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

Friday, September 25, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Friday, Sept. 25, 2020

Introductory note for today's posts: I intended several days in advance to take this day off to relax, refresh, and direct my attention to other rewarding experiences. But I could not do this. Instead, I have lain down to take a nap; and when I woke up several hours later, I found myself, to my surprise, perusing articles that I normally do. Several articles grabbed my attention; but not until I viewed James Corbett's latest, almost daily, video, did I decide to post two articles. I was so impressed by his commentary that I somewhat regretted that I disagreed with his yesterday's post. I say "somewhat" because I often post articles from authors that I disagree with only some of their arguments and perspectives. These include Eric Zuesse, Matthew Ehret, and James Corbett.
  •  A Message to New “Conspiracy Theorists” featuring a lecture of sorts by James Corbett to new “Conspiracy Theorists” among American young people who are only beginning to question the reports that media corporations flood TV and internet reports. This is an addition to the indoctrination they receive throughout their education and much of their entertainment. (This is a best post.) My commentary follows:

Elsewhere I have noted the huge task that younger generations have to overcome many years of brainwashing, and I doubted that they would overcome this systematic brainwashing. I have been encouraged by many of the comments made by Corbett in this video presentation. I also noticed that he admitted only starting to question some of his beliefs in 2006. (I started in 1955.) And I also noticed that he is starting to point to "oligarchs" as the source of evil instead of merely governments as is usually the case with anarchists. This is much closer to what I believe is the truth: a ruling capitalist class that controls not only the government, but every institution. By doing this, he is providing examples of his own growth out out swamp of lies and disinformation that he has experienced all of his life. Beyond this, he is offering specific examples of very sound advice to the younger generation who are starting to question.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

  • Senate GOP releases report on Hunter Biden's dealings in Ukraine from The Duran (based in Cyprus). My reaction: It is hard to know which candidate among the two candidates in the "democratic" election that we are allowed to vote for is worse. But, you are not forced to vote for either--that is our very limited freedom!
  • André Vltchek Remembered by Peter Koenig and Andre, friend by Farooque Chowdhury from Internationalist 360°. My reaction: Another fine human being lost in the battle of human survival against the forces of capitalism which can only support the interests of a few capitalists. He will not be the last.
Unfortunately, Corbett pans the overwhelming evidence provided by independent scientists that we have already "baked-in" sufficient greenhouse gases in the planet's upper atmosphere and the oceans to insure dramatic changes in the climate such that planet Earth will no longer be able to sustain human and many other species. In short, we, humans--an "exceptional" species, will disappear (along with most others).
He does so for two basic reasons: 1) because he is an anarchist produced by the indoctrination-loaded educational system throughout the capitalist Empire to ensure that their graduates are not "contaminated" with any anti-capitalist ideas; and 2) because he refuses to recognize the unthinkable--that we humans depend on a rather unique environment which does not appear on nearly all other planets. He refuses to accept scientific evidence that in the future the conditions of the planet Earth will be dramatically altered because of capitalism's incessant search for profits, and that they have loaded our atmosphere, oceans, and other places on the planet with greenhouse gases. 
Thus, Corbett fails to recognize the reasons why their latest "Reset" project is their attempt to cope with this very real concern, along with many other problems facing the capitalist Empire. He refuses to accept scientific evidence that in the future the conditions of the planet Earth will dramatically change because of capitalism's incessant packing of our atmosphere, oceans, and other places on the planet with greenhouse gases. He doesn't distinguish independent scientists from scientists employed by capitalist industries and from government bureaucrats, employed by the ruling class, posing as authorities. He refuses to recognize that the system is the source of not only abrupt climate destabilization, but so many other problems facing humans. Finally, Corbett fails to recognize the reasons why the Empire's latest "Reset" project is their attempt to cope with this very real concern, along with many other problems facing the capitalist Empire.
Humanity [human species] will continue along its self-destructive trajectory until the masses use the power of their numbers to force real change. Humanity will not use the power of its numbers to force real change as long as it’s being successfully propagandized not to do so. The oligarchic propaganda machine is therefore the primary barrier to our transition from our self-destructive patterns into a healthy collaborative relationship with each other and with our ecosystem. 
So throw sand in the gears of the machine. If enough of us throw enough sand, we can cause the whole thing to break down.   
And she continues on to give her advice on how we should "throw sand in the gears" of what she identifies as the "oligarchic propaganda machine".
These posts today are all I have time for.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020

