War is mass murder. Speaking out against it is more important than people’s emotional comfort. It’s worth disrupting family dinners over. It’s worth jeopardizing friendships over. History won’t look kindly on those who chose silent complicity over anti-imperialism.

~

I still regularly stop and gawk at the fact that a US imperial ally is committing the world’s worst mass atrocity in Yemen with America’s help and it occupies almost zero public attention. Once you really grasp the significance of this fact, it’s impossible to shake.

~

A news outlet which does not constantly inform its audience of all their government’s misdeeds around the world is not a news outlet.

~

If you think the MSM is pathetic in the Trump era, wait until they stop all critical coverage of government altogether and just spend all day talking about how classy Kamala Harris looks in her latest outfit.

~

Wanting a US presidential candidate who did not actively facilitate the Iraq invasion is not some unreasonable pedantic quibble, it’s the absolute bare minimum standard for running the most powerful military in the history of civilization.

~

“Oh, but most people on Capitol Hill supported the Iraq war.”

Yeah, they shouldn’t be president either. They shouldn’t even be working in politics. They shouldn’t be able to find gainful employment anywhere more influential than working a cash register. How is this not obvious?

~

“We’re going to force Biden to make progressive change!”

No you’re not. You’re not going to make Biden do anything. As soon as Trump’s gone all mass media criticisms of the US president will end, and all the opposition among rank-and-file liberals will go with it. You do not have the numbers. Vote however you want, but don’t be delusional.

~

Trump is not an existential threat, the status quo is an existential threat. Trump is just the ugly face at the status quo’s front desk. Believing you can solve the existential threat by firing Trump is like believing you can fix a corrupt corporation by firing its secretary.

~

Your car is knocked off a bridge and into a river. Two guys swim up to you. One tells you to fuck off and drown, the other says he’ll get you out of your car in slow increments by the year 2060. Do you keep looking to them for help, or do you look for other ways to free yourself?

~

The ecosystem is dying because it is vastly more profitable to destroy the ecosystem than to preserve it. Capitalism offers no solutions for this, only exacerbation. We’re not going to consume our way out of this. That’s why hardcore capitalists just pretend it’s not happening.

~

Saying “It’s not capitalism that’s the problem, it’s corporatism!” is the same as saying “It’s not smoking that’s my problem, it’s the emphysema!”

~

Covid is being used to funnel wealth and power to a plutocratic class that always exploits any opportunity to shore up wealth and power, and it will continue to. Capitalism will continue to become more corrupt and unjust until people force its end. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.

~

“That dictator kills his own people!” said the empire that constantly kills its own people.

~

The agenda to smash China back to the stone age has been planned for many years and will be rolled out regardless of who wins the US election. The idiotic notion that there’s something populist or anti-establishment about opposing China will get harder and harder to defend.

~

“You think Russia is perfect and only the US ever does anything wrong.”

No, I’ve just learned better than to accept unproven claims by US government agencies on blind faith like a fucking moron.

~

The left is so very, very, very, very far from attaining its goals in our society that bickering over what specific brand of leftism would work better is like arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

~

My special hatred for US imperialism really got going when I escaped from an abusive relationship which operated in very much the same way: creating the nice-guy illusion of freedom and equality while covertly using manipulation to exploit, oppress, and choke the life out of me.

A dumb abuser dominates like a standard tyrannical dictatorship. A smart abuser dominates like the US empire: using manipulation to make it look fair, like the victim chose it for themselves, while crushing and carving pieces off of them to shape things to the abuser’s will.

~

It’s meaningless and hypocritical to decry the insanity of our society if you don’t live a life that is dedicated to healing away your own personal portion of that collective insanity.

~

The illusion is that happiness is something separate from yourself that you have to put a lot of work into chasing and obtaining. The reality is that happiness has always been here and your whole life you’ve been pouring massive amounts of work into keeping it unnoticed.

____________________________

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69 responses to “The Status Quo Is The Real ‘Existential Threat’: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix”

  1. “The left is so very, very, very, very far from attaining its goals in our society that bickering over what specific brand of leftism would work better is like arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.”
    .
    It’s hard to know what Caitlin means by “brand,” but her remark is far from the case.
    .
    What the left offers matters a great deal, and a left unified behind the demand for Medicare For All, a $17 minimum wage, and honest, transparent elections is vastly different from brand of leftism that instead quibbles over vagaries of a green New Deal, demonizes whites, and demonizes men.
    .
    The former has every chance of succeeding if it’s willing to organize and push general strikes to achieve its demands, while the latter has no chance at all.
    .
    Keep in mind, too, that blaming the left, when the left has been bought out, bought off, corrupted, investigated, imprisoned, and sabotaged at every turn reeks of blaming the victim.
    .

