Cassandras

Solar Power

Dead Babies

Freedom of Speech

The GOP's taxation problem

If you look at any form of media whatsoever in the US these days -- TV, radio, internet, youtube, religious stations, football games -- you will be inundated by ads attacking Democrats as "tax and spend liberals". Indeed, the Democrats specified may not even be ones you can vote on in the upcoming elections in a couple of weeks, the Republicans have limitless money from Elon Musk, they can spend as much money as they want just to make sure Democrats themselves can't run any ads during this period. No doubt, the Republicans are hoping to "force" people to vote Republican, using this media blitz, by some sort of social pressure or behavioral manipulation. It remains to be seen how successful this campaign will be, but, if the polls are any indication, it seems to be backfiring. Now, why might this be the case? Well, for one thing these advertisements are irritating and monotonous. The attacks are obviously coming from the Republican Party, since they are always attacking Democrats, so, people will naturally resent being bombarded with this kind of nonsense day and night, and they will blame Republicans for them, not Democrats. Also, most Americans now want the rich and corporations to be taxed more, not less, and attacks of this type might well be taken as compliments. Yes, those Democrats are doing exactly what we want them to do! Finally, since Elon Musk is known to be paying for all this total garbage, and since no one believes a syllable Elon Musk ever says anymore, from hard experience, people simply tune out this nonsense attacking the Democrats, most of the time, anyway. The real issue is these midterms is probably taxation, more than anything else. Sure, Trump is in a disastrous losing war with Iran. Sure, Trump's violent mass deportations of immigrants have antagonized most Americans. But, behind all of this is the desire of Trump to keep taxes low for his rich friends. Trump is attacking the rest of the world in hopes of stealing enough wealth that he doesn't have to tax his rich friends to pay for the deficit, and for benefits. Unfortunately for Trump and his rich friends, Iran is fighting back most effectively, and Iran is winning. This is being desperately and frantically denied by economists, who insist that Iran is on the verge of "economic collapse". The problem with the whole concept of "economic collapse" of course, is that economists do not understand very much, at all. Just some limited principles, under certain circumstances. So, predictions of "economic collapse" are generally rather meaningless. Trump is deporting immigrants to stir mass hatred to distract supporters from their problems, so they fail to recognize economic collapse in the US itself. The real issue then remains, how to keep taxes low, no matter how much it hurts ordinary Americans to do so. Most Americans don't earn enough to pay much if any tax, they are just living day to day. Wealthy Americans are heavily invested in the stock markets, because corporate taxes and taxes on capital gains in the markets are very low now. Corporations like SpaceX earn nothing, they lose money, but, they are government subsidized, it doesn't matter, they can lose money forever, their products can be totally useless and destructive, nevertheless, stockholders will always make money, forever, these companies will never go out of business, they won't be allowed to. This is the Elon Musk paradigm, the ultimate government subsidized Ponzi Scheme. However, there is a point at which the chickens come home to roost. The point at which people will no longer be able to support their own poverty caused by the trillionaire oligarchs. And, the point at which the total lack of productivity of the system, makes the system unable to defend itself militarily against attacks, as we are seeing now with the US military in the Middle East. Useless multi-billion dollar nuclear aircraft carriers are sitting ducks to Iranian and Houthi drones costing perhaps a few thousand dollars. But, as long as they are subsidized and untaxed, the corrupt military contractors will continue, as before. Most Americans want the corporations and the billionaires and trillionaires to be taxed into submission now. The government cannot possibly be as counterproductive in its use of money as these serial criminals. The GOP would be advised to become aware of its problem with taxation. #foxnews #media #massmedia #advertising #elonmusk #uselections #democrats #republicans #politics #uspolitics #economics #politicalscience #donaldtrump #classwar #iran #usmilitary #ice #immigration #massdeportation #taxes #taxation #markets #stocks #ponzischeme #spacex #billionaires #houthis #gop #philosophyofhistory

"You are a fluke of the universe"

