So, we rise from the rubble...
StatCounter
Friday, May 2, 2025
"In Search Of Racism"
"In Search Of Racism"
by The ZMan
"Something that has gone largely unnoticed is that the people who used to litter the streets screaming “racism” have disappeared. They have not gone away, but they have suddenly been marginalized. They spend their days on sites like Bluesky wondering why no one seems to care what they have to say anymore. The sites that used to pay for them to be pests are no longer interested in their material.
One possible reason for this is that racism may have run its course. This novel moral concept that emerged a century ago may have finally burned itself out in the last great moral panic. White people are no longer concerned that their observations of the world may be at odds with the morality of these strange people who demanded we worship a violent drug addict like George Floyd.
It is hard to imagine, given that racism as a sin has been with us since anyone can remember, but it is a novel concept. A century ago, few people would have understood the word at all, much less incorporated the concept. Even fifty years ago it was possible to dismiss the idea. In the long history of human civilization, this weird idea is nothing more than a strange middle-class fad.
The fad may have come to an end. Trump whacking away at things like affirmative action and disparate impact, with little howling from any one could signal something bigger than the death of the racism concept. It may signal the end to the long experiment to overcome the natural diversity of man. The search for racial equality, like the search for bigfoot, may be a fool’s errand coming to an end."
"How It Really Is"
"Gen Z Shockingly Admits They Don’t Know How
To Change A Lightbulb In Startling New Poll"
by Asia Grace
"Well, they’re not the brightest bulbs in the box - and their cluelessness comes at a high cost. The adult babies of Gen Z can cry about strict workplace mores and whine over the anxiety-inducing stress of making a phone call. But they can’t even change a lightbulb, per new data on the youngsters’ incapacity to tackle everyday, do-it-yourself duties. “The ability to do basic, practical tasks is being lost amongst younger generations,” warned Andy Turbefield of Halfords, a UK-based motoring and cycling retailer.
Yamalis Diaz, an NYU Langone psychologist, tells The Post that their deficiencies are likely due to the digital age. “They simply haven’t really had to [do things for themselves],” said Diaz of Gen Z, real-world newbies ranging in age from 18 to 27. “So much of their (and all of our) lives are automated, convenient and outsourced, which today’s generation of young people have benefited from way more than past generations,” she added. “So, it makes complete sense that Gen Z simply doesn’t know how to do as much with regard to non-tech or independent tasks.” And the proof is in their helpless pudding.
Researchers for Halfords surveyed 2,000 grown-ups, including Zoomers, as well as millennials, guys and gals ages 28 to 44; Gen Xers, folks 45 to 60; and baby boomers, silver foxes over age 60, to determine each demographic’s level of self-sufficiency. The investigators found that nearly 25% of Gen Zers had no idea how to change a lightbulb in a ceiling lamp, with many claiming that climbing a ladder is “too dangerous.” One in five also worry that the bulb might be “too hot.” So, instead of risking their lives to complete the common DIY, the Z’s would rather GOTDIT — Get Others To Do It, according to the report.
The enlightening revelation comes as the latest layer to top the “Gen Z is lazy” cake, a not-so-sweet campaign that has somewhat soured society’s taste for the 20-somethings. But rather than acquiescing to the “lazy” stereotype - shade that Gen Zs in NYC have staunchly rebuffed - the whippersnappers would, instead, prefer paying service people major money to handle their minor inconveniences.
In addition to not knowing how to change a lightbulb, the majority of team-Zers aren’t confident in their abilities to clean a car. In fact, a faction of respondents said they’d rather have their parents do the dirty work for them. Less than half of the younglings don’t know how to add air to a car tire, and even fewer know how to fit a windshield wiper blade. And a shocking 30% of the group could not identify a flathead screwdriver, while 21% couldn’t recognize a wrench. One in 10 Gen Zers admitted they’d call a pro to hang a picture on a wall, too. “Motoring knowledge, in particular, appears to be on the decline,” said Turbefield, in part, “with many reluctant to take on even the most basic tasks.”
Dan, I Allegedly, "How Bad Can It Get? We Are Running On Fumes"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly AM 5/2/25
"How Bad Can It Get?
We Are Running On Fumes"
"The trucking industry is facing a full-blown crisis, and it’s impacting everything from shipping costs to wages. In this video, I break down why the trucking industry is falling apart, including new regulations like 49 CFR 31.11, the challenges caused by foreign competition, and the financial struggles of truckers who invested in expensive rigs during the boom years. We’re also seeing ripple effects across the economy, from layoffs in tech to rising costs in retail and even the closure of major businesses. It’s all connected, and I’m unpacking the latest updates for you."
Comments here:
"Trump Unleashes Economic Doomsday On America With Total Trade Embargo Against China, No Exceptions… Supply Chain Armageddon"
"Trump Unleashes Economic Doomsday On America With Total Trade
Embargo Against China, No Exceptions… Supply Chain Armageddon"
by Mike Adams
"Trump just announced a total trade embargo against China via a "secondary sanctions" announcement blocking all trade with any country that buys oil from Iran. Who buys the most oil from Iran? China, of course. As of today, according to Trump, all Chinese goods will be blocked from entering the USA. This includes pharmaceuticals, car parts, agricultural supplies, electronics, fertilizers and more. No exceptions.
And thus, this begins a chapter that may be known one day as the economic suicide of America, where our nation suffers a true doomsday supply chain collapse that leads to mass unemployment, mass famine, the collapse of domestic industry, and could even threaten cloud computing platforms and tech giants like Apple and Amazon AWS."
Full article is here:
Immediate, inescapable universally catastrophic consequences..
America's a dead man walking now... God help us.
Bill Bonner, "Stinkballs...All Of Them"
"Stinkballs...All Of Them"
by Bill Bonner
"Do you have a thought of your own? Do you have a belief of your own?
