~In George Orwell’s 1949 satire Nineteen Eighty-Four, he describes an imposed language reform (Newspeak) meant to control both thought and expression in the citizenry. The big question in 2012 is: How long is it going to take Newt Gingrich supporters to reject the authoritarian, right-wing, hubristic “Ministry of Truth” version they so thoughtlessly leap to […]
~▪ That the sun never sets on American bases and SOFA’s1 in near déjà vu of a recent fallen/defeated Empire;▪ That so many pretend that money ≠ power ≠ undue influence ≠ inevitable corruption ≠ inevitable death of freedom;▪ That we manufacture/manipulate citizen consent thru deception and propaganda and call it freedom of speech;▪ That
So, it has come to this! Again! Read More »
In the High Middle Ages (1000-1300 AD/CE), in order to combat religious instability (including but not limited to alleged heretics,[1]) the powers-that-were resorted to: 1) denunciations (openly and secretly);2) concealing the nature of charges and evidence against the accused;3) “invitations” to confess (something? anything?);4) torture to extract confessions;5) torture to extract the names of “guilty”
MORE THAN once upon a time! Read More »
~If ever there were a clear case of ubiquitous déjà vu, it is The Great Chain of Being Subservient. Not in the sense of being subject to authority for the maintenance of social order balanced with individual liberty, but in the subjugation of one’s life, gifts, talents, and yearnings for the sake of money—whether for
“The Great Chain of Being” [Subservient] Read More »
~Adam Smith’s invisible hand (in its present, contorted multinational condition): By preferring the support of [global] to that of [domestic] industry, [the multinational] intends only [its] own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce [and branding] may be of the greatest value, [it] intends only [its] own gain, and
Which Hand? — Invisible? or Learned? Read More »
Author: A. Sobkowskiruins of a Roman Templefrom Wikimedia CommonsCreative Commons Attribution/Share-alike license In the Great Courses®, Foundations of Western Civilization II series, Professor Robert Bucholz reminds us in the very first lecture, that “Above all, European culture produced certain ideas that have become pillars of our culture: 1. ‘All men are created equal.’2. ‘No taxation
(va: To dupers and dupees everywhere) The Thinker by Auguste Rodinat the California Palace of the Legion of HonorImage from Wikimedia CommonsPublic Domain: Author, Karora On odd occasions, one can encounter contrition in the red-white-&-blue, balloon-strewn ballroom of 6-AM, post-convention chaos. That’s where I encountered PR. He was alone, seated in Thinker repose, a damp hanky drying
Confession of a Dupe Dealer Read More »