YOU STARTED IT—A Psychological Game Causing Major Trouble Aboard Spaceship Earth

By Richard John Stapleton

I am convinced the art of politics around Spaceship Earth now and always has been based on a psychological Game I have named YOU STARTED IT in which politicians, militaries, citizens, subjects, and voters act out roles on a Drama Triangle composed of Persecutors, Rescuers, and Victims, switching about from time to time from one role to another, depending on which person, interest group, identity group, organization, or nation they are dealing with, feeling sanctimonious and self-righteous attacking, threatening, sanctioning, and possibly destroying the other because the other attacked or threatened them first.

One can build a case the YOU STARTED IT psychological Game builds employment and makes the elite rich richer in all countries and provides a form of entertainment for the masses. Many humans consider fighting in wars as Rescuers and Persecutors for Victims to be more heroic, exciting and exhilarating than staying at home doing boring routine work.

YOU STARTED IT playing under capitalism necessarily entails zero-sum competition and non-winner outcomes among individuals, groups, and organizations, including nations, and precludes Earthian humans from establishing I’m OK—You’re OK life positions.

Love does not make the Earthian human world go round: Insatiable greed—for stimulation, recognition, structure, money, and power—is the prime driver.

How much longer humans will survive aboard Spaceship Earth remains to be seen if they continue playing psychological Games at their historical levels. If global warming and climate change does not do them in nuclear bombs will. Both threats are increasing by the day. The increasingly severe droughts and wildfires of 2020 are a wake-up call that most humans are ignoring. Economic and political troubles are also increasing around Spaceship Earth, especially in the US. The same causes and forces that caused WWII have recurred, becoming stronger by the day, especially in the US, thanks to humans playing YOU STARTED IT at all levels.

The Covid plague and USian presidential boss Don Trump are probably the most serious threats facing Spaceship Earth at the moment. The plague—Trump or no Trump—could cause a severe Earthian economic depression and many millions of premature human deaths. Trump is now playing YOU STARTED IT with China and others using the Chinese govt handling of the Covid-19 disaster as a pretext. He would destroy democracy in the US if he starts a civil war playing YOU STARTED IT with what he calls the radical left in the US. He has poured gasoline on fires of hate in tweets and in speeches at racist rallies. His Mussolini-like demeanor, posturing, belligerence, and bullying in the first and possibly only presidential debate of 2020 was telling. Let’s face it: he wants to be a fascist dictator, to better Rescue his Victim followers and supporters, and to better Persecute their enemies on one of the most dramatic Drama Triangles of all time. He’s one of the most addicted drama addicts of all time on national and international stages.

His personal fate is now in the hands of his Covid-19 infection that he probably brought on himself trying to prove what a tough guy he is by not wearing a mask, probably causing Covid-19 infections among his supporters and followers who copied his idiotic leadership behavior.

The Julian Assange trial in England is also telling. USian and British governments, despite their imperialist actions around Spaceship Earth squelching democracy and freedom for others, playing YOU STARTED IT persecuting enemies to rescue their victim citizens, have historically been among the most democratic and ruled-by-law countries internally for their own citizens and subjects. Both countries have espoused free speech and truth-telling. They have also probably practiced it more than most countries, which is not saying much. Both countries strongly believe in keeping secrets from their subjects and citizens.

The Assange trial has not received much coverage in USian mainstream media. Was it squelched? You be the judge.

The main issue in the Assange trial is free speech, more specifically whether Earthian investigative reporters have a human right to tell the truth about the secrets of governments, including the US govt. Up to now the precedent in the US has been that they do, if they can get the facts. If Assange loses the precedent will change and investigative reporters all around Spaceship Earth could be reduced from truth-tellers to mere lackeys of fascist states.

If Assange loses the first trial in England he still has two appeals left in England before a final decision to extradite him to the US is made. If he loses three trials there it’s possible the English government will still decide not to extradite him to the US. If he is extradited to the US he faces a harsh sentence if convicted of whatever it is the US Govt finally decides to charge him with.

For doing what? Telling the truth about war crimes of the US government.

Also at issue in the Assange case is whether so-called Great Britain is really a great independent nation or is merely a vassal of the so-called United States. 

As reported by investigative reporters Craig Murray, John Pilger, and Alexander Mercouris the integrity of the Belmarsh trial has been suspect from the beginning because of the way it has been conducted. For one thing it’s sited in an isolated courtroom almost impossible for the public to access, and few reporters are allowed. Assange inhumanely has been forced to sit in the courtroom in a glass cage, barely able to hear what is going on. Some have called it a show trial and have accused the judge of being biased, establishing arbitrary short time limits for defense presentations, not allowing certain evidence, and what have you.

The oral testimony of expert witnesses has not only been cut short but entirely excluded in some cases, the judge having decided to only accept written testimony from some expert witnesses that is simply read into the court proceedings. One such expert witness has been Noam Chomsky, a professor, the truth-teller laureate of the US in my opinion, whose books and writings on US imperialism have been suppressed in USian mainstream media. His written testimony read into the Assange trial record is posted below in an article by Craig Murray.

The case of United States v. Julian Assange in England has not gone well for the US govt’s lawyers. They have submitted two superseding indictments and are having problems proving just what crime it is Assange committed. An underlying issue is whether he is being tried and persecuted for political, not legal, reasons.

Courtenay Barnett, a British lawyer practising in the Caribbean, has published several articles in the Effective Learning Report explaining the Assange case, reposted below as sources for this article.  

If justice is not served in this case democracy will have been mocked and both the UK and the US will have been pushed backward, back toward serfdom and fascism.

Benjamin Franklin, a major force behind the writing of the USian government Constitution, was asked by someone on a street in the 18th Century what kind of government he, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, et. al. had created on the North American continent after rebelling against the English hereditary monarchy. He famously replied that it was “A republic, if you can keep it.”

He also said the former British colonists fomenting the rebellion had better unite and hang together in support of the new republic, otherwise “We shall all hang separately.

A republic is not a full democracy but it’s freer than a monarchy or a fascist dictatorship.

Human life all around Spaceship Earth would become less free if the new precedent in the Assange ordeal becomes law, since citizens or subjects of all countries could then theoretically be imprisoned in the US for disclosing secrets of the USian government.

For Assange such a change could result in cruel and inhumane punishment. Experts in sources such as those posted below have estimated if Assange, an Australian, is extradited to the US he could receive a sentence of up to 175 years in solitary confinement in a USian maximum security prison for disclosing Wikileaks files.

Unfortunately, not only is freedom not free; it’s unequally distributed in all walks of life.

Freedom in any country is distributed among the population on a continuum from most free to least free—whether the country is democratic, fascist, monarchist, capitalist, socialist, communist, or what have you. The freest are an elite minority at the top who can feel, think, learn, and do about what they want to, much more than all the rest, having many options in adult life. The least free are those at the bottom of the human hierarchy who have to feel, think, and do what they are told, having but one option in adult life outside of prisons, getting some sort of job, if they’re lucky, to do the bidding of some sort of boss day in and day out. And then there are all the rest situated at myriad gradients of freedom between the two polar extremes of the continuum.

In most cases where one is situated on the freedom continuum is a function of her or his accident of birth, not free-will ability, work, or merit. Earthian human life is not fair, or at least it never has been. Maybe there’s hope though. Who knows?

Suffice it to say the next month of USian history, up to the 2020 presidential election November 2, will be interesting, probably disgusting, and possibly terrifying.

For more information regarding my use of Transactional Analysis  https://www.itaaworld.org/  to create better discussion groups and democratic processes see my book Born to Learn:  A Transactional Analysis of Human Learning.  https://www.amazon.com/Born-Learn-Transactional-Analysis-Learning/dp/0692584331

For more information on how to co-construct better organizations and economic systems using transactional analysis see my book   Business Voyages:  Mental Maps, Scripts, Schemata, and Tools for Co-Constructing Your Own Business Worlds   https://www.amazon.com/Business-Voyages-Schemata-Discovering-Co-Constructing/dp/1413480810

See my article “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc,”  https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/   for some management science ideas on how Earthian humans might eventually co-construct an economic system that is fair, viable, and satisfying for everyone aboard Spaceship Earth, making it possible for all Earthian humans to develop an I’m OK—You’re OK life position. 

This would entail Earthian humans peacefully reducing through natural attrition the human population aboard Spaceship Earth, never doing work that machines can do better, and delegating the day-to-day management of systems for scheduling, producing, and distributing the necessities of life to artificial intelligence programs and supercomputers.

This can be done using linear programming based on the general algorithmic matrix algebra form

Max CjXj, s.t. AijXj ≤, =, or ≥ Bi

as I explained in “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.”   https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/ . 

Flying aboard an airliner about to land at night moving at four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet with cloudy and rainy weather below, which would you rather have landing the plane, the plane’s radar and computer systems or the pilot and co-pilot, seeing nothing out their windows but clouds and lightning?

I am indebted to Buckminster Fuller for making it possible for me to read in his book Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth the metaphor in the immediately above paragraph and for planting seeds for other ideas in my essay “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.,” such as computers and AI robots being the best hope for mankind and humans not doing work that machines can do better, being paid to think instead with what Fuller called mind grants. To my knowledge Fuller was the inventor of the appellations Earthian and Spaceship Earth.   

For details regarding my transactional analysis and management science qualifications see my RJS Academic Vita at https://www.effectivelearning.net/rjs-academic-vita.html.   

Unfortunately it seems to me one can build a case Earthian politicians spend most of their time playing psychological Games, mostly wasting the rest of their time and energy pastiming and engaging in rituals (shuffling paper, filling out unnecessary forms, attending useless meetings and rallies, and the like). It seems to me almost everything consequential in both domestic and foreign policy in all countries entails moves in a psychological Game, i.e., Rescuing, Persecuting, or Victimizing individuals, groups, or organizations in some way, which it seems to me is why completely unemotional AI robots and supercomputers could do a better and fairer job calculating the wins, losses, and tradeoffs involved in global decisions than imperfect, untrustworthy, limited, emotional, immoral, unethical humans, such as most of the presidents, prime ministers, dictators, and monarchs of some 200 nations now delineated aboard Spaceship Earth, especially the current president of the US, so as to create policies and systems that would maximize the chances of survival of the Earthian human population in the long run.

It’s not easy, impossible some say, to separate relevant from irrelevant focal points in order to comprehend global cases, systems, and processes, while being inundated with fake news and true facts of states of affairs generated daily around Spaceship Earth, made public on the Internet, and elsewhere, to see what’s really going on, using primarily inductive and analogical reasoning, based on probability, not deductive logic. Almost never can anyone prove with deductive logic that a general proposition about psychological, social, economic, or political states affairs is absolutely true. About the best humans can hope for is to develop consensual answers that are generally acceptable and true based on probability.

It’s better to be honestly wrong than dishonestly wrong. Telling someone something you know is fake as if it were true is worse than telling someone something that’s fake because of genuine ignorance. A good case in point these days is most USians calling FICA insurance premium payments “payroll” taxes. It’s hard to know if sayers calling FICA payments payroll taxes really do not know any better or if they really do know better but are overtly lying about it go along with the crowd to get political brownie points for conforming to a group lie. FICA payments are premium payments for a retirement insurance policy.

It seems to me most lying is lying by omission, people not telling people things they know are true that others need to know. Whether lying by omission is more or less harmful than lying by commission, telling people things you know are false and fake, is debatable, as is proving whether it’s getting easier or harder for most people to know what’s fake and what’s not. Political parties, Earthian governments, and Mainstream media lie by omission with alacrity, information about the Julian Assange case being a case in point.

If you have ideas on how to democratically discuss in Game-free ways economic and political problems and opportunities in something like the Ogeechee Economic Forum at  https://www.effectivelearning.net/ogeechee-economic-forum.htm go to our RESPONSES page and let us know about them at  https://www.effectivelearning.net/responses.html .

Feel free to respond with comments and criticisms about any of the SOURCES listed below using the RESPONSES post on this blog masthead at the top of this page; but please refrain from making ad hominem attacks. Criticize and correct any of the facts, data, evidence, reasoning, and conclusions in any of the articles; but please refrain from slandering and defaming the characteristics and reputations of the authors illogically using slanderous or defamatory comments trying to prove their arguments and conclusions in their articles are wrong, and yours are right, starting more YOU STARTED IT psychological Games.

SOURCES:

October 4, 2020

Here is John Pilger’s opinion of the Assange ordeal.

“Pilger says Assange hearing a Stalinist show trial,” Independent Australia, BIG NEWS NETWORK, https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/266586309/pilger-says-assange-hearing-a-stalinist-show-trial.

October 2

What next?

“Here Are 6 Ways Trump’s Covid Diagnosis Will Change the Campaign,” by Chris Walker, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/here-are-6-ways-trumps-covid-diagnosis-will-change-the-campaign/.

October 2

Must reading for understanding the Assange ordeal.

“Assange Hearing,” by Craig Murray, CRAIG MURRAY.ORG, https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/10/assange-hearing/?fbclid=IwAR36P2oS74xqzFnjzkwb159ubauHe0_COGKRWQ6z0QfzJdOSYd4y0yH_mYc.

October 1

Here is a detailed scholarly account of the trial. A good read

“LETTER FROM LONDON: The Surreal US Case Against Assange,” by Alexander Mercouris, CONSORTIUM NEWS, https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/28/letter-from-london-the-surreal-us-case-against-assange/?fbclid=IwAR27L2sTxWHvwpZzYJbVLlW_7UhUMRd3vZ-GJq9PT9w_gN2tgUd56Y7kZEk.

September 25

An interesting twist in the Julian Assange case

“The lion’s share of today’s Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange’s extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. While the defence has its case on Assange’s fragile mental health well plotted, the prosecution is hoping that witnesses such as Dr Nigel Blackwood, consultant psychiatrist with the National Health Service, will punch holes in the argument. They will certainly hope for better efforts than those made by their own witnesses, Seena Fazel, a psychiatry professor who seemed too professionally tentative to land firm blows against Assange’s diagnosis for Asperger’s syndrome, or dismiss the health risks facing him in the US prisons system.”

“Assange on Trial: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies,” by Binoy Kampmark, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/25/assange-on-trial-mental-health-managed-risk-and-publication-chronologies/?fbclid=IwAR3d7zbvfr_nLX4CShEUNi9FcPApZOH-r9ftDNTJp91HyYp3JpMzmDK-OQY.

September 19

Right. Don’t extradite Assange.

“Pepe Escobar On The Assange Trial: The Mask of Empire Has Fallen, Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pepe-escobar-assange-trial-mask-empire-has-fallen?fbclid=IwAR370z6Fa2i6B1wxuIlkJNdCx29HFy6T7V-4dHJlV2nZ59O_qduc68M38po.

September 12

Here is another cogent article by Courtenay Barnett, in which at issue is whether the UK and the US are already functioning fascist states joined at the hip or still have some hope as independent democracies.

“A Speech for Julian Assange,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-speech-for-julian-assange/?fbclid=IwAR2j6aZn92FO4Ebn8BF-MQ-eeBjywLBdw2hVsnxRTgdV6zxPhGCS2lMTBM4.

September 3

What now?

“NSA Surveillance Program Exposed by Snowden was Illegal, Rules Appeals Court,” by Chris Walker, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/nsa-surveillance-program-exposed-by-snowden-was-illegal-rules-appeals-court/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3Kp4JWTpIexIvFzTiAagWsdFK0J-dq7QuV0J29gk1tMarOvfBWfcnhzjI.

April 19, 2019

So it is

“Assange — A Dangerous Precedent,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/assange-a-dangerous-precedent/.

April 10, 2019

The Assange trial is a moral, as well as legal, issue.

“Julian Assange — Revisited,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/julian-assange-revisited/

________________________________________

Richard John Stapleton, PhD, CTA, certified transactional analyst, educator, octogenarian emeritus professor of management, writer, editor and publisher

THE EARTHIAN — 19

THE EARTHIAN, Number Nineteen, Effective Learning Publications, 32 East Main Street, Statesboro, Georgia, USA, October 4, 2020   

THE EARTHIAN is a digest of articles containing facts, perspectives, theories, models, analyses, and recommendations concerned about existential states of affairs affecting all species of fauna and flora around Spaceship Earth. Recent relevant articles written and published by intelligent hard-hitting truth-seeking writers in Internet journals about psychological, social, economic, political, military, religious, and ecological states of affairs around Spaceship Earth are linked below as sources, following a usual comment by the editor.

“ASK LESS WHAT YOUR NATION CAN DO FOR YOU—ASK MORE WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR SPACESHIP EARTH”

OR SO IT SEEMS TO ME RIGHT NOW

By Richard John Stapleton

I am convinced the art of politics around Spaceship Earth now and always has been based on a psychological Game I have named YOU STARTED IT in which politicians, militaries, citizens, subjects, and voters act out roles on a Drama Triangle composed of Persecutors, Rescuers, and Victims, switching about from time to time from one role to another, depending on which person, interest group, identity group, or nation they are dealing with, feeling sanctimonious and self-righteous attacking, threatening, sanctioning, and possibly destroying the other because the other attacked or threatened them first.

One can build a case the YOU STARTED IT psychological Game builds employment and makes the elite rich richer in all countries and provides a form of entertainment for the masses. Many humans consider fighting in wars as Rescuers and Persecutors to be more heroic, exciting and exhilarating than staying at home doing boring routine work.

YOU STARTED IT playing under capitalism necessarily entails zero-sum competition and non-winner outcomes among individuals, groups, and organizations, including nations, and precludes Earthian humans from establishing I’m OK—You’re OK life positions.

Love does not make the Earthian human world go round: Insatiable greed—for stimulation, recognition, structure, money, and power—is the prime driver.

How much longer humans will survive on Earth remains to be seen if they continue playing psychological Games at their historical levels. If global warming and climate change do not get them nuclear bombs will. Both threats are increasing by the day. The increasingly severe droughts and wildfires of 2020 are a wake-up call that most humans are ignoring. Economic and political troubles are also increasing around Spaceship Earth, especially in the US. The same causes and forces that caused WWII have recurred, becoming stronger by the day, especially in the US, thanks to humans playing YOU STARTED IT at all levels.

The Covid plague and USian presidential boss Don Trump are probably the most serious threats facing Spaceship Earth at the moment. The plague—Trump or no Trump—could cause a severe Earthian economic depression and many hundreds of thousands of premature human deaths. Trump would destroy democracy in the US if he starts a civil war. He has poured gasoline on fires of hate in tweets and in speeches at racist rallies. His Mussolini-like demeanor, posturing, belligerence, and bullying in the first and possibly only presidential debate of 2020 was telling. Let’s face it: he wants to be a fascist dictator.

His fate is now in the hands of his Covid-19 infection that he probably brought on himself trying to prove what a tough guy he is by not wearing a mask, probably causing Covid-19 cases among his supporters and followers who copied his idiotic leadership behavior.

The Julian Assange trial in England is also telling. The US and England, despite their imperialist actions around Spaceship Earth squelching democracy and freedom for others, have historically been among the most democratic and ruled-by-law countries internally for their own citizens and subjects. Both countries have espoused free speech and truth-telling. They have also probably practiced it more than most, which is not saying much. Both countries strongly believe in keeping secrets from their subjects and citizens, as the Assange case shows.

The Assange trial has not received much coverage in USian mainstream media. Was it squelched? You be the judge.

The main issue in the Assange trial is free speech, more specifically whether Earthian investigative reporters have a human right to tell the truth about the secrets of governments, including the US govt. Up to now the precedent in the US has been that they do, if they can get the facts. If Assange loses the precedent will change and investigative reporters will be reduced from truth-tellers to mere lackeys of fascist states.

If Assange loses the first trial in England he still has two appeals left in England before a final decision to extradite him to the US is made. If he loses three trials there it’s possible the English government will still decide not to extradite him to the US. If he is extradited to the US he faces a harsh sentence if convicted of whatever it is the US Govt finally decides to charge him with.

For doing what? Telling the truth about war crimes of the US government.

Also at issue in the Assange case is whether so-called Great Britain is really a great independent nation or is merely a vassal of the so-called United States. 

As reported by investigative reporters Craig Murray, John Pilger, and Alexander Mercouris the Belmarsh trial has been suspect from the beginning because of the way it has been conducted. For one thing it’s sited in an isolated courtroom almost impossible for the public to access, and few reporters are allowed. Assange inhumanely has been forced to sit in the courtroom in a glass cage, barely able to hear what is going on. Some have called it a show trial and have accused the judge of being biased, establishing arbitrary short time limits for defense presentations, not allowing certain evidence, and what have you.

The oral testimony of expert witnesses has not only been cut short but entirely excluded in some cases, the judge having decided to only accept written testimony from some expert witnesses that is simply read into the court proceedings. One such expert witness has been Noam Chomsky, a professor, the truth-teller laureate of the US in my opinion, whose books and writings on US imperialism have been suppressed in USian mainstream media. His written testimony read into the Assange trial record is posted below in an article by Craig Murray.

In general the case of United States v. Julian Assange in England has not gone well for the US govt’s lawyers. They have submitted two superseding indictments and are having problems proving just what crime it is Assange committed. An underlying issue is whether he is being tried and persecuted for political, not legal, reasons.

Courtenay Barnett, a British lawyer practising in the Caribbean, has published several articles in the Effective Learning Report explaining the Assange case, posted below as sources for this issue of The Earthian.  

If justice is not served in this case democracy will have been mocked and both the UK and the US will have been pushed backward, back toward serfdom and fascism.

Benjamin Franklin was asked by someone in the 18th Century what kind of government he, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, et. al. had created on the North American continent after rebelling against England. He famously replied that it was “a republic, if you can keep it.”

A republic is not a full democracy but it’s freer than a monarchy or a fascist dictatorship.

Human life all around Spaceship Earth would become a little less free if a new precedent is set with the Assange ordeal that citizens or subjects of all countries can be imprisoned in the US for disclosing USian classified secrets.

