"The West Is Lighting the Fuse of War"

"There are a multitude of fuses affixed to dozens of powder-kegs and little kids with matches are on the loose. I don’t know which of the fuses will be lit and which powder-keg will blow, but someone is bound to do something stupid, and then all hell will break loose. It could happen at any time. One military miscue. One assassination. One violent act that stirs the world. And the dominoes will topple, setting off fireworks not seen on this planet since 1939 – 1945. I can see it all very clearly." - Jim Quinn

"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."

"War Games", 1984

"The West Is Lighting the Fuse of War"

by Paul Craig Roberts

"The Western media is a lie machine. Western governments live in a make-believe world of their own impunity. Consequently, the Western peoples lack awareness of the dangerous situation that Washington has created with Russia.

The so-called “peace conference” in Switzerland was a fraud. Russia was not included, so how was it a peace conference? It was a propaganda event to rally support around Washington’s puppet, Zelensky, whose term has expired and who is ruling illegitimately as a dictator. Many of the attendees refused to sign the statement.

Here is a true description of the situation. The West is acting in behalf of the war continuing and expanding. The puppet’s term has expired and Zelensky continues in office despite not being reelected. The Western trained and equipped Ukrainian military has been defeated. At any time Russia can increase the offensive and clear Ukrainian forces from the Russian populated areas that have been reincorporated into Russia.

The West’s response to its lost war consists of two reckless and irresponsible actions. One is to send NATO troops, with the French being the opening wedge, to replace the depleted Ukrainian troops. The other is to further provoke the Kremlin by firing longer range missiles into Russia.

Putin and important members of the Russian government have indicated that if necessary Russian troops will move into areas beyond the reestablished border of Russia, stating that the longer the range of the missiles the deeper into Ukraine the buffer region will be.

It is unclear why Washington provoked the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as it was obvious that Ukraine had no chance of winning and as the war was certain to unite the Russian people behind Putin and to destroy any trust of the West in the Kremlin. Most importantly, the West ignored that it was forcing an existential threat upon Russia. The Kremlin is convinced that the West intends Russia’s destruction.

Putin’s intention after his deception by the West with the Minsk Agreement, was only to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Russian areas that have now been reincorporated into Russia. Apparently Putin did not realize the extent to which the West would involve itself and expand the war. Now that Putin faces an outbreak of a larger war, he clearly stated the conditions for ending the conflict.

He said that Russian military action will cease when the remaining Ukrainian forces are withdrawn from the Russian populated areas that have been reunited with Russia and when Ukraine agrees that the country will not become a member of NATO or have foreign bases and missiles on its territory. These are reasonable and generous terms. If these terms are refused, Ukraine faces further conquest and harsher future conditions for ending the conflict.

When Ukraine was broken off from Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian provinces which Soviet leaders had attached to Ukraine should have been left in Russia. Whether or not this was a failure of foresight or malicious intent, it was a mistake that resulted in a conflict that has the potential of engulfing the world.

The difference between the 20th century Cold War and the 21st century hot war is that in the Cold War era the US and Soviet leadership, understanding the fatal nature of nuclear weapons, were committed to reducing tensions and building trust, whereas in the 21st century only Russia has sought mutual understanding and mutual security. Washington has fomented conflict and raised an existential threat to Russia by expanding NATO to Russia’s borders and overthrowing governments of former Russian provinces.

To avoid war Putin has accepted continuing provocations and insults. But now faced with such reckless and irresponsible proposals as NATO troops in Ukraine and missiles hitting deep into Russia, Putin has made one last effort to state conditions for ending the conflict. The conditions are immensely better than the outbreak of conflict that would destroy Europe and the United States.

The danger today is much worse than the Cuban Missile Crisis. In those days Washington recognized the danger. Today Washington does not. President John F. Kennedy realized that the US had provoked Soviet missiles in Cuba by placing US missiles in Turkey. Kennedy and Khrushchev made a mutual security agreement and both removed the missiles.

Putin’s diplomatic effort during December 2021 and February 2022 for a mutual security agreement was cold-shouldered by Washington, NATO, and the EU. With the outbreak of major war looming, Biden has still not met with Putin. Instead, Biden has provoked animosity by calling Putin the new Hitler. This is an unprecedented level or reckless irresponsibility.

The question before us is: Will Putin continue to accept provocations in hope that a change in the Washington regime in the November election will permit the West to come to its senses, or is Serbian President Vucic correct that the train has left the station?

As the Western world lacks a truthful media, the people might be indoctrinated with the “Russian threat.” Even if the people realize that the threat is Washington’s pressure on Russia, the people are impotent to affect government policy. Among the Western governments, public opinion is something to be manipulated, not something to which to listen.

I believe the West has convinced Putin that the West intends war. Not even Putin has an endless amount of patience. Instead of recognizing the dangerous situation and sitting down with Putin to defuse the situation, the West is lighting the fuse."

- https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/

And of course someone, the US, as always, has done

 something astonishingly stupid and provocative...

"Sullivan Greenlights Ukraine Cross-Border 

Attacks Beyond Kharkiv Region With US Arms"

And here's how they're doing it...