  2. What advice would you give to a woman you’ve known for many years who has had boyfriend after boyfriend who has abused her physically and emontionally, as well as stolen every penney that she has ever saved?
     
    What advice would you give to several R-or-D-only voters you’ve known for many years who do not want four more years of what they’ve been witnessing for at least the past 30 years (for example, perpeutal wars during both R and D administrtations; perpetual TBTF bank/stock-market bailouts during both R and D administrtations; the 1% getting richer and richer while the 99% gettring poorer and poorer during both R and D administrtations; more and more factories and jobs moving overseas during both R and D administrtations; a two-tiered, ad hoc injustice system during both R and D administrtations; medicines, healthcare and healthcare insurance getting more and more expensive during both R and D administrtations, with both Rs and Ds promising that there will never be medicare for all), again, what advice would you give to those voters?

    1. administrations, not administrtations; eyes getting bad

    2. Speaking of eyes, I’d say, “OPEN THEM.” The party line is lazy and non-critical. I’ve had it! America is a backward nation. The Repubs are absolutely despicable: cruel and soulless. And how do the Dems counter them? By telling us to vote for them without bothering to fight for us. It’s too horrible. Revolution seems doubtful, since voters have power that they surrender to the oppressors. It’s a case of willful self-destruction.

    3. .
      Surely “Stop voting for the R and D criminals” heads any list of advice to those “who do not want four more years of what they’ve been witnessing for at least the past 30 years.”
      .
      I’ll venture, though, that the people who do not want to continue the major parties’ long list of sins against the world are the least of our problems, since they tend to vote third party or abstain. It’s the people who have caved in, morally and intellectually, and defend the war crimes and financial crimes ruthlessly and relentlessly committed by “their” party or “their” country who are the real problem, given such defenders make up an overwhelming majority of voters.
      .
      How you convince them to see the fraud and violence perpetrated in their names is as difficult a question as, “How do you convince an addict who hasn’t hit bottom to stop taking their drug of choice,” where in the case of most voters that drug is the narcotic of delusion: that all alternatives are worse, that it’s the other ‘side’ that’s responsible for everything that’s wrong, and that nothing of worth is possible.
      .

  3. This is not an election.
    This is a con game, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko, a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle, and a bamboozle.
    In this carefully choreographed scheme to strip the American citizenry of our power and our rights, “we the people” are nothing more than marks, suckers, stooges, mugs, rubes, or gulls.
    We are victims of the Deep State’s confidence game.
    ~
    This great article can be read here:
    The 2020 Election Bamboozle: We Are All Victims of the Deep State’s Con Game By John W. Whitehead!
    https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/the_2020_election_bamboozle_we_are_all_victims_of_the_deep_states_con_game

  4. The world is watching America, but not for any kind of ‘leadership.’ ‘Dynasty’ has turned into ‘The Sopranos.’ Some Americans are talking of a second civil war (apparently to be fought mostly on Twitter and Facebook). Democrats and Republicans are ‘going to the mattresses.’
    The rest of us are all mere spectators. We have no say whatsoever in what happens in the good old US of A. So, relax – sit back and enjoy the show.
    The next four weeks is just going to be two angry old men, shouting at each other VERY LOUDLY! Yet saying nothing much of anything at all.
    ~
    This article can be read here:
    Let’s face it, US politics is just a showy soap opera laced with enough nepotism and corruption to make a banana republic blush By Charlie Stone
    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/55706.htm

  5. Michel Bélisle Avatar
    Michel Bélisle

    Mr Paul Craig Roberts seems to agree:

    https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2020/10/13/life-within-the-matrix-is-our-future/

    We are truly living the return of the days of Noah just before the return of Jesus. The decadence is everywhere and the more you climb the socio-economic ladder, the more decadent.

    Keeping my Rosary on hand!

  6. After going down the rabbit hole and trying to figure out how the world works and how we got here, I realize people take themselves way too seriously, they’ve been doing it for a really long time, and they will always choose to delude themselves. I prefer the ephemeral meat-suited traveler observer position myself.

    I see all the affluent megachurches and private schools in our area and I schadenfreude the mythical heaven of all the prosperity gospel adherents actually exists and that I could watch them receive their disappointing judgements.

