Listen to a reading of this article: ❖ The most powerful regime on the planet imprisoning a journalist for journalistic activity is as brazen and obvious an act of tyranny as you could possibly come up with, and yet you still get pseudoleft pundits acting like you're some kind of weird freak for expecting them to oppose it.
You're so on the money about our newly evolved brains; powerful bio-toys that seem beyond our comprehension. Sometimes I wish evolution had stopped at the great apes.
The only thing more sickening than the US and UK behavior in the Assange case is the actually even more sickening non-behavior of the so-called "free world" comprised of the US and UK populations as well as the governments and populations of Germany, France, Italy, etc. I know there are exceptions, like Sevim Dagdelen and Die Linke in Germany, Tulsi Gabbard (now just a person) in the US, a few others. I still hope for a mass movement, a really massive protest, but I'm afraid Julian will die in prison before that happens. It makes me literally sick.
"China is more oppressive domestically, US is more oppressive abroad." I don't think the first sentence is "settled science." Tyranny abroad always comes home to roost, and in the last 2 years it's come home in spades, first with censorship and stupid unscientific mandates, not with bodily invasions. Whatever happened to be "safe in our persons?"
As someone late to doubting the mainstream media, I would appreciate a primer on how they're manipulated to perform narrative control on behalf of the establishment. I don't think I would be alone in benefiting from such a primer.
Outside of technical matters, "it's just so complicated!" (or the favorite of pseudointellectuals of a liberal bent, "it's nuanced!") usually shows that the speaker is attempting to obfuscate something that is crystal clear.
Orwell, in "Politics and the English Language" makes this plain.
I believe Assange's real crime among the powerful was documenting the absolute corruption of Hilary Clinton and the DNC. She possesses far-reaching claws.
That Trump failed to free Assange (if only for his own self-interest) is merely one more testament to his weakness and dangerous inadequacy as a leader -- his cult-members be damned. Twenty twenty-four will once again offer us the Hobson's choice of uninterrupted empire clothed in shiny blue and red garments.
Censorship remains a vastly more present danger than Russia or China. A representative republic is incompatible with a blinkered citizenry.
NBC's winter Olympic coverage from Beijing should provide all the makings of an excellent drinking game every time the Uyghurs are mentioned and the Palestinians are not. Propaganda is nothing if not predicable.
One reaction I had was thinking about some of the terms. Communist. Which is a communist country? Or a socialist one? Capitalism. Where’s a capitalist country or system?
What defines “right-wing”?
I don’t criticize you for using the terms as you use them here. Nor do I suspect I have any better or more sophisticated understanding of the terms. Nor do I assume you haven’t thought well and carefully and effectively about the set of related issues.
Just description of some of what’s provoked in me, as just one reader.
I’d guess you’re capable of elaborating on the issues at book-length. And here you’ve achieved a sharp, pithy, highly readable piece.
I’m still new to “know” you, and a fan already, for sure.
My only substantive comment, besides strong agreement in general (as far as I understand what you mean by the—what Chomsky calls “open textured” terms), is on the last paragraph.
Yes, I can see that as a reasonable partial explanatory factor, but I think there are many valid alternative—better: additional—facts, perspectives, speculations—with respect to “big explanations” like we’re biologically fearful animals.
There’s so much we don’t know about our nature (and nature, period).
There’s so much we don’t know about the nature of our close cousins and aunts and uncles—and other.
How “fearful” were early humans, their forebears? How fearful are cats? “Scaredy-cats”? Measured against everything else we or they are or were?
If I had to hazard a similar zippy causal explanation, I might say we’re mixtures of the basic/primal emotions, as are reptiles—those inside us and spared or deprived of our differentiating natures.
I guess non-humans, including pre-human (loosely characterized) ancestors are pretty much “afraid”—when they have such capacity—only in response to immediate tangible stimuli (sensations stimulated only by things a physicist could pick out of nature [Chomsky]) and then pretty much only in the moment. No sight or sound of an approaching threat, no fear.
It’s we, and we alone, it’s quite plain, who can create thoughts that can stimulate anticipatory anxiety.
Oops. Did I promise to try to be zippy? -1 or more.
I’d say we’re complex mixtures as emotional creatures. Look at it this way, look at it that.
My amateur understanding of good analyses of such things suggests we were relatively peaceful (vs violent), up until organizations like nation-states were “achieved”. Carrying “trauma” in our biology/genes? It seems like adoption/construction of a metaphor or myth.
A more proximate or powerful cause of widely shared illusions might be the propaganda itself, not some special innate disposition to it. Arising from social-institutional-organizational factors.
Created by people. Can (maybe) be dissolved by people. What in our biology or carried scripts explains revolts, cooperative organization (eg times and places of powerful labor movements)?
What led to Sanders enjoying stronger popular support than any other candidate/political figure circa 2016? To China’s overthrow of at least one kind of tyrannical regime?
Such things, too, we carry in us. So powerfully, I suppose, that the US/global masters must remain so constantly and ferociously engaged in brutal, brutal warfare against the very majority of us?
Almost ready to subscribe, and looking forward to it. (How about some “discount packs of subscriptions, Substack—or Substackers?!)
I appreciate your work, so far. May you reap what reward you seek. ❤️
You're so on the money about our newly evolved brains; powerful bio-toys that seem beyond our comprehension. Sometimes I wish evolution had stopped at the great apes.
