THEY Want Us Arguing...

[Belligerent Savant]

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Yes, authored by the (apparently) polarizing Caitlin Johnstone.


https://steemit.com/trump/@caitlinjohns ... -the-world

(embedded links at source)

They want you arguing over who should and shouldn't be called a terrorist based on what ideology you subscribe to and what color the latest killer's skin was. They do not want you talking about the way the label "terrorist" itself is being used to justify unconstitutional detentions, torture, mass surveillance, and wars.

They want you arguing over whether to support the Democrats because the Republicans will take civil rights away from disempowered groups or Republicans because the Democrats will take away your guns and force you to bake gay wedding cakes. They don't want you talking about the fact that both parties advance Orwellian surveillance, neoliberal exploitation and neoconservative bloodshed in a good cop/bad cop extortion scheme to keep Americans cheerleading for their own enslavement.

They want you arguing about whether Trump did or did not collude with Russia. They do not want you looking at what preexisting agendas the CNN/CIA Russia narratives are advancing and who stands to benefit from them.

They want everyone fighting over table scraps while they pour unfathomable riches into expanding and bolstering their empire. They psychologically brutalize you with propaganda day in and day out, and then expect you to look to them for protection from the phantoms they invented.

They don't want you paying attention to the growing number of signs that the current administration is gearing up for a major military bloodbath which may lead our species into a third and final world war. They want you talking about Stormy Daniels instead.

And by "they" I of course mean the loose transnational alliance of plutocrats and defense/intelligence agencies who control the US-centralized empire, whose primary agenda is always to expand their own power and influence.

The "they" in question are aware that their empire is (according to their own data) entering post-primacy, which will lead to the rise of a multipolar world in which the US-centralized empire suddenly has rivals which can compete on equal footing for resources, assets and allies. Unless they do something very drastic very soon.

This arrival at post-primacy just so happened to coincide with the choice in 2016 between a warmongering establishment stalwart whom the DNC and media propaganda machine tried to force into the White House at great expense, and a billionaire who knew what people wanted to hear and has proven himself to be every bit the violent empire loyalist that his opponent would have been.

The election was fake and meaningless. Both candidates are owned and operated by the same unelected power establishment.

Now the Trump administration is being filled with more and more bloodthirsty neoconservatives of the same strain which backed Hillary Clinton, who are being promoted to higher and higher positions within that administration. Longtime Iran and Russia hawk Mike Pompeo's promotion into Hillary Clinton's old job as Secretary of State was quickly followed by the elevation of John Bolton, easily the most virulent neoconservative war hawk in Washington, to the position of National Security Advisor.

There were many perfectly qualified candidates who could have served as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, but Trump selected the two most violent neoconservatives on the menu. There is no reason to do such a thing unless wars are planned; none of the countless feeble arguments I'm seeing from Trump apologists come anywhere close to a convincing argument to the contrary. All John Bolton does is war. You don't appoint him to the leading advisory position on national security unless war is what you want.

In response to all this, Trump's political opponents are of course talking about what he did with his penis.

As of this writing, #StormyDanielsDay is the top US trend on Twitter. I don't know what #StormyDanielsDay is. I don't care what #StormyDanielsDay is. Neither should you. Neither should anyone else.

Please stop this shit, America. If the US war machine goes after Iran or Russia it will likely mean a world war against multiple nuclear-armed countries, which could very easily send our species the way of the dinosaurs should a nuke get deployed in the fog of war. We don't have time to focus on Stormy fucking Daniels.

Those most fiendishly devoted to the service of the empire would rather take that risk than see the US lose its dominant role on the global stage; for them there is no difference between the end of their empire and the end of their lives. From their point of view they are fighting for their lives, and they are willing to take all-or-nothing gambles with the lives of every terrestrial organism in order to win.

We are staring down the barrel of world war and possible extinction. This should deeply impact the hearts and minds of Trump's opponents and his supporters. Stop arguing about Stormy fucking Daniels and spread awareness about things that really matter.

[liminalOyster]

I like Caitlin.

The last time I remember her coming up here, someone who doesn't like her (Jerky, I think) jumped on her for sounding like a 14 yo.

In this case, she sort of does.

But - having heard a probably close to 14 yo teenager on NPR this morning interviewed at the #neveragain rally, talking aout how John Lennon was on her protest sign because, "peace," with nary a mention or apparent thought about the link Lennon would've demanded we talk about, between gun violence and the hungry ghosts of the MIC forever ravaging everywhere else in the world and some of space - I'll take it.

ps. It got me to thinking and I honestly don't even remember the last time I heard of any sizeable march/protest against "the wars"

[Sounder]

Caitlin largely duplicates my worries about these current times.

She describes well this two-step world we are encouraged to create.

It's sad but is perhaps the only possibility for the catharsis (apocalypse) needed to recognize that the other is not a threat, rather it is the necessary ingredient for co-creating a future that is beneficial for wider classes of manifestations of reality.

All programming of the dominant narrative treats the 'other' as a threat because that is what legitimates the narrative.

But this is a poor way to express the life impulse, and impractical at best in a world living at its limits.

This split model of reality serves extremists whereas a continuum model is bound to better serve the broad center.


Imagine living in a world where killing, whether it's the competition in business or in ideas, is no longer ones best measure of success.

[Belligerent Savant]

.

I can appreciate the point that Johnstone's piece may well be somewhat adolescent in its ideals.

But I'd place the President's twitter feed in an even lower age range, not to mention the content disseminated by major media outlets when 'assessing' current political landscapes: facile and adolescent are two words that spring to mind.

