Ignorance is Strength by Publius Tacitus

This is must see. Not because it reveals anything new about the false narrative pushed by Donald Trump and his enablers (i.e. Mattis, Tillerson, McMaster and Haley)--i.e., that the Government of Syria used a chemical weapon against Islamic rebels last week. Nope. It is must see because it is clever and uses a bit of sophisticated humor to skewer Trump and those in the media who have cheered his lies.

 

 

You would think that after the debacle of our Iraq invasion in 2003 (based on a proven false narrative about hidden WMDs) that the American public and media would be a bit gun shy about embracing a new claim that some guy in the Middle East has done something outrageous with a supposed weapon of mass destruction. You would be wrong. The American public, for the most part, has had an emotional erection. We are aroused, just like Brian Williams, by the sight of cruise missiles ejaculating from the bowels of a US Destroyer, blazing away into the black sky and exploding somewhere. We appear to is a gullible lot with the memory of an Alzheimer's patient and cheer the White House and Pentagon claims that we have destroyed enemy planes and taken out an airfield. Yet, within 24 hours, that airfield is operational and there is no evidence produced of actual destruction. But that does not matter. Most of the public and all of the media are agog at Trump's "show of strength." That made him truly "PRESIDENTIAL." 

Looking back at the events that led to the rise of Adolf Hitler, I had always wondered how a nation as advanced and educated as the Germans of the 20th Century could be so bamboozled into shedding their humanity. Now I know. We are in the process of defiling our own culture and values. Ours is a culture of death that we inflict routinely on others overseas. We need to have an enemy. Without an external enemy we appear to have little confidence that we can remain a "great" country. I am not suggesting that Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler. He's not that smart or cunning. But I am asserting that Trump has discovered a great way to quench his emotional thirst for acceptance and appreciation--drop bombs and talk tough.

Pray for our nation. We are in peril. 

Comments

[LeaNder]

Croesus, you miss the main importance of the Reichstag Fire, put another way it's misuse. And that story tells a lot more about Hitler and his supporters and their intention. More then you learn if you throw Putzi or a couple of industrialists, financial elites, noble supporters, or one or the other White Russians into the larger mix. Hanfstaengel no doubt lived at the center of the Nazi movement in Munich after WWI. Became an early party member, was involved with the Beer House Putsch.

Germany in 1933 was operating from a position of weakness & defensiveness, not of superpower strength and projection of power.

But to deal with and move Germany beyond the "Schach" = shame,disgrace, ignominy, humilation of Verseilles was very, very much on their mind. Why do you think they built the "Reichsautobahn" network at a time not so many Germans owned cars?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichsautobahn#Planning_and_construction

[LeaNder]

Germany at that time was trying to get rid of their "neocons" while we in the west are fairly well controlled by them.

I feel a bit uncomfortable with this. Germany did not have an equivalent to the "neocons" at that point in time. The vast majority of Jews, if that's what's on your mind, were no Zionists either. ...

One could argue what-if's in this context. What if, Zionism hadn't existed? But that's a moot mental exercise. Their texts after all these years are no doubt highly irritating. But more then other European nationalist texts from the 19th to the early 20th century? Never seriously compared them, but I somewhat doubt.

[tim s]

re: Again, from the outside, the "culture" of the US (to the extent that term is even meaningful) seems more like one of deeply embedded, almost blind self-perception as the exceptional nation, combined with a disinterest verging on carelessness about what that might actually mean in practice

Looking from the outside, one can primarily see the propaganda that is pushed onto the US citizens, and this propaganda has pushed this exceptionalism to the limits. One cannot see into the hearts and minds from outside. This propaganda is not nearly as effective as it used to be, say before 2001, but even then the mask was coming off. I'd say today that there is a lame minority who still feel exceptional, and a growing minority who are seeing the light. Still another large percentage FEEL the reality is very different and are no longer perceptive to this RAH RAH exceptionalism. Of course, this makes the propagandists double down to the point of self-parody in a disturbing manner.

The election of Trump is a good indicator of the hearts and minds, although not at face value. I still don't think a significant percentage took the man seriously, but saw him as a wrench to throw into the works of a system that was going to be our destruction. Not even a golden wrench, but the only option, however improbable, that may possibly knock the Borg off balance just enough....

