This blog expands upon the themes and issues explored in the podcast above: Are We Hard-Wired to Destroy Ourselves? It dives deep into an excerpt from D. Mann’sSapience: The Moment Is Now, which depicts a dystopian future (2050-2070s) that results from humanity’s failure to address climate change in the 2020s. The narrative highlights the collapse of global cooperation and the prioritization of economic growth over environmental sustainability. The author argues that the inherent drive of civilizations to maximize production, embodied by powerful multinational corporations, prevented effective climate action. This ultimately led to widespread suffering and environmental devastation, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. The story concludes by showing that even the wealthy elite could not escape the consequences of inaction.
Briefing Document: “Sapience: The Moment Is Now” Excerpts
Date: October 26, 2023 (based on requested date in prompt – assuming today’s date) Subject: Analysis of Key Themes and Ideas Regarding Climate Change and Societal Collapse in the mid 21st Century. Source: Excerpts from “Sapience: The Moment Is Now” by D. Mann, published 4/24/24.
Executive Summary:
This fictional work projects a bleak future in the mid 21st century (2050-2070s), where humanity’s failure to address climate change leads to societal breakdown. The excerpts highlight the failure of global cooperation, the destructive nature of unchecked economic growth, the role of multinational corporations (Multis), and the stark inequalities that exacerbate suffering. The core argument presented is that humanity’s inability to change its fundamental drive towards production and growth, coupled with the amorality of corporate entities, led to a climate catastrophe. The story emphasizes the need to shift human consciousness rather than simply focusing on technical solutions to climate change.
Key Themes & Ideas:
Collapse of Global Cooperation: The narrative emphasizes the disintegration of international agreements and alliances designed to combat climate change.
Quote: “At some point, which no one can quite remember when, every alliance or agreement the world had ever made to fight climate change was abandoned or forgotten.”
Analysis: This highlights a failure of collective action and suggests that in the face of crisis, nations prioritized individual survival over global solutions. The story presents this as almost inevitable due to the lack of accountability for individual nation states.
The Inherent Drive to Produce: The excerpts argue that civilizations are fundamentally driven by a need to produce more, making it difficult to limit resource consumption and therefore, greenhouse gas emissions.
Quote: “This calling is simple and straightforward. It is the mission that propels civilizations through time. And the mission is: produce more things. This is what civilizations do. This is why they exist and what they have been doing for more than 5,000 years.”
Analysis: This idea suggests that our current civilization is inherently unsustainable in the face of climate change because its core function directly contributes to the crisis. The story asserts that the production function is akin to a wild animal eating, therefore difficult if not impossible to contain.
The Failure of Incremental Measures: The story illustrates that the piecemeal efforts made by local, state, federal, and national governments are inadequate because there is no real mechanism for accountability.
Quote: “Local, state, federal, and national governments all made voluntary pledges, but mostly these were pretty words that bloomed like perennial flowers but didn’t last long. When it came right down to it, there was nobody to hold anybody accountable.”
Analysis: This implies that voluntary commitments are insufficient without a system of enforcement. It highlights the inability of established governments to properly mitigate the climate crisis.
The Unchanging Human Consciousness: The work proposes that climate change is a symptom of a deeper “sickness” within human consciousness that needs to be addressed.
Quote: “Really, it wasn’t the climate that needed changing. It was human consciousness. Climate change was simply a fever of a sickness that began long ago.”
Analysis: This reinforces the idea that simply mitigating greenhouse gases is insufficient to save humanity from self-destruction, which requires a fundamental shift in values and behaviors.
Multinational Corporations (Multis) as Agents of Destruction: The excerpts portray “Multis” as amoral entities that prioritize profit above all else, profiting immensely from the climate crisis.
Quote: “Multis don’t suffer, only humans suffer. Multis can’t suffer because they are not made up of living cells capable of feeling pain. Multis are pseudo beings, ideas really. Their existence depends entirely on agreements among the people working for them.”
Analysis: This suggests that corporations, due to their legal status and lack of feeling, are incapable of making moral decisions that are needed to avoid climate disaster. The narrative demonstrates that Multi’s don’t care about the fate of humans or the planet, only their bottom line.
Quote: “It turns out climate catastrophes are impressively profitable!”
Analysis: This quote points to the absurd and dangerous logic where those contributing to the problem benefit most from the chaos.
Inequality and Disproportionate Suffering: The text clearly illustrates how the consequences of climate change disproportionately affect the poor and the vulnerable before impacting the wealthy and powerful.
Quote: “Reality knocked first on the doors of the poorest people of the world. Most didn’t even have doors, but they suffered and died just the same.”
Analysis: The narrative emphasizes that the “Fall” did not happen equally, with the most vulnerable populations experiencing devastation before the more privileged groups were affected.
“Business as Usual” Mentality:
Quote: “Rather than do anything that really needed doing, people went about in a business-as-usual manner. They had to because it was the only way to survive. People did this until reality came knocking on their door.”
Analysis: This quote highlights the tragic inertia and failure of humanity to act decisively, suggesting that our ingrained systems and behaviors led to an inability to pivot from the destructive course. This also indicates that people were trapped in a system that failed to allow them to take appropriate action to change.
Conclusion:
The excerpts from “Sapience: The Moment Is Now” paint a grim picture of a future shaped by our failure to address climate change, focusing on fundamental problems in our civilization itself rather than just the technical or ecological aspects of global warming. The story warns against the dangers of unchecked growth, the amorality of corporate entities, and the disintegration of global cooperation. It suggests that a fundamental change in human consciousness, rather than simply technical solutions, is necessary for long-term survival. The narrative serves as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences of inaction and the inherent flaws within our current systems.
Consciousness and Climate Inaction
Yes, the sources argue that human consciousness itself was a fundamental obstacle to effective climate action. The author argues that civilizations are inherently driven by a need to “produce more things” [1], making production their essential driving force. This focus on production leads to a constant pursuit of GDP growth, positioning civilizations in a race for economic dominance [2].
Here are some key points that illustrate how human consciousness hindered effective climate action:
Civilizations are inherently driven to produce. This drive is so deeply ingrained in human consciousness that it’s comparable to a wild animal’s instinct to consume. [1, 2]
Modern civilizations have become expert producers, constantly striving to increase their GDP. This makes it nearly impossible for them to voluntarily limit production, even when it’s necessary to protect the planet. [2]
People continued with “business as usual” even when faced with the threat of climate change. They did so because it was the only way to survive within the existing economic system. People only changed their behavior when the direct effects of climate change, such as natural disasters and economic hardship, became unavoidable. [3]
Essentially, humanity’s focus on production and economic growth created a system that was incompatible with the actions needed to address climate change. This system was so powerful that it ultimately overrode concerns about the environment, leading to inaction and a failure to mitigate the climate crisis.
Climate Collapse: A Study Guide
Key Terms Glossary
Multis: A shortened term for Multinational Corporations, often used pejoratively to emphasize their perceived inhumanity and disregard for human suffering.
GDP: Gross Domestic Product, a measure of the total value of goods and services produced within a country’s borders, often used as an indicator of economic success.
Climate Cliff: A metaphor describing the point at which climate change reaches a catastrophic tipping point, leading to irreversible and devastating consequences.
Mamparas: A Spanish slang term, roughly translating to “idiots” or “fools,” used here to express frustration with the wealthy elite who seemed oblivious to the impending crisis.
Short Answer Questions
What is the central argument presented in the “The Fall” chapter?
Why, according to the author, did global efforts to combat climate change ultimately fail?
What is the “mission” that drives all civilizations, and how does it relate to climate change?
What does the phrase “You can’t eat money” signify in the context of the excerpt?
How are Multinational Corporations (Multis) portrayed in the “Multis Don’t Suffer” chapter?
What specific characteristic of Multis allows them to thrive during times of crisis and chaos?
Why does the author argue that Multis “don’t suffer”?
What legal protections do Multis enjoy that contribute to their power and influence?
How do Multis benefit from the climate catastrophes described in the excerpt?
What is the overall tone and message conveyed by the author in these excerpts?
Short Answer Key
The central argument is that human civilization’s inherent drive for production and growth, coupled with the self-serving nature of multinational corporations, led to the inevitable failure to address climate change.
Global efforts failed because they were voluntary, lacked accountability, and ultimately conflicted with the fundamental economic imperative of growth and production.
The mission is to “produce more things,” which, in the context of a reliance on fossil fuels, directly contributes to climate change.
It highlights the harsh reality that wealth and material possessions become meaningless in the face of existential threats like climate catastrophe.
Multis are depicted as powerful, amoral entities that prioritize profit above all else, exploiting chaos and suffering for financial gain.
Their lack of empathy and their ability to operate beyond the constraints of human morality allow them to capitalize on crises that devastate individuals and communities.
They are not living beings capable of experiencing pain or emotional consequences; they are abstract entities driven solely by economic imperatives.
Multis enjoy legal protections similar to those of individual human beings, shielding them from accountability and enabling them to act with impunity.
Climate catastrophes create opportunities for Multis to expand their market share, acquire assets from struggling competitors, and exploit the increased demand for essential goods and services.
The tone is bleak and critical, warning against the dangers of unchecked corporate power and the consequences of prioritizing economic growth over environmental sustainability.
Essay Questions
Analyze the author’s use of metaphors, such as “climate cliff” and “Multis don’t suffer,” to convey their message about climate change and corporate responsibility.
Discuss the concept of “human consciousness” as the root cause of the climate crisis. How does this perspective differ from focusing solely on technological solutions or policy changes?
Examine the historical context alluded to in the excerpt. What past failures of civilizations might the author be referencing to support their argument?
Evaluate the author’s critique of the GDP as a flawed measure of societal success. What alternative metrics might better reflect human well-being and environmental sustainability?
Explore the potential consequences of a world where Multis continue to wield significant power and influence in the face of escalating climate change. What ethical dilemmas and societal challenges might arise?
Climate Change FAQ: A Look at the Fall
1. What was the primary reason global efforts to combat climate change failed?
While many factors contributed to the failure, the most significant was the lack of a binding global agreement with enforcement mechanisms. Countries made voluntary pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but these were often seen as empty promises with no real consequences for non-compliance.
2. How did human behavior contribute to the climate crisis?
Humanity’s inherent drive for production and economic growth, embodied in the pursuit of ever-increasing GDP, fueled the reliance on fossil fuels. This insatiable desire for “more” made it nearly impossible for civilizations to voluntarily limit their energy consumption and embrace sustainable practices.
3. What role did Multinational Corporations (Multis) play in the environmental collapse?
Multis, driven by profit maximization, exploited the chaotic conditions created by climate change to further their own growth. They prioritized short-term gains over long-term sustainability, often lobbying against environmental regulations and continuing business practices that exacerbated the crisis. Their legal protections and immense wealth shielded them from the consequences faced by ordinary people.
4. How did the impacts of climate change differ for various socioeconomic groups?
Climate change disproportionately impacted the poorest populations who lacked resources and infrastructure to cope with the escalating disasters. While the wealthy could initially shield themselves from the immediate effects, eventually, the severity of the crisis overwhelmed even their defenses, leading to widespread societal collapse.
5. Was there a point of no return in addressing climate change?
The text suggests that a “business-as-usual” mentality prevailed for too long, leading to a point where the consequences of climate change became unavoidable. This turning point marked a shift from a potential for mitigation to a reality of adaptation and survival.
6. What does the phrase “Multis don’t suffer, only humans suffer” mean?
This highlights the inherent difference between corporations and living beings. Multis, as legal entities, are incapable of experiencing the physical and emotional suffering inflicted by climate change. This detachment from the human cost allowed them to prioritize profits over the well-being of people and the planet.
7. Did everyone contribute equally to the environmental crisis?
While every individual bears some responsibility for their actions, the text emphasizes the outsized role of the 1% and the Multis in perpetuating unsustainable practices. Their influence on economic systems and political decision-making magnified their contribution to the crisis.
8. What lessons can we learn from this account of the future?
The excerpt serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of inaction and the need for a fundamental shift in human consciousness. It highlights the importance of holding powerful entities accountable, prioritizing collective well-being over individual gain, and embracing sustainable practices before it’s too late.
Briefing Doc: The Fall of Civilization and the Rise of Multis
Source: Excerpts from Sapience: The Moment Is Now by D. Mann (published 4/24/24) – Chapters: The Fall & Multis Don’t Suffer
Main Themes:
The Inevitability of Climate Collapse: Mann argues that the failure to address climate change was not a surprise but a predictable outcome of civilizations’ inherent drive for production and growth. He posits that voluntary agreements and pledges were ultimately ineffective in the face of this ingrained imperative.
The Human Cost of Inaction: The excerpts detail the devastating consequences of climate change on various social strata, highlighting the suffering of ordinary people and the eventual downfall even of the wealthy elite.
The Role of Multinational Corporations: The author identifies Multinational Corporations (Multis) as key actors who profited from the crisis, even as they contributed to it. He paints a stark picture of these entities as amoral and unfeeling, exploiting human suffering for financial gain.
Key Ideas & Facts:
Civilizational Imperative: “This calling is simple and straightforward. It is the mission that propels civilizations through time. And the mission is: produce more things. This is what civilizations do.” This quote encapsulates Mann’s central thesis that civilizations are inherently driven to produce and grow, making it nearly impossible to voluntarily limit consumption.
The Failure of Voluntary Measures: “Deep down, everyone understood the global fight to combat climate change had always been a piecemeal effort that wouldn’t amount to much…When it came right down to it, there was nobody to hold anybody accountable.” This passage highlights the inadequacy of voluntary agreements in tackling a global crisis requiring coordinated and enforceable action.
Climate Change as a Symptom: “Really, it wasn’t the climate that needed changing. It was human consciousness. Climate change was simply a fever of a sickness that began long ago.” This statement emphasizes that climate change is not the root cause but a manifestation of a deeper societal problem – an unsustainable and exploitative relationship with the environment.
The Rise of Multis: “Multis don’t suffer, only humans suffer. Multis can’t suffer because they are not made up of living cells capable of feeling pain.” This quote starkly contrasts the human cost of the climate crisis with the indifference of corporations who benefit from it.
The Profitability of Catastrophe: “It turns out climate catastrophes are impressively profitable!” This cynical observation underscores the perverse incentive structure that allows corporations to thrive amidst widespread suffering.
Overall: The excerpts offer a bleak but thought-provoking perspective on the interplay of human nature, societal structures, and the environmental crisis. They paint a dystopian picture of a future ravaged by climate change, where powerful corporations profit from the chaos while ordinary people bear the brunt of the suffering. The author’s message is a stark warning about the consequences of inaction and the urgent need to challenge the dominant paradigm of endless growth.
Timeline of Events: 2050-2070
2050s:
Global efforts to combat climate change begin to unravel.
Countries prioritize their own survival over international cooperation.
Voluntary pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are abandoned.
Climate catastrophes increase in frequency and severity, first impacting the poorest populations.
2060s:
Climate disasters become commonplace, affecting ordinary people worldwide.
Insurance companies collapse due to the overwhelming costs of climate-related damages.
Countries default on debts as their economies are ravaged by climate impacts.
Even the wealthy elite are impacted as their luxurious homes are destroyed by floods, landslides, and rising sea levels.
Public resentment grows towards the wealthy and multinational corporations.
2070s:
Multinational corporations (Multis) capitalize on the chaos and suffering, expanding their power and profits.
Multis acquire failing corporations and bail out struggling nations, turning people into employees.
The focus remains on economic growth and profit, despite the ongoing climate crisis.
The cycle of climate destruction and corporate exploitation continues unabated.
Cast of Characters:
Ordinary People: The global population, particularly the poor and working class, who suffer the most from the impacts of climate change. They experience displacement, loss of homes and livelihoods, and increased hardship.
The Wealthy Elite: The top 1% of the population who initially seem insulated from the worst effects of climate change but eventually experience losses as their lavish properties are destroyed. They are viewed with resentment by the rest of the population.
Multinational Corporations (Multis): Powerful entities that prioritize profit over the well-being of people and the planet. They exploit the climate crisis to expand their wealth and control, buying up failing entities and turning people into employees. They are portrayed as unfeeling and driven solely by greed.
Governments: National and international governing bodies that are depicted as ineffective and ultimately failing to address the climate crisis. They prioritize short-term gains and national interests over global cooperation, leading to the breakdown of climate agreements and a focus on individual survival.
D. Mann: The fictional author of “Sapience: The Moment Is Now,” who acts as a commentator on the events and offers a critical perspective on the failures of humanity to address climate change.
Source
Excerpt from Sapience: The Moment Is Now by D. Mann published on 4/24/24, a psychological, historical, economic, fictional story about near future climate change and the consequences of not taking action now in the 2020s while humanity still has a chance to mitigate the looming danger. This account is of the 2050 to 2070s.
Key Topics:
Climate Change, Human Nature, Economic Growth, Corporate Power, Societal Collapse
Summary
This excerpt from Sapience: The Moment Is Now depicts a dystopian near-future (2050-2070s) resulting from humanity’s failure to address climate change in the 2020s. The narrative centers on the collapse of global cooperation in the face of escalating climate disasters, highlighting the inherent conflict between civilization’s insatiable drive for production and growth and the urgent need for environmental sustainability. The author argues that the inability of civilizations to voluntarily curb their consumption, particularly driven by powerful multinational corporations (Multis), led to widespread suffering and societal breakdown. Ultimately, the text portrays a world where the pursuit of economic growth overshadowed human well-being and planetary survival, culminating in a catastrophic “Fall” that disproportionately impacts the vulnerable while the wealthiest remain relatively unscathed, albeit ultimately suffering as well.
Blog Summary: Oligarchy, The Fall of Democracy in the U.S. & The Fall of Man Worldwide
This blog explores the perilous trajectory of democracy in the U.S. and humanity’s collective descent into crisis. It begins with Adam Mockler, a pro-democracy YouTuber, who highlights President Biden’s Farewell Address as a wake-up call. Mockler discusses an alarming spike in Google searches for “oligarchy,” revealing widespread ignorance among U.S. citizens, even as a slim majority unknowingly voted for one. He contrasts Russia’s oligarchic emergence and its eventual control by Putin with the U.S. situation, urging viewers not to “obey in advance” but to recognize that corrective actions are still possible.
The blog transitions to economist Richard Wolff’s video Last Warning, where Wolff delivers a sobering analysis of the economic systems driving the U.S. and the world toward collapse. He outlines the rise and fall of empires, focusing on the American Empire’s peak from 1870 to 1970 and its decline since. Wolff paints a grim picture of stagnant wages, skyrocketing debt, and systemic denial, comparing modern America’s plight to 1929 Germany—a desperate population driven to extremism. He warns of the dire consequences of repeating history, particularly the risks of escalating conflict with China, which shows every sign of becoming the next dominant empire.
The blog concludes with insights from the author’s book, Sapience: The Moment Is Now, which delves into the psychological roots of humanity’s denial and inaction. Drawing from chapters on how corruption entered human civilization and led to its downfall, the author provides a framework for readers to build the inner strength needed to confront reality. The message emphasizes the importance of empathy, cooperation, and actionable solutions, rejecting blame and violence as paths that would only hasten humanity’s demise. Together, Mockler’s contemporary analysis, Wolff’s economic perspective, and the author’s psychological insights offer a roadmap to facing and addressing the crises at hand.
Adam Mockler Breaks Down What an Oligarchy Is
Adam Mockler’s Transcript
Google Search Skyrocket on What Is an Oligarchy
0:01: All right I want to break down something incredibly important today there's one word that's been skyrocketing in the Google search engine over the past week as Americans across the country try to wrap their heads around its meaning. And I'd like to really do a deep dive on it today. So just to lay the groundwork we all know that Elon Musk is expected to use office space in the White House complex once Trump takes office in a few days. And this isn't because he was elected by anybody. It's because he bought his way in he spent $200 million of his own wealth on Trump's campaign. He rented a headquarters in Pennsylvania so he could go knock doors himself. He also held a giveaway $1 million giveaway for people who voted in red counties. And this was all after he basically blew $44 billion on Twitter as it hemorrhaged money. I guess he didn't blow the money because look where it got him into the White House. Now that also connects with the corporations and billionaires who are bankrolling Trump's inauguration. Some of the richest people in the country have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Donald Trump's Presidential Inaugural Committee. Just listen to this for one second Obama's Inauguration in 2009 was worth $53 million. Trump's inauguration is going to be four times that amount (i.e., $212 million) because people like Jeff Bezos, a founder of Amazon, people like open AI CEO Sam Ultman or Mark Zuckerberg or the Uber CEO or Ken Griffin, who's a hedge fund manager, Elon Musk, they are all donating a massive amount of money to Trump's inauguration fund. And you can probably see where I'm going with this, but I do want to say that rich people meddling with politics has been a thing since the Inception of America.
1:39 It's not always inherently bad people like George Soros have used their money for good. But in this scenario, it's getting quite scary. For example, Bezos the world's second richest man said: "Trump seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation and if I can help him do that I'm going to help him."
Bezo said: "We do have too much regulation in this country," says the world's second richest man.
Their message is clear when Trump takes a presidential oath of office on January 20th. His job is to work for them. This dude (Trump) ran a campaign as a populist who's going to help the American people. Yet he has all of these rich people at his inauguration with $1 million tables. And that's why this article was brought to my attention. Searches for what is an oligarchy Spike after Biden's warning.
2:23 Biden gave his Farewell Address about two days back. And he just straight up said it we are turning into an oligarchy. I'll play the clip in 1 second, but after that we saw a massive spike in the Google search Trends. So this website right here is named Google Trends. It's run by Google and you can see how people search things, what rate they searched at. What is an oligarchy is what I have typed in right here in the interest over time. It spikes from about zero to one or zero to 100 after Biden gave his Farewell Address. You can even see the dark blue states are states where there were extra searches. And we're seeing a lot of searches in red States. So in Indiana you see 89 out of 100 uh in Alabama, 91 out of 100 in Georgia and 86 compared to the interest before [Biden's address] being at about one for a while it was at zero no one was searching for it.
3:12: Then in late December [a little more search activity is shown] and the top related result is down here is Joe Biden. So Joe Biden's Farewell Address directly opened a lot of people's eyes.
What Is an Oligarchy?
So I'd like to dive a little bit deeper into what an oligarchy is. I know I've talked about a lot on the show. I've drawn parallels to Russian oligarchs and the way that people entrench their power with wealth, but I'm not sure if I've ever done a full video laying out the definition, and then building on top of that to show everyone the situation that we're in.
So make sure you drop a like [and] subscribe [and] watch this video till the end, and if you're going to share any video with your family or your Maga family members, it's probably should probably be this one.
3:45: I'm not even going to be talking about Trump as much in this video it's just about the broad state of American politics.
So what is an oligarchy?
Well, Britanica says "Oligarchy governmentby the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and priv group for corrupt or selfish purposes. Oligarchies in which members of the ruling group are wealthy or exercise their power through their wealth are known as plutocracies."
4:10: So, you could also say that we're slowly turning into a plutocracy but oligarchy is a term that Britanica and use so we'll just keep digging in on that. There's also this article that talks about how Putin conquered Russia's oligarchy. They used to be run purely by an oligarchy but Vladimir Putin said to the rich people either you're loyal to me or you go to prison.
4:30: Isn't that basically what Trump said about Mark Zuckerberg? I mean Mark Zuckerberg very clearly began going along with what Trump was saying after Trump said: "He may put him in prison." Trump was even asked "Do you think it's because of your threats against Zukerberg that he's now a Republican?" Trump said: "Yeah, probably."
4:44: So let me read this really quickly: "In the summer of 2000-21, [some] of the richest men in Russia exited their bulletproof limousines and entered the Kremlin for a historic meeting. In the previous decade, these men had risen seemingly out of nowhere amassing spectacular fortunes as a country around them descended into chaos through Shady deals, outright corruption, and even murder. These rapaciousoligarchs, as Russians have come to derisively call them, had seized control of much of Russia's economy and increasingly its fledgling democracy. But now their nation's newly elected President Vladimir Putin wanted to tell them face-to-face who was really in charge."
5:20: Quote, I want to draw your attention to the fact that you built the state yourself to a great degree through the political or semi-political structures under your control. So there is no point in blaming the reflection in the mirror. Putin offered the oligarchs a deal: Bend to my authority stay out of my way and you can keep your Mansions, super yachts, and private jets and multi-billion dollar corporations. Corporations that just a few years before had been owned by the Russian government.
5:48: In the coming years the oligarchs who reneged on this deal and undermined Putin would be thrown into a Siberian prison or be forced into Exile or die in suspicious circumstances.