The only thing more sickening than the US and UK behavior in the Assange case is the actually even more sickening non-behavior of the so-called "free world" comprised of the US and UK populations as well as the governments and populations of Germany, France, Italy, etc. I know there are exceptions, like Sevim Dagdelen and Die Linke in Germany, Tulsi Gabbard (now just a person) in the US, a few others. I still hope for a mass movement, a really massive protest, but I'm afraid Julian will die in prison before that happens. It makes me literally sick.
"China is more oppressive domestically, US is more oppressive abroad." I don't think the first sentence is "settled science." Tyranny abroad always comes home to roost, and in the last 2 years it's come home in spades, first with censorship and stupid unscientific mandates, not with bodily invasions. Whatever happened to be "safe in our persons?"
Bravo - thank you for content and the outstanding audio delivery -- the best among all the podcasts I listen to... !!
As someone late to doubting the mainstream media, I would appreciate a primer on how they're manipulated to perform narrative control on behalf of the establishment. I don't think I would be alone in benefiting from such a primer.
Outside of technical matters, "it's just so complicated!" (or the favorite of pseudointellectuals of a liberal bent, "it's nuanced!") usually shows that the speaker is attempting to obfuscate something that is crystal clear.
Orwell, in "Politics and the English Language" makes this plain.
I believe Assange's real crime among the powerful was documenting the absolute corruption of Hilary Clinton and the DNC. She possesses far-reaching claws.
That Trump failed to free Assange (if only for his own self-interest) is merely one more testament to his weakness and dangerous inadequacy as a leader -- his cult-members be damned. Twenty twenty-four will once again offer us the Hobson's choice of uninterrupted empire clothed in shiny blue and red garments.
Censorship remains a vastly more present danger than Russia or China. A representative republic is incompatible with a blinkered citizenry.
NBC's winter Olympic coverage from Beijing should provide all the makings of an excellent drinking game every time the Uyghurs are mentioned and the Palestinians are not. Propaganda is nothing if not predicable.
America continues to suck unnecessarily.
Great article. Not sure that mutations produce anything good let alone outsized brains though.
Great points and style.
One reaction I had was thinking about some of the terms. Communist. Which is a communist country? Or a socialist one? Capitalism. Where’s a capitalist country or system?
What defines “right-wing”?
I don’t criticize you for using the terms as you use them here. Nor do I suspect I have any better or more sophisticated understanding of the terms. Nor do I assume you haven’t thought well and carefully and effectively about the set of related issues.
Just description of some of what’s provoked in me, as just one reader.
I’d guess you’re capable of elaborating on the issues at book-length. And here you’ve achieved a sharp, pithy, highly readable piece.
I’m still new to “know” you, and a fan already, for sure.
My only substantive comment, besides strong agreement in general (as far as I understand what you mean by the—what Chomsky calls “open textured” terms), is on the last paragraph.
Yes, I can see that as a reasonable partial explanatory factor, but I think there are many valid alternative—better: additional—facts, perspectives, speculations—with respect to “big explanations” like we’re biologically fearful animals.
There’s so much we don’t know about our nature (and nature, period).
There’s so much we don’t know about the nature of our close cousins and aunts and uncles—and other.
How “fearful” were early humans, their forebears? How fearful are cats? “Scaredy-cats”? Measured against everything else we or they are or were?
If I had to hazard a similar zippy causal explanation, I might say we’re mixtures of the basic/primal emotions, as are reptiles—those inside us and spared or deprived of our differentiating natures.
I guess non-humans, including pre-human (loosely characterized) ancestors are pretty much “afraid”—when they have such capacity—only in response to immediate tangible stimuli (sensations stimulated only by things a physicist could pick out of nature [Chomsky]) and then pretty much only in the moment. No sight or sound of an approaching threat, no fear.
It’s we, and we alone, it’s quite plain, who can create thoughts that can stimulate anticipatory anxiety.
Oops. Did I promise to try to be zippy? -1 or more.
I’d say we’re complex mixtures as emotional creatures. Look at it this way, look at it that.
My amateur understanding of good analyses of such things suggests we were relatively peaceful (vs violent), up until organizations like nation-states were “achieved”. Carrying “trauma” in our biology/genes? It seems like adoption/construction of a metaphor or myth.
A more proximate or powerful cause of widely shared illusions might be the propaganda itself, not some special innate disposition to it. Arising from social-institutional-organizational factors.
Created by people. Can (maybe) be dissolved by people. What in our biology or carried scripts explains revolts, cooperative organization (eg times and places of powerful labor movements)?
What led to Sanders enjoying stronger popular support than any other candidate/political figure circa 2016? To China’s overthrow of at least one kind of tyrannical regime?
Such things, too, we carry in us. So powerfully, I suppose, that the US/global masters must remain so constantly and ferociously engaged in brutal, brutal warfare against the very majority of us?
Almost ready to subscribe, and looking forward to it. (How about some “discount packs of subscriptions, Substack—or Substackers?!)
I appreciate your work, so far. May you reap what reward you seek. ❤️
On the money... thank you
FREE --FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW-- TO UN--EU-- MEDIA.. IT IS TIME TO FREE HIM NOW.. THERE IS CRIMINALS AND GO FREE , USA.. UK.. -----FREE HIM NOW.