  7. Lin Wood, a high-profile lawyer representing Nick Sandmann and Kyle Rittenhouse, tweeted, “Many leaders in administration of @realDonaldTrump are quarantined by what almost appears to almost be targeted strike of Covid-19.” He later tweeted, “There are no coincidences. Zero. None. Hard stop.” Deanna Lorraine, who ran for Congress against Nancy Pelosi, also picked up the theme of a “targeted strike” in her tweet, “Does anyone else find it odd that no prominent Democrats have had the virus but the list of Republicans goes on and on?” And Omar Navarro, a Republican politician in California, developed the theme: “1.RBG dies. 2. Trump announces he will nominate new justice before election. 3. Pelosi makes “Arrow in our quivers” comment to stop him.’ Week later Trump, his top aide, his campaign manager, two Senators all come down with COVID 5. Schumer immediately requests to delay nomination.” He added, “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”
    ~
    This article can be read here:
    High-profile conservative lawyer suggests Trump may have been deliberately infected with COVID
    https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/high-profile-conservative-lawyer-suggests-trump-was-deliberately-infected-with-covid

    1. I hope this is satire.

      1. Life has become a satire.

  8. Peace for all of us, their victims. Prosecute the flim flam artists of the Global Robber Baron Crime Syndicate.
    `
    https://riggedgame.blog/2020/10/08/citigroup-is-slapped-with-a-400-million-fine-for-doing-something-so-bad-it-cant-be-spoken-out-loud/
    `
    . . .
    “On Tuesday, September 29, when all eyes were focused on the presidential debate to occur that evening, the Justice Department issued a press release announcing the fourth and fifth felony counts against JPMorgan Chase in the past six years. In an unprecedented move, the Justice Department did not hold a press conference to explain why the country’s largest bank is allowed to perpetually commit felonies with no change in management. The bank admitted to the charges and was put on a three-year probation – its third such probation in six years. Jamie Dimon, the Chairman and CEO of the bank, who has presided over all five felony counts, was left in place at the bank.”
    . . .
    ,
    . . .
    “Noncompliance with multiple laws and regulations” means the bank has broken “multiple laws and regulations.” But, apparently, the laws it broke, how it broke them, and who benefited and by how much is just too explosive a story to see the light of day. The Consent Orders from both the OCC and Federal Reserve failed to specify exactly what crimes Citigroup had committed and instead used vague generalities such as “unsafe or unsound practices.”
    . . .

    `
    Banana Republic:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_republic
    `
    . . .
    “A banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, whereby the country is operated as a private commercial enterprise for the exclusive profit of the ruling class. Such exploitation is enabled by collusion between the state and favored economic monopolies, in which the profit, derived from the private exploitation of public lands, is private property, while the debts incurred thereby are the financial responsibility of the public treasury.
    . . .

    1. Aha, I call them ” The New Untouchables “! As a teenager i watched Robert Stack portray Eliot Ness as an unbribeable federal agent. In today’s U.S.A. there are all kinds of criminals that never go to jail. New York is full of them. They can be bankers, politicians, crime lords, etc. The bottom line is that the people they are paying off never want the under the table money to stop flowing; thus these criminals are untouchable to any and all law enforcement.

      1. Yep. We sure could use Eliot Ness and his band of Tmen right now.
        `
        People in all governments are going to have to start standing up to the corruption. Stand up and stop taking kickbacks. Stand up and stop allowing themselves to be, blackmailed (blackmail itself is illegal.) Stand up to their threats. Stand up and call out the criminal robber barons. We can no longer sit by and watch this real life nightmare occur.
        `
        “Your silence will not protect you.”
        ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

        1. GIVE ME THAT JOB, I AM THE MAN TO DO IT.

    2. This FART of a fine that JPMorgan got, was for stealing around 300 billion over the last 8yrs through “spoofing the precious metals” market, though these criminal grubs and their wall street brothers, have been at it also!
      With so many Felony’s against them, and the fine money going to the DOJ, and NOT to those who lost real money from the activity, but pocketed by the DOJ, PROVES TO ME these fines are nothing more than a PAY-OFF!
      This is a Cartel that the DOJ is a MAJOR player in, the whole thing is a scam to steal money, any one’s money, bar their bloody own!
      Arrest all of them, throw them in jail for the rest of their entire life, or better still, give them a Public Hanging so ALL can see, including the scum in the DOJ, like DURHAM! FILTHY PEACE OF SHIT HE IS!

      1. “. . . better still, give them a Public Hanging so ALL can see, including the scum in the DOJ, like DURHAM! FILTHY PEACE OF SHIT HE IS!”
        `
        I see no solutions in that. Part of the problem.