Or is everything literally just what Donald Trump tells you?"
- Rep. Dan Goldman to his Republican colleagues.
From the ranch at Gualfin, Argentina - "Yesterday, we marveled at how fast people gave up their cherished ideas and opinions. Neither always good, nor always bad, they are always subject to influence. Colleges had regarded DEI programs with the reverence of the disciples standing before the cross. But then, with the threat of losing federal money in front of them, administrators decided that it really didn’t matter so much. Better to deny Christ than to suffer for Him.
Associated Press: "A crackdown on diversity programs is reshaping college graduation ceremonies. As a first-generation college student, Austin Kissinger was looking forward to celebrating graduation with others of similar backgrounds who helped each other find their way at the University of Kentucky. Typically, Kentucky students who are the first in their family to graduate from college pick a faculty member to join them in a special ceremony. Earlier this month, the university canceled the ceremony, along with other convocations that recognize Black and LGBTQ+ students, citing the Trump administration's campaign to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion programs."
Forbes: "As more companies, colleges and nonprofits are trying to avoid the political backlash of having Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) departments, a grand rebrand is happening. DEI offices, and those who sit in them, are no longer in diversity. The latest to make that change? Harvard University, which announced Monday that, effective immediately, it would rename its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging to “Community and Campus Life.”
We’re happy to see colleges and corporations climb down from the DEI fad. Separating people by race and treating them differently was pernicious and fundamentally uncivilized. But today we turn to the federal budget. While DEI was a regrettable scam, budget control is not. So, it is with heavy heart that we see Republicans abandon their traditional concern for sensible fiscal policies in order to join Donald Trump’s gaudy parade.
Trump…Trump…Trump…we’re as tired of the subject as you are. But no person will have more effect on the economy or the Primary Trend than the man in the White House. Politics is ascendant. He has transformed the US government from one of laws passed by Congress to one of executive orders – more than one a day for the last 100 days. Were he to turn out to be a real Milei-style reformer, our whole outlook would change.
But already, we’ve seen the Big Man add more than $100 billion to the Pentagon’s honey pot. And now... in an interview with TIME — he makes it clear that he has no intention of seriously cutting domestic spending either:
TIME: If Republicans send you a bill that cuts Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, you commit to vetoing it?
Trump: If it cuts it, I would not approve.
TIME: So you would veto that?
Trump: I would veto it, yeah
Message to Republicans in Congress: Don’t even try. "In the coming battle between the Iron Laws of Finance and the Trump Team...the latter cannot win. The numbers just don’t add up. Every member of Congress must be able to do the math. Every politician on Capitol Hill, no matter how dim, must see that the only sane and sensible move now is retreat. Pull back from ‘full spectrum dominance.” Withdraw from spending we can’t afford. Balance the budget, for God’s sake.
Why Donald Trump has not done so is not hard to figure. He is the Big Man. Isn’t he already talking about his mug on Mr. Rushmore? Isn’t he angling for a Nobel Peace Prize? Doesn’t he ‘run the whole world,’ and want everyone to know it?
Click image for larger size.
Source: Financial Report of the US Government, Government Accounting Office
But what about members of Congress? Neither the House nor the Senate shows any sign of wanting to avoid the coming financial crisis. With one notable exception — Rep. Thomas Massie from Kentucky — Republicans in Congress are as servile and sycophantic as Trump’s cabinet. The House budget bill would bring total US debt in 2035 to nearly $70 trillion. And the Senate version put the total over $70 trillion.
Budget assumptions are so riddled with ledgerdemain (our own word…don’t look it up) that it’s hard to figure out exactly what the figures mean. But according to former White House budget director, David Stockman, the feds are expected to collect $65 trillion in revenue over the next ten years. And they are expected to spend $94 trillion. Republicans talk about spending cuts. But they dare not go near either of the two major holes in the ground — domestic transfers or the Pentagon. Trump has put them off limits.
So, US debt is programmed to rise to the aforementioned $70 trillion...more or less. And that assumes there would be no serious emergency requiring more outlays or reducing income...no recession...no further tax cuts...no panic in the bond market…and no increase in interest rates. What are the odds?"
"American Capitalism's Worst Nightmare" (Excerpt)
"American Capitalism's Worst Nightmare"
by David Stockman
Excerpt: "Donald Trump’s War on America’s $5.4 trillion of two-way trade with the rest of the planet is surely one of the most senseless acts of state aggression in modern times, if ever. That’s because its predicate - that America’s giant, unsustainable trade deficits are owing to unfair trade - is dead wrong. And we do mean wrong - as in completely, unequivocally and with no if, ands or buts. Indeed, Trump thinks large trade deficits are prima facie evidence of cheating by our trading partners, yet the evidence debunks that primitive axiom with such alacrity as to literally shutdown the argument.
For instance, the Donald never stops bragging about his negotiating the USMCA in late 2018, which he claims was a vast improvement upon the existing three-way free trade arrangement between the US, Mexico and Canada known as NAFTA. In truth, of course, it was mainly a name change with some sops to the UAW and other American unions, which provided more stringent wage standards in Mexico. But the core feature - zero tariff trade between the three countries - was maintained.
Here’s the thing, however. During 2017 - before the Donald’s new and improved USMCA - the US trade deficit with Mexico and Canada was -$65 billion, representing a modest 5.0% of total two-way trade of $1.298 trillion between the US and its two NAFTA partners. Self-evidently, that deficit was not caused by tariff barriers because, by definition, there weren’t any."
Full article is here:
"The True Cost Of Trump's $1.32 Trillion National Security Budget"
"The True Cost Of Trump's $1.32 Trillion
National Security Budget"
by Gregory Mannarino
"This isn’t just a budget… it’s a financial weapon pointed at the middle class, wrapped in a flag, and sold as “security.”
