Notes from the Doom-o-sphere

Back to dry land again, with a great picture fr om Hot Springs Wizard.

by freeacre

There are three concepts that stick out more than anything else for me this week:

1 . George Ure's writing that we are on a disastrous course economically because the wages of the workers can only increase linearly, while our debt to our financiers increases exponentially due to compound interest. Here's an excerpt from last week's Urban Survival:

“...the old right/left/socialist/fascist politics is being hauled out to get you to choose up sides and become a partisan in a rigged game. Wrong battle. Way off base.

Fact: The creation of money out of thin air in problem #1. It waters down the honest money, pure and simple, all the fancy formulas and secret spells of central banksters aside.

Problem #2 is when financial products invent "Interest on Interest".

Problem #3 (which also guarantees a nonlinear bad ending, in case you don't see where this is going) is when financial product are evolved which promise "Interest on Interest on Interest."

Think Warren Buffett is smart? (as well as Charlie Munger, of course...). Did they buy derivatives for Berkshire? Nope. Bought a railroad. There's a huge clue there about how to preserve wealth over time, maybe?

Historical Fact: No way in hell can any economy survive compounding on interest, but compounding wages paid to working people....the two lines over time - as my friend Ehor and I worked out in early 2001 when we described the Debtberg.

2. My own observation that while the government regulators and bureaucrats whom we citizens appeal to in our “public process” civil actions continue to get paid whether anything gets “processed” or not. Therefore, they can afford to stall and drag the whole thing out until the original citizens who initiated the proceedings are either broke, sick, or dead. Then they start the whole process all over again, and nobody remembers what the hell went on with the last group.

3. Responsibility. The American Indian perspective that one should be responsible in their decision-making to the well-being of the future generations. Right now, the imperative is to be profitable, not responsible, in the short-term and to hell with the long term. Listen to the message from Indigenous Nat, part 2, a video on the right side of the page at http://whiteknightsreport.blogspot.com/.

All these problems are compounded because we are unable to have a national dialogue due to the mass media being corporately controlled. It would not due to disrupt their revenue stream by changing the financial paradigm. So, that won't happen. In fact, they are beefing up their “weapons of media destruction” with the software that has been ordered to create legions of false network identities to give the impression that a consensus is established when that is not the case, and other really sophisticated propaganda techniques featured last week on cryptogon.com and also on Max Kaiser Report http://maxkeiser.com/ (interview with Glenn Greenwald). Jaw dropping.

So, we are on the equivalent of a runaway train to economic, political, and social disaster. We can't get the assistance of our government representatives because they have made an art form out of ignoring, diverting, stalling, or in other ways, refusing to allow our objections to be persuasive. And, we can't get any real consensus of opinion going to empower the citizenry because our messages get all distorted, denied, filtered, re-interpreted, or disappeared. It all becomes part of the background babble that keeps us fighting each other rather than those who are profiting from this mess.

It puts me in mind of a memorable rant that one of Joe Bageant's readers posted back in 2008 called Declaration of Defeat, by Scott in Appalacia. It read,

DECLARATION OF DEFEAT

“I (your name goes here), having CONCLUDED, based on the undeniable reality that all American problems invariably become exponentially clusterfucked and are always forcefully contagious, and that the American dream is a tiresome, unrewarding bad trip, not worth the efforts or the casualties. Understanding that participation is complicity, resistance is futile. Having consumed all the mind-numbing propaganda that I can bare. Being duly aware that, I, by having neglected to contribute to the coffers of the winning campaigns can expect no favors and no mercy. Having zero interest in the present electoral outcomes, even for their circus-like entertainment value.

We understand that descent into total class war and social chaos is inevitable, unstoppable, and evolutionarily necessary. We fully expect to eventually be enslaved, incarcerated, tortured, shot in the cross-fire, blown-up by CIA terrorists, euthanised, or simply left behind when Jesus, or Sun Myung Moon, finally comes.

With no fond memories or illusions of any real loss whatsoever. With all patriotic tendencies as thoroughly deceased as the countless Iraqi victims of the spreading of "freedom and democracy". With the foundations of my trust for authority as wobbly as WTC Building 7. With all community affectations rendered ineffective and foreclosed. With not even a hint of a faith-based initiative. With no demand for a raise in wages. No care for a tax break. With no pleas for food stamp allotment increases or cost of living adjustments. Having no part to play in the stimulus program. With no expectations of receiving medical assistance from any of the greedy, incompetent, indifferent, upper-class medical professionals in this sanctimonious society of hustlers and pickle vendors. With no hopes of a secure, comfortable, contented, or full life. With no care for how my body is disposed of when I am relieved of the need for it. Not giving a shit who inherits my earthly belongings, if any shall somehow remain in my possession at the time of my demise or abduction.

