Week 18 Links and Comments

This week's collection of data points. 

 

Oh! The insanity! 

This woman doesn't need sympathy. She needs a straight-jacket!

The collapse of the GAE continues...

 TL/DR: Will the USSA splinter into several 'successor states'? Hell, yes! The pressure to get away from people like the insane woman above is only going to fuel the efforts of sane people to secede from a corrupt, insane national government.

 "I often mention my long-held forecast that I predict the United States will either devolve into civil war or secession by the year 2030. Hearing this, many have asked me to expound at length about my thoughts on this, why and how I see it unfolding. So I’ve decided to finally treat the topic in a more in depth manner than the usual comment reply allows."

 "The truth is, this is a popular prediction to make for many people on the ‘Right/Alt-Right’, but few actually delineate the specific mechanisms by which it can happen. And it is here that I believe I can shed some pertinent light as to the exact process, already in motion, that I believe will lead to these scenarios."

From Jim Kunstler:  "The weird part the news media isn’t telling you about World War Three is that America’s main enemy in this struggle is… the US Government itself! America is looking like that crazy person on the street, punching himself in the head. How else do you explain this epic act of national self-destruction?"

From Paul Craig Roberts:  "US power since World War II has been based on its financial dominance stemming from the dollar being the reserve currency held by central banks in place of gold.  As the dollar was the currency used to settle international trade accounts, every country needed dollars.  That ensured a large demand for dollars to absorb the supply of dollars from the growing US budget and trade deficits.  In effect, the dollar as world reserve currency allowed the US to pay its bills by printing money.  

In recent years Washington’s abuse of US financial power, such as sanctions on Russia and other countries and the theft of Russian central bank reserves, has taught the world that Washington uses the dollar-based system for coercive purposes to deny other countries independent, foreign, economic, and trade policies.  Consequently, as Pepe Escobar explains, there has been a rapid move away from the use of the dollar as reserve currency.  In other words, the demand for dollars is shrinking." 

Where earlier empires controlled their dominions by direct military force, the GAE uses its currency for that purpose. The US$ is the keystone in their arch of empire. 

Went into the city (Sydney) on the weekend and had lunch at a café in the Queen Victoria Building. The beauty of this building served to remind me of just how ugly modern architecture is. Jordan Alexander agrees:  

"There’s something uplifting and inspiring about the appearance of these buildings. It reminds us of the beauty in the world, shows us what humans are capable of creating, and, by doing these things, points us toward the divine. These buildings feel meaningful, and by marvelling at them, we feel inspired with that meaning. We feel proud to be human."

From the Z-Man: 

"One analysis of the Roman Empire says that it reached a point where the cost of maintaining the empire exceeded the benefits of empire. The investments required to maintain the complex social and political structures to maintain the empire continued to rise while the benefits slowly fell to zero. This is the general thesis presented by Joseph Tainter in his book The Collapse of Complex Societies. Complex solutions eventually reach a point of diminishing marginal returns.

We may be seeing a similar issue with the Global America Empire. On the one hand, we have the massive amount of debt accumulation to maintain the global military presence required to maintain the empire. The official United States military budget exceeds the combined total of the other great powers. No one really knows what the actual cost of the military is, as so much of it is off budget. Of course, this allows many of the rulers to get rich in the process."

Speculations on how the collapse may play out: 

"If faced with the loss of global financial control, would the Rothschild-Rockefeller bank cartel blow up the planet? I don’t know. The US is the only country that ever dropped nuclear bombs on its enemy."

Get woke, go broke! 

AB has been forced to choose between giving away Bud Lite or dumping it. The sad fact of this whole, sorry debacle is that AB probably had no choice whether they participated in the woke agenda. They would have been cancelled if they refused and boycotted if they did. 

Dammed if you do and dead if you don't. 

And the rainbow/alphabet activists who engineered this disaster don't give a shit about AB. To them, it's just a disposable vehicle to push their agenda and when it crashes and burns, they'll just move on and infect another corporation like the parasites they are. 