6:00: Now, this is obviously an extreme example. The US is not Russia and people who are saying that we are already Russiaare sort of just obeying in advance. A lot of my commenters are like: "Oh Adam... it's so cute of you to think that we're ever going to have another election again. That is a form of obeying in advance just admitting that that we're never going to have an election before Trump even takes office means in a way you are obeying in advance, and you're just giving up. You're being that cynical!
6:19: We need to keep fighting. We are not Russia, and I know people in the comments are going to be like: Adam, we basically are Russia. We're not we're not Russia yet. Trust me.
6:27: These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people. The White House said in a recent statement announcing sanctions against over a dozen oligarchs connected to Putin, quote: "They sit a top Russia's largest companies and are responsible [for] providing the resources necessary to support Putin's invasion of Ukraine. So, [in] the so in Russia's case, we can safely say that oligarchs are a small group of unelected individuals who have concentrated their power by wielding their disproportionate amount of wealth, and they use their wealth to entrench their power within politics outside of the formal election systems.
Elon Musk & Office Space in Trump’s White House
7:02: Can I just go back to this article Elon Musk is expected to use office space in the White House complex. The richest man in the world has bought his way into the White House, and now he gets an office space not because he was elected, he wasn't even born in America. He was not elected by anybody. The location suggests that Mr Musk, who owns companies with billions of dollars in contracts with the federal government, will continue to have remarkable access to president-elect Donald J Trump.
7:28: Can I just go back to what what Bezos said. Quote: "He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation and if I can help him do that, I'm going to help him. We do have too much regulation in this country."7:37: This is the second richest man in the world saying: "Hey, this regulation is making it... uh, really hard for me to get rich and exploit my workers."
7:46: Bro -- you're already rich what type of regulations do you want to remove other than things that will just hurt American citizens?
7:54: So let's watch this video of President Biden during his Farewell Address, now that I've laid out the groundwork. Now I can play this video of president Biden, and we can all be on the same page. I know that you guys know what an oligarchy is but there is something to be said that most Americans had to search this after Biden's farewell address and that this spiked.
8:09: So let's listen to this that's why my Farewell Address tonight I want to warn the country of some things that give me
great
Back to President’s Biden’s Warning to All Americans — Red, White, Blue, Brown, Green
8:13: "I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern this is a dangerous con and that's a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra wealthy people. The dangerous consequences [is] if their Abuse of Power is left unchecked today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, and freedoms. [It also threatens] a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. We see the consequences all across America, and we've seen it before more than a century ago. But the American people stood up to the Robert Barons back then and busted the trusts. They didn't punish the wealthy. [They] just made the wealthy pay the by play by the rules everybody else had to just play by the rules that everybody else has to play by. "
9:11: And let me remind you guys, President Biden is very careful with his words. If I have one criticism of his presidency, [it] is that he was probably too risk averse at certain points. There were certain times when he didn't want to rock the boat regarding Russia or he didn't have the strength needed on the international stage to keep Russia in check, and I think Biden had a great domestic presidency.
9:30: I mean I think he passed some historic legislation. He is a great human being, but the least I can say is I think there are certain moments where he he he was a little bit too risk averse. And that showed on the world stage but right here, he is being very careful with his words. He would not say the US is turning into an oligarchy if he didn't mean it. He's not just Trump. Trump will bloviate and he'll throw out any word whenever it suits his interest.
9:54:Trump will literally say anything to anybody. Biden is not like that. Biden is very careful with what he says [and] does because he understands that what he does sends a message.
10:06: So let's finish off with this article President Joe Biden in his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday warned that American democracy is being threatened by a burgeoning oligarchy. Oligarchs are a subset of the very very wealthy and this is an important distinction right here. Being rich doesn't necessarily make you an oligarch.
The 1% Is What Oligarchs Are… and Even a Subset of That Super Elite Group
10:19: "An oligarch is someone who influences politics outside of the formal system," explained by Brooke Harrington who studies this exact thing at Dartmouth University. She spoke with the five-minute fix in 2022 when US sanctions were targeting Russian oligarchs at the outset of the war in Ukraine. Quote: "It's someone who isn't an elected representative or Cabinet member but who has the ear of the president." And she said this before Elon Musk was really Maga. I mean in 2022 Elon Musk had bought Twitter, but he wasn't like full onon full-throated Maga yet.
10:50 She then pointed to the late Sheldon Adon a billionaire Casino Tycoon and Republican Mega donor who did work on US Israeli relations and now Sheldon's wife Miriam is one of Trump's biggest donors and even got the presidential medal of freedom after Trump's first term... that is an example of an American oligarch. Elon Musk almost certainly fits the definition today. No matter where the definition is coming from, whether you're getting it from Marian Webster or even Wikipedia, it doesn't matter Elon Musk almost certainly fits the definition.
11:23: The tech billionaire has taken calls with foreign leaders. He stopped a government spending Bill in its tracks by sending out a few tweets or X's or whatever the hell [that thing is now], and [he] seemingly hasn't left president-elect Donald Trump's side since the end of the campaign. He's an unofficial leader in the Republican party. Some Democrats have derisively called him Pro co-president but he is he is literally the co-president, and this is an oligarchy in every sense of the term.
11:45: Why Trump tends to attract oligarchs this part is important. Harrington argues there have always been American oligarchs like I said at the beginning of the video, rich people have always been putting their thumb on the scale most of the time. We don't want that we can have a separate conversation about money and politics in general, but what we're seeing is new. This is a different scale from George Soros donating to Obama's campaign in 2008. This is different and I also will say I think Trump will change what the presidency in America means or what it looks like. I genuinely think that in 20 years, being president will mean something completely different.
12:19: After Trump's term in 2028 the presidency will not mean the same as what it means in 2024. I can make another video about that but Trump has a lot to do with it and a lot to do with why the oligarchy is growing. Many in the business community view him as a purely transactional president. He's a very transactional person and that you get what you give, and so oligarchs and potential oligarchs are growing in influence [abd] in number.
12:44: And as he prepares again to take [and has taken] office, several Tech Titans are making an almost dizzying amount of business moves that could be easily perceived as being for Trump. [For example] META, Mark Zuckerberg, [is] ending factchecking on a social media platforms and removing tampons from certain bathrooms... undoing things about pronouns. I mean it's all just posturing, right?
13:01: Jeff Bezos who founded Amazon and owns the Washington Post, spiked a comma Harris endorsement from the post editorial board. The Tik Tok CEO will be [and was] at Trump's inauguration on Monday, a day after the platform is expected to be banned. Actually, they'll all be at Trump's inauguration including the heads of Google, the head of Apple they've all donated millions of dollars to Trump's inauguration because, quote: "We're witnessing Tech CEOs scrambling [to] curry favor, and the Trump Administration has not not even begun," said Maximillian Potter a journalist with the group protect democracy.
13:34: Trump also appears to be integrating his wealthy allies into the government not unlike his first term where many of his cabinet members were millionaires or billionaires. Musk, the richest man in the world, and millionaire biotech entrepreneur V Ramaswami will lead an initiative tasked with cutting government spending and waste with republicans in Congress following their lead [Ramaswami actually quit from DOGE and is running for mayor or governor of someplace now].
13:55: And here's what I was saying earlier and I want to make an entire other video about this, but an oligarchy can be hard to stop once it's in motion. I genuinely think that after this Trump term, the office of the presidency will mean something different. It has long been the case that big money controls politicians, as I said, but Musk and other billionaires growing influence on the system could be a product, a direct result of Americans dissatisfaction with how responsive or the lack of responsiveness from the government over the past few years.
14:23: Trump and the billionaires with whom he's aligned himself are seen among his supporters as Outsiders who will disrupt the status quo in Washington. Whether we like it or not quote: "Democrats have become associated with the elite with political correctness. There are times when Democrats are a little bit too finger Waggy--no don't do that don't do that..." uh explaining that the party came across during the campaign [and] is more interested in the causes of higher educated, uh urban communities than the rest of America. I don't know if I agree exactly with that perception, but yes, people did think Trump was for them due to a multitude of reasons.
14:55: Russia is the poster country for oligarchs. There oligarchs are fully embedded in politics. They are directing culture, serving in high-profile governmental jobs... [and] can I just go back to this article one more time, this dude [Musk] is going to have an office in the White House, in the White House.
15:11: Quote: "There are no laws against a president in a super wealthy cabinet using their power to benefit their own class. There is nothing that compels them to look beyond their privilege to address the needs of the citizenry. In other words it's going to be up to voters to hold leaders accountable for putting the rich first. And in order to show voters that their interests are being put second, we're going to have to push back relentlessly. We're going to have to dominate The Narrative and that's where you and I come in every single day we're going to be pushing back on this channel.
15:36: So I'll end off with that drop a like subscribe. I love you guys. I'll see you in the next one and peace out!
Richard Wolff’s Last WARNING
“Most People Have No Idea What’s About To Happen” | Richard Wolff’s Last WARNING
Richard D. Wolff is an American economist and professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is known for his critiques of economic inequality and his advocacy for worker cooperatives as a way to empower individuals and address systemic issues within the economy. Through his books, lectures, and public appearances, Wolff explores topics such as economic democracy and alternative economic models.
Richard Wolff’s Transcript
A System in Very Deep Doodoo
0:00 Before I start I have to ask you to understand that old adage that if you don't like the message, please don't take your anger out on the messenger. I am going to be describing to you as best I can what the situation is with the United States's economic system, which has a name... it's called capitalism, and it is to give you a hint of where we're going. It is a system in very deep doodoo.0:30 It is in the greatest difficulty that I have ever seen in my life. And you can tell from my white hair that I've been around a while. I never expected to see what I am experiencing and I imagine for many of you, it is the same unless you are committed to something my psychotherapist wife explains to me as the problem of denial. Not a river in Egypt but an inability to confront what it is that's going on because it's frightening. It's a very human thing to do. It's like a little child who puts his or her hands in front of her face when there's a scary dog in the neighborhood because she still imagines at age three... that if you don't see it it isn't there. And if you don't see what's going on around us then perhaps it isn't there.
1:20And that is something which our political leaders and our cultural leaders and our economic leaders that's one thing they all have in in common with very few exceptions namely a commitment to denial.
Why Is the American System in Very Deep Doodoo? Because of Denial
1:41 So my presentation today is going to try to break through all the mechanisms of denial that surround us in order to tell you what I think is going on. I'm not infallible. I make mistakes like everybody else but this is the fruit of a lifetime of observing US capitalism, which I was born in the United States in Young, Ohio. I've lived and worked here all my life. I have never seen anything like the situation we are in now.
2:12 To give you the framework and then jump in [to my observations], I think that the history of the world is a sequence with interruptions, but a sequence of Empires: the Greek, the Roman, the Persian, the Egyptian, the Chinese. I mean I could go on, and they all have something in common they are born usually out of the demise of another Empire. They evolve and change over a period of time running from a few decades to a few centuries, and then they die. They pass away.
Empires Fall — They Live & They Die
Empires fall — they live & die
2:36 The most recent one perhaps the most and best studied was the British Empire, which depending on how you want to count goes from around the 16th century to the end of the 19th... more or less so three or four centuries.
2:56 Depending on how you come and out of the disintegration of the British Empire, literally punctuated by the war the independence war that swirled around Boston right where you are, a part of that Empire broke away. And in an important lesson, the Empire denied that this was building, even though it was building across the entirety of the 18th century. [The British Empire] denied it, and then in 1776 the denial blew up in its face as the colonists here in this part of the British Empire, by the way a relatively small relatively unimportant part of the Empire, wanted its independence.
3:37 And a war was fought, which to the surprise and nd a war was fought, which to the surprise and chagrin of the British Empire and George III sitting on his throne in England, the British lost. Not to be forgetful, let me remind you that in 1812 they tried again,and they lost again.
3:56 And with that set in motion the disintegration of the British Empire, which ended in World War I [as well as the Ottoman Empire].
4:02 Out of it emerged the American Empire.
4:09 American capitalism across the 19th century resolved certain key internal contradictions holding them back most notably the bizarre coexistence in this country of a capitalist Northeast and Midwest and a slave South that was resolved by the willful destruction of slavery by the capitalists.
4:29 Remember the Civil War is the expropriation without compensation of the single most important wealth of the south in this country the slave.
4:41 The slave was emancipated, and thereby the White Master impoverished. The very Stark disregard for the sanctity of private property and capitalism having destroyed its competitor with enormous violence took off.
5:04 Starting in 1870, the United State's capitalism had a century of economic growth the most amazing thing is if you look at the statistics, crude as they are especially in the early years, the United States grew uninterruptedly for that Century.
5:19 Roughly 1870s to the 1970s, every decade real wages of workers were high higher than the decade before. Even across the Great Depression, profits grew even faster.
5:37 So you had this bizarre situation, quite rare in the world of a capitalism that was able to give Rising profits to its capitalists and Rising wages to the mass of its workers with of course the exception of those workers with the bad luck to not have been born white.
6:00 Very important [to let] that they sink in [a] while. Why? Because if you do something like this, if you have a century of economic growth under an economic system like capitalism, it isn't So surprising that you think of the United States as exceptional... because in that regard it was. If you're religious, perhaps you think God likes Americans better than he or she likes other people. If you're not religious, you will attribute it to who knows what... entrepreneurship. My professors used to like to say, "Whatever in the world that's supposed to be?"
6:33 But it was exceptional, and Americans, whatever there other orientations, took on the notion that we live in an exceptional place.
6:46 And they then really ran with that ball, and [they] began to imagine that this exceptionality was somehow inherent. And so, it would last forever. It was upward and onward... the American economy! And it would carry our culture around the world to become the world's culture.
The American Economy, Onward & Upward Forever & Ever… OH NO!! Help!!!
7:05 Our political system would be the model. Our military would push away those backward people who wanted to resist. It became, and I use this word carefully, crazy.
7:26 And of course when the signs began to emerge that this Empire, the United States Empire, after a 100 Year rise up, was beginning to show the signs of decline, of peaking, of breaking... it's not surprising that the leaders of such a system with such a history would be deep into denying what had happened.
7:52 Not seeing what was exploding around them over the last few days, Americans have been confronted yet again with the level of violence committed every day somewhere in this country by the police against the Citizens.
8:13 And again there are people who want to blame it on this or that particular policeman or woman who will not see that this is a social phenomena.
8:26 It has been going on for a long time and it is getting worse. This the same issue. It's the same denial.
8:34 Okay... what exactly is being denied? Let's begin, and I apologize I'm going to begin with economics, but that is what I know best.
8:41 That is what I have studied all my life. And so if I'm going to be useful to you, I want to share at first what I know best.
8:58 Over the last 40 years, roughly 1980 to now, we have seen (and all economists of all political persuasions understand this and see it).
9:03 We all use basically the same numbers, and with a few exceptions of course, always we come to the same conclusion over the last 40 years: There has been a radical redistribution of wealth from the bottom and the middle to the top.
9:23 And the more top you get [the better]... the top 10% have done really well, the top 5% even better, the top 1% even better than that, and the top one tenth of 1% the best of all!
9:37 And you know them because in our society we adulate them. I'm talking about Bill Gates or Elon Musk or Warren Buffett or fill-in the blank. You know them! Our culture [cult-ure] makes sure you know them!!
As the Rich Get Richer… and the Rise of Wage Slaves
AS THE RICH GET RICHER… UNDER RIGGED TAX CODES THAT BENEFIT CORPORATIONS & THE RICH… THE POOR GET POORER & THE MIDDLE CLASS DISAPPEARS
9:49 They became much richer. The top 10% became [even] richer. All across those 40 years. This was partly because... and this is very important that you understand this.... it was partly because we changed the tax laws in this country.
10:08We relieved taxes from corporations and the rich, and we switched them [taxes] onto the middle and bottom.
10:14It was done by Republicans. It was done by Democrats. It didn't matter who was in The White House or who was controlling the houses of the Congress.
10:25The Democrats did it a little less quickly. The Republicans were a bit more intense.
10:33Speed varied... content did not. Even more important than the changes in taxes was the phenomenon of the relationship between capital and labor--that is corporations and business on the one hand and the mass of people, employees, on the other.
10:52 As I've told you, real wages went up for a century--1870s to 1970.
10:58Why 1970, do I pick that? Now I can tell you because that's when real wages in America stopped rising!
11:06Absolutely epic making change!!What is a real wage? It's the amount of money you get adjusted for the prices you pay. So for example, if your wages go up 10%, you might feel good, but if all the prices you have to pay went up by 10%... you're no better off with a 10% bigger money wage than you were without it because the prices have adjusted.
11:32 We all know that in economics, so we don't use money wages, we use what's called real wages. Wages understood in terms of what it can afford you to buy: Goods, services, food, clothing, shelter, entertainment, education, medical care... whatever.
Americans have not made a real wage… a living wage… since 1978
11:43 Real wages rose. In other words, the money wages workers had from 1870 to 1970 rose more than the prices did. So they really got more stuff that they could afford to buy.
Trapped in the Illusion of Never-Ending Capitalistic Growth
Americans are trapped in an illusion of never-ending growth, which capitalism did from the 1870s to 1970s… but then it stopped
12:04 In the 1970s, that stopped and it has never resumed. The American working class today earns, in terms of what it can afford to buy, the average American worker earns now what he or she did in 1978.
Americans today receive the same real wage, a living wage, that they did in 1978
12:25Try to wrap your head around no more real wage increase. For a country that had enjoyed steady real wage rises for a century, this is a traumatic event.
Back to Denial
12:33 How is it handled in the United States?
12:36 Denial.
How has this been handled in the US?
Denial
12:39 I won't embarrass you by asking how many of you know what I just said, to be the case. How many of you have dwelt in your mind on what it might do to a population used to a rising wage when it is no longer available.
12:52 There was no discussion at the time or since. No debate in this country... what do we do about all of this?!
13:05 The closest you got were vague gestures in which somebody says: "Gee the middle class seems to be fading away..." as if this were I don't know some sort of cosmic effect or maybe the result of sunspots or allergies or who knows what.
13:24 But an analysis either of why it happened or of what its consequences were No, no, no... nothing serious.
No analysts of why this happened or the consequences of it has ever been done.
US Women Sent into the Workforce, Enmasse, Due to Denial
13:29 Well let me tell you what some of the results were.
13:35Number one, [and] by far the most important socially, the women of the United States left the home, where they had been sequestered for the earlier parts of American history and had to go out and do wage labor on mass.
13:48 The only ones who had been doing that beforehand were black and brown women. They long been doing it cuz they had to and the poorest among the whites.
13:55 But now suddenly, all women, all the wives and mothers had to go out. There was no other way to sustain the fantasy of growth of the American dream of what had been experienced in the previous Century.
14:13The second most important effect Americans began to realize that the only way they could participate in further growth of consumption, the way they had been led to believewas somehow inherent in the American Experience besides sending their wives out to work, besides following a career as a worker in a factory you could now go back to work and be a greeter at Walmart's but beside that--you could borrow money.
14:50 In the 1970s, the banks of the United States decided that the consumer... to whom they had never lent money before... they would now lend money to.
15:03 In other words, the credit card, which until then had been
American Express in the hands of rich people and businessmen, would now become socialized.
15:08 Everybody's wallet would be crammed full of plastic cards... live off them.
15:15 And so, the American working class from around the 1970 to the present accumulated debt. We are a debt ridden society in the way we never were before.
America is a Debt Ridden Society
Pioneers of Debt, Depression, and Denial
15:28 We became Pioneers not in covered wagons going west, but in what we could cram plastic in our wallets. All the growth of consumption in the last 40 years has been based on women's labor women's earnings and debt.
15:46 Families have become much more complicated institutions. To survive we have the highest divorce rate in the world. We put our families under levels of pressure that would be impossible for anyone to sustain.
15:56American women consume more psychotropic drugs than any other population on the planet!
American women consume more psychotropic drugs than any other population on the planet… Why?
16:02Why? Because they are druggies?
16:08 No! Because we put them under impossible pressures, which blew up the family, since the mother was what held the emotional life of so many families together, and she was now as exhausted as the husband.
16:20 Coming back from her hours of work, the Empire's Foundation is beginning to crack.16:27 Well, you keep assuming more debt, which the American working class did.
16:33 It borrowed. It had borrowed with government support for its house. That's how mortgages developed.
16:39 For those of you who don't know, mortgages were never given to working class people to buy a home until the Great Depression.
The Great Depression & Greedy Corporations
Mortgages were never given to working class people to buy a home until the Great Depression.
16:46 To get us out of the Great Depression, the government took the step of guaranteeing the mortgages so the banks could lend without a risk.
16:53 Otherwise they wouldn't have. Cuz they never did. The American homeowner Society is a product of the government not of private Enterprise, which was too greedy and too frightened to ever do it.
Private Enterprise was too greedy & too frightened to make loans to ordinary American citizens, so the government did it.
17:05 Home loaning, then the car had to be paid for with loans because the working class couldn't afford it.
17:12 Then the credit card, so you could buy everything!
Why the US Government Had to Step In
Government helped banks prop up the people with home mortgages, car loans, and then the credit card.
17:17 And then in the last 20 years, a new indebtedness, the college student.
17:23 So by now, the family is dying, floating in levels of debt it cannot support because the underlying wage didn't go up... just the debts.
17:31 And it doesn't take a PhD in economics, although I have that, for you to understand that if the underlying wage doesn't go up... you can't keep accumulating debt because the time will come... and it's called 2008... and that's why that song is so appropriate: Cracks in the Empire!
It doesn’t take a PhD to understand that if a person keeps accumulating debt that the time will come when the debt bubble bursts.
That Bubble Bursting is call 2008
Side Trip
I’m not sure which song Wolff is referring to… I am interested which one… but I found these two.
Colin Dodds – Debit Credit Theory (Accounting Rap Song
Cracks in the Empire — Diamond Dan
Back to Richard Wolff
Cracks in the Empire
17:42Cracks... In... The... Empire... this system is so committed to inequality that not only did it grow over the last 40 years as wages stopped rising... of course, where would would workers income go they couldn't grow their wages were flat but they were becoming more productive all the time.
18:00 The last 40 years are the computer, the robot, artificial intelligence... all of that workers productivity goes up [but] workers wages are flat.
18:13Wages are what the employer gives you.Productivity is what you give the employer.18:19 If what the employer gives you is flat and what you give the employer keeps rising... guess what you have:inequality.
Flat Wages = Inequality
If what the employer gives you is flat & what you give the employer keeps rising… guess what you have?Inequality.
18:25 You're taking all your growing out put and giving it to one small class of people employers are 1 2 3% of our population, if that.
Employers are 1, 2, 3% of our population, if that… but they get all the wealth.
18:38 They get it even across Covid-19 pandemic.
Employers benefit from rising productivity even across COVID-19.
18:38 Inequality got worse. And what did we do to the working class after we gave them 40 years of losing everything... their families falling apart, their position in American society, their growing wealth (a kind of affirmation that somehow you're doing better) [but] all of that's taken away.
19:04 Then we hit them with COVID, then we hit them with an inflation and now we're hitting them with rising interest rates.
After 40 Years of Losing Everything…. the Middle Class Is…
40 years of losing everything… their families falling apart, their position in American society, their wealth… then we hit them with COVID, inflation & rising interest rates.
19:10 Let me frighten you, if I may... if what I've said hasn't done that job already.
19:16 There is an example in history of another working class over a small number of years being hit with economic blows on a scale of what's Happening Here.
19:21The example is Germany, and here's how it works in the second half of the 19th century as the British British Empire is declining the United States is not the only competitor looking to replace the British... there is another one, Germany.
Here’s How Another Highly Productive Middle Class/Working Class Society Handled Losing Everything
There is an example in history of another working class over a small number of years being hit with economic blows on a scale of what’s Happening Here… Now… in America.
That example is Germany
19:40World War Idefeats Germany. Britain with its allies defeat Germany... throw them out of the competition, wipe them out, impose at the end a reparations they couldn't possibly pay.
19:51 The German working class, which had been built up across the 19th century to believe it was creating a whole new globe. In German it's called Das Deutsche Reich.
Throughout the 19th Century, Germans were made to believe they were buildingDas Deutsche Reich.
20:03 That's like the German Empire, and it had... you know, territories in Asia, territories in Africa, and so on. All that was smashed when the unthinkable happened in 1914 to 1918.
20:19Germany was defeated. The empire was taken away. Literally, the British took the colonies in Africa away from the Germans and made them British colonies.
20:27 Everything for them [Germans] destroyed. It was a trauma for the German working class.