Fact: The Cash Doesn't Exist… It's Debt: This budget must be borrowed into existence. The US is already running $2+ trillion in annual deficits. There’s no tax base or surplus to cover this increase. Therefore, this spending requires the creation of new debt. This means… More IOUs to the bond market = More control handed to the Fed.
The FED Must Enable It, And Is Most Willing To Do So: The Fed is the engine that allows this scam to function. Whether through direct QE, stealth QE via reverse repos, or rate suppression, they WILL monetize the debt (either openly or indirectly). This budget is not about military strength, it's about preserving the debt machine through artificial liquidity. This will further debase the currency and erode purchasing power.
Expect: Social programs, infrastructure, education = gutted. Small business access to affordable capital = crushed. Wages can’t keep up = real standard of living collapses. The middle class pays the price… while war profiteers cash the checks.
Military Industrial Complex = Full Feeding Frenzy: Every dollar creates guaranteed long-term contracts, often no-bid, to: Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing. Northrop Grumman. BlackRock-tied "infrastructure rebuilders." All funded by money we don’t have... repaid by people who didn’t ask for it.
The Result: Systemic Enslavement: More debt = more power to the Fed. More war = more justification for endless borrowing. More fear = more control over the population. Less freedom = the final coffin nail for the republic. Perpetual war. Perpetual debt. Perpetual Fed dominance.
This isn’t “defense.” It’s economic warfare on the people of this country, masked as patriotism. It transfers trillions in future wealth from the hands of the people to the hands of the central banks and global contractors. This is not national security, it’s national surrender."
Gregory Mannarino, "This is The Scam Of The Century"
Gregory Mannarino, AM 5/2/25
"This is The Scam Of The Century"
Comments here:
o
WASHINGTON – "US President Donald Trump will request a record (S$1.32 trillion) in national security spending for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1, more than 13 per cent over the current year’s figure, according to administration officials familiar with the matter. The timing of this announcement is staggering. Just as JD Vance acknowledges the prolonged nature of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, President Trump unveils a record-breaking national security budget for the upcoming fiscal year."
- Gregory Mannarino
Jim Kunstler, "What's Normal, Exactly?"
"What's Normal, Exactly?"
by Jim Kunstler
“The job here is to enforce the federal civil rights laws, not woke ideology.”
- Harmeet Dhillon, US Assistant AG for the Civil Rights Division
"When a claque of deep state shills such as Norm Eisen, Chuck Schumer, Bill Kristol, David Brooks, and Larry Summers holler about Mr. Trump’s attempt to reform a depraved political culture as “an assault on norms,” are you not prompted to wonder what, exactly, those norms might be?
Looks like they are describing a colossal matrix of racketeering operations in concert with an epic program of crypto-Marxist mind-fuckery, mountains of money purloined under color-of-law, swindles galore of practically every public enterprise, the capital city of a so-called republic fogged in gaslight to conceal a Satyricon of pedophilia, sodomy, and sado-masochism in every closet, cabinet, and pigeon-hole of the political class.
So, along comes Mr. Trump for the second round, with a supernaturally able clean-up crew this time, and the monsters feeding off that depraved normality commence to shriek in mortal panic as the scaffold of their crimes gets methodically disassembled and secrets are revealed.
Many of you have been pouting over the lack of criminal prosecutions these first hundred days. Why is AG Ms. Bondi preening on Fox News when she should be banging-out subpoenas and arrest warrants, you ask? And what broom-closet is Dan Bongino hiding in over at the Hoover Building? How is Hillary Clinton still at-large in the land? Does Alejandro Mayorkas still make his Saturday excursions to the boutiques along M Street? Looks like the months of May and June are setting up to be the season of shocks and consequence.
Item: James O’Keefe, founder of Project Veritas (he was cancelled from it) and now running O’Keefe Media Group, put out a mighty strange eighteen-second video this week. Looks like it was filmed in a basement somewhere. “I’m going dark, he says ruefully. “I’m not suicidal. Pray for me. This one scares me, guys.”
A week earlier, O’Keefe announced that he had bombshell recordings of public figures breaking the law, involving billions of dollars, which he expected would lead to indictments. What spooked him in the week since then? I guess we’ll have to stand by to find out, or see if JO’K was bluffing.
Meanwhile Virginia Guiffre, a former Jeffrey Epstein teen sex slave, likewise said just over a week ago: “I am making it publicly known that in no way, shape, or form am I suicidal. If something happens to me, for the sake of my family do not let this go away and help me to protect them. Too many evil people want to see me quieted.” This was a month after she was injured in a traffic accident with a school bus in Western Australia. On April 24, she reportedly committed suicide at home, after release from the hospital. What do you suppose changed her mind?
An ominous silence surrounds the promised release of the Epstein case material, whatever it consists of: depositions, flight logs, photographs, video recordings of prominent people in compromising situations. Remember, not long after inauguration day, the FBI’s New York field office was found to be sitting on a huge trove of previously hidden Epstein case evidence. The DOJ swiftly “retired” the chief agent of the office, James Dennehy, who additionally had failed to cooperate with requests to disclose the names of agents involved in the Jan-6 investigations. Supposedly, since the discovery of the Epstein trove, a thousand agents were assigned to “process” it, redact the names of the innocent victims, so they say. Are the close to finishing?
Speaking of the J-6, 2021 matter, pressure is building for the Republican majority Congress to hold hearings on exactly what went on that fateful day. FBI Director Patel has yet to disclose how many government agents (not just FBI), and how many “confidential human sources” (i.e., provocateurs), were in the crowd around and inside the US Capitol. It’s getting to be past time to ask Mr. Patel for a straight answer on that in an official proceeding, and continue from there to related business, such as Nancy Pelosi’s failure to reinforce the Capitol Police with National Guard troops that day, and the strange doings around the DNC pipe bomb ploy few blocks away. Personally, I doubt that Mr. Patel is inclined to lie or dissemble about all that. But the natives are getting a little restless.