"Nuclear War Ahead?

Ukrainian Deep Strikes and Russia’s (non) Responses"

"WTF Alert! Russia Changes Nuclear Doctrine! Israel Approves War Plans! N. Korea Moves Troops!"

Canadian Prepper, 6/18/24

"WTF Alert! Russia Changes Nuclear Doctrine! 

Israel Approves War Plans! N. Korea Moves Troops!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Gerald Celente, "The Fall Of America"

Very strong language alert!

Gerald Celente, 6/18/24

"The Fall Of America"

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.

- https://trendsjournal.com/

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Jeremiah Babe, "Warning! The Financial Dominos Fall Gradually Then Suddenly - You Will Own Nothing"

Jeremiah Babe, 6/18/24

"Warning! The Financial Dominos Fall Gradually 

Then Suddenly - You Will Own Nothing"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

"All Hell Is About To Break Loose In 

The World Financial System"

Egon von Greyerz, 6/17/24

Judge Napolitano, "Col. Karen Kwiatkowski: US Empire’s Impending Suicide"

Full screen recommended.

Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 6/18/24

"Col. Karen Kwiatkowski:

 US Empire’s Impending Suicide"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "Moment of Grace Part 1"

Full screen recommended.

Liquid Mind, "Moment of Grace Part 1"

"A Look to the Heavens"

"This fantastic skyscape lies near the edge of NGC 2174 a star forming region about 6,400 light-years away in the nebula-rich constellation of Orion. It follows mountainous clouds of gas and dust carved by winds and radiation from the region's newborn stars, now found scattered in open star clusters embedded around the center of NGC 2174, off the top of the frame.

Though star formation continues within these dusty cosmic clouds they will likely be dispersed by the energetic newborn stars within a few million years. Recorded at infrared wavelengths by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2014, the interstellar scene spans about 6 light-years. Scheduled for launch in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope is optimized for exploring the Universe at infrared wavelengths."

- https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Chet Raymo, “When The Morning Stars Sing Together”

“When The Morning Stars Sing Together”

by Chet Raymo

“A Chinese proverb: A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. Which might be an acceptable epigraph for this blog. I can’t imagine anyone coming here looking for answers. Certainly, providing answers is the last thing on my mind. I would like to think you come for song.

We are, I think, by and large, a community who distrusts answers, at least answers that are vehemently held. We are made uncomfortable by stridency. By dogma. By the desire to proselytize. We wear our truths lightly, gaily, as a song bird wears its feathers. We are grateful to those who push back the clouds of ignorance and hold the reins of passion. With Blake, we sing their praises, a song we have spent a lifetime learning. We sing to celebrate. We sing because we have a song.”

- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/

The Poet: Wendell Berry, “Leavings”

“Leavings”

“In time a man disappears

from his lifelong fields, from

the streams he has walked beside,

from the woods where he sat and waited.

Thinking of this, he seems to

miss himself in those places

as if always he has been there.

But first he must disappear,

and this he foresees with hope,

with thanks. Let others come.”

- Wendell Berry

○

“Perhaps as he was lying awake then, his life may have passed before him - his early hopeful struggles, his manly successes and prosperity, his downfall in his declining years, and his present helpless condition – no chance of revenge against Fortune, which had had the better of him - neither name nor money to bequeath - a spent-out, bootless life of defeat and disappointment, and the end here! Which, I wonder, brother reader, is the better lot, to die prosperous and famous, or poor and disappointed? To have, and to be forced to yield; or to sink out of life, having played and lost the game? That must be a strange feeling, when a day of our life comes and we say, “Tomorrow, success or failure won’t matter much, and the sun will rise, and all the myriads of mankind go to their work or their pleasure as usual, but I shall be out of the turmoil.”

- William Makepeace Thackeray, “Vanity Fair”

"In A Word..."

“In a word, there are many thorns, but the roses are there too.”

- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Best known for this classic...

Full screen recommended.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "1812 Overture"

"The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture, is a concert overture in E♭ major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The piece commemorates Russia's successful defense against the French invasion of the country by Napoleon in 1812."

"On 7 September 1812, at Borodino, 120 km (75 mi) west of Moscow, Napoleon's forces met those of General Mikhail Kutuzov in a concerted stand made by Russia against the seemingly invincible French Army. The Battle of Borodino saw casualties estimated as high as 100,000 and the French were masters of the field. It was, however, ultimately a pyrrhic victory for the French invasion.

With resources depleted and supply lines overextended, Napoleon's weakened forces moved into Moscow, which they occupied with no delegation to receive the conquerors. Expecting a capitulation from Tsar Alexander I, the French instead found themselves in a barren and desolate city. To make things worse, 48 hours after Napoleon's entry to the Russian city on 14 September 1812, three quarters of Moscow was burned to the ground.