  9. Roundball Shaman Avatar
    Roundball Shaman

    “War is mass murder.”
    .
    War is business… big business. War rewards the “right” people and punishes the demonized classes. War is the strong arm of Empire. War keeps people in line. War is the lifeblood of the Predator Class. That’s why war will never go away.
    .
    “A news outlet which does not constantly inform its audience of all their government’s misdeeds around the world is not a news outlet.”
    .
    News outlets are so 1960s. That all went out with the sellout of journalistic ethics and practices and the placing of “News” bureaus under the umbrella of media “Entertainment” departments. “News outlets” are now the Edsels of corporate media.
    .
    “If you think the MSM is pathetic in the Trump era, wait until they stop all critical coverage of government altogether and just spend all day talking about how classy Kamala Harris looks in her latest outfit.”
    .
    They won’t talk about how classy she looks. That’s too openly shallow and sexist. What media will do is fawn over her purported massive intelligence and fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Then when the camera is off, they’ll remind themselves what her former mayor “friend” of San Francisco has to say about her and how she helped herself get ahead.
    .
    “Covid is being used to funnel wealth and power to a plutocratic class that always exploits any opportunity to shore up wealth and power, and it will continue to.”
    .
    Covid is an absolute godsend to the Predator Class and furthering their control over the people of the World. If They had any belief in a god, they would be singing praises to the high one every moment of every day today.
    .
    “The illusion is that happiness is something separate from yourself that you have to put a lot of work into chasing and obtaining. The reality is that happiness has always been here and your whole life you’ve been pouring massive amounts of work into keeping it unnoticed.”
    .
    Every day we wake up and choose to either be happy or miserable. Billions of people wake up and decide to be miserable… again. Life is a big Wish Machine. It will give you exactly what you ask of it.

  10. Caitlin, you perceptively describe the way the USA government and allies callously deceive, mislead and exploit the world’s naïve citizens. Concerned readers need to know this and you sometimes make philosophical speculations about what happens when we do nothing, like: “Capitalism will continue to become more corrupt.” But my friends and family get irritated and I lose friends when I bring reality into our conversations. When someone describes problems without providing practical steps towards solutions they create frustration and hopelessness.

    1. Collapse of the control systems of this civilization is inevitable but will be gradual and imperceptible to most. Collapse is necessary to make way for a new, transparent, very different and much better civilization in the next age.

    2. I really like the ideas of Taoism. For analytical people like me, staying in the moment is tough…I’m always observing, reflecting, and planning. There are pros and cons and I won’t give up the pros just because of the cons. My wife and most “sheeple” are Tao-like…they live in the moment…although often on autopilot. It can be extremely frustrating because, while I can jump back and forth, most people stay in the moment and are unable to step out and be analytical. Thinking and discussing in abstractions is so freeing for me…limitless…and very frustrating for my wife.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tao_of_Pooh

      1. Tired and no longer active revolutionary Avatar
        Tired and no longer active revolutionary

        I know what you mean but after analyzing we need practical solutions or else analyzing is a waste of time.

  11. Truth-in-Tension Avatar
    Truth-in-Tension

    Michael Lewis Khan,

    Your platform is just another shade of communism. To save yourself some time please move to China or Venezuela. You should fit right in.

    1. I admire Michael Lewis Kahn for taking practical steps to do little if any harm to people and the environment. Everyone who really cares about saving the planet should disinvest from capitalism and the evil empire but we must do so in community. Read more of this here: http://www.wisdompage.com/2013%20Articles/Molyneaux%20essay.pdf

      1. Thank you for MOlyneaux essay. I downloaded it and saved it, after reading it. Helpful.

  12. “If you think the MSM is pathetic in the Trump era, wait until they stop all critical coverage of government altogether and just spend all day talking about how classy Kamala Harris looks in her latest outfit.”

    Yes, but sad to say the word ‘Pathetic‘ does not go far enough.

    Consider: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

    https://www.utilitarianism.com/nu/omelas.pdf

    A short story by Ursula Le Guin 2,813 words.

    If the child were brought up into the sunlight out of that vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing, indeed; but if it were done, in that day and hour all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed.

    At least the citizens of Omelas knew the score. Modern citizens never grow up to be more than the small children of Omelas.

    Catlin, you do not walk alone.

  13. Donald Trump has forever stained the disciplines of medicine, science, and technology with his clownish performance as a United States president.
    ~
    This stinging article can be read here:
    From Scientist-Politicians to an Anti-Science Demagogue: Americas Tragic Descent Into Madness by Wayne Madsen!
    https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/10/12/from-scientist-politicians-to-an-anti-science-demagogue-americas-tragic-descent-into-madness/

    1. I am sure uou prefer the smooth talking obama. Trump just laid bate the ugliness of politics and it bothers the crap out of you. The bubble has been popped and no amount of good thoughts once trump is gone will fix it. Politicians are thugs and ruthless. Quit blaming trump for forcing you to see it.