Mr. Kennedy at HHS is already pretty frisky in his role supervising the enormous cluster of agencies that have done so much to wreck the nation’s health in recent years. Goodbye fluoride in the drinking water. Hello to placebo testing for new drugs and vaccines. Welcome to a vigorous six-month campaign to determine a likely cause of the autism epidemic. RFK is even asking what exactly is in those aviation contrails that folks have been observing and complaining about for so many years. And then there was the bomb he dropped during this week’s cabinet meeting: that under Joe Biden, HHS acted as a major vector for the trafficking of children. Say, what??? Lotta people wondered, did Bobby really say that? And does he know exactly who in HHS is responsible. . . like, names attached? I guess we’ll find out.
On a brighter note, not only did Klaus Schwab, the comic book villain who leads the World Economic Forum (WEF), resign last week, but he stands formally accused of misusing its funds. An inquiry ensues. Mr. Schwab’s daughter, Nicole, supposedly revealed to possibly sketchy alt-journalist Medeea Greere, that the WEF sought to reduce the global population by billions, and not in a nice way. Standing by on that one. But, at least old Klaus is gone. His temporary replacement is Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, former CEO of the Nestle conglomerate, with a record of nefarious activity in the marketing of infant bottle formula in the third world and other turpitudes. Prediction: the WEF is toast. It was always a bit too bizarre to be taken seriously, but its demise signals real trouble for the foundering Globalist endeavor.
So, the month of May is shaping up to be merry as all get-out, and then June will be bustin’ out all over. That thing you felt? That was the ground shaking and the earth moving. Strap in."
Thursday, May 1, 2025
"Trump Issues Alert! Talks Collapse! War On Iran/China!"
Full screen recommended.
Canadian Prepper, 5/1/25
"Trump Issues Alert! Talks Collapse! War On Iran/China!"
Comments here:
"If Walmart & Target Stores Close, What Will Happen to the US in 30 Days?"
A horrifying must view!
Full screen recommended.
Discovery Globe Collapse, 5/1/25
"If Walmart & Target Stores Close,
What Will Happen to the US in 30 Days?"
"If Walmart and Target shut down, the economic and social effects could be massive. Walmart, Target, and their vast networks impact millions of jobs and communities across the U.S. In this video, we explore what could happen within just 30 days of their closure - from supply chain disruptions, skyrocketing prices, and unemployment, to the collapse of local economies and small towns. With Walmart and Target being lifelines for groceries, essentials, and employment, their disappearance would leave a void too large to fill. Watch to uncover the urgent truth behind this scenario and its potential to reshape America's everyday life."
Comments here:
"Don't Eat At Subway, The Worst Sandwich; Stores Closing; Kiss Your Job Goodbye"
Jeremiah Babe, 5/1/25
"Don't Eat At Subway, The Worst Sandwich;
Stores Closing; Kiss Your Job Goodbye"
Comments here:
Steven Van Metre, "McDonald's Just Dropped a Bombshell Warning"
Full screen recommended.
Steven Van Metre, 5/1/25
"McDonald's Just Dropped a Bombshell Warning"
"Sales are plunging, customers are out of cash, and prices are on the rise.
It's a warning to the world and I'm worried because what comes next is terrifying!"
Comments here:
Gerald Celente, "Global Economic Turmoil, Iran War Next?"
Strong language alert!
Gerald Celente, 5/1/25
"Global Economic Turmoil, Iran War Next?"
"The Trends Journal is a weekly magazine analyzing global current events forming future trends. Our mission is to present facts and truth over fear and propaganda to help subscribers prepare for what’s next in these increasingly turbulent times."
Comments here:
"We Are Much Closer To A Major War With Iran, And Trump Warns That Anyone That Buys Iranian Oil “Will Not Be Allowed To Do Business With The United States Of America In Any Way, Shape, Or Form”
"We Are Much Closer To A Major War With Iran, And Trump Warns
That Anyone That Buys Iranian Oil “Will Not Be Allowed To Do
Business With The United States Of America In Any Way, Shape, Or Form”
by Michael Snyder
"2025 is going to be largely defined by whether there is a major war with Iran or not. If a verifiable deal with Iran can be reached that prevents Iran from producing nuclear weapons, I will applaud the Trump administration for pulling off the diplomatic coup of the century. But if negotiations fail, it is just a matter of time before the bombing of Iran begins, and that would set the stage for all sorts of apocalyptic scenarios. Unfortunately, it appears that negotiations with Iran are now in the process of collapsing. The next round of negotiations that was scheduled for this weekend has been abruptly “postponed” by the Iranians…
"A fourth round of talks between the United States and Iran, which had been due to take place in Rome on Saturday, has been postponed and a new date will be set “depending on the U.S. approach”, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday. “U.S. sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy,” the official told Reuters."
It isn’t a mystery why the Iranians “postponed” the negotiations. The day before the Iranians made this announcement, the Trump administration unveiled new oil-related sanctions and warned Iran that there will be “consequences” for continuing to support the Houthis in Yemen…"On Wednesday Washington imposed sanctions on entities it accused of involvement in the illicit trade of Iranian oil and petrochemicals. Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran that it would face consequences for supporting the Houthis, who control northern Yemen and have attacked ships in the Red Sea in what the group says is solidarity with the Palestinians."
If you impose new sanctions on a country that you are negotiating with, you should not be surprised if negotiations break down. Perhaps the Trump administration has finally come to the conclusion that the Iranians were just using these negotiations to buy time.