Deprived of winter stores, Napoleon had to retreat. Beginning on 19 October and lasting well into December, the French Army faced several overwhelming obstacles on its long retreat: famine, typhus, freezing temperatures, harassing Cossacks, and Russian forces barring the way out of the country. Abandoned by Napoleon in November, the Grande Armée was reduced to one-tenth of its original size by the time it reached Poland and relative safety."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia

"Permanent Adolescence: The Epidemic That Will Destroy America"

"Permanent Adolescence:

The Epidemic That Will Destroy America"

by Dr. Paul Kindlon

"As a Humanities professor I have had the opportunity to teach psychology and social psychology for more than 25 years. Occasionally the knowledge obtained in these areas allows me to analyze and understand social behavior and certain cultural trends. This is one those occasions.

If one is able to observe American society in an objective manner (granted no easy task) it becomes clear that the country is suffering from an epidemic of arrested emotional development (AED). This particular illness is characterized by some combination of: addiction, greed, immaturity, fear, blame, shame, resentments, anger, confusion and suffering. What it means is that the vast majority of Americans are stuck in adolescence exhibiting behavior like lying, negative attitudes, disobedience and disrespect, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and issues of sexuality.

One has only to watch American movies or television shows to get a snapshot of juvenile, puerile, and base comedy characteristic of adolescent humor. It’s no accident that 48 year old Jimmy Fallon is essentially the “eternal teenager” performing comedy that mostly includes bathroom humor and gags that are based on and appeal to a silly sense of immaturity. The other darling of late-night shows in America is Stephen Colbert, age 58, who specializes in insulting public figues in an overtly adolescent display of negative attitude and disrespect.

Another hallmark of AED is to evade responsibility and blame others for failure. One had only to observe the millions of Hillary supporters to understand this phenomenon. Also common for AED sufferers is to show disrespect in sophomoric ways usually by damaging property as we see with monuments being defaced and destroyed.

Teenagers, of course, tend to have identity issues often involving sexuality which is another phenomenon all too apparent in contemporary America. It’s almost uncool not to be LGBT or confused about your gender nowadays. Soon there will be as many genders as ice-cream flavors for it’s all just a matter of taste!

In terms of cognitive activity AED is characterized by exaggeration and over-simplification. If you are angry with one of your parents you might refer to them as a Nazi or Fascist.

This negative attitude now is extended to anyone who disagrees with you and can be seen in slogans such as “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA”. Adults are an endangered species. The cognitive effect of exaggeration and over-simplification leads to irrationality and confusion. Witness the millions of people who think they are being anti-racist by opposing “White Supremacy”. No anthropologist on earth would claim that “White” is a race (although a Neo- Nazi would) It’s not even a primary color. The Irish were discriminated against for more than a hundred years in America due to Anglo-Saxon racism yet the Irish are considered “white”. There are millions of Americans of German, Polish, and Scandinavian extraction who have been working-class and lower for a very long time. Are these “white people” guilty of supremacy? Against whom? Themselves?

Of course, what the protestors should be focusing on is class and not race which is really an arbitrary term. Unfortunately. the progressive movement in America has gone from “Occupy Wall street” to “occupy the public bathroom”. Lenin would be turning over in his grave – if he had one. With regard to alcohol and drug addiction in America, the statistics are startling. Opiod addiction alone is becoming a national health issue as is depression. Alcohol abuse, of course, is also quite high. Lying is also becoming commonplace. It used to be just politicians and lawyers who were known to “play with the truth”. Nowadays the mainstream media is widely seen as a mainstream of lies with CNN now wearing the title of FAKE NEWS.

The teenage attempt to rebel and show disobedience is often manifested through the use of profanity intended to shock the older generation. Gratuitous profanity is pervasive in American culture and has replaced the imagination as a form of creativity. It is not an accident that Pussy Riot – a group of “performance artists” using profanity in a Cathedral considered sacred to “shock” the Russian public and “disobey” authorities – has found a home in the United States and been befriended by Madonna, another symbol of eternal adolescence. Her AED was on full display when she publicly offered all men fellatio if they voted for Hillary Clinton. And as any rebellious teenager attempting to shock the “older generation” she had to announce that she “swallows”. Stay classy, Madonna. Keep in mind we’re talking about a 63 year old mother of six.

You see…if everyone is a teenager there is no adult supervision. That is the problem. After an autopsy is conducted years from now to ascertain how and why the American Empire expired, the obituary will include multiple causes of death and AED will be listed prominently. Perhaps a precocious teenager will be allowed to write the epitaph that will read…”When extended, the bridge between adolescence and adulthood can take a heavy toll”.

- https://www.lewrockwell.com/

○

“Most people don’t grow up. It’s too damn difficult. What happens is most people get older. That’s the truth of it. They honor their credit cards, they find parking spaces, they marry, they have the nerve to have children, but they don’t grow up. Not really. They get older. But to grow up costs the earth, the earth. It means you take responsibility for the time you take up, for the space you occupy. It’s serious business. And you find out what it costs us to love and to lose, to dare and to fail. And maybe even more, to succeed."

- Maya Angelou

"Why Not Despair? "

"Why Not Despair?"