      1. I have much to say on the subject of covid. Rump is another tool of the globalists. He declared early that covid was a scam, but avoided dealing with it to protect the public and gave the states the powers to address it (though in the debate he took credit for closing america). The result was demands to wear masks, which many highly respected doctors (Gary Null, Buttar, Mercola, Andrew Kaufman,…etc..)say is useless, and to social distance. Small businesses were closed, but big conglomerates remained open- giving us the message that covid only attacks small businesses, not customers or staff of big ones. Clearly this was a ploy to gain advantage economically from everybody else to the very rich. While every state did this, democrats were blamed for the economic hardship. Hospitals were said to be full, but somehow we saw staff so busy that videos were made of nurses and aides dancing. Word was out that staff were told to not report the truth or face loss of employment. For every person put on respirators for over three days, hospitals were given $43,000- 90% of those put on respirators died. Test kits were bought by millions in 2018. THE percentage of SICK people who died from covid was 0.05 percent. IF tested, you were found positive if you had flu, sars, even the cold. The current CDC website says that 6% of those who were claimed to have died from covid really did. The result was about 8,000 deaths from covid, a very few compared how many die from flu. MOst people who get the flu have had vaccinations which are useless or harmful, anything BUT helpful. GAtes, who has much influence with CDC and WHO, having donated money and recommended people to be placed there, has said on TED TALKS he wants to reduce world population 15% using vaccines. Vaccines that he funded in INdia killed 47,500 Indian children. He reportedly supervised Dr Shi Zhwengli in developing covid in north carolina university chapel on a hill laboratory with US and Chinese government funding. and holds a patent on its vaccine and on the covid itself. HE has a huge ownership of pharmaceuticals making vaccinations, and will profit hugely from the worldwide vaccinations which will kill billions. Pharmaceuticals have indemnity-they cannot be sued for harm done to patients (victims) of vaccines. Rump said he is calling in the MIlitary to dispense it. Biden insists on masks and the necessity of vaccinations.

      2. I hated Barack Obama much worse than Donald Trump. My last president was John F. Kennedy.

        1. Personally Eisenhower for me.

        2. Mine too, Ron. And my last president-to-be was Bobby, after Bernie showed a lack of conviction and courage to go down fighting.

  14. morneau@shaw.ca Avatar
    morneau@shaw.ca

    “Capitalism will continue to become more corrupt and unjust until people force its end. “
     
    Yes, but just exactly HOW will the people “force its end” and just exactly WHAT will replace “it” (how will people BEHAVE, on a highly-detailed, day -to-day basis, AFTER “it” ends)? Will the replacement arrangement have a “government”? Will the details of the replacement be decided by a huge blog of millions of people (where each person will have two words or two seconds, take your pick, to give their “opinion”), one person, ten people, how many? Or will people, particularly people living in the large, congested cities, “just stand up and do what comes naturally”?
     
    BTW, Caitlin and Tim, consider the following geo-stratgic equation.
     
    2020 USA minus 1930s Nazi Germany = nuclear weapons.
     
    In support of this proposition, imagine “human progress” had Nazi Germany developed nuclear weapons in the late 1930s. Forgetting that for the moment, imagine “human progress” had the US remained the only nuclear power until, say, 1990.
     
    Further, do you see any resemblance between the following short speeches delievered to The People by long-dead Harry S. Truman and the very-much-alive Donald “fire and fury” Trump of recent days?

    1. morneau@shaw.ca Avatar
      morneau@shaw.ca

      Have you heard how “exceptional” the US is? It is so exceptional that God rewarded it with a great gift.

  15. Carolyn L Zaremba Avatar
    Carolyn L Zaremba

    I agree with all of these points except one. When you say that “the left” is “very, very, very, very far from attaining its goals”, who do you mean? As far as I am concerned, the only true, existing left is Marxism and the only true leftist party is the Socialist Equality Party. If you are referring to any other group that considers itself “left” you are believing their PR, not observing who they actually support, which is the Democratic war party.

  16. Most have become very shallow people always seeking happiness. Always seeking amusements. Always seeking fulfillments. Never ever being just content with life. FB, instagram, reality programming and even Amazon fuel this discontent but mostly capitalism. I detest the term “Bucket List” I must do these things before I die. I no longer argue with such people.

    1. i beg to differ. wherever im at, i have fun, uplift the people around me, and leave a trail of positiivity. you’re confusing happiness w/seeking approval & validation.