20:33 It ended in 1918 with defeat. Within four years late 22 to early 1923, literally a century ago, Germany then experienced the worst inflation in modern times anywherein the West.
20:48 In a period of 9 months, the German currency went from six Deutsche Marks to the dollar to 4 trillion Deutsche Marks to the dollar.
In a period of 9 months, the Deutsche Mark went from 6 Marks to the Dollar…
…to 4 Trillion Deutsche Marks to the Dollar
21:01 Prices doubled over weeks at a time, every hour of the day, any savings accumulated by a German family, and they were very frugal, were wiped out.
21:13 [During this time, after] six generations of saving money, [they] had enough money put away to buy a quarter pound of butter. They were done.
21:19 And five years after that, in 1929, the Great Depression hit Germany. It was too much. You cannot hit a working class, even the German working class, which was the best educated, most productive and, most progressive working class anywhere in Europe.
21:38 No contest. Even that... it was too much. And in 1932, those German people overwhelmed by what they had been put through, turned around and supported a little Austrian with a black mustache Adolf Hitler...and you know the rest of the story...
It was too much. And in 1932, those German people overwhelmed by what they had been put through, turned around and supported a little Austrian with a black mustache.
Here We Go Again… This Time in America
21:56 We're just living out... here we go... the same sad scenario: denial, not explaining to people the foundation of what they're assuming, not talking honestly about its disappearance, the cracks what it means when your Empire has that fun ride up... [then] begins to be replaced by the much less fun ride down. We're in very deep trouble,
Here we go… the much less fun ride down… in denial all the way!
22:27 The last half century, we have benefited enormously by the fact that there's one international currency money: It's the US dollar.
22:35 It's as good as gold because it literally functions like gold.
22:41 That's over. Ukraine simply speeds up the process. China, Russia, now Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, and many more countries are signing up for another International currency.
22:56 It shouldn't come as a big surprise whose currency that is... it's the currency of the People's Republic of China.
23:10 China shows all the signs of a rising Empire, matching all the signs of a declining Empire here.
The Day of the US Dollar Ruling Are Over
The days that the US dollar rules the international currency is over.
23:18 You may not like that information. You may be upset by it... that's your business. But to pretend it isn't there... let me give you just some numbers...
23:30 I'm an economist we do that. One of the things we do as economists is we look at the size of an economy to gauge relative economic power. And the number we use it's crude, like all numbers, but it gives you an idea it's called GDP. It stands for gross domestic product.
23:49 It's a measure of the output of goods and services in one calendar year.
23:54 So it helps us if we look at it and we measure it. And it's measured for every country on this Planet. It gives us an idea of the relative size.
GDP
GDP is how economic power is measured worldwide.
24:00 Okay... let's now do a comparison of three countries Russia, China, and the US to get a sense of their economic wealth their economic power.
24:13 Their economic footprint, if you like, in the world to give you an idea of... and if you didn't know this, think about what that might mean. So I'll start with Russia.
24:26 The GDP of the most recent year for Russia it's about 1.5 trillion dollars. The GDP of the United States last year was $21 trillion dollars.
24:49 Do you understand Russia has never been and is not now anything like a serious economic competitor of the United States. It never was. It never came close.
24:54 It may have had some nuclear weapons to worry about. It may have had political influence but like an economic unit?
24:59 Only people [who] systematically denied the simple statistic I just gave you could believe that
25:09 Russia has $1.5 trillion GDP. The United States alone [has] 21 [trillion GDP]
25:13 You know who has a bigger economic footprint than Russia? Italy
25:18 United States is allied with Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and, many other countries against Russia.
25:25 If you put them all together, it's like 30 maybe 35 trillion dollar against Russia with one and a half... what are you talking about a war? 25:37 This is a war between David and Goliath, and you're not going to be happy with who is playing which role. Think about it.
Russia GDP $1.5 trillion dollars
US GDP $21 trillion dollars
25:47 Now China... what's the GDP of China? Ready -- $17.5 trillion.
China GDP is $17.5 trillion dollars
25:47 $175 trillion... that's a competitor, not Russia.
25:53 China that's the Empire emerging, not Russia. China.
25:59 And why? Easy to explain. Over the last 25 or 30 years annual growth of GDP, how fast is the economy growing. Here in the United States is 2% maybe, slightly more 2.5 to 3%, somewhere in there. Let's be generous 2 to 3% US average annual growth.
26:19 China's average annual growth is 6 to 9%. End of conversation.
26:27 That's why China went from being one of the poorest countries in the world to being the competitor of the United States, one of
the richest.
26:32 You know what it's like? It's a story a little like the colony in North America being a place for Furs, and then becoming the new Empire
26:44 So that the roles between Great Britain and its Colony were reversed.
26:49 Now Britain is our Colony, as any honest appraisal of the relationship between these two countries would immediately acknowledge.
26:57 In Britain, one of the most common jokes you can hear is that when the United States tells Britain to jump, the response of Britain is: How high?
In Britain, one of the most common jokes you can hear is that when the United States tells Britain to jump, the response of Britain is: How high?
27:05 China has overtaken the United States in dozens of fields, particularly the highest Tech ones.
27:17 Young people around you are using TikTok... that's Chinese, as a social media. What's going on?
27:23 The United States doesn't know what to do. Having not learned the lessons, having not understood what denial means... for a long time they denied because to see the rise of China is to take a step in the direction that might make you confront what's happening to you and that's a taboo.27:42Finally, the United States figures it out and what does it do as if it learned nothing from its history. It tries Warfare.
How the US Deals with the Fact that Its Capitalistic Systems Are Declining & China is Rising
The signs of denial are all around…
27:55 It tries to slow down, to stop, maybe even to reverse history... just like Britain did. Mr Trump declared a
28:03 Mr Trump declared a trade war against China. You remember... it's not that many years ago he applied sanctions, he applied tariffs, he did everything he could to stop to reverse it.
28:14 None of it worked. It was one big fat failure.
Big Fat Orange Failure… and that Was 4 Years Ago!
None of what Trump did worked 4 years ago… It was one big fat failure.
28:23 Now, we are in a war, we the US and its allies, with the most important ally China had, Russia.
28:29That's what's going on in Ukraine. It has got nothing whatever to do with that sad country suffering this war. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
28:42 The truth of Ukraine, all the rest is propagandistic Foolery on both sides.
28:49This is about weakening the Ally of China,which Russia is.
The Truth About Ukraine from an Economic Perspective
28:55 When the war started, Mr. Biden predicted the Russians couldn't last a few weeks
29:01 With this Armada of countries and weapons and wealth, and new name it, he referred to what they were doing as the Mother of All Sanctions, which it was greatest sanction program ever apply, [that] Russia wouldn't last.
29:15 The ruble would be valueless within weeks.
29:24All of that 100% wrong. The Russian economy bubbling along pretty well took a dip right after came back most of the way.
29:30 You know why? Because the sanctions mainly stop buying.
Russia is an exporter of oil & gas… when the West stopped buying China, India, and Suadi Arabia bought more…
29:35 Oil and gas, which is Russia's Lifeline, that's what Russia is an exporter of oil and gas. I'm exaggerating but it's the basic story.
29:42 [While] Europe said we wouldn't buy it anymore, and that would have crippled Russia, except Russia found other buyers.
29:48 It's not a complicated story. China bought more. India bought tons more. Saudi Arabia is reorganizing its economy. Pakistan is making important agreements with the Chines
30:00 And the Russians on... The World Isn't, guess what?
30:06Controlled by the United States.It's over. It's all around you. The United Nations took a vote on Ukraine, the majority of countries did not agree with the United States.
30:19 They either voted on the side of Russia or they abstained they refused to participate. It's over.
Will they help or not?
30:25 But you live in an environment which needs to deny it. The divisions in our society become worse with each passing day.
30:33 Because they're grounded in a reality that isn't changing inequality
Systemic Denial Persists in the USA
30:39 As I'm speaking to you... [it] is continuing to get worse.
30:45Corporations are working as hard as they ever did to pay no taxes. The mass of people are suffering on a scale that is unspeakable.
30:51The inflation we're still [in]... at prices are going up roughly twice as fast as Wages30:56 That's a destruction of the working class.
31:03 Prices are going up twice the rate of wages. This is impossible. You can't do this without explosions. Now the explosions are happening in our country.
31:16So they explode, how? By taking it out on one another... crime,
bitterness, resentment, a politics of scapegoating.
31:28 I mean how else explain Preposterous Notions that become serious?
31:35 This is a country, United States, of 325 to 330 million people.
Prices are going up twice the rate of wages. This is impossible.You can’t do this without explosions.
Immigrants Are Not the Problem People… MAGA Is Lying to You to Keep You Deaf, Dumb, Blind and Very Obedient to the Oligarchs
31:41 The biggest estimate I've ever seen of undocumented immigrants in our country says 10 million. Okay... there's no way 10 million of the poorest people there are, immigrants from Central America, are the cause of the difficulties of a capitalist economy of 330 million people.
31:58 That's silly. That's on a level, you know, that an elementary school kindergarten kid wouldn't come up with something as off the chart as that.
There’s no way 10 million of the poorest people there are, immigrants from Central America, are the cause of the difficulties of a capitalist economy of 330 million people.
You Are Desperate… I Understand… but Denial Won’t Help You
32:04 You're desperate.
32:10 I understand that. You've been suffering, you have, you have a right to be angry and upset, no question you do.
32:17 You have been screwed in this system, having been led to believe by those 100 years that the opposite was waiting in store for you.
32:23 Instead, you're being being slapped and whacked and deprived with no end in sight.
32:32 I teach at the University. I'm surrounded all the time with people in 18 19 into their 20s. They are not happy this generation.
32:40 They don't see good jobs. They don't see good Futures. They don't see any of it. They were led by their
32:48 They were led by their parents and this culture to expect what they now know they're not going to get.
32:53 And they want some answers too. The most recent Gallup poll indicates that a majority of Americans polled, randomly, [who were] 35 years of age and younger, when asked would you rather live in a capitalist or a socialist economy? the majority say
33:14 The majority say socialist.
33:19 You know after half a century of ideological pressure against everything social that I grew up in, I'm a product of that, this is amazing.
33:25 That the point of view could be twisted like this and when you talk to students as I do about this all the time, I quickly learn the polling is correct.
33:32 But it's not that they like socialism, they haven't a clue what it is.
33:39 Those votes that polling is [revealing is] because they are angry at Capitalism. They know that that system is not for them. socialism I mean let's try that but
33:48 It's not that they like socialism, it's that they don't like capitalism, but that has to be faced. I'm not making these
33:54 I'm not making these numbers up. You can't come away from what I've just said with an imagination that all is well in this Empire.
33:59 But I'm not done. Now, we're blaming Russia. What?
34:06 Russia invaded. I've been a victim of war in my own family. My own life. I'm against war. War is no way to solve problems.
34:13 The Russians shouldn't, could have done something else, should have done something else. I get that, but like with every war you have to ask why did it come to this?
34:20 Russians have suffered from war as much as any other country in the last century.
34:25 They're not going to go into a War easily and quickly. They're not like the United States upon which no war has been fought in the last century.
34:33 Both world wars killed more Russians than anybody else.
34:38 They know. So why? You have to ask why? We don't.
Why So Much War
WHY?
34:45 So let me end with military. Since the end of World War II, the United States has invaded small countries repeatedly, violating norms-rules based international order.
34:59 It invaded Korea. It invaded Vietnam. It invaded Iraq. It invaded Afghanistan. It lost all of them.
35:07 The wars were lost: Korea, Vietnam, they all were lost.
35:13 The Communist Party of Vietnam took over that country. The Taliban took over Afghanistan. I could go on.
35:18 They lost. They didn't win. They lost and if you look at the line between the Russians and the Ukrainians it has moved Westward.
35:28 There is there is no question of who's winning and who's losing.
35:35 Only in the minds of people committed to denial are these things going on.
35:41 I'm not asking you to endorse either side in this war. I'm not asking you to endorse China or the Chinese system.
35:47 I'm just asking you, and I do this with all my public speaking, I'm asking you look at the reality you have in front of you.
35:53 Don't be afraid.
35:59 The danger lies in denial, not in facing it, and if we face it there is a lesson to be learned from the British Empire.
36:05 After two attempts to militarily force the United States back into the British Empire, after those two efforts had failed the British Empire stopped trying and decided instead to try to work out a relationship with the United States, which it did, not the greatest job but did a pretty good job.
36:30 The biggest waffle came in the US Civil War. When the British seriously considered siding with the South.
36:38 They didn't, but they came close. After that though... once they could see who won there, they went with the winner.
36:43 A very courageous move [said with humor] Once the war was over.
36:50 But maybe we have to learn that we have to live with the People's Republic of China. It has virtues.
36:55 We could learn from them, just as they could learn from the United States. And that [could] be a better plan than what they're doing now.
37:03 American 7th Fleet is in the China Sea. There is no Chinese Fleet on our border.
37:08 We are there. We are threatening them. We always have.
37:14 This is a country that is now our economic competitor. Its Global political reach is extraordinary.
37:21 And it has four times the number of people we do, and now that they're close, mostly allied with India, you're talking about the two largest countries by population on this planet.
37:32 You better come to terms with them.
37:39 Because the prospect of defeating that in a war... that's a war everybody loses.
We Must Stop the Denial or We Are Toast
We have to stop the denial & face what is going on… or we are all toast…
37:46 You don't have that option unless you're crazy. We have to stop the denial and face what is going on otherwise we are going to get ourselves into one mess after another.
37:58And who's going to do it? The corporations that are profiting from this system?38:04Unlikely.38:10The rich who have become richer for 40 years, are they likely to question the system that has rewarded them that way?Unlikely.38:16 You know who's going to do it, if anybody does, it's the mass of the people, the employees of this culture, or if you allow me the old language: the working class... because it's their ass that's on the line.
38:28They're the soldiers and they're the taxpayers who keep the system going and that's probably whydenial has won over honest confrontation with our reality. Marx once said that the
38:44 Marx once said that the capitalist class will in the end destroy itself the question for all of us and all of you is: Will we let that system take us down with it?
Will we let “the system” take us down with it?
D. Mann — Sapience: The Moment Is Now
Chapters on How the Corruption Entered Human Civilization Leading to Humanity’s Fall Over the Climate Cliff… a fictional future that doesn’t seem so fictional now… pages 138- 147
The Corruption
Mother called the artery clogging disease that kills civilizations the Corruption. It cuts up cohesive cooperation with selfish self-interests. Money often lies at the root of the Corruption. Money is the shiny, bright object, often presented as a bribe or a false promise of prosperity (but only if…), that lures people to do bad things. The Corruption entices good, peaceful people to do bad things, things that benefit only a few people, not the good of all people living in a system who rely on cooperation to survive.
As the Corruption goes to work eroding cooperation, cohesion, and unity, the shared lines of a civilizations conscious awareness begin to clog with the hard plaque of fear, anger, and pain. People get hurt. People don’t know who to trust. People grow cynical. This toxic brew fosters an internal inferno where even more sticky and toxic plaque gets forged and deposited over the first layer of hardening, rigid consciousness. This second layer of plaque is uniquely human for it can transcend or descend the guard rails of instincts. The toxic plaque deposited over fear, anger, and suffering is hate, greed, envy, and revenge.
When enough civilizing lines of cohesion get clogged or a main artery becomes blocked, the inner crisis quickly manifests into physical reality. Such a blockage initiates destructive metabolism or catabolism. This is a systematic death within the Mental Model that destroys all systems the people living within the civilization depend upon to survive. Left without any means of keeping themselves alive, the people must flee or die. It is a catastrophe. It is the ouroboros who has eaten its own body up completely.
This is why mother travelled into the Western arteries of consciousness. This is why she met her father. This is why her parents were working on a book combining their knowledge and wisdom. Being a person herself of two radically different cultures and tribes of men, Rain understands from Grandmother’s stories the Ojibwe know how-to live-in harmony with their inside world and outside world. They have always known and still know. But they were subjugated and sidelined by the overwhelming virulent collective force emanating from Europe.
This is where one of the most virulent strains of the Corruption migrated at a time white Europeans figured out how to cross the ocean and were intoxicated by their own technical know-how and abilities. A competitive edge that would have devasting consequences for the rest of the world; consequences that would put the world squarely in the jaws of fate, the Ouroboros.
Whiny, Violent, Petulant Thing
Rain understands from Father’s and Mother’s stories that the Corruption started long ago in civilizations developing in and around the Fertile Crescent. Due to the abundance of civilizations evolving there, once the Corruption killed one civilization, it had already infected another civilization—violence, fear, and pain are its vectors. Each time it jumps; it mutates and grows more virulent, more noxious, more pernicious, and deadlier.
The Corruption did not just infect civilizations in the Fertile Crescent. Wherever human cultures grew lopsided, cultivating violence, fear, and pain, it had emerged. But it was the Cradle of Civilization where the Corruption grew most virulently, where it mutated for more than 5,000 years. Where it grew into a disease of consciousness capable of creating catastrophes that only grew bigger and more terrible with time. Where man applied his mind to make weapons of mass destruction, instead of making sure everyone in his civilizations were fed, secure, and sheltered.
The Corruption is the disease that will stop the collective heartbeat of humanity on Earth. White European culture is the tip of the spear that made the Modern world, of course, but this Thing now holding all life for ransom… it is something far deeper… something far more pervasive… something existing inside all humans, of all times, of all places, and of all cultures.
This is why Mother travelled into the darkest and most dangerous realms of human consciousness. And it is why Father studied history and religion. And it is why Yong Xing-li knew the final stages of the Transformation were essential to prevent the world from turning right back around and heading over the Climate Cliff.
This Thing is a whiny, violent, petulant, and very thin, polluted stream of human consciousness. It was, as Mother discovered, not just Western Civilization responsible for the ruin of the planet… Western Civilization simply controlled and imposed by brute force the economic systems that would come to define the Modern World. And the Modern World would readily agree to play by these rules because economic supremacy provides a legitimate, nonviolent means to rule the world!
The Long Game
In this game, everyone willingly agrees to cede power and authority to the person or entity who amasses the most money. By winning the money game, a person or an entity can claim the number 1 spot on the playing board… which is round, not flat, is 71% water, and has an oxygen rich atmosphere. A person or entity in the number 1 spot gets to define the parameters by which everyone else must play the money game, that is… until they get knocked off by someone or something that amasses more money.
The money game is the survival game but with a twist of malevolent satire. It is played on the Field of Mind, which exists anywhere a human can walk or go. People call the money game: Economics. It is a long game. And to play it well requires intelligence, acumen, wit, comprehension, reason, acuity, alertness, cleverness, insight, intuition, talent, and ability. It is a game defined in the early days of civilization, and it was complicated then. In the 5,000 years since, it has only become more complicated and harder to play.
Those who lack mastery or ability to play the game resort to brute force, deception, and violence. These are quite frankly weak, incompetent people who are willing to do anything to win. Incompetent people can only win by cheating, but cheaters are a dime a dozen if the rules of the money game are thrown to the wind. So, the most arrogant, greedy, and crafty incompetent people devised ways to subjugate the Model of Mind used by every modern economic and political power system to cheat at the money game, so they always win.
Pyramid Model of Mind
Masters of Time Fail to Master the Mind
The most powerful Model of Mind is the Pyramid Model, of course. It was conceived long ago by peaceful people who loved life, loved their land, loved their homes and children and culture. People who were mastering their minds and coming together to live in bigger and bigger groups growing into civil societies.
Civil societies grow to become civilizations. It is something that happens naturally like flowers growing in a field or rainbows appearing in the sky whenever rain and sunlight mix. They are the inevitable next step once Homo sapiens grew beyond the embryonic sac of instincts when they learned how to sing to themselves. Civil societies just happen because being civil to each other is how humans survived this long. And when a civil group of people start cooperating more broadly with other civil groups of people, they grow into civilizations.
Many civilizations all over the world conceived of the Pyramid Model of Mind. And many used it to mold their civil societies into a unified collective that can act as a single being. Such unanimity creates the living entity called civilization, which is what Mother came to believe civilizations really are, creatures. The more undivided in belief and behavior, the greater coherence of collective action can be conducted as a large group of people acting as one, like a God or a super being or a monster.
It was the ancient Egyptians who perceived first of the opposite side of growing into a great and glorious civilization. They perceived of a looming and growing danger capable of destroying a civilization no matter how great or glorious it had become. Because of this awareness, they took great care in mastering and perfecting the Pyramid Model of Mind, not just as a mold for their society, but as a way of protecting themselves from the Ouroboros, and then as a way of transforming their collective consciousness when they realized there was not a way to avert their fate once they passed a certain level of civilization.
They were the first to master the Pyramid Model of Mind, and they were the first to decapitate it. What they did not realize then was the Ouroboros is thought, specifically the circular thinking required by civil societies so individuals can specialize. Repetitive thought opens the door to a sort of sleepwalking through life; no longer did a person need to worry about getting food, water, shelter, or how to avoid being eaten—their civilization insulates them from all of that. All they needed to worry about was doing their specialized task really well and following along in the mainstream of their civil society’s norms and behaviors.
Playing Thinkers for Fools
And here is where the Ouroboros plays the thinker for a fool. People who can play the money game reasonably well enough to live and willingly obey the rules become sitting ducks for people who lack access to or mastery of the money game. These are also the people most susceptible to the venom of the split aspects of the Ouroboros—the White snake and Black snake, the Narcissist, and the Psychopath. These are people who flip the rules of civil society into their opposite form and turn the transformative power of the Pyramid Model of Mind into a penitentiary.
It is people corrupted by the Ouroboros who play the systems of their civil societies in reverse. Rather than looking out for the good of all, they look out only for the good of one, themselves. They are attracted to power like a magnet is attracted to nails. And wherever they land within the structure of their society, they punch holes in it like an earth auger. Get enough of such people in a civil society, and they eat away at the fabric of cooperation and civility like a colony of very hungry termites. They do this by infecting others with fear and doubt. They go around blaming and shaming others for their own fears and failures. They play the blame game to create a smoke screen: Blame the other guy for the very things they are guilty of doing or want to do! All the while, they are stealing from, impoverishing, and generally putting the lives of people who wish to live in peaceful, cooperative societies in danger, sometimes grave danger.
Decapitating the Pyramid
Get such a person lodged in the upper rungs of the flow of power in the Pyramid Model of Mind, and you get a person who not only knows how to use the rules of civil society to trap and imprison another person, but you get a person who has access to the very systems responsible for maintaining a civil society. This is very dangerous. Because corrupted men in powerful positions quickly find ways to divert the flow of power to themselves. Then, they consolidate power, wealth, and prestige at the very top, where there is only room for one, themselves. And that is when they strike like a snake, decapitating the flow of power.
This is how the Pyramid Model is decapitated and turned into a prison rather than a system of transformation. Dictators, tyrants, and terrorists tend to decapitate the pyramid it at the soldier level, using violence, fear, and terror to control everyone living below them or to imprison forever or kill those who do not agree with them. They call their new, improved economic game communism, totalitarianism, and despotism. Monarchies, oligarchies, and democracies tend to decapitate the pyramid social order at the scribe level, who in modern societies are intellectuals who use their thinking skills to confuse, baffle, distract, or outright deceive ordinary people from what is really going on. They call their new, improved economic game capitalism. And there are hybrid decapitations too such as commie-capitalism.
Decapitated Pyramid Model of Mind
Just before the Fall, not only was there an abundance of ruthless corrupted rulers eager to rule decapitated hierarchies, but there was an abundance of people who wanted to be ruled by them. What they share is a rigid, aggressive mindset that disliked subjectivity and imagination, and one that is extremely superstitious and views others through simplified stereotypical biases. It is a mindset obsessed with projecting idealized images of their own grandeur, power, and toughness. It is a mindset that takes credit for all the good things that happens and blames others for the bad. It is a cynical and destructive mindset to the point of feeling hostility towards anyone who does not believe exactly like them. Anyone thinking outside of their bubble of belief is assumed to be insincere, self-centered, and dangerous, which is really all the things that they themselves are but refuse to admit, and so they blame the other guy.
In short, these are humans standing in toe-deep water of their consciousness; everything beyond that on their islands of one is believed to be wild and menacing, not to be trusted. Lacking access to and understanding of their own most basic instinctual drives and emotional impulses, they cast their worst nightmares onto everyone else, becoming especially concern with sexual on-goings of others, never taking responsibility for their own short-comings and inability for self-reflection. These are fearful humans, sad humans, pitiful humans who fall victim to the Dark Triad over and over and over again, which is really a Dark Tetrad because there is a fourth hidden, malicious personality that was propagating like hot cakes just before the Fall.