For Assange such a change could result in a cruel and inhumane punishment. Experts in sources such as those posted below have estimated if Assange, an Australian, is extradited to the US he could receive a sentence of up to 175 years in solitary confinement in a USian maximum security prison.

Unfortunately not only is freedom not free; it’s unequally distributed in all walks of life.

Freedom in any country is distributed among the population on a continuum from most free to least free—whether the country is democratic, fascist, monarchist, capitalist, socialist, communist, or what have you. The most free are an elite minority at the top who can feel, think, learn, and do more than all the rest, having many options in adult life. The least free are those at the bottom of the human hierarchy who have to feel, think, and do what they are told, having but one option in adult life outside of prisons, getting some sort of job, if they’re lucky, doing the bidding of some sort of boss day in and day out. And then there are all the rest situated at myriad gradients of freedom between the two polar extremes of the continuum.

In most cases where one is situated on the freedom continuum is a function of her or his accident of birth, not free-will ability, work, or merit. Earthian human life is not fair, or at least it never has been. Maybe there’s hope though. Who knows?

Suffice it to say the next month of USian history will be interesting, probably disgusting, and possibly terrifying.

For more information regarding my use of Transactional Analysis  https://www.itaaworld.org/  to create better discussion groups and democratic processes see my book Born to Learn:  A Transactional Analysis of Human Learning.  https://www.amazon.com/Born-Learn-Transactional-Analysis-Learning/dp/0692584331 

For more information on how to co-construct better organizations and economic systems using transactional analysis see my book   Business Voyages:  Mental Maps, Scripts, Schemata, and Tools for Co-Constructing Your Own Business Worlds   https://www.amazon.com/Business-Voyages-Schemata-Discovering-Co-Constructing/dp/1413480810

See my article “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc,”  https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/   for some management science ideas on how human Earthians might eventually co-construct an economic system that is fair, viable, and satisfying for everyone aboard Spaceship Earth, making it possible for all Earthian humans to develop an I’m OK—You’re OK life position. 

This would entail Earthian humans peacefully reducing through natural attrition the human population aboard Spaceship Earth, never doing work that machines can do better, and delegating the day-to-day management of systems for scheduling, producing, and distributing the necessities of life to artificial intelligence programs and supercomputers.

This can be done using linear programming based on the general algorithmic matrix algebra form

Max CjXj, s.t. AijXj ≤, =, or ≥ Bi

as I explained in “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.”   https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/ . 

Flying aboard an airliner about to land at night moving at four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet with cloudy and rainy weather below, which would you rather have landing the plane, the plane’s radar and computer systems or the pilot and co-pilot, seeing nothing out their windows but clouds and lightning?

I am indebted to Buckminster Fuller for making it possible for me to read in his book Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth the metaphor in the above paragraph and for planting seeds for other ideas in my essay “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.,” such as computers and AI robots being the best hope for mankind and humans not doing work that machines can do better, being paid to think instead with what Fuller called mind grants. To my knowledge Fuller was the inventor of the appellations Earthian and Spaceship Earth.   

For details regarding my transactional analysis and management science qualifications see my RJS Academic Vita at https://www.effectivelearning.net/rjs-academic-vita.html.   

TO RESPOND:

As usual this month’s THE EARTHIAN  links and cites as SOURCES recent articles written and published by clear deep-thinking hard-hitting independent writers on various Earthian states of affairs.

Some Game playing goes on in the articles, i.e., a writer is psychologically persecuting, rescuing, or victimizing someone, but it seems to me the writers are generally trying to paint accurate pictures of what they think is really going on.

Unfortunately it seems to me one can build a case politicians spend most of their time playing psychological Games, mostly wasting their time and energy pastiming (bullshitting) and engaging in rituals (shuffling paper, filling out unnecessary forms, attending useless meetings with lawyers and others, and the like). Almost everything done in so-called foreign policy is a move in a psychological Game it seems to me.

It’s not easy, impossible some say, to separate relevant from irrelevant focal points in order to comprehend global cases, systems, and processes, while being inundated with fake news and true facts of states of affairs generated daily around Spaceship Earth, made public on the Internet, and elsewhere, to see what’s really going on, using primarily inductive and analogical reasoning, based on probability, not deductive logic. Almost never can anyone prove with deductive logic that a general proposition about psychological, social, economic, or political states affairs is absolutely true. About the best humans can hope for is to develop consensual answers that are generally acceptable and true based on probability.

It’s better to be honestly wrong than dishonestly wrong. Telling someone something you know is fake as if it were true is worse than telling someone something that’s fake because of genuine ignorance. A good case in point these days is most USians calling FICA insurance premium payments “payroll” taxes. It’s hard to know if sayers calling FICA payments payroll taxes really do not know any better or if they really do know better but are overtly lying about it go along with the crowd to get political brownie points for conforming to a group lie. FICA payments are premium payments for a retirement insurance policy.

It seems to me most lying is lying by omission, people not telling people things they know are true that others need to know. Whether lying by omission is more or less harmful than lying by commission, telling people things you know are false and fake, is debatable, as is proving whether it’s getting easier or harder for most people to know what’s fake and what’s not. Political parties, Earthian governments, and Mainstream media lie by omission with alacrity, information about the Julian Assange case being a case in point.

If you have ideas on how to democratically discuss in Game-free ways economic and political problems and opportunities in something like the Ogeechee Economic Forum at  https://www.effectivelearning.net/ogeechee-economic-forum.htm go to our RESPONSES page and let us know about them at  https://www.effectivelearning.net/responses.html .

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SOURCES:

October 4, 2020

Here is John Pilger’s opinion of the Assange ordeal.

“Pilger says Assange hearing a Stalinist show trial,” Independent Australia, BIG NEWS NETWORK, https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/266586309/pilger-says-assange-hearing-a-stalinist-show-trial.

October 2

What next?

“Here Are 6 Ways Trump’s Covid Diagnosis Will Change the Campaign,” by Chris Walker, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/here-are-6-ways-trumps-covid-diagnosis-will-change-the-campaign/.

October 2

Must reading for understanding the Assange ordeal.

“Assange Hearing,” by Craig Murray, CRAIG MURRAY.ORG, https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/10/assange-hearing/?fbclid=IwAR36P2oS74xqzFnjzkwb159ubauHe0_COGKRWQ6z0QfzJdOSYd4y0yH_mYc.

October 1

Here is a detailed scholarly account of the trial. A good read

“LETTER FROM LONDON: The Surreal US Case Against Assange,” by Alexander Mercouris, CONSORTIUM NEWS, https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/28/letter-from-london-the-surreal-us-case-against-assange/?fbclid=IwAR27L2sTxWHvwpZzYJbVLlW_7UhUMRd3vZ-GJq9PT9w_gN2tgUd56Y7kZEk.

October 1

Why can’t greedy humans stay in their own territories? A good read about the complexities of this culture.

“Pakistan’s Mughal Syndrome,” by L. Ali Khan, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/10/01/pakistans-mughal-syndrome/?fbclid=IwAR1GVaX9ShQWEaSqmN63ZIe6acFf8f2LE5VhFnNmjHwTZ9Ac0coK1mnl71I.

October 1

Way to go

“Conservative operatives Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman charged in Michigan in connection with false robocalls,” by Zack Budryk, THE HILL, https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/519235-conservative-operatives-charged-in-michigan-in-connection-to-false?fbclid=IwAR03wEQ2jY7kiZsfmjcWUUUvCeelPiidi7cl-x4f9ZIM7Yss-jYHrMb0Mhk#.X3aQuAjSUzI.facebook.

October 1

Whoopee

“Copper, Crude, Crypto, & Credit Clobbered As Stimulus Hopes Fade,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/copper-crude-crypto-credit-all-crumble-stimulus-hopes-fade?fbclid=IwAR26nHHVl5uMPWGQ4ioEzHSBOUk7o8ZKepiaeHXNlvDWpoa-IRWcQkra1fw.

October 1

Say it aint so Joe

“Americans Burn Through A Staggering $742 BN In Annualized Savings as Stimulus Fades,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/americans-burn-through-staggering-724bn-annualized-savings-august-stimulus-fades?fbclid=IwAR26nHHVl5uMPWGQ4ioEzHSBOUk7o8ZKepiaeHXNlvDWpoa-IRWcQkra1fw.

October 1

Insane

“Gallup Finds Majority Of Americans Believe Trump Will Win Re-election,” by Megan Brenan, GALLUP.COM, https://news.gallup.com/poll/321347/trump-pre-debate-job-approval-highest-may.aspx.

October 1

So they were

“Disappointing football games and a loser’s lamentation,” by Richard John Stapleton, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30903.

October 1

Sad

“Boundless Dying Trees,” by Robert Hunziker, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/29/boundless-dying-trees/?fbclid=IwAR2JW60aMgF75u8hsgyY9PEbxRFFztjHYR8t1DnOQJWbtCDKHLZWQ6M1AaM.

October 1

A good grasp of the situation

“Trump’s Taxes: A Thousand Scandals in One,” by Jon Schwarz, THE INTERCEPT, https://theintercept.com/2020/09/28/donald-trump-taxes/?fbclid=IwAR0B0gw98MgwgH_qCGFnor7i8Z6Tlxx38WPQ-sUBpI7aGgxSC8SzWkVwRQY.

September 30

As the plot thickens

“London Court Hears Details of CIA Plot to Poison Julian Assange, Steal DNA From Family Members,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/london-court-hears-shocking-details-cia-plot-poison-julian-assange-steal-dna-family?fbclid=IwAR3srhakZ5OVs3Y1eEiEgipCJ8zXeG6Iy1ySBuRHvOHk4DZ9N_xL0_jDNmU.

September 30

Agree

“Chamath Palihapitiya Slams Airline Bailouts: ‘Giving More Money to These CEOs Is Idiodic and Dumb’,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chamath-palihapitiya-slams-airline-bailouts-giving-more-money-these-ceos-idiotic-and-dumb?fbclid=IwAR2DicfEY9UbulK0gokXdVd527wSIKtE9ew5K0NHnylQ0-DFZmoGsEQMQzE.

September 20

Say it aint so Joe

“Civil War Two,” by James Howard Kuntsler, DAILY RECKONING, https://dailyreckoning.com/civil-war-two/?fbclid=IwAR1tGfJjX-i14L1Tz2EG3HP6D7TkRVsbsDuP5DGuJ7ZL8YPwebzdzweekNM.

September 29

Easy come Easy go

“Over the span of eight years, 15 traders at the biggest US bank caused losses of more than $300 million to other participants in precious metals and Treasury markets, according to the court filings. JP Morgan has admitted responsibility for the traders’ actions. The three-year DPA will allow the bank to walk away from the scandal – and two counts of wire fraud – so long as it self-reports any future violations.”

“JPM Pays Record $1 Billion Fine; Admits Spoofing of Gold and Treasuries,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/jpm-pays-1-billion-fine-settle-allegations-traders-rigged-precious-metals-treasury-markets?fbclid=IwAR0JnE0JCB3osmdLuzZmg0PTrnQfD0HfcSFuy2OPFd6FBhRoDCExoOLewC4.

September 29

Hope it aint so Joe

“Most people go through life not questioning the motivations of their political, financial, economic and religious leaders. They naively believe they have achieved their positions of power because they have earned it through hard work, intellectual superiority, and moral authority. Most people are not sociopaths. They are just trying to steer around the potholes of life, raising families, earning a living, finding some enjoyment, leaving a positive legacy and trusting those in positions of power are looking out for their best interests”

“THE ONLY THING SYSTEMATIC IS THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA,” Adminstrator, BURNING PLATFORM, https://www.theburningplatform.com/2020/09/28/the-only-thing-systematic-is-the-destruction-of-america/?fbclid=IwAR1l57JSKRv_7O9oGZXsnUeiTzU9i5U3ftLT8lBv8izXKBsHB_eum6ZT7Ik.

September 29

So much for going out and having fun anymore.

“The Most Miserable Place On Earth: Disney Firing 28,000 Workers,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/most-miserable-place-earth-disney-firing-28000-workers?fbclid=IwAR3VHMOqeOcBQWCmqvKpkTV5xR2rBIVlIaaEutjPfn6eMxp5tOdcj0kkaK8.

September 29

A bleak picture

“Helicopter Money And The End of Taxes,” Charles Hugh Smith, OFF TWO MINDS BLOG, http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2020/09/helicopter-money-and-end-of-taxes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+google%2FRzFQ+%28oftwominds%29.

September 29

Goes without sayin’

“A Stark Graphic of Why to Vote,” by Ludovic Picard, RJS FACEBOOK, https://www.facebook.com/richard.stapleton.397.

September 28

Afraid this is right.

“A Despairing, Albeit Mercifully Brief, Rant,” by Chris Wright, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/28/a-despairing-albeit-mercifully-brief-rant/?fbclid=IwAR1l57JSKRv_7O9oGZXsnUeiTzU9i5U3ftLT8lBv8izXKBsHB_eum6ZT7Ik.

September 28

Got to hand it to him. His getting up in the morning, getting his face painted and his hair fixed, and then going out in public to spout more of his bullshit requires a unique talent, a talent most moral and ethical USians his age could never develop. Right after he got elected, or maybe when he was running in 2016, I distinctly remember him saying on TV, “Most people are too moral and ethical to make any money.”

“Trump’s ‘biggest fear’ is ‘massive’ IRS bills and potential tax fraud charges, says Michael Cohen,” by Hunter Walker, YAHOO.COM, https://news.yahoo.com/michael-cohen-says-massive-irs-bills-and-potential-tax-fraud-charges-are-trumps-biggest-fear-165358561.html.

September 28

Yes, there are loopholes for the rich. Why are they there? They were passed into law by legislative lackeys of the rich whom the rich paid to do it. And look what happened. The US has a $3 trillion Fed budget deficit this year, and it’s going to get much worse, largely thanks to Repuglican tax cuts for the rich since 1980, boosted significantly again by Trump to get reelected.

“President Trump’s tax returns show he has company: How rich Americans avoid taxes,” Nathan, USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/09/28/trump-tax-returns-tax-avoidance-strategies/3563685001/?fbclid=IwAR3o5vuOJ8pRqoNxmJQjPwUd9QEHp8ENgRvpr_fc7yKte8rMJa6EKfb9czE.

September 28

A fraud pure and simple. How anyone could vote for this escapes me.

“Trump literally can’t afford to lose the election,” by Peter Weber, THE WEEK, https://theweek.com/articles/940021/trump-literally-cant-afford-lose-election?fbclid=IwAR2SeQitFLvliQWJfolnsN6AOnx6F6cd9wswlQSM-zvpewmvOecDoIPKPR4.

September 28

Yes, it was a let down.

“Disappointing Football Games and A Loser’s Lamentation,” by Richard John Stapleton, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-disappointing-football-game-and-a-losers-lamentation/?fbclid=IwAR2AhCfdtyBspeIRV7DDjMYlWl2JVjK_U_UOYqkhQmXBBWvCTatpR1fNQMI.

September 28

If Trump did no wrong and if all large corporatons carry on like this, what does this say about the USian capitalistic system?

“NYT Publishes 10,000 Word Summary Of 29 Years Of Trump Tax Returns; President Calls it ‘Totally Fake…,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nyt-publishes-10000-word-summary-20-years-trump-tax-returns-president-calls-it-totally-fake?fbclid=IwAR12QWKcCeqXvuKRj27_V7tMZPtUCd5DRt0C9BLrUOvf3RWOX3y55oPibxo.

September 27

I had Scotch Irish/English ancestors living in Texas when it was a nation. I was born and raised in Texas. I always thought my ancestors moved to Texas to get away from slavery in the south. It never occurred to me a reason they rebelled against Mexico was because Mexico had outlawed slavery in 1829. I documented some of this in my book Business Voyages.

“The Real Texas,” by Annett Gordon-Reed, GETPOCKET.COM, https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-real-texas?utm_source=fbsynd&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2BBLa3WTSkUEKkxtKNsMGjV-ah2rPtP7FIs9O-tG2HuEC9OXNJFeyWgnY.

September 26

Wow. Now we can have a real live grown up Barbie Doll with seven children as a Supreme Court justice. She supposedly has a great legal mind. I have yet to see any credible evidence of that great legal mind, but she does have a pretty face.

“Top of Trump’s list to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” Meme, FEMINIST NEWS, https://www.facebook.com/feministnews.us/photos/a.110963062584254/1317188655295016/.

September 26

Wow, now here is something new, first time I at least ever saw or heard of this happening on a street. We’re living in a brave, and frightening, new world.

“’Shoot on sight’: Boston Dynamics robot dog spotted on city street triggers fear – and defensiveness,” RT QUESTION MORE, https://www.rt.com/news/501750-boston-dynamics-spot-robot-fear/?fbclid=IwAR2RL-AMFCfCjN3_kMLRTLTYI_iNokX9i7Cr_ZegcZuh8EIw02LK6vnKISA.

September 26

Say it aint so Joe

“Sinophobia, Lies and Hybrid War,” by Pepe Escobar, THE SAKER, http://thesaker.is/sinophobia-lies-and-hybrid-war/.

September 26

Shows optimal solutions for capitalism, mainly small businesses, small farms, and trade unionism.

“Two Capitalisms: a Challenge to Democratic Socialists, Social Democrats, Progressives and Welfare State Liberals,” by Mike Miller, COUNTERUNCH.ORG. https://www.counterpunch.org/author/swubet4/?fbclid=IwAR3fJ4GizawAplNQro-7bD6atx3wioqvPUpp6nMuYNC0XqKgQ11S9Wzo76E.

September 25

No surprise

“Trump Lied to Heartland Workers,” by Chuckie Denison, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/25/trump-lied-to-heartland-workers/?fbclid=IwAR3CHCE8gXVVuzOyuG8ExeZQRCW6ymsRjMA9BxX4zE6jBN-zcnoFmEb2EzI.

September 25

Sounds about right

“Ten Ways 2018 Brought Us Closer to Climate Apocalypse,” by Dahr Jamail, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/ten-ways-2018-brought-us-closer-to-climate-apocalypse/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR37VsdOxA1faT5114KoaY3FDzAupM9g3odcsEbtOYnuVYtirE4hd2dJthA.

September 25

If trump and Pompeo wanted to make the US a great enemy for Iran, Russia, and China, they also made those countries great enemies for the US for quid pro quo return, making sure the top leaders of all countries involved win playing the cards they were dealt in the psychological Game “They Started It,” played universally in all times and places by aggressive greedy Earthian leaders of countries, making sure the top leaders and militaries of countries retain can increase their perks, power, and privileges within their countries vis a vis underlings in their own countries, in the short run, regardless of long run consequences.

“Provocation on the High Seas: U.S. Naval Adventures Near the Shores of Russia, China and Iran,” by Eve Ottenberg, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/25/provocation-on-the-high-seas-u-s-naval-adventures-near-the-shores-of-russia-china-and-iran/?fbclid=IwAR0mkVlmicxVJkv63XnrvhVteM8isvo9i85QRj1_l_IkssdaOpGDglAOYbU.

September 25

Say it aint so Joe

“Protests Erupt as Cops Escape Charges for Killing Breonna Taylor in Her Home,” by Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh, TRUTHOUT, Democracy Now, https://truthout.org/video/protests-erupt-as-cops-escape-charges-for-killing-breonna-taylor-in-her-home/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR0p7XjlA9Tepf9VMyQtGSM8A0oDA3klug_uGX12ciBoXp0Kjss9vbrb1UY.

September 25

Insanity

“Archbishop Vigano: Trump faces ‘biblical challenge’ against ‘demonic forces of…New World Order’,” by Douglas Ernst, WASHINGTONTIMES.COM, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/sep/24/archbishop-vigano-trump-faces-biblical-challenge-a/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork&fbclid=IwAR3nzPSYKEqz-bgHNNflxbxg3etW3tNJaiocXzMZ7Zgq7aI_-2MMz7lvYS0.

September 25

So much for capitalism and free enterprise as destroyed by the US

“Iranian Tanker Loads Venezuelan Crude For Sale Abroad As US Threatens Seizure,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/iranian-tanker-loads-venezuelan-crude-sale-abroad-us-threatens-seizure?fbclid=IwAR0uOQL3hYQ25Wkt4chkYiwcyA12ydwpZaP9v2kH6UQ6FyN5auaaiTwN228.

September 25

Notice the size of the Gross National Product of supposed arch evil enemy Russia. Why Russia is considered such a threat escapes me. It is about the size of Spain in terms of GNP. All about nuclear bombs I suppose.

“The $88 Trillion World Economy In One Chart,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/88-trillion-world-economy-one-chart?fbclid=IwAR0ob3UoFmMImiWAUAchOg8bqbR7wJy08iMOv_jQck6EPuv9SwUjNrAfKUY.

September 25

An interesting twist in the Julian Assange case

“The lion’s share of today’s Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange’s extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. While the defence has its case on Assange’s fragile mental health well plotted, the prosecution is hoping that witnesses such as Dr Nigel Blackwood, consultant psychiatrist with the National Health Service, will punch holes in the argument. They will certainly hope for better efforts than those made by their own witnesses, Seena Fazel, a psychiatry professor who seemed too professionally tentative to land firm blows against Assange’s diagnosis for Asperger’s syndrome, or dismiss the health risks facing him in the US prisons system.”

“Assange on Trial: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies,” by Binoy Kampmark, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/25/assange-on-trial-mental-health-managed-risk-and-publication-chronologies/?fbclid=IwAR3d7zbvfr_nLX4CShEUNi9FcPApZOH-r9ftDNTJp91HyYp3JpMzmDK-OQY.

September 24

Say it aint so Joe

“Will Michele Flournoy be the Angel of Death for the American empire?,” by Medea Benjamin and Nicholas J S Davies, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30865.

