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China has just opened a new railway link with Iran and CNPC is set to fill the void left by France’s Total if and when they leave the South Pars field. It looks like the US pulling out of the Iran deal is win-win for China and the BRICS world order…and the engineered destruction of the west continues apace.
SHOW NOTES:
CNPC set to replace Total in Iran gas project
China’s trade with Iran to continue unhindered, opens rail link
The Fate of the World is in the EU’s Hands (God Help Us All)
Phoney Opposition: The Truth About the BRICS
The Great Decoupling: How the West is Engineering its Own Downfall
Wow Mina! That was a lovely post! While I do feel as if I should defend James on one point, being as the world is obviously crazy so it does get frustrating every now and then. But I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. Personally, even though I think your wrong on anarchy; you’re on the point in where you say everything is falling apart already. Which means they can’t be fixed. Not the governments. Not the corporations. Not their infrastructures. They’re worn out and just need to be scrapped. We don’t need to actual “convert” to anarchy. People just automatically organize when they don’t have some outsider poking their noses into their business. I live in fluorida, a giant sandbar designed to catch hurricanes. This means that I have a passing familiarity with government solutions just falling apart at the slightest tug. Yet, with each failure of the government, the people just dealt with it and helped each other out. And it just works out better that way. Anarchy is simply what happens when you get rid of those jerks who think they can control life. They can’t. JimBob who only went surfing once, and that was because she was so pretty, but it was nice.
We already live in Anarchy. That’s what really cracks me up when people ask me how will it ever work. Did you get state approval for every action you did today? Or did you decide for yourself? If the second, you practiced self-rule. You made a decision for yourself. This is not a trivial concept, or some stupid sophist play. This is the reality of your life. Spend a day just randomly checking with your decisions and you’ll see you already live the majority of your life under your rule. But for a scenario more easily understood, I give you the crazy old lady who lives a block over from me.
She’s about 80 or so and is crazy from obsessing over such trivial experiences as losing her husbands and son. I know, emotions; what a drag! She lives in a little shack and spends her days on the front porch with about 20 or so cats who resent anyone else’s presence. And some random game chickens since they’re everywhere around here (our true rulers, if you ask me or them). It’s true she lives on a pension, but pensions aren’t verbotten in an anarchial society. Also, she wouldn’t need one if it weren’t for the state anyway; but that’s a different story. Anyway, when she wants something she has one of the neighborhood people to go to the store for her. She may or may not give them some money; but this depends on whether she has it or not. Everyone is poor, but she is rarely ripped off. Those that rip her off tend to drift away from the neighborhood as well. She has family, neighbors, and other friends come by all the time to make sure she is well. I’ve spent a little time on her porch myself, but about an hour at a time is about enough for me. The point is, the community is already taking care of her. Not the state. We already have anarchy, I’m just waiting for people to realize it. JimBob who don’t really care if people can’t see what’s plain as day, but it is fun watching them realize they’ve been living with a silly blindfold and telling me they’re going to be my guide.
I appreciate your real life example of the grumpy cat lady, JimBob. Where I get lost as to what anarchy is is by reading more speculative scenarios of what a futuristic society could be if only everyone would collectively unplug from and buck the current world system and everything related to it (how I interpreted James’ latest newsletter), which, following my admittedly limited and linear thinking, necessarily dictates starting from scratch, like the pioneers, only there is no longer any wilderness that isn’t owned by TPTB. This brings on visions of guillotines, hangings, beheadings, and the tribes with the biggest sticks filling the void.
I’m an individualist governed by my own motives. I don’t like being told what to do or how to think. If I decide to help an old lady or anyone else, it’ll be because I am personally moved by my own innate compassion and conscience to do so, not because the neighborhood/congregation/tribe/family expects it of me. Altruism is a slippery slope, and what little of theoretical societal anarchism I’ve gleaned, it has its social pitfalls as well. I don’t see myself fitting in anywhere except your neighborly, daily interactions based on kindness, respect and sincerity. We don’t need to tear everything down to do just that.
youtube.com/watch?v=dsxtImDVMig
I think a lot of the problems people have with Anarchy in a futuristic setting is because there is no way of knowing how it will work. If everybody were to realize right now that we are already living under our own rule, the way we acted would change dramatically almost instantly. Systems would evolve based on local needs, even global needs. And they would change from all aspects at once, rather than top down, which is the most inefficient manner. But worrying about the future has never done me much good anyway. I find the more I pay attention to the present, the better my future works out. Unless I’m thinking bad thoughts, and that usually works out badly. This is not an ethical application of the words good and bad; just correct. I do believe I’ve made it clear that I am a man of low character. JimBob who has watched Unforgiven a few times as well as The Outlaw Josey Wales even more. By the way, looked like both of those were anarchists and they got by pretty good in the end.