"To view our times as decadent and dangerous, to mistrust the government, to imagine that those in power as not concerned with our best interests is not paranoid but perceptive; to be depressed, angry or confused about such things is not delusional but a sign of consciousness. Yet our culture suggests otherwise. But if all this is true, then why not despair? The simple answer is this: despair is the suicide of imagination. Whatever reality presses upon us, there still remains the possibility of imagining something better, and in this dream remains the frontier of our humanity and its possibilities To despair is to voluntarily close a door that has not yet shut. The task is to bear knowledge without it destroying ourselves, to challenge the wrong without ending up on its casualty list. You don't have to change the world, the writer Colman McCarthy has argued. Just keep the world from changing you.

Oddly, those who instinctively understand this best are often those who seem to have the least reason to do so, survivors of abuse, oppression, and isolation who somehow discover not so much how to beat the odds, but how to wriggle around them. They have, without formal instruction, learned two of the most fundamental lessons of psychiatry, philosophy, and religion:

You are not responsible for that into which you were born..

You are responsible for doing something about it.

These individuals move through life like a skilled mariner in a storm rather than as a victim at a sacrifice. Relatively unburdened by pointless and debilitating guilt about the past, uninterested in the endless regurgitation of the unalterable, they free themselves to concentrate upon the present and the future. They face the gale as a sturdy combatant rather than as cowering supplicant."

- Sam Smith

The Daily "Near You?"

Burnley, Lancashire, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by!

"If..."

“If Man were relieved of all superstition, and all prejudice, and had replaced these with a keen sensitivity to his real environment, and moreover had achieved a level of communication so simplified that one syllable could express his every thought, then he would have achieved the level of intelligence already achieved by his dog.”

~ Robert Brault

Epic Economist, "15 Signs China Is Economically Devastating America"

Full screen recommended.

Epic Economist, 6/18/24

"15 Signs China Is Economically Devastating America"

"China's meteoric rise over the past few decades has positioned it as a formidable competitor to the United States in various sectors. From economic growth and technological innovation to infrastructure development and international influence, China's strategic investments and policy initiatives have enabled it to grow faster than the U.S. in several critical areas.

Though America is still the leading superpower of the world when it comes to geopolitics, and economic development, the eastern nation is a close second, and it has been surpassing the U.S. in many aspects. Today, we explore 15 ways in which China is outpacing America, highlighting the implications for global dynamics and future trends. Without any further ado, let's check out this list!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Gregory Mannarino, "This Is The Endgame, Be Ready for World-Wide Pandemonium!"

Gregory Mannarino, PM 6/18/24

"This Is The Endgame, Be Ready for 

World-Wide Pandemonium! Are You Ready?"

- https://traderschoice.net/

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"How It Really Is"

 

"The Sane Who Know..."

“Human beings are, necessarily, actors who cannot become something before they have first pretended to be it; and they can be divided, not into the hypocritical and the sincere, but into the sane who know they are acting and the mad who do not.”

- W.H Auden

"A dog might feel as majestic as a lion, might bark as loud as a roar, might have a heart as mighty and brave as a Lion's heart, but at the end of the day, a dog is a dog and a lion is a lion."

 - Charlyn Khatero

"The Psychology of Manipulation: 6 Lessons from the Master of Propaganda"

"The Psychology of Manipulation: 

6 Lessons from the Master of Propaganda"

by Ryan Matters

"Edward L. Bernays was an American business consultant who is widely recognized as the father of public relations. Bernays was one of the men responsible for “selling” World War 1 to the American public by branding it as a war that was necessary to “make the world safe for democracy”. During the 1920s, Bernays consulted for a number of major corporations, helping to boost their business through expertly crafted marketing campaigns aimed at influencing public opinion.

In 1928, Edward Bernays published his famous book, "Propaganda", in which he outlined the theories behind his successful “public relations” endeavours. The book provides insights into the phenomenon of crowd psychology and outlines effective methods for manipulating people’s habits and opinions. For a book that’s almost 100 years old, "Propaganda" could not be more relevant today. In fact, its relevance is a testament to the unchanging nature of human psychology.

One of the key takeaways of the book is that mind control is an important aspect of any democratic society. Indeed, Bernays maintains that without the “conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses”, democracy simply would not “work”.

We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. According to Bernays, those doing the “governing” constitute an invisible ruling class that “understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses”.

In "Propaganda", Bernays draws on the work of Gustave Le Bon, Wilfred Trotter, Walter Lippmann, and Sigmund Freud (his uncle!), outlining the power of mass psychology and how it may be used to manipulate the “group mind”. If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it?

I recently explored this topic in an essay about how occult rituals and predictive programming are used to manipulate the collective consciousness, influencing the thoughts, beliefs and actions of large groups of people, resulting in the creation of what occultists call “egregores”. Here I have extracted some key insights from Bernays in an attempt to show how his book "Propaganda" is, in many ways, the playbook used by the globalist cryptocracy to process the group mind of the masses.

1. If You Manipulate The Leader Of A Group, The People Will Follow: Bernays tells us that one of the easiest ways to influence the thoughts and actions of large numbers of people is to first influence their leader. If you can influence the leaders, either with or without their conscious cooperation, you automatically influence the group which they sway.

In fact, one of the most firmly established principles of mass psychology is that the “group mind” does not “think”, rather, it acts according to impulses, habits and emotions. And when deciding on a certain course of action, its first impulse is to follow the example of a trusted leader.