Satire of "You are a child of the universe." https://genius.com/National-lampoon-deteriorata-annotated You are a fluke of the universe You have no right to be here Deteriorata! Deteriorata! [Verse 1] Go placidly, amid the noise and waste And remember what comfort there may be In owning a piece thereof Avoid quiet and passive persons Unless you are in need of sleep Rotate your tires Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself And heed well their advice, even though they'd be turkeys Know what to kiss, and when [Verse 2] Consider the two wrongs never make a right But that three do Wherever possible, put people on hold Be comforted, that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment And despite the changing fortunes of time There is always a big future in computer maintenance [Chorus] You are a fluke of the universe You have no right to be here And whether you can hear it or not The universe is laughing behind your back [Verse 3] Remember the Pueblo Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate Know yourself If you need help call the FBI Exercise caution in your daily affairs Especially with those persons closest to you That lemon on your left, for instance Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls Would scarcely get your feet wet Fall not in love; therefore, it will stick to your face Gracefully surrender the things of youth The birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan And let not the sands of time get in your lunch [Verse 4] Hire people with hooks For a good time call 606-4311 Ask for Ken Take heart amid the deepening gloom That your dog is finally getting enough cheese And reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot It could only be worse in Milwaukee [Chorus] You are a fluke of the universe (You are a fluke of the universe) You have no right to be here (You have no right to be here) And whether you can hear it or not (And whether you can hear it or not) The universe is laughing behind your back (The universe is laughing behind your back) [Verse 4] Therefore, make peace with your god Whatever you conceive him to be Hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin With all its hopes, dreams, promises and urban renewal The world continues to deteriorate Give up [Chorus] You are a fluke of the universe You have no right to be here And whether you can hear it or not The universe is laughing behind your back You are a fluke of the universe You have no right to be here And whether you can hear it or not The universe is laughing behind your back

Seaweed

Science as religion, science as entertainment

Mata Hari

Trump and Zelensky

MAGA no longer craves civil war

Just before Donald Trump was elected for the second time, and just after, there was much talk of civil war in the United States, between those who opposed his MAGA policies, and those who supported his MAGA policies. Both sides expressed confidence of their ability to win such a civil war, and enthusiasm for pursuing one. And, up to a point anyway, one could claim we have indeed had a small scale kind of simmering civil war in the US over the last couple of years or so. We've had Tesla dealerships burned, we've had rioting and casualties between ICE and demonstrators opposing them. In particular, we had an armed standoff between Minnesota National Guardsmen and ICE in Minneapolis, when Governor Timmy Walz activated the National Guard under his command, to "maintain order", specifically after ICE had murdered a couple of Minnessotans in cold blood. And, then, Donald Trump put national guards in some red states on standby, to actively intervene against the Minnesota National Guard, in case they did open fire on ICE agents, or vica-versa. And, then, the entire US military started laughing, and said to Mr. Trump "No way, Jose, buddy! You think we're conservatives, so we're going to shoot up our liberal buddies in the Minnesota NG just for you, Donny boy. Go to bloody hell!" You know, I was once talking to former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating, and he said about Donald Trump, "Sometimes he shoots, before he aims." Another way of putting this, is that Donald Trump has a tendency to, shall we say, overplay his hand. He overplayed his hand with ICE, in Minnesota, allowing ICE to murder several innocent demonstrators, and that has had serious consequences for him. Then, of course, Trump decided it would be a really good idea to murder the Iranian Supreme Leader, just to prove that there was absolutely nothing the Iranians could do about it! And, this time, Trump overplaying his hand has had rather serious consequences for everyone. You see, the Iranians hold grudges, in case you hadn't noticed. Ask the Shah, or Saddam Hussein, or Jimmy Carter. Oh, oops, they're all dead! So, as oil prices continue to rise, as the economy stagnates, and as the entire Middle East becomes a free fire zone, and Iranian agents pursue attacks around the world, Trump's popularity has rather cratered a bit, along with the popularity of the entire Republican Party. Democrats are expected to take House and Senate, possibly by substantial margins. And, that's according to the polls, which have consistently underestimated democrat support. This could well be a 20 point wipeout for the Republicans, not just a 10 point hammering, as the polls are suggesting. So, now that only about 10% of Americans strongly support Trump, and about 60% of Americans strongly oppose Trump, you really can hardly hear a peep from MAGA diehards about wanting to stage a "civil war". Seems they don't like those six to one odds against, in terms of sheer numbers. Instead, we hear MAGA whining about "communists, islamo-communists, socialists" etc. Hey guys, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! #civilwar #ushistory #uscivilwar #civilunrest #politics #uspolitics #republicans #democrats #uscongress #uselections #philosophyofhistory #socialconflict #classwar #classwarfare #donaldtrump #maga #conservatives #liberals #conservatism #liberalism #ice #minnesota #minneapolis #geopolitics #philosophyofhistory #usmilitary #iran #economics