      1. No you confuse true contentment with immersing yourself in this world seeking fun and happiness and being positive. False pursuits which are flitting around like a leaf on a windy day. There is no fulfillment in this world only the next. Happiness is an illusion, contentment is the path of wisdom.

        1. be like water: open, fluid, able to adapt. you are rigid, old, tired, dry, dead. i feel sorry for your wife, if you have one.

          1. Being content in all situations is the very definition of adaptation. Joy comes from within. Happy people do not understand that since they are also depressed when the entertainment stops. Seek joy and take hapiness as it comes but also dont regret its passing.

        2. Personally I’ll accept the wisdom of Solomon that said, “There is nothing better than to eat, drink and be merry”. As Tennyson told us, “Cling ever to the sunnier side of doubt”.

    2. I really like FIRE\minimalism as way to hack the matrix: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2016/06/08/happiness-is-the-only-logical-pursuit/

      The urges are strong and nurtured by the matrix. If people would just reflect the slightest bit, they could be the dog wagging tail instead of the other way around.

      I’ve really been paying attention lately to people’s urges to do rather than be. I recognize people are wired differently and some must do more than others, but it’s so easy to be adversely affected by the do-ers who’s ambition exceeds their personal bandwidth.

      I’ve also been paying attention lately to the need to own things. There is so much beauty to observe, but for some reason people must own in order to satiate.

  17. Status Quo Defenders: blames everyone else, claims Trump is NOT Deep State, quite the contrary, is a victim.

  18. “Saying “It’s not capitalism that’s the problem, it’s corporatism!” is the same as saying “It’s not smoking that’s my problem, it’s the emphysema!”
    I beg to differ. Corporations are a creation of the state. The free market is a creation of nature. The only way one can succeed in a free market is to provide a product or service that people need or want at a price they can afford. In a corporate market, one need only get the state on one’s side, and once the state is on one’s side, there’s not much one can’t get away with. Socialism is merely the transfer of the entire economy to what is essentially a corporate economy, owned by the state.

    1. “The free market is a creation of nature.” Actually no, nature gave us the gift economy, in which innumerable groups of human beings existed for millennia before the first empire was formed. With empire came oppression and exploitation which eventually morphed into its consummate form: capitalism, including the maxed-out version called neoliberalism. What the human invention of capitalism/neoliberalism has brought us, and the existential bind it has now put us in, are clearly spelled out by Caitlin. “The ecosystem is dying because it is vastly more profitable to destroy the ecosystem than to preserve it. Capitalism offers no solutions for this, only exacerbation.”

      1. Carolyn L Zaremba Avatar
        Carolyn L Zaremba

        I agree, Newton Finn.

      2. When was the last time you saw a deer voluntarily “gift” its life to a wolf? The “natural” source of free markets is in the willingness to engage in exchange rather than theft. Governments, all of them, are based on a foundation of theft. The fundamental flaw in what is erroneously perceived as capitalism is that corporations, a creation of the state, have no moral foundation whatsoever. They are by their very nature sociopathic. They are solely committed to profit, period. A private landowner does not cultivate right up to the edge of the ditch, because they recognize the risk of erosion, and the potential loss of value. The corporate landowner is only concerned with next quarters profit margin, damage to the land be damned. We have no personal experience of a free market. There hasn’t been such a thing for more than a generation. What we do have experience with is fascism, the collusion of the state and corporate business, neither of which have any moral foundation. Which is the economy of practically the entire world at this time.

    2. Truth-in-Tension Avatar
      Truth-in-Tension

      JWK, Excellent comment.

      Too many people confuse crony / state capitalism with free markets. Unfortunately, free markets have not existed in my lifetime.

      Governments will not allow free markets because then the general population would begin to realize how little value governments provide. The average person would soon realize that they do not have an income problem, rather they have a government excessive tax problem.

      The is no real service that the government provides that the free market could not provide better at less costs and with greater value and satisfaction.

      1. AS long as we have gods, or have leaders, or have capitalism or any other competition or ruling powers, we will have selfish greedy people who want power and/or wealth. They will gather others to follow them and to exploit and/or oppress or rule a part of the population, using monopolistic means, weaponry, or other avenues to bully and rule over the weaker or fewer. This is mankind’s nature so far. I have in the conclusion of ANGRY LOUD AND CLEAR TRUTH a new type of civilization that borrows aspects from the Amish and ancient tribal cultures of some indigenous peoples of America, India, and Africa. They survived and fluorished for thousands of years before being conquered by “superior” Europeans and their technology. Superior in being adept at killing.