Humans are, by nature a group species. Even when we are alone, we have a deep sense of group belonging. Whether they consciously know it or not, much of what people do is an effort to conform to the ideals of their chosen group so as to feel a sense of acceptance and belonging.

This exact method of influencing the leader and watching the people follow has been used extensively throughout the last few years. One notable instance that comes to mind is the horrendously inaccurate epidemiological models created by Neil Ferguson, which formed the basis for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown policies. Once Johnson was convinced of the need to lockdown and mask up, the people gladly followed.

2. Words Are Powerful: The Key To Influencing A Group Is The Clever Use Of Language: Certain words and phrases are associated with certain emotions, symbols and reactions. Bernays tell us that through the clever and careful use of language, one can manipulate the emotions of a group and thereby influence their perceptions and actions. By playing upon an old cliché, or manipulating a new one, the propagandist can sometimes swing a whole mass of group emotions.

The clever use of language has been employed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to great effect. An obvious example of this was when the definition of “vaccine” was changed to include injections utilizing experimental mRNA technology. You see, the word “vaccine” is associated in the public mind with a certain picture – that of a safe, proven medical intervention that is not only life-saving but absolutely necessary.

If governments had told people to go get their “gene therapies”, the vast majority of the public would likely question the motives behind such a campaign; they would feel extremely skeptical because the phrase “gene therapy” is not associated with the same images, emotions and feelings as “vaccine”.

The same goes for the word “pandemic”, the definition of which was also changed. The word “pandemic” is generally associated in the collective consciousness with fear, death, chaos and emergency (largely thanks to Hollywood and the myriad virus films it has released over the years).

3. Any Medium Of Communication Is Also A Medium For Propaganda: Any system of communication, whether phone, radio, print, or social media, is nothing more than a means of transmitting information. Bernays reminds us that any such means of communication is also a channel for propaganda. There is no means of human communication which may not also be a means of deliberate propaganda.

Bernays goes on to stress that a good propagandist must always keep abreast of new forms of communication, so that they may co-opt them as means of deliberate propaganda. Indeed, systems that most people would associate with freedom of speech and democracy are none other than means of circulating propaganda. Facebook fact-checkers, Big Tech censorship and YouTube’s Covid banners certainly fall into this category.

Other examples of this include the recent algorithm updates made by various search engines (including Google and DuckDuckGo) to penalize Russian websites, although this should come as no surprise (Google has been engaging in this type of “shadow propaganda” for many years).

4. Reiterating The Same Idea Over And Over Creates Habits And Convictions: Although Bernays terms this a technique used by the “old propagandists”, he, nonetheless, recognizes its usefulness. It was one of the doctrines of the reaction psychology that a certain stimulus often repeated would create a habit, or that the mere reiteration of an idea would create a conviction.

Repeating the same idea or the same “mantra” again and again is a form of neuro-linguistic programming aimed at instilling certain concepts or emotions into the subconscious mind. Indeed, people who are feeling sad or depressed are often advised to repeat to themselves an uplifting saying or affirmation.

There are many examples of this simple, yet effective, technique being used to great effect over the last few years. Think Q’s “trust the plan”, the globalist favourite, “build back better” or the incessant repetition of that twisted phrase, “trust the science”. Included in this category are the 24/7-in-your-face death statistics and case numbers, aimed at promoting the illusion of a pandemic.

There are more obvious examples of this as well, such as news anchors in different areas all reading from the exact same script.

5. Things Are Not Desired For Their Intrinsic Worth, But Rather For The Symbols That They Represent: After studying why people make certain purchasing decisions, Bernays observed that people often don’t desire something for its usefulness or value, but rather because it represents something else which they unconsciously crave. A thing may be desired not for its intrinsic worth or usefulness, but because he has unconsciously come to see in it a symbol of something else, the desire for which he is ashamed to admit to himself.

Bernays gives the example of a man buying a car. From the outside, it may appear as if the man is buying the car because he needs a means of transport, but in actuality, he is buying it because he craves the elevated social status that comes with owning a motor vehicle.

This idea, too, applies to the events over the last few years. For example, masks are a symbol of compliance. Everyone knows they don’t work but they wear them because of their desire to “fit in”, and to be seen as an upstanding citizen who follows the rules. Covid-19 injections are also a symbol and many people choose to get them because they have a desire to avoid being called an “anti-vaxxer” or a “conspiracy theorist”.

6. One Can Manipulate Individual Actions By Creating Circumstances That Modify Group Customs: Lastly, Bernays tells us that if one wishes to manipulate the actions of an individual, the most effective way to do so is to create circumstances that engender the desired behavior. What are the true reasons why the purchaser is planning to spend his money on a new car instead of on a new piano? […] He buys a car, because it is at the moment the group custom to buy cars. The modern propagandist therefore sets to work to create circumstances which will modify that custom.

For example, why all of a sudden does everyone “stand with Ukraine”? According to Bernays, it’s not because there is a war going on and innocent people need our love and support, but rather because it is the new “group custom” to do so. The process of altering group customs begins from the top down. In every nation or social clique, there are leaders, public figures and influencers. Manipulating those with the most sway eventually filters down into the public mind. That is why when a celebrity decides to wear something extravagant on the red carpet, a whole new trend can arise overnight.