The Dark Triad is the embodiment of narcissism or psychopathy in a human being, and when narcissism and psychopathy are contained inside one human skull, you get the third embodiment, which is a Machiavellian demon being. If sadism is added inside this same skull, you get one of the most disturb personality disorders to have evolved among humans: the Dark Tetrad. These are people who openly tell others that trolling the Internet is their favorite activity; a full-time Internet troll finds pleasure inflicting pain on others and the Internet is their favorite playground.
But given real power over other people, the Dark Tetrad becomes the most venomous vector of the Corruption. It can awaken and activate these same qualities in other people, twisting and contorting their public performances into violent, selfish, gruesome displays of ignorance. This is essentially what personalities are, the performance of a person’s consciousness in public. Through a person’s personality, it is possible to tell how mature or immature consciousness has developed within an individual human being. A mature consciousness can navigate between the extreme opposites arising from inside and choose civil, life promoting action; an immature consciousness cannot. Such a person is susceptible to the pull of extreme points of view, and no matter what side a person takes, uncivil, non-life promoting action results.
With the modern world increasingly revolving around a tiny screen people carried around with them 24/7 connected to a global audience with the ability to be anonymous, uncivil performance became a contest too tempting for most people to resist. Anyone having a bad day could blow off short-term frustration, disappointment, or anger with hostile, pithy comments. And if they get a lot of likes from other frustrated, disappointed, angry people in the world who like them are having a bad day, a culture that cultivates hate arises that soon turns into an addiction, an excuse to not take responsibility for one’s own anger, limitations, bad decisions, and consequences for the bad choices and actions they, and only they, made and acted on.
Rather than work to understand unconscious, underlying motivations and beliefs that feed their inner demon and allow it to take control of their thoughts and actions, people increasingly ignored the root causes of their irritations and anger. More and more people preferred to attack other people who they have never met and will never know or who they have dehumanized, so they feel no responsibility for their wellbeing. And because children like to run in packs, such individuals attract the following of other disaffected people around the world… no longer did losers run in packs of 2 or 3, now millions belonged to a growing cohort of people increasingly uncomfortable in the real world requiring real interactions and real relationships that take real time to grow and that also require taking responsibility for oneself.
Just before the Fall, there was a tidal wave of fake news, trolling, and hate culture exploding on city streets and propagating on the world wide web. This paved the way for the spread of the Totalitarian mindset. It took root in the minds of ordinary people everywhere in the world. People who had conditioned themselves not to take responsibility for anything, and so when “Big Daddy” comes along saying: “I will take care of everything for you!” … losers, haters, trolls of the world bow down and follow because they have trained themselves to be followers.
Mindsets are different than Models of Mind in that they form inside the overarching shape of a civilization like dust or pollen do in the natural world. Mindsets float about and coat ideas emerging within a civilization covering them with a fine layer of goo. Mindsets can obscure good ideas with thick layers of mucky thinking. And they can make ordinary ideas rigid and inflexible. They can also make bad ideas very sticky so that they clump together to create very, very bad ideas, lopsided ideas, extreme ideas, dangerous ideas that fail to see where the real danger is emanating from… and usually, in the world man made, it is coming from inside.
Mindsets require people capable of communicating the key features, traits, qualities, and ingredients of the mindset for they are basically scripts to stories that people are supposed to follow. This is why you can always recognize the difference between a mindset and a mental model because mindsets prescribe, advise, direct, urge, command. Mental models only provide a shape that an individual can choose to stay within or not, and if they choose to stay, it is up to them and their quality of mind how it is filled.
Because of this difference, mindsets must always have creators and purveyors of the mindset. And then, to work, mindsets need followers. The more charged with emotions a mindset is made; the more people are attracted to them. Once fused together, like a shepherd to his sheep, a preacher to his parishioners, or a cult leader to his cultists, it is very hard to separate people from their mindsets.
The Totalitarian mindset is one of the most aggressive, cruel, mean-spirited, spiteful, malicious, nasty, callous, pitiless, savage, cold-hearted, hostile, and beastly mindset ever hammered out inside the human mind. And it was spreading faster and infecting more people than ever just before the Fall.
Game of Isms
Another way to spot a mindset is if it ends with an ism. The Modern world operating underneath decapitated pyramids, aka corrupted hierarchies, ruled by corrupted men was speckled like a face full of pustules of isms just before the Fall.
Isms are thinly veiled attempts to legitimize the corruption that the people on top use to ride roughshod over the rights, opinions, and feelings of the people they have imprisoned in their decapitated pyramid. For people exhausted from just trying to survive, adhering to an ism is easier than going against it if it has gained enough momentum to become the prevailing wind in a system or civilization.
However, what a corrupted person really desires is that people believe in the ism and commit to it before they really understand what they are committing to. Corrupted people work hard to make an ism especially appealing to the hard-working people in a decapitated pyramid. Such isms promise good things to people who follow its teachings or script. These isms have a way of spreading far and wide before an antidote is found for them. By then, it is too late to inoculate the people who have succumb to such isms. Reality itself cannot dissuade a person from the false promises, covenants, and guarantees people believe they will receive if they follow the ism obediently and precisely.
The sad truth is anything that gets infected by an ism, even if it begins as a very good idea, tends to grow to be more stringent, drastic, exhaustive, and insane. This is because isms tend to grow ever more reactionary, fanatical, and revisionary over time. Isms decay like this because their core ideologies must continually warp to keep people trapped in the shallowest regions of their mind, and this is exactly where the Totalitarian mindset want people to be.
Just before the Fall, the Totalitarian mindset was disguised by every make and model of an ism a person could dream up. It came in every shape and color, every creed and system of belief or narrative. Some isms cast longer and darker shadows than others. But all must spin spell-binding stories out of one ism or another—liberal socialism, radical conservatism, crazed conspiracism, or the more standard models of communism and capitalism.
Saving A Dying World
It is decapitated pyramids, cynically called functional hierarchies, that came to rule the survivors of Earth under totalitarian minded CEOs and Multis. Yong Xing-li was unique because he had mastered the economic game using his intellect. But he also possessed compassion, caring, and patience, which is the essence of heart and heart is the home of wisdom.
Yong Xing-li understood it is the combination of intellect and heart that wins the long game of economics. His understanding combined with his intelligence and innate empathy secured Yong Xing-li the number 1 economic spot in the world. But it was a dying world. Rather than capitalize on death, Yong Xing-li used his economic position to do something about it, to change the fate of the world ruled by civilized humans.
In a way, Yong Xing-li is the closest thing the world had to Buddha or Jesus Christ at a time the world needed a savior more than ever. But like Jesus, he was killed for his passion to save people. Yong Xing-li’s mastery of the long game did not make his task easier. In fact, it probably made it a lot harder.
Rain remembers Father often saying with a downcast smile, “If Jesus was alive today and trying to do what he did 2,000 years ago, nobody would care, nobody would listen to him, nobody would follow him, and he would probably end up in prison or institutionalized because everybody thinks that only they, and they alone, know how to fix and rule the world.”
Rain knows now why father always said this with a sad, downcast smile. She not only knows what father knew, but she feels it too. Just like father, mother, grandmother, and Yong Xing-li she feels the suffering of people in a world brought into being based on greed, hate, and violence; a world most people had no hand in making but have been forced to submit to serving.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
As we confront the convergence of political, economic, and psychological crises, this blog underscores the urgency of understanding where we stand and how we got here. Adam Mockler reminds us of the immediacy of our democratic struggle, urging us not to accept the current trajectory as inevitable. Richard Wolff provides a sweeping historical and economic perspective, showing the fragility of empires and the devastating consequences of denial and inaction. Finally, Sapience: The Moment Is Now offers a way forward, emphasizing the power of empathy, cooperation, and self-awareness to confront these challenges head-on.
We stand at a crossroads. Blame and division will only accelerate our decline, but there is hope in recognizing our collective responsibility and capacity for change. The choice before us is stark: to repeat the mistakes of the past or to rise above them, working together to shape a sustainable and just future. The time for action is now.
I started watching Season 2 of the Squid Games on the eve of New Year’s Eve. This season takes more time to develop the complexities and motivations of each main character and the parts they will be playing in the up coming games. But, don’t worry… it takes viewers to the games almost as quickly as Season 1. And now you know the motivations and conflicts of several key players in more depth that adds greater stakes and suspense to the games!
Spoiler Alert
Spoiler Alert, if you have not watched Season 2 yet, the games introduce even more democracy into the games. In season 1, players got to vote after the massacre of Red Light, Green Light game. In season 2, players get to vote after every game is played. The only catch is that they have to divide the money accumulated after the deaths of previous players with all the surviving players.
So, this pits desperate players who are willing to risk their lives to pay off their huge debts with equally desperate players who would rather live than risk dying playing one more game just so they can have a little bit more money. This is exactly where Americans (and also South Koreans) find themselves today due to huge failures of their modern day democracies…finely tuned to only make money for the super wealthy.
Don’t worry, the other side of communist countries are doing the exact same thing but under the guise of sharing for the good of all! In reality, both modern day systems are simply the oldest collective governance in the world: Totalitarian societies.
Both kinds of modern human civilization have been absolutely corrupted by money. And in our modern day, lots of money comes with unconstrained power and control that hollows out the human soul.
Sapience Could Help… If People Wanted Help
If you want to find out how we,the little guys and gals, who are all trapped inside these repressive, brutal systems carefully designed to entertain the super rich with our suffering and deaths, read my book: Sapience: The Moment Is Now.
My book currently is languishing on one of our modern day oligarch’s web system of commerce, Amazon, where is sits mostly unnoticed and unread, unable to find its readers.
This is because I self-published and I don’t have thousands and thousands of dollars to feed Jeff Bezos by buy ineffective ads on his website. Also, since I published through Amazon and I was stupid enough to use their ISBN, I am trapped inside Amazon vast ocean of commerce that does not play fair with bookstores or libraries.
This is because Amazon charges full retail price and does not take back books that don’t sell (like Publishing Companies do). Thus, bookstores and libraries cannot buy my book for a fair price that allows them to make some money (or at least not lose money). Therefore, they don’t. Because of this, I cannot get my book to places where readers are looking for something new to read. And believe me, readers coming to Amazon to find something new to read only see book whose authors (or authors via publishers) can afford to pay the most for advertising!
If you feel rebellious after reading this blog, please help me beat an oligarch and read or buy my book on Amazon. Also, please leave a rating… and better yet, leave a review! I would be so deeply grateful to you.
Squid Games — A Provocative Modern Metaphor
Modern democracies mirror the high stakes of deadly Squid Games
You are probably pondering, if you have made it this far in the blog: How Are the Squid Games and Modern Democracies the Same?
Here are seven parallels between modern democracies and the Squid Game Season 2.
#1.Economic Desperation
Be it bored rich people who are watching people die for entertainment or modern day democracies or communistic societies, both the fictional game and modern systems of governance exploit financial vulnerability. In Squid Game, players are willing to risk death for a chance to escape crushing debt. Similarly, in America, many people take dangerous jobs, endure exploitative working conditions, or gamble on high-risk investments to achieve financial security.
Deeper Dive into Economic Desperation
Here is how wealth inequality and the lack of safety nets trap people in cycles of desperation:
Wealth inequality and the lack of safety nets create self-perpetuating cycles of desperation by forcing individuals to make increasingly precarious choices just to survive. Here’s how these factors interact to trap people:
A. Unequal Distribution of Resources
Limited Access to Basics: Wealth inequality means fewer resources for the majority, making essentials like housing, education, and healthcare harder to afford. This forces people to prioritize immediate survival over long-term stability, such as skipping preventive healthcare or higher education.
Concentrated Wealth Power: Wealth is hoarded by a small elite, giving them disproportionate control over policies and opportunities. This exacerbates inequality, as the system prioritizes their interests over those of the majority.
B. Debt as a Trap
Predatory Lending: High-interest loans, payday lenders, and credit card debt target those who lack savings, creating a cycle of borrowing and repayment that often spirals out of control.
Student Debt: The cost of education locks people into decades of debt, with no guarantee of upward mobility. This limits financial freedom and delays wealth-building, such as homeownership.
C. Insecure and Low-Paying Jobs
Lack of Living Wages: Many jobs, particularly in service sectors, don’t pay enough to cover basic needs. Even full-time workers can require multiple jobs or government assistance to make ends meet.
Gig Economy: The rise of gig and contract work removes job security and benefits, leaving workers vulnerable to fluctuations in demand.
D. Lack of Safety Nets
Insufficient Healthcare: Without affordable or universal healthcare, medical emergencies can lead to catastrophic debt. Chronic conditions become untreated, reducing productivity and creating a cycle of poor health and poverty.
Weak Social Welfare: Limited unemployment benefits, housing assistance, and food programs leave people with few options when crises arise. In many cases, these programs are also stigmatized, discouraging people from seeking help.
E. Generational Impact
Intergenerational Poverty: Families without wealth cannot pass down financial resources, leaving each generation to start over. Meanwhile, wealthy families leverage inherited assets to grow their wealth further.
Educational Inequities: Underfunded schools in poorer areas result in lower educational outcomes, reducing opportunities for future generations.
F. Psychological Toll and Reduced Agency
Scarcity Mindset: Constantly scrambling for resources affects decision-making, often leading to short-term thinking that perpetuates the cycle.
Stress and Burnout: Chronic financial strain undermines mental and physical health, reducing productivity and further entrenching desperation.
G. Structural Barriers to Escape
Expensive Mobility: Moving to areas with better opportunities often requires upfront costs (relocation, housing deposits, etc.) that are out of reach for those trapped in poverty.
Systemic Racism and Discrimination: Marginalized groups face additional barriers, such as wage gaps, hiring biases, and redlining, further limiting opportunities.
The Self-Reinforcing Cycle
These factors interact to create a feedback loop: lack of resources leads to poor outcomes, which further reduces access to opportunities and resources. Without systemic change—such as stronger safety nets, equitable policies, and wealth redistribution—the cycle continues, trapping individuals and communities in perpetual desperation.
#2.Democratic Facade
In both the games and modern systems of governance, there is the illusion of choice. While Squid Game allows players to vote, their choices are framed by desperation. In America, the idea of “freedom” can sometimes mask systemic coercion, such as choosing between healthcare or bankruptcy, or enduring unsafe working conditions due to a lack of alternatives.
Deeper Dive into Democratic Facade
Here is how the illusion of choice mirrors democratic processes where choices are constrained by systemic power imbalances:
The illusion of choice occurs when people believe they have agency and freedom to make decisions, but their options are actually constrained by systemic power imbalances. This dynamic is evident in both Squid Game and real-world democratic processes, especially in systems shaped by wealth inequality, political polarization, and entrenched power structures. Here’s how:
A. Limited Options That Favor the System
In Squid Game, players can vote to leave the game, but the alternative—returning to crushing debt and hardship—is equally dire. This creates a “choice” between two harmful outcomes, ensuring the system remains in control regardless of the decision.
In democratic systems:
Economic Constraints: Low-income voters often face barriers such as unpaid time off to vote, long wait times, or inaccessible polling locations, making “free choice” contingent on financial stability.
Political Homogeneity: A two-party system can limit choices to candidates who often prioritize corporate or elite interests, sidelining policies that directly benefit marginalized groups.
The system effectively restricts meaningful options while maintaining the facade of democratic participation.
B. Manipulation Through Fear and Incentives
The players in Squid Game are manipulated by their desperation and the promise of wealth, leading them to make irrational or harmful choices that perpetuate the game’s cycle. Similarly, democratic systems often use fear and incentives to guide decisions in ways that maintain the status quo:
Fearmongering: Politicians and media outlets exploit fears of instability, crime, or economic collapse to sway voters toward particular candidates or policies, often against their own long-term interests.
False Promises: Campaign promises of systemic reform are often diluted or abandoned once candidates are elected, leaving the underlying issues unresolved while maintaining voter engagement.
C. Divide and Conquer Tactics
In Squid Game, players are pitted against each other, making collaboration and rebellion nearly impossible. Votes that should empower them instead deepen divisions.
In democracy:
Partisan Polarization: Political parties and media amplify divisions between voters (e.g., urban vs. rural, young vs. old), preventing collective action to address systemic inequalities.
Identity Politics: While representation is important, the focus on symbolic victories (e.g., electing diverse candidates without systemic reform) can obscure larger structural issues, dividing people along superficial lines.
These tactics ensure that systemic power imbalances remain unchallenged, as voters are too divided to demand meaningful change.
D. The Role of Money in Decision-Making
In Squid Game, the wealthy spectators manipulate the game for their entertainment and profit, ensuring they remain insulated from its dangers. Similarly, in democratic systems:
Campaign Financing: Wealthy donors and corporations wield disproportionate influence, shaping policy agendas and candidate viability. [Think Elon Musk… or Mush is a much better name for the maniac oligarch. Spoiler Alert: I think Mr. Elon is player 001 in Season 2 of the Squid Game.]
Economic Gatekeeping: The cost of running for office excludes many grassroots candidates, leaving political power concentrated among the elite.
This creates a system where voters may “choose” from options that have already been pre-selected by those with money and power.
E. Psychological Impact of the Illusion
Believing they have agency while facing constrained choices leads to frustration, apathy, and disengagement:
In Squid Game: Players become disillusioned with their fellow competitors and themselves, yet they continue to play because they feel there is no other way out.
In Democracy: Voter turnout often declines as people perceive elections as futile, perpetuating the cycle of systemic control. The illusion of choice traps them in a paradox where opting out feels as ineffective as participating.
Key Consequences
Entrenchment of Power: The system remains stable, ensuring those in power stay in power.
Frustrated Populations: People become disillusioned, blaming themselves or their neighbors instead of the systemic structures that constrain their choices.
Cyclical Inequality: With no structural changes, disparities grow, further eroding the possibility of meaningful choices.
This is important so lets expand into specific examples of how voter suppression laws, campaign financing practices, and a two-party system trap modern day humans living in “democratic” societies in an endless Game of Kill the Squid.
1. Voter Suppression
Voter suppression undermines the democratic process by systematically limiting access to voting, particularly for marginalized groups. Examples include:
A. Strict Voter ID Laws
Example: In states like Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin, voters are required to present government-issued IDs that many low-income, elderly, or minority individuals don’t possess.
Impact: Millions of eligible voters face barriers to participation. Studies show that Black and Latino voters are disproportionately affected.
B. Poll Closures and Long Lines
Example: In 2020, states like Kentucky and Texas closed hundreds of polling stations, especially in areas with large Black and Latino populations.
Impact: Voters in these communities faced hours-long lines, effectively discouraging participation, especially for those unable to miss work or arrange childcare.
C. Purging Voter Rolls
Example: Ohio’s “use-it-or-lose-it” law removes voters from registration rolls if they fail to vote in consecutive elections.
Impact: While framed as a way to “clean” voter rolls, the policy disproportionately impacts low-income individuals who may be less consistent voters due to systemic barriers.
2. The Role of Campaign Financing
The influence of money in politics ensures that wealthy individuals and corporations wield disproportionate control over democratic processes. Examples include:
A. Super PACs and Dark Money
Example: The 2010 Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court ruling allowed unlimited corporate spending on elections through Super PACs.
Impact: Billionaires and corporations flood elections with money to support candidates aligned with their interests. For example, the Koch network spent over $400 million in the 2018 midterms.
B. Candidate Viability and Fundraising
Example: Viable presidential campaigns now require hundreds of millions of dollars in fundraising. In 2020, Joe Biden raised $1.6 billion, while Donald Trump raised $1.1 billion.
Impact: Grassroots candidates with limited access to wealthy donors or corporate funding struggle to compete, perpetuating an elite-controlled system.
C. Lobbying Influence
Example: Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies spend billions lobbying Congress to block universal healthcare policies, as seen in the defeat of the “Medicare for All” initiative.
Impact: Policy decisions favor wealthy industries, sidelining public interest.
3. The Two-Party System
The dominance of two major parties creates structural barriers that limit voter choice and perpetuate the illusion of democracy.
A. Winner-Takes-All Elections
Example: The Electoral College system in the U.S. disproportionately favors swing states, often disregarding the popular vote. In 2016, Donald Trump won the presidency despite receiving nearly 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton.
Impact: Third-party candidates are seen as “spoilers,” and voters feel compelled to choose between the two dominant parties, even if neither aligns with their values.
B. Ballot Access Laws
Example: States like Texas and Georgia have stringent requirements for third-party candidates to qualify for the ballot, such as obtaining tens of thousands of petition signatures.
Impact: These barriers effectively exclude alternative voices, reinforcing the duopoly.
C. Polarization and Gridlock
Example: Partisan gridlock, such as the government shutdowns over budget disputes, highlights how the two-party system prioritizes power struggles over effective governance.
Impact: Voters are left with a system that prioritizes party loyalty over addressing systemic issues, like wealth inequality or climate change.
How These Examples Mirror Squid Game
Suppression as Forced Participation
Just as some Squid Game players are coerced into staying by systemic traps, voter suppression ensures certain groups face disproportionate barriers, effectively silencing their voices.
Financing as Rigged Odds
The wealthy spectators in Squid Game rig the game for their amusement, much like billionaires and corporations dictate political outcomes through campaign financing and lobbying.
Two-Party Entrapment as Limited Choice
Players in Squid Game believe their only choices are to play or die. Similarly, the two-party system forces voters to choose between constrained options, perpetuating systemic inequality.
#3.Winners & Losers in a Zero-Sum System
The “winner-takes-all” nature of both systems is what provides the captivating energy that traps both super rich and super poor in a perpetual, brutal game. In Squid Game, only one person can claim the prize (except Season 2 is allowing players to split the money and leave with their lives if enough players vote to do this… aka, modern day democracies pretty much around the world). The same can be said of capitalism in its most ruthless form—which is what we seem to have collectively molded into existence everywhere—where success for a few comes at the expense of many.
Deeper Dive into Winners & Losers in a Zero-Sum System
Here is how a Zero-Sum mindset fosters competition rather than collaboration in so called modern “democratic” societies, thus leading to societal fragmentation:
The winner-take-all nature of modern democracies fosters competition at every level of governance, reinforcing societal fragmentation by prioritizing individual or partisan success over collective well-being. This dynamic is evident in electoral systems, policymaking, and public discourse, creating a cycle where collaboration is undervalued and division is amplified. Here’s how:
A. Electoral Systems That Reward Competition Over Collaboration
In winner-take-all systems, such as those in the U.S. and the U.K., the candidate or party with the most votes wins outright, leaving all others without representation. This system has several divisive consequences:
1a. Marginalization of Minority Voices
Impact: Third parties and minority groups are often excluded from meaningful participation. Their interests are ignored, fostering disenfranchisement and alienation.
Example: In the U.S., third-party candidates like Ralph Nader in 2000 or Jill Stein in 2016 were labeled “spoilers,” discouraging voters from supporting alternatives to the two dominant parties.
2b. Zero-Sum Game
Impact: The all-or-nothing approach creates incentives for candidates and parties to focus on winning at all costs, rather than building consensus or addressing systemic issues collaboratively.
Example: Gerrymandering—manipulating district boundaries to ensure electoral dominance—prioritizes partisan victories over fair representation.
B. Partisan Policymaking and Gridlock
The winner-take-all mentality extends to policymaking, where parties prioritize short-term victories over long-term collaboration:
1a. Polarization and Tribalism
Impact: Partisan leaders are incentivized to portray the opposing party as enemies, making bipartisan efforts politically costly.
Example: In 2009, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) passed without a single Republican vote, despite addressing a national healthcare crisis. This deepened partisan divides and stigmatized collaboration as weakness.
2b. Legislative Stalemates
Impact: In divided governments, the focus on “beating” the other party results in gridlock, leaving critical issues—like climate change, wealth inequality, or infrastructure—unaddressed.
Example: The frequent U.S. government shutdowns, such as the 35-day shutdown in 2018–2019 over border wall funding, illustrate how competition paralyzes governance.
C. Fragmentation in Public Discourse
1a. Media Amplification of Divisions
Impact: News outlets, driven by profit and political agendas, often sensationalize partisan conflicts, reinforcing tribal identities and fragmenting public understanding of issues.
Example: Networks like Fox News and MSNBC cater to ideologically polarized audiences, creating echo chambers where opposing viewpoints are vilified rather than understood.
2b. Social Media and Algorithmic Bias
Impact: Social media platforms, optimized for engagement, promote content that stokes outrage and division, further polarizing societies.
Example: The rise of “us vs. them” rhetoric online exacerbates divisions, turning political discourse into a battleground of personal attacks rather than constructive dialogue.