Having no desire to profit from such an aggressively militant, murderous, deceptive, oligarchical, purified, religiously confused, environmentally rapacious culture. With no inclination to consume slave made wares, to eat toxic or genetically modified corporate American food or to interact socially with a generally lost and misguided society of hopelessly hypnotized consumer slaves or their xenophobic sycophantic superiors -- preferring to be alone unto myself.

Knowing full well that I may be trampled in the cardboard box that I may be living in when the banks finally fail, the grocery trucks run out of gas, the plug gets pulled from the hologram, the shit hits the fan,and the urban masses stampedes towards the countryside in search of the farmers' chickens or things to steal to trade for a rat-meat sandwich or a new tattoo, do hereby OPT OUT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, goodbye and good riddance.”

---

I think that mrs.p's observation that these times seem to really be the End of Days and look a lot like the Hindu concept of the Kali Yuga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_Yuga ). Or the Biblical Apocalypse, or the end of the Mayan Calendar, or whatever your favorite reference is. This is it. Personally I'm waiting for the Sun and its binary star, Nibiru, to put an end to our problems and allow us and our dear Mother, the Planet, to start over. Meanwhile we can eat pie and popcorn and talk amongst ourselves.

DEMOCRACY. WHAT DEMOCRACY?

Scenes from Freeacre's trip to the coast.

from Murph

Ok, I’m getting on my soap box today and have a rant going on in my mind that I will share with you-all.

There is much written on the internet and the MSM concerning the events going on in the East, particularly the rebellion in Egypt. Much speculation as to whether this was set up by the PTB and they will take advantage of it to further their agenda or is a genuine grass roots rebellion to get a “democracy” as a form of government for them to live under. Democracy? Really? I am seeing similarities to the Tea Bag movement, similarities to the local militia movements. Who takes them over?

There is much misuse of concepts like “the democratic state”. What does that really mean? Do elections really change the big money and power brokers agenda?

The following sure appears to me;

1. Most of the world’s population desires the means of raising their “standard of living” from whatever it is presently. This increase takes the form of acquiring some increase in some form of medium of exchange and the resources it will consume. We are now back to exponential increases in consumption and the issue of sustainability.
2. Populations look at who is/has been successful at this and admires how they do it and make attempts to copy the methodology. This takes the form of “ass kissing” and “bending over” in their efforts to emulate and gain some kind of advantage in acquiring the medium of exchange. It is admiration of the rich and famous. So what is the predominate methodology? It largely depends on allegiance of the minions under the striver in at least a quasi voluntary slavery. The system promises rewards that can not or will not be met, the carrot on the end of the stick image. The methodology operates on the fringe or outright outside of established legal framework and is often outright illegal. It has very questionable moral or ethical operation.

3. Rather obvious throughout history and the known mechanization of U.S imperial government that it is a common practice to manipulate other governments and populations by military threat or economic means. Do you really believe that our government and its security operations had no clue that an uprising in the Mid East was eminent and was ripe for manipulation?
4. Notice that the term “democracy” is thrown about with abandon, just as it was in Vietnam, Korea, most of the countries in South America when they were in upheaval, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. They had to have a term in opposition to Fascism or Socialism to compare to and is being done today concerning the Mid East. The ONLY significant point concerning this centers on the concept of “free elections”.
5. Now ask yourself and answer honestly; Do we here in the U.S. (the supposedly bastion of democracy in the world) have free elections? If you answer “yes” then there sure isn’t much more discourse available. If you answer “no” then what leads you to believe it will happen anywhere else? Were the elections in Iraq actually free elections or were they manipulated? Are these elections actually free or are they manipulated pre planned outcomes, chosen candidates and are mostly controlled by money interests?

Keep in mind that our entire constitution was formed by and mostly for the then wealthy participants. Every single non wealthy original participant in the constitutional convention left in disgust and the ONLY signers were landowners and the wealthy.