Similarly, at the beginning of the Covid saga and then the Russia-Ukraine war, the media were quick to circulate stories of celebs “catching Covid” and urging people to stay home, or public figures condemning Russian actions and calling for stricter sanctions (which just so happened to hurt the West more than they hurt Russia).

The Propaganda Playbook: The world is a volatile place right now. Things seem to change quickly and no one knows what might happen next. However, amid all this chaos there is one thing that has not changed and is unlikely to change any time soon, and that is human psychology. Because of this, the tactics used to manipulate people’s thoughts, beliefs and actions have not changed either. In fact, most of them were outlined in detail 100 years ago by Edward Bernays in his 1928 book, "Propaganda."

That’s right, the Puppet Master’s playbook isn’t a secret. It’s right there, freely available to anyone who cares to understand how the powers that be seek to influence them on a daily basis."

- https://off-guardian.org/

○

Freely download "Propaganda", by Edward L. Bernays, here:

- https://www.newbraveworld.org/

"It's Not US... It's Russia!"

"It's Not US... It's Russia!"

“Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”

by Joel Bowman

“We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed,

our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.”

~ Edward L. Bernays (1891-1995), author of "Propaganda"

Bangkok, Thailand - "Tell a lie often enough... and people will learn to fill in the rest of the quote. (But that doesn’t mean they’ll understand the point of it.) By now gentle readers will have suffered the cringe-worthy video of the world’s Somnambulist in Chief, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., sleepwalking aimlessly around the grounds at last week’s G-7 summit in Puglia, Italy. In case you haven’t yet seen the footage, here’s a clip...

[Special Note: As we go to press, White House Propagandist in Chief, Karin Jean-Pierre, has falsely claimed the above video is a “deep fake” (meaning A.I. altered), a statement she had subsequently to retract… hey, props to KJP for preempting the exact point we were about to make further in this very article! Read on…]

Hostess with the Leastess: Poor ol’ Giorgia Meloni. Not only was the popular Italian prime minister and host of the revolving gabfest charged with shepherding Sleepy Joe back to the group...she had to stage a fête for what must surely be the slimiest bunch of political losers, lame ducks and lunatics disgracing the world stage today.

Right to Left: President of European Council Charles Michel (unelected eurocrat, fetid swamp creature)... German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (just lost EU parliamentary election)... Canadian President Justin Trudeau-Castro (lowest poll numbers in Canada in half a century)...French President Emmanuel Macron (just lost EU parliamentary election)... Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (host, member of the “hard-right,” highest approval rating for any EU leader)... United States President Sleepy Joe Biden (“Biden...?” “Biden...?” “Is there a President Biden here...?”)... Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (cabinet approval rating at 16%, calls to step down as PM)... British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (about to get a well-deserved trouncing in upcoming UK elections, candidate for worst Tory PM in modern history in a very, very tough field)...European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (unelected EU henchwoman, threatened Italian voters before Meloni’s election, “We have tools...”)

Pssh! No wonder Meloni extended a special, personal invitation to Argentina’s Javier Milei, who arrived a few days late after getting business done in his own backyard, down at the end of the world, first. (As to why El Señor would be seen cavorting with such a rabid cesspool of managerial collectivists, we’ll have to leave for another day...) But back to ol’ Sleepy Joe...

For concerned citizens... and even those unconcerned, who simply don’t like seeing doddering human mannequins drifting off into open, unsupervised spaces...the man’s behavior has become something of a problem. Whether it’s the sneggerlegerlainerwhachamadunnit gaffes... the aimless ambulatory misadventures... the pathological commitment to untruth... the weaponization of federal agencies... or the steely determination to avert the imminent onset of peace... even moderate Democrat voters are starting to realize...Obama’s third term has been his worst!

Here is the former/shadow president, coaxing “Weekend at Joey’s” off the stage at a celebrity fundraiser in Hollywood on Saturday night.

“Here we go, Joey. Let’s get a cup of 

warm milk into that ouchie belly, eh?”

On cue, the mainstream media lauded the event, crammed to the hilt with people who literally pretend to be other people for a living, as “the most successful fundraising event in the history of the Democratic Party.” With countless red carpet groomers behind him and zero felonies to his name, Team Obiden raked in a cool $28 million for the night. Taking a somewhat different tack, The Donald held a similar event a few weekends back... which involved 34 felony counts, zero celebrities... and $200 million raised. The media’s response: Yawn.

At this point, polls for the 2024 presidential race have Orange Man Bad ahead on both the national stage and in every single one of the battleground states. But moderates and sensible centrists needn’t start looking for short ropes and long drops just yet. The Democrats have an ace up their sleeve when it comes to combating inconvenient public perception...especially when it’s accurate. Which brings us to our latest installment of everyone’s nobody’s favorite game of mass delusion, cognitive dissonance and cerebral contortionism:

It’s not US... it’s Russia! Dear readers will recall favorite episodes from the recent past, including “The one where Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election... to Russia!” and “The one where it wasn’t the Fed’s money printing that caused inflation... it was Putin’s Price Hikes!” and “The one where we flat-out told you we were going to blow up the Nord Stream Pipeline... then Russia did it!”