D. Societal Fragmentation as an Outcome
1a. Erosion of Trust
Impact: Constant competition erodes public trust in institutions and leaders. People perceive governments as working for partisan or elite interests rather than the common good.
Example: Trust in U.S. government institutions is near historic lows, with Pew Research reporting only 20% of Americans trust the government to do what is right “most of the time.”
2b. Inequitable Policy Outcomes
Impact: Policies often serve the interests of the winning party or their donors, ignoring marginalized groups and exacerbating inequalities.
Example: Tax cuts favoring the wealthy under Republican administrations or corporate bailouts during crises highlight the prioritization of elite interests over broader societal needs.
3c. Alienation and Disengagement
Impact: As people feel their voices are ignored, they become disengaged from the democratic process, leading to lower voter turnout and weakening the system’s legitimacy.
Example: Voter turnout in the U.S. hovers around 60% in presidential elections and is much lower in midterms, reflecting widespread disillusionment.
How Collaboration Is Undermined
Short-Term Thinking: Winner-take-all systems encourage policies aimed at immediate partisan gains rather than sustainable, long-term solutions.
Lack of Inclusive Governance: Minority voices are excluded, stifling innovation and diverse perspectives that could lead to more effective solutions.
Normalization of Hostility: The framing of politics as a zero-sum game legitimizes antagonistic behavior, undermining trust and cooperation across political divides.
Paths Forward: Moving Beyond Winner-Take-All
To counteract these dynamics and foster collaboration, systemic reforms could include:
Proportional Representation: Electoral systems that allocate seats based on vote share encourage coalition-building and fairer representation.
Ranked-Choice Voting: Allowing voters to rank candidates by preference reduces polarization and empowers third-party and independent candidates.
Campaign Finance Reform: Reducing the influence of money in politics can level the playing field and encourage more collaborative policymaking.
Deliberative Democracy: Citizen assemblies and participatory governance models can bridge divides and emphasize collective decision-making.
#4.Moral Compromise & Dehumanization
Both systems (the fictional games and modern day governments) force participants (or citizens) to compromise their ethics. In Squid Game, alliances crumble, and morality is often sacrificed for survival. Similarly, in America, systemic pressures can push individuals or corporations to exploit others for financial gain.
The psychological toll of moral and dehumanization compromises in Squid Game mirrors the experiences of individuals navigating systems of modern democracies, where systemic inequalities force people into decisions that erode their humanity and sense of self. Below, we delve into how these compromises manifest, the toll they take, and their broader implications.
Deeper Dive into Moral Compromise & Dehumanization
A. The Moral Cost of Compromises
1a. In Squid Game
Players are repeatedly forced to make life-and-death decisions, often pitting personal survival against their moral values. Examples include:
Betrayal of Alliances: The marble game forces participants to exploit or betray their closest allies to survive.
Impact: This leads to profound guilt and self-loathing, as participants struggle to reconcile their survival instincts with the harm they’ve caused.
2b. In Democracies
Citizens and policymakers often face decisions that prioritize self-interest or short-term gains over ethical considerations due to systemic pressures. Examples include:
Workers in Low-Wage Jobs: Forced to work under exploitative conditions, such as in sweatshops or unsafe environments, to feed their families.
Voters’ Lesser Evil Dilemma: Choosing between two flawed candidates in elections, leading to feelings of complicity in perpetuating harmful systems.
Impact: Such compromises can result in disillusionment, cynicism, and feelings of helplessness, as people feel trapped in a system where every choice carries moral consequences.
B. The Toll of Dehumanization
1a. In Squid Game
Dehumanization is central to the game’s structure.
Players Reduced to Numbers: Participants are stripped of their names and identities, referred to only by numbers.
Deaths as Spectacle: Their suffering becomes a form of entertainment for wealthy spectators, who view them as disposable.
Impact: The loss of identity and constant objectification lead to a sense of worthlessness and alienation, with many players internalizing their dehumanized status.
2b. In Democracies
Dehumanization occurs subtly but pervasively in systems where human value is tied to economic productivity or political utility.
Economic Systems: People in poverty are often blamed for their circumstances and portrayed as “lazy” or “undeserving,” ignoring systemic barriers like wage stagnation or lack of opportunities.
Partisan Divide: Political opponents are frequently demonized, reducing individuals to caricatures and denying their humanity.
Impact: This dehumanization fosters divisions and erodes empathy, making systemic oppression seem inevitable and even justified.
C. The Psychological Toll
1a. Cognitive Dissonance
Definition: The mental discomfort of holding contradictory beliefs or values.
In Squid Game: Players struggle to rationalize their actions—killing or betraying others—to survive in a system they know is unjust.
In Democracies: Citizens often experience dissonance when participating in systems they recognize as flawed, such as paying taxes that fund unethical policies or working for corporations that exploit workers or the environment.
Impact: Over time, this dissonance can lead to emotional numbness, burnout, or a sense of resignation.
2b. Moral Injury
Definition: The psychological distress resulting from actions—or inactions—that violate deeply held moral beliefs.
In Squid Game: Participants like Gi-hun and Sang-woo endure profound moral injury after betraying their values to survive.
In Democracies:
Policymakers may feel moral injury from enacting harmful policies under pressure.
Low-wage workers or soldiers may grapple with the ethical compromises required by their roles.
Impact: Moral injury often leads to PTSD, depression, and a loss of self-esteem.
Consider the real life recent New Year’s Eve events in the United States. Both bombers were US citizens who had served in the military. Both were decorated servicemen. Both re-entered civilizan society with significant psychological wounds. While the New Orleans bomber found salvation in ISIS, the Las Vegas bomber favored both Elon and Trump and yet blew up a Telsa truck in front of a Trump hotel.
3c. Loss of Agency
In Squid Game: The illusion of choice exacerbates the psychological toll, as players feel forced to act against their will.
In Democracies: Citizens often feel similarly powerless, perceiving their votes or actions as insignificant in systems dominated by corporate interests and elite power.
Impact: A sense of powerlessness can lead to apathy and disengagement from civic life, further entrenching systemic problems.
D. Broader Implications of These Compromises
1a. Fractured Social Bonds
In Squid Game: The competitive structure destroys trust and solidarity, leaving participants isolated and unable to form meaningful connections.
In Democracies: Economic inequality and political polarization erode community cohesion, as people are pitted against each other along class, racial, or ideological lines.
2b. Normalization of Exploitation
In Squid Game: The game normalizes the exploitation of desperate people for entertainment and profit.
In Democracies: Systems like capitalism and the gig economy normalize the exploitation of workers, perpetuating cycles of inequality.
3c. Perpetuation of Oppression
In Squid Game: The system is designed to maintain the power and privilege of the wealthy spectators.
In Democracies: Systemic barriers ensure the continued dominance of the elite, with wealth inequality and voter suppression maintaining the status quo.
Can These Cycles Be Broken?
1. Empowering Individuals: Strengthening education, unions, and community networks to help individuals resist exploitation and reclaim their agency.
2. Systemic Reforms: Implementing policies that prioritize collective well-being over profit, such as universal healthcare or living wages. And, enacting electoral reforms to ensure fair representation and reduce the influence of money in politics.
3. Fostering Solidarity: Building movements that emphasize shared humanity and collective action, countering divisive narratives that dehumanize or isolate.
#5.Spectacle & Entertainment
There are parallels between the spectators in Squid Game and those who benefit from America’s socioeconomic systems, the 1% who sit at the very top of the social pyramid. The wealthy in Squid Game treat suffering as entertainment, much like some aspects of consumer culture profit from and sensationalize hardship in most modern day democracies today.
Deeper Dive into the Spectacle of Entertainment
The spectators in Squid Game represent the detached elite, watching life-or-death struggles as entertainment. Their indifference underscores how spectacle dehumanizes suffering, reducing players to pawns in a game for profit and pleasure.
In America, this dynamic plays out in various ways such as:
Media and Distraction: Reality TV, social media, and partisan news serve as modern-day bread and circuses. They keep people entertained and distracted, preventing deeper engagement with systemic problems.
Profiting from Struggle: From coverage of protests to depictions of poverty and crime, the suffering of marginalized communities is often commodified for ratings, clicks, and profit.
Normalization of Inequality: The glamorization of extreme wealth—juxtaposed with shows like Undercover Boss or Shark Tank—frames inequality as both aspirational and inevitable, distracting from systemic critiques.
Exploitation of Hope: Much like the players in Squid Game, the masses are lured by narratives of success against the odds. These stories maintain the myth that anyone can “win,” even as the system ensures that most cannot.
This spectacle not only distracts but also desensitizes. Just as Squid Game viewers (and even the players themselves) cheer for their favorite players while ignoring the brutality, we become complicit in a system that thrives on inequality, so long as it entertains.
#6.Voting as a Weapon of Division
Voting in both systems has been corrupted to the point of enslavement rather than liberation. In Squid Game, votes divide players, trapping the minority in a deadly system. In America, voting can similarly lead to polarized outcomes where a significant portion of the population feels trapped by decisions made by others whose conscious caculations and choices defy reality, reason, and facts, suggesting stupidity, insanity or criminality at play in their choices. This invites fear and widens scarcity of money and resources for all caught inside the system, and this perpetuates the disfunctional cycle.
Deeper Dive into Voting as a Weapon of Division
In Squid Game Season 2, voting is a deceptive tool. It gives players the illusion of control while dividing them into factions. After each game, just enough players vote to stay, forcing the rest to continue against their will. This creates tension, mistrust, and resentment, ensuring the group never unites against the true oppressors: the game’s creators.
In America, voting often functions in a similar way. While it’s framed as the cornerstone of democracy, systemic inequities undermine its fairness and effectiveness:
Gerrymandering and Suppression: Redistricting, voter ID laws, and reduced access to polling stations skew outcomes, ensuring minority voices often don’t carry equal weight.
Two-Party Entrapment: The binary nature of the system leaves many feeling forced to choose “the lesser of two evils,” which perpetuates disillusionment and apathy.
Polarization: Political and media systems capitalize on division, pitting groups against one another rather than addressing systemic issues. As in Squid Game, these divisions prevent collective action.
This creates a system where voting, rather than empowering, becomes a tool to trap citizens in a cycle of frustration, disillusionment, and inaction.
#7.Narrative of Hope
Investigate the way both systems dangle hope as a motivator. Squid Game players believe they can achieve a better life despite overwhelming odds. In America, the “American Dream” plays a similar role, motivating people to persevere despite systemic obstacles.
Deeper Dive Into the Narrative of Hope
Both Squid Game and modern democracies masterfully dangle hope as a motivator to keep people engaged in systems that exploit them, despite the overwhelming odds against meaningful success. This manipulation of hope creates a powerful psychological hook, ensuring participation while obscuring the deeper systemic issues at play. Let’s explore this in depth:
A. The Nature of Hope as a Motivator
1a. In Squid Game
The Promise of Escape: The cash prize, displayed tantalizingly above the players, represents the ultimate escape from debt, poverty, and desperation.
The Illusion of Agency: Players believe that if they “play smart” or “try harder,” they can achieve victory, even though the game’s design is rigged to ensure most fail.
Impact: Hope becomes a trap, as players cling to the dream of success while ignoring the moral compromises and physical dangers they endure.
2b. In Democracies
The Dream of Upward Mobility: Citizens are sold the idea of the “American Dream” (or similar narratives globally)—that hard work and determination can lead to success, regardless of starting circumstances.
The Illusion of Political Power: Elections and voting are presented as tools for change, yet systemic barriers (e.g., gerrymandering, voter suppression, lobbying) dilute the impact of individual voices.
Impact: Hope keeps people invested in systems that perpetuate inequality, with many blaming themselves rather than the system when success eludes them.
B. How Hope Is Dangled in Each System
1a. In Squid Game
Visualizing the Prize:
The giant glass piggy bank fills with money after every death, making the reward tangible and ever-present.
Psychological Impact: The constant reminder of the prize reinforces hope, even as the number of competitors—and odds of winning—dwindles.
False Choice to Leave:
Players are given the option to leave after the first game, which creates the illusion of freedom. However, the crushing realities of their external lives (debts, poverty) compel most to return.
Psychological Impact: This reinforces the belief that staying is their “best choice,” even though the system is inherently exploitative.
Individual Stories of Success:
The backstories of participants highlight personal struggles, making the prize seem like the only viable path to redemption.
Psychological Impact: Hope becomes deeply personal, tied to notions of worth and survival, which keeps players invested.
2b. In Democracies
Upward Mobility Narratives:
Success stories of individuals who “made it” despite humble beginnings are frequently highlighted in media and political discourse.
Psychological Impact: These stories perpetuate the belief that success is attainable for anyone, masking the systemic barriers that make such stories the exception, not the rule.
Electoral Promises:
Politicians campaign on lofty ideals and promises of systemic reform, often failing to deliver due to institutional constraints or lack of political will.
Psychological Impact: Citizens invest in hope every election cycle, believing “this time will be different,” only to face repeated disappointment.
Small Victories:
Incremental progress, such as raising the minimum wage or expanding healthcare, is celebrated as evidence of systemic change.
Psychological Impact: These victories, while meaningful, often obscure the broader structural inequalities that remain unaddressed.
C. The Double-Edged Sword of Hope
1a. Positive Motivator
Hope can inspire people to persevere and strive for change, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
In Squid Game: Some players exhibit extraordinary ingenuity and resilience, fueled by hope for a better future.
In Democracies: Grassroots movements and social justice campaigns often emerge from hope for systemic change.
2b. Tool of Control
However, hope can also be weaponized to maintain control and prevent rebellion.
In Squid Game: The dangling prize keeps players focused on survival rather than questioning the fairness of the system.
In Democracies: The belief that “change is possible” keeps citizens engaged in electoral systems, even when those systems fail to address root causes of inequality or injustice.
D. The Psychological Manipulation of Hope
1a. Hope as a Distraction
In Squid Game: Players focus on winning the prize, diverting attention from the inhumanity of the games themselves.
In Democracies: Citizens are encouraged to focus on individual success or incremental reforms, distracting from the need for systemic change.
2b. Fear of Losing Hope
In Squid Game: Players fear returning to their desperate lives without even trying for the prize, making them cling to hope despite the risks.
In Democracies: Citizens fear the loss of democratic institutions, even flawed ones, keeping them invested in systems that may not serve their best interests.
E. Breaking the Cycle: Reclaiming Authentic Hope
Recognizing the Illusions:
Both systems rely on manufactured hope to maintain control. Awareness of this manipulation is the first step toward reclaiming agency.
Building Solidarity:
Hope becomes transformative when shared collectively. Movements that emphasize community empowerment, such as mutual aid networks, create authentic hope rooted in collective action rather than individual competition.
Demanding Systemic Change:
Rather than clinging to the crumbs offered by these systems, pushing for systemic reforms—such as universal basic income, proportional representation, or campaign finance reform—can turn hope into a tool for genuine liberation.
HOPE Is Also the Most Powerful Four Letter Word
Here are stories and movements where hope became a force for systemic change, showing how collective action and a shared vision can break cycles of despair and lead to meaningful transformation. These examples illuminate the power of authentic hope rooted in solidarity, persistence, and community action.
1. The Civil Rights Movement (United States)
What Happened: During the mid-20th century, African Americans and allies fought against systemic racism, segregation, and voter suppression.
Why It’s Hopeful: Despite violent resistance, the movement achieved landmark victories like the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965). Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. inspired hope by emphasizing justice and equality as attainable goals.
Key Lesson: Hope is sustained through collective struggle and the belief that systemic change is possible when people unite for a shared cause.
2. The Fall of Apartheid (South Africa)
What Happened: After decades of brutal racial segregation, the anti-apartheid movement, led by figures like Nelson Mandela, dismantled the apartheid regime through activism, international solidarity, and negotiations.
Why It’s Hopeful: Mandela’s vision of reconciliation over revenge turned what could have been a destructive transition into a hopeful one. His message that “It always seems impossible until it is done” galvanized millions.
Key Lesson: Hope can bridge divides, and even entrenched systems of oppression can fall when people refuse to accept the status quo.
3. The Women’s Suffrage Movement (Global)
What Happened: Across the globe, women fought for the right to vote, facing ridicule, imprisonment, and violence. In the U.S., this culminated in the 19th Amendment (1920), granting women the right to vote.
Why It’s Hopeful: This decades-long struggle, led by figures like Susan B. Anthony and Emmeline Pankhurst, showed how persistence and organizing could achieve systemic change.
Key Lesson: Hope fuels long-term battles for justice, proving that systemic barriers can be overcome through intergenerational activism.
4. The Indian Independence Movement
What Happened: India’s nonviolent struggle, led by Mahatma Gandhi, freed the nation from British colonial rule in 1947.
Why It’s Hopeful: The movement showed the power of peaceful resistance, with hope as a central theme in Gandhi’s philosophy of satyagraha (truth-force).
Key Lesson: Hope doesn’t require violence; it thrives on truth, resilience, and collective moral courage.
5. LGBTQ+ Rights & Marriage Equality
What Happened: Over decades, activists worked to decriminalize homosexuality, fight discrimination, and achieve marriage equality in many countries. Landmark victories include the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision (2015).
Why It’s Hopeful: These achievements, driven by grassroots efforts and brave individuals, transformed societal attitudes and legal frameworks.
Key Lesson: Hope empowers marginalized communities to push for systemic change, even against entrenched prejudice.
6. Climate Action Movements (Global)
What Happened: Movements like Fridays for Future, led by Greta Thunberg, and Indigenous environmental activism have raised global awareness about the climate crisis and driven policy changes.
Why It’s Hopeful: Grassroots activism has forced governments and corporations to confront their environmental impact. The recent surge in renewable energy and sustainability efforts shows progress is possible.
Key Lesson: Hope motivates action, especially when urgency and community commitment converge.
7. Labor Movements & the Rise of Workers’ Rights
What Happened: The labor movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries won rights like the 8-hour workday, workplace safety laws, and union protections.
Why It’s Hopeful: These victories arose from ordinary people organizing strikes, protests, and boycotts, demonstrating the power of collective action.
Key Lesson: Hope grows when individuals realize their collective strength can challenge even the most powerful systems.
8. Universal Healthcare Movements (Global)
What Happened: Countries like Canada, the UK, and many in Europe adopted universal healthcare systems after years of advocacy.
Why It’s Hopeful: These systems reduce inequality by ensuring that health is a right, not a privilege. Activists in the U.S. and other nations continue to push for similar reforms.
Key Lesson: Hope is sustained by the belief that essential human needs can be met through equitable systems.
9. Mutual Aid Networks
What Happened: In times of crisis—such as the COVID-19 pandemic or natural disasters—communities have organized mutual aid efforts, providing food, shelter, and care to those in need.
Why It’s Hopeful: These grassroots initiatives bypass broken systems to meet immediate needs, showing the power of solidarity and shared humanity.
Key Lesson: Hope thrives in local action, proving that communities can build resilience even when larger systems fail.
10. The Fight Against Authoritarianism
What Happened: Movements like those in Poland (Solidarity), Chile (against Pinochet), and more recently in Ukraine and Iran demonstrate resistance to authoritarian regimes.
Why It’s Hopeful: These struggles often succeed despite overwhelming odds, fueled by hope for freedom and self-determination.
Key Lesson: Hope becomes unstoppable when people unite to resist oppression, even in the darkest times.
Common Threads of Hope
Shared Vision: Hope grows when people unite around a common purpose.
Persistence: Transformative change often takes years or decades, but hope sustains the fight.
Collective Action: Movements grounded in solidarity harness the power of the many to overcome systemic challenges.
Leadership and Inspiration: Charismatic leaders and powerful stories galvanize hope and action.
These stories remind us that even the most oppressive systems can be challenged and changed when hope is transformed into action.
Speaking about stories…. have you read my book?
Stories are essential for how our minds work and how we use our precious gift of consciousness. If you read my book, you will understand why.
If you absolutely refuse to read my book, then read Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series. He is talking about the exact same thing as the Sapience Series. I did not realize this when I began my series back in 2012, but having just started Asimov’s Foundation Series about one year ago and just finished his series just before the New Year, I know what he wrote about and what I write about are the same. Most of Asimov’s books are about this… I, Robot; Naked Sun; The Stars, Like Dust (I’m reading this one now), Pebble in the Sky, The Caves of Steel, or The Robots of Dawn.
Or pick up H.G. Wells, The Time Machine; Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood’s End; Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game; Dan Simmons, Hyperion; Frank Herbert, Dune; Larry Niven, Ringworld; Arthur C. Clarke, A Space Odyssey or Childhood’s End; James S. A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes; Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers; Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; Iain Banks, Consider Phlebas.
The only way to get out of this Fucking Game that we are all being forced to play is to open our minds. This can only be done one person at a time…. and the very best way to do this is to learn… and the best way to learn is to read, travel, and talk to real people in real places and in real time, which is here and now!
Read… Read… Read!!
Also, please stop at Sapience’s shop: The Quip Collection. I am introducing compelling and chic Year of the Snake wearables as well as Zodiac and Valentines merch with much more to come. Without your time and attention, I will disappear.
On this day six years ago, my father had a heart attack. First responders revived him after 15 minutes of CPR, and then he was flown by helicopter to the Mayo Clinic. There he was put into an induced coma and body cooled to help preserve as much brain function as possible. Nobody knew if he would wake up and if he did, how much of him would wake up. But after days of touch and go, dad came back all of him except swallowing and he had developed pneumonia due to CPR, and this was expected and Mayo began aggressive treatment of it because it turns out if you aren’t breaking ribs while doing CPR, you aren’t pumping enough blood to revive the individual.
Remembering Dad
I wrote all about this in the first anniversary of dad’s death, as well as the reasons why he did not make it.
How Narcissistic Abuse Severely Thwarted my Healing Journey
In addition to dad’s death, the CEO of a small nonprofit I was working for fired me for being by dad’s side. Most probably this CEO suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder and she would be fired soon enough for this and a number of other things she did or failed to do during her tenure.
Adding insult to injury, my mother-in-law who is most definitely contorted and warped by Narcissistic Personality Disorder was about to launch one of her most hideous and disgusting campaigns to make herself appear as the victim so she could harvest attention and pity from her flying monkeys. This is what narcissists enablers are called by professionals who try to help family members and people abused by Narcissists heal. The fuel for her campaign of Narcissistic madness was her own children and grandchildren.
It would take me 6 years to understand what my mother-in-law was doing and why. But back in 2018 and 2019 I simply found myself in HELL.
I should not be here today. The only thing that helped me hold on during this time of pain and abandonment was the story I had started writing in 2012. I was reading dad the latest parts of the story when he died with me by his side on August 4, 2018.
Even though dad had slipped into a delirium due to the stress of life-saving procedures such as suctioning the mucous from his airways and reinserting a feeding tube he had worked out with the back of his tongue four times the previous day, he told the nurses caring for him that he was so proud of me for writing this book and that my whole life has been preparing me for it.
So in the dark days of the summer of 2019, with the help of a friend, I returned to my story and began editing the beginning to bring it up to the level of writing I had evolved into after six years of writing. My friend was then editing my edited version of book 1.
Then, Something New Began Coming Through
Not too long into this process, something new started coming through. I argued with myself… it was right around this time in 2019… for I knew writing something new would take more time.
The something new won took 6 more years to write! I finally published the book my father believed in so much on April 24, 2024.
Here is an excerpt of some of the something new that was coming through me after father died. This is from Sapience: The Moment Is Now — What Rain knows.
From the Book
"You cannot sell wisdom, nor can you buy it. You must earn it by living fully, living unself-consciously but not unconsciously. Wisdom is a group activity. Wisdom is kind. Wisdom shares its last morsel of food simply because that is what wisdom does. Wisdom knows that everything is connected, and what you do to someone else, you have done to yourself first. Wisdom is a baby crawling and giggling with its newfound mastery of getting around. Wisdom is an old man falling and laughing at his misfortunate mishap, knowing perfectly well everyone falls sometimes and it doesn’t mean a darn thing.
Wisdom knows sometimes you are going to win. Wisdom knows sometimes you are going to lose. Wisdom knows winning and losing doesn’t mean a darn thing because that is part of being alive. Wisdom knows navigating the ups and downs, the wins and losses, are much easier and mean so much more when you share it with the people who care about you and who you care about… this is love... caring and sharing, celebrating and mourning, feasting and fasting together as ever as one.
Wisdom is the joy of sharing life with the ones you love. Wisdom is the bliss of partaking equitably in the ups and downs of life. Wisdom is tolerating in another the things that annoy you most. Tolerance is a blessing, and wisdom knows this. Tolerance and wisdom are essential because life is complicated, too complicated for one insignificant human being to know everything it must to make a good decision.