So Egypt (and other countries) get rid of the current despot and clamor for democracy and free elections and they actually get them and in the process drawing up some form of a constitution and system of law. Who gets to do this? How much actual participation of the “great unwashed masses” get a say in this? If you say not much or none I’d have to agree. Just how much real change can we expect in Egypt? Take a look at this link;

http://www.rense.com/general92/icke.htm

In our own situation, just how much do you trust any substantial group to formulate a system under which you must live? Do you want to turn this kind of decision making over to the elites and their agenda? Or maybe the “sheeple”, or just who? Of course, I want some say in this and I want the decisions made by people that see things the way I do. I want to be a stake holder, but can that ever happen? Supposedly, I am a stake holder if I get to participate in voting for the people who make these decisions. Does it actually work that way? Or is it an ideal that never quite makes it?

The simple fact is that under any kind of an IDEAL, uncorrupted social organization the society will do just fine, no matter what name you put to it. Even a benevolent dictator is ok. The key words are IDEAL, & UNCORRUPTED.

I’ve got to ask another question for contemplation. How do you limit or eliminate the agendas and corruption from the formation of a new government? Our constitution tried to do that and was relatively successful when compared to what was gong on in Europe at the time. But, we sure as hell can see how it has ended up, corrupt to its eyeballs.

Statesman and individuals in society have blathered continuously over time since our countries formation that democracy, despite its flaws, was better than the alternatives. I agree within certain parameters of observations. However, slavery, whether physical or economic is still slavery. Whatever freedoms a democratic system offers has always been, eventually, eroded into just another form of slavery to the agenda of the elites.

It sure appears to me that a truly long term solution to mankind’s woes does not depend on the concept of democracy as a governing paradigm.

It is not that I oppose democracy as an ideal, but how it has been, and is, manipulated by interest blocks to become something quite different. After all, in a democracy, what the majority or power blocks clamor for most often have little if anything to do with the “common good” concept, or the interests and well being of the minority.

Within a purely democratic system, where some kind of a majority establishes the rules of the game, someone has to lose their interests, which can be a good thing, but most of the time is bad for the minority. In a representative republic (democracy) these kinds of decisions at the governmental level are by some kind of majority and even if the populace is radically against the decisions, it is still implemented. Witness the popular opposition to Buskies bail out of the banks and financial services, or the popular uprising against the open boarder with Mexico or the objections to NAFTA or CAFTA. Simply put, those in the position of power and decision making “know better for what is good for us”, which has absolutely nothing to do with “majority rule” or any real concept of citizen participation in the decision making. This adulteration and denial of citizen participation is carried right down to the local levels of government. Our community has been fighting this crap for the 5 years we have been here. Ultimately, those with the power will find a way around objections and whatever legal difficulties are involved to pursue their agenda. The ultimate aim for citizen participation is to delay and limit the amount of damage they propagate on the society involved. This is far removed from any kind of democratic process that makes sense to me.

Again I emphasize, I do not have an intense opposition to any means for human societies decision on how to govern themselves as long as it contains and adheres to the concept of actual (not disguised) freedom of the citizenry to determine their own futures individually. It must contain the concept that “your freedom ends at the point of my nose” and visa versa. Which of course, is not what is or has been instituted in this world. All governments violate this in some form and to some extent, many to the real extremes.

My last question today I pose is how in hell can real freedom for people be realized for the long term and not just a generation or two?

I really wish I had a good workable answer for that. I assume it has a lot to do with a consensus of the population that freedom is important, desirable and achievable. I don’t see that consensus in our population at this time.

PONDERINGS ON THIS AND THAT

The Rabbit skin quilt is approaching completion.

from Murph

With Freeacre on a birthday trip to the coast with her son, the ambience is a bit quieter around here right now, which leads to doing some introspection and thinking about a new post.

As I run through the morning’s list of news, opinions and commentaries, I typically muse that a particular article or news item would make a good post article, and then invariably I come on a commentary or analysis that goes into it in more detail, better than I could, and another post idea goes down the drain.

Which led me this morning to examine how most blogs are set up. Since few blogs have contributors that are out doing investigation reporting or are insiders to the mechanizations of the elites, bloggers write about what they read or hear about, and what they are experiencing or observing. That means that a lot of blogs are using second hand, third hand or even fourth hand information as the subject material. Which means that the distinctions between most blog sites rests on the writing style and validity of the non first hand information, and the inclusion or omission of personal experience. Many blogs are almost exclusively first hand experience and often of a very personal nature and some of them approach the content of social networking sites.