Week17 Links

 From the Z-Man: 

 Two items stand out in this week's podcast - DeSantis vs Trump and the death of philosophy. Since they got away with it in '20, the Democrats will win the White House again in '24, regardless of who the Republicans nominate or how the voting goes. So the question becomes; which (Republican) candidate will cause the greatest (negative) reaction to that result when they lose? Like Z-Man, my money's on Trump. 

He also has some thoughtful things to say about Christianity. Regardless of whether you are a theist or an agnostic like me, there's no denying that Christianity played a pivotal role in the creation of the modern world. And, IMO, it's the decline of Christianity that's driving its destruction. 

https://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=29771
          

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If you don't know, vote "No"

"The onus is on nobody else but the Albanese Government to provide this strong evidence (for a 'yes' vote) which they are failing lamentably to do. As Alan Jones famously and 100 per cent correctly re-iterated almost daily in 1999, “If you don’t know, vote No”."  

https://politicom.com.au/how-to-defeat-the-voice/
               

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"So, why do we fight?

Historically, men have been prepared to fight, to endure hardship and torture, and to die for their nation precisely because their nation was their extended family. A family that looked like them, possessed a common history, culture, and crucially, a common ancestor.

Now our country hates us, is actively marginalising us and replacing us. The American military is losing recruits because the American government has similarly marginalised White men, and Australia’s military will have the same problem. The assumption that so-called “new Australians” will fight for this country in a time of crisis is simply wrong. For this reason, the West’s security was fundamentally undermined the moment our borders were opened to mass replacement immigration."

To make this article relevant here, replace "American" with "Australian".

https://xyz.net.au/2023/04/biggest-defence-review-since-ww2-to-fight-china-white-men-ignored/
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"De-Dollarization" is gaining traction and momentum. The Dollar's position as the global reserve currency is the keystone in the global American empire's hegemonic arch. Anwar Gadhafi and Sadam Hussein were both eliminated because they threatened this position, by offering to sell their oil in exchange for other currencies. It's one thing to bully small nations that lack the military clout to stand up to to them, but the Russian Federation is a "peer" (or near-peer) opponent and confronting them on a battlefield would reveal what much of the world already suspects - that the imperial military is a "paper tiger" and incapable of winning a "real" war. Why do you think the Pentagon has been dragging it's feet, getting advanced weapons like the Abrahams tank and the F22 and F35 fighters into action in Ukraine? It's because they'll be exposed for the useless, Platinum-plated boondoggles they actually are. Good only for shooting up goat-herders, armed with AK-47s. But by weaponizing the Dollar and stealing Russia's foreign reserves, the empire has made the same mistake Hitler did, on 11th December 1941. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme.  

"The defining moment – the actual trigger leading to the Fall of the Hegemon – was in February 2022, when over $300 billion in Russian foreign reserves were “frozen” by the collective west, and every other country on the planet began fearing for their own dollar stores abroad. There was some comic relief in this absurd move, though: the EU “can’t find” most of it."

https://thecradle.co/article-view/24080/de-dollarization-kicks-into-high-gear

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Another one for the "Trifecta of Failure" * file:

"The spectre of power failure is haunting Europe as Britain and Germany demonstrate that modern societies can’t run on wind and solar power. Wind droughts are the fatal flaw in the system and one can envisage a future book titled How Wind Droughts Destroyed Western Civilisation. Think about the consequences of a system blackout if Net Zero policies are pursued to the bitter end in Western Europe and Australia…"

If only engineers ran things, instead if ideologues. 

* More expensive, less reliable (than Coal) and results in no measurable reduction in CO2 emissions. 

The endless wind drought crippling renewables | The Spectator Australia

Powder Keg, Meet Match

 Medieval towns and cities were traditionally surrounded by defensive walls. That's common knowledge. What's less commonly known is that there were some occupations that were required to operate outside those walls. Tannerys and cloth dyeing are two examples, mainly because those industries used chemicals that were, um, unpleasant. There's another occupation that was also relegated to operate outside the walls. One that produced an unbelievably good smell; Bakeries. 

