We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Sunday, November 1, 2020

The "beauty" of this pandemic is that the assault on small businesses and the gig economy are carefully hidden by its existence. Coincidence? Hardly likely given the history of deceptions used by the Empire's ruling class most notably in their War on Drugs, 9/11, the invasions of Middle East countries (Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan) and the War on Terrorism. Populations in the countries of the Empire (led by the US/Anglo/Zionist nations) could conveniently ignore the horrors inflicted on other nations so long as they weren't affected, but this pandemic is now affecting them. It illustrates how the directors of the Empire could care less about their subjects when their profits and their system of capitalism is at stake. (You may also be interested in this article entitled "How Would You Spend Your Last Thanksgiving?")
  • It’s Not a Social Dilemma – It’s the Calculated Destruction of the Social by Cory Morningstar from the Wrong Kind of Green. (Note: This is Morningstar's answer (and the collective that publishes the website Wrong Kind of Green) to Netflix's film The Social Dilemma. The latter film attempts to pose the dangers of social media especially for young people that have grown with it.) My reaction: I've always found Morningstar's articles difficult to read because she immediately launches into enormous details that require very large articles. And she does this within a posting style which includes large Tweets and other illustrations amid small type in which she expounds her views. Contrast this style with Caitlin Johnstone's in this post. However, if you can get beyond these difficulties, she rewards us with insightful comments.
If you haven't time to listen to the whole video, I suggest that you first listen to their conclusions (or summary or implications) of Webb's extensive research at 2:26:20 (starting with Cristián's comments). They both warn of a "cyber 911" that is in preparation to happen after the elections. They both agree that this will at least profit cyber security firms, but Webb, especially, is concerned that these preparations might lead to an attack on Iran. 
I listened to about one hour of this discussion by listening to different parts of the video. She tracks different actors that are in the US, British, and Israeli secretive intelligence services and their collusion with hi-tech corporations together with media corporations to support a conspiracy theory of a highly developed fascist-like takeover of the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire. The information that Webb supplies are convincing of the narrative that they are engaged in a massive manipulation of the American public in a kind of "problem-reaction-solution" strategy to milk government agencies (funded by Americans) to enhance the profits and power of corporations in this Empire. I include power because their strategies will also result directly in access to private data medical records of individual Americans.  
I tend to worry less about the prospects for war as a result of these fascist conspiracies because the transnational capitalists, who now control all institutions, fear that they will lose too much of their assets in a war. But, I can't be sure. The Empire's fascist Deep State may be willing to risk all because they have decided that they are in decline, and it's "now or never". However, I agree with both of them that censorship will only increase in the future.
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