I don’t care what everybody else says about you, JB ;), I like you and your dang good common sense! Say, when are you coming out with your book “WTF?!” I’d buy it and put it right there, next to Miss Manner’s Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior and Don’t Squat with Your Spurs On.
Boy, I sure could have used that book on spur squattin’ in my (fantasy) cowboy days!
Keep it? Just realize how much of your day is under your control and direction. The rest will pretty much take care of itself with the help of a little curiosity and mischief. I always add the mischief, but the extra secret ingredient is yours to decide. After all, since Anarchy is self-rule, who am I to say what the secret ingredient in your BBQ sauce ought to be?
I try to minimize all government solutions, though that is impossible since they’re so nosy and all, but it’s amazing how many end-runs there are around these systems. Of course, if you ever get a chance to get inside these systems, one can have all kinds of fun. Remember, government help is meant to buy your loyalty and dependence, but that doesn’t mean it will. It can help the mischievous soul mock it instead. Which is the real show of power. It’s a fun way to live. JimBob who thinks ruling oneself is so much cooler than all that work convincing others you are their by-god lord and master when any dang fool can see your not. 🙂
I’d say that since we live in an age where ignorance is a choice; then freedom is a choice as well. In the end, the only person that can free you is yourself. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear a moose head when you pantomime in front of the fire that casts the shadows on the cave wall if you were free. You should just see the look on their faces whenever that happens! JimBob who don’t see much use in worrying about things so far out of range of his trusty Red Ryder.
Well, I wouldn’t call those people who encourage their kids to go to those shooting galleries a mentor, but who am I to quibble over such a minor detail? We actually have plenty of kids here in Fluorida who don’t seem to pay much attention to those good-speak institutions. Those are the ones that matter. The rest never stood a chance. But it was still their choice. I went through those institutions. JimBob who ain’t worried about saving the zombies nearly as much as he is about being et by them.
Actually there are far more drastic measures available. Naturally I drank heavily from those pitchers! Walking out of the suit world and losing everything will also cause you to create your own, personal, and unique, construct. It’s a whole new way of looking at the world, and let me tell you; upskirts in a society like ours is not a pretty sight! There is a reason you hear of some of our greatest tyrants rising up from the worst corners of their society’s hell. Ain’t nothing worse than a moral crusader. Just ask Che. Though I did like his attitude. And the way he captured that whole fort. JimBob who don’t hate nobody dead completely excepting MacArthur, may he rot forever.
Mina,
for the beginning, it’s good to start a conversation in good faith. It’s a bit “archaic” these days with prevailing indoctrination “everybody would like to get you from behind”. Certainly, James deserves good faith.
He might went over the top for you, but I’m sure he didn’t want to offend anybody and I think your response is a bit too emotional.
I had to search for Q and fill a gap in my knowledge. Q is not a valid source in my opinion. It’s too much a fairy tail. Both Q and Trump play well on archetype Superhero or Messiah. Archetypes are ok for films, fairy tails, dreams, inner life, but not real life.
Anarchism when and how? This question is not answerable. Maybe never, but that means people will be enslaved in Brave New World.
I think anarchism is the only consistent option and also a natural state of affairs, spontaneous order.