The reason bakers had to ply their industry outside the walls had nothing to do with noxious chemicals or bad smells. It was the risk of fire. You see, ordinary flour is flamible. Not just flamible, but explosive if it reaches that "Goldilocks" stochiometric mixture of flour-dust and air. The Great Fire of London started in a bakery, ignited, in all probability, by a candle that someone forgot to extinguish when they went home for the evening. There's a scene in the movie, "The Equalizer 2" where Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) deliberately scatters flour in a bakery, effectively creating a thermobaric bomb that his antagonist detonates with a "Flashbang" device, perishing in the explosion.  

I can't help but notice that, in this case, life is imitating art. 

The decline and fall of the American Empire took a dramatic step forward a couple of days ago. Of course, the MSSM (MainStream Social/Media) - which IMO includes (but isn't limited to) Facebook and Twitter - studiously ignored/suppressed this development. It was a speech, mumbled by (yet-to-be-verified) "President" Joe Biden, in response to the latest "mass shooting". As is standard practice for the political Left, who's goal is (and always has been) to disarm the population, he was (well, his puppeteers were) attempting to use this incident to undermine the Second Ammendment, but his efforts were laughable and insulting to all law-abiding Americans who consider themselves patriotic. It reminds me of the instances where Wyle E Coyote finds himself in a dark space, strikes a match and reveals he's sitting in a powder magazine. At least Wyle E has the self-awareness to realise he's done something stupid. 

The United States is a powder keg, a bakery filled with swirling clouds of apparently harmless Flour dust and its nearing that perfect, stochiometric mixture of social / cultural / political / economic / ethnic division, created and driven by the politcical Left. It will be the blind, ignorant, arrogant actions of a leftist, like Biden's speech, that touches off the explosion. Hubris truly does precede Nemisis. 

Worse Than the Disease?

I'm not a scientist, so I can't say whether the content in this article is  true or just propaganda from the so-called "anti-vaxers". But I can think about this logically and consider it in context rather than in isolation. It's called 'joining the dots'. 

Some dots: 

Scientific investigation and discovery isn't something that's done by genuinely independent researchers in basements and potting sheds, using equipment they could build themselves, any more. All that low-hanging fruit was picked more than a century ago. Science today requires massive and expensive infrastructure and commesurate levels of  investment. The scientific community is now almost completely beholden to governments and Big Business for it's continued existence (aka "funding"). It's impossible that this reality doesn't factor into what scientists say publicly. "Research" that confirms the biases/objectives of government and big business gets funding while research that produces results that don't, gets, uh, canned. 

Fauchi has been exposed as lying about the origins of the Chinken Pox. It was manufactured in a lab. It didn't evolve naturally. Discucussion about whether it is a bioweapon or a research tool is irrelevant, as are arguments about whether it was released accidentally or deliberately. Yet, governments everywhere have accepted the advice and formed policy based on F's utterances (even when he was contradicting himself). 

So much for the "Science". The official response to the pandemic has been entirely political. 

Everything governments have done, has had the effect of restricting or eliminating their citizens' legal and contitutional rights and civil liberties. Of course, these measures are "temporary", for "the duration of the emergency". I've also heard a lot of (official) talk that the Kung Flu will be with us forever, so there's that. Just for shits 'n giggles, would anyone like to identify a "temporary" power that a government has relinquished, voluntarily?  

Every economic measure in the Governments' response to the pandemic, has favored 'big business' and damaged small business. The public health response, on the other hand, has done nothing to actually stop the spread of the virus. The best they can claim is that they've slowed it, a bit. But the economic and social damage of these efforts is incalculable. All this for a disease that has a 99.99% survival rate among healthy people who don't have potentially lethal existing medical conditions and aren't morbidly obese?  