Ultimately, there is no way that the Iranians are ever going to stop enriching uranium. But at least an attempt was made to try to talk the Iranians down from the ledge. I very much agree that was the right thing to do. Sadly, this crisis has now entered an ominous new chapter. On his account on Truth Social, President Trump just announced that anyone in the world that purchases any amount of Iranian oil will be hit with sanctions themselves…
"ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions. They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form. Thank you for your attention to this matter, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP"
This just happened, and it is absolutely huge. China is a major purchaser of Iranian oil. What will Trump do if the Chinese continue to buy oil from Iran? Will the Chinese “not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form”?
If Trump really follows through on this, we are about to see some really dramatic changes. Just imagine what it would do to the global economy if we suddenly cut off all trade with China and all of the other nations that purchase oil from Iran. I believe that Trump is not bluffing, and that means that things are about to get very “interesting”.
As for the Iranians, their actions indicate that they never expected talks with the U.S. to succeed. It is being reported that Iran has been feverishly “fortifying its underground nuclear complexes”…"The non-profit Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) reported that Iran was fortifying its underground nuclear complexes ahead of this weekend’s third round of nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. Iran insists it will not comply with the administration’s demand for it to suspend all uranium enrichment."
If the Iranians anticipated that they would be signing a deal with Trump, there would be no need to fortify those facilities. But instead, they have been hastily constructing a brand new “massive security perimeter”…"ISIS said satellite imagery showed Iran building a security perimeter around Mt. Kolang Gaz La, a mountain that sits atop two large underground tunnel complexes linked to the nearby Natanz nuclear facility. The massive security perimeter, which includes road grading and wall panels, isolates a sizable chunk of the mountain to limit access to the tunnel complex entrances. The north side of the new perimeter joins up with the existing barriers around the Natanz facility. ISIS noted the new perimeter was not easy to build, given the mountainous terrain. The wall appears to be supported by a network of trenches that could hold wiring for communications, camera surveillance, and light poles."
Once the bombing of Iran begins, there will be no going back. The bombing of Iran would be far more intense than the bombing of the Houthis has been, and the bombing of the Houthis has been extremely intense. Most Americans have no idea that we have literally bombed over 1,000 targets in Yemen since the middle of March…"Washington has been bombing the Houthis intensively since mid-March, hitting more than 1,000 targets. Tehran says the Houthis act independently."
We are bombing the living daylights out of the Houthis. What we would do to Iran would be much worse. Let me try to end this article on a positive note. Since Mike Waltz was quite hawkish toward Iran, some are seeing his departure as a sign that peace with the Iranians may still be possible…"National security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, will be leaving their posts in the Trump White House, according to multiple sources familiar with their departure. President Trump said Thursday he’s nominating Waltz to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as national security adviser, Mr. Trump said. Waltz will need to be confirmed by the Senate for the ambassador role."
Personally, I am not sure if the departure of Waltz had anything to do with Iran. It is being reported that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles “was so frustrated with Waltz that she has been barely speaking to him”. If the White House Chief of Staff can’t stand you, normally you aren’t going to last long. In this case, Waltz is being shipped off to the United Nations. He never seemed to be a good fit, and we are being told that President Trump regarded him as too hawkish…
"A person familiar with the Cabinet’s internal dynamics said Waltz was too hawkish for the war-averse Trump and was seen as not effectively coordinating foreign policy among a variety of agencies, a key role for the national security adviser. “The system isn’t running properly,” under Waltz, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity."
Hopefully whoever Trump brings in next will have a cool head. Because cool heads are definitely needed right now. For a long time, I have been warning that a major war with Iran is coming. If that happens in 2025, it will be one of the biggest events in modern history."
Musical Interlude: Jennifer Warnes, "Joan of Arc"
Full screen recommended.
Jennifer Warnes, "Joan of Arc"
"I have long adored this song by the late Leonard Cohen, and performed impeccably
by Jennifer Warnes. This is the performance at Night of the Proms in Antwerp in 1992."
- Peter Leslie
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Close to the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and surrounded by the stars of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici), this celestial wonder was discovered in 1781 by the metric French astronomer Pierre Mechain. Later, it was added to the catalog of his friend and colleague Charles Messier as M106. Modern deep telescopic views reveal it to be an island universe - a spiral galaxy around 30 thousand light-years across located only about 21 million light-years beyond the stars of the Milky Way. Along with a bright central core, this stunning galaxy portrait, a composite of image data from amateur and professional telescopes, highlights youthful blue star clusters and reddish stellar nurseries tracing the galaxy's spiral arms.
It also shows off remarkable reddish jets of glowing hydrogen gas. In addition to small companion galaxy NGC 4248 at bottom right, background galaxies can be found scattered throughout the frame. M106, also known as NGC 4258, is a nearby example of the Seyfert class of active galaxies, seen across the spectrum from radio to X-rays. Active galaxies are powered by matter falling into a massive central black hole."
"In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three billion Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, 2 trillion galaxies like this. And in all of that... and perhaps more, only one of each of us."
- "Dr. Leonard McCoy"
"No Room For Cowards..."
“Life has no victims. There are no victims in this life. No one has the right to point fingers at his/her past and blame it for what he/she is today. We do not have the right to point our finger at someone else and blame that person for how we treat others today. Don’t hide in the corner, pointing fingers at your past. Don’t sit under the table, talking about someone who has hurt you. Instead, stand up and face your past! Face your fears! Face your pain! And stomach it all! You may have to do so kicking and screaming and throwing fits and crying – but by all means – face it! This life makes no room for cowards.”
- C. Joybell C.
"A Great Kindness..."