The world is a big mess and that comes to peoples heads and vice versa. Right moment for some ancient wisdom:
http://thetaoteching.com/taoteching38.html
I quite agree that the neo liberal economic One World Order is in full swing these days in the Mid East and just about everywhere else. Privatization is in an accelerating mode throughout the so called BRICS nations as elsewhere. In Russia it is in minerals and oil. Rostneft just sold 18% of itself to Glencore. Russian central bak president Nebuillina has received Banker of the Year – Euro zone for several years running as another tell. In Brasil it is airports and Petrobras. In China it will likely be the opening of its financial markets to the western banking behemoths, neo liberalism and accompanying ‘structural adjustments’ for state owned enterprize. Even Iran is getting in the swing of this with the recent privatization of five formerly nationalized banks with more on the block. Can Iran’s central bank be far behind? We should by now all be getting the picture that the so called resistance block is about as real as this so called cold war 2. All meant as either propaganda, misdirection or obfuscation with terrorism up to and including total war or combination thereof as cover and /or impetus to One World Order agenda.
About the only real geo political point of contention is the case of those apex elites that want to see the geographical boundaries of Israel expanded and all of Israel’s neighbours reduced to something of less than even a possible threat.
Mina,
I’m obviously not going to respond for James, but something comes to my mind after reading your post:
As you probably know, since at least the Boer War TPTSB have used thesis, antithesis and synthesis as a model to move the world in their favoured direction. It’s often called ‘problem, reaction, solution’, a dialectic.
So, this a solid guideline to analyse current activities in my opinion.
Using it for the seemingly increasing ‘noise’ level: there’s the problem, the thesis. Now we have to wait and see, and maybe prejudge, how the reaction and solution will be used for TPTSB e.g. the ‘fake news’ drive.
Using it for Trump: he is simply either a player or a ‘useful idiot’ in this dialectical game. Can the direct result of a broken system ever fix that system?
As for Q, my only personal impression was that he seems to be ‘cold reading’. Q mainly poses questions, or cryptic statements, waits for responders to fill in the gaps with their own biases and then repeats, now using the expressed biases as a basis to lead people on further. It’s a fascinating subject and Derren Brown from here in the UK gives a good description and examples of it if you’re interested.
Anyway, thanks for the heartfelt post 🙂
“Emotional? No. More likely passionate and frustrated”
But you are describing emotions. It’s nothing wrong being emotional. Better be emotional than cold rational, non-human, automaton like. It’s just call spade a spade. It’s just about being aware of it.
Because if you are not aware, emotions can mislead you to bad decisions and you might conclude:
“If he continues like this and, in the meantime, I don’t regret my open approach to Trump/Q, it will probably make me distance myself.”
I also had issues few times with James in the past but I’m still here. Probably I don’t agree with him on everything. Btw, James is reading comments.
“….roughly 50% were never interested, 45% fell victim to learned helplessness….”
I believe people are wired this way. Kind of natural state of affairs and that wouldn’t be a problem unless some people in power abused this fact to their own benefit. It is on us, who are aware, to make a change. Those 50% are genuinely not interested, they are followers (no deprecation, just fact).
About solutions
According to Erica just few percent of people is needed to bring a change.
The success of nonviolent civil resistance: Erica Chenoweth at TEDxBoulder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJSehRlU34w
Maybe you haven’t seen James’ video Solutions: Agorism.
It’s a little to libertarian for my taste, but in general lines is excellent.
This one is one is for encouragement 🙂
(must watch it in one go for full effect)
Change the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZORcu-Qfho
While I admit I liked it enough to download it, it also leaves me with some questions. We are living during a time of exodus, both involuntary and voluntary, from Youboob. HiImpactFX just got kicked off. All he ever does is expose corruption as he sees it, he never espouses revolution. But we see the internet gearing up for yet another Summer of Rage. Revolution must bloom the same time the maggots start hatching over here. Oh well, the chickens eat well by the dumpster. JimBob who really does have a lot of wild game chickens who roam the neighborhood and demand he feed them every single day.
I’ve read most (you are to verbose for me) of your comments here and this will be my reply to them. And btw, I have a feeling you haven’t read my comments carefully.
None of us can be sure what Q actually is, there is a fundamental uncertainty, we can only operate with probabilities. Also, regarding facts. It’s a fact, it’s sunny and windy now where I live. I look outside, I know with certainty. When something is almost certain I name it as fact.
Your approach to Q is to thoroughly study, because you believe (no certainty) there is something in it. Something like, from details to wholeness. You spent some time (a lot?) and will draw conclusions after studying.