The death-toll from Wu-Flu - the number the media incessantly hammers you with, to frighten you into running to your nearest vaccination centre - isn't what matters. The number that really matters - the one the media never mentions - is the number of excess deaths. This is the number of deaths over-and-above the normal number that would occur in a typical, historical Flu season. Thousands die of common Flu every year and no one bats an eye. The total number of deaths in Australia during the 2020 Flu season was no higher statistically, than in any previous, pre Covid year. Ergo, no excess deaths. 

Authorities have actively suppressed dissent wherever it contradicts the 'official narrative'. Mainstream and social media are complicit in this. Good ideas, like good deals, are self-evident and can (but don't need to) be argued on their merits. Only bad deals and bad ideas have to be 'sold' to (or forced on) people. Just look at how hard the authorities are spruiking their "vaccine" and their lockdown. 

Further, authorities have ignored or actively suppressed discussion of any and all alternatives to their "vaccine". It was almost comical to watch our (Labor) state governments in Victoria and Queensland ban Hydroxychloroquine within hours of Donald Trump mentioning it in a speech. (He didn't say it was a cure. He didn't even recommend it as a treatment. He merely said it was something that was worthy of further investigation.) No explanation was given for the ban and no discussion was tolerated. Just threats to cancel the medical licences of any doctor who prescribed it. The only justification appears to be "Orange Man (and everything Orange Man says is) bad". 

It's a legal requirement that vaccine recipients be fully informed of any and all known effects (good and bad), risks and benefits of any pharmaceutical they are receiving. This also includes information about alternative treatments (like Hydroxychloroquine). The authorities fail utterly in this responsibility. There is no possible way anyone can make a genuinely informed decision about this "vaccine" if they are only given access to one side of the debate (the authority's) and unless all the concerns, such as those the linked article, whether valid or not, are made known to them. It is up to those promoting any treatment to adequately address all concerns. Refusing to acknowledge them, dismissing them as "nonsense" and "conspiracy theory" is not satisfactory. 

And again, the suppression of cheap, readily available treatments in favor of expensive, untested products from "Big Pharma" only emphasises where Governments' priorities and loyalties really lie. Let's not forget that "Big Pharma" has been completely indemnified against any and all legal repurcussions, should the rushed, untested products they produce, turn out to be worse than the disease they're meant to protect the population from. And evidence is building that this is exactly what's happening. 

The people pushing the vaccination campaign are the same ones who are pushing the so-called "Great Reset" (you know, the spruikers of "You will own nothing and you will be happy") and an integral part of this (globalist) initiative is the rapid reduction of the worlds' population. Because "climate change"or something. 

Once again, the mainstream and social media have backed this initiative to the hilt. 

Everything I've listed above, is the standard operating procedure of totalitarian regimes.

And in regard to the whole vaccine rollout, whatever happened to the Precautionary Principle? I trust the Science. That doesn't mean I trust the Scientists, particularly the ones whos' careers depend on keeping their paymasters happy. For those who've rushed out and got the jab because they were told it is the right thing to do, by people who lie for a living, or because "I want to travel!" or some such (IMO) frivolous reason, I wish you good luck. I think you're gonna need it. 

Me? I've always been a "late-adopter". I'll wait to see the results of the largest human trial in history before I even consider getting this particular "vaccine". And before I agree to it, I'll want to get tested to see if I'm already carrying antibodies. Because if I am, I don't need to be vaccinated. Is it selfish to say I prefer to be a live pariah than a dead lab-rat? 

 The full URL: https://www.unz.com/mwhitney/the-killer-in-the-bloodstream-the-spike-protein/

Facing Reality

I didn't want to write this. It's scary. It's one "I told you so" I hope I never get the opportunity to say. But I'd be remiss if I didn't flag the risk.

This article is an unblinkered look at the reality of Australias' social and economic health. And it ain't good. What David's describing, is the social and economic equivalent of an Avalanche or a Tsunami, just waiting to happen. And if when it does, the smartest thing anyone can do (the only thing, really), is get out of the way. Anyone who claims they can control it (like our political class) is delusional. Three hundred years of failure hasn't put a dent in their confidence, though.