No matter what, at least now the Borg has to deal with the hand their dealt, and having him as their face for the next four years will do them no good in the long run.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Balzac was writing about per-industrial societies. Analogous saying exists in Persian:

"Whosoever has his gold and silver increased,
Thief has been himself or his father."

[Babak Makkinejad]

"...but well thought out grand plans? I don't think so."

The Fortress West has, from 1991 to the present, expanded East against the Russian Federation, has eliminated Yugoslavia, destroyed has the Ba'athist Iraq, has destroyed Libya, has tried to eviscerate the state & social cohesion of Iran, and through intermediaries has helped fan the flames of civil and proxy war in Syria.

Fortress West was stopped in Korea when it became clear that Seoul would be destroyed if it bombed North Korea and in Iran when it became clear that it needed to invade Iran and did not have enough soldiers to do so and in Ukraine when the Russians finally sufficiently provoked to intervene and to protect their interests.

And you claim all of this was without any design?

I cannot credit that.

I also cannot take seriously this idea of "Culture of Death" etc.; Fortress West is used to domination and considers itself morally upright, and rich enough and powerful enough to do what it pleases. This is an alliance wide phenomenon.

This Spaniard fellow was haranguing me recently about how bad Iran was; socially regressive...etc. and "no rights for gays". And how religious government was bad. Or this Italian fellow who had traveled in Iran and was opposed to Iran because she was not a "Democracy" (like Italy is a paragon of Clean Republicanism).

That Iran was a sovereign state and her actions and policies were not dictated to her from Brussels or Washington DC did not occur to either of them. They very much preferred Mexico; yes, that decaying drug-run state, where a bimbo throws a fit and 42 students are murdered as a result, is superior to Iran - I suppose because the women there are not forced to wear hijab.

In my opinion, Western Fortress is suffering from a severe case of Hubris and needs to seriously consider the possibility that it no longer has all the answers to people whose religion and culture it neither understands nor respects.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Forgot to add:

"Sasoons" were not Iraqi Jews; they were Persian Jews, "Sasoon" was the local dialect of "Sassan" - after the Sassnaid Dynasty.

[tim s]

Equivalencies over time and space are not going to be all that clean. It is difficult to work through the story as written by the victors, but from what I can tell from the sources I've read/seen, the main purpose was to remove the "Neocons" from positions of influence in the government/civil_service and the media, in which their influence was considered corrosive to the German national character. I think that if you consider the similarities in situation of our current Neocons and Neoliberals with their (huge) influence over our foreign policy and fiscal policy respectively, some would see equivalencies.

Here in the US, the general population has been trying to vote out those Neo's for several elections now, with resounding failure up to this point. With our electoral system being ineffective/captured, it sets the stage for uglier attempts at relief.

I don't have the "vast majority" in mind. There are many who distinguish between the common citizens and the Neo's.

[LeaNder]

"Schach" this should be Schmach.

I am with Ingolf below. I do not find these comparisons helpful. Digging out the parallel sub-layers possibly leading people to the association--whatzit called again in the English/American context appropriately again?-- beyond surfaces. Might be an interesting intellectual exercise. ...

But as German I was also quite fascinated admittedly to what extend 9/11 as a parallel to the Reichstag's Fire was on people's minds.

But yes, Machiavelli hasn't been called the bible of politicians for nothing. ;)

[YT]

Marko,

This prepper challenges the dystopian scenario in the link you've posted.

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/3039-east-vs-west-division-is-about-the-dollar-not-nuclear-war

[YT]

http://www.revolutions2040.com/ice-agent-commits-suicide-nyc-leaves-suicide-note-revealing-govts-plans-roundup-disarm-americans/

...?

[YT]

RE: well thought out grand plans

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/3171-the-real-dangers-behind-the-syrian-crisis-are-economic

[LeaNder]

"Looking from the outside, one can primarily see the propaganda that is pushed onto the US citizens"

Not true. ... But that is also a more complex subject.

Concerning Babak's response below, on fast scan, what I once called, forget what number I gave it, Babak's 5% of irrationality: it surely is tempting to assume that neocons had a deeper layer below their Clean Break plan concerning the ME.