I took the opposite approach and I’m “anarchically biased”. I looked at overall picture, included awareness of how this system operates, some details, try to “catch wholeness”….and decided I don’t believe. I spent maybe 10 minutes.
I might be wrong but so do you. But there is a huge difference how much time and energy we spent.
At the end, why are we talking about this? What would finding definitive answer mean to us?
How can we connect these matters to the following:
“Except I see our 3% needed fight over versions of solutions, instead of talking over, finding middle ground (there’s much more stuff we all agree on) and looking for possible actions.”
Do you think Q and Trump are so important and must have a place in this discussions? You can be sure others would bring their Qs and Trumps and they might be passionate too. Still, discussion would be just about Persons and Events.
But the fact is, if we want to really understand the world, we should not care so much about Persons and Events, we should care more about Ideas behind Persons and Events.
We won’t find nor construct complete and actionable solutions on the internet. Most of discussion on internet is just mental masturbation, spiced with trolls. It’s just talk to talk, not talk to walk. We can get pieces, but it will be up to the people who will bring them into the real world. They known their circumstances best, they know what they want, they will live with consequences.
You already found out how hard is to convince people, even your own family. You can have a perfect solution but how to convey it to others. Improving social skills would help, but at the end you are dealing with people, they have the right to be wrong.
” Agorism sounded cool. How will it stop CWO or war with Iran?”
Of course it cannot stop, but you are mixing things allover and back.
Read this wiki, particularly the quote attributed to Karl Rove (who recently denied it!!, funny):
Reality-based community
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality-based_community
*(Interesting, James used this loaded phrase in the video (can we conclude something 🙂 ))*.
World is huge pile of shit, particularly if you are focused on politics and other shit. It’s good that you are aware of it. Aware also of your limitations. I hope you don’t expect change soon, in your lifetime. That would be a miracle.
We have to walk the talk, even if that means small steps. You known, 1000 mile voyage, first step.
And more peace inside. Read that TaoTeChing I’ve recommended you. And some others too. (no, I’m not into spiritualism. Just a little bit.)
Personally, I find that comment section to be rather mild for youboob. On the internet, the short buses are HUGE! Suffice it to say that when I enter the comment sections of youboob I do so lusting for battle against the zombie nazi kung-fu flame warriors. I know, I’m a deeply disturbed individual. Even though it’s not usually me that’s disturbed, so I don’t know what that shrink is talking about. JimBob who is also guilty of using the most obscene combinations of obscenities you’ve ever heard in those sections just to trap the poor little pretties.
Well, as luck would have it; I’m available. I’m not sure why this is the case. After all, I resemble The Big Labowski in many ways. JimBob who also resembles every other strange character in that movie.
Hi James,
Great video-podcast, as usual! Thank you for that once again.
I do have one question though. You said QANON is a psyop. That could very well be. But I have no information about that, other than that I indeed can image that his writings can be used to sedate the Trump-supporters into non-action.
Could you elaborate why you think QANON is a psyop?
Or can this sedation of Trump-supporters into non-action be seen as enough probable cause to assume that we are dealing with a psyop?
(to clarify my own position on Trump: I’m no supporter, Clinton would have been slightly worse)
Rome was too big to fail. Once. Of course, they were stopped from completely re-shaping Europe by a bunch of anarchists we now call Germanic tribesmen. I’ll bet you a shiny shekel that old Varius changed his tune about being too big to fail before that battle was over. All of this striving towards tyranny can be shook off like water off a dog if the people only bothered thinking. But the state only encouraged a lack of thinking in the schools. These people accepted it. And they accepted it because they did not want to think. No one can stop you from thinking. So, to think is a choice. Ergo, freedom is a choice. For each of us. JimBob whose workouts do not look anything like those you see on Youboob, but they aren’t as sore as he is, so obviously his is a better workout.
Rome as BS statism. Interesting take. Many traditions and systems underpinning modern civilization were created by the Roman state, which excelled in organization, and legislation. Including the first comprehensive laws against usury, from circa 300 BC. Civilization itself has no real meaning outside the Roman concept of a civis (citizen).