A wise person knows this. A wise person knows a single individual can never consciously gather enough information to make a wise decision: so, stop trying to fool yourself and others that you can. A wise person understands action must be taken without foreknowledge of the results, but if the action is grounded in mutuality, respect, compassion, dignity, love, and a huge heaping of tolerance… mostly the results will reap good outcomes. And when they don’t, a wise person knows it is important to try again. Failure is simply the process of success.
Tolerance is an anti-gravity force to fear. Tolerance requires a person to broaden their bandwidth of consciousness rather than narrow and restrict it as fear does. Tolerance allows an individual to sit in discomfort, to sit in not knowing, to sit in the darkness of what is not clear yet and to wait for understanding of what is right action.
Timing is everything when it comes to action. Right action done too soon quickly turns into wrong action. Right action done too late will also not produce desired results. Action done outside of its proper time or beyond what is necessary to complete a task is easily twisted and corrupted by thinking that tries to justify it. Such action grows fat with inaccurate, incorrect, false, untrue, and mistaken attributions ladled onto it to get people to act. This sort of propped up action becomes more and more improper and unsuitable for the circumstances.
Such artificial action awakens the most wicked and sinful parts of a person, because acting outside and beyond the bounds of right action requires an angry mind, a brash, conservative, intolerant, mean, merciless, unfriendly, unsympathetic, biased, disapproving, narrow-minded, and prejudiced mind. People acting in this manner are cruel, brutal, savage, bloodthirsty, vicious people driven by narrower and narrower justifications loaded with fantastical and fraudulent fancies.
Wisdom knows this and knows tolerance is the only way to slow down enough to sense and see what is really going on inside and outside of one’s own mind and body. Only by sensing and seeing more of what is actually going on in the present moment can a person produce right action at the right time.
Right action does not inflict harm unto oneself or another without a really good reason why violence is required. Isaac Asimov got it right when his character, Salvor Hardin, says: “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” This is true because it is so easy to lose wisdom when one is racing inside their mind, thought after thought conceived by lies, half-truths, or half-baked ideas and silly beliefs.
A person acting in such a way utilizes the narrowest bandwidth of consciousness possible yet still able to remain conscious. Any narrower, and the person would fall into a dumb, zombie-like stupor. Wisdom knows this. Wisdom knows thinking is a result of the constriction of consciousness due to fear. Wisdom knows thinking trumped up with false facts and fantastical beliefs is going to make a lot of mistakes due to its failure to grasp reality. So, like any good toddler, a person who thinks all the time and falls out of phase with right action will make more and more mistakes and will act in more and more rageful ways trying to cover up and hide all their blunders, miscalculations, gaffes, and ignorance." -- Pages 128-128
Note: the link to Sapience is supposed to be a universal link that will open to the book in whatever browser and language from which you operate; however, it has not seemed to be working, so you can also search by the ASIN: B0D2LM5B6K.
It is the 4th of July 2024! The United States of America has withstood so many moments of greatness, disaster, conflict, trauma, war and peace. Through it all, for 248 years, Americans of all makes and models, Americans great and small, rich or poor, immigrant or native (and most modern Americans are by far immigrants… it is ignorance to argue otherwise) have managed to come together and stand together when the times of required us to act as one body to achieve our destiny.
But this July 4th, Americans stand divided. Americans are more fractured than ever, perhaps more divided than Americans were on April 11, 1861. This is the day before the Civil War began. Evidently, the division that plunged Americans in the the bloody Civil War did not end on April 9, 1865. It rages on today.
Today, we face a stark choice: Biden or Trump. To vote for a third candidate is to shrink from your duty to make a hard choice. It is a cop out. It is playing the game of chicken when America needs you to play the game of defending democracy for the future.
Is the choice easy?
No, of course not. When the stakes are high, when is a choice that matters ever easy?
Biden is old, but he is wise. Trump is old, and he is pig-ignorant.
Biden is frail, but he tells the truth. Trump is vigorous but lies like the Devil.
Biden fumbled the debate, but his is good. Trump fumbled too, and he is evil.
What is evil?
I talk about it in my book available on Amazon titled: Sapience: The Moment Is Now.
Sapience: The Moment Is Now (available on Amazon!)
Evil is Live spelled backwards. When a human being ignores too much of reality, humans are capable of creating conditions that do not support life. In other words, the make a livable world un livable. That is evil, pure and simple.
What is ignorance?
I also talk extensively about this in my book on Amazon. Ignorance is ignoring certain parts of reality so that you can know more about one thing or another. We all must learn to ignore the world in order to know certain parts of the world. This is how we gain knowledge. But too much ignoring leads straight to foolish ignor-ance. This is where we are with the Cult of Trump and MAGA.
So, why MIGA?
If you shorten Making Ignorance Great Again, and you get MIGA. I got this idea while swimming and created it on my iPad. Basically, I took the A in MAGA crack it in half to get the lopsided I (the broken piece of A that is going to fall over because every opposite thing needs its other half to stand strong). I added an orange with a MIGA hat on top in homage to Orange Jesus.
Thank you Liz Cheney for revealing in your book that is what MAGA followers call Trump.
In short, this is what it seems to me what MAGA is bent on doing… making up fiends and foes out of common, ordinary people living in America who happen to have different ideas, lifestyles, color of skin, political or religious beliefs, or anything else they want to make a big fuss about. To do this, the very first thing that must be done is to divide Americans into “us” and “them”. Then, once the division is made, the “us” group gets to go around screaming, shouting, and raging about reality not being how or what they want it to be. It’s so easy to rage.
It’s hard to do the work to really understand the complexities of nature, much less a huge, complicate country like the USA. So, just forget about trying to understand all nuances, complexity, or differences… just cut reality in half, throw away or get rid of the part you don’t like, and plough ahead with half a head and a lopsided mind. In other words, ignore complexity. This is how you get MIGA out of MAGA.
MIGA… Making Ignorance Great Again! See the MIGA Collection now available on my Etsy store: The Quip Collection.
If you are a writer intending to publish independently and seeking help with some of the final details of the publishing process… BEWARE… the sea of the Google is ripe with sharks and cockroaches seeking to take your money and steal you blind. Time to wake up… if you want to keep your hard earned cash in your bank account.
Report A Scam
First things first, scammers are like spam… you find them everywhere and they have a long, long, long shelf life. This is because once the Federal Trade Commission, law enforcement, FBI, or even anti-scammer superheroes like Scammer Payback, Midnight, and Neon shut them down in one place or operating under one name, they pop back up somewhere else using a different name, different spoofed phone numbers, different IPs addresses.
But, just because they are everywhere like cockroaches does not mean we swallow their shitty deeds and take it. We report it. We publicize it. We help each other learn their tactics, their scam operations, their maneuver and we learn how to recognize, evade, and report their scum bag lifestyles. And protect those who are more vulnerable from them.
Here are some places you can report a scam:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov to provide information that can help the FTC investigate the scam.
FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): File a complaint if you've been a victim of spoofing or phishing.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Report unsolicited emails that appear to be from the IRS to phishing@irs.gov. If you've lost money due to an IRS-related incident, you can also report it to the Treasury Inspector General Administration (TIGTA).
Local police department: File a police report with the fraud division of your local police department.
Also, check out these places:
fbi.gov -- Spoofing and Phishing -- FBIHow to Report. To report spoofing or phishing attempts—or to report that you've been a victim—file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).consumer.ftc.gov What To Do if You Were Scammed | Consumer AdviceThat's a scam. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Scammers can be very convincing. They call, email, and send us text messages trying to get our money or sensitive personal information — like our Social Security or account numbers. And they're good at what they do. Here's what to do if you paid someone you think is a scammer or gave them your personal information or access to your computer or phone. If you paid a scammer, your money might be gone already. No matter how you paid, it's always worth asking the company you used to send the money if there's a way to get it back.
irs.gov -- Tax scams -- how to report them | Internal Revenue Service | Feb 6, 2024 — Phishing scams Phishing is a scam typically carried out through unsolicited email and/or websites that pose as legitimate sites and lure unsuspecting victims to provide personal and financial information. Report all unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to phishing@irs.gov . If you've experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related incident, please report it to the Treasury Inspector General Administration (TIGTA) and the Federal Trade Commission.
aura.com -- How To Track Down a Scammer (and What To Do Next) - AuraJul 24, 2023 — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC has an online portal for reporting scams. Visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov to give them more information so that they can conduct an investigation.
thelawdictionary.org -- How To Report A Scammer To The Police - Black's Law Dictionary-- It is generally best to file a police report on a scammer, reach out to your bank, and file a complaint with the appropriate federal agency as soon as possible after you have been scammed. To file a police report for a scam, you will need make a call to or visit the fraud division of your local police department.
You can also try contacting the company you used to send money to see if there’s a way to get it back. For example, if you paid by debit card, you can try using a chargeback to get your money back. I used a credit card. Because I was hell bent on publishing my book faster than the scammers could string me along… my husband and I reported the scam to our credit card company and they reeled back the money the scammers thought they had stolen. Read below their terrible realization as they realized I wriggled off their hook!
If you’ve been scammed, it’s important to act quickly to minimize damage. You should immediately stop all contact with the scammer, including not responding to any emails, messages, or calls.
My Amazon Publishing Scam Story
On April 8, 2024, I ended up on this website while search for Amazon self-publishing instructions and website. This site appears above the real Amazon website and instructions. Having never published a book before, I did not know what I did not know. The chat bot immediately engaged with me before I could scroll down to the very bottom of the website. The chat bot introduced itself as Jennifer Grace. This was 1st contact with the fraud they were about to pull on me.
Scammer Website!
Let’s Pick This Website Apart
The URL below is the Scammer’s Website. Notice how long the URL below is… this is not normal for legit websites to be so long.
Also, look at the logo. It uses Amazon’s color and shape, but it is not the Amazon logo. They just want to get it close enough and hope you ignore the fact that it is a cheap fake as you fall into their scammer net that is pretty and shiny, baited with all the ways they are going to help you be a BEST SELLING author. They are counting on your enthusiasm and dreams to make you ignore the warning flags waving frantically at you as you take the bait and fall hook-line-and sinker into their trap. They will play on every writer’s secret dream to be the next JK Rollings! The scammers will actually use this line on me later.
Bookwriting... really?! Dudes... you are suppose to be helping writers not hurting them.
And that chat box down at the lower right hand corner… WATCH OUT… because they are watching YOU and they know you have stumbled into their web.
A “friendly” girl named Jennifer is going to pop up and start talking to me. She will quickly hand me off their Marketing Supervisor… who is the same girl but with a new name: Abigail… what a pretty name for a spider. She is going to take my money and pass me off to a Scammer Closer... who she tells me is an Amazon Global Publishing Project Managers… I fail to hear her evil laugh as she quickly pushing me off to David… the Closer!
Let’s back up because the scammers gave me a lot of information here that I am going to share with you so you can begin questioning a scam sooner than I did.
Jennifer Grace immediately handed me off to Abigail Noel who is the 2nd contact. Abigail talked fast and was very flattering (very nice and flattering people are buttering you up — this is always a warning sign!!).
She moved me swiftly from chatting over the chat bot to a phone call coming from (877-806-0660) [Beware of numbers beginning with 877… these tend to be scammer numbers!] Once on the phone, Abigail continued her flattery and fast talking. I specifically asked her if they are part of Amazon, and she told me that they are. I said that I did not know Amazon had a sub-division that assisted writers with finishing up their manuscripts. Abigail allowed me to continue in this delusion and this is the moment that the fraud began and everyone I would communicate with thereafter contributed to my mistaken identity that Amazon Global Publishing worked for Amazon. In fact, they were counting on this to hook me for the scam part of the fraud they had just pulled me into.
Believing that I was interacting with a sub-division of Amazon, Abigail gave me a quote for how much it would cost, and then offered me 40% off, creating a limited offer and a sense of needing to make a decision now or lose the benefit.
Following is part of the text they sent me after my initial contact with them, though part of our conversation has been removed, especially when I tell Abigail that I didn’t know Amazon offered publishing services to writers and she assured me that Amazon did. She did not make sure I understood this was Amazon Global Publishing, which has no affiliation with Amazon and is in fact poaching client writers from Amazon proper. I highlight two points in my initial contact with individuals at this fake Amazon where the scam is initiated, then continued.
[amazonpublicationhouse] Re: Chat with Visitor 47486888 [aka… “I just snagged a very Stupid but YUMMY Fish for Dinner boys!”]
Inbox
support@…se.zendesk.com [Very creepy Zen going on here]
Apr 8, 2024, 2:03 PM to me
Chat started: 2024-04-08 05:07 PM UTC [Coordinated Universal Time] This is another trick they employ so you don’t know where the Hell on planet Earth they are working from! And another WARNING SIGN!!!
(05:07:20 PM) *** Jennifer Grace joined the chat *** [The evil worm coming to pull in dinner for the scamming crew]
(05:07:23 PM) Jennifer Grace: Hello there 🙂
(05:07:25 PM) Jennifer Grace: How are you doing today?
**(05:07:30 PM) Jennifer Grace: Are you intending to get your book published on Amazon? [Jennifer says Amazon; not Amazon Global Publishing… the scam begins here]**
(05:08:14 PM) Jennifer Grace: Well, this is not a BOT – Feel free to ask any question 🙂
(05:09:47 PM) Visitor 47486888: Oh — I was looking for self guide to do this myself, but what is the price for a book coming in at 297 pages text, plus about 10 to 15 references. I also have my own art and cover (though do not know how to put the words on the title yet)
(05:10:18 PM) Jennifer Grace: Alright, we can certainly help you with that
(05:10:27 PM) Jennifer Grace: May I have your name please 🙂
(05:10:56 PM) Visitor 47486888: Deborah … though I plan to use a pen name for the book [Ah… I just bit the hook!!! LOL…]
(05:11:09 PM) Jennifer Grace: Nice to have you here, Deborah 🙂
(05:11:23 PM) Jennifer Grace: Let me quickly connect you to Our Senior Book Expert [LOL!!!! Senior Scammer Scum is more accurate]
(05:11:30 PM) Jennifer Grace: who’d be able to guide you properly with the process and pricing as well
(05:11:35 PM) Visitor 47486888 is now known as Deborah … aka, among the scammers all huddled together in their pathetic ugly room in India: “Stupid New Yummy Target”. [YES, scammers have elaborate systems tracking everybody who stumbles onto their paid, promoted pages! You a just a number to them… a stupid fish they are hoping to reel for dinner!]
(05:11:38 PM) Deborah: OK
(05:11:55 PM) Jennifer Grace: Meanwhile, may I have your email and phone number? in case we get disconnected
(05:12:43 PM) Deborah: Sure — email is xxxx@gmail.com phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx (cell) [Never, ever give your personal information to people you don’t know… they will keep calling and email on new spoofing lines until HELL freezes over!!!!!]
(05:12:56 PM) Jennifer Grace: Thanks for the details 🙂
(05:13:02 PM) Jennifer Grace: Connecting you right away!! [Yeah right, girrrl, you are connection to yourself!]
(05:13:15 PM) *** Abigail Noel joined the chat ***
(05:13:22 PM) Abigail Noel: Hello Deborah!
(05:13:27 PM) Abigail Noel: Nice to have you here 🙂
(05:14:03 PM) Abigail Noel: I’ll provide you with the cost details shortly.
**(05:14:08 PM) Deborah: I ended up here accidentally… [Zen Desk puts … here, but there is text missing here… I know I said that I did not know Amazon had this servie and Abigail lead me to believe that Amazon did have it, the real Amazon, not this fake one] …but let’s see what you might be able to help me do and how much** There is NOTHING ZEN about this Creepy Desk!
(05:14:21 PM) Abigail Noel: I see you have a 297 paged book
(05:14:26 PM) Deborah: yes
(05:14:31 PM) Abigail Noel: May i know whats it about as in whats the genre?
(05:15:11 PM) Deborah: I have formatted it per amazon instruction… and the genre is Science Fiction-Fantasy with some historical fiction thrown in [Yeah… I just keep feeding them information to hang myself with…]
(05:15:23 PM) Abigail Noel: Thats amazing! [Buttering up… because I am dinner!!!]
(05:15:44 PM) Deborah: 12 years in the making! It’s time!!
(05:16:09 PM) Abigail Noel: Would it be requiring professional editing? Or would basic proofreading be sufficient?
<<Something was left out here… not such a perfect recording machine this creepy Zen Desk!!>>
(05:17:50 PM) Abigail Noel: Oh wow!
(05:17:52 PM) Deborah: Proofreading is sufficient… I have edited it extensively over a long period of time… I get 100% with Word very basic grammar/spell check… but I’m sure there are still some errors… [Abigail is going to ignore what I just said and proceed to sell me shit.]
(05:18:15 PM) Abigail Noel: We’ll take care of it we have inhouse professionals who can take care of this!
(05:19:04 PM) Abigail Noel: Let’s dive into the process, Deborah, this way you’ll get to know how we work and I’ll provide you with the package as well
(05:19:20 PM) Deborah: One other thing that may not make this possible for you to do… is I really feel it needs to be published on 4/24/24… [This is so fortunate!!!!]
(05:20:05 PM) Abigail Noel: That can definitely be done [YEAH Right!!!!]
(05:20:18 PM) Deborah: Ok — great! [Bad idea girl!!!!!!!]
(05:20:31 PM) Abigail Noel: Once your order is placed, we will proceed by collecting your manuscript and other relevant details including image files. Your dedicated project manager will get in touch with you via email and calls.
(05:20:54 PM) Abigail Noel: As part of Amazon’s Mandatory Guidelines, we will run the proofreading phase on your manuscript, which includes:
[Let’s just get it clear… Amazon does have guidelines, but if you are self-publishing, you are on your own. They don’t even have a Help Desk to call, nor email. They don’t care if you, speck of creative flare that you are, sink in their vast, competitive sea of online shopping… because they don’t NEED you. Once you publish on their platform, you appear at the bottom of Amazon’s Marianas Trench of their online sellers and buyers world. Whether you can find a way to float up a little higher in the vast maze of algorithms and paid ads is totally up to you!!!]
•Ensuring consistency in your writing, word choices, style, and compositional spacing
• Eliminating jargon and repetition
• Revising inappropriate verb tenses
• Checking for subject-verb agreement
• Inserting transitional phrasing
• Evaluating the continuity/flow of your thoughts
• Ensuring support of statements
• Providing correct formatting of citations/references, and footnotes according to industry style guide formatting
• Providing critical assessment and feedback of your manuscript throughout your document’s comments section.
This step identifies any roadblocks such as plagiarism, spelling, and grammatical errors that might cause the book to be flagged by Amazon or removed from its list after publication.
[This is all complete Bullshit… they don’t do shit except think of how to scam more money out of you now!!!]
(05:22:09 PM) Abigail Noel: Your book is already formatted, however to ensure that it aligns with Amazon Standards of 2024 [Hahaha… scammers want you to feel stuck… they want you to feel dependented on them… fortunately, I had already tuned her out because I knew my book didn’t need this shit… I was focused on 4/24/24] we’ll run the formatting phase on it, after your approval, we will start the Book conversion process and set the layout and formatting of the book including marginalization, spacing, fonts, dimensions, index of authorities, etc.
Moving on, an Expert Typesetter enhances the composition of the text for a better readability experience in Digital Format and also to enable the book for Printing.
We will then put together the final publish-ready version of the book in Digital and Paperback formats and share them with you for your review and approval.
(05:22:31 PM) Abigail Noel: After you provide us with your final approval on the publish-ready version of the book in print and digital, our publisher will publish your book on Amazon and Kindle. This entails a unique ISBN and barcode registration for your book and creating unique author and book profiles on Amazon and Kindle, which we’ll ensure are optimized so we can attract your book’s relevant target audience organically.
(05:22:39 PM) Abigail Noel: With me so far, Deborah?
(05:22:41 PM) Deborah: These would be checks that are sent as suggestions, correct? I have a very specific voice and tone that needs to be maintained.
(05:23:22 PM) Abigail Noel: Rest assured, we’ll make sure to preserve the true essence of its originality
(05:24:18 PM) Abigail Noel: Once we have your approval on the final publish ready version, before its publication, we will also search engine optimize your Amazon profile in order to attract an organic audience and make your book rank higher in the recommendation list of people interested in your genre.
Meta data is information about your book (title, genre, author bio, publisher, etc.) that helps retailers and readers categorize and find your book. The stronger your metadata, the easier readers can find your book. our meta data experts will perform a spell check, basic edits, and keyword optimization to give your book its best shot at make the sale. You’ll also receive a proof of your approval.
(05:24:32 PM) Deborah: I’m nervous… but I’m also overwhelmed a bit as this is first book… so if this is affordable, I will serious consider help
(05:24:42 PM) Abigail Noel: Lastly, we set up the exclusive Print on Demand Function for you. Amazon will take care of all your printing and shipping orders.
This is our process, let me know if you have any questions.
(05:25:38 PM) Abigail Noel: I understand and we’re here to be your helping hand Deborah, it can be quiet nerve wreaking but rest assured our packages are budget friendly and we strive to help authors in the best possible way
(05:26:48 PM) Deborah: Yes — I want the digital and print on demand for sure. I also have a resource page for the end… that I am cutting down… this provides links to resources I have used to help me create the texture and background for the characters… as well as be as accurate as possible to historical dates
(05:28:34 PM) Abigail Noel: Thats wonderful! Insightful and detail-oriented, the perfect blend.
(05:29:51 PM) Abigail Noel: If you don’t have any questions, shall I get your package generated?
(05:29:58 PM) Deborah: Trying… for sure… provide contents and offer new ideas
(05:30:46 PM) Deborah: Yes — what does this cost? That could be my biggest hurtle
(05:31:26 PM) Abigail Noel: Alright, Deborah! Kindly hold with me while I get your package generated
-Basic Proofreading (According To Amazon Standards) [RED ALERT!!!!]
-Ensuring the Layout, Formatting, and Typesetting are as per International Publishing Standards
-Finalization of the publish-ready version of the book
-Global Publishing on Amazon
-Unlimited revisions until you are 100% satisfied
-100% ownership rights
– Creation of Author Profile and Book Page on Amazon
– Book Categorization in relevant categories as per the Genre
– Keyword Research and Optimization to improve the Book’s discoverability
– Search engine optimization of Author profile on the publishing platform
– Attract your targeted audience with keywords and categorization
[Total Bullshit… they give your a made up price and put it on sale because all little fishys love to bite on sales!]
(05:33:49 PM) Abigail Noel: How does that sound to you, Deborah?
(05:34:59 PM) Deborah: That sounds really amazing… can you hold on as I need to run this by husband … back in a minute [And it is soon to become a really nasty nightmare, girl… RUN!!!]
(05:35:11 PM) Abigail Noel: Certainly, I’m right here!
(05:37:15 PM) Deborah: Okay… we are on a pretty tight budget… but this is a big thing, I think the book will find her readers, eventually… I am exhausted… so he agrees, let’s do it [Abigail don’t care… she just wants to swallow as much money as you give her and leave you high and dry to die]
(05:38:51 PM) Abigail Noel: That great to hear! Let me ring you up and assist you in getting started
(05:39:40 PM) Deborah: okay — you can call cell xxx-xxx-xxxx or home xxx-xxx-xxxx [OH YEAH… they’re going to be calling both of these non-stop pretty soon once they realize you realized they are SCAMMERS!!!!!!!]
(05:39:49 PM) Abigail Noel: Ringing you right up!
What Zen Desk does not record is that Abigail got my credit card number wrong three times because she kept inputting a wrong number into her system [Stupid scammer!]. On the fourth try, using my husband’s name she finally got it right and the charge of $750 went through.
Without a moments break, she handed me off to David Luiz[Apparently this dude likes scoccer because the only David Luiz who appears in Google searches is the one who plays for Brazil, but I don’t know this yet because I want to believe they are going to help me… what a foolish girl I am!] who was supposed to be my Project Manager (but really, he was primary fraudster and scammer from here on out). David’s main concern was singing me up onto this sketchy system called Basecamp. He was more concerned with this than understanding the scope of my book, work already completed, and areas that I wanted help. [Basecamp is super scary SHIT! If someone wants you to join Basecamp…RUN!!!!!!]
The “Basecamp”!!
Signing into Basecamp didn’t work at first either, and David shunted me off to an IT specialist who finally got me into this system. Following are the Welcome Messages.
Basically, David wanted to get my cover art (which is my original work and something I have not released to anyone as of this time) and my manuscript (an endeavor that took 12 years to write).