  19. The real issue is how to change or awaken humans to use our power in a non-destructive, peaceful and balanced manner with ourselves and our environment. The stakes now are such that it is either-or, do that or disappear from the face of this beautiful planet we are managing to destroy. What is apparent is that our current focused rational mindset is not working and, in fact, it is that mindset coupled with the emotions of fear, greed and hate that rule our minds and create a reality of destruction without limit. This is not working and change will occur one way or the other. It is our choice.

    1. Great comment Mr. Obvious. Too bad it’s not more obvious.

    2. “. . .it is that mindset coupled with the emotions of fear, greed and hate that rule our minds and create a reality of destruction without limit.”
      `
      I read somewhere that the language we use defines us. I agree with that. Our inner and outer conversations create our reality. I’m all for creating a positive, constructive mindset and reality without limit.

  20. A little over half of the statements made in this article are totally correct. The remaining statements are divided between matters of personal opinion and definitely false assumptions. That said, it is actually pretty good in my own personal opinion. Graded on a curve considering the state of what passes for journalism of late, it easily earns a grade of A minus. Everyone is fully entitled to his or her personal preferences and opinions while even a seer’s crystal ball made of real crystal always carries within some flaws and inclusions. Captured in the matrix, these imperfections are built into the nature of such crystal balls as well as the mortal sages who dwell upon them.

  21. Stay angry Caitlin – that way you won’t get killed !

    I found this sound advice from my own father.

  22. Caitlin your mind is like fresh air for we who are starving for the purifying and sustaining energy of the simple truth. Thanks so much for sharing your liberation so beautifully.

  23. If you are real, then I like your platform. It is your time. We need more like you in banking and government.

    We need to properly define prosperity by:

    “Let us be humans, not Americans. America has never been great, it has been selfish and phony from the start. Let us look towards a new day; a day that we BENEFIT THE HUMAN RACE AND TRULY ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE.”

    1. Carolyn L Zaremba Avatar
      Carolyn L Zaremba

      We need socialist revolution and the confiscation of the banks to turn them into public entities serving the people. Expropriate the ill-gotten gains of the oligarchy and return them to the people who do all of the labor, the working class.

      1. Amen. May it be so ASAP.

  24. Hi Caitlin, If a useless idiot like myself should want do something to help those in need in Yemen. I see Project Hope and Unicef when searching I world in respect to Yemen crisis. A donation to these perhaps or do you have a recommendation or alternative?

  25. Descartes opined: ‘l think, therefore I am’
    He had it back to front.
    It should be: l am, therefore (unfortunately) I think (too much).
    War is a bit the same.
    We invented nuclear weapons, therefore they will be used.
    History is coming to an end.
    Hug those those you Love, often.

    1. I agree Dinkum. But the fat lady has not yet sung her final song. Until then there is a sliver of hope. Don’t ask me how or why. I just keep that final door open for miracles….

      1. So do I and many others who have faith, against all odds, in the human spirit.

  26. Ms Johnstone, the citizens within the United States of America have the very same empathy for the people of Yemen as they have for the people in Gaza; which is magnitudes less than zero! The Evil Empire will never stop killing people because it is what we do best and it is very ” profitable ” ; which is all that really matters. Our ” God ” is ” Money “; and we worship money. There is no such thing as dirty money anymore it all spends and that is all that matters. That is the reality of the U.S.A.

    1. But not all of us think that way Ron, as you well know. Don’t let your broad brush erase us dissidents!

      1. Carolyn L Zaremba Avatar
        Carolyn L Zaremba

        Correct. Lumping “the American people” into some kind of monolith is just as much an error as lumping all Europeans or Africans, or Chinese, or Brazilians together and claiming they are all alike and all think alike. The United States government, on the other hand, is a truly violent and criminal cabal and deserves all the calumny we can heap upon it.

  27. This is excellent work Caitlin!
    “I still regularly stop and gawk at the fact that a US imperial ally is committing the world’s worst mass atrocity in Yemen with America’s help and it occupies almost zero public attention. Once you really grasp the significance of this fact, it’s impossible to shake.”