I don't know when the next "big one" will occur. Only that, like the San Andreas Fault, it's mathematically certain. But the signs that it's near are getting more obvious and more frequent. So it might be time to start thinking about what you can do to move yourself out of its path.

Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.

What History tells anyone who's willing to learn from it, is that the people who suffered the worst in previous economic downturns were those who were in debt when it started. So eliminating or minimising debt is a good start. Even if it means taking a lifestyle 'hit'. Learn the difference between "needs" and "wants". Think about getting rid of those expensive toys - particularly if you owe money on them. When the downturn comes you'll be selling them anyway, only then, it'll be at 'fire-sale' prices. "Bank Holidays" and daily withdrawl limits may become a regular feature. Think about how you might respond to that and prepare for it. What if cash is banned? It won't work, of course. "When you make possession of (insert banned item) a criminal offense, only criminals will have (insert banned item)."

Consider how you might earn an income, if your job goes away and doesn't come back. Once again, those who did best in previous economic downturns (aside from the elites, who always do extremely well), were those who had practical, useful, skills that they could trade for goods and services. Even in the worst circumstances, there are still necessities that must be provided. Think about what those might be. Learn how to provide them for yourself now and others later, if needed.

Dog-groomers, personal trainers, hair-stylists, interior designers, life coaches, personal chefs and the myriad other luxuries provided to people with money but no time won't be in demand. There are five categories of goods and services which are always regarded as 'necessities':

• Food
• Shelter
• Transport
• Communications
• Security

Find a way to supply one or more of these and you have the basis of gainful self/employment in the worst of (economic) circumstances.

For example, Australia's economy is completely dependent on transportation. Not just ships, trucks and planes, but on personal motorised transportation. The "big-box" retail business model (like Bunnings and the supermarkets) isn't viable without a customer base that's motor-vehicle mobile. We occupy the landscape in a manner that mandates ubiquitous ownership of personal motorised transport. With the distances people have to travel to get anywhere, our communities simply aren't 'walkable'.

Fuck you very much, town planners.

But the cost of reorganising our built infrastructure to make it 'walkable' is prohibitive. If cars get too costly to run, people will be forced to switch to alternatives. Public transport can't can't be expanded to cater to everyone at any affordable cost. Bicycles won't cut it. Forget EVs; They're already unaffordable for the majority. And an expensive, unreliable electricity supply makes that technology useless.

Fuck you very much, greenies.

It has to be something already available and affordable. Look at any large city in SouthEast Asia for a glimpse of what our cities will look like in a decade or even sooner. Think small-capacity motorcycles and scooters. There's a potential occupation if you're mechanically inclined. Buy a used 'Postie-bike' or a scooter. Buy tools and learn how to 'wrench' it.

That's just one example. Think about all those categories and compare them to your knowledge/skill/interests set.

Community and personal relationships were incredibly important factors that relieved the worst hardships during previous downturns. Regardless of what they say, everything the "powers that be" do, is designed to destroy community and make you dependent on them. That alone, should tell you that there's value in community and personal relationships. Cultivate good relations with your neighbours.

Most people will choose to ignore the signs and believe the platitudes of the chattering classes. To me, those who adopt the stance of the Ostrich are inviting a treatment with what John Cadogan describes as, the "sandpaper dildo". Mental preparedness is arguably even more important than physical preparedness. A prepared mind is a calm mind and a calm mind can cope with calamity far better. "If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs..."

Lenin: Worse than Stalin?

From the Unz Review. Blocked by Facebook.

FaceBook Censorship, Again!

FB has blocked my post because it "goes against our community standards on spam".
So here is the article and my comments:
A good summary of what the Left is doing to our society: "When conquering armies of the ancient world subdued an enemy, they often defaced the conquered tribe’s symbols – destroyed the statues, burned the temples, desecrated anything sacred; both Muslim and Christian conquerors were famous for this. Same thing here. The new regime is burning the cultural bridges so you can’t go back to the better world left behind, the one not ruled by them." I consider "Babylon 5" a far better series than "Star Trek". I think I understand why; B5 came and went before it could be infested and defaced by the SJWs.