“So don’t ask yourself what people want. Ask instead, What is true? What really inspires me, excites me? What will really help people and take away their confusion and suffering? It’s sort of a funny, crazy way to go, but I think it’s the only way to bring water to the wasteland Joseph Campbell described. When I read something truthful, something real, I breathe a deep sigh and say, “Fantastic – I wasn’t mad or alone in thinking that, after all!” So often we are left to our own devices, struggling in the dark with this external and internal propaganda system. At that point, for someone to tell us the truth is a gift. In a world where people all around us are lying and confusing us, to be honest is a great kindness.”
- David Edwards
"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you."
- Oscar Wilde
The Poet: Langston Hughes, "Mother To Son"
"Mother To Son"
"Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor -
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now-
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair."
- Langston Hughes
o
"You've seed how things goes in the world o' men. You've knowed men to be low-down and mean. You've seed ol' Death at his tricks... Ever' man wants life to be a fine thing, and a easy. 'Tis fine, boy, powerful fine, but 'tain't easy. Life knocks a man down and he gits up and it knocks him down agin. I've been uneasy all my life... I've wanted life to be easy for you. Easier'n 'twas for me. A man's heart aches, seein' his young uns face the world. Knowin' they got to get their guts tore out, the way his was tore. I wanted to spare you, long as I could. I wanted you to frolic with your yearlin'. I knowed the lonesomeness he eased for you. But ever' man's lonesome. What's he to do then? What's he to do when he gits knocked down? Why, take it for his share and go on.”
- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
"When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,'
I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'"
- Sydney J. Harris
"A Time Capsule From The 1930s: What's Different Now"
"A Time Capsule From The 1930s:
What's Different Now"
"If we compare health and endurance, well-being, security, general attitudes, family
and community ties and values, we would conclude that it is we who are impoverished."
by Charles Hugh Smith
"We're taking care of my 92-year old mother-in-law here at home. She has the usual aches and pains and infirmities of advanced age but her mind and memory are still sharp. Her memories of her childhood are like a time capsule from the 1930s.
My mom-in-law has always lived in the same general community here in Hawaii. She's never lived more than about 10 miles from the house where she was born (long since torn down) in 1931. Listening to her memories (and asking for more details) is to be transported back to the 1930s, an era of widespread poverty unrelated to the Great Depression. Many people were poor before the Depression. They were working hard but their incomes were low.
Prior to the tourist boom initiated by statehood and affordable airfare, Hawaii's economy was classically colonial: large plantations owned by a handful of wealthy families and/or corporations (known as The Big Five) employed thousands of laborers to raise and harvest sugar cane and pineapple. Pearl Harbor, Hickam air base and Schofield Barracks were large military bases on Oahu. Travel between islands was expensive (ferries) and each island was largely self-sufficient. Even taking a bus for the 12-mile ride to the island's sole city was a rare luxury, an excursion that occurred a few times a year.
Plantation workers were not yet unionized in the 1930s, and wages were around $20 a month for backbreaking field labor - work performed by both men and women. Typical of first and second-generation immigrant communities of the time, families were generally large. Six or seven children was common and nine or ten children per family was not uncommon. Many families lived in modest plantation-provided camps of two bedroom houses.
Gardens were not a hobby, they were an essential source of food to feed a table of hungry kids and adults. Candy, snacks, sodas, etc. were treats rserved for special occasions and holidays. Kids usually went barefoot because shoes were outside the household's limited budget.
Staples were bought at the company store (or one of the few privately owned groceries) on credit and paid off when the plantation paid wages.
Credit issued by banks was unknown. Neighborhoods (kumiai) might pool a few dollars from each family every year and offer the sum to the highest secret bidder or by lottery. Those households that scraped up enough to open a small business often worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week (or equivalent: 14 hours 6 days a week).
Neighbors helped with births and deaths.
Since no one could even dream of owning a car, transport was limited. Children and adults walked or biked miles to school or work. Many sole proprietors made a living delivering vegetables, meat and fish around the neighborhoods. (This distribution system is still present in rural France where my brother and sister-in-law lived for many years). Each vendor would arrive on a set day / time and housewives could gather to buy from the proprietor's jitney or truck. Children could eye the few candies longingly, and if they were lucky, a few pennies would be given to them to buy a candy.
Locally baked bread was delivered by boys. Milk was delivered by small local dairies.
Nostalgia is a powerful force, but I don't think we can dismiss the general happiness of my Mom-in-law's childhood as airbrushed impoverishment. The poverty seems obvious to us now, but at the time it was normal life. Everyone was in the same general socio-economic class. The plantation manager lived in a mansion with servants, but those with wealth were few and far between. In other words, wealth and income inequality was extreme but the class structure was flat: the 99% had very similar incomes and opportunities - both were limited.
Employment was stable, community ties and values were strong without anyone even noticing, and everyone had enough to eat (though not as much as they might have wanted, of course).
This secure plantation structure of work and community was still firmly in place in 1969-1970 when I lived on the pineapple plantation of Lanai (and picked pineapple with my high school classmates in the summer), and so I was fortunate to experience it first-hand. My Lanai classmates speak fondly and with a sense of loss when they recall their youth. Life was secure and protected, and with unionization of the workforce, the wages sufficient enough for frugal households to save enough to send their children to college off-island. I can personally attest that fond memories of 1970s plantation life are not distorted by nostalgia. These memories are accurate recollections of a far more secure, safe and nourishing place and time.
Compared to today, the typical 1930s diet was locally grown/raised and therefore rich in micro-nutrients. Grains such as rice and flour came from afar, but other than canned fish and similar goods, food was local and fresh. Little if any was wasted. People typically worked physically demanding jobs that burned a lot of calories.
