Here in the US, we are way past cognitive dissonance - no one can think clearly at all. Gaslighting has been going on for so many decades that thinking is now passe. "Ignorance is Strength."
I have mutual support networks and all that, which is good because the economy is about to go off a cliff. But far worse is the feeling of utter impotence in the face of absolute moral decay. Fascism is indeed arriving, any protest against the genocide is now deemed terrorism, and people - the people with conscience and courage to stand up - are being disappeared.
The sociopaths appear to have a monopoly on power, money and narrative. Aside from getting arrested, there is almost nothing to do or say anymore, no platforms from which to be heard, no access to any levers of power.
I wonder if, as the economy tanks, some will be radicalized, Michael. Some of us pay attention, but when people's material well-being is negatively affected, sometimes it makes them question everything.
Something I didn't mention in my post was how gaslighting and cognitive dissonance can make people lose trust in themselves and their own judgement. It sounds like that's happened to so many in the USA, and in other parts of the western world too.
It's hard to imagine looking in at it from the outside, isn't it?
"As they say, those who pay the piper pick the tune."
And what a unhappy, minor tune the billionaires pick for the poor and struggling to listen to, with no rights to turn the music off.
So many good ideas here! Can we get through the cognitive dissonance of the masses who cling to outdated and harmful forms of government and economic systems such as capitalism? It's not easy, but we have no excuse. We've gotta keep trying. Our future depends upon it. We've got to take charge of the piper and change the tune before we lose the very planet we all dwell upon.
The future depends on us changing that tune. I hope we figure out how to do it. It's comforting to know that so many of us are concerned and doing what we can. When someone finds something effective, I think people will be surprised at how many get on board.
Well said Diana! Yes I saw the Lord Skidelski interview - quite a shock to see a UK politician sounding sensible although as he said unable to get anything published in the mainstream media until very recently.
The biggest problem is the narrative control which denies most people of any balance, perspective, and reliable facts. Once one sees how the system operates its all so glaringly obvious and in many cases completely nasty and absurd, but sadly very few people have the time or motivation to scrape off the surface dross.
Keep writing! This is our main chance - growing the community of common sense and awareness!
Thanks, John. We really have a duty to speak out and, hopefully, be read by people who don't know who to trust.
Speaking of moral clarity, as I did in my post, I'm listening to a fascinating video of Pepe Escobar who is in Yemen right now, and telling us what it's like there. It's long, but so worth it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMeXQK5R67s
What is happening now are very much racist class wars, where the West simply cannot accept being only 12% of the world's population... and it is not going to change any time soon.
It might have to change, Robert. The west is losing on so many fronts -- wars, economy, societal and environmental breakdown. It's a dynamic moment and things are changing.
My brief take on the insulting nature of the propaganda narratives, which seem to assume that we're all gullible idiots - sadly it works when people have no other information available to them.
What does one do when one no longer shares a reality and communication has broken down? Violence is the inevitable outcome. The revolution must include the military itself.
“If you fail to convince a fascist, acquaint his head with the pavement.” - Leon Trotsky
Many good thoughts here, Diana. Gaslighting and cognitive dissonance can ever affect the strongest of us in our convictions. Some time ago, in the comments section of another writer's article, a critic mentioned Climate: The Movie. It's a slick piece of disinformation that gave me pause, using physicists to claim climate change isn't real. I took days investigating the movie and players to refute it. This is the effort it takes to rebut gas lighting. Very few have that kind of time. This is in part why I have been learning and writing here for nearly four years now.
For those who may be confronted with Climate: The Movie, here is my effort to refute the film.
Reason, logic, empiricism, and democracy are the four pillars of intellectual resistance to Empire, just like they were in 1776. The internet is a tremendous ally here, just like the printing press was centuries ago.
Like it or not, political power still grows out of the barrel of a gun. In the end, it will be the rank-and-file American military who will either allow or participate in a popular revolution, and no one, not even the future revolutionaries themselves, will see it coming in the months before it happens.
That's why successful revolutions are successful, after all.
Here in the US, we are way past cognitive dissonance - no one can think clearly at all. Gaslighting has been going on for so many decades that thinking is now passe. "Ignorance is Strength."
I have mutual support networks and all that, which is good because the economy is about to go off a cliff. But far worse is the feeling of utter impotence in the face of absolute moral decay. Fascism is indeed arriving, any protest against the genocide is now deemed terrorism, and people - the people with conscience and courage to stand up - are being disappeared.