    In 1966 Australia & the UK MASS MURDERED nearly 500,000 Indonesian civilians by bulldozing a number of mass holes in the ground, forcing the people under threat of death by gunfire, then the gunfire started anyway, with bull-dozers filling in the holes, suffocating those who survived the gunfire, or crushed to death by bull-dozer!!
    AUSTRALIA & THE UK, HAVE ALREADY BEEN CHARGED FOR MASS GENOCIDE, FOR THIS DREADFUL CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY! Unfortunately, the Oligarchs of today have not learnt their lesson, and the wars have continued, and they WILL NOT STOP, until we-the-people force them to stop! All we have to do is say NO, plant your feet, and NEVER EVER GIVE IN TO THEM! Better to die with dignity & morals, than to give them your soul, because even if you do, they WILL KILL YOU! This, is about the destruction of Humankind as we know it, that is what they want. They want YOU to summit to them, to obey them WITHOUT question, and without thought! They want good obedient little slaves, to serve, and not those with just a couple of functioning brain cells either, they want TOTAL submitted, and all whom challenge, they wish to dispose, and have, and will, continue to do, for these are evil souls bent on our destruction in return for wealth and total control of the entire planet and ALL its inhabitants!
    Come on folk, open up your minds, don’t just believe or dis-believe….seek knowledge of your own, do the research, this is healthy for us to do this, it leads us to the TRUTH. TRUTH IS WHAT GIVE THE PEOPLE POWER OVER TYRANNY! SEEK TRUTH AND TRUTH WILL COME TO YOU!
    “WHO Backflips on Lockdowns after Global Economy Decimated and World’s Poor are Starving”
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/10/someone-tell-radical-democrats-backflips-lockdowns-global-economy-decimated-worlds-poor-starving/
    “US manipulated OPCW to justify Syria strikes: Journo tells UN ”
    https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/09/30/635378/Syria-chemical-attack-United-States-missile-strikes-OPCW

  28. Here is an email I just sent out.
    People, changing the way we operate as a nation will take the effort of all of us. Wouldn’t you all be happier if you could be a benefit to society, if you could work at a job in which you could see concrete benefits to others as a direct result of your work? Health field workers are well aware that medicines are addictive and manage illness rather than cure it. If there were natural cures that may take longer to heal but are only beneficial, they would embrace them instead of the phony machines that they knowingly pass as healthy which are not. Farmers would rather have organic foods growing on their farms than have the poison from pesticides and lack of nutrition of gmos. Almost everybody participates in the destruction of humanity to support themselves, it is in their own self-interest. After all, they want to have that nice house and new car. Everybody does it, so why can’t I?
    Somehow, being American has become synonymous with being greedy and selfish, the shiny glittery cars, jewelry, entertainment has bought us all, and we as a nation have become parasites.
    I was a volunteer helping homeless mentally ill people unpaid for years. Some well-meaning mental health professionals saw my good works, my poverty, and hired me as professional case manager, despite my lack of education. I saw that within the system, nobody really benefited, that our work was keeping the status quo, that it did not improve people’s lives. I quit, and went back to volunteering, helping people outside the system which is useless. I chose poverty over parasitical work. I was earning $28k for three years, have never made more than $19k since. No regrets, only pride on my part. I am glad to be outside a system that has intentionally been set up to oppress. WE,, not only as a nation, but as a planet, must change our ways to survive, and to prosper in ethics and conscientiousness. Why live a lie? Why perpetuate evil to gain glitter and phony appearance of greatness, when the veil has been lifted, and people are seen for their ugly true nature. Americans have been bought- you have let your good character be stained by materialism.

    That can be conquered. It is time to ponder what is more important. Which side are you on? Will you serve an evil entity and its obedient servants of deception, or will you turn away from the evil powers and stand on the side of righteousness? We, the righteous, can do this. We can put aside our weapons manufacturing and live as farmers. My proposal, my campaign platform will now add another aspect. The United States has plenty of good, healthy, arable land good for farming. IF elected, I will stop weapons manufacturing, and promote farming. Combines and other mass farming machines will be outlawed. Research has shown that paying workers is just as profitable as using combines. I will only permit organic foods, no pesticides. The US will change into a vast productive farmland. And research on using natural herbs and vitamins to heal illnesses will commence. We will once again harvest cotton- with well-paid farm laborers or employ prisoners paid fairly IF they CHOOSE to work.
    I cannot begin to explain to you the free and proud feeling of being independent and of being a worker to benefit others instead of a detriment.
    Our leaders, the current one especially, are predators. Bush was king at that. They use intimidation, force, manipulation, fear, and other low down methods of evil instead of positive methods of cooperation and diplomacy and mutually beneficial agreement. It has always been AMERICA FIRST, our only interest has been to benefit the rich under the guise of benefiting America. We are all one race. The human race. Let us win the race. Let us be humans, not Americans. America has never been great, it has been selfish and phony from the start. Let us look towards a new day; a day that we BENEFIT THE HUMAN RACE AND TRULY ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE. And being prosperous is not a good example. Being righteous is. And that is my aim, and I will make it a planetary aim.

    GET READY FOR A NEW ERA OF HOPE. VOTE FOR MICHAEL KAHN AS PRESIDENT.

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