The next day, I got a cover design back. This seemed the only thing that they may have been competent in doing; however, by April 19, when I realize this is a scam, I do not use anything they provided. In fact, they never provided a PDF that I could use to load into the Kindle self-publishing system. They only sent pretty mockups, which was decent, not great and not sent as I file that I could use.
It took David until April 11 to answer questions I had sent to him on April 9th. I thought this odd, but figured he was busy. Throughout this whole time, a timeline was never created, and I had no idea who was working on what part of my book, just a mysterious 11 unidentified people who supposedly got every message sent through Basecamp.
I finally get edits on April 12. I am shocked and dismayed that the editor has only gotten to page 40 of 297 pages. Abigail has promised me they would meet my April 24 deadline, though it is clear David is hedging on this.
I look through the edits. Most are stylistic edits (stupid edits). And what concerns me further is there are glaring errors in the edits made that if published would make me look like I didn’t know who I was talking about and lost track of my characters. I point out to the mystery editor in a nice way.
I send it back the next day.
I do not receive any thing until 4/16/24, and this is only a new mockup of my cover after I request a darker color on the back. Again, it is sent to me in a file I cannot use. Just a nice mockup of what my book might look like.
Two more days past before I received the next set of edits draft back. Again, I am shocked and dismayed that this “editor” had only accomplished editing 40 more pages since 4/12/24… this is absolutely dismal progress for a “professional” editor. In my time as an editor, I would have been fired for going this slow. Even more annoying is the editor continues to make the same serious mistakes I thought we had addressed and come to an understanding of from the first draft. But in the next 40 pages, this serious mistake (along with others) continues to be made. I am also in serious doubt that they can make my 4/24/24 deadline.
But Wait… The Scam Gets Worse!!
Then, the fraud-scam grows bigger.
On April 18, 2024, David calls me breathless and tells me that out of 5,000 authors they are working with this month, I have been pick for sponsorship of Extensive Publishing. David tells me I will get two editors, be featured globally on Amazon sites as well as 40 additional non-Amazon sites, and a bunch of other garbage that he makes sound really exiting. He tells me this all cost $12,000, but some mysterious sponsor is going to chip in 70%, so I only need to pay an additional $3,600.
I told David I was on a run and could not possibly pay until returning home.
When I returned home and called, as I promised, David was not available (probably scamming someone else), but Abigail was. David messaged me on Basecamp, but I did not get a Zen Desk readout of his call and promises. The invoice does not list any of the promises David has made to me, nor do I finally notice does it list a physical address. In fact, no communications I have received thus far lists a brick and mortar building though I know David and Abigail are working someplace with other people because when I have talked to them, I hear other people talking in the background.
‘Bout Time Girl!!!!
My suspicions begin to rise. [‘Bout TIME, girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
On April 19, 2024, David interrupts a call with my daughter who is getting ready to fly down for personal reason that are scheduled on Monday. I hang up on my daughter to take his call. He tells me that my manuscript is done, which I immediately find utterly unbelievable considering the super slow progress up until this point.
I have been kind to the editors believing berating them for dumb mistakes will not further the process, but I am not impressed by any of the edits made up until this April 18, 2024. When I open this latest draft, I am dumbfounded. The book is not over 640 pages!!! Edits are barely worthy making and more mistakes. Also, it has been sent as a PDF and David wants me to hand write my comments!!!!!
I am not pleased, but still believe I am working with Amazon.
Then, my daughter flies in and my husband and I pick her up at National. I tell her they story of the past 24 hours, and she tells me: “Mom, you’ve been scammed.”
When we get home, I finally search for amazon global publishing scams (as I should have done on April 8), and I find this article: How Scammers Are Using Amazon and Amazon Trademarks to Rip Writers Off — POSTED BY VICTORIA-STRAUSS FOR WRITER BEWARE® ON JUL 7, 2023
I finally threw away my blinders of enthusiasm and excitement and realized that this very tiny team of “experts” were preying on me to get my money that now totals $4,150 US dollars. Money, I did not have in excess to spare, especially after 5 years (now going on 6 years) of not working after being fired from my job with a religious non-profit for whom I had put in over 86 hours of worked writing proposals for the past year, many of them funded. But, this didn’t matter to the narcissistic CEO who preferred to run the nonprofit using fear of being laid off or fired if the employees did not do what she wanted when she wanted it done. This experienced combine with the trauma of being the person who had to make the decision to remove my father from lifesaving care sent me into a major depression that sent me to a pit of suicidal depression, but that is straying from the story of the scam.
Leaving My Pride on the Floor & Dealing With Reality
Confronted with my husband’s doubt and my daughter’s absolute belief I had been scammed, and finding Victoria Strauss’ article, I admitted to myself and my family I had fallen for a scam, and we called our credit card and report the fraud on April 19, 2024. They immediately begin a charge back process for the 4/8/24 charge of $750, but the $3,500 charge has not yet posted as of 4/19/24. However, by 4/20/24, this charge posted, and we reported the fraud and charge back (refund) process on this amount too.
My family and I are incredibly fortunate that our credit card could get both charges cancelled and refunded to our credit card. However, we now must begin the process of closing this card as the scammers have it and the security codes. The intangible thing that they also have is all of my original work: the manuscript I sent to them on 4/8/24, the cover art that I drew, and all the artwork in the novel, which I also drew.
With the 0.05% chance that they could publish my work before I did and claim it as theirs, I threw all my effort into getting onto Real Amazon’s website and figuring out on my own Real Amazon’s self-publishing process, which really isn’t that hard, even for beginners who have never done this before. I worked on my paperback first and submitted it on 4/22/24. Amazon is very forthright that once you hit submit it can take 72 hours for it to go Live. I was just a tiny bit over the 72 hours and could only hope that my paperback went Live on my birthday as I have been pushing for and working for hard for the past year.
And it went Live on 4/24/24 at 11:38 a.m.! I was so happy. I managed to submit my Kindle formatted manuscript on 4/24/24 and learned that the Kindle process provides more checks that proved very helpful, so next time, I will format and submit Kindle first. My Kindle version went Live on 4/26/24, which is when I submitted my hard cover manuscript and made changes to my paperback from things I had learned doing the Kindle version. As of Monday, my hard cover is Live now too.
Throughout this whole time, my husband and I were helping our daughter get through a rough moment. And as of the moment of my awareness of being scammed, I stopped responded to calls, text, and emails coming from Fake Amazon. How they responded in the wake of realizing I cancelled payment and refused to return or answer calls, texts, or e-mails illuminates they are indeed a scamming fake corporate shell operation.
I do not respond to any posts in Basecamp, calls, or text thereafter. And there are many, which I am going to list for this in itself indicated fraud and scam practices given how many numbers they desperately are trying to contact me one.
Amazon Global Publishing Website Dissected
I never got down to the end of the very long webpage. Yes, this is all one page… you have to scroll, scroll, and scroll to get to that little, tiny disclaimer in the black at the very bottom of this site… in really tiny font. In addition, throughout all my verbal communications with this scamming team, they always just said Amazon. If they were getting serious, they might say Amazon Publishing. I see now, this was all very deliberate. And since successfully publishing my work on Real Amazon, I see how they went to great links to get their graphics to look vaguely like Real Amazon, but different enough that they might be able to get away with it. That is Real Amazon’s problem, not mine.
Scammer Panic
The most interesting part of this story is what happens after we stop the payments and I stop communicating with them. Here is how they responded.
Desperate Effort to Re-engage with Me After I Cut Off All Communication on 4/19/24:
On April 23, I blocked 877-806-0660 (the number we had been communicating through). This is the number Abigail first called me on and the number David, my alleged Project Manager, used thereafter to call me. I would soon realize that this little team of two or three or a whole country, had many other numbers they used to talk with “people” (or should I say victims).
Phone numbers associated with this group:
307-429-0934 Sheridan, WY April 24 4:21 pm (it is David)
307-429-0934 Sheridan, WY April 24 4:45 pm (it is David)
And the Creepy Text Messages:
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 25 2:23 pm (it is Abigail)
307-429-0934 Sheridan, WY April 25 4:24 pm (it is David)
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 25 5:50 pm (it is Abigail)
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 25 5:51 pm (it is Abigail)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 26 11:59 am (it is David)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 26 11:59 am (it is David)
And pathetic voicemail messages:
Leaves Voicemail:‚ÄúHi Debra, this Terry speaking your project How are you doing ? It’s been a long Reach out to you on the kidding and connect Fortunately There are a couple of things that need To discuss If you could you please ring me up whenever you are free or just so let me know so I can give you a call back Looking forward to take care, I hope Your Going with the smooth as well Whenever you available, you can just call me back and we’ll connect How I take care of goodbye‚Ķ
(I’d like to point out David forgot his fake name he was using with me and called himself Terry)
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 26 3:15 pm (it is Abigail)
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 26 3:15 pm (it is Abigail)
More Creepy Texts & Voicemails:
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 29 1:01 pm (it is Abigail)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 29 4:24 pm (it is David)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 29 4:25 pm (it is David)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 29 4:26 pm (it is David)
Leaves Voicemail: ‚ÄúHi Deborah, this is David speaking your project manager. How are you doing? I hope everything is great at you and I’ve been trying to reach out to you all. But unfortunately, getting to connected all there are a couple of things that need to be discussed so On the top of everything you payment has been actually home Refund it to To your card No Finance actually been reaching out to me to get an update but unfortunately I have nothing to say then but I’m looking forward to get connected with you so just give me a call back whenever you’re free so we can‚Ķ‚Äù
(At least, he remembers the correct FAKE name this time)
484-750-6086 Digital Service April 30 1:50 pm (it is suspicious)
410-683-5026 Cockeysville, MD April 30 5:42 pm (it is Abigail)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 30 7:34 pm (either David or new guy Ronald from finance)
877-384-2440 Unknown April 30 7:35 pm (either David or new guy Ronald from finance)
307-241-5560 Wheatland, WY April 30 9:23 pm Ronald from finance
307-241-5560 Wheatland, WY April 30 9:24 pm (it is Ronald who also called my home phone)
307-241-5560 Wheatland, WY April 30 9:23 pm (it is Ronald)
Sent Creepy text (and I bet your booty it’s really David-Terry-Rashi pretending to be Ronald):
I’d like to point out that these later calls do not correspond to the established pattern between David and Abigail that communicated strictly beginning after 12 noon EST time and about 5:00 pm EST. On my last call with David (the one where he scammed me on paying $3,400) I asked him what time zone he is working in. I think I surprised him with this question for he hesitated with a Hmmm… then, said Mountain Time, which is not where Amazon headquarters would be operating from (that would be Pacific Time). The 9 pm calls correspond nicely with someone calling from the Philippines or Indonesia, which is exactly 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time. So, this Ronald guy would have just arrived and started work at his International Scam Factory. He would have made calls at 9:23 am, 9:24 am, and sent a text at 9:23 am Philippine time using a Spoofing (fake number) to disguise the call as coming from Whealand, WY.
E-mails & Creepy Basecamp Messages Received After I Reported the Fraud to Credit Card:
Creepy Texts and Emails Received After Money Was Pulled Back:
Hell no Abigail… you want me to tell you how to scam someone else better! Bitch!
Copy of Above:
abigail |<abigail@amzglobalpublishing.com>
Mon, Apr 29, 1:07 PM (1 day ago)
to me
Fake, fake, fake, fake
Greetings Deborah,
I hope everything is going well with you.
I recently heard from David about the chargeback situation. I completely understand if you’re hesitant and have been avoiding our calls. However, I would really appreciate it if you could share what prompted you to change your mind. I’m not asking you to reconsider working with us again, but just understanding why you’re avoiding us would mean a lot.
David mentioned that he’s planning to reach out to you to resolve this issue, but he also mentioned today that you’ve been avoiding us. It would mean a great deal to me if you could shed some light on the situation. I recall how enthusiastic you were about working with us before, and how satisfied you seemed with David’s assistance. If you could simply let me know what’s changed, we can finally put this matter to rest.
Best Regards, Abigail Noel
Sr. Publishing & Marketing Consultant
David — April 29 & 30: [HaHa… David!!!]
April 30:
Copy of above email
Urgent: Action Required to Avoid Sponsorship Loss [HaHa… David!!!]
Dear Deborah,
I hope this email finds you well.
I’ve been trying to reach out to you through multiple channels for over a week now, but unfortunately, I haven’t received any response from your end. This concerns me greatly, especially considering the current status of your project.
It’s very unlike you to become unresponsive all of a sudden, especially given the strong bond and professional connection we’ve developed throughout our collaboration. I find this behavior both strange and unprofessional, and I hope we can address any concerns or issues together. [Laughing out loud So hard… David is trying to Shame me back into giving him my money… LOL!!!]
As you may be aware, there was a sudden chargeback raised on your payment in the middle of our project, resulting in a full refund of the amount paid. While there was sponsorship involved in your package, our policy dictates that outstanding dues must be cleared promptly to avoid any adverse consequences.
I want to emphasize the urgency of this situation. If your dues remain unpaid by the end of today, the sponsorship associated with your package will be forfeited, which could significantly impact the progress of your work. I’m sure you can understand that this is not an outcome I wish for.
I have attached the payment details below for your reference.
Click here to make the payment
I sincerely hope you can take a moment to clear the outstanding dues to avoid any disruptions to your project. Please know that I am here to assist you every step of the way, and I remain committed to ensuring the success of your project.
Looking forward to your prompt response.
Best regards, David
[Yeah, duh David, are you finally realizing I am not your tasty little fish you get to eat tonight?!]
Anti-Scammers Super Heros!
I’d like to give a shout out to individuals with skills in the US who are fighting back against these scammers. If you have not heard of them, check out their channels and consider supporting the work they are doing to keep us safe from the scumbags working in huge corporate-like operations mostly based in India, but also Pakistan and the Philipines.
Thank You Scammer Payback!!!
Thank You Midnight!!!
Thank You Neon!!!
Moral to the Story
So, the moral of this story, is if your Project Manager speaks with an Indonesian, Pilipino, Indian, Pakistani accent, which mine most certainly did… you are probably not working with a real publishing firm, not even a vanity publisher. You are working with scammers who are going to pull out all the stops to fraud you out of your money. Beware.
How Would A No Labels Presidential Candidate Change the Outcome in 2024?
This blog focus on the idea that the non-profit organization called No Labels plans to put a third party candidate into the 2024 Presidential Campaign. While I agree with Ryan Clancy’s idea of creating more choice for American voters, it is an extremely, short-sighted, ill-conceived, and premature idea to try to do this year.
While 60,000 voters think a third party candidate can win, so far no third party candidate has ever come close to getting a toe hold into the White House. There are so many more MAGA voters inspired by cooky myths, lies, and the very scary Seven Mountain Mandate men, of whom Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert are examples of women leaning heavily into “Let’s Do Medieval Again!“
The Stakes
This year, more than any year in American history, the stakes are higher than most people care to believe or admit or reckon with. Having Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West already running on third party tickets is concerning. So now, we want more choice and add a No Labels ticket too?! Really, this year, when King Kong and his MAGA base is coming to rip down democracy and replace it with the Christian Alt Right Stary-Eyed, Let’s Have Kings Again, The Seven Mountains Mandate men?!
Who are The Seven Montains Mandate men and women? Think Handmaids Tale.
It is not: “Oh the guy I voted for didn’t do the one thing I really wanted him to do, so I’m not voting for him again.”
This is an ignorant, short-sighted, and extremely selfish opinion. Running a country of 331+ million people democratically is not done by waving magic wands and fixing this problem instantly, then this problem, then that problem, and so on and so forth…
Do you live in reality people who give this as a reason for not voting for Joe? MAGA voters are a whole different story. They are a battering ram. They want to destroy democracy and rebuild America as a Totalitarian Christian Nationalist Country. Do you, ordinary voters unhappy with Joe want to live in a Christian Nationalist State run by one of the stupidest men on the planet… the Orange Baby?
Bradley Onishi is a former Christian nationalist who's now a professor of religion and the author of Preparing for War, a critique of the movement and its impact on American democracy.
BRAD ONISHI: I think it has. Christian nationalism is having a moment. It's having a moment in ways that it's requiring those who adhere to its principles and ideologies to respond to it. Folks like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert and others have talked about the ways that Christian nationalism not only informs their understanding of politics, but how they identify explicitly as Christian nationalists. And so we are at a point in American politics where Christian nationalism is something that many people are discussing.
GROSS: Are there many people in Congress who are affiliated with Christian nationalism?
ONISHI: I think it's fair to say that, yes. One of the things that's true about our Congress is that it is disproportionately Christian. Now, there are many different types of Christian people in our Congress from various denominations. However, if we look at the GOP and we look at the tenets of the party's policies and its approach to the upcoming elections, we find core Christian nationalist ideals in that platform. And we find many, many, many members of Congress from the GOP who support those principles. So from outgoing Speaker Kevin McCarthy to current speaker Mike Johnson, all the way to senators and other members of the House, there are many folks who I would describe as Christian nationalists in the United States Congress.
GROSS: What are some of the fundamental principles of Christian nationalism? Like, how would you define Christian nationalism?
ONISHI: I think in very simple terms, Christian nationalism is the idea that Christian people should be privileged in the United States in some way - economically, socially, politically - and that that influence and that privilege is a result of the country being founded by and for Christians. Christian nationalism is not the idea that others can't be here - that if you're a Muslim or an atheist, that you have to leave. It's also not the idea that only Christians can be part of the government. However, for most Christian nationalists, there is a core belief that the story of the United States is one where it has been elected by God to play an exceptional role in human history, and as being chosen by God, it's the duty of Christian people to carry out his will on Earth.
So Christian nationalists take an approach to their Christianity that says it should have an undue influence on our government, on our economics, on our culture, and that it is by dint of our history, the religious faith that is meant to be privileged in our public square. With that said, there are different kinds of Christian nationalists and different ways that people manifest their understanding of the term. But when it comes down to it, if we all sit down as Americans at a table and there are people from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different faiths, and someone who is a Christian says, just by being at this table, I should have a special place, well, to me, that's Christian nationalism because you're saying that somehow this country is yours in a way that it is not for everyone else. And to me, therein lies the problem.
Go to Fresh Air to listen or read the rest of this interview. It is really, really important!
And this is really creepy:
GROSS: An extreme group of Christian nationalists is the New Apostolic Reformation, and they advocate the Seven Mountain Mandate, which is that Christian nationalists or Christians should lead government, family, religion, business, education, media, arts and entertainment, and that they - all of these sectors should reflect the kingdom of God. And I think I mentioned all seven there. So what does that mean to reflect the kingdom of God in family, religion, business, education, media, arts and entertainment, and the government?
ONISHI: The Seven Mountains mandate is a particular form of understanding human society that says that Christian people are not called to persuade their neighbors to practice the Christian faith, to demonstrate to their fellow Americans that the Christian faith is the faith of love and truth. The Seven Mountains Mandate is, as my colleague Matthew Taylor says, a mandate to colonize the Earth for God. The seven domains as you listed them - arts and leisure and the economy and the government, the family - are seen as mountains of conquest. The goal is not dialogue with neighbors who may be Muslim or atheist or Hindu. The goal is not to simply reflect the character of Christ on earth by way of living a life that upholds his glory and his teachings. The goal is to have absolute authority and power over every facet of human society.
And so we can see here what I take to be a very dangerous approach to practicing Christianity in the public square. It is not one that recognizes democracy or dialogue, pluralism as sacred values. The goal is power. The goal is conquest. And so when one hears about a politician or a leader or anyone in influence, especially as part of our government, who adheres to the Seven Mountains Mandate, that should set alarm bells off immediately.
Democracy Is Not: “Joe’s too old, Joe’s too square, Joe’s too this or that...” This is just as stupid, impatience, ignorant reason to not vote for a known and vetted winner: Joe Biden.
There was a time in the not so distant past when age was considered a plus and must for a ruler. Wisdom takes time to ripen and mature inside of people. And it does not come to everyone who ages… look at the overly large, orange, baby King Kong with his revved up mad as hell MAGA base.
Do you think they are worried about the Orange Giant being too old… his less than 4 years younger than Biden!! Anyone giving this as a reason not to vote for Joe is suffering from ageism and is pretty ignorant about how a government governing 331+ million people really works! It takes a lot of people to make it work… good people who are appointed to their positions in a timely fashion and have the expertise and experience to do their jobs. Trump had the most vacancies in top, critical positions of any former President. Some key positions were never appointed under the Orange Giant.
Democracy Is Not: “I’m mad a Joe for aiding Israel.” Modern nation-states are messy… alliances are messy… the world is messy and hard and cruel… that is why nations make alliances, and when Israel was attacked by HAMAS in one of the bloodiest, most gruesome slaughters of innocent people of this century, of course US comforts and supports Israel. There is so much going on behind the scenes that you and I never hear about. The death of any innocent person is intolerable. And Joe and his cabinet are doing their damn best to push for resolution, ceasefire, peace. But, tell me, anyone threatening not to vote for Joe because he can’t wave his wand and make this bloodshed stop… DO YOU REALLY THINK THE ORANGE GIANT (the man to put in place the Muslim Ban days after taking office)…. DO YOU REALLY THINK he is a better option?! I was mad at Obama for not doing more to stop the slaughter of Syrians being bombed by Russia as they aided their ugly ally Bashar al-Assad.
Take A Minute, Learn Something… Maybe Something New
Do Americans really understand democracy? Do Americans really cherish it? Do American comprehend what is at stake this year?
No Labels Debate
It is a choice. Listen to this debate and listen to Fresh Air if you are truly concerned about making an informed, intelligent choice.
The centrist group No Labels is planning to host a bipartisan nominating convention in 2024. This is leading some people to speculate that they may promote a third-party candidate that better reflects the perspective of middle-of-the-line voters who don’t favor President Biden’s re-election bid or Donald Trump receiving the Republican nomination.
Those who say it will help Trump argue the group doesn’t have enough influence to make lasting tangible change and worry that promoting a third-party unity ticket will give an unpopular candidate like Trump a lower threshold for votes that would’ve gone to Biden.
Those who disagree say voters who are discontented with both major parties but particularly opposed to Trump, might turn out in support of the third-party candidate, indirectly reducing Trump's chances.
With this context, we debate the question: “How Would A No Labels Presidential Candidate Change the Outcome in 2024?"
Rahna Epting argues that the No Labels Party does not have a path to win the presidency. Ryan Clancy argues a No Labels unity presidential ticket has a viable path to win the White House in 2024. Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates.
Open to Debate:How Would a No Labels Presidential Candidate Change the Outcome in 2024?
Feature Archetypal Animation
Music: Mickey Mouse Operation | Little People — [11] Fisticuffs At Dawn 1:02
Putin is a serial murderer responsible for decades of death. In case you have not been keeping count, this is a partial list of his history of mass murder.
And others who should be added to his warrant for arrest include: Trump and his MAGA zombies (failure to past funding to Ukraine), Kim Jong Un (supplying missiles to Russia), Xi Jinping (supporting and supplying Russia with weapons of war), Iran (supplying missiles to Russia), and any Putin sympathizers.
Just Another Da with My Boys! |Music: YMCA — Villiage People
The Russian apartment bombings
These were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing more than 300, injuring more than 1,000, and spreading a wave of fear across the country.
About 300000 people have been killed during two wars in Chechnya over the past decade, a senior official in the province’s Moscow-backed government said.— Al Jazeera
Human rights organizations accused Russian forces of engaging in indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force whenever they encountered resistance, resulting in numerous civilian deaths. (According to Human Rights Watch, Russian artillery and rocket attacks killed at least 267 civilians during the December 1995 raid by the Chechens on the city of Gudermes.[46]) Throughout the span of the first Chechen war, Russian forces have been accused by Human Rights organizations of starting a brutal war with total disregard for humanitarian law, causing tens of thousands of unnecessary civilian casualties among the Chechen population. The main strategy in the Russian war effort had been to use heavy artillery and air strikes leading to numerous indiscriminate attacks on civilians. This has led to Western and Chechen sources calling the Russian strategy deliberate terror bombing on parts of Russia.[65] According to Human Rights Watch, the campaign was "unparalleled in the area since World War II for its scope and destructiveness, followed by months of indiscriminate and targeted fire against civilians".[66] Due to ethnic Chechens in Grozny seeking refuge among their respective teips in the surrounding villages of the countryside, a high proportion of initial civilian casualties were inflicted against ethnic Russians who were unable to find viable escape routes. The villages were also attacked from the first weeks of the conflict (Russian cluster bombs, for example, killed at least 55 civilians during the 3 January 1995 Shali cluster bomb attack).