There are many people 90+ years of age in our neighborhood. My Mom-in-law's brother - like many of the men in this age bracket, he was a World War II veteran of the famed 442nd unit -died last year at 96, despite smoking a half-pack of cigarettes daily until the end. A neighbor/friend just passed away at 99 (he was also a 442nd veteran). Our neighbor (cared for by her daughter and son-in-law, just like us) just turned 100. These people are generally healthy and active until the end of their lives.
If we look for causal factors in their advanced age and generally good health, we cannot ignore the high-quality, near-zero-processed foods diets of their youth and their strong foundations in community ties and values.
If we compare the financial and material wealth most enjoy today with the limited income and assets of the pre-war era, we would conclude they lived in extreme poverty and their lives must have been wretched as a consequence. But if we compare health and endurance, well-being, security, general attitudes, family and community ties and values, we would conclude that it is we who are impoverished and it was their lives that were rich in these essentials of human life.
The world has changed since the 1930s, of course. Materially, our wealth and options of what to do with our lives are off the charts compared to the 1930s. But if we look at health, security, well-being, community ties, social cohesion and civic virtue, our era seems insecure, disordered and deranging.
The irony is that those who have grown weary of our divisive, rage-inducing socio-economic system yearn for all that's been lost in the rise to material wealth and opportunities to spend that wealth. Those who grasp the emptiness of spectacle and material wealth and who have the means to do so are seeking the few enclaves that still have a few shreds of community and social cohesion left. These enclaves then get listed on "best small towns in America" or "best places in the world to retire" and the resulting influx of wealthy outsiders destroys the last remaining shreds of what everyone came for.
I recently harvested some of our homegrown green tomatoes, and my Mom-in-law gave me a handwritten recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes from her collection. The first ingredient was "two tablespoons of bacon drippings." Um, okay, if we were all working 10-hour days hauling 80-pound loads of sugar cane on our backs, no problem, but we're a household of three seniors, 69, 70 and 92. I think we'll substitute two teaspoons of olive oil for the bacon drippings..."
o
Full screen recommended.
"1930s USA - Fascinating Street Scenes of Vintage America"
"Step back in time with us as we unveil a mesmerizing journey through 1930s America like you've never seen before! While the Dustbowl was heating up in the southwest, the country as a whole was fighting through the Great Depression. All the while, Americans were living their day-to-day lives, and getting on as best as they could.
In this captivating video, we've meticulously colorized a collection of stunning photographs that capture the essence of a tumultuous yet resilient period in American history. From bustling cityscapes to serene countryside vistas, witness the contrast between hardship and hope that defined an entire generation. Discover the intricate details of everyday life as we explore the highways and byways of the past, complete with corner gas stations, storefronts, and bustling city streets. Journey through snapshots of the stunning architecture that emerged during this era, from Art Deco skyscrapers to quaint suburban homes. Each frame is a window into a world where innovation and creativity thrived despite adversity.
Join us on this mesmerizing visual journey, as we honor the legacy of the past and celebrate the indomitable spirit of the American people. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the 1930s in an entirely new light. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a lover of vintage aesthetics, or simply curious about the past, this video offers an immersive visual experience that will evoke a sense of nostalgia and leave you with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the human experience."
Comments here:
"Our Best Choice..."
"Good or bad, everything we do is
our best choice at that moment."
- William Glasser
"We’re All 'Flagellants' Now"
"We’re All 'Flagellants' Now"
by Jeffrey Tucker
"The old FedEx envelope was clever, a work of art even, optimistic and colorful, signifying speed and progress. What a beautiful contrast to the plainness of the U.S. Postal Service. For years, I can recall dropping off these treasures and paying maybe $10 to assure their delivery across the country, even the world. For me, it was a fabulous symbol of an improved life, living proof that progress was baked into the historical trajectory.
But a few days ago, the clerk at the FedEx office confirmed a different ethos. There was no doing business without a scan of my government-issued ID. I asked for confirmation: So if I did not have this, there is simply no way that I could send a package? Confirmed. Then came the envelope. It was the color of the brown bag I took to school when I was a kid. Serviceable, drab, dull. Also the new one is stamped with a big green marker: recyclable. There is no design, no art, certainly no beauty. It’s all gone.
Its main message is suffering. What happened to the old envelopes? They’ve been replaced, the clerk explained firmly, with no more detail. A recycle exhortation suggests shortage. We have to reuse everything because there just isn’t enough to go around. We must sacrifice. The color suggests privation. It’s an aesthetic of sadness and penance. Then of course the price tag came: $26 for delivery not tomorrow but in two days. So compared with some years ago, we pay 2½ times as much for service half as good as it was.
Don’t complain. It’s just the new way. It’s the new way of life. What happened to progress? It’s been replaced. The new path is flagellantism: in politics, culture, economics and everywhere.
The flagellants were a medieval movement of public penitents that roamed from town to town in garbs of woe, flogging themselves and begging as penance for pestilence and war. They were infused with a fiery, apocalyptic and millenarian passion that they could see terrible moral realities to which others were blinded. The theory was that plagues were being visited upon the Earth by God as punishment for sin. The answer was contrition, sorrow and acts of penance as a means of appeasement, in order to make the bad times go away.
It’s true that there were people who did so in private but that was not the main point. The central focus and purpose of the flagellant movement was to make one’s suffering public and conspicuous, an early version of the virtue signal. In the guise of personal sorrow, they were really about spreading guilt to others. They would show up at any public celebration with a message: Your happiness is causing our suffering. The more you party, the more we are forced to bear the burden of the need to be in pain for your sins. Your joy is prolonging the suffering of the world.