Utmost in the minds of most people is concern about the financial/economic situation in the world and the U.S. in particular. Because very few people are on the inside of this circumstance, most people are simply going to have to rely on what others say on the subject. Depending on the individual’s belief system, preferences on political/financial ideology, this will of course determine just what set of information they accept as being part of reality. I sometimes wade through government releases of financial information, which I find to be largely incomprehensible, and read commentaries on those releases, supposedly by people that understand that kind of data and what it portends. Two of the writers on this subject I follow on a daily basis is George Ure at Urban Survival and Charles Smith at Of Two Minds. According to both writers most of the economic information put out by the government’s three letter agencies is half truths, massaged and spun data, and outright lies. It also appears to me that most of the economic writers with any reputation at all largely agree with this assessment. Although, I do pick up on sites that take a totally different perspective on the situation. They appear to be sites that are supportive of the business as usual paradigm and support a “everything is just fine” and “quit being a negative loser” attitude.

My inbox for email is overrun by ads and claims of means for making a lot of money. This does not include the horrendous amount of Cialis and other sexual aids ads per day and the obvious scams. The scam email has tapered off a bit, I only get around two per day now. Seemingly the only way I can eliminate all this crap stuff is by making a new email address. My email junk filter works ok, but I am getting this kind of crap in excess of 50 per day. If it wasn’t for the fact that it would be a real mess to change email address I would do it tomorrow. Freeacre and I have over 200 valid addresses that we keep in contact with. It would be a nightmare. I have received email address changes and if I don’t take care of it right away, they seems to slip off into some kind of limbo on the computer and then the hassle begins of reestablishing contact. Freeacres son, who has some expertise in the workings of computer, insists that a portal email account is the answer, like Yahoo or G mail. Frankly, when the scammers and ads people pick up on a new address, I don’t see that as helping much. You just have another account with all the junk stuff coming in to deal with. Plus, I have a real issue with privacy on the portal email accounts. And, if I changed over to one of them, I would still have the problem of changing addresses. And then I have the problem of what to do about ads that I want to get if I get reckless with the spam filter or changing address. What a conundrum.

Perusing through the news sites and commentaries concerning the Egyptian and other countries open street rebellion, I come on various sites that intimate that the U.S. government is complicit in all of them for various reasons. Of course this is in direct contradiction that these rebellions are strictly grass root motivated and a desire for democracy on the part of the population. Knowing full well that the U.S. is very much into manipulating governments and populations to the empire’s advantage, the U.S. instigating of such uprisings or directing them in some particular direction is not all that “far out” a supposition.

On the home front, our dog Brie hasn’t had anymore seizures since the horrific night on the first of this month. We had to increase her dosage of Phenobarb and I don’t like it. She does exhibit a shift in personality and she has gained way too much weight, 25%+ over her pre seizure weight. (sighing). We have to accept the possibility that she may not be able to survive a whole lot longer, or that it becomes an untenable life for her. She is exhibiting a somewhat depressed joy of life and play that was her trademark and a propensity to sleep much more.

Since we have had an extended amount of more moderate weather, the chickens have started laying again. For about 2 months there we were only getting one or two eggs a day for 15 hens, although several of them were in winter molt. I was starting to think in terms of eliminating most of the flock and starting over. We shall see. It’s hard for us to think of doing in Henny Penny, our oldest hen. She is quite the character, I guess coming to that point by sheer age itself. She is a bit of a pet after all, or at least as much as a bird brain can be a companion. Our rooster continues to be a feathered gentleman with us instead of a feathered rabid attack animal. (Thank goodness).

It’s getting closer to spring again, about time to start pots in the house in preparation for the spring planting. Some of the weather predictions are saying another cold wet spring and very hot summer. Creates lots of problems for growing food. Guess it’s where you are located. Considering we can have 30 degree nights here any day of the summer, we want to make better preps this year for the garden. What a challenge.

We conducted a 2 night viewing of Linda Runyon’s master class on wild food survival at the Grange. Not attended heavily but a success anyway was the feedback we got. This woman makes the departed Eule Gibbons of the 60’s and 70’s look a bit lame. She has lived over a lot of different areas of the U.S. and fed her family mostly off the natural environment. Interesting lady and the film is packed with actual useful information about eating off the wild foods and how to stock them up. In May, we have a big day of presentations about 80 miles away by the CLDS (Mormons) on how to preserve and stock food. Nothing like learning from the masters of some skill.

Until I have another rant on the daily atrocities around us, have a good day.