  • Has an ‘Anti-Science’ Sentiment Overtaken the United States? by Derrick Broze from The Last American Vagabond. My reaction: This article is about the corruption of many scientists and public health bureaucrats by the capitalist ruling class to serve their agenda of profits and power. Knowledgeable skeptics are increasingly questioning these people and their collusion with the agenda of the ruling class.
What they question is corporate-funded science, conflicts of interest, and scientism – an almost religious reverence for science which views the field as incapable of corruption.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020

  • Merciless virus | Poor hit hardest by the COVID pandemic from RT (via YouTube). My reaction: Could it be that our masters in the ruling capitalist class are engaging in class warfare as they have done in the past several hundred years? If you believe that they care about your health, that is, if you are a "useless eater", and, if you are not one of their "essential workers" or highly trained and rewarded technical and professional workers and don't contribute to the power and wealth of the ruling class of major capitalists (often deceptively referred to by social-democrats as simply "billionaires"), I have several fine bridges to sell you.
  • Facts about Covid-19 from Swiss Policy Research. (Note: I regard this always updated website to be the most reliable source of information regarding the "pandemic".)

Monday, September 21, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Monday, Sept. 21, 2020

  • The War on Populism: The Final Act by CJ Hopkins from his weblog Consent Factory, Inc. Note: Hopkins, an exceptional American satirist who is currently living in Berlin, uses a type of satire, parody, to lampoon the ruling class's war on populism, or what I think is the working class, or a section of it known to members of the ruling class as "deplorables"(because they refuse to follow their orders). He does this by way of an industry that he knows so well--a Hollywood production of a film (in three acts).
So, it appears the War on Populism is building toward an exciting climax. All the proper pieces are in place for a Class-A GloboCap color revolution, and maybe even civil war. You got your unauthorized Putin-Nazi president, your imaginary apocalyptic pandemic, your violent identitarian civil unrest, your heavily-armed politically-polarized populace, your ominous rumblings from military quarters … you couldn’t really ask for much more.  
OK, the plot is pretty obvious by now (as it is in all big-budget action spectacles, which is essentially what color revolutions are), but that won’t spoil our viewing experience. The fun is in watching Bruce, or Sigourney, or “the moderate rebels,” or the GloboCap “Resistance,” take down the monster, or the terrorists, or Hitler, and save the world, or democracy, or whatever.
  • The End of Reality? by Edward Curtin from his weblog Behind the Curtain. My commentary follows:
Curtin, who is well read, discusses today's use of technology by the ruling capitalist class as a problem that he doubts that we can overcome. Technology, which has taken off especially in the late 1800s until today, is now an advanced tool that can be used to make our lives richer in meaning or it can be used to give the ruling class greater weapons to control us. The ruling class, which (almost by definition) controls technology as well as nearly everything else, and has established a powerful empire, obviously uses the option of control to secure their privileges of wealth and power, as well as the system that delivers this wealth and power--capitalism. They do this by configuring "reality" for us by rewriting history, daily doses of propaganda via their media corporations, and imposing their views on any institution that uses ideology as a prop to educate and/or entertain. The directors of this new US/Anglo/Zionist Empire have been doing this in a dedicated and systematic fashion over the decades since WWII. Now, and many decades later, it is no wonder that Curtin doubts whether we ordinary people can overcome this mind-bending experience.
  • How to Save the Library--Questions for Corbett featuring James Corbett and Richard Gage, founder and president of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, in a discussion about censorship and the altering of information that major corporations like Google and Facebook are engaged in. (Posted on James Corbett's website.)

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020

This morning I only got through to 1/3 of the 50 websites that I normally peruse to select articles for your greater understanding of the world we live in. I've simply run out time. I was so fascinated by the many articles I found--there are several "best posts" among them. I will start you off with something light: a satirical comedian's take on censorship.