Flagellantry is most recognizable in the aesthetic. The first signs I recall seeing of this occurred immediately during the panic of March 2020 when it was proclaimed from on high that a terrible virus was visiting the U.S. Read on for the ugly details…
"Flagellantism: The New Political Ritual"
by Jeffrey Tucker
"No, you couldn’t see the virus, but it is highly dangerous, everywhere present, and should be avoided at all costs. You must wash constantly, douse yourself with sanitizer, cover your face, dress in drab color and be sad as much as possible. Fun things were banned: public gatherings, singing, house parties, weddings and all celebrations. This whole scene took on a political patina, as people were invited to think of the invisible virus as a symbol of a more tangible virus in the White House, an evil man who had invaded a holy space whose malice had leaked out in the culture and now threatened to poison everything.
The more you complied with mandatory misery, the more your work made a contribution to making the pestilence go away while we wait for the inoculation. That could take two forms: driving him from the White House or releasing the vaccine which everyone would accept.
Joseph Campbell was correct about the role of religious impulses in the human mind. They never go away. They just take on different forms according to the style of the times. Every single feature of traditional religion found a new expression in the COVID religion.
We had masking rituals that were rather complicated but learned and practiced quickly by multitudes: mask on while standing and mask off when sitting. We had sacramentals like social distancing and communion with vaccination. Our holy water became sanitizer and our prophets on Earth were government bureaucrats like Fauci.
Flagellantism did not disappear once the old president left and the new one came. Even after the pandemic ended, there were new signs that God was angry. There was the ever-present climate change which was a sign of Earth’s anger for being drilled and carved up for energy sources. And the bad country said to be responsible for the unwelcome invader of the White House - Russia - was now rampaging through the holy land of its neighbors.
In addition, the broader problem was capitalism itself, which gave us things like meat, gasoline, fur and other signs of evil. And what gave rise to capitalism? The answer should be obvious: imperialism, colonialism, racism and the existence of whiteness - each of which called for mass penance.
The pandemic unleashed it all. It was during this period that corporations decided that profitability alone required signs of suffering and hence the rise of ESG and DEI as new ways to assess economic value of corporate culture. And new practices were added to the list of the highly suspect: monogamy, heterosexuality and religious traditions such as Christianity and Orthodox Judaism that should now be regarded as deprecated, even as part of the underlying problem.
It was during this period when I found myself on an apartment hunt and observed a newly remodeled offering. I asked why the owner had not replaced the flooring. I was corrected: These are new floors. Impossible, I thought. They are gray and ghastly. That’s the new fashion, I was told. Looking it up, it was true. Gray flooring was being installed everywhere.
How does wood become gray? It dies. It starts to decay. It is swept away by rivers and floats around for years, alternatively soaked, baked by the sun and soaked again, until every bit of color is drained away. It becomes driftwood, a survivor of the elements and a symbol of the brutality of the cycle of life. Gray flooring is therefore the ideal symbol of the age of suffering, the proper material on which to move back and forth pondering the evils of the world.
In a world governed by flagellantism, ugly formlessness rises to replace aspirational art and imaginative creativity. This is why public art is so depressing and why even the clothing we can afford at the store all looks dreary and uniform. In this world, too, gender differences disappear as luxurious signs of decadence we can no longer afford.
Two other anecdotes. The overhead bins on the flight just now were largely empty, simply because most passengers chose the cheaper basic economy fare. This also requires they have no carry-on luggage and hence be forced to pay for checked luggage or travel with all their belongings in a backpack. We’ve gone from gigantic Louis Vuitton steamer trunks to stuffing things in pockets and hiding them from authorities.
Another case in point. I asked the man in the high-end shoe shop why none of the shoes had leather soles. Instead all shoes have these cushy rubber soles that seem weak and pathetic, and make no noise when one steps. “Everything has changed since COVID,” he said. “All shoes are house shoes now.”
I had no words and walked away, my entire thesis confirmed. Sure enough, all the data we have suggests the mighty triumph of flagellantism. Fertility is down dramatically. Life spans are shortening. People are sicker. Excess deaths are rising. We learn less, read less, write less, create less, love less.
Personal trauma is everywhere. The groceries are more expensive so we eat whatever we can, when we can, while hoping for breezes and whatever sunlight there is to provide just the essential energy we need to slog through another day.
Degrowth is the economic model of flagellantism, reducing consumption, embracing privation, acquiescing to austerity. We no longer declare recessions to be on their way because recession is the new way we live, the realization of the plan. The word “recession” implies a future of recovery, and that is not in the cards.
“Decolonization” is another watchword. It means feeling so guilty about the space you inhabit that your only moral action is to stay put and reflect on the sufferings of those you have displaced. You can of course say a prayer of supplication to them, so long as you never appropriate any aspect of their culture, since doing so would seem to affirm your rights as a human being.
You want joy, beauty, color, drama, adventure and love? It’s not gone entirely. Park yourself on a yoga mat on your gray floor and open your computer. Stream something on one of many streaming services you have been provided. Or become a gamer. There you will find what you seek. The experiences you seek you can only observe as an outsider looking in. It is not participatory. Social distancing never went away; it is how we live in a new age of unending penance.
So, you see, it’s not just about eating bugs. It’s about a whole theory and practice of life and salvation itself, a new religion to replace all the old ones. Cough up your government-issued ID, send your package if you must, think twice before complaining about anything on social media and figure out a way to channel your depression and despair into quiet humble gratitude and acquiescence. Don’t forget to recycle. The flagellants have taken over the world."
o
"In a scene from the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a group of monks are depicted singing plainchant while on a procession through the streets of a medieval village. After chanting the first few lines of text, the monks abruptly hit themselves in the face and repeatedly do so during their procession. Although this scene was undoubtedly filmed for comedic purposes, and the movie, in general, propagates a number of historically questionable stereotypes of the Middle Ages, the act of monks singing while engaging in self-harm is historically sound. In fact, this scene reflects the practices of a group of traveling medieval flagellants who would whip themselves while singing songs of penance for the purpose of placating God."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)