The Arminius coalition that brought down Quinctilius Varus an example of anarchism? Doubtful. Arminius was son of Segimer a Cheruscian chieftain and he (+ the brother Flavus) did service in the Roman army extensive enough to be awarded Roman citizenship and equestrian status. I.e. they were technically members of the Roman financial class and in reality members of the ruling class over the Germanic nations (tribe seems a stretch since it was a Roman word to describe Roman political organization – like M. Cicero of the tribe Cornelia, or C. Caesar of the tribe Fabia). So ruling princes with “da knowledge” brought down Varus. And in a very specific context which rendered Rome incapable of an effective response ; the meltdown of Roman military power in the great Illyrian revolt of AD 6-9 against Caesarian tyranny (that of the self-Augustifier). That one too began in the specific context of the highly organized Illyrian princes observing the power and fine bearing of their auxilia regiments marching off to join the Roman army.
The Catholic Church took the spirit of Roman official opposition to usury (the laws themselves became trodden underfoot) very much to heart, and preached against it for about 1900 years. So about 250 years overlap of this socially wholesome Catholic preaching and the virulent reintroduction of usury into Christendom by the Protestant regicide Oliver Cromwell
Just because they had relations with the Romans, doesn’t mean they were thinking they were the same. The Germanic leaders did want to score a lot of points with the Romans. They liked their shiny toys. But there were many grievous cultural barriers which didn’t exactly put them on friendly terms. Don’t confuse opportunism for patriotism on that service. But the tribes (which didn’t call themselves tribes, but we get all our words about them from the romans, hence my use of the word tribe.) were self-governing with a complex system of loyalties among each other. While Segimur would have been a powerful figure, there would have been limits to the extent of his power. But basically, each tribe/village/community would have governed itself. And it was these illiterate, untamed, barbarians which wiped out some 30% of the Roman Army in a single glorious campaign. You can claim they did this because they were trained by Rome, but so were many others. This was done because THIS person was trained by Rome. A leader. Someone who chose to think for their self. And it was his dissatisfaction that spurred him in his action. He was something else. JimBob who might be able to single-handedly take out 25% of the Roman Army; but never 30%! That’s just crazy.
Wow that’s very enthusiastic, and kudos for the hilarious closing comment.
Really though the army that Varus lost (about 40,000 men) was closer to 10% of the Roman military of the day. Also Arminius couldn’t make any headway against the two other legions + auxilia which remained at the Rhine fortifications under Varus’ legatus and nephew Nonius Asprenas. This was because, apart from a likely numerical advantage, Arminius’ success depended upon the lie of the land and well laid ambush. Roman armies were essentially a merciless combination of heavy infantry and artillery, which struggled in the geography of old Germania — the great Hercynian oak forest in the south and centre, and an almost impenetrable morass of swamp and waterways in the north where the Cherusci held sway, between Weser and Elbe.
Still my main point is that it’s a long bow to try to characterize any of the ancient Germans as a bunch of anarchists with self-governing local communities. Perpetual wandering and warfare seems to have been the order of the day, apparently organized primarily around a system of retinues united by kinship ties. But also frequently disunited. Arminius’ father-in-law was pro-Roman and led an internal revolt against him with Roman support during the Germanicus Caesar reinvasion AD 14-17.
The dominating political reality of the time and place was a numerically enormous quasi imperial federal state called the Suebi which seems to have engrossed most of the southern and central forest lands, and was almost constantly at war with its neighbours or internally. The chief nations of this federation were called Semnones, Quadi and Marcomanni, but it included many others like the proto-English and the sensationally violent Langobardi (Lombards). Caesar thought the Suebi consisted of 100 “pagi” but according to Tacitus’ later account that was the size of the Semnones alone. Anyhow, this is what Caesar had to say about Suebian organization and customs (writing circa 50 BC) :
“The Suebian nation is by far the largest and most warlike of all the Germans. They are said to have 100 pagi, from each of which every year they lead out of their territory 1,000 armed men to wage war. The remainder who have stayed at home feed those and themselves. They take up arms again in their turn the following year while those remain at home. Thus neither cultivation of the land nor the planning or experience of war is interrupted. But there is no private and separate land among them, nor is it permitted to remain dwelling in one spot for longer than a year. They do not live on grain much but mostly on milk and beast and they often go hunting.