Russian soldiers often prevented civilians from evacuating areas of imminent danger and prevented humanitarian organizations from assisting civilians in need. It was widely alleged that Russian troops, especially those belonging to the Internal Troops (MVD), committed numerous and in part systematic acts of torture and summary executions on Chechen civilians; they were often linked to zachistka ("cleansing" raids on town districts and villages suspected of harboring boyeviki – militants). Humanitarian and aid groups chronicled persistent patterns of Russian soldiers killing, raping and looting civilians at random, often in disregard of their nationality. Chechen fighters took hostages on a massive scale, kidnapped or killed Chechens considered to be collaborators and mistreated civilian captives and federal prisoners of war (especially pilots). Russian federal forces kidnapped hostages for ransom and used human shields for cover during the fighting and movement of troops (for example, a group of surrounded Russian troops took approximately 500 civilian hostages at Grozny's 9th Municipal Hospital).[67]
The violations committed by members of the Russian forces were usually tolerated by their superiors and were not punished even when investigated (the story of Vladimir Glebov serving as an example of such policy). Television and newspaper accounts widely reported largely uncensored images of the carnage to the Russian public. The Russian media coverage partially precipitated a loss of public confidence in the government and a steep decline in President Yeltsin's popularity. Chechnya was one of the heaviest burdens on Yeltsin's 1996 presidential election campaign. The protracted war in Chechnya, especially many reports of extreme violence against civilians, ignited fear and contempt of Russia among other ethnic groups in the federation. One of the most notable war crimes committed by the Russian army is the Samashki massacre, in which it is estimated that up to 300 civilians died during the attack.[68] Russian forces conducted an operation of zachistka, house-by-house searches throughout the entire village. Federal soldiers deliberately and arbitrarily attacked civilians and civilian dwellings in Samashki by shooting residents and burning houses with flame-throwers. They wantonly opened fire or threw grenades into basements where residents, mostly women, elderly persons and children, had been hiding.[69] Russian troops intentionally burned many bodies, either by throwing the bodies into burning houses or by setting them on fire.[70] A Chechen surgeon, Khassan Baiev, treated wounded in Samashki immediately after the operation and described the scene in his book:[71]
The Second Chechen War saw a new wave of war crimes and violation of international humanitarian law. Both sides have been criticised by international organizations of violating the Geneva Conventions. However, a report by Human Rights Watch states that without minimizing the abuses committed by Chechen fighters, the main reason for civilian suffering in the Second Chechen War came as a result of the abuses committed by the Russian forces on the civilian population.[94] According to Amnesty International, Chechen civilians have been purposely targeted by Russian forces, in apparent disregard of humanitarian law. The situation has been described by Amnesty International as a Russian campaign to punish an entire ethnic group, on the pretext of "fighting crime and terrorism".[95] Russian forces have throughout the campaign ignored to follow their Geneva convention obligations, and has taken little responsibility of protecting the civilian population.[94] Amnesty International stated in their 2001 report that Chechen civilians, including medical personnel, have been the target of military attacks by Russian forces, and hundreds of Chechen civilians and prisoners of war are extrajudicially executed.[96]
According to human rights activists, Russian troops systematically committed the following crimes in Chechnya: the destruction of cities and villages, not justified by military necessity; shelling and bombardment of unprotected settlements; summary extrajudicial executions and killings of civilians; torture, ill-treatment and infringement of human dignity; serious bodily harm intentionally inflicted on persons not directly participating in hostilities; deliberate strikes against the civilian population, civilian and medical vehicles; illegal detentions of the civilian population and enforced disappearances; looting and destruction of civilian and public property; extortion; taking hostages for ransom; corpse trade.[97][98][99] There were also rapes,[100][101][102] which, along with women, were committed against men.[103][104][105][106][107][108] According to the Minister of Health of Ichkeria, Umar Khanbiev, Russian forces committed organ harvesting and organ trade during the conflict.[109]
Russian forces have since the beginning of the conflict indiscriminately and disproportionately bombed and shelled civilian objects, resulting in heavy civilian casualties. In one such occasion in October 1999, ten powerful hypersonic missiles fell without warning and targeted the city's only maternity hospital, post office, mosque, and a crowded market.[110][111][112][113] Most of the casualties occurred at the central market, and the attack is estimated to have killed over 100 instantly and injuring up to 400 others. Similar incidents include the Baku–Rostov highway bombing where the Russian Air Force perpetrated repeated rocket attacks on a large convoy of refugees trying to enter Ingushetia through a supposed "safe exit".[114][115] This was repeated in December 1999 when Russian soldiers opened fire on a refugee convoy marked with white flags.[116]
The 1999–2000 siege and bombardments of Grozny caused between 5,000[117] and 8,000[118] civilians to perish. The Russian army issued an ultimatum during the Grozny-siege urging Chechens to leave the city or be destroyed without mercy.[119] Around 300 people were killed while trying to escape in October 1999 and subsequently buried in a mass grave.[120] The bombing of Grozny included banned Buratino thermobaric and fuel-air bombs, igniting the air of civilians hiding in basements.[121][122] There were also reports of the use of chemical weapons, banned according to Geneva law.[123] The Russian president Putin vowed that the military would not stop bombing Grozny until Russian troops quote 'fulfilled their task to the end.' In 2003, the United Nations called Grozny the most destroyed city on Earth.[124]
Another occasion of indiscriminate and perhaps deliberate bombardment is the bombing of Katyr-Yurt which occurred on 4–6 February 2000. The village of Katyr Yurt was far from the war's front line, and jam-packed with refugees. It was untouched on the morning of 4 February when Russian aircraft, helicopters, fuel-air bombs and Grad missiles pulverised the village. After the bombing the Russian army allowed buses in, and allowed a white-flag refugee convoy to leave after which they bombed that as well.[125] Banned Thermobaric weapons were fired on the village of Katyr-Yurt. Hundreds of civilians died as a result of the Russian bombardment and the following sweep after.[126][127] Thermobaric weapons have been used by the Russian army on several occasions according to Human Rights Watch.[128]
Syria
6,950 civilians dead
The Syrian regime was responsible for 201,055 of these deaths, with the victims including 22,981 children and 11,976 women, while Russian forces killed 6,950 civilians, including 2,048 children and 977 women.Mar 15, 2023 -- ReliefWeb
Ukraine
500,000+ killed since Putin invaded
Casualties in the Russo-Ukrainian War included six deaths during the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 14,200–14,400 military and civilian deaths during the war in Donbas, and up to 500,000 estimated casualties during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. -- Wiki
The second year of war dragged on through Ukraine slowly and with little mercy. The first year of the war was a story of the resilience of people amid conflict that has turned into one of perseverance as the conflict has stagnated, with no end in sight.
Bohdan Semenukha and his mother, Viktoria, walk frequently through the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, just a few blocks from the new apartment where they moved after fleeing Kharkiv, in the country’s northeast, in January 2023. | Claire Harbage/NPR
Never Again
Music: Jupiter & Jaguar — Blond:ish | Welcome to the Present & Chants of Native Earth | Shamanic Moon (Native American Drums) | From February 24, 2022 | “Never Again” the World Once Said“
Alexei Navalny
‘It’s a torture regime’: the last days of Alexei Navalny
Each morning at 5am, Alexei Navalny was roused with the words “Wake up!” as the Russian national anthem played on the prison loudspeakers. It was always dark in the polar night above the Arctic Circle, and the temperature outside could fall below -30C (-22F). The convict would have a sheepskin coat and an ushanka hat to keep warm in a prison colony better known by its nickname: the Polar Wolf.
To read whole article, go to The Guardian for full article by Andrew Roth and Pjotr Sauer
Full List of Putin Critics Who Have Died in Mysterious Circumstances
For over two decades, President Vladimir Putin has squeezed dissent in Russia. Critics, journalists, and defectors have faced dire consequences after opposing him. From poisonings to shootings, mysterious falls from windows, and even plane crashes, there is a long trail of silenced voices.
Alexei Navalny, whose death in prison is as yet unexplained, had previously fallen ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow in 2020 after being poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent. Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who defected and was a prominent Putin critic, was murdered with polonium-210 in London in 2016. -- Newsweek
Previous Blogs Dedicated to Ukraine & Vanquishing HATE
Feature Archetypal Animation from last year’s blog marking the first anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion — February 24, 2023 — Ukraine | “Never Again” the World Once Said“
February 24, 2023 | “Never Again” the World Once Said““You Want It Darker? We Kill the Flame!” — Leonard Cohen | Leonard Cohen is telling us exactly what WE need to do in this moment of Ruthless Barbarity, the darkness Putin has plunged the world into once again, WE KILL THE FLAME... We (the Good People of Earth who honor life and respect freedom) WE kill the flame of EVIL Putin lit in 2014 and dramatically escalated last year! We don’t have a tomorrow to do this if we want OUR World Back. | | February 24, 2023 | “Never Again” the World Once Said““Look Mom! I’m A Monkey for Putin!” | Music: Wizard of the Hood (Collector’s Edition) | Violent J — Shiny Diamonds | Putin should be careful as Xi Jinping may very well turn Putin into his Flying Monkey! | February 24, 2023 | “Never Again” the World Once Said” | And HE is still Putin’s Pigeon… he has simply pulled the entire Republican Narc Bubble into his Pigeon Hole with him | SHAME ON YOU MAGA Republicans who are leaving Ukraine blowing in the disgusting breathe of the Putin fiend.From March 2023Feature Archetypal Animation marking Russia’s full scale invasion into Ukraine — February 24, 2022 — Ukraine Letters
We are ploughing ahead in this series. If you want to understand why this series is call the Marvelization of Man, then skip back to blog 1: here.
Long story short, if there are going to be Marvelous Men, there are also going to be ordinary men, awful men, and god awful terrible men. And this is what we are really exploring, the underside of Marvelous.
So, here we go, taking a deep dive into the workings of the most disgusting, vile, horrid creatures to be found on planet Earth: The Totalitarian Leader!
What follows is from Joost Meerloo’s book, Rape of the Mind, published in 1956. To read more about Joost, backtrack to this blog, here.
The leaders of Totalitaria are the strangest men in the state. These men are, like all other men, unique in their mental structure, and consequently we cannot make any blanket psychiatric diagnosis of the mental illness which motivates their behaviour.
But we can make some generalizations which will help us toward some understanding of the totalitarian leader. Obviously, for example, he suffers from an overwhelming need to control other human beings and to exert unlimited power, and this in itself is a psychological aberration, often rooted in deep-seated feelings of anxiety, humiliation, and inferiority. The ideologies such men propound are only used as tactical and strategical devices through which they hope to reach their final goal of complete domination over other men. This domination may help them compensate for pathological fears and feelings of unworthiness, as we can conclude from the psychological study of some modern dictators.
Fortunately, we do not have to rely on a purely hypothetical picture of the psychopathology of the totalitarian dictator. Dr. G. M. Gilbert, who studied some of the leaders of Nazi Germany during the Nuremberg trials, has given us a useful insight into their twisted minds, useful especially because it reveals to us something about the mutual interaction between the totalitarian leader and those who want to be led by him.
Hitler's suicide made a clinical investigation of his character structure impossible, but Dr. Gilbert heard many eyewitness reports of Hitler's behaviour from his friends and collaborators, and these present a fantastic picture of Nazism's prime mover. Hitler was known among his intimates as the carpet-eater, because he often threw himself on the floor in a kicking and screaming fit like an epileptic rage. From such reports, Dr. Gilbert was able to deduce something about the roots of the pathological behaviour displayed by this morbid "genius."
Hitler's paranoid hostility against the Jew was partly related to his unresolved parental conflicts; the Jews probably symbolized for him the hated drunken father who mistreated Hitler and his mother when the future Fuhrer was still a child. Hitler's obsessive thinking, his furious fanaticism, his insistence on maintaining the purity of "Aryan blood," and his ultimate mania to destroy himself and the world were obviously the results of a sick psyche.
As early as 1923, nearly ten years before he seized power, Hitler was convinced that he would one day rule the world, and he spent time designing monuments of victory, eternalizing his glory, to be erected all over the European continent when the day of victory arrived. This delusional preoccupation continued until the end of his life; in the midst of the war he created, which led him to defeat and death, Hitler continued revising and improving his architectural plans.
Nazi dictator Number Two, Hermann Goering, who committed suicide to escape the hangman, had a different psychological structure. His pathologically aggressive drivers were encouraged by the archaic military tradition of the German Junker class, to which his family belonged. From early childhood he had been compulsively and overtly aggressive. He was an autocratic and a corrupt cynic, grasping the Nazi-created opportunity to achieve purely personal gain. His contempt for the "common people" was unbounded; this was a man who had literally no sense of moral values.
Quite different again was Rudolf Hess, the man of passive yet fanatical doglike devotion, living, as it were, by proxy through the mind of his Fuhrer. His inner mental weakness made it easier for him to live through means of a proxy than through his own personality, and drove him to become the shadow of a seemingly strong man, from whom he could borrow strength. The Nazi ideology have this frustrated boy the illusion of blood identification with the glorious German race. After his wild flight to England, Hess showed obvious psychotic traits; his delusions of persecution, hysterical attacks, and periods of amnesia are among the well-known clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.
Still another type was Hans Frank, the devil's advocate, the prototype of the overambitious latent homosexual, easily seduced into political adventure, even when this was in conflict with the remnants of his conscience. For unlike Goering, Frank was capable of distinguishing between right and wrong.
Dr. Gilbert also tells us something about General Wilhelm Keitel, Hitler's Chief of Staff, who became the submissive, automatic mouthpiece of the Fuhrer, mixing military honor and personal ambition in the service of his own unimportance.
Of a different quality is the S.S. Colonel, Hoess, the murderer of millions in the concentration camp of Auschwitz. A pathological character structure is obvious in this case. All his life, Hoess had been a lonely, withdrawn, schizoid personality, without any conscience, wallowing in his own hostile and destructive fantasies. Alone and bereft of human attachments, he was intuitively sought out by Himmler for this most savage of all the Nazi jobs. He was a useful instrument for the committing of the most bestial deeds.
Unfortunately, we have no clear psychiatric picture yet of the Russian dictator Stalin. There have been several reports that during the last years of his life he had a tremendous persecution phobia and lived in constant terror that he would become the victim of his own purges.
Psychological analysis of these men shows clearly that a pathological culture -- a mad world - can be built by certain impressive psychoneurotic types. The venal political figures need not even comprehend the social and political consequences of their behaviour. They are compelled not by ideological belief,no matter how much they may rationalize to convince themselves they are, but by the distortions of their own personalities. They are not motivated by their advertised urge to serve their country or mankind,but rather by an overwhelming need and compulsion to satisfy the cravings of their own pathological character structures.
The ideologies they spout are not real goals; they are the cynical devices by which these sick men hope to achieve some personal sense of worth and power. Subtle inner lies seduce them into going from bad to worse. Defensive self-deception, arrested insight, evasion of emotional identification with others, degradation of empathy - the mind has many defense mechanisms with which to blind the conscience.
A clear example of this can be seen in the way the Nazi leaders defended themselves through continuous self-justification and exculpation when they were brought before the bar at the Nuremberg trials. These murderers were aggrieved and hurt by the accusations brought against them; they were the very picture of injured innocence.
Any form of leadership, if unchecked by controls, may gradually turn into dictatorship. Being a leader, carrying great power and responsibility for other people's lives, is a monumental test for the human psyche. The weak leader is the man who cannot meet it, who simply abdicates his responsibility. The dictator is the man who replaces the existing standards of justice and morality by more and more private prestige, by more and more power, and eventually isolates himself more and more from the rest of humanity. His suspicion grows, his isolation grows, and the vicious circle leading to a paranoid attitude begins to develop.
The dictator is not only a sick man, he is also a cruel opportunist. He sees no value in any other person and feels no gratitude for any help he may have received. He is suspicious and dishonest and believes that his personal ends justify any means he may use to achieve them. Peculiarly enough, every tyrant still searches for some self-justification. Without such a soothing device for his own conscience, he cannot live.
His attitude toward other people is manipulative; to him, they are merely tools for the advancement of his own interests. He rejects the conception of doubt, of internal contradictions, of man's inborn ambivalence. He denies the psychological fact that man grows to maturity through groping, through trial and error, through the interplay of contrasting feelings. Because he will not permit himself to grope, to learn through trial and error, the dictator can never become a mature person. But whether he acknowledges them or not, he has internal conflicts, he suffers somewhere from internal confusion. These inner "weaknesses" he tries to repress sternly; if they were to come to the surface, they might interfere with the achievement of his goals. Yet, in the attacks of rage his weakening strength is evident.
It is because the dictator is afraid, albeit unconsciously, of his own internal contradictions, that he is afraid of the same internal contradictions of his fellow men. He must purge and purge, terrorize and terrorize in order to still his own raging inner drives. He must kill every doubter, destroy every person who makes a mistake, imprison everyone who cannot be proved to be utterly single-minded. In Totalitaria, the latent aggression and savagery in man are cultivate by the dictator to such a degree that they can explode into mass criminal actions shown by Hitler's persecution of minorities. Ultimately, the country shows a real pathology, an utter dominance of destructive and self-destructive tendencies.
This is part 9 of the series The Marvelization of Man series in which we explore chapter 6 of Joost Merloo’s book: The Rape of the Mind written in 1956 in the aftermath of WWII and the horrors of the Totalitarian Mindset.
Why is the Totalitarian Mindset part of the Marvelization of Man? I mean, really, Marvel super heroes… well, they have super powers, they can fly, they can lift heavy objects with their eyes, they are protectors… right?
Well, yes they are… but I suspect for as high as we fly in our minds with these marvelous super heroes, we also descend deeper in our minds into dark and frightening places. And the more divided we become as a nation, as a group of people trying to work out this really crazy thing called civilization… well, we need to grapple with both sides of ourselves at the same time.
Blaming the Democrats for all the MAGA’s woes isn’t going to save a single MAGA voter from the realities of our time. Any place where you see conflict erupting and one-sidedness erupting into violence and war, the realities of the Totalitarian Mindset need to understood and grappled with. This is why this blog series is exploring Joost Merloo’s book now.
In the battle against this dread disease, social factors as well as personal ones play an important role. We can see this more clearly if we analyze the ways in which the ideals of a culture as a whole affect its citizens' vulnerability to totalitarianism. The ethics of our own Western civilization are our strongest defences against the disease, for the ideal of these ethics is to produce a breed of men and women who are strongly individualistic and who evaluate situations primarily in terms of their own consciences.
We aim to develop in our citizens a sense of self-responsibility, a willingness to confront the world as it is, and an ability to distinguish between right and wrong through their own feelings and thoughts. Such men and women are impelled to action by their personal moral standards rather than by what some outside group sets up as correct. They are unwilling to accept group evaluations immediately unless these coincide with their own personal convictions, or unless they have been able to discuss them in a democratic way. People like this are responsible to their communities because they are first responsible to themselves. If they disagree, they will form a "loyal minority", using their rights of convincing other people at appropriate times.
There are other cultures which emphasize attitudes and values that are different from these. The Eastern ideal of man, as we find it in China and some of the other Oriental countries, is in the first place that one "oneness", of being one with the family, one with the fatherland, one with the cosmos -- nirvana. The Oriental psyche looks for a direct aesthetic contact with reality through an indefinable empathy and intuition. Eternal truth is behind reality, behind the veil of Maya. Man is part of the universe; his ideal is passive servility and non-irritability. His ideal of peace lies in rest and relaxation, in meditation, in being without manual and mental travail. The happiness of the Oriental psyche lies in the ecstasy of feeling united with the universal cosmos. Ascesis, self-redemption, and poverty are better realized ideals in Oriental culture than in our Western society.
The classic Oriental culture pattern can best be described as a pattern of participation. In it the individual is looked upon as an integral part of the group, the family, the caste, the nation. He is not a separate, independent entity. In this culture, greater conformity to and acceptance of the collective rules are the ideals. An Oriental child may be trained from infancy into a pattern of submission to authority and to rules of the group. Many primitive cultures also display this pattern. To a person raised in these cultures, the most acceptable standards, the best conceivable thoughts and actions, are those sanctioned by the group. The totalitarian world of mass actions and mass thoughts is far more comprehensible to the members of a participation-patterned and less individual-minded culture than it is to Western individualists. What is to us unbearable regimentation and authoritarianism may be to them comforting order and regularity.
An example of an intensified pattern of participation and thought control and mutual spying has been given by the anthropologist E. P. Dozier. [See the "New York Times", December 11, 1955; and "Science News Letter", December 3, 1955.] The Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande area believe that wrongdoing or wrong thinking of one man in the tribe affects all members. He may upset the cosmic balance by ill feeling toward any one of his fellow men. The moral code of the village is group-centred. The individual who transgresses this jeopardizes the well-being of all. Epidemics, crop failures, droughts are interpreted as a result of "deviationism" of one member of the group. Village members are closely watched and spied on in order to discover the culprit or "witch." Gossip and accusations of witchcraft are rampant, and the Pueblo Indian is constantly searching in his own conscience for harmful thoughts and attitudes. It is as if we watch the ritual of the purge in the totalitarian state.
Such forms of "creeping collectivism" and participation we may see in every group formation where tolerance for non-conformism ceases to exist. Wherever dogmatic partisanship dominates, the mind is coerced. We may even detect such encroaching tendencies in some scientific circles where there exists an overemphasis on group research, teamwork, membership cards, and a disdain for individual opinion.
The culture into which a man is born and his own psychological constitution interact to produce his personality in much the same way as his body and mind interact to produce his behaviour. Our culture of individual freedom may offer us a partial immunity to the disease of totalitarianism, but at the same time our personal immaturities and repressed savageries can make us vulnerable to it. The participation type of culture may make men more susceptible in general to totalitarianism, although personal strivings toward maturity and individuality can offer them, too, some measure of protection against it.
Because of the interaction between these social and personal forces, no culture is completely safe from internal attack by totalitarianism and from the mental destruction it may create. As I said before, our Totalitaria is a mythical country, but the brutal truth is that any country can be turned into Totalitaria.
The aims of the rulers of our fictitious country are simply formulated: despotism, the total domination of man and mankind, and the unity of the entire world under one dictatorial authority. At first glance, this idea of unity can be most attractive -- the idea, oversimplified, of a brotherhood unity of nations under a central powerful agency. When the world is one, it would seem, there will be no more war, the tensions that face us will be eliminated, earth will become a paradise. But the simplified conception of a universal dictatorship is false and reflects the danger inherent in the totalitarian goal: all men are different, and it is the difference between them that creates the greatness, the variety, and the creative inspirations of life, as well as the tensions of social intercourse. The totalitarian conception of equalization can be realized only in death, when the chemical and physical laws that govern all of us take over completely. Death is indeed the great equalizer.
In life, all of us are different. Our bodies and minds interact with one another and with the outside world in different ways. Each man's personality is unique. True, all of us share certain basic human qualities with all the other members of the human race, but the differences in personality are also so many and so varied that no two men anywhere in the world or ever in all of human history can be said to be exactly alike. This uniqueness is as true of the citizen of Totalitaria as it is of anyone else. As a human being, he is not only different from us, he is different from his compatriots. However, to create man in the totalitarian image through levelling and equalization means to suppress what is essentially personal and human in him, the uniqueness and the variety, and to create a society of robots, not men.
The noted social scientist, J. S. Brunner, in his introduction to Bauer's book on Soviet psychology has expressed this thought in a different way: "Man's image of the nature of man is not only a matter for objective inquiry; it is and has always been a prime instrument of social and political control. He who moulds that image does so withenormous consequences for the society in which he lives."
Totalitaria fosters the illusion that everyone is part of the government, a voter; no one can be a non-voter or anti-voter. His inner pros and cons and doubts are not private problems of the individual himself any more; his thoughts belong to the state, the dictator, the ruling circle, the Party. His inner thoughts have to be controlled. Only those in power know what really lies behind national policy. The ordinary citizen becomes as dependent and obedient as a child. In exchange for giving up his individuality, he obtains some special gratifications: the feeling of belonging and of being protected, the sense of relief over losing his personal boundaries and responsibilities, the ecstasy of being taken up and absorbed in wild, uncontrolled collective feelings, the safety of being anonymous, of being merely a cog in the wheel of the all-powerful state.
The despotism of modern Totalitaria is very different from the lush, exotic personal tyrannies of ancient times. It is an ascetic, cold, mechanical force, aiming at what Hanna Ahrendt calls the "transformation of human nature itself." In our theoretical country, man has no individual ego any longer, no personality, no self. A levelling system is at work, and everything above the common level is trampled on and beaten down.