September 24

Well said, but left out any mention that all leaders of large powerful countries aboard Spaceship Earth play the psychological Game “They Startred It” in which they justify military expenses to preserve their own perks, privileges, and power within their own countries who tell underlings in their own countries such action is necessary to rescue them from heinous persecutors in other countries and such underlings should be grateful to have powerful rescuers such as themselves to take care of them. Unfortunately it seems there really is a lesser evil this time in the US election, much as i hate to say it; Biden. Trump is a genuine monster with a high probability of causing monstrous harm not only to the US but Spaceship Earth if he stays in office four more years.

“Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils: a Vicious Circle,” by Sasan Fayazmanesh, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/24/voting-for-the-lesser-of-two-evils-a-vicious-circle/?fbclid=IwAR2Ecn5-yN8F6CoqXzqYMTpBH0-TrFcxvlWEyFJht03CxYr0PzVAGWwfgFs.

September 24

This article like most does not mention the biggest problem, the population bomb. The Earthian human population will also have to be reduced through natural peaceful attrition, natural deaths exceeding natural births. No more than one child per woman would be a good place to start.

“Greenwashing Capitalism Won’t Heal the Planet,” by Collective 20, Covering Climate Now, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/greenwashing-capitalism-wont-heal-the-planet/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR0oKWwQxkDdWdtBtpg34gfXYEVZUILTET8vKIIx5AS15hKb4ddd7pTsaWY.

September 24

Yuk

“West Coast Wildfires Underscore Ominous Global Trend: Forests Are Dying,” by Peter Montague, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/west-coast-wildfires-underscore-ominous-global-trend-forests-are-dying/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3smMDKtfq2mukzG7f3I7A17MbM7JSLUvNwsqbeORmDX-K5y9tEzXu4iGU.

September 24

Yes

“Civilization Requires Collective Common Sense,” by Victor Davis Hanson, PJ MEDIA, https://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/2020/09/24/civilization-requires-collective-common-sense-n960418?fbclid=IwAR3i0l28yiRdGZgSZd2tetVzM8hWWsSTdtMNV4mKT3P9RQb2s2gSdNwHuj4.

September 23

Scary alright

“Bernie Sanders Sounds Alarm on a Trump ‘Nightmare Scenario’,” By Sydney Ember, NEW YORK TIMES, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/us/politics/bernie-sanders-trump-nightmare-scenario.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR1bxRdVV9Y3GHVIsGI3_8zBuqpBI-UJ2uDj7WQVZT7tkZfvjK5vZUBf_8U.

September 22

Trump’s labeling people anarchists is just more of his own projection. He’s an anarchist himself.

“We Live in a Potemkin Autocracy Now,” by Derek Thompson, THE ATLANTIC, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/trump-feudal-lord/616429/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share&fbclid=IwAR3smMDKtfq2mukzG7f3I7A17MbM7JSLUvNwsqbeORmDX-K5y9tEzXu4iGU.

September 22

A good report

“Trump;s caudillismo support among wealthy Latin American expatriates,” by Wayne Madsen, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30842.

September 22

Scary

“Budget Office Releases Terrifying Long-Term Debt Forecast,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/budget-office-releases-latest-long-term-debt-forecast-and-its-terrifying?fbclid=IwAR3_0_rA5hG5qhAecuBfiZ_RczLuM6XPzw5Vb0KjxkzfRcZZEzQhezJ5Q50.

September 21

Yuk. Seems biomass also has problems.

“Europe Drives Destruction of US Forests in the Name of Fighting Climate Change,” by Dana Smith, Truthout, https://truthout.org/articles/europe-drives-destruction-of-us-forests-in-the-name-of-fighting-climate-change/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3uD9y_vdF4Kk435WoABtmdmWK_C9HoEB5WTKzr00GZu4dKpUowNNMAgPc.

September 21

Great graphic

“The Scientific Method and the Trump Method,” by Mary Beth Wells, RJS Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/richard.stapleton.397.

September 21

Want to go back to not-so-merry old England?

“Why Britain is more geographically unequal than any other rich country,” THE ECONOMIST, https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/07/30/why-britain-is-more-geographically-unequal-than-any-other-rich-country?fbclid=IwAR3cyVyx0DyD-Gnb3uDCT1d2i0BtPsglmNqi0Of3EB6phd0B6C2GUY9xuhU.

September 21

Agree

“Edward Snowden Deserves a Pardon,” by David S. D’Amato, AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH, https://www.aier.org/article/edward-snowden-deserves-a-pardon/?fbclid=IwAR0Lb3TkGtNWeNJ5MyXpAry4xfmXqTm1s42y5c42B2QGZP1J49bsLuxLEZI.

September 21

Here is another cogent article by Courtenay Barnett, in which at issue is whether the UK and the US are already functioning fascist states joined at the hip or still have some hope as independent democracies.

“A Speech for Julian Assange,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-speech-for-julian-assange/?fbclid=IwAR2j6aZn92FO4Ebn8BF-MQ-eeBjywLBdw2hVsnxRTgdV6zxPhGCS2lMTBM4.

September 21

Generally agree with Charles Hugh Smith about this.

“The Bill for America’s $50 Trillion Gluttony of Inequality is Overdue,” by Charles Hugh Smith, CHARLESHUGHSMITH.BLOGSPOT.COM, https://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-bill-for-americas-50-trillion.html?fbclid=IwAR2EDYJOc0vn2i-mGUBWEiCuVJOi6HBuM_WnvSahXzKucg7tElufP5dum-I.

September 21

Paul Street could be right about this.

“For Real Resistance: The Fascist Trump-Barr Regime Can’t Simply Be Voted Out,” by Paul Street, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/18/for-real-resistance-the-fascist-trump-barr-regime-cant-simply-be-voted-out/?fbclid=IwAR2LvWEaixnJviKfbapNn6F4IDgQno8FHDHuzPVoOTc_EYPVIiZ9pBP47e4.

September 20

Say it aint so Joe

“Secret Documents Show How Criminals Use Famous Banks To Finance Terror and Death,” THE FINCEN FILES, Thoousands of secret suspicious activity reports offer never-before-seen picture of corruption and complicity – and how the government lets it flourish, by Jason Leopold, Anthony Cormier, John Templon, Tom Warren, Jeremy Singer-Vine, Scott Pham, Richard Holmes, Azeen Ghorayshi, Michael Sallah, Tanya Kozyreva, and Emma Loop, BUZZFEED.NEWS, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/fincen-files-financial-scandal-criminal-networks?origin=shp&fbclid=IwAR17gCVnDRefimQcjG648FdFI2tQkkecx4IacHDOl-0D-rQsFpFmHzsfOBw.

September 21

Insanity

“Iran’s Rouhani Vows ‘Crushing Response’ After Pompeo Declares Restoration of All Sanctions,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/irans-rouhani-vows-crushing-response-after-pompeo-declares-restoration-all-sanctions?fbclid=IwAR3ggKM8H7v1ZoKVxsV5aefkj6vrhX7PKqr9JMCyjDD-R9e95aw9SHT9csk.

September 19

Amazing how Internet business expanded.

“Amazon Keeps Spreading Across America, Plans 1000 Warehouses in Suburban Neighborhoods,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/amazon-keeps-spreading-across-america-plans-1000-warehouses-suburban-neighborhoods?fbclid=IwAR3jYLWESwCCNYqueeRUH7d0j0zAryhiCylumagyX5I8Qkv6o4d-DZNraN0.

September 19

Major corporate profit making media have gone from trying to paint accurate pictures of general truth relevant for everyone to publishing target market content focusing on segments of society, telling the segment what it wants to feel, see, hear, and know, positively stroking naturally existing isolated and polarized world views, ideologies, and lifestyles within society, thereby further encouraging and reinforcing them, thereby engendering more and more hubris, chauvinism, and hate.

“The Post-Objectivity Era,” by Matt Taibbi, SUBSTACK.COM, https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-post-objectivity-era-00f?fbclid=IwAR0A4w39mhreY5ZKVCDYrWc9xXAgJv8UNVntQ5n2ULdL9qEBGZAMEh18C8Q.

September 19

Did not know that.

“Commoners in ancient Rome occasionally exercised a social strategy called secession plebis, or secession of the plebs,” by Matthew Iverson, RJS Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/richard.stapleton.397.

September 19

Right. Don’t extradite Assange.

“Pepe Escobar On The Assange Trial: The Mask of Empire Has Fallen, Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pepe-escobar-assange-trial-mask-empire-has-fallen?fbclid=IwAR370z6Fa2i6B1wxuIlkJNdCx29HFy6T7V-4dHJlV2nZ59O_qduc68M38po.

September 19

Pathetic excuse for a human being. McConnell has done nothing but obstruct humane ideas for improving USian society for at least eleven years, vowing to oppose and tear down any constructive thing Obama advocated and did, such as the ACA. The man is bought and paid for by his rich corporate donors. His only principle is doing what his corporate paymasters have told him to do. He has not done one constructive thing in the Senate I am aware of.

“Following Ginsburg’s death, McConnell says Trump’s nominee will get a vote on the Senate Floor,” by Ted Barnett, CNN.COM, https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/ruth-bader-ginsburg-death-live-updates/h_9e6aca4e5bbcfe34faeee3c3efbca90c?utm_medium=social&utm_source=fbCNN&utm_content=2020-09-19T01%3A06%3A40&utm_term=link&fbclid=IwAR0Yft2v2Gu2O5HIGmUL7McurjONQkYf72jvxKUcIWBZWcKBO7-bhYsVuTs.

September 18

This article provides a good overview of what has happened since the great recession of 2008. The Fed Reserve was used to restore the US economy using monetary policy, pumping as much funny money into the system as necessary to restore stock, bond, and housing markets, while pursuing goals of full employment and two percent inflation, which never happened. The so-called full employment Trump crowed about a year a so ago he said he singlehandedly created for workers did not include workers who had given up looking for work, and most of the new jobs were low paying jobs. Thus not enough new spendable money was put in the hands of consumers to bid up the price of goods, and thus inflation stayed low, below two percent. thus the rich got richer and the poor got worse off, albeit supposedly employed, which is where the US is now. Trump by decreasing the taxes of the rich and increasing military expenses and providing stimulus money to fight the Covid plague has managed to increase the US budget deficit to three trillion dollars this year, which is peanuts compared with what will happen if the same Fed Reserve and US govt policies continue unabated. How much funny money and deficit spending can you create without igniting hyperinflation? Well apparently quite a bit for a while if you keep reducing the disposable income of the poor making inflation not happen because they can’t buy very much. How long the poor will put up with this machination before Trump or some other president gets the “insurrection” Trump has been running his mouth about lately?

“Kashkari Explains Why He Dissented Against The FOMC’s Decision,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/kashkari-explains-why-he-dissented-against-fomcs-decision?fbclid=IwAR2IHzXE2myP1TdFlgwkxlX2g3YFhVqciJkSrY1BOizcwzURS73oTResyiU.

September 18

How politicians like McConnell do it I don’t know. Must be almost devoid of empathy for all people.

“Millions of Children Go Hungry as Mitch McConnell Blocks Stimulus Bill,” by Miles Ludwig, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/millions-of-children-go-hungry-as-mitch-mcconnell-blocks-stimulus-bill/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR2Ktp-NPa63MUKxpIazbS1_4oHgJvAbJyeCb2GdlxFR6bo8iDvf8wBaA0Q.

September 18

More than you probably want to know from a very prolific writer.

“Roaming Charges: Smoke on the Water, Lies Burning in the Sky,” by Jeffrey St. Clair, COUNRTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/18/roaming-charges-smoke-on-the-water-lies-burning-in-the-sky/?fbclid=IwAR1OHQWaFEquKnXOFjIUgJ3_WdelLvmYTFYsGB5dGNHk58f3HEA4XHVy5jo.

September 18

Hear Hear

“Trump Accused Howard Zinn of ‘Propaganda’ but Zinn was right about US History,” by Amy Goodman, TRUTHOIUT, https://truthout.org/video/trump-accused-howard-zinn-of-propaganda-but-zinn-was-right-about-us-history/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3lowz1AJa3lnvv27oMHroXMwHfZPy-HfAsaOYH8PdxCDoLFTHbxhTgmq8.

September 18

A trillion here a trillion there, pretty soon you are talking about real money, to paraphrase Irv Dirkson back in the 1960s who talked about a billion here and a billion there; but today it’s not all real money, a big chunk of it is Fed Reserve funny money, created out of thin air by punching digits into Fed Reserve computers and calling the resulting numbers money, with which to buy US treasury bills and notes to generate cash to pay the bills of the US govt, such as military bases in eighty or so foreign countries, and to prop up stock and bond markets, and maybe to stimulate the economy for poor folks some, and such. The longer this spending and tax cutting binge goes on the more debt piles up, at an exponential rate.

“Stocks Drop to Session Lows After Pelosi Says She Is Sticking to $2.2 Trillion in Stimulus Bill Demand,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/stocks-drop-session-lows-after-pelosi-says-she-sticking-22-trillion-stimulus-bill-demand?fbclid=IwAR0NfSdlzAVt6dksGikM8gCBaPNPUoTUC527T6W8AU_U6vJ1NxVfzrC4bkE.

September 18

Yuk

“Polls: Support For BLM Falls Further; Americans See ‘Protests’ As Riots, Believe There is a War on Police,” by Steve Watson, SUMMIT NEWS, https://summit.news/2020/09/18/polls-support-for-blm-falls-further-americans-see-protests-as-riots-believe-there-is-a-war-on-police/?fbclid=IwAR2BTabPiSUxBIQh7i6qn08pCDF0Jpb9nrHOoEOolBZWJP_mr4f1gtQbu5s.

September 17

Say it aint so Joe, Seems hopeless, no way to win, Unfortunately all govmints and militaries around Spaceship Earth know how to play the psychological Game “They Started It” pointing out the heinousness of what their enemies did to extract more resources from their own countries to increase their own perks, privileges, money, and power at the expense of we the people of Spaceship Earth. Seems no way out of the Game. The end result? Maybe human extinction.

“A Post-Coronavirus economy Can No Longer Afford to Put the Pentagon First,” by Mandy Smithberger, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/17/a-post-coronavirus-economy-can-no-longer-afford-to-put-the-pentagon-first/?fbclid=IwAR3IPih6Bhw7PfXNCQ-kPKjmegi7eG6tdygiCr8aWaZyGGFXbVzju5yM2n4.

September 17

Yuk. Say it aint so Joe. Sad and scary.

“Aligning Ignorance With Bigotry: Trump Attempts to Rewrite History,” by Henry Giroux, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/17/aligning-ignorance-with-bigotry-trump-attempts-to-rewrite-history/?fbclid=IwAR1MLy2eJz8AV-SLiU5sIZ-xEs4JAPcKN1s3CGtgD1D3uWc1YkaAfy-ixkw.

September 17

Say it aint so Joe

“US Cops Are Treating White Militias as ‘Heavily Armed Friendlies’,” by Kristian Williams, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/us-cops-are-treating-white-militias-as-heavily-armed-friendlies/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR09aTeROguD1fDg0LNpFCjL_hYc8O2P-BsfJT2sxx9IwUcqLlez7ErZZDg.

September 17

How bout that? Emoluments anyone?

“Trumps Properties Billed Taxpayers $1.1 Million for Secret Service Rentals,” by Chris Walker, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-properties-billed-taxpayers-1-1-million-for-secret-service-rentals/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR0M3ZqCjdeoOFjmp-zyu04bsfu12ZXiNwkd18rB7hnMcajs5XeMQpJxDiE.

September 17

Managing Walmart

“Walmart Announces Pay Raises for 165,000 Hourly Workers As It eliminates Their Quarterly Bonuses,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/walmart-announces-pay-raises-165000-hourly-workers-it-eliminates-their-quarterly-bonuses?fbclid=IwAR2FxDE5Q2MR-_6rPyMHHRQ2saBS2f441_nHtc_eSdFjMvD_FCm5A5KCfbk.

September 17

Say it Aint So Joe

“More than 380,000 Applied For A Job At Amazon in One Day,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/more-380000-applied-job-amazon-one-day?fbclid=IwAR3uPOEPyRvGtOZ9orB_3u5K5_jwjglok4NQFTSoCZW-ZDf8jIu0bPn2Nn8.

September 17

How wonderful

“’Alone in the World’: US Vows ‘Full’ Iran Sanctions, Snapback Begins Saturday Morning,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/showdown-un-us-vows-full-iran-sanctions-snapback-begins-saturday-morning?fbclid=IwAR323PRIT3_jnH5COI8uACU_7EIMdvW0tETcRbeZ7VG4Wm2D8Gf6yr5WeTM.

September 17

Who gives a rip about Russian meddling? So what. What real difference does it make? Russia is not even in the USian league as an economic competitor. Putin may be a ruthless dictator internally in his own poor unproductive country in control of nuclear weapons, but externally he’s an adept public relations expert doing a good job of manipulating USian mainstream media, politicians, and maybe a few voters. Mainly he’s another useful idiot to play “They Started It” with by USian leaders bent on preserving and increasing their own personal perks, privileges, money, and power flowing from lower taxes and/or larger shares of the money taken in and created annually by the US govt .

“Facebook Moves to Censor Internal Debate As More Employees Quit in Protest,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/showdown-un-us-vows-full-iran-sanctions-snapback-begins-saturday-morning?fbclid=IwAR323PRIT3_jnH5COI8uACU_7EIMdvW0tETcRbeZ7VG4Wm2D8Gf6yr5WeTM.

September 17

The Fed Reserve has been injecting more funny money into the stock market rigging and propping it up. How permanent is QE or quantitative easing that is the question. Most of the rise lately in the stock market has been in tech stocks such as Apple, caused by retail buying in addition to Fed Reserve funny money. The Covid plague has been good for tech stocks. The more humans get locked in their houses and apartments the more they want and need electronic devices to get basic needs met, causing tech stocks to be insanely overvalued based on general business policy. The more you know about historical business policy the crazier and scarier Earthian finance seems. Humans are now living in uncharted economic water.

“A Fed ‘Apple’ A Day…Leaves You Broke,” by Bill Blain, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/apple-day-makes-you-broke?fbclid=IwAR2AJ01yLj6L_Nzo9zfY2lob-VppZ68RNkfSxEKxsTqT4lFemnVoEL6fbB4.

September 17

The best reason for voting for Biden I have read.

“’A Matter of life and death’: After 175 years, Scientific American Backs Biden,” by Jessica Corbett, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30802.

September 17

Somethin’ to think about

“How to become the ultimate progressive,” by Jack Balkwill, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30797.

September 17

Not only are tech billionaires not necessarily geniuses, their fortunes are a function of luck, being at the right time and place to get monopoly control of software necessary to do something a lot of people need or want, such as the MS-dos operating system required for most PCs, to generate untold millions of dollars of free cash flow that enables you to buy not only other bright software ideas written by others but also hire genius software designers and programmers to exploit and embellish the monopoly software you already have.

“Why Don’t They Call You a Genius” You Don’t Have a Billion Dollars,” by Sam Pizzigati, COUNERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/16/why-dont-they-call-you-a-genius-you-dont-have-a-billion-dollars/?fbclid=IwAR0NfSdlzAVt6dksGikM8gCBaPNPUoTUC527T6W8AU_U6vJ1NxVfzrC4bkE.

September 16

This sector of the USian economy is booming.

“US Pushes Unprecendented 7 Major Weapons Systems Sales To Taiwan At Once,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-pushes-unprecedented-7-major-weapons-systems-sales-taiwan-once?fbclid=IwAR01LdzFU9jgu4Kb9C9OVhuZ2k_vzWt6IZtFGMy4kyVEX6OrxmoytllgGAk.

September 16

Sad overview of small business in the US, the sector of the economy we enjoy most on a daily basis.

“Yelp Reveals 60% Of Business Closures Are Now Permanent,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/yelp-reveals-60-businesses-closures-are-now-permanent?fbclid=IwAR0s8u1sa0ZqM-52T03WTxoorp9d5F6sePMCHAgcY6RWJrEuA0Rjq6hNXC8.

September 16

Yuk

“Trump vs. The Military Industrial Complex: Military Coup Danger escalates,” by Matthew Ehret, THE SAKER, http://thesaker.is/trump-vs-the-military-industrial-complex-military-coup-danger-escalates/?fbclid=IwAR0EBKJAEy0rSN19piBh5EfrUSq03F6hgDLX8ivsWPscg0ounPa5tahD308.

September 16

I almost never post stuff from Fox So-Called News, but this does contain an interesting video interview of Li-Ming Yan, the virologist who supposedly fled. Fact checkers have found there is some fake news in the post, but what about the body language of the young Chinese virologist who has MD and PhD degrees. If it’s fake she’s a good actress.

“EXCLUSIVE: Chinese virologist accuses BVeijing of coronavirus cover-up, flees Hong Kong,” by Barnini Chakrabotty and Alex Diaz, FOX NEWS, https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinese-virologist-coronavirus-cover-up-flee-hong-kong-whistleblower?fbclid=IwAR3M7z6hNB8NT83lqmTN14tEwvIO77LYN9dyXVuAePLjFKI_MItHEkLFkVA.

September 15

Ominous

“God, Guns, Bats, and Patriotism,” by Mike Hastie, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/15/god-guns-bats-and-patriotism/?fbclid=IwAR05w5Vd3PaKizDUMLgbfNMUD1zxW0XCTpIfA-REvon4ePmBPbE5nYDFGos.

September 15

Say it aint so Joe

“America’s War on Terror is the True Cause of Europe’s Refugee Crisis,” by Patrick Cockburn, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/15/americas-war-on-terror-is-the-true-cause-of-europes-refugee-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR0U4FiwaZTuZhVwmcd3uPa9eXWQlK38egJzO-0DJgpATP0cBdOnSIG54YQ.