Randomly: From a more subjective basis, meaning reverting to babbling me. Yes, the Balkan war felt like some type of Zeitenwende. A turning point. In hindsight, it seemed to start with the American political hero and not so impressive actor: Reagan. I was reminded of it in a statement by Condi Rice over here burned into my brain. Not verbatim, but since "burned" I guess, it should be pretty close:

After 1989 everyone wondered, who would be our new enemies. Then 9/11 happened and everyone knew.

[Babak Makkinejad]

The Europeans are also dismally propagandized; largely by themselves.

It is not possible to carry out a rational and dispassionate discourse with very many of them since they already have all the answers.

Even such an innocuous idea as a Zero Sum Game cause some of them to get into a fit of rage.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Is it it irrational to point out the Fortress West's combined economic and financial war against Iran; largely devised and carried out by the Europeans due to their deeper understanding of economic connections (at the time) between Iran and EU?

In what manner was that war different from such per-Modern military practices (before cannons were invented) of surrounding an enemy city and trying to starve it into submission?

I have a question for you: "Why does EU so irrationally hate Iran?"

[LeaNder]

Could you give me your sources, Tim?

[LeaNder]

OM, concerning your second paragraph.

I am a bit wondering about your circling in on the possibly foreign inner enemies. Wondering how it could be related to your earlier pre-election fears, that felt like pro-Trump-side fears. If I didn't misread, you felt his deserved success could be stolen by election hacking.

In any case the two possible "Fifth Columns", whoever you had in mind, not Russia it felt, don't quite converge on my--admittedly limited mind.

[tim s]

I'm not good at keeping track of all my sources, but I am reading now TELL THE TRUTH & SHAME THE DEVIL by Menuhin which touches upon topics such as this.

[tim s]

I would imagine that the propaganda for both European and American markets springs from the same root - globalists.

[FB Ali]

tim s,

Not a reply. Just trying to see if I can correct the mess made by the italics you put in and forgot to close off.

All,

A request: if you don't know how to properly use italics/bold etc, please don't try! You just screw up the succeeding text for anyone who wants to read the blog - and, believe me, a lot of people do!

[Ingolf]

"I'd say today that there is a lame minority who still feel exceptional, and a growing minority who are seeing the light. Still another large percentage FEEL the reality is very different and are no longer perceptive to this RAH RAH exceptionalism."

That may well be right. By "deeply embedded, almost blind self perception as the exceptional nation" I meant to convey that this was the default American position. As you say, recent events must have shaken that conviction for many, while some in response would double down.

[Ingolf]

Babak,

There's a difference between "without any design" and not having "well thought out grand plans".

Certainly there are designs at work in what the US has done in recent decades. I was simply suggesting much of it has been reactive, careless, and (as you noted) born of a profound sense of hubris.

[Ingolf]

Trying to close off the italics one more time.

Cross fingers . . .

[Babak Makkinejad]

I must have, per my usual, the last word on this:

The distinction you make is one without merit, Fortress West has expanded and its enemies are dead.

Fortress West is not US, EU (and I suppose now UK) are part and parcel of it.

[LeaNder]

Hmm? Ok, I see:
https://telltruthshamedevil.blogspot.de/2016/03/ebook-tell-truth-shame-devil.html

Helpful of course to have the devil/satan/mephistopheles that neatly defined. I suppose? Would put him safely outside ourselves, maybe?

The passage below was a lot on my mind as juvenile. But admittedly even after, I never really grasped to the extend I would like to, what could be good versus evil in every single human being, including me. Beyond metaphysics, that is.

Too lazy to translate it myself. ... Maybe it's the repetition of "right" that doesn't exist in the original. Verse of course forces compromise beyond language barriers.

Mephistopheles I am the Spirit that denies!
And rightly too; for all that doth begin
Should rightly to destruction run;
'Twere better then that nothing were begun.
Thus everything that you call Sin,
Destruction - in a word, as Evil represent-
That is my own, real element.

[tim s]

I regret causing this formatting issue, if that is the case. I've used boolean operators before without issue. I didn't forget to close them.

However, please correct me if I was wrong in how I tried to do so. I used the "" before my text and "" after the text I wanted italicized.