squeen
8, 8, I forget what is for
If wanting peace over war, a smaller more transparent government, more personal autonomy from the state, and a return to blind justice enforced without political motives makes a person a fascist, then so be it.
The word has lost all of its original meaning and important historical context. It is now just a slur thrown around by the emotionally traumatized. Who traumatized them, you ask?

Peace all. I concede. I will not change minds here & will again retreat into silence after this post.
However, if you are interested, the WEF is not the only international "think tank". For example, have a look at the Atlantic Council (9 former heads of the CIA). Mike Benz is a anti-censorship advocate who lays out the various interconnected bureaucratic international agencies and how they assert soft-power globally for the various state departments. He doesn't even argue they shouldn't being do it, he just gives you a peak under the hood and brings receipts.
Alternatively and less modern, the Marty Maid podcast (Spotify) is a nice history-as-narrative listen. There is an excellent six-part series, produced in 2015, called "Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem" that begins at the end of the 19th century and traces through the events of the first-half of the 20th century around the founding of modern Israel. It is very sympathetic to both the Jews AND the Arabs, and more fascinatingly it shows how the British empire operated in it's dealing with both--a primer on how governments manage empires. Record 9 years before the current situation in Gaza, it is illuminating and sometimes prescient---but still only one man's take.
I have 10 hours of commute each week and have finally switch off listening to NPR on FM radio after 25 years. Long-form podcasts have opened up a lot of new info for my brain to soak up. As a result, I repeat things I have heard (and may or may not believe--I cannot check hardly any of the data first-hand). When it goes against the popular narratives, people become "concern for me" and assume I have been mislead. It's an odd phenomena, to be sure. Asking questions is now bad? Thinking different is a crime? Growing up, the mantra of the Boomer counter-culture was "Think for yourself, and question authority". Not anymore? (when they've become the authorities)
Seriously folks. I've been "on-line" since 1980 (300 baud!). Do you really think I am some tech-ignorant Boomer that's been hyponotized by the evil internet and that you are yourselves somehow the only ones immune? When I ask questions or say things that go against the common narrative, do you really think they are without some thought and only surface-layer deep---parroting words my podcast masters have put into my brain unfiltered?
Where were you when we protested Bush Sr.'s invasion of Iraq? Were you protesting globalism and the WTO in the 90's when Clinton sent in Delta force undercover to frame the protestors? Did you support Occupy Wall Street? The Tea Party? These were the populist movements of their day. Today it's MAGA/MAHA: both of which are far bigger than just any single man (Trump/RJK Jr/Elon). Unelected bureaucrats that impinge on your rights, operate in the shadows (classified! need-to-know! plausible-deniability!), manipulate the media, and enrich themselves and corporate-donors via corruption are the norm throughout history. Self-governments with constitutional limits on governmental power are the rare (beautiful) exceptions. Truly, we've been swimming in propaganda and lies our entire lives---it's like water, so ubiquitous you hardly notice it. Don't hate me for pointing it out. The ones shouting you down with mindless slurs for asking questions are the real totalitarians (i.e. party loyalists).
Insane debt. Endless wars (or even WWIII). Chronic disease and shorter life-expectancy (for the masses). Reduced standard of living (for the masses). Intentional cultural destruction. Forced Vaccination. De-population. I'm not on board with any of that.
Adieu (lowers the Cone of Silence)
The word has lost all of its original meaning and important historical context. It is now just a slur thrown around by the emotionally traumatized. Who traumatized them, you ask?

Peace all. I concede. I will not change minds here & will again retreat into silence after this post.
However, if you are interested, the WEF is not the only international "think tank". For example, have a look at the Atlantic Council (9 former heads of the CIA). Mike Benz is a anti-censorship advocate who lays out the various interconnected bureaucratic international agencies and how they assert soft-power globally for the various state departments. He doesn't even argue they shouldn't being do it, he just gives you a peak under the hood and brings receipts.
Alternatively and less modern, the Marty Maid podcast (Spotify) is a nice history-as-narrative listen. There is an excellent six-part series, produced in 2015, called "Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem" that begins at the end of the 19th century and traces through the events of the first-half of the 20th century around the founding of modern Israel. It is very sympathetic to both the Jews AND the Arabs, and more fascinatingly it shows how the British empire operated in it's dealing with both--a primer on how governments manage empires. Record 9 years before the current situation in Gaza, it is illuminating and sometimes prescient---but still only one man's take.
I have 10 hours of commute each week and have finally switch off listening to NPR on FM radio after 25 years. Long-form podcasts have opened up a lot of new info for my brain to soak up. As a result, I repeat things I have heard (and may or may not believe--I cannot check hardly any of the data first-hand). When it goes against the popular narratives, people become "concern for me" and assume I have been mislead. It's an odd phenomena, to be sure. Asking questions is now bad? Thinking different is a crime? Growing up, the mantra of the Boomer counter-culture was "Think for yourself, and question authority". Not anymore? (when they've become the authorities)
Seriously folks. I've been "on-line" since 1980 (300 baud!). Do you really think I am some tech-ignorant Boomer that's been hyponotized by the evil internet and that you are yourselves somehow the only ones immune? When I ask questions or say things that go against the common narrative, do you really think they are without some thought and only surface-layer deep---parroting words my podcast masters have put into my brain unfiltered?
Where were you when we protested Bush Sr.'s invasion of Iraq? Were you protesting globalism and the WTO in the 90's when Clinton sent in Delta force undercover to frame the protestors? Did you support Occupy Wall Street? The Tea Party? These were the populist movements of their day. Today it's MAGA/MAHA: both of which are far bigger than just any single man (Trump/RJK Jr/Elon). Unelected bureaucrats that impinge on your rights, operate in the shadows (classified! need-to-know! plausible-deniability!), manipulate the media, and enrich themselves and corporate-donors via corruption are the norm throughout history. Self-governments with constitutional limits on governmental power are the rare (beautiful) exceptions. Truly, we've been swimming in propaganda and lies our entire lives---it's like water, so ubiquitous you hardly notice it. Don't hate me for pointing it out. The ones shouting you down with mindless slurs for asking questions are the real totalitarians (i.e. party loyalists).
Insane debt. Endless wars (or even WWIII). Chronic disease and shorter life-expectancy (for the masses). Reduced standard of living (for the masses). Intentional cultural destruction. Forced Vaccination. De-population. I'm not on board with any of that.
Adieu (lowers the Cone of Silence)
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