September 15

More “They Started It” psychological Game playing to increase the perks, privileges, and power of political and military leaders at the expense of we the people of Spaceship Earth. Part of the psychology of course is that the leaders would have you believe they are doing it to Rescue you from other Persecutors, be you Greek, Turk, USian, or whatever.

“US & Greece Hold Joint Tank Drills Near Turkish Border: Greek Media,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/greece-us-hold-tank-drills-near-turkish-border-greek-media?fbclid=IwAR2o2mQMgPmn_yuqxCeoGlzbXx4vLo_qFXdY1VxWxO82ljivwv5WgZ2_ytc.

September 15

Another good way to play “They Started It” so all militaries can consume a larger share of Earthian resources.

“’A Friend is in Trouble’: Lukashenko Urges Putin To Prepare Armies To Resist External aggression,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/friend-trouble-lukashenko-urges-putin-prepare-armies-resist-external-aggression?fbclid=IwAR00Xesga1t6ErO3YtLBak63Uj4_xz8-bSP0tdjHQs6wjIxiiHQawlAP0Fc.

September 15

Nationals are caught between a rock and a hard spot.

“Multinationals and Oil Companies are Imposing Their Greed on the People of Mozambique,” by Vijay Prashad, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/14/multinationals-and-oil-companies-are-imposing-their-greed-on-the-people-of-mozambique/?fbclid=IwAR0zR2G9nh57A8QlM8Bl_oHZWZ9rxkE4g6jwAdpcphcLzzcTjp8RWmtIHgo.

September 14

A fine kettle of fish.

“Living in the World of the Late John Frankenheimer,” by Melvin Goodman, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/14/living-in-the-world-of-the-late-john-frankenheimer/?fbclid=IwAR1rJCYljhmwdTMMFzIzMXp599LAa16GKzb5PVTmdXgFJpOMaV5zLUftd4U.

September 13

I have agreed more than I have disagreed with Paul Craig Roberts. This post seems unbelievable, but one thing’s for sure: Roberts has no compunction about telling it like he sees it. He worked in the Reagan administration as Undersecretary of the Treasury and knows more about how the USian govmint really works than most folks.

“America’s Color Revolution,” by Paul Craig Roberts, PAUCRAIGROBERTS.COM, https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2020/09/12/americas-color-revolution/?fbclid=IwAR3eKTYn2w_YPPbjvYgqFO-TkE4DR2EnziQsOCuuOgmPGxiLpNaIgfQAWTE.

September 12

Here is another cogent article by Courtenay Barnett, in which at issue is whether the UK and the US are already functioning fascist states joined at the hip or still have some hope as independent democracies.

“A Speech For Julian Assange,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-speech-for-julian-assange/?fbclid=IwAR0r5eYVpirUesIXekKYqhkk1AyrPSnhPBOze6gQmZrDlKiwNebcppGDMTY.

September 12

Sad indeed. The quality of life for many millions has been seriously degraded.

“A Farewell Letter From An Independent Restaurant Owner,” by Heather Lalley, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/bailout/farewell-letter-independent-restaurant-owner?fbclid=IwAR2hSm-XuVyCNujj43ecIqJGyKD3SprLM2pw5_rZ9QssVU1h1gMlzqlfIbc.

September 11

Way to go Trump

“Budget Deficit Hits Record $3 Trillion As US Spends 100% More Than It Collects YTD,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/budget-deficit-hits-record-3-trillion-us-spends-100-more-it-collects-ytd?fbclid=IwAR1SCAqtRsakQzxBOA_gpex-GO5GJJ0blxveoPCKZVwDMKg-Ll8htHTLtKs.

September 11

Interesting perspective on govt borrowing and funny money by a great economist.

“The U.S. is Borrowing Its Way to Fascism,” by Richard D. Wolff, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/11/the-u-s-is-borrowing-its-way-to-fascism/?fbclid=IwAR3Xe22VJqwnAVE6rb9l4ZUD9KkcAT0UhPKwyXqP4m63kJIcSenzhgZXNJY.

September 10

Unbelievable video of the situation in the west with Amy Goodman and an environmental researcher. Enough Trump, Trump, Trump. It’s time to get real about climate change.

“We Must Tell the Truth About California Fires — This is Climate Change,” by Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/video/we-must-tell-the-truth-about-california-fires-this-is-climate-change/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR1YaYOzvTwlIc7VwSTcL2HM2-BQJr02JA2c5mWs-y1KZQ7UAh-lNQyQlbQ.

September 10

Unbelievable. If true it should be stopped. whatever happened to separation of church and state in the US? If these priests don’t have to pay income taxes like everybody else then let them keep their mouths shut about political matters. It’s one thing for religionists of any sort to believe anything they want to believe, but it’s another matter to try to cram their beliefs down the throats of everyone else in the form of secular laws and executive orders. Large churches like large business corporations are not citizens with free speech, or at least should not be, as was the case in the US before the Citizens United US Supreme Court Case of 2010, in which five right wing US supreme court judges decided large corporations were citizens with free speech, and therefore could spend as much money as they wanted bribing us senators and representatives and presidents to lower their taxes and enact legislation in their favor. Face it, most religions and large corporations are not democratic. They are authoritarian fascist organizations.

“WATCH: Priest warns US voters: ‘You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat’,” by Doug Mainwaring, LIFESITE, https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/watch-priest-warns-us-voters-you-cannot-be-catholic-and-be-a-democrat?utm_content=bufferf5cf9&fbclid=IwAR1TDoVQm7Cy6sAQtY3uaX1_LYhhDyLYZVGmo2JFJGrP7PGpEgpbOUHCIQU.

September 10

Shows China has good common sense.

“What Possible Disruption is Coming That Requires China To Start Massive Stockpiling Of all Possible Commodities” by Michael Every of Rabobank, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/what-possible-disruption-coming-requires-china-start-massive-stockpiling-all-possible?fbclid=IwAR3Xe22VJqwnAVE6rb9l4ZUD9KkcAT0UhPKwyXqP4m63kJIcSenzhgZXNJY.

September 9

Yep, it’s Trump, Trump, and more Trump. Almost nothing but Trump counts in the phantasmagoria of USian reality show consciousness in mass media and social media.

“The Heat is Definitely On,” by Evaggelos Vallianatos, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/09/the-heat-is-definitely-on/?fbclid=IwAR3zGvEM_TrQOltRnI_HQUsgo6rceiUrr6Fk_prdrRuvjy9diCv-uG7xUzE/

September 9

I do not agree with all of Paul Street’s recommendations here but I agree with his assessment of the dangers we face.

“Trump Law, Trump Order and the Danger Ahead,” by Paul Street, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/09/trump-law-trump-order-and-the-danger-ahead/?fbclid=IwAR2ddPrNeFz-mlEILkatmsSBlmoSMkMxM8vvMclK4KQqO4KLXyUAf1_uWNY.

September 9

Johnson and Trump seem cut from the same mold, Yet Johnson does not seem as threatening as Trump regarding the probability of a fascist coup. The UK it seems to me is inherently more democratic than the US, especially regarding the matter of getting rid of the top leader of the country. It is much easier for Brits to get rid of a British prime minister than it is for USians to get rid of a USian president, who thanks to the US constitution is almost guaranteed a four year stay in office once put in office, even if he did not win a majority of votes in the presidential election that put him in office, thanks to the anti-democratric USian electoral college enshrined in its constitution.

“U-Turns Galore in Tory Britain,” by Kenneth Surin, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/09/09/u-turns-galore-in-tory-britain/?fbclid=IwAR3vT8k4ZnBCtbssGW5KMyyjQVQAwjkpG2wepvV7B97l2MP1dhmVLrgjc_w.

September 9

Ta-Nehisi Coates is right when he states that, “Instead of nonviolence being the ethic demanded of protesters, what if it was the ethic demanded of the state?… If nonviolence is such a beautiful way of living, I think we should imagine that for the state. I think it’s actually worth doing.”

“Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Rhetoric is a Rallying Cry for State Violence,” by Henry A. Giroux, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-law-and-order-rhetoric-is-a-rallying-cry-for-state-violence/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3CFiZXC4DCysTLpUIz-nc63bo5T6F7_EMh7-CAG_vuq-0QyL_NK8MdceE.

September 9

As if the major purpose of the US govmint is to raise money for the USian military.

“House Approves $740 Billion Pentagon Budget While Millions Can’t Afford Rent,” by Eoin Higgins, Common Dreams, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/house-approves-740-billion-pentagon-budget-while-millions-cant-afford-rent/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR2W5AwoB_jiHcPax4VumegWrFvWmP4F3pYYcjPCGFrEqh1oSR_Van4aTio.

September 9

Probably so

“UN Chief: Humanity is ‘Doomed’ if Nations Don’t Cooperate on Climate Soon,” by Kelly Macnamara, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/un-chief-humanity-is-doomed-if-nations-dont-cooperate-on-climate-soon/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3vT8k4ZnBCtbssGW5KMyyjQVQAwjkpG2wepvV7B97l2MP1dhmVLrgjc_w.

September 9

Contains an excellent documentary on how fascism got started in Nazi Germany. A must watch and listen to.

“The Story of Fascism: Rick Steves’ Documentary Helps Us Learn from the Hard Lessons of the 20th Century,” Current Affairs, History, OPEN CULTURE, http://www.openculture.com/2020/09/the-story-of-fascism.html.

September 9

Hard to believe

“A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?”  THE GUARDIAN, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/08/robot-wrote-this-article-gpt-3?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1ae7ptZwd7lh93VxdFyFNB9YUuTCmeyr8Xsg78EVlLBhkAqMgQmAtaM4k.

September 8

Trump supporters are geniuses with very high aptitude for willingly suspending disbelief.

“Several boats sink at Trump parade n Texas Lake,” by Reuters Staff, REUTERS, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-boats-idUSKBN25X00S?fbclid=IwAR0-fEj7AIQY0E2rwq2g0wORhlkofCMx2JuJv4kGXmLJCTCAozCoSf10McU.  

September 8

Is the US now the boss of Spaceship Earth?

“U.S says Iran must leave Syria, Russia can stay, but allies keep the oil,” by tom O’Connor, NEWSWEEK, https://www.newsweek.com/us-says-iran-must-leave-syria-russia-can-stay-allies-keep-oil-1529826?fbclid=IwAR0oYiHQFRIc_3P8a8K22R6jQJ81IpO2eb88q9qJQhggB8-s12fV25y7ylI.

September 8

Sad

“’Horrifically Catastrophic’; Report Finds So-Called US War on Terror Has Displaced as Many as 59 Million People,” by Jake Johnson, COMMON DREAMS, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/08/horrifically-catastrophic-report-finds-so-called-us-war-terror-has-displaced-many-59?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=twitter.

September 8

Churches have no business trying to influence political races. If they want to influence political elections let them give up their tax exemptions.

“Catholics rally to have 5,400 Masses offered for President Trump,” by Anthony Murdoch, LIFE SITE, https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholics-rally-to-have-5400-masses-offered-for-president-trump?utm_content=bufferb74da&fbclid=IwAR2eqc-tfX367Ise3x2iAu7eYyaXBPvWOoahWpmb1uWMCfwsArmVdYPTlBw.

September 7

Ironically here’s a Labor Day speech from a US president who never did a day’s work of labor in his life.

“’Biden is a stupid person’: Trump goes on the attack in Labor Day Speech,” by Chris Sommerfeldt, DAILY NEWS, MSN.COM, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-is-a-stupid-person-trump-goes-on-the-attack-in-labor-day-speech/ar-BB18NvOe?fbclid=IwAR2Vzc5yDR1P0I-J3GIBvdjXumABptiOLOzSn9FsvysukM09Od7M-DxyxDo.

September 7

Either way, have govmints discovered a way to negate the law of supply and demand? Upon which all logical economic theory is based?

“Rabo: While Everyone is Handing Out Stimulus To Prop Up Demand; China Has Been Propping Up Supply,” by Michael Every, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/rabo-while-everyone-handing-out-stimulus-prop-demand-china-has-been-propping-supply?fbclid=IwAR2PjX4rmpp7lSDWwSG9SSI6amHwHzpxZ1CgDOJg4NbXb5fmr9LxPbH1rzs.  

September 6

Not the smartest thing the dim Dems ever did.

“Why Dems Are Choosing Biden—A Transactional Analysis of Usian Politics,” by Richard John Stapleton, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/why-dems-are-choosing-biden/?fbclid=IwAR1WreOCzd5ohcseurn40q3mqTvNgRhhmiUqjcBaq4kPa2B6Htu9UwxryYQ

September 6

No end of Games can be played by the top military leaders of the US and Russia to increase their personal power, perks, and privileges and garner a larger share of their respective govmint budgets, easily paid for in the US by Fed Reserve funny money. How much does it cost to fly these things per hour in fuel costs alone?

“The Pentagon Has ‘Staged’ Black Sea B-52 Interepts As An ‘Intelligence trap’ For The Russians,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pentagon-has-staged-black-sea-b-52-intercepts-intelligence-trap-russians?fbclid=IwAR1cqVe8gMqMUs6XgDDDV4ssYXsvPi5yDdCgyiTCv2Q4c4sbnkiGFhBy5DY.

September 5

Interesting article. Agree and disagree with parts of it. Agree Switzerland has an excellent system of government, maybe the most democratic aboard Spaceship Earth. Disagree the US could copy them given its development. Disagree there are only two general alternatives facing Spaceship Earth, totalitarianism and socialism or freedom and capitalism. There is also the possibility of freedom and socialism and totalitarianism and capitalism, aka fascism, and all sorts of mixed systems in between extreme forms of the basic categories used in this article, such as free enterprise for small businesses and regulated nationalized or pseudo nationalized large corporate socialism, my favorite possibility.

“Standing At A Crossroads,” by Claudio Crass, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/political/standing-crossroads?fbclid=IwAR0SWlUfLxaxPHOzmgb5YU-GICVZKuZ-2RGauO55ST9twbcpLba3TBstmlg.

September 4

This is another insane Trump idea.

“In Illegal Reelection Stunt, Trump threatens to Defund NYC and Other Cities He Deems ‘Anarchist’,” by Jon Queally, Commn Dreams, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/trump-threatens-to-defund-nyc-and-other-cities-he-deems-anarchist/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR229rAvaNY2Hp3fUp2wOkuMR4Z6O49z3Tn9LEqJtckTNqYC2QPT9C0gQeo.

September 4

A threat alright.

“China to ‘Gradually’ Sell 20% Of Its US Treasury Holdings, May Dump It All In Case of ‘Military Conflict’,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/chinas-state-media-strongly-teases-nuclear-option-dumping-all-us-bonds-extreme-case?fbclid=IwAR251Md69v8jXJDcUD2ny8WOOQenytMtQJmzG84uEX9nnxulI0D8qwccW74.

September 3

What now?

“NSA Surveillance Program Exposed by Snowden was Illegal, Rules Appeals Court,” by Chris Walker, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/nsa-surveillance-program-exposed-by-snowden-was-illegal-rules-appeals-court/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3Kp4JWTpIexIvFzTiAagWsdFK0J-dq7QuV0J29gk1tMarOvfBWfcnhzjI.

September 2

Pompeo playing “They Started It” psychological Game with China

“Pompeo Unveils Extensive New Restrictions On Chinese Diplomats in US,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pompeo-unveils-extensive-new-restrictions-chinese-diplomats-us?fbclid=IwAR2UU5AtPxrpiBvotTRBXZ1hYbIlLJEeamFLtTFMgOKskjH_QVZ0pnxAWMI.

September 2

Top leaders of all countries playing the psychological Game “They Started It” to preserve and expand their own personal power, perks, and privileges within their own countries, a dangerous Game possibly leading one day to human extinction.

“Buchanan: Where Will All These War Games Lead?” by Patrick Buchanan, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/buchanan-where-will-all-these-war-games-lead?fbclid=IwAR0xSvD4v38MkaQjk7FMkWeJgKuj9RXeSDWXrPyZPLZ7FdWDU_ZN1IjhDew.

September 2

Yes, socialistic organizations entail more democratic procedures than capitalistic organizations.

“Eugene Debs. Believed in Socialism Because He Believed in Democracy,” by Shawn Gude, JACOBIN, https://jacobinmag.com/2020/09/eugene-debs-democracy-antiwar-canton?fbclid=IwAR2hEaimsRCHsp4I1oM5cfDKmo-Rqc-BeDkul8ZJuwL3DkteOpF-E95_1g4.

September 2

Whoever would have thought it.

“’We Just Passed A Guy In A Jet Pack,’: FBI Investigating After Pilots Report Sighting At 3,000 Feet,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/we-just-passed-guy-jet-pack-fbi-investigating-after-pilots-report-sighting-3000-feet?fbclid=IwAR0qk8Q4yUozz5L10mcVo1Mx-anQHUdb1haKj5raVSmMYtN5L51Ran2g99g.

September 1

So it seems

“Trump’s playbook written by fascists like Juan and Eva Peron,” by Mark Gruenberg and John Wojcik, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30717.

September 1

Large corporations are fascist dictatorships, not democracies, no doubt about that.

“The New Class War of the Managerial Elite,” by Thomas Klikauer and Nadine Campbell, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/31/the-new-class-war-of-the-managerial-elite/?fbclid=IwAR1cWV_UbFvOAmK7e0Ny2DRuFsBMz8swPIwWAH9hMWcLM-jMT1z3Vv4D9z0.

September 1

“A Festival of Distortion,” by Richard C. Gross, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/31/a-festival-of-distortion/?fbclid=IwAR1gwnTULqMrWAhn4f8g9hYoqSXPE4m08rXhUD13Fb2s3gVe4P9i7I6ErSM.

August 31

Yep

“Trump is Laying the Groundwork to Reject the Results of the Election,” by Sasha Abramsky, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/trump-is-laying-the-groundwork-to-reject-the-results-of-the-election/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR0pjjIOhXX6hC3tbeVu9CDHOZXEvLKrHMKPRRMzdluElrl5NkpNWnetBZg.

April 19, 2019

So it is

“Assange — A Dangerous Precedent,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/assange-a-dangerous-precedent/.

April 10, 2019

The Assange trial is a moral, as well as legal, issue.

“Julian Assange — Revisited,” by Courtenay Barnett, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/julian-assange-revisited/

 

DISAPPOINTING FOOTBALL GAMES and A LOSER’S LAMENTATION

By RICHARD JOHN STAPLETON

It’s Saturday, September 26, 2020, 8:22 pm EST and I just watched the Texas Tech University/University of Texas football game on TV, Channel 10, Fox Sports, played at Lubbock, Texas.

Texas Tech has not been a super-star winner at anything I know of in sports. Last year they had a great basketball team almost winning a national championship. But in football they have never been a national winner, despite having promise, year after year. As I recall Tech beat Texas last year, for the first time in history, and I thought it was going to happen again today, but it didn’t in one of the most improbable games I ever saw, or played in.

I was according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal the youngest and smallest Class A high school starting quarterback in the US in 1954, the second highest scorer in Class A high school football on the South Plains of Texas in 1958, all district four years in high school basketball, among other things, at Frenship High School at Wolfforth, Texas, ten miles southwest of Texas Tech.

Tech was behind at halftime after being ahead at the start of the game, so I assumed as usual they would fade away in the second half. After a nap I woke up surprised to learn they were ahead. They led by one touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

And then, amazingly, one of Tech’s running backs got loose on a long run putting them ahead two touchdowns, as if the Texas defense let him loose, after being surrounded by Texas tacklers, increasing Tech’s lead to either 15 or 16 points.

And then the Texas Tech coach, or someone on Tech’s coaching staff, with two minutes and forty eight seconds remaining, as I recall, decided to kick a strange kickoff, a high lofting kick that landed on about the forty yard line of Texas, where Texas took possession. It’s possible the Tech kicker somehow flubbed this kickoff, but I cannot see how. Seems to me it had to have been done on purpose. I also used to kick kick-offs in high school. Why in hades Tech didn’t kick the ball into the Texas end zone, which would have wound up on the twenty-five yard line with Texas in possession amazes me. Trying to burn a few seconds off the clock I suppose.

Well, anyway, to make this sorry story short, with about two and one-half minutes remaining in the game and 15 or 16 points behind Texas scored two touchdowns and tied the game at 56-56, having to score in the process at least one two-point extra point to tie the game, and recover an on-side kick-off, which they accomplished with an on-side kick-off after the ball passed through the hands of a Texas Tech receiver who could have recovered it. And then they proceeded to win the game in overtime. It was as if the Texas offense in the last two and one-half or so minutes magically got about three times better than they had been and the Tech defense got about fifty percent worse than they had been.

It’s commonly known that national political races in the US between dim Dems and repugnant Repugs are now manipulated and rigged as much as corporate money can buy, but before now I never thought college or any kind of amateur sports might be rigged. But now, thanks to this University of Texas/Texas Tech University football game of 2020, and the 2020 USian presidential race, I am beginning to wonder.

Surely the powers that be in collegiate and TV finance are not now so desperate for revenue that they are manipulating college football games to make them more exciting and exhilarating.

I am not accusing anyone of rigging the Texas Tech/Texas game but the weirdities and improbabilities of this game did make me wonder. Maybe the Covid plague and social distancing visible in the stands had something to do with it.

I have a grandfather who managed the chemistry lab at Texas Tech and a father who studied agronomy there, and I have three degrees from Tech. I was a member of a social fraternity at Texas Tech, Phi Gamma Delta. I sat in the stands for Texas Tech football games when I was in high school seriously impressed by the grandeur of the players, coaches, bands, and fans.

For all I know Texas Tech has never beaten Texas in football. I have watched one or two Texas Tech football games each year on TV for the last fifty years. Because of writing this comment, it came to me that Tech beat Texas last year. Is that right? I believe it is.