If it helps younger generations move beyond the white noise, I've no objections with it. Preferable to the pap that passes for news across most mediums.

(Discourse within these forum walls aren't immune to adolescent chatter/talking points, either..)

[minime]

Caitlin largely duplicates my worries about these current times.

She describes well this two-step world we are encouraged to create.

It's sad but is perhaps the only possibility for the catharsis (apocalypse) needed to recognize that the other is not a threat, rather it is the necessary ingredient for co-creating a future that is beneficial for wider classes of manifestations of reality.

All programming of the dominant narrative treats the 'other' as a threat because that is what legitimates the narrative.

But this is a poor way to express the life impulse, and impractical at best in a world living at its limits.

This split model of reality serves extremists whereas a continuum model is bound to better serve the broad center.


Imagine living in a world where killing, whether it's the competition in business or in ideas, is no longer ones best measure of success.

You've been sounding this drum for a decade. And that's a good thing.

So, what's next?

[Grizzly]

A note of appreciation from the rich

Let’s be honest: you’ll never win the lottery.

On the other hand, the chances are pretty good that you’ll slave away at some miserable job the rest of your life. That’s because you were in all likelihood born into the wrong social class. Let’s face it — you’re a member of the working caste. Sorry!
As a result, you don’t have the education, upbringing, connections, manners, appearance, and good taste to ever become one of us. In fact, you’d probably need a book the size of the yellow pages to list all the unfair advantages we have over you. That’s why we’re so relieved to know that you still continue to believe all those silly fairy tales about “justice” and “equal opportunity” in America.

Of course, in a hierarchical social system like ours, there’s never been much room at the top to begin with. Besides, it’s already occupied by us — and we like it up here so much that we intend to keep it that way. But at least there’s usually someone lower in the social hierarchy you can feel superior to and kick in the teeth once in a while. Even a lowly dishwasher can easily find some poor slob further down in the pecking order to sneer and spit at. So be thankful for migrant workers, prostitutes, and homeless street people.

Always remember that if everyone like you were economically secure and socially privileged like us, there would be no one left to fill all those boring, dangerous, low-paid jobs in our economy. And no one to fight our wars for us, or blindly follow orders in our totalitarian corporate institutions. And certainly no one to meekly go to their grave without having lived a full and creative life. So please, keep up the good work!

You also probably don’t have the same greedy, compulsive drive to possess wealth, power, and prestige that we have. And even though you may sincerely want to change the way you live, you’re also afraid of the very change you desire, thus keeping you and others like you in a nervous state of limbo. So you go through life mechanically playing your assigned social role, terrified what others would think should you ever dare to “break out of the mold.”



Naturally, we try to play you off against each other whenever it suits our purposes: high-waged workers against low-waged, unionized against non-unionized, Black against White, male against female, American workers against Japanese against Mexican against…. We continually push your wages down by invoking “foreign competition,” “the law of supply and demand,” “national security,” or “the bloated federal deficit.” We throw you on the unemployed scrap heap if you step out of line or jeopardize our profits. And to give you an occasional break from the monotony of our daily economic blackmail, we allow you to participate in our stage-managed electoral shell games, better known to you ordinary folks as “elections.” Happily, you haven’t a clue as to what’s really happening — instead, you blame “Aliens,” “Tree-hugging Environmentalists,” “Niggers,” “Jews,” Welfare Queens,” and countless others for your troubled situation.

We’re also very pleased that many of you still embrace the “work ethic,” even though most jobs in our economy degrade the environment, undermine your physical and emotional health, and basically suck your one and only life right out of you. We obviously don’t know much about work, but we’re sure glad you do!

Of course, life could be different. Society could be intelligently organized to meet the real needs of the general population. You and others like you could collectively fight to free yourselves from our domination. But you don’t know that. In fact, you can’t even imagine that another way of life is possible. And that’s probably the greatest, most significant achievement of our system — robbing you of your imagination, your creativity, your ability to think and act for yourself.

So we’d truly like to thank you from the bottom of our heartless hearts. Your loyal sacrifice makes possible our corrupt luxury; your work makes our system work. Thanks so much for “knowing your place” — without even knowing it!

[minime]

Caitlin largely duplicates my worries about these current times.

She describes well this two-step world we are encouraged to create.

It's sad but is perhaps the only possibility for the catharsis (apocalypse) needed to recognize that the other is not a threat, rather it is the necessary ingredient for co-creating a future that is beneficial for wider classes of manifestations of reality.

All programming of the dominant narrative treats the 'other' as a threat because that is what legitimates the narrative.

But this is a poor way to express the life impulse, and impractical at best in a world living at its limits.

This split model of reality serves extremists whereas a continuum model is bound to better serve the broad center.


Imagine living in a world where killing, whether it's the competition in business or in ideas, is no longer ones best measure of success.

You've been sounding this drum for a decade. And that's a good thing.

So, what's next?

bump

[minime]

Caitlin largely duplicates my worries about these current times.

She describes well this two-step world we are encouraged to create.

It's sad but is perhaps the only possibility for the catharsis (apocalypse) needed to recognize that the other is not a threat, rather it is the necessary ingredient for co-creating a future that is beneficial for wider classes of manifestations of reality.

All programming of the dominant narrative treats the 'other' as a threat because that is what legitimates the narrative.

But this is a poor way to express the life impulse, and impractical at best in a world living at its limits.

This split model of reality serves extremists whereas a continuum model is bound to better serve the broad center.


Imagine living in a world where killing, whether it's the competition in business or in ideas, is no longer ones best measure of success.

You've been sounding this drum for a decade. And that's a good thing.

So, what's next?

Ha!