Not to mention the popular, oft re-run classic, “The one where 51 top intelligence officials told American voters right before the election that Hunter Biden’s highly incriminating and totally legit laptop was really... ‘textbook Russian disinformation!’”

Having reliably sold the catchy “It’s not US... it’s Russia” slogan to the American public more times than we have room for in these pithy Notes, we were hardly surprised to learn that questions regarding Biden’s mental acuity would receive the same mass managerial treatment.

After last week’s unscheduled walkabout at the G7... and his increasing tendency for onstage rigor mortis... calls have come for the White House to publicly release the tape of the president’s conversations with special counsel Robert Hur, so voters can get a take on his mental fitness. Readers will recall it was special counsel Hur who recommended Biden not be prosecuted on classified document charges (remarkably similar to those Mr. Trump currently faces) on grounds that the president is merely “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Unfit for prosecution, in other words... but totally fit for another four years with his shaky Skeletor fingers on the nuclear button.

Already The New York Times has obliged, running a standard form article titled: “Russian Disinformation Videos Smear Biden Ahead of U.S. Election.” And now, from one of the interchangeable bobbleheads on MSNBC: “A huge part of the Mueller report [which found no evidence of Trump’s collusion with Russia] is Russian disinformation tactics, and one of the themes this election cycle is that Joe Biden is too old to lead. And so everyone is seizing upon this. And it is a classic disinformation tactic. And I think the best thing we can do is to prepare the American people for this false narrative.”

Did you get that, dear reader? Prepare to “be prepared.” On that note, we leave the final word today to The Father of Propaganda himself, Edward Bernays, who literally wrote the book Propaganda and who sure knew a thing or two about manipulating We, the Public:

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”

“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”

~ Edward L. Bernays, "Propaganda"

Bill Bonner, "Decline of the West"

"Decline of the West"

In 1999, the US owed $5.6 trillion. A lot of money. But still manageable. Now it owes $35 trillion. Much of this debt – a total of nearly $100 trillion, public and private – cannot be repaid.

by Bill Bonner

‘Look at China, with 1.5 billion people. India probably has more than that.

 And there are other nations in Southeast Asia... Indonesia... Pakistan... Bangladesh. 

It seems that the trends in development are gradually shifting in that direction.’

- Vladimir Putin

Paris, France - "America stands like a colossus on an increasingly slippery world. Last week, more grease was added. America’s landmark deal with Saudi Arabia expired. It was the deal made in the 1970s by Wall Street bond dealer extraordinaire, William Simon. In essence, it solved two problems at once - one for the US, the other for the Saudis. The US needed to export dollars. The Saudis needed to export oil. The agreement said that henceforth, if you wanted to buy Saudi oil, you had to pay in dollars. Then, the Saudis could immediately exchange them for US Treasury bonds.

But there was one other important point. The US would provide ‘security’ for the Saudi government. Presto! A ‘foreign entanglement’ of the sort the founding fathers warned against. TipRanks: "The petrodollar agreement, formalized after the 1973 oil crisis, stipulated that Saudi Arabia would price its oil exports exclusively in U.S. dollars and invest its surplus oil revenues in U.S. Treasury bonds. In return, the U.S. provided military support and protection to the kingdom. This arrangement was a win-win situation for both; the U.S. gained a stable source of oil and a  captive market for its debt, while Saudi Arabia secured its economic and overall security." 

The ‘deal’ was secret. The Saudis did not want the rest of the Arab world to know how closely they were working with Israel’s ally, the US. And even today, the ‘fact checkers’ say the deal was ‘fake news,’ that nothing formal ever existed which mandated the Saudis would sell oil only in dollar.

Formal or informal, the actual terms of the relationship have been away from the public for more than 40 years. But the sweetheart deal was part of the reason the US attacked Iraq rather than Saudi Arabia, following 9/11. The perps were almost all Saudis, not Iraqis. But Saudi Arabia was a major holder of US debt with a special status. That deal expired on June 9th, according to reports.

Decline of the West: Yesterday, we gave our opinion. The two leading candidates for the White House are equally unqualified for the job... but perfect for the mega-political challenge ahead. That is, we believe the ‘decline of the West’ began around the end of the 1990s. In 1999, you could have sold the 30 stocks in the Dow index and gotten enough money to buy 41 ounces of gold. Today, you’ll get only 17 ounces. In other words, the real value (measured in the gold) of America’s leading businesses has been more than cut in half. That’s a sign of decline. Not definitive... but suggestive.

In 1999, the US and its allies were on top of the world. The richest country in the world. The most admired. With the best technology. Coolest culture. The US had a balanced budget. And except for bombing the hell out of Serbia, it was more or less at peace. The Soviet Union had recently given up... leaving the West without a rival.

It was at that unlikely moment that America lost its footing. Elite firepower lobbyists took control of Congress. Balanced budgets and peace were soon things of the past... In 1999, the US owed $5.6 trillion. A lot of money. But still manageable. Now it owes $35 trillion. Much of this debt – a total of nearly $100 trillion, public and private – cannot be repaid. Instead, it and the fictitious wealth it represents will disappear as the credit cycle runs its course.