In another exciting, exhilarating, improbable football game this Saturday I watched the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana University-Lafayette on ESPN beat the Georgia Southern Eagles of Statesboro, Georgia. I taught management in the business school at Louisiana Lafayette in 1969-70 after finishing my doctorate at Texas Tech, moving on to Georgia Southern in the summer of 1970, where I taught management thirty-five years, retiring in 2005. Georgia Southern won four national championships in football during my tenure as a GS professor.

My wife and I are now living our last days aboard Spaceship Earth within the confines of the beautiful Georgia Southern University Golf Course six miles south of Statesboro. My cheering, yelling, and cussin’ in our great room watching the Texas Tech and GA SO Univ games did no good this football Saturday, a surreal afternoon of frustrated desires.

______________________________________

Richard John Stapleton, PhD, CTA, is a certified transactional analyst, octogenarian emeritus professor of management, educator, writer, editor and publisher  

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A SPEECH FOR JULIAN ASSANGE

By COURTENAY BARNETT

One speaks in glowing and glorious terms in praise of liberty, the Rule of Law and in the most expansive way of enjoying freedom and rights and civil liberties for the fulfillment to live life itself. 

Journalists speak and write of liberty, the Rule of Law and in the most expressive ways – of life itself. 

We live in unprecedented times where the internet permits each of us access to the world. Quite literally anyone with internet access has a voice which if used, and all the more,  if used effectively, can speak to and impact the world. Julian Assange is the subject of this speech for he did express himself through the instrument of his wikileaks journalistic publications. And so be it, for that is what one holds dear as a right and expects to be afforded by reliance on the concept of freedom of expression. Publication of the truth should be a virtuous deed – should be. 

So, what did happen to Julian Assange? 

He was virtuous and he was innovative in the way he went about expressing and exposing various truths to the world. He spoke truth to power and all the way to the most powerful. America is but one country amongst many in the world – but, America also happens to be the most powerful country in the world. Britain at one point in time, in the not so distant past, laid claim to possessing the world’s largest ever Empire and is now superseded by America. How do these two countries then enter Assange’s story?  

Julian Assange exposed wrongdoings of both individuals and nation states and some of those exposures involved the wrongdoings of the United States of America, by factual and  accurate exposures such as arrest and imprisonments without a right to trial; tortures conducted  in the Guantanamo prison; drone strikes on civilians in Waziristan, Pakistan;  effecting of  extraordinary rendition ; war crimes committed in Afghanistan and Iraq of US troops knowingly and willfully slaughtering civilians; reneging on Article 9 of  the UN Convention Against Torture:- 

“states parties shall afford one another the greatest measure 

of assistance in connection with criminal proceedings brought in 

respect of any of the offences referred to in article 4, including the 

supply of all evidence at their disposal necessary for the proceedings.” 

– and more. All true – but America did not like that exposure of the truth. So, why not apply the Rule of Law to determine where Assange’s wrong resided, if indeed he was wrong, and then punish him according to law. Well, in point of law and stated simply, they can’t with any conscionable consistency do so. No less an authority than the US Supreme Court has so concurred. It is not mere guess work, but actual legal fact, that the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers had engaged in essentially illicit activities to obtain the Pentagon Papers and having so done published the said classified documents to educate and inform the American public about wrongdoings effected in their names during the period of the Vietnam War. Was that wrong? No! That is what journalists do as an essential and necessary and important part to their profession as journalists. They inform and provide the public with the truth. Did the laws of America permit that exposure? Indeed,  by reference to the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America that right is enshrined. Thus, the New York Times case was decided  in favour of freedom of speech.  

Therefore, in publishing harsh truths and having revealed facts about ‘American civilization’ as so practised – did Julian Assange break American law? Not if one considers clear precedent as regards what the highest court in the US has already confirmed to be the case that not only do journalists have the protection of the US Constitution – but the public has a right to know the truth. Therefore, what is the extradition application from the UK to the US of Assange for trial in essence all about? 

It is about the US hegemonic monster baring  raw fangs of power and also about telling a vassal state, the UK, that there is to be full conformity  with the monster’s wishes – however, illogical, unreasonable, inconsistent with precedent or simply grossly and manifestly unjust and contrived the extradition application is. Yet, the country which gave birth to the Magna Carta has willingly become a supplicant to the demands, wishes and desires of the US. So much so that Assange, finds himself being placed in a prison, Belmarsh, (previously termed the “British version of Guantanamo Bay” ) which exists to imprison category A male prisoners who are the UK’s worst and most serious terrorist offenders. Beyond that, the British justice system has so compromised and literally rubbished its own justice system to satisfy and ensure via a ‘show trial’ that every wish of the US is being steadfastly and subserviently complied with – that the Assange case debases much that is otherwise good and desirable under British justice properly applied. Should I be doubted then consider the following, and pay special attention to the reports on the 6th and 7th days of the proceedings in the Old Bailey:- 

________________________________________

COURTENAY BARNETT is a graduate of London University. His areas of study were economics, political science and international law. He has been a practising lawyer for over thirty years, and has argued public interest and human rights cases. He has published several articles in the Effective Learning Report. He lives and works in the Caribbean

GEORGE FLOYD REVISITED THROUGH LEGAL EYES

By COURTENAY BARNETT

I have an interest in economics – so I read various economists’ articles and commentaries. One such economist is Dr. Paul Craig Roberts. I do not necessarily agree with his dominant points of view, but I am still interested, from a technical point of view in his analysis of economic issues of the day. Dr. Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Ronald Reagan administration and was and is a supply-side economist. 

Roberts also makes commentaries on a number of prevailing social issues of the day, which brought him to the issue of the death of George Floyd. While I summarise and make selective reference to his commentary, I believe it only fair that he can be read in his own words ( see below – first link).

In his article Roberts provides a link to the official Medical Examiner’s Report which, interestingly, does not cite asphyxia as the cause of George Floyd’s death. Asphyxia, of course, is defined as deprivation of oxygen to the body which leads to either unconsciousness or death. Also, it refers to suffocation – so the person might very well say, when still conscious, “ I can’t breathe”.   So, let us reason on:-

“ The title says that the ability of the police to deal with Floyd was complicated by Floyd’s undergoing cardiopulmonary arrest …”.

“ Note the extensive heart disease that Floyd had…” ( he goes on to list same).

“ No life-threatening injuries identified” ( very interesting observation this one – to which I shall return).

“ A press release was issued from Hennepin County that lists ‘Manner of death: Homicide.’ This is a puzzle. Homicide is not supported by the medical examiner’s report.”

Let me stop there ( you can read Dr. Roberts  full  article below at the  first link). What I shall now do is make light then get serious. I am not a stranger to arguing cases of murder.

Let us say that a wife is a heavy smoker and a very heavy drinker ( i.e. she ingests two licit substances in excess on a regular basis). She and her husband have an altercation. The dispute escalates into physical violence. The husband grabs the wife by the neck and squeezes tightly. As he squeezes, all is caught on video. The wife is heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.” The wife is seen to collapse about 9 minutes after the husband first held her neck. She is shortly thereafter pronounced dead.

I am retained to defend the husband on a murder charge. The case is presented and it is time for the defence to address the jury and I rise and say:-

“ Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution has argued that my client committed murder. I am stating categorically to you that he did not. I take you directly to the Medical Examiner’s Report which states, “ … that the ability of the ( Defendant) to deal with ( his wife) was complicated…”; “ Note the extensive heart disease that ( the wife) had”; “No life-threatening injuries identified”.  In the annals of murder trials – this shall be the shortest address on record, for by reference to the medical report – simply stated the only correct verdict I suggest to you as I appeal to your intelligence and sense of justice is a verdict that – my client did not commit murder.  I rest my client’s case in your capable and just hands.”

Now – I accept that Dr. Paul Craig Roberts did not utter the words above – but he might as well just have done so. So, why does he think in the way he does? I shall go wide to come narrow to the point that he is a well educated White Southerner from Georgia. I do not for a moment suggest that all White, well educated persons from Georgia are inclined to think and conclude as Dr. Roberts did. But, I shall share a couple of true experiences and you can then draw your own conclusions.

The man from whom I learned the effective application of law in complex international legal cases: As still a young lawyer in my twenties I had the opportunity to work in International law Chambers in London. The man under whom I worked was exceptionally helpful to me. I learned a lot of my skill set in that arena from him and remain grateful to this day. He later became a commercial Judge in England and is now retired. My loyalty is such that I do not call his name. We became friends and he visited me in Jamaica with his family on vacation. Once he invited me to stay with him on a visit to London and the story I share here relates to that stay.

There was a case of the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wanting to prevent publication of a book entitled ‘Spy Catcher’, written by a retried MI6 agent named Peter Wright. Wright had included some information in the book which Thatcher found embarrassing and she wanted to silence and stop publication in Australia and elsewhere. My friend informed me of a dramatised version of the trial in Australia, faithful to the court proceedings records, which was being broadcast at the time I was staying with him. So, as lawyers, we sat together in his living room and watched the TV and a dramatic portion of which was the cross-examination conducted by Wright’s Counsel, Malcolm Turnbull, who grilled the official representative of Her Majesty’s Government. Turnbull’s thrust was that nothing was new in the book and that all the details which were opposed by Thatcher had previously been cleared by HMG for that and other books by other authors, had been published and had not been deemed to be in contravention of the UK’s Official Secrets Act. When Turnbull was finished the official, quite frankly, seemed quite stupid in respect of the questions being raised ( see the Guardian on point below). Now, to my point:-

My friend: “Didn’t Sir ( so and so) stand up brilliantly under cross-examination?”

 I was taken aback by the comment for the opposite was quite the truth. So, why did he say that? I never replied to him on the point, but did fully understand – White, English, Conservative English pride – my side is never stupid and cannot be seen to be wrong. See: Guardian commentary below.

The next instance I reference was a hearing on the death of the African activist in South Africa under Apartheid, Steve Biko. The lawyers for the deceased Biko brilliantly brought out, by way of cross-examination of the Apartheid authorities and jailers that Biko had been tortured and killed. The official Apartheid medical records directed attention to a hunger strike and ‘suicide.’

By reference to the two instances cited above, in the US in the year 2020, I must therefore ask three  questions:-

  1. Is it the medical report upon which we must rely but not ask – if there is a knee of a heavy set man placed on a human being’s windpipe for 9 minutes – is the proximate cause of death asphyxia – or – is it as Dr. Roberts and the Medical Examiner would have us believe?
  2. Is it that George Floyd had decided to commit ‘suicide’ and was fortunate and got a little extra assistance from a police officer the day he died?
  3. Or, is it that in the US in 2020 there is a repressive state which, as in Biko’s case, displays a failure of the government-employed doctors to analyse in a manner which is rational and medically credible and consistent with the known evidence?

__________________________________________

P.S. I well and truly give Dr. Roberts a ‘gold medal’ for this comment in his article:-

“ As far as I can ascertain, these are the prescribed procedures. The reason for Floyd being kept on his stomach is that “fentanyl’s effects include nausea.”

See “The Medical Examiner’s Report of George Floyd’s Death,” by Paul Craig Roberts – at PaulCraigRoberts.orgat  https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2020/07/08/the-medical-examiners-report-of-george-floyds-death/  .

See “From Spycatcher to prime minister: the Malcolm Turnbull I knew,” by Richard Norton-Taylor, THE GUARDIAN, at

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/14/malcolm-turnbull-spycatcher-lawyer-prime-minister .

__________________________________________

COURTENAY BARNETT is a graduate of London University. His areas of study were economics, political science and international law. He has been a practising lawyer for over thirty years, and has argued public interest and human rights cases. He has published several articles in the Effective Learning Report. He lives and works in the Caribbean

NUCLEAR WEAPONS – WAR AND PEACE

By COURTENAY BARNETT

“If we have World War III, then World War IV will be fought with bows and arrows.” 

( Attributed to a General – US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Omar Bradley – also to –  Albert Einstein; Bertrand Russel) 

I, like many other sentient homo sapiens,  am not disconnected from an awareness of the destructive capacities which humankind now possess nor do I rationally think that such forces could be unleashed at full strength and humankind hope to survive.  

Let me start with the relevant and applicable science. What is ‘science’? The best answer I have seen to date comes from Eric Blair ( nom de plume – George Orwell):- 

“ Science is generally taken as meaning either (a) the exact sciences, such as chemistry, physics, etc., or (b) a method of thought which obtains verifiable results by reasoning logically from observed fact.” 

Stated in another way, science is an unrelenting pursuit of accuracy which seeks clarification of material existence to such verifiable level as is humanly possible. 

So, it is this mindset which I bring to bear on the topic at hand. 

This essay, written in 2020, fully seventy-five (75) years after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, reflects on where we came from, and in a brief and selective manner, where, with applied scientific knowledge, we are heading to at present. 

To facilitate such brevity, I confine references and examples mainly to America and Russia. Why so? 

As best I have ascertained there are nine countries in the world possessing a total of 13, 355 nuclear weapons ( see link at 1 below). The US and Russia are hovering around the 6,000 mark, so these two countries as the two largest holders of these weapons of mass destruction  are of particular interest. 

Let us take a few steps back in time and then advance in a rational manner, as best we can. 

It is 1945 and the Japanese are defeated and have been making overtures to the then US President Harry Truman’s administration. Their attempts at surrender are totally ignored by Truman and the decision is made to conduct  an experiment on Japan. The two atomic bombs to be dropped are code-named “Fat man” and “Little Boy.” 

These two atomic bombs were detonated over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on  August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. The human lives claimed were somewhere between 129,000 and 226,000 and these were mostly civilians. To date that is the only use of such weapons in human history with that amount of destructive force. 

Today, by reference to the figures previously citied, humankind has nuclear weapons with far more destructive force. So, how do we handle this situation some 75 years later? Permit me to reference George Kennan and then President Dwight D. Eisenhower in turn.  

George Kennan was a diplomat and historian, post WWII, who served a brief period as the  US Ambassador in Moscow ( then Soviet Union). He is credited as the chief US architect of the ‘Cold War’. I mention him to use  a couple of famous quotes of his to support my thesis:- 

“ Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.” 

And he had previously written:- 

“ The Soviet government is already aware of the awful risk inherent in any use of these weapons, and there is no current or prospective Soviet ‘superiority’ that would tempt anyone in Moscow toward nuclear adventurism (All four of us are wholly unpersuaded by the argument advanced in recent years that the Soviet Union could ever rationally expect to gain from such a wild effort as a massive first strike on land-based American strategic missiles)”. (co-author, Foreign Affairs, 03.01.82)

I then go back to President Eisenhower’s farewell address ( see: 2 below). 

From this leader and a US expert in the field of international relations one can now make  some quick links from the 1945 bombings to the present day and raise some rational questions. 

First, the nuclear situation in Iran, traced from the 1953 CIA led coup which brought the Shah of Iran to power as a US puppet. Mohammad Mossadgh was a pro-western democracy leader who lawfully had decided to nationalise Iranian oil to benefit the Iranian people. He took his country’s case to the then World Court and as a professor of international law argued and won his country’s case. Then the CIA coup. Interestingly, it was the US which persuaded the Shah to acquire nuclear technology. At first the Shah was sceptical for he was aware of the significant reserves of Iranian oil and so did not initially see the need to acquire  nuclear power. The argument which persuaded him was that with nuclear power his country would be able to utilise such energy source domestically and then  have an increased  surplus of oil to sell on the international market. So, the US was central to introducing Iran to nuclear power. By, 1979 the people of Iran had had enough of the Shah’s dictatorial rule and rose up in a popular revolution and overthrew the Shah and established the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

One might briefly reflect on the US led ventures in Iraq in 2003 and in Libya in 2011. By contrast to Iran, Libya had voluntarily relinquished any further attempts at developing a nuclear reactor or nuclear weapons.  

Now to the issues and questions. 

Question 1: America is the world’s richest and largest economy, then why so much domestic strife, and why the need for and expansion of an ever ballooning military budget? Why such a contrast to a much smaller country such as Norway? Norwegians are all well educated, housed and have  fundamental human needs  more than adequately met. Why not the same with the needs of the American people? It cannot  be said that the resources are not available in abundance at the disposal of the US government – surely? 

Question 2: Why not a global  de-escalation of nuclear weaponry, for as Kennan accurately observed  those several years ago there  could be no rational deployment of such weapons. In modern terminology, such use would result in Mutually Assured Destruction ( MAD). Thus, what rational sense in expending resources to produce more of the same which cannot rationally be detonated? 

Question 3: Are states such as America, Russia and maybe now China, locked in a cycle of production within their own military-industrial complexes such that there is a self-perpetuating demand for on-going useless over production of nuclear weaponry which cannot rationally be used? 

Beyond this point, having laid a base for logical and rational reflection – I proceed to one final question  – PEACE? 

1.       https://www.ploughshares.org/world-nuclear-stockpile-report?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI57jOzNOO6wIV3_3jBx3FGAZ9EAAYASAAEgIf3_D_BwE 

2.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWiIYW_fBfY 

_________________________________________

COURTENAY BARNETT is a graduate of London University. His areas of study were economics, political science and international law. He has been a practising lawyer for over thirty years, and has argued public interest and human rights cases. He has published several articles in the Effective Learning Report. He lives and works in the Caribbean.https://majestyslotscasino.co.uk/

THE EARTHIAN — 18

THE EARTHIAN, Number Eighteen, Effective Learning Publications, https://www.effectivelearning.net/effective-learning-publications.html 32 East Main Street, Statesboro, Georgia, USA, August 9, 2020   

THE EARTHIAN is a digest of articles containing facts, perspectives, theories, models, analyses, and recommendations concerned about existential states of affairs affecting all species of fauna and flora around Spaceship Earth. Recent relevant articles written and published by intelligent hard-hitting truth-seeking writers in Internet journals about psychological, social, economic, political, military, religious, and ecological states of affairs around Spaceship Earth are linked below as sources, following a usual comment by the editor.

“ASK LESS WHAT YOUR NATION CAN DO FOR YOU—ASK MORE WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR SPACESHIP EARTH”

OR SO IT SEEMS TO ME RIGHT NOW

By Richard John Stapleton

I just watched (8:19 PM, US EST, Saturday, August 7, 2020) Trump on CNN reading somewhere in New Jersey some sort of essay or “speech” someone wrote for him, rambling on about world affairs, such as the recent explosion in Beirut, Lebanon and the Covid plague, which he blamed on China, in which he parenthetically seemed to say in incomprehensible jumbled mumbled verbiage if the Dems do not do what he wants he will by executive order suspend FICA payments for Social Security for six months, “defunding” Social Security by abolishing what he calls “payroll taxes” as if they were some sort of evil, when in fact they are insurance retirement premiums due and paid under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act by the workers of the US and their employers.  

Seems to me, fellow USians, if Trump does this it will destroy Social Security. Are you really ready for this? The CNN talking heads were apparently oblivious to this possibility, with no discussion of the real issue, namely that so-called “payroll taxes” do not exist, and calling FICA payments payroll taxes is a lie, a lie told by almost everyone, including the CNN talking heads on this program who told it once again (honestly or dishonestly) to millions of Earthian humans.

The CNN talking heads on this program like most media and congress-brainwashed people of the US may really think FICA payments are taxes to be used to pay the ordinary bills of the US govt for political, civil, military, and reserve employees of the US govt, and for other matters, to fight wars with, or whatever, and are apparently oblivious to the possible consequences of Trump’s threat to suspend FICA payments, which surely he has no moral or ethical right to do, the Social Security system being owned by the workers of the US who have paid and pay their FICA retirement insurance premiums.

This Trump insanity and inhumanity could destroy the Social Security system of retirement of the millions of civilian free enterprise workers of the US.

How about Trump destroying the pension plans of rich non-worker USians instead?

It’s not that I have not thought about this social security payroll tax bullshit before. Here is what I had to say about it November 1, 2018 in my Effective Learning Report article “One More Time: ‘Payroll taxes’ ARE NOT TAXES,” at https://blog.effectivelearning.net/one-more-time-payroll-taxes-are-not-taxes/.

Seems to me Trump is getting increasingly erratic and bizarre as the looming presidential election gets closer and closer, about three months away.

On the other hand, as Tom Luongo points out in one of my Sources below the dim Dems are in no better shape with their candidate, Biden, who Luongo says has been rapidly declining recently with memory and thinking problems, and Dem establishment insiders know he is not a good candidate to go up against Trump in a debate, or election. Luongo said the Dems might even substitute someone else for Biden at their convention in about two weeks, also suggesting Biden’s running mate, assuming they don’t replace him at the convention, will be the real Dem candidate for president in the election. I agree.

Since there is a good chance Biden would soon resign for dementia health reasons after being inaugurated, the Dem Vice-President would become president. Therefore it would seem the Dems would make sure a good VP got selected.

How likely is this? It’s not a slam dunk, that’s for sure.  Since USian politics is primarily a matter of putting people in office, such as Biden, who will most likely satisfy the vested financial interests of the deep state and various personality and other desires of identity groups, there is no telling who the Dem VP will be, and, unfortunately very likely it won’t be a strong candidate such as Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, who are far and away the best possibilities for we the people and the greater good, or so it seems to me right now.

In the last few weeks I have thought a good bit about why it is USians vote as they do in elections, looking at the matter through a transactional analysis lens, as shown in my articles cited as Sources below.

Unfortunately I am now convinced the art of politics around Spaceship Earth now and always has been based on a psychological Game I call “They Started It” in which politicians, citizens, subjects, and voters continuously and eternally play Games on a Drama Triangle composed of Persecutor, Rescuer, and Victim roles, switching about from time to time from one role to another, depending on which interest group or identity group they are dealing with, feeling justified in screwing the other because the other screwed them first.  

Trump and his Secretary of State Pompeo seem to be enjoying playing NIGYSOB (Now I’ve Got You, You SOB) with the leaders of countries around Spaceship Earth right now, especially Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and China, sanctioning, bullying, threatening, and what have you, having a hi ho good time.

