’; they want us to accept defeat. Why should we? There is no defeat anywhere on the horizon. There are only two separate realities, two universes, into which our world had been shattered into: one of Western nihilism, another of revolutionary optimism. I have already described the nihilism, but what do I imagine when I dream about that better, different world? Do I envision red flags and people forming closed ranks, charging against some lavish palaces and stock exchanges? Do I hear loud revolutionary songs blasted from loudspeakers? I actually do not. What comes to my mind is essentially very quiet and natural, human and warm. There is a park near the old train station in the city of Granada, Nicaragua. I visited it some time ago. There, several old trees are throwing fantastic shadows on the ground, providing a desirable shade. Into a few big metal columns are engraved the most beautiful poems ever written in this country, while in between those columns stand simple but solid park benches. I sat on one of them. Not far from me, a couple of ageing lovers was holding hands, reading cheek to cheek from an open book. They were so close that they appeared to be forming a simple and totally self-sufficient universe. Above them were the shining verses written by Ernesto Cardenal, one of my favorite Latin American poets. I also recall two Cuban doctors, sitting on a very different bench, thousands of miles away, chatting and laughing next to two goodhearted and corpulent nurses, after performing a complex surgery in Kiribati, an island nation ‘lost’ in the middle of South Pacific. I remember many things, but they are never monumental, only human. Because that is what revolution really is, I think: a couple of ageing peasants in a beautiful public park, both of them in love, holding hands, reading poetry to each other. Or two doctors travelling to the end of the world, just in order to save lives, far from the spotlight and fame. And I always remember my dear friend, Eduardo Galeano, one of the greatest revolutionary writers of Latin America, telling me in Montevideo, about his eternal love for his wonderful lady called “Reality”. Then I think: no, we cannot lose. We are not going to lose. The enemy is mighty and many people are weak and scared, but we will not allow the world to be converted into a mental asylum. We’ll fight for each and every person who has been affected, and drowned in gloom. We’ll expose the abnormality and perversity of Western nihilism. We’ll fight it with our revolutionary enthusiasm and optimism, and we will use the greatest weapons, such as poetry and love. http://clubof.info/

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