Owing to the type of food, the daily exercise and the freedom of life – because accustomed from boyhood to no duty or discipline at all, they do absolutely nothing against their will – this existence nourishes their strength and produces men of immense size. In the coldest regions they have taken on the habit of wearing no clothing at all except for hides – because of the scantiness of which much of the body remains uncovered – and of bathing in rivers.
There is access for merchants, more because they want men to sell their war-booty to than because they desire anything to be imported to them. In fact even as concerns beasts of burden, which the Galli take a particular delight in and obtain for considerable prices, the Germans do not use imported ones but by daily practice they train the ugly and deformed ones born among them to have a huge capacity for labour. In cavalry battles they often leap down from their horses and fight on foot and have trained their horses to stay in the same spot, quickly returning to them when necessary. According to their manners nothing is considered more shameful or lazier than the use of saddles. Thus, however few, they venture to attack any number of saddled horsemen. They absolutely forbid wine to be imported to them because they think that through its agency men are made soft and effeminate for enduring hard work.
Publically they think that it is the greatest glory for lands to lie unoccupied to the widest possible extent from their own territory; that this means that a large number of states (civitates) cannot withstand their might. Thus on one side of the Suebi lands are said to lie vacant for some 600 thousands of paces [c.900 km]. On the other side they are succeeded by the Ubii whose citizenry used to be prosperous and magnificent, as the Germans gauge.”
This seems to describe a high level of personal liberty for the young men who made up the retinues, but also a tumultuous and mobile state governed by customs and rules which must have intruded rudely upon any local communal autonomy. I’m not even sure that local community has much meaning in a society perpetually on the move and devoid of private landed property rights.
What you are describing isn’t so much a rule by government; but more of a rule by cultural constructs. This is not a government as we would define it. Yes, there were tributes paid, this would have established a pecking order, and a platform by which they could all get along together a little better. But, to define anarchy by your definitions is a stretch. It is self-rule. It is not your rule; unlessing it’s you whom you are ruling. There are anarchists today who don’t believe in property rights. I don’t agree with them, but as long as they stay away from my property I won’t shoot them. If I had any property. Which I don’t, so they’re pretty safe. For now. But you are not the arbitrator of what anarchy is. None of us are. JimBob who’s just saying….
My thoughts on Q? Everyone has to interpret everything he is saying. He sounds just like that Pzeniewitz guy whose name probably looks nothing like I just spelled. He was the shrink who was on during the Trump campaign and on AJs show a lot. I liked the interview where he looked like he was genuinely angry because he knew deep down he’d been played. Q is an obvious fake to me. Just trust in our beloved billionaire because he cares about the common man. Don’t get me wrong, I admire Trumpy’s strategic skills. Just not a big fan of his end game. JimBob who just woke up to a bunch of interesting comments to stimulate his dementia.
All I have is speculation from all his agency and cabinet choices. It is the worst of the worst there. Which means the worst result possible. One cannot make a good soup from rotten ingredients. JimBob who has tried to eat soup made from bad ingredients but that didn’t work out well.
Only slightly off-topic (for me anyway), but when you said facts are reality it had me remember something that I was thinking just the other day. One of those random thought moments. Anyway, I just happened to remember that scene that Chelsea Manning exposed on the helicopter gun ship just shooting hell out of everybody and reporting it as something else entirely? Well, my thinking was that we have a fact that the pilot/gunner did murder those people; but was that the reality? Perhaps it was a planned hit, covered up by the audio talk. Whenever you see the prisoners being beat up in a jail, there are also sworn statements that go along with them. They rarely match and the only ones that generally make it to court are the ones which favor the guards. System works well for the state in jails, why not in assassinations? Facts are how we can spin truth, and that’s how our reality can be shaped if we are not careful. JimBob who often has strange thoughts like that just pop up into his head for no reason whatsoever.
Fresh woke up actually. From a Sunday morning nap. I don’t really bother trying to change anyone’s reality; I’m too busy enjoying my own. And I always learn something unexpected; mostly because it sneaks up on me though. JimBob who is now going to eat and possibly nap again since it seems to want to rain all dang day.