Technology is Evil

Mormonism and Polygamy

A truly Russian Sherlock Holmes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oHBS4Da6rI&pp=0gcJCTUMAYcqIYzv

MAGA doesn't relish a civil war anymore

The French Left is winning

Deng Xiao Ping

Anarchy

Lili Marleen

Aus dem stillen Raume, Aus der Erde Grund Hebt mich wie im Traume Dein verliebter Mund Wenn sich die späten Nebel drehn Werd' ich bei der Laterne steh'n Wie einst Lili Marleen. From eternal Heaven From my Earthen Home Your beloved voice Calls me like a dream Through the swirling mists of time I'm standing by the lantern Just like Lili Marleen. This is my translation of the last stanza of the fabulously popular WWII song, Lili Marleen, originally developed by the Nazis, rediscovered and made eternally popular to all sides in the war, and ultimately in 1944 sung in English by Marlene Dietrich, and becoming something of an anthem of victory for the allied forces, rather ironically. Now, this was never really described as a "war song", let alone a victory song, there are no battles, just a pair of lovers spooning and talking by a lantern in the street, and missing each other when they are not. However, the original writer of the poem, a German soldier in WWI, realizes that after missing him, Lili Marleen will forget him eventually, probably already has some time ago. He knows he may well die, and wonders if some other will join her by the lampost. Now, my translation of the last stanza is fairly literal, but, perhaps written to emphasize an aspect of the poem/song that I think is insufficiently emphasized, and perhaps somewhat suppressed in the English translations. This is definitely not a war song in any normal sense of the term. However, it's not exactly a love song either. Love songs are about romance, or failed romance, in general. This is neither. It is about something else, entirely. It is about death. Death, and resurrection. In other words, Lili Marleen isn't really a traditional popular song at all. Lili Marleen is, rather a hymn, or a prayer. It is a hymn and a prayer for resurrection after death. And Lilli Marleen is conceptualized as a Heavenly Angel, who can save a soldier from death. And, this explains the incredible and timeless popularity of this very unusual poem/song. You see, it has tapped into a fundamental aspect of human experience, the religious experience, which is actually hard-wired in the human brain biologically. There are certain issues like life and death, and the survival of the species that have profound instinctive implications and our brain responds to them with a unique and profound attachment and excitement. These are the fundamental aspects of all major religions, and they create an emotional resonance that is very powerful. Lili Marleen taps into these. #wwi #wwii #religion #marlenedietrich #sociology #biology #neuroscience #music #classicsongs #songs #christianity #judaism #islam #hinduism #buddhism #lillimarleen #germanhistory #german #germany #psychology #psychoanalysis #sociobiology #afterlife #resurrection #heaven #sociology #history #philosophyofhistory #poetry

Republican lip service

As you may have noticed, as the lead in the generic polls for the Democrats approaches double digits in the elections upcoming in mere weeks now, the Republicans are engaging in frantic lip service to try to hold onto their jobs, without actually doing anything, and in particular, without actually doing anything to defy Donald Trump. Republicans are vehemently stating their opposition to the war with Iran, without actually attempting to do anything whatsoever to stop it. Republicans are expressing their opposition in no uncertain terms to AI data centers, without actually attempting to shut them down, or prevent their further development. Republicans are violently denouncing Donald Trump's intention to live stream the public execution of the perpetrator of the Fort Hood shooting, as barbaric and unacceptable, without taking any steps whatsoever to prevent it. Republicans are expressing their clear and unequivocal disapproval of Donald Trump and his family taking huge bribes from foreign businessmen, engaging in clear insider trading, and profiting in the billions from government contracts funded directly with taxpayer money, without actually making the slightest effort to limit them. Even in areas in which their extremist right-wing ideology, and those of their core supporters, actually won't permit them to express lip service directly -- like, by saying, "Yes we will raise taxes on the rich and corporations to shore up essential social services, no problem, guys!" -- they are attempting to wheedle their way back into the hearts of voters with begging and whining. Take JD Vance saying "Give us another chance". Now, why would we want to do that exactly? Can JD Vance explain that? Has he even tried to explain that? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, JD. Or, take those charming Republicans whining that all Democrats are "Islamo-Communists", and that "I can't see why this is even close, we all know that socialism never works." Please, take them! And, guys, it's not even close, the Democrats are going to wipe the floor with the GOP in a few weeks, this election is going to be an historic disaster for the Republicans. Fact is nothing works. Not that well, anyway. Communism doesn't work, capitalism doesn't work, socialism doesn't work. So, we keep trying things out , experimenting if you like, to see what helps the most, and does the least damage, at any given time and place. Obviously, Donald Trump is making a total mess of things, as Richard Nixon was making a total mess of things, which is precisely why he was forced out of office, Watergate was just a convenient legal pretest and excuse, merely a single clear example of Nixon's illegality, paranoia and total incompetence. As the Republicans will find out as a group, in a few weeks, and as Donald Trump will find out next year. #uselections #donaldtrump #republicans #democrats #usgovernment #politics #uspolitics #sociology #politicalscience #capitalism #socialism #communism #hypocrisy #funny #corruption #barrontrump #ivanktrump #erictrump #barrontrump #jdvance #taxes #taxation #economics #finance #metaphysics #philosophy #philosophyofhistory #richardnixon #impeachment #history #ushistory

