For a few years now, I've had this strong feeling that we're living in an equivalent of late-stage communism. Not Stalinism or anything like that. No, something like 1980s communism, when the true believers are still delivering speeches, but it all sounds fairly absurd and the whole system is nearing collapse. This musical episode is par for the course.
I've never actually read Václav Havel. Over here in the Czech Republic, he seems to have something of a mixed reputation. Some worship him. Others describe him as an American asset who promoted rigid moralism, which the current Czech leadership is doing its best to imitate, at the expense of actual Czech interests.
He hasn’t spoken out against Putin and his war, so he is taking a pro-Russia stance? What has SHE not spoken out against? Child abuse? Slave labor? Let’s all see what we have NOT complained about so we’ll know what we’re in favor of, right?
I know it’s not my fight, and that concert is not going to save the world; but the situation is representative of the greater lack of reason in the world. Nothing is separate from politics now. Everything is labeled for or against. There is no allowance for personal choice to abstain
Yes having the audacity to be born... not sure where this can go beyond this (apart from the obvious “cleansing”)?!
Thought crime, non-thought crime, existence... we all for sure fall into one or more of these categories daily.
Will those pushing this ever see the irony, the madness, the hysteria, feel the backlash, be shocked when they themselves fall into one of these categories on a whim...
I know, all rhetorical, my mind just boggles and I think I’m actually more frightened of the “common people” as their obedience, buy-in, and enforcement is far more insipid. At least the parasites at the top don’t really hide their disdain and games.
Apologies for the rant - time for another cup of tea!
Which has led to the practice of late-term abortion, i.e. reaching into the birth canal to destroy the brain of the emerging infant before it is officially alive becoming legal. What do you expect in any other area of life from people who would countenance such a thing?
Well, 'late-term abortion' should be called 'murder', for all I care, because that's what it is. Once the 'birth' barrier is done and we get to the notion of 'post-birth abortions' being considered, we're back in the 1920s and 1930s.
Yes. And I’ve read that California has considered a law to allow abortion up to a year after birth to be considered abortion retroactively. It’s murder no matter what or when
Check out the comment field on Eugyppius recent post on NATO/Trump/Germany-spat over paying the mandated 2% of GDP to (in effect) the US arms industry for NATO membership.
The number of americans proudly parading their jingoistic ignorance is astounding. Even otherwise levelheaded americans get in on the act of "We pay for dem lazy german freeloaders".
Completely ignorant of the US' enormous and generations-old debt to the UN (all the while retaining their seat and veto on the Security Council), completely ignorant of US politicking actively encouraging Germany and others EUropean NATO-members to make themselves dependent on US arms manufacturers (by demanding all equipment be "NATO-standard", i.e. US made or made under license), and completely ignorant of the tens of millions of refugees EUrope has taken in from the US imperialist adventurism in the Middle East and the Balkans since the Cold War ended.
It is frightening to see how conditioned they are to immediately go full-on stereotype, insisting the US is A#1 in all things and that we "need" their military presence to "save us". Not to mention their complete ignorance how the US demands all European nations boycotts who the US decrees is "Bad Guy".
They really needed the USSR to stay sane and in contact with reality it seems.
You're of course correct about the insanity in what once was 'the West'.
This is the 'Americanisation' (in the sense of the pseudo- or para-reality constructed by their agit-prop) of our life. 'Appalling' is a bad word for it, and I'm so very ashamed today.
For a few years now, I've had this strong feeling that we're living in an equivalent of late-stage communism. Not Stalinism or anything like that. No, something like 1980s communism, when the true believers are still delivering speeches, but it all sounds fairly absurd and the whole system is nearing collapse. This musical episode is par for the course.
It does, isn't it? Chris Hedges said something like this some 10-15 years ago, too.
It is absurd, and of course there's some 'rhyming' going on, not merely repetition.
Time to read Václac Havel again, I suppose.
I've never actually read Václav Havel. Over here in the Czech Republic, he seems to have something of a mixed reputation. Some worship him. Others describe him as an American asset who promoted rigid moralism, which the current Czech leadership is doing its best to imitate, at the expense of actual Czech interests.