Nature is full of patterns. Once astride the world, a hegemon must find the hapless, hopeless leaders who will help it slide off. The US has found them. Neither Biden nor Trump will cut spending. Neither will withdraw from the role of global Alpha Nation. Neither wants to restrain the firepower industry or break the war mongers' grip on Congress.

How significant the end of the Saudi deal will be, in the near term, we don’t know. As a practical matter, the world's oil markets function in dollars. Both buyers and sellers have dollars and know that dollars are easily converted to any other asset they want. But the slippage is underway. Here’s this from Responsible Statecraft: "Global opinion of US goes down the toilet." "Dragged down in important part by disapproval over the U.S. position on the Gaza war, the popular image of the United States abroad has declined over the past year, according to a new poll of public opinion in 34 countries released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.

The survey, the latest in an annual series that dates back more than two decades, also found that international confidence in U.S. democracy has fallen. A median of four in ten of the more than 40,000 respondents said U.S. democracy used to be a good model for other countries to follow but no longer is. That view was most pronounced in the ten European countries covered by the poll."

When you’ve got the gun in your hand, you don’t necessarily care what others think of you. But if the Top Gun, butt-kicking nation could remain in charge forever, we might be part of the Roman Empire, not the US empire. More to come..."

- https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/

Freely download "The Decline Of The West", by Oswald Spengler, here:

- https://dn790006.ca.archive.org

Dan, I Allegedly, "Are We Headed to World War 3?"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, I Allegedly, AM 6/18/24

"Are We Headed to World War 3?"

"Are we on the brink of World War III? In today's video, we dive deep into the alarming news that has slipped under the radar. The National Defense Authorization Act has introduced a mandatory Selective Service registration for adults aged 18-26, including women, for the first time in over 50 years! What does this mean for our future? Are we headed towards a nuclear conflict? Join me as we unravel the chaos our politicians are leading us into and the potential consequences on our lives and our children's lives."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Scott Ritter: Israel is Losing this War and Iran will Destroy the IDF on All Fronts"

Dany Haiphong, 6/18/24

"Scott Ritter: Israel is Losing this War 

and Iran will Destroy the IDF on All Fronts" 

"Former Marine Corps Intelligence Officer and UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter analyzes Israel's grim future as regional forces begin to mount more pressure on the IDF to cease its gruesome war. What happens next may surprise you."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Full screen recommended.

OpenmindedThinker Show, 6/18/24

"Scott Ritter: 150,000 Lebanese Troops 

Prepares Biggest Surprise for Israel In July!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Adventures With Danno, "A Very Frustrating Trip To Meijer!"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, 6/18/24

"A Very Frustrating Trip To Meijer!"

"In today's vlog, we are at Meijer and are 

noticing some frustrating prices on groceries."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Full screen recommended.

Travelling with Russell, 6/18/24

"Russian Typical (Dutch Owned) 

Supermarket: EUROSPAR"

"Join me on a tour of the Dutch owned Spar Supermarket in Moscow, Russia. 

Spar currently owns and operates 466 locations throughout the Russian Federation."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Alert! 'NATO Will Fly F-16s'; N. Korea Exploding! Israel Amassing Nukes; Iran Sending Troops"

Full screen recommended.

Canadian Prepper, 6/17/24

"Alert! 'NATO Will Fly F-16s'; N. Korea Exploding! 

Israel Amassing Nukes; Iran Sending Troops"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: Disturbed, "The Sound Of Silence"

Full screen recommended.

Disturbed, "The Sound Of Silence"

1 Billion views, official release.

I've listened to this song 100 times, there's "something" here, 

you feel it, and if there are words for it I don't know them...

o

Full screen recommended.

Disturbed "The Sound Of Silence"

Singer David Draiman

147 Million views

"A Look to the Heavens"

“Is our Milky Way Galaxy this thin? Magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours of the northern sky, in the faint but well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. This sharp, colorful image reveals the spiral galaxy's boxy, bulging central core cut by obscuring dust lanes that lace NGC 4565's thin galactic plane. 

An assortment of other background galaxies is included in the pretty field of view. Thought similar in shape to our own Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 4565 lies about 40 million light-years distant and spans some 100,000 light-years. Easily spotted with small telescopes, sky enthusiasts consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial masterpiece Messier missed.”

- https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210517.html

The Poet: David Whyte, "One Day"

"One Day"

"One day I will say

the gift I once had has been taken.

The place I have made for myself

belongs to another.

The words I have sung

are being sung by the ones

I would want.

Then I will be ready

for that voice

and the still silence in which it arrives.

And if my faith is good

then we'll meet again

on the road,

and we'll be thirsty,

and stop

and laugh

and drink together again

from the deep well of things as they are."

- David Whyte,

"Where Many Rivers Meet"

"The poem is a little myth of man's capacity of making life meaningful.

And in the end, the poem is not a thing we see -

it is, rather, a light by which we may see - and what we see is life."

- Robert Penn Warren