Self deception

Mao Zedong

Rimskey_Korsakov -- the poet-philosopher of music

The nature of the greatness of Elizabeth I of England

Valor is the better part of discretion

Prince Harry's pathological hatred of the media

The war after the war -- 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8cwFtiwKrM

How the two year election cycle defines the American character

The Left-Right divide in politics

Richard Nixon was impeached for incompetence

It is a myth, but, an extremely well propagated myth, that Richard Nixon was impeached, and forced to resign,  because of the Watergate break-in fiasco.  This is, actually, absolute and total nonsense.  To grasp just how total this nonsense is, all you have to do is realize that the Watergate break-in was reported and condemned in July 1972, and Nixon went on to defeat the Democratic candidate by a 20 point landslide in the popular vote, and win 49 of 50 states in November, 1972. Now, sure, additional details did come in during subsequent investigations, but, actually, everybody knew more or less what had happened, but no one particularly cared.  In fact, it was said that it wasn't the break-in so much that destroyed Nixon, as the subsequent attempts at covering it up.   But, actually, that wasn't really the problem either, at all. You see, in 1972, Nixon seemed to be doing a very good job.  The stock market was doing well, the economy was doing well, Nixon had pulled American troops out of Vietnam, and South Vietnam seemed to be holding up pretty well.  Nixon appeared to have achieved that long sought for American dream of "peace with honor", to bring the long nightmare of Vietnam to an end.   So, Nixon won the elections overwhelmingly, who cared if he had broken into Democratic headquarters, he would have won big anyway, right, what difference did it really make? Now let's fast forward two years.  Now, rather suddenly, everything is falling apart.  South Vietnam is being overwhelmed by North Vietnamese troops, and is clearly going to fall soon.  Israel has only won with great difficulty a hard fought war against the Arab world, one it would probably have lost without massive American aid authorized by Richard Nixon.  In direct retaliation, an Arab oil embargo has been declared, that has totally trashed the entire US economy.  Inflation is at 11%, the nation is deep in recession, the stock market has lost much of its value.   Now, suddenly, Watergate looms as the greatest and most significant crime in world history!  Hysterical, right? What we really see with Watergate, is how law is used to rationalize the broader agendas of society as a whole, right or wrong.  You see, the US Constitution requires "high crimes and misdemeanors" to justify removing the President of the United States.  Now, it was clearly seen as absolutely essential to remove Nixon, because he was making such a total mess of everything, so, by God, some high crimes and misdemeanors had to be manufactured! Now, to be sure, the Watergate break-in was certainly an illustration of Nixon's paranoia, obsessiveness, and incompetence, but, it was only a very small part of a much bigger picture, and it was that much bigger picture that was the real problem, not Watergate. #nixon #richardnixon #watergate #impeachment #nixonresignation #usconsitution #republicans #democrats #uselections #uscongress #history #ushistory #usconstitution #law #uslaw #philosophyoflaw #philosophyofhistory #revisionism #revisionisthistory #historicalrevisionism #socialanthropology #sociology #moralphilosophy #vietnam #vietnamwar #israel #yomkippurwar #araboilembargo #opec #useconomy #economics #uspresidents