I like reading, and I consider some of his writings very interesting when facing down totalitarian régimes.
Anything in particular that you would recommend?
The Power of the Powerless.
I do have a pdf of an anthology on my HD, which I gladly share (for educational purposes)—just email me?
Thanks! No need to e-mail it to me (but thanks for the offer): the essay is available on the Internet. :-)
He hasn’t spoken out against Putin and his war, so he is taking a pro-Russia stance? What has SHE not spoken out against? Child abuse? Slave labor? Let’s all see what we have NOT complained about so we’ll know what we’re in favor of, right?
I know it’s not my fight, and that concert is not going to save the world; but the situation is representative of the greater lack of reason in the world. Nothing is separate from politics now. Everything is labeled for or against. There is no allowance for personal choice to abstain
Same same, and it's absurd:
Say a (the 'wrong') thing, you're cancelled; say nothing, you're cancelled because you didn't speak up.
What to do? Well, one better works towards prevention of the notion of asking permission to think.
Yes having the audacity to be born... not sure where this can go beyond this (apart from the obvious “cleansing”)?!
Thought crime, non-thought crime, existence... we all for sure fall into one or more of these categories daily.
Will those pushing this ever see the irony, the madness, the hysteria, feel the backlash, be shocked when they themselves fall into one of these categories on a whim...
I know, all rhetorical, my mind just boggles and I think I’m actually more frightened of the “common people” as their obedience, buy-in, and enforcement is far more insipid. At least the parasites at the top don’t really hide their disdain and games.
Apologies for the rant - time for another cup of tea!
Your rant is well taken.
Imagine, Annalena Baerbock was recently taken to task because her German (!) grandfather lived in Nazi Germany. Imagine that.
According to the above-espoused 'logic' (sic), we should quickly 'cancel' Ms. Baerbock, shouldn't we?
This is all so stupid and shameful, it boggles the mind.
Thank you for your patience, helps me to not feel alone in these odd times, here’s to more people seeing the un-logic of the ‘logic’ 😊🙏
It makes the claim that 'life begins at conception' vs. 'cell cluster until born' even more absurd, eh?
Which has led to the practice of late-term abortion, i.e. reaching into the birth canal to destroy the brain of the emerging infant before it is officially alive becoming legal. What do you expect in any other area of life from people who would countenance such a thing?
Well, 'late-term abortion' should be called 'murder', for all I care, because that's what it is. Once the 'birth' barrier is done and we get to the notion of 'post-birth abortions' being considered, we're back in the 1920s and 1930s.
Yes. And I’ve read that California has considered a law to allow abortion up to a year after birth to be considered abortion retroactively. It’s murder no matter what or when
Check out the comment field on Eugyppius recent post on NATO/Trump/Germany-spat over paying the mandated 2% of GDP to (in effect) the US arms industry for NATO membership.
The number of americans proudly parading their jingoistic ignorance is astounding. Even otherwise levelheaded americans get in on the act of "We pay for dem lazy german freeloaders".
Completely ignorant of the US' enormous and generations-old debt to the UN (all the while retaining their seat and veto on the Security Council), completely ignorant of US politicking actively encouraging Germany and others EUropean NATO-members to make themselves dependent on US arms manufacturers (by demanding all equipment be "NATO-standard", i.e. US made or made under license), and completely ignorant of the tens of millions of refugees EUrope has taken in from the US imperialist adventurism in the Middle East and the Balkans since the Cold War ended.
It is frightening to see how conditioned they are to immediately go full-on stereotype, insisting the US is A#1 in all things and that we "need" their military presence to "save us". Not to mention their complete ignorance how the US demands all European nations boycotts who the US decrees is "Bad Guy".
They really needed the USSR to stay sane and in contact with reality it seems.
You're of course correct about the insanity in what once was 'the West'.
This is the 'Americanisation' (in the sense of the pseudo- or para-reality constructed by their agit-prop) of our life. 'Appalling' is a bad word for it, and I'm so very ashamed today.