The sociopaths appear to have a monopoly on power, money and narrative. Aside from getting arrested, there is almost nothing to do or say anymore, no platforms from which to be heard, no access to any levers of power.
I wonder if, as the economy tanks, some will be radicalized, Michael. Some of us pay attention, but when people's material well-being is negatively affected, sometimes it makes them question everything.
Something I didn't mention in my post was how gaslighting and cognitive dissonance can make people lose trust in themselves and their own judgement. It sounds like that's happened to so many in the USA, and in other parts of the western world too.
It's hard to imagine looking in at it from the outside, isn't it?
Thank you Diana. Here is one report I found particularly incisive as to where we are at. https://www.mintpressnews.com/betar-the-far-right-hate-group-helping-trump-deport-israels-critics/289301/
Chilling! Thanks for sharing, Michael. It's important for us to understand what we're up against.
"As they say, those who pay the piper pick the tune."
And what a unhappy, minor tune the billionaires pick for the poor and struggling to listen to, with no rights to turn the music off.
So many good ideas here! Can we get through the cognitive dissonance of the masses who cling to outdated and harmful forms of government and economic systems such as capitalism? It's not easy, but we have no excuse. We've gotta keep trying. Our future depends upon it. We've got to take charge of the piper and change the tune before we lose the very planet we all dwell upon.
The future depends on us changing that tune. I hope we figure out how to do it. It's comforting to know that so many of us are concerned and doing what we can. When someone finds something effective, I think people will be surprised at how many get on board.
Well said Diana! Yes I saw the Lord Skidelski interview - quite a shock to see a UK politician sounding sensible although as he said unable to get anything published in the mainstream media until very recently.
The biggest problem is the narrative control which denies most people of any balance, perspective, and reliable facts. Once one sees how the system operates its all so glaringly obvious and in many cases completely nasty and absurd, but sadly very few people have the time or motivation to scrape off the surface dross.
Keep writing! This is our main chance - growing the community of common sense and awareness!
Thanks, John. We really have a duty to speak out and, hopefully, be read by people who don't know who to trust.
Speaking of moral clarity, as I did in my post, I'm listening to a fascinating video of Pepe Escobar who is in Yemen right now, and telling us what it's like there. It's long, but so worth it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMeXQK5R67s
A party based on your ten bullet points would be a winner. One word describes each point and that word is "Justice"
It's too bad justice is so rare in the west these days, Nick. I think people can feel that whether or not they're willing to admit it.
What is happening now are very much racist class wars, where the West simply cannot accept being only 12% of the world's population... and it is not going to change any time soon.
It might have to change, Robert. The west is losing on so many fronts -- wars, economy, societal and environmental breakdown. It's a dynamic moment and things are changing.
Great post. , Diana! I’m with you all the way!
Thanks, Diane! I appreciate your company. What a mess we're in...
Diana, you give me hope, great ideas for solutions, thank you!
Glad to hear it, Lisa. These are scary times, and I want to at least put out some workable solutions when I see them.
My brief take on the insulting nature of the propaganda narratives, which seem to assume that we're all gullible idiots - sadly it works when people have no other information available to them.
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnalden/p/propaganda-fairy-tales-fantasies?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=23yy4s
Thanks for sharing your take on this, John.
What does one do when one no longer shares a reality and communication has broken down? Violence is the inevitable outcome. The revolution must include the military itself.
“If you fail to convince a fascist, acquaint his head with the pavement.” - Leon Trotsky
Many good thoughts here, Diana. Gaslighting and cognitive dissonance can ever affect the strongest of us in our convictions. Some time ago, in the comments section of another writer's article, a critic mentioned Climate: The Movie. It's a slick piece of disinformation that gave me pause, using physicists to claim climate change isn't real. I took days investigating the movie and players to refute it. This is the effort it takes to rebut gas lighting. Very few have that kind of time. This is in part why I have been learning and writing here for nearly four years now.
For those who may be confronted with Climate: The Movie, here is my effort to refute the film.
https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/noxious-disinformation-climate-the
Reason, logic, empiricism, and democracy are the four pillars of intellectual resistance to Empire, just like they were in 1776. The internet is a tremendous ally here, just like the printing press was centuries ago.
Like it or not, political power still grows out of the barrel of a gun. In the end, it will be the rank-and-file American military who will either allow or participate in a popular revolution, and no one, not even the future revolutionaries themselves, will see it coming in the months before it happens.
That's why successful revolutions are successful, after all.
I'll be paying close attention to what happens next.