How they stand it I don’t know, but most politicians seem addicted to drama strokes, especially politicians like Donald J. Trump, a former and present TV beauty queen contest host, reality show star, and luxury hotel, casino, and golf club resort owner, who has lived on mostly drama strokes all his life, according to his niece Mary Trump, who has a PhD in clinical psychology, in her new tell-all book about their dysfunctional Trump family scripting.

She thinks her uncle is dangerous and should be removed as president as soon as possible. Seems to me she’s right. 

His experience bankrupting six corporations and his very public sleazy personal life prove he lacks the judgment, morals, and ethics required to manage a sustainable large and complex organization such as the US government and to lead equitable and satisfying social and economic systems for everyone. He’s a successful showman, but a poor and untrustworthy leader and manager, caused by his family scripting.

Unfortunately one can build a good case that the USian process of selecting top leaders and managers for many decades has not worked in such a way as to select good leaders and managers who can produce the greater good for the greater number, but I will stop right here, before opening more Pandora’s boxes than I could close in this comment.

Suffice it to say the next three months of USian history will be interesting, probably disgusting, and possibly terrifying.

For more information regarding my use of Transactional Analysis  https://www.itaaworld.org/  to create better discussion groups and democratic processes see my book Born to Learn:  A Transactional Analysis of Human Learning.  https://www.amazon.com/Born-Learn-Transactional-Analysis-Learning/dp/0692584331 

For more information on how to co-construct better organizations and economic systems using TA see my book   Business Voyages:  Mental Maps, Scripts, Schemata, and Tools for Co-Constructing Your Own Business Worlds   https://www.amazon.com/Business-Voyages-Schemata-Discovering-Co-Constructing/dp/1413480810

See my article “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc,”  https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/   for some management science ideas on how human Earthians might eventually co-construct an economic system that is viable and satisfying for everyone aboard Spaceship Earth, making it possible for all Earthian humans to develop an I’m OK—You’re OK life position. 

This entails Earthians peacefully reducing through natural attrition the human population aboard Spaceship Earth, never doing work that machines can do better, and delegating the day-to-day management of systems for scheduling, producing, and distributing the necessities of life to artificial intelligence programs and supercomputers.

This can be done using linear programming based on the general algorithmic matrix algebra form

Max CjXj, s.t. AijXj ≤, =, or ≥ Bi

as explained in “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.”   https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/  

Flying aboard an airliner about to land at night moving at four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet with cloudy and rainy weather below, which would you rather have landing the plane, the plane’s computer system or the pilot and co-pilot, seeing nothing out their windows but clouds and lightning?

I am indebted to Buckminster Fuller for teaching me in his book Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth the metaphor in the above paragraph and other big ideas in my essay “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.,” such as computers being the best hope for mankind and humans not doing work that machines can do better, being paid to think instead with what he called mind grants. To my knowledge Fuller was the inventor of the appellations Earthian and Spaceship Earth.   

For details regarding my transactional analysis and management science qualifications see my RJS Academic Vita at https://www.effectivelearning.net/rjs-academic-vita.html.   

TO RESPOND:

As usual this month’s THE EARTHIAN  links and cites as SOURCES recent articles written and published by clear deep-thinking hard-hitting independent writers on various Earthian states of affairs.

Some Game playing goes on in the articles, i.e., a writer is psychologically persecuting, rescuing, or victimizing someone, but it seems to me the writers are generally trying to paint accurate pictures of what they think is really going on.

Unfortunately it seems to me one can build a case politicians spend most of their time playing psychological Games, mostly wasting their time and energy pastiming (bullshitting) and engaging in rituals (shuffling paper, filling out unnecessary forms, attending useless meetings with lawyers and others, and the like). Almost everything done in so-called foreign policy is a move in a psychological Game it seems to me.

It’s not easy, impossible some say, to separate relevant from irrelevant focal points in order to comprehend global cases, systems, and processes, while being inundated with fake news and true facts of states of affairs generated daily around Spaceship Earth, made public on the Internet, and elsewhere, to see what’s really going on, using primarily inductive and analogical reasoning, based on probability, not deductive logic. Almost never can anyone prove with deductive logic that a general proposition about psychological, social, economic, or political states affairs is absolutely true. About the best humans can hope for is to develop consensual answers that are generally acceptable and true based on probability.

It’s better to be honestly wrong than dishonestly wrong. Telling someone something you know is fake as if it were true is worse than telling someone something that’s fake because of genuine ignorance. A good case in point these days is most USians calling FICA insurance premium payments “payroll” taxes. It’s hard to know if sayers calling FICA payments payroll taxes really do not know any better or if they really do know better but are overtly lying about it go along with the crowd to get political brownie points for conforming to a group lie.

It seems to me most lying is lying by omission, people not telling people things they know are true that others need to know. Whether lying by omission is more or less harmful than lying by commission, telling people things you know are false and fake, is debatable, as is proving whether it’s getting easier or harder for most people to know what’s fake and what’s not. Political parties, Earthian governments, and Mainstream media lie by omission with alacrity.

If you have ideas on how to democratically discuss in Game-free ways economic and political problems and opportunities in something like the Ogeechee Economic Forum at  https://www.effectivelearning.net/ogeechee-economic-forum.html.

go to our RESPONSES page and let us know about them at  https://www.effectivelearning.net/responses.html .

Feel free to respond with comments and criticisms about any of the SOURCES listed below using the RESPONSES post on this blog masthead at the top of this page; but please refrain from making ad hominem attacks. Criticize and correct any of the facts, data, evidence, reasoning, and conclusions in any of the articles; but please refrain from slandering and defaming the characteristics and reputations of the authors illogically using slanderous or defamatory comments trying to prove their arguments and conclusions in their articles are wrong, and yours are right.

I have no desire to sell subscriptions or advertising or solicit donations for THE EARTHIAN, but I would like to sell more books. If you feel you’ve gained value from THE EARTHIAN and would like to reciprocate go to our Effective Learning Publications page and purchase one or more copies of my books at   https://www.effectivelearning.net/effective-learning-publications.html  .

FOR A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO THE EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT AND THE EARTHIAN: Email rjstapleton@bulloch.net and enter the word Subscription on the subject line.     

Feel free to forward, share, post, print, or otherwise circulate The Earthian any way you see fit.  

Richard John Stapleton, PhD, CTA, certified transactional analyst, educator, octogenarian emeritus professor of management, writer, editor and publisher

SOURCES:

August 9, 2020

Well, he may have done it now, and the repugs may have gotten what they wanted all along—the destruction of social security for the working people of the US. They may be thinking they should have been more careful about what they wished for before this is all over. Be sure and read my (Richard’s) comments about this in response to several Sources posted below. The bottom line is that almost the entire country has been hoodwinked into believing, or saying, that payroll taxes actually exist. I have dispelled that notion in several posts below.

“Trump Signs Executive Orders On Coronavirus Relief, Payroll Tax,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/watch-live-trump-make-announcement-major-news-conference  

August 7

No right whatsoever to do this. Another abomination contemplated by Trump. No such thing as payroll tax. He’s talking about suspending FICA premium payments for social security insurance, created by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act of 1935. Surely he’s not this stupid, or anti-social. Only USian workers who have paid into the SSS have a moral and ethical right to decide to eliminate FICA insurance premium payments for their retirement plan, which would destroy Social Security as we know it.

“Can Trump legally suspend payroll taxes by executive order?,” by Stephen Lendman, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30498

August 7

Is it legal for a USian president to suspend FICA premium payments by workers and their employers into the Social Security trust fund for their retirement plans? Or is this just more of Trump’s idiotic incompetent pop-off lying bullshit? If he does have a right to do this, then it is the most insane unfair right I ever heard of. Pure theft pure and simple. Neither Trump nor the USian govt owns the Social Security retirement system for USian workers. USian workers who have paid into the SSS and who now pay into it own it, as provided by the Federal Insurance Contribution Act of 1935. Again, dammit, so-called “payroll taxes” as this dunce of a president calls them here are not taxes. They are FICA retirement insurance premiums paid by workers and their employers into the only retirement system for all civilian USian workers, namely Social Security. Stop this insane theft now! Before it happens illegally! As if USian workers were not poor enough and insecure enough now, this dunce of a president wants to make them even poorer and more insecure, by stripping them of any hope of a retirement income.. Shameless. How about this dunce robbing the retirement plans of the rich instead?

“Retirees vow to ‘fight this attempt to gut Social Security as Trump announces executive order to suspend payroll tax,” by Jake Johnson, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30495.  

August 7

Scary

“Black gun-rights groups have started open-carry marches at anti-racism protests,” by Peter Weber, YAHOO.COM, https://news.yahoo.com/black-gun-rights-groups-started-055400061.html?soc_src=hl-viewer&soc_trk=fb.

August 7

Some good information on the Pentagon

“Why Is the Pentagon a Pentagon?, by Alicia Ault, SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-is-the-pentagon-a-pentagon?utm_source=pocket-newtab&fbclid=IwAR3eEgNShLsjlJBmSd9qAD9vW_MzhbpY4NdCVqP__rl99w51yyIk2sRSGdU.

August 7

How relevant is this?

“Russia-China ‘Dedollarization’ Reaches ‘Breakthrough Moment’ As Countries Ditch Greenback for Bilateral Trade,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/russia-china-dedollarization-reaches-breakthrough-moment-countries-ditch-greenback?fbclid=IwAR2IrtoVrWIGHztJuIHxQfsHpDwUehiHD57GT4X3ZF_8Sx7grg68qIQcyI0.

August 7

what the… Does Trump now think he can nationalize the pharmaceutical industry by an executive order? Is this just more of his lyin’ bullshit? If true, yes, I would say it would engender him more than a few enemies, and he might need to lay low for a while. Does he think this might get him reelected? For sure it would get him a lot of votes. But if he is able to shut off FICA premium payments and destroy Social Security, as he has also tweeted he wants to do in the last few days, he will lose more votes than this bombast, if enacted, would win him, or so it seems to me.

“Trump: ‘This May be the Last Time You’ll See Me for a While’,” by Paul Joseph Watson, SUMMIT NEWS, https://summit.news/2020/08/07/trump-this-may-be-the-last-time-youll-see-me-for-a-while/?fbclid=IwAR1Q1j01szXwY7nmBmvWhOHXx25D6_OAnLrwcpjYS3qP-aJxUNpJLC2FdzY.

August 7

Some cogent outside the box thinking by Tom Luongo

“The DNC Convention is the Election, by Tom Luongo, STRATEGIC-CULTURE.ORG, https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/06/dnc-convention-is-election/?fbclid=IwAR2iOZNNzZLFvSysIpQX8y559y1vT2i1gaeK0gBo0y_ssJfdyl3zoc5Dfuk.

August 7

Nauseating ad infinitum bullshit. No country plays fair with other countries around Spaceship Earth. And the process will probably continue moving right over the cliff, into human extinction. Nations are like agitated immature children playing a “You Started It” Game, infinitely telling one another they are justified in screwing the other because the other screwed them first. There are no good guys in this Game, in which the leaders of large countries always win, since it gives them more power in the short run to exploit their loser underlings in their own countries, a short term win for them regardless of the long term outcome for everyone. And the short term is about all that ever counts for humans.

“New York Times Quietly Scrubs Paid Chinese Propaganda from Website,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/political/new-york-times-quietly-scrubs-paid-chinese-propaganda-website?fbclid=IwAR1biWzXseMFvLHk6JTOA4hWPkbiwbAb8VIVKHE4mkL-Da6flNXrRJQkLt8.

August 6

Interesting but long

“Ireland and Slavery: Debating the ‘Irish Slaves Myth’,” by Brian Kelly, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/06/ireland-and-slavery-debating-the-irish-slaves-myth/?fbclid=IwAR3eEgNShLsjlJBmSd9qAD9vW_MzhbpY4NdCVqP__rl99w51yyIk2sRSGdU.

August 6

Probably another shameless act of USian bullying

“Trump’s Iraq envoy quits administration as U.S. pushes embargo,” PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trumps-iran-envoy-quits-administration-as-u-s-pushes-embargo?fbclid=IwAR27RvjYNVROWrFKj9DXfwLYypeeZTOXQZTsG3m23Yfpy6tH_UzyvqoqKsA.

August 6

Say it aint so Joe

“How the Fascists Won World War II,” by Bruce Franklin, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/06/how-the-fascists-won-world-war-ii/?fbclid=IwAR1Y8SOCwkz8_Cdbv5nkVff1zGqBn5H2_FLd_8NdD8H2gdDyhvHeIS92pss.

August 6

A rare video on religious freedom

“Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian,” by Andrew Bradley, RJS FACEBOOK, https://www.facebook.com/richard.stapleton.397

August 6

Somethin’ to think about

“Water Wars and America’s Fate,” by Martin Sieff, STRATEGIC-CULTURE.ORG, https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/05/water-wars-and-america-fate/?fbclid=IwAR000ctTweSVvW1TFmfNIdbnNyp-YMH2mNkBFJ7REfNhv13LjHXzbwnBvGk.

August 6

Biden is not ok as a presidential candidate in my view but he is definitely the lesser evil this time around, thanks to Dem voters and their identity party-line politics in their primaries, setting him up against Trump instead of Bernie Sanders. Both parties would have you believe nobody can think for themselves anymore irrespective of their identity.

“is Trump Evil?,” by Richard John Stapleton, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/is-trump-evil/?fbclid=IwAR3GnccxXXIkLVEMx2O-TYBmqgzhqHvcrD_Lg6xKyKL4dNY68llky0rZ3-c.

August 6

Anti-fascists are now the bad guys and the fascists are the good guys under Trump, and democracy be damned, Bush II being a prime instigator of the process, who made it easier for Trump to stifle the first amendment of the Constitution even more, freedom of speech, by signing this legislation, The Homeland Security Act of 2002.

“The Department of Homeland Security: the ideal Authoritarian Tool, by Melvin Goodman, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/05/the-department-of-homeland-security-the-ideal-authoritarian-tool/?fbclid=IwAR3SoQQmwjRWeinj7d7ghQ80O_pylJTu3Lveiv80TeT1Lvac4WN_SGKU8TQ.

August 5

Some good points here

“Why Housing is a Human Right,” by Lee Camp, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/05/why-housing-is-a-human-right/?fbclid=IwAR1dzD5RlHs-vna9nMD5nsDIiYI-sQl8KVtCU7DkwxhGh1t_zAocJlJ5S2Q.

August 5

Another great essay by Paul Street, one of the greatest writers alive, pointing out once again that several wrongs do not make a right, and neither right nor might necessarily makes right.

“Misleaders at a Funeral: Bill Clinton and Barack Obama Eulogizing Racial Justice in the Name of John Lewis,” by Paul Street, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/05/misleaders-at-a-funeral-bill-clinton-and-barack-obama-eulogizing-racial-justice-in-the-name-of-john-lewis/?fbclid=IwAR0u5PlSiWWI1MYl7sgZ3jtTJEu2jy8JZA50_QTUCQjvVejt8WT-Wxs0hb0.

August 5

No right whatsoever to do this. Another abomination contemplated by Trump. No such thing as payroll tax. He’s talking about suspending FICA premium payments for social security insurance, created by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act of 1935. Surely he’s not this stupid, or anti-social. Only USian workers who have paid into the SSS have a moral and ethical right to decide to eliminate FICA insurance premium payments for their retirement plan, which would destroy Social Security as we know it.

“Trump Threatens Unilateral Suspension of Payroll Tax, by Jake Johnson, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/trump-threatens-unilateral-suspension-of-payroll-tax/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR2_ysNsN4fsUI5uX8N_XAO_i3vPvIBaRxe6S4kFKCV6v9Ak_t00cC6tDEU.

August 5

As a former sailboat owner and captain sailing in the Atlantic Ocean I appreciate Blain’s metaphor here. The longer I sailed the more dangerous I saw it was, so i sold my boat. Over four million humans are now employed by the USian federal government, counting active military, civil service, reserve, judicial, and political employees (such as senators and representatives). On the other hand there are countless millions of USians now dependent on federal government contracts, subsidies, loans, military bases, stimulus plans, and what have you. As more and more insolvent corporations (too big to fail New York banks, General Motors, and many others) get rescued with Fed govt contracts, loans, subsidies, stimulus packages, and what not, a larger and larger percentage of USians will become dependent on the Fed govt for a living, presumably infinitely supplied with Fed Reserve funny money created out of thin air by simply punching digits into Fed Reserve computers and calling the resulting numbers money. A similar process is at play in most other large countries. If the process continues long enough all Earthian govts might as well do what fascist Corporate America has done, merge, and take over larger shares of resources around Spaceship Earth. For more on how this might play out see my article “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.” at https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/

“Blain’s Mornng Porridge,” by Bill Blain, THE MORNING PORRIDGE, https://morningporridge.com/the-morning-porridge/f/blain%E2%80%99s-morning-porridge-%E2%80%93-august-5th-2020-the-gathering-wave?fbclid=IwAR1m3VRWgO8AxlU8GjabWRQAA_Cm7qIUnB9H-PfWVBVY6kivfetk2MvtgTg.

August 5

Is it legal for a USian president to suspend FICA premium payments by workers and their employers into the Social Security trust fund for their retirement plans? Or is this just more of Trump’s idiotic pop-off lying bullshit? If he does have a right to do this, then it is the most insane unfair right I ever heard of. Pure theft pure and simple. Neither Trump nor the USian govt owns the Social Security retirement system for USian workers. USian workers who have paid into the SSS own it, as provided by the Federal Insurance Contribution Act of 1935. Again, dammit, so-called “payroll taxes” as this dunce of a president calls them here are not taxes. They are FICA retirement insurance premiums paid by workers and their employers into the only retirement system for all civilian USian workers, namely Social Security. Stop this insane theft now! Before it happens illegally! As if USian workers were not poor enough and insecure enough now, this dunce of a president wants to make them even poorer and more insecure, by stripping them of any hope of a retirement income.. Shameless. How about this idiot robbing the retirement plans of the rich instead?

“Trump Touts ‘Big Jobs Numbers’ Expected Friday, May Suspend Payroll Tax,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trump-may-suspend-payroll-tax-recovery-stalls?fbclid=IwAR3aQh38rcfQOf0b4cIRj0l8BWjmflAfpD6Yv2sFH4VGkHLzs9DUbAU6mEE.

August 5

Sounds like an unfair and inhumane thing for the USian govt to do

“US Navy Seizes Iran-Bound Shi Carrying Pharmaceutical Supplies Off China: Fars,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-navy-seizes-ship-carrying-pharmaceutical-supplies-china-iran-fars-says?fbclid=IwAR2F4qL9EkkveO31ndZmQMdpz–xCJkSfOQHuSnZg0fo9-hEexwG_PZiltY.

August 4

Excellent article by John Pilger one of the greatest investigative reporters of our time. Say it aint so joe, that the bomb was not dropped to save USian lives but to threaten the Russians.

“Another Hiroshima is Coming…Unless We Stop It Now,” by John Pilger, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/04/another-hiroshima-is-coming-unless-we-stop-it-now/?fbclid=IwAR2_ysNsN4fsUI5uX8N_XAO_i3vPvIBaRxe6S4kFKCV6v9Ak_t00cC6tDEU.

August 4

Of course there is no accountability for the us govt. It makes up the truth as it sees fit, and if you propose a different version you are labeled a conspiracy theorist. Under trump, it’s even worse. he just makes up truth he thinks will work in his personal favor, and his supporters gobble it up, sort of like the erstwhile infallibility of catholic popes.

“Accountability is Gone in America,” by Karen J. Greenberg, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/03/accountability-is-gone-in-america/?fbclid=IwAR2Qf4ur5ECu4PJSkOXZZ_xlklAvZMx1IYmerbpggjsjW8VXaKqEWfL_fv4.

August 3

How the US was taken over in a fascist evolution—1, large corporations and the elite rich decided in 1980 or so another good and easy way to make money was to give money to repug and dem federal politicians to lower their taxes and enact legislation in their favor that would enable said politicians to get reelected over and over, 2, it worked, and another cash cow strategy was enacted, namely appointing right wing supreme court judges who would put laws in place such as Citizens United that defined large corporations as people and therefore having rights of free speech, insuring they could give their bought and paid for lackey politicians even more money to lower their taxes and enact favorable corporate legislation, and, 3, since corporations have always been fascist dictatorships and since they are now running the US govt, we the people of the US are now subjects at the mercy of a relatively fascist government, not citizens willingly obeying the fair laws and legislation of democratic non-career representatives working in our behalf in Washington.

“How the Billionaires Control Ameican Elections,” by Eric Zuesse, STRATEGIC-CULTURE.ORG, https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/07/31/how-the-billionaires-control-american-elections/?fbclid=IwAR3yWPHb7oyOIXqdsBP9IdfzYbTVe2vjulLeaqwJI2tAN6DUbcM_0i5oFtY.

August 2

Agree

“Insurgents and Iconoclasts Needed (But for Now Lay Low,” by Andrew Levine, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/31/insurgents-and-iconoclasts-needed-but-for-now-lay-low/?fbclid=IwAR0-u2xSWxcwIcP8ZBjoAP680JkvyEwyBGIDXlR_vNggIes7BQWjnjx3seA.

August 1

Right as rain

“Yesterday’s Man is Today’s Candidate for President,” by Dan La Botz, NEWPOLITICS, https://newpol.org/yesterdays-man-is-todays-candidate-for-president/?fbclid=IwAR3A_H2rA_9SH86fmkD2Pxx1Z-ksLgnatJe__O-CQx4iydhHKPBUQqmKrk0.

August 2

Ever hear of extinction rebellion?

“Chris Hedges and Roger Hallan: Only Nonviolent Rebelliion Can Now Stop Climate Breakdown and Social Collapse,” by Chris Hedges, DANDELION SALAD, https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2020/08/01/chris-hedges-and-roger-hallam-only-nonviolent-rebellion-can-now-stop-climate-breakdown-and-social-collapse/?fbclid=IwAR20Fr2zLD7Sp7IWFiF1ILO6O9spM6HImTUCi8OVVZPrYmnK9iW5GMwXwQg.

August 1

I had no idea they could do this sort of thing. The damnest thing i ever heard of. Have they no shame?

“Boris Johnson puts own brother and billionaire donoir in House of Lords for life,” by Dan Bloom, MIRROR, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-puts-brother-billionaire-22450311?fbclid=IwAR2b2FUnPL-oPkASXGeFXsTVojHf0RT2M5qDgRX0zn-KCPFkyB9Q0i1Koso.

August 1

Good article

“Dear America, it’s Time To Stop Calling Donald Trump ‘President’,” by Michael Rudin, HUFFPOST, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/now-or-never-an-open-letter-to-literally-everyone_b_5913644ce4b0d928baa249ad?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003&fbclid=IwAR0p0E_DIgspwj3KVEnrNnhP3ATeZeQAzZOfmokHorgzlcsuihr0Kk6RHVs.

August 1

How sad

“House Approves $740 Billion Pentag0on Budget While Millions Can’t Afford Rent,” by Eoin Higgins, COMMON DREAMS, https://truthout.org/articles/house-approves-740-billion-pentagon-budget-while-millions-cant-afford-rent/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR2U5L3WuJtjbQlJ7HobPtSyenSjN42r3f9ychhzrEYpcnkONFWuU14MIS0.

August 1

Excellent treatise on slavery

“The Slave Trade and the Jews,” by David Brion Davis, THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS, https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1994/12/22/the-slave-trade-and-the-jews/?fbclid=IwAR3ttfgdRqQAiz1PaWS5l2wXiOtjyWR76-gayt-n0ZfdMELuHiTIlNNd_Ig.

July 31

Have they gone mad or are they greedy and cowardly?

“A ‘brazen giveaway’ GOP HEALS

 Act is a $30 billion bonanza for the Pentagon,” by Alan Macleod, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30433.

July 31

Say it aint so Joe

“Russiagate, Nazis, and the Cia,” by Rob Urie, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/31/russiagate-nazis-and-the-cia/?fbclid=IwAR0hsJyypKsT2x-CctoHI_0IhEDTjfuWFgShBvIxuoTVW5hvT2hMQZHMJE0.

July 31

A good account of what is going on in Portand

“Tear Gas and Thugs at the BLM Protests in Portand,” by Bette Lee, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/31/tear-gas-and-thugs-at-the-blm-protests-in-portland/?fbclid=IwAR19sdNf9TjIuej2EPWsdptmPQAmC95niRAcVEAFnOVQZ1k8X5xoTIYbOb8.

July 31

Pathetic. One of the most dastardly deeds Trump has done, no doubt somehow thinking it will help his chances of re-election.

Description: ith Trump Donor in Charge, USPS May Shut Locations, Cut Service Before Election

“With Trump Donor in Charge, USPS May Shut Locations, Cut Services Before Election,” by Igor Derysh, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/with-trump-donor-in-charge-usps-may-shut-locations-cut-service-before-election/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3xX17vEKpFzO-LPspv-me676uv-c9fQWKc2-Rrntl_lX0lUMpwdPOIbac.

July 31

Seemingly well reasoned

“The real Joe Biden: what would his presidency look like?,” by Freddy Gray, THE SPECTATOR, https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-real-joe-biden-what-would-his-presidency-look-like?fbclid=IwAR063LWp1V9TYRatseIsiHkmcs5ql5KJOHG-bIU-qcx2gmO5ilUhFwhkYLs.

July 29

Agree

“The USA must drop charges against Julian Assange,” AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/julian-assange-usa-justice/?fbclid=IwAR1KkKSvszJYnKx0BcF8WqHKzUthd8vDVkWBWVQfnTCPvFd23Byb-4hIqf8.

July 29

Bought off most likely

“DNC Platform Committee Votes Down Medicare for All Amemdment,” by Jake Johnson, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/dnc-platform-committee-votes-down-medicare-for-all-amendment/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR1pJvdSle2Oth74wT75-N09j5zotHjTc-wZTNhvnhAHcZKnZcKVisoEKOo.

July 28

Say it aint so Joe

“’Like Nothing We’ve Ever Seen’: Imminent Eviction Wave is Coming To These States,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/imminent-eviction-waves-could-be-seen-these-states?fbclid=IwAR17V7gvLCLXPTPmCNSLci1LWyyNzt5FBumuFSBBXeIHtODRy41gXl9-urk.

July 27

Life just aint fair; that’s all there is to it.

“High and Dry in the Mojave,” by Jeffrey St. Clair, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/24/high-and-dry-in-the-mojave-2/?fbclid=IwAR3CN-UhNGrt0xsmQxL9y0iZnkfILUNRDonTQHOLyyPasMyPtLq3CNH9fpM,

July 27

Sad and scary

“The federal coup to overthrow the states and nix the 10th Amendment is underway,” by John W. Whitehead, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30372.

July 27

Say it aint so Joe

“What caused Americans to become Nazis?,” by Eric Zuesse, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30374.

July 26

Why is it these people want to get rid of the post office?  Is it sheer greed?

“The Decades-Long Battle to Privatize the Post Office Could Be Coming to a Head,” by Janine Jackson, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/audio/the-decades-long-battle-to-privatize-the-post-office-could-be-coming-to-a-head/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR2pxg0vhgFWfjgB-5kZycmcT9xHlP0jfX-5jPUyYaOnwoanWKL6BBaxVNw.

July 26

We’ve got a long way to go before it gets this bad again.

“The Worst Year in History?,” by Saamir Ansari, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/worst-year-history?fbclid=IwAR2QB_2XLK6B5iJI9TwBt7-pyIIqNLGh492NrnG9et4z3A8FODDItPQThlI.

July 26

About as wrong as it gets. and to think my father worked on the island of Okinawa during WWII as a Seabee building airstrips for a US airbase there when i was three years old. And the US military is still there. The US military industrial complex is now almost the equivalent of an offshore USian socialistic nation state scattered around Spaceship Earth serving the interests of USian imperialists. not what the USian government was set up to be in its constitution. None of the founding fathers of the US would have ever imagined or approved of what has happened.

“The New Cold War Heats Up,” by Brian Coughley, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/24/the-new-cold-war-heats-up-2/?fbclid=IwAR0FXj-lOdIcFAL7_Vv4Zt3RWZdYUXUcfi9JAwNXycbqsqnqFQtHVerUVAI.

July 25

Well, apparently he did it today or yesterday August 7 or 8, using an executive order. Can’t believe it. What will happen now. Off the chart shameless. The worst thing he has done in my view. Could be catastrophic.

“Trump: No COVID Aid Unless Congress Defunds Social Security,” SOCIAL SECURITY WORKS, https://socialsecurityworks.org/2020/07/16/trump-is-holding-covid-aid-hostage-for-his-1-priority-defunding-social-security/?fbclid=IwAR3egSvcXZerURbx0WAQhesio9Q5EszrXVuk_F6aJmxZcj1weQXYZwhfTlY.

July 25

Been wondering about this sort of thing in Georgia. Read in the last year or so in a newsletter published by the late great Jack Hill our GA state senator here in Statesboro at the time that the Georgia legislature was considering a bill that would allow state retirement systems to invest a higher percentage of state retirement funds in hedge fund type investments and venture capital type investments, a very bad idea in my opinion. Not only would the investments entail higher risks of loss but open the door for corruption, e.g., what sort of board would decide who would get the venture capital retirement investment money using what sort of criteria for various new ventures? Never did read or hear what became of this idea, whether it made its way into law or not. Hope not.

“A Huge Wall Street Scandal Just Exploded in Kentucky,” by David Sirota, JACOBIN, https://jacobinmag.com/2020/07/kentucky-stephen-schwarzman-private-equity?fbclid=IwAR3dL7ztW4Fpe2mVI_bxjxD0UpQ8sryt-jMEPn6TxXF1IQ7fiFludR53Deg.

July 25

Say it aint so Joe

“Trump deploying more federal forces to 3 cities,” MSNBC, https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/trump-deploying-more-federal-forces-to-3-cities-88150085561?fbclid=IwAR3egSvcXZerURbx0WAQhesio9Q5EszrXVuk_F6aJmxZcj1weQXYZwhfTlY.

July 24

Agree

“Author Chris Hedges: Both political parties have betrayed working class,” by Chris Hedges, YOUTUBE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_aOVnbrdUQ&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2pxg0vhgFWfjgB-5kZycmcT9xHlP0jfX-5jPUyYaOnwoanWKL6BBaxVNw.

July 24

They never let up do they? Another back door to try to get through. Why the hell do the repugs want to destroy the retirement system of US middle and lower income civilians?

“GOP Coronavirus Relief Package to Include Romney Bill That Would ‘Fast-Track Social Security and Medicare Cuts,” by Jake Johnson, COMMON DREAMS, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/24/gop-coronavirus-relief-package-include-romney-bill-would-fast-track-social-security?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0_0FAdOgRjYbNC860-kBTsBpQOODm0ggJ_rIGnHnwhSgv2vvugNkreJYw.

July 24

“A LIST OF ALL ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT SINCE SEPTEMBER 2016”, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-list-of-all-articles-published-in-the-effective-learning-report/?fbclid=IwAR26T20N48uDJwDEprfIubNmMjT6O8d40zPV-MyNZtEy1qAtGyr0fRQJRXI.

August 23

Say what

“Philadelphia DA Says He Will Have Trump’s Forces Arrested if They ‘Assault and Kidnap’ Protestors,” by Chris Walker, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/philadelphia-da-says-trumps-police-will-be-arrested-if-they-assault-protesters/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3cyG4ZPOrfQhJkEitbjDSYuOOUOtaTrpVT1KgxnleVYmN5znUN2IByWvE.

July 20

Hope they win

“ACLU Sues Federal Agents in Portland,” ACLU.ORG, https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-sues-federal-agents-portland?fbclid=IwAR3-wWpNAOr7f56JmzzatnDL0TG2LMWPeglOJfDyYQ1IaP1MajTonrbZtHw.

July 20

One more time! There’s no such thing at US “payroll taxes”. What these thieves are calling payroll taxes are FICA payments, Federal Insurance Contribution Act payments for Social Security. Deferring the FICA payments (in reality partially paying back money the Fed Govt has borrowed from the Social Security trust fund) amounts to defaulting on loans from the Social Security trust fund and stealing current real money FICA payments collected from workers to fund their Social Security retirement systems. A shameless abominable crime in the making. Or, if you want to look at it another way, these thieves are deciding for workers that they no longer need a Social Security retirement system to be paid for with FICA payments.

“GOP Stimulus Bill To Include Payroll Tax ‘Deferral’ and Direct Payments, Reduced Unemployment Boost,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/political/gop-stimulus-bill-include-payroll-tax-deferral-and-direct-payments-reduced-unemployment?fbclid=IwAR3nWGbvkOzUKkU4nP1ph_PQKXMVJhWxFUaZZhISJoMEP6Yt_lRuBm4rPXg.

July 19

Lotta worms in these cans

“Mnuchin Suggests US Should Forgive ‘Small’ Loans Of $150,000 Or Less,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/mnuchin-suggests-us-should-forgive-small-ppp-loans-150000-or-less?fbclid=IwAR1w80FJtyrKrPToeQ68pYbq5zui9RSK5h47AFh6UMCx14V5C8-9PsDjBQo.

July 18

Is melting permafrost the most dangerous immediate environmental threat?

“The Sky is Falling – Yes – No,” by Robert Hunziker, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/17/the-sky-is-falling-yes-no/?fbclid=IwAR2f7TJYsNwdeGmhOinawwBiTNdicm7nFhlJpvFRSUTxgCYT9Dpm9tctbqE.

July 18

Agree

“Why Government Mostly Helps People Who Need It the Least…Even During a Crisis,” by Richard D. Wolff, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/17/why-government-mostly-helps-people-who-need-it-the-least-even-during-a-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR3POUIzp5wHmBTUnexDdKfdIe59TuTRCsrRM9wt33COFasleDhzoR4jTe4

July 18

Another excellent article by Bob Urie. Agree completely. Too bad most USians will never read this. But if they did most likely it would be water running off a duck’s back for most of them. Yes, the situation is dire.

“Economic Crisis and the Question of Capitalism,” by Bob Urie, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/17/economic-crisis-and-the-question-of-capitalism/?fbclid=IwAR0zsNkjfHNepaSYvIIj-G4hkhSqqNiKhLLNbVhy2GoaT7rj2gLYu7z1OF8.

July 18

Say it aint so Joe

“The lost boys: the white working class is being left behind,” by Christopher Snowden, SPECTATOR, https://spectator.us/lost-boys-white-working-class-being-left-behind/?fbclid=IwAR0AMlf_oQKtP-tldyWu6zna7-QNQTATmni9OC-LV-Ip2K_6AT3QKQ7D9zg.

July 17

Somethin’ to think about here

“The Unaddressed Imperialism in the Progressive Movement,” by Lucas Waggoner, THE INDEPENDENT, https://theindependent.io/mcscnetwork/news/hypocritical-humanism-the-unaddressed-imperialism-in-the-progressive-movement-A3-OrvXCCE6-EkTbl2NuyA?fbclid=IwAR1w80FJtyrKrPToeQ68pYbq5zui9RSK5h47AFh6UMCx14V5C8-9PsDjBQo.

July 17

Devastating

“Fraud of Trump’s self-made persona exposed in father’s financials,” Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/fraud-of-trump-s-self-made-persona-exposed-in-father-s-financials-1335417923709?fbclid=IwAR2W4N5MxL0D4KOdiOEFLLSNjiRJ6YHRdumoCK-uq2y66u82MIPvpd6D5II.

July 17

No surprise it’s come to this.

“Biden’s bid touts faith, courts even religious conservatives,” by Elana Schor and Jack Jenkns, AP, https://apnews.com/ca03ff8709d04fc664cb8b9fd783316b?fbclid=IwAR3sd-h4ia_2Fq3oWBcUpDWlvny-37BTqxwqF1Pd25XExWraf3COM94hv7g.

July 17

A sad reality

“The GOP’s ‘Southern Strategy’ Shows How White Supremacy Fuels Class Exploitation,” by Peter Montague, TRUTHOUT, https://truthout.org/articles/the-gop-southern-strategy-shows-how-white-supremacy-fuels-class-exploitation/?utm_campaign=Truthout%20Share%20Buttons&fbclid=IwAR3IEipX02czCCePSKuVNHxQTWu6kFb0vpe-EVxmwr6_lNP8lYVy_KUnIy0.

July 17

This guy Michael Every of RABO Bank author of this piece knows his stuff.

“it’s Easier To Pretend Our Economic System Works And Just Blow Endless Asset Bubbles,” By Michael Every, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/rabobank-its-easier-pretend-our-economic-system-works-and-just-blow-endless-asset-bubbles?fbclid=IwAR1GM5q2jH5oriFM4pQxbQBeLDVcWWXQc9EknK_5v8df-TmfAdEgMOVamNc.

July 16

Another political hack appointment doing his right wing duty to temporarily keep his job under Trump. The post office is one of the best things the US has and the repugs are determined to get rid of it. Shame

“Mail delays likely as new postal boss pushes cost-cutting,” by Matthew Daly, AP, https://apnews.com/59c25efd4d325c4895f8ba85517f9bfd?fbclid=IwAR2MZ9uETEx195_PXRSKfTz4hNtRnps5za4N0b-Bq1qDzF9WkzakSmRi5RU.

July 16

Absolutely, completely, fully insane. There is no such thing as a payroll tax. The so called payroll taxes are FICA, Financial Insurance Contribution Act, payments into the Social Security System that assures retirement money for US citizens. Calling the FICA payments a payroll tax is a gross misnomer and a consummate con game on the part of people like Trump, who want to further destroy the lives of middle and lower income USian citizens. if these FICA payments are cut most likely it will destroy the Social Security System of the US, just what the elite rich like Trump want. Tying and lying about Social Security with coronavirus stimulus money is criminal.

“Trump: No New Coronavirus Stimulus Without Payroll Tax Cut,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-no-more-coronavirus-stimulus-without-payroll-tax-cut?fbclid=IwAR0ic6VPfIbrsfmI-iNw4IEdEFZkl56zPa7ftdys5Jr1SRJK3YUtnYZsGMw.

July 16

It’s much easier for the US to bully nations in South America than it is to bully China. Apparently the US state department, pentagon, presidency, etc. think they are powerful enough to bully any and all nation(s) around Spaceship Earth any time they feel like it, however much in debt the US govmint is in, thanks to tax cuts for the rich and more and more military spending. For sure it’s not the fault of workers paying their social security retirement insurance premiums.

“US war on humanity v. Venuzuelan social democracy,” by Stephen Lendman, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30264.

July 16

Pompeo and the USian state department continue bully policies and tactics in Asia. What a way for a nation to deal with sovereign nations around Spaceship Earth.

“Trump regime ups the stakes v. China,” by Stephen Lendman, INTREPID REPORT, http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/30272.

July 16

If true it’s a high stakes chicken Game. At issue is whether the US can out-bully the bully in this case, China

“The Haque’s 2016 Verdict Exposed Communist China’s Predatory War On World Order,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hagues-2016-verdict-exposed-communist-chinas-predatory-war-world-order?fbclid=IwAR0h_oeWXWflWV6LhnLb4tj9Ny1YZWa6b_frUAUcPWusoe00Nkp5ghw5-wQ.

July 16

What right does the US have to sabotage the completion of this pipeline?

“’Get Out Now’: Pompeo Prepares New Sanctions Over Nearly Complete Russia-Germany NS2 Pipeline,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/get-out-now-pompeo-prepares-new-sanctions-over-nearly-complete-russia-germany-ns2?fbclid=IwAR0jMN0C-k8xvnpNAnO7BZZJdmHihueSlHF0Hc425szBvMrhIRBa5Gf4eOg.

July 16

An especially gloomy Earthian assessment

“This is a Financial Extinction Event,” by Charles Hugh Smith, OF TWO MINDS.COM, https://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2020/07/this-is-financial-extinction-event.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20google%2FRzFQ%20(oftwominds)&fbclid=IwAR1UjEf0cL2qhlaze0aIBNJLQTDVkXtLlDtX04KgTjMeWdyWiSTdMKiBVxk.

July 16

A little over two weeks to go

“Unemployed Americans Spent More With $600 Weekly Boost Than Before Pandemic; That’s About to go Away,” by Tyler Durden, ZEROHEDGE, https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/unemployed-americans-spent-more-600-weekly-boost-pandemic-thats-about-go-away?fbclid=IwAR2sEorEQ32zjHHXEPX3PwowZqbqaJGAZIMqfu1XrM_NTVBIoq552r5FGpM.

July 15

Not for the faint of heart. I still say it’s worse than money printing. All they are doing is punching digits into computers and calling the resulting numbers money.

“Humpty Dumpty System is Irreparable,” by Egon von Greyerz, GOLD, https://goldswitzerland.com/humpty-dumpty-system-is-irreparable/?fbclid=IwAR279WAl599ZWrPja9WZknfGy9TMK4MrrUky3xNJC5xc4Qv6NqlDkHspV4c.

July 15

“The Group to Save Spaceship Earth—Internet Episode Five,” by Richard John Stapleton, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-group-to-save-spaceship-earth-internet-episode-five/?fbclid=IwAR0rSQoLXzyEf4z9-0uOh2RlvliH0xLDYuvU_iKazKpkAMaCeNSYsMwvNVU.

July 13

Blind spots? Yes, but also selective memory, denial, lying, and other things. As Upton Sinclair pointed out it’s hard to get people to believe the truth when their livelihood depends on not believing it.

“Imperial Blind Spots and a Question for Obama,” by Paul Street, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/10/imperial-blind-spots-and-a-question-for-obama/?fbclid=IwAR3v__ZLUb8Ny4nMzHAw6s_TQR2pa8yM19xaX5MlHBhUI0JlHmw6-kOz8B0.

July 12

Will be no surprise to me

“Donald Trump is No Billionaire—He’s Living on Credit, and Financial Disclosure will Prove it, Says Rick Wilson,” by Steph Bazzle, HILL REPORTER.COM, https://hillreporter.com/donald-trump-is-no-billionaire-living-on-credit-and-financial-disclosure-will-prove-it-says-rick-wilson-73037?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook.

July 12

How generous of him not to take any salary.

“Trump’s 29th Trip to Mar-a-Lago Brings golf Tab to 334 Years of Presidential Salary,” by S.V. Date, HUFFPOST, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-golf-mar-a-lago-taxpayers_n_5e4712b9c5b64d860fcab86c?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003&fbclid=IwAR0jMN0C-k8xvnpNAnO7BZZJdmHihueSlHF0Hc425szBvMrhIRBa5Gf4eOg.

July 11

“Why Dem Voters Chose Joe Biden,” by Richard John Stapleton, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/why-dem-voters-chose-joe-biden/?fbclid=IwAR1hQSPqvFHsnbyhxk-Xq9kn2edCD9Goy_HRJ34qJKQh-jhsSKwy9ID2hJA.

July 11

Been readin’ about this sort of thing

“GOP Lawmakers Said They Were Forced To go Along With Trump’s Ways Or Face Retirement,” by Andrea Thompson, POLITICAL TRIBUNE, https://politicaltribune.org/gop-lawmakers-said-they-were-forced-to-go-along-with-trumps-ways-or-face-retirement/?fbclid=IwAR2XYttk4anuHHq9YmkMi9Bmbc1zUlEzN-qQLCs-phTayW7NoZkNg_2shMk.

July 10

“Here’s The Deal: How the Usian Deep State Won Again,” by Richard John Stapleton, EFFECTIVE LEARNING REPORT, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/heres-the-deal-how-the-usian-deep-state-won-again/?fbclid=IwAR1RlHooAPmYXMgszgmw8j1wV5cuK_Xme7q44uJg__C_yPpiCwy4i8hqG0g.

July 9

“The Long Goodbye to Organized Religion,” by Howard Lisnoff, COUNTERPUNCH, https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/09/the-long-goodbye-to-organized-religion/?fbclid=IwAR2sNK2XhT1nCBxj5YEuUrB3IWwZmbyv4fx-SuNfOvk58B6gsxefIMdRI9M.

IS TRUMP EVIL?

By Richard John Stapleton

With Donald Trump as president as the Covid-19 plague and civil unrest cripple the economic and cultural functioning of the US internally, as Trump and his Secretary of State Pompeo sanction, bully, and agitate countries externally, fomenting profits for the USian deep state, anxiety levels among USian civilians have got to be near all-time highs.

Trump has now put his own troops on the ground in Portland, Oregon, and according to stories in news media he is plotting to do the same in other places, such as Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

According to the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the mayor of Portland, this action is illegal; but does Trump care? Why is he doing it in the first place? Very likely he’s doing it to decrease his chances of being humiliated in the November presidential election. He probably thinks he can get away with violating the US Constitution for a few months, having had a lifetime of experience violating laws and getting away with it thanks to having inherited enough money to buy the silence of people and hire slick lawyers.

Is Trump evil? Well for sure he is not yet as evil as Adolph Hitler, apparently one of his heroes, according to stories about Trump reading Hitler’s books and keeping one of them handy in his bedroom for nighttime reading.

Hitler is generally considered the most evil human that ever lived, having conducted the most aggressive, egregious, callous, and diabolical cold-blooded genocide against millions of humans than any other mass murderer in history, primarily motivated by bigotry.

Back in the 1970s and 80s I had a transactional analysis colleague who had close relatives who died in the Holocaust who got so obsessed with it that he did some serious research about it. He made several trips to Germany to Auschwitz specifically to see firsthand the physical remains of the crime scene. An expert photographer, he photographed various aspects of the process, where the Jews got off the boxcars, where they got inspected and tattooed, where they slept, where they worked, and where they got gassed. He wound up writing and publishing a long article in the Transactional Analysis Journal titled “Aspects of Survival: Triumph over death and onliness,” by Alan Jacobs, (1991, Volume 21, No. 1).

Jacobs concluded that mass-murdering sociopaths and psychopaths like Hitler harbored a sub-conscious desire to wind up the only person still alive, to be the only one to survive, and while Hitler was among the most pathological he was not the only human harboring desires of this nature. Jacobs researched not only the Holocaust and Hitler but genocide and democide in general, democide being the mass murdering of various demographic groups by governments, who greatly advanced the efficiency of their murder methods and processes during the 20th Century, probably the most murderous century of Earthian human history, counting people killed with gas, guns, and bombs dropped from airplanes in wars and by callous governments deliberately letting humans starve to death, over two hundred million Earthian humans in the 20th Century, according to various researchers.  

Jacobs concluded that such inclinations were not confined to obvious sociopaths and psychopaths: he concluded many people harbored sub-conscious desires and inclinations of this nature, albeit in relatively unthreatening doses, deeply submerged in their sub-conscious minds.

There is no doubt that the US has become more fascist under Trump due to his life script and personality. Did he cause himself to be what he is? No, he was scripted to be what he is by his accidental life experiences like everybody else, especially including the peculiar parents he accidentally inherited, relatively dysfunctional inhumane parents, however rich they might have been, who emotionally and intellectually abused him, contaminating his mind at an early age with insane script messages, as Trump’s niece recently divulged in her book, and as numerous writers have alluded to in articles since he became president of the US.

Trump was elected into office by ordinary voters who have fascist sub-conscious desires and fantasies, whom few people would consider evil, however much they are part and parcel of an evil process, not of their intentional making, mostly a function of their accidental life script messages laid on them by their parents, accidentally generated from one generation to another through time in the process of surviving, which was never easy for Earthian humans.

This is not the first time a relatively democratic country has become relatively fascist. It’s common in Earthian history, with relatively democratic large and previously relatively successful countries degenerating into fascist dictatorships in the 20th Century, Germany being a prime example. It’s common for countries to evolve from relative democracies to dictatorships and back to democracies, depending on what percentage of their human inhabitants hold various desires and fantasies about what leaders and countries are supposed to be like and do. Sadly a sizeable percentage of the human race has apparently always considered the entire Earthian human population to be so evil that they too had to do evil things, whether they liked it or not, evil things such as murdering people in cold-blood in wars, genocides, and democides, to survive.

The major governmental evolutionary change in the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries was from monarchies to relative democracies spurred by the American and French revolutions, with socialistic and communistic experiments being conducted in various countries at various times up to now. There aren’t that many hereditary monarchs ruling by divine right left. Kings and queens weren’t perfect by any means, or divine, but they were less murderous than fascist dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot.

Yes, fascist leaders can take over countries that consider themselves relatively socialistic or communistic, just like fascist leaders can take over countries that consider themselves relatively democratic; and it’s possible that socialistic or communistic countries can be more democratic than some so-called democracies, depending on what most of the inhabitants of the countries feel, think, and do.

Some humans think corrupt dysfunctional economic systems are the main cause of Earthian evil in general. This is not likely, in my opinion. Economic systems such as capitalism and communism are not like computer programs you put into a computer with consciously thought-out procedures for what to do given historical frequencies and random events; capitalism, socialism, and communism are sets of beliefs and attitudes regarding how selfish people should be and whether humans should be entitled to steal from one another in competitive economic behavior and to what degree. They are rationalizations of human behaviors en masse that naturally evolve through synergistic learning (learning in whole systems not apparent by observing sub-systems). They are not technological systems imposed by intentional intelligent humans.

I have no idea what’s gonna happen now. There is some chance the US will evolve into a fascist dictatorship sooner or later through general inertia, Trump or no Trump, depending upon what ordinary voters feel, think, and decide in presidential elections from here on. On the other hand let’s hope our dear leader sociopath Trump does not declare himself dictator for life before the November presidential election, as his hero did in Germany, assuming there would be any chance the real USian military would back him up, as his Homeland Security and Border Patrol troops are doing now in Portland, Oregon. USian civilians en masse would have no chance of winning a war with Trump’s self-imposed fascist dictatorship if the real USian military establishment followed his orders to suppress, capture, disappear, torture, execute, or imprison rebels, counter-insurgents, or whatever they might be called, using standard fascist dictatorship operating procedures.

Some USian civilians would probably fight for a while to remove the Trump dictatorship with an insurrection with no chance of winning. How long it would take the US society and government to evolve back into a relative democracy would remain to be seen. How many USians would have died in the upheaval is anybody’s guess. Hopefully it would be nothing like the carnage of similar upheavals in the 20th Century.        

For more information regarding my use of Transactional Analysis  https://www.itaaworld.org/  to create better discussion groups and democratic processes see my book Born to Learn:  A Transactional Analysis of Human Learning.  https://www.amazon.com/Born-Learn-Transactional-Analysis-Learning/dp/0692584331 

For more information on how to co-construct better organizations and economic systems using TA see my book   Business Voyages:  Mental Maps, Scripts, Schemata, and Tools for Co-Constructing Your Own Business Worlds   https://www.amazon.com/Business-Voyages-Schemata-Discovering-Co-Constructing/dp/1413480810

See my article “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc,”  https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/   for some management science ideas on how human Earthians might eventually co-construct an economic system that is viable and satisfying for everyone aboard Spaceship Earth, making it possible for all Earthian humans to develop an I’m OK—You’re OK life position. 

This entails Earthians peacefully reducing through natural attrition the human population aboard Spaceship Earth, never doing work that machines can do better, and delegating the day-to-day management of systems for scheduling, producing, and distributing the necessities of life to artificial intelligence programs and supercomputers.

This can be done using linear programming based on the general algorithmic matrix algebra form

Max CjXj, s.t. AijXj ≤, =, or ≥ Bi

as explained in “The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.”   https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-evolution-of-spaceship-earth-inc/  

Flying aboard an airliner about to land at night moving at four hundred miles an hour at thirty thousand feet with cloudy and rainy weather below, which would you rather have landing the plane, the plane’s computer system or the pilot and co-pilot, seeing nothing out their windows but clouds and lightning?

For details regarding my transactional analysis and management science qualifications see my RJS Academic Vita at https://www.effectivelearning.net/rjs-academic-vita.html.   

Richard John Stapleton, PhD, CTA, is a certified transactional analyst, octogenarian emeritus professor of management, educator, writer, editor and publisher  https://luck-of-spins.co.uk/login/

THE GROUP: TO SAVE SPACESHIP EARTH—INTERNET EPISODE FIVE

The Group: To Save Spaceship Earth is a work in progress. While settings, plots, theories, objects, and narratives in this novel may be analogous to the same that have happened in various realities around Spaceship Earth, the names, actions, and attributions of characters cast herein are purely fictional, with the exception of a few well known literary and political figures. All parts of this novel will be published in the Effective Learning Report at various intervals on the Internet, subject to revision at any time, hopefully culminating in a final print edition offered for sale to the public.

Copyright 2020 by Effective Learning Publications. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be copied or printed on paper without permission. Share on the Internet as you wish.

If you want to refresh yourself about what happened in earlier episodes, go to the following website addresses:

Internet Episode 1, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-group-to-save-spaceship-earth-part-1/.   

Internet Episode 2, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-group-to-save-spaceship-earth-episode-2/.

Internet Episode 3, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-group-to-save-spaceship-earth-episode-three/.

Internet Episode 4, https://blog.effectivelearning.net/the-group-to-save-spaceship-earth-episode-four/.

SESSION THREE

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

JANUARY 2020

Rout was beginning to have serious thoughts about the results of the program. It was obvious the group had improved its psychological and social functioning, agitations had diminished, and the group had become more cohesive. But so what? Was this a sign of significant change and progress or was it disingenuous adapting and flexing to make a buck?  The five thousand dollars a month obviously was enough to entice them to attend the meetings but was participating in the meetings producing changes in their group imagoes, scripts, ego states, transactions, and general functioning?  Would their experiences in The Group cause them to feel, think, and behave differently in other groups that would tend to cause polarizations to diminish so as to in some way help facilitate causations for the construction of consensual answers that would help solve problems posing existential threats to all species of fauna and flora living around Spaceship Earth?

Rout knew his supporters and donors would not continue to fund The Group indefinitely if there were no credible signs the process was producing significant changes in the feeling, thinking, deciding, and behavior patterns of the group members.

Rout had been concerned from the beginning about when and how to make a definitive judgment about how well the process was achieving its purposes, mission, and goals.  While donors had been relatively easy to find to start the process Rout knew there was no assurance the donors would continue to fund the process indefinitely. Although they had said very little up to this point he knew they were bound to be getting curious.  The donors had access to the transcripts and tapes and they could see there had already been changes in the feeling, thinking, and behavior of The Group. 

For one thing, the donors could see that most of the group members now accepted Rout’s leadership and they had accepted the rules of the process.  For sure Rout had already proved the group process could cause group members from disparate backgrounds to at least pretend to change, at least when paid five thousand dollars for one weekend of time and six hours of group participation.  It was a good deal for them, even apparently for the wealthy members.  If the wealthy members did not need the money as they said, then the process was generating psychological satisfaction for them because they were still attending.

It was obvious most of the group members were by now gaining some satisfaction from participating in the process, especially being able to get away from their daily grinds to visit different cities.  They were getting together in small groups for lunch and dinner, and while the groups initially formed based on verisimilitude with respect to various socio-economic experiences, the informal groups were now including individuals with different characteristics, apparently caused by feelings of liking and respect generated by the discussions, which was a good sign, indicating The Group process would cause polarizations among people to diminish here and yon.

There were now fewer critical parent, adapted child, and rebel child ego states cathected and a higher percentage of the transactions were adult-adult and free child-free child.  Every now and then they actually had a little fun in the group. 

At the same time the group had become more serious and business-like.  The time of the discussions was now consumed with more work and intimacy with fewer rituals and Games.  The content of the discussions had become more honest.

Rout now felt that he could make the case to the donors that the program was successful and had achieved what it set out to do. He was confident the donors had seen enough of he video tape and transcripts of the group sessions to enable them to see for themselves what had gone on and happened. 

The question now was where to go from here?  Disband this group and start new ones?  Pay the group members of this group to lead similar groups using Truthers in their communities?  Expand to other countries?

On the other hand, Rout had read and heard about a mysterious new virus that had originated in China that was highly contagious and dangerous. Would it spread to the US? If so would it be feasible for The Group to meet face to face?

Rout decided to keep rolling along as they were for a few more sessions before making major changes in the group. 

Maybe the best thing to do would be to simply terminate the process now and announce to the world in a book that the process works, in which case the major problem would be where could sufficient funds be found to fund similar groups around Spaceship Earth?

Why waste more time experimenting with this group?  On the one hand, it seemed clear that continuing the group process for several months or even several years would produce further improvements in the overall functioning of the group. The knowledge bases and critical thinking skills of most of the members, due to the sharing of information in the dialogical, dialectical, and analogical Game-free Adult discussion process would continue to improve; but would these improvements be worth their cost to the donors, and society at large?

There was no way The Group donors could pay several billion people to attend such meetings, hoping to save Spaceship Earth.

If all governments would contribute funding for large numbers of humans from different countries to attend group meetings conducted in a manner similar to the process used in The Group consensual answers might be found that would save Spaceship Earth  from global warming, climate change, and militarization.

Governments would be paying citizens to attend Game-free group meetings to learn how to act like responsible stockholders of Spaceship Earth, Inc., which would entail a transformation of human relationships everywhere, in which there would be no hierarchies with bosses and subordinates, everyone would be equal in terms of rights and responsibilities, with liberty and true dignity for all, since all human Earthians would be an equal owner of Spaceship Earth, Inc., owning one share of stock that would provide dividend checks sufficient for good standards of living for all Earthians.

It was becoming clearer to the donors and others privy to the tapes and videos of the group sessions that feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors in the group were changing for the better.  The members were more comfortable and relaxed and were less fearful about honestly participating in the process.  OKness levels had increased.

OKness was a major concept in the transactional analysis literature, the whole discipline being based on simple colloquial terms that explained relatively complex problems, issues, and states of affairs.  Of the various social, economic, and psychological disciplines Rout had studied, it seemed transactional analysis was most helpful in understanding group dynamics.  Not only was it concerned about increasing Okness in organizations and groups but it provided specific tools for assessing different kinds of Okness.

All organizations and groups are relatively ok or not ok depending on circumstances, ok with respect to themselves, other individuals, other groups, and the world, or universe. How individuals, groups, and organizations were caused to wind up at their particular level of Okness is a relevant question.  A deeper relevant question is whether individuals, organizations, and groups are actually caused to be what they are in terms of Okness or whether they are just pretending to be at those levels?  As with all social and psychological phenomena a major question is whether perceived feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and decisions are real or faked. In other words are phenomena naturally caused to exist or are they constructions created to simulate natural feelings, thoughts, decisions, behaviors, and the like.

Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt Psychology, used to say, “Most talking is a lie,” meaning he thought most people were rarely truthful about what they were truly feeling, thinking, doing, etc. Perls called most ordinary conversations chickenshit, most organizational communications bullshit, and most philosophical discussions elephantshit. He thought humans are rarely truly honest about what they feel, think, and do about things because of their vested interests and ulterior motives.

In most organizations and groups people are rewarded not only with strokes but money for conforming to the requirements of the authority structure of the organization.  One can build the case that almost no one can be fully honest in organizations and groups, since most appear as they do after having manipulated themselves through various adaptations to conform to the organizational scripts imposed at their level and position in the organizational hierarchy to hold their jobs. To paraphrase Upton Sinclair it’s difficult to convince humans of the real truth of the matter when their livelihoods depend on not believing it.

So it’s not easy to tell by looking just how OK a person, group, or organization really is.

One can observe in groups and organizations how time is being structured, by noting what people are actually doing.  TA has five simple categories for describing time structuring—withdrawal, pastiming, rituals, work, Games, and intimacy.  Withdrawal means people are not engaged with others or groups. One can tell by looking whether individuals are tuning the group out, daydreaming, etc.  In this group Rout’s use of the Truther precludes withdrawal and pastiming, talking about favorite hobbies and such, interests in children, cooking, sports, and the like.  The Truther and Rout’s rules require members to do some intellectual work, such as defining problems, figuring out alternatives for dealing with existential problems, figuring out what to do about the problems and opportunities, etc.  There are almost no rituals in Rout’s process, routine reciting of dogmas or doctrines and housekeeping duties, such as voting on past business, etc., such as what one finds in most organizational group meetings. Games are outlawed by the Truther and the group rules. No one can legitimately say they have been Rescued, Persecuted, or Victimized when The Truther selects them.  Sexual intimacy is also precluded during the group sessions. On the other hand, there is talk about truth.  In general intimacy involves telling the truth about what one actually feels, thinks, decides, and does from moment to moment, which rarely occurs.  In this sense one can build the case a major objective of this group is to increase time structuring spent in intellectual intimacy and decrease time spent in other types of time structuring, such as withdrawal, pastiming, and Game playing.

Watching the videos of the group sessions and listening to the tapes it’s possible for observers to notice changes in these variables. Other things that can be observed are transactions within the group. Transactions are communication vectors beamed from one ego state in an  individual to ego states in others, whether individuals, groups, or organizations.  There are three types of ego states, parent, adult, and child.  Ego states are emotional and behavioral states of being that are parent-like, adult-like, and child-like.  Individuals and groups and organizations transmit messages to others using various combinations of ego states, and individuals and groups respond to what has been transmitted to them using various combinations of the three ego states.  The Truther generally fosters or cathects (a word for turning on or energizing ego states) Adult ego states.  Parent and Child ego states can be seen in the group by noting facial expressions and body language of various  sorts.  Parent ego states usually entail general dogmatic statements and stern facial expressions and pointed index fingers used for emphasizing the person is in a Parent ego state and should be listened to. 

It has become obvious to Rout and his board of advisors, experts in TA and other social and psychological fields, that the process has increased the use of the Adult ego state in the group and has increased honesty or intimacy within the group. Whether this improvement will transfer to other groups that the members of this group belong to remains to be seen.

This is the hard part. You can have good ok groups but still have not ok governments and economic systems.  If not ok people get in control of organizations, regardless of the type of economic system they use, the organization will not produce Okness for everyone.  Such is now the case with capitalism, which is producing massive inequality with the rich getting richer while the rest stagnate of decline, while governments do and say things to make lower and middle classes feel, think, and believe they are more ok than they really are.  One way to do that is by starting wars, which takes the minds of not ok people off their economic plights and puts them to work fighting and making war equipment and munitions.

The issue is whether to continue The Group process for much longer.  One can build the case The Group has already proven it can produce increases in OKness, etc.  Would continuing the process for more months or years eventually result in creating consensual answers for society and psychological problems.   Most likely it would, but the problem as always is not to have consensual answers for sake of producing consensual answers but to implement them so as to make everyone more OK.  One can build a case no one can be fully ok until everyone is OK.  Such has never been the case aboard Spaceship Earth.  There have always been serious differences among the OK levels of humans. A major purpose of religion has been to make people think they are OK regardless of how not OK their psychological, social, economic, and political positions are, if they publicly profess to believe certain dogmas and doctrines and conform to the dictates of various religious leaders.

This leads to some other TA terms for organizational and and group analysis, such as agitations and cohesions, among and within organizations.  To fully analyze organizations and groups one needs to find out whether or how OK people are but also how agitated or cohesive they are at various borders of their organizations, internal and external borders, and whether the agitations and cohesions are between members or between members and leaders, there being three general types of leaders—designated, psychological, and effective.  Once such agitations are located various and sundry consensual answers might be developed to deal with them.

Spaceship Earth is now very agitated, probably experiencing more agitations than ever before in history, agitations between nations, between the leaders of nations and leaders of other nations, agitations between leaders of nations and their own group members, and between countless organizations and groups within nations. It appears the root cause of the increased agitation is the economic systems used, and the organizational systems used, which are causing global warming, climate change, and income inequality.  No amount of organizational and group therapy will cure these problems, unless you can get OK leaders of nations together to seriously discuss how to create new economic and organizational systems and technologies to solve the real causes of the agitations.  

Unfortunately Spaceship Earth is now experiencing negative feedback loops that exacerbate rather than ameliorate the conflict and agitations. Relatively not OK voters is so-called democracies vote for not OK individuals as leaders because the leader reinforces their not OKness, leading to even more not OKness, and so on, and the entire system continues to decline, possibly eventually resulting in the extincton of the Earthian human race.

Since the group has proved its feasibility it would seem more and more similar groups should be established.  Problem is where will the money come from.  The dismal reality is that this group worked because the donors paid the members to increase their OKness.  That is a hell of a note, having to pay people to increase their own OKness, as if they actually enjoy their not OKness.  

On the other hand, he decided today to give the group a reading assignment.

Rout—“Before we select a Truther leader, I have decided I would like to make a reading assignment.

“Please go to Google on the Internet and go to the address I just emailed you  http://www.effectivelearning.net/spaceship-earth–inc..html  , and read ‘The Evolution of Spaceship Earth, Inc.’

“I will allocate thirty minutes for everyone to read this article, and then we will discuss the article. The Truther as usual will select the leader to start the discussion.”

After the elapsing of thirty minutes…

“OK, lets’s move on. Whoever got hit last spin The Truther.”

The Rooster crowed and The Truther selected George.

George—“As we all know Trump has advocated building a new wall to keep not ok illegal immigrants out of the US from the beginning of his presidency, without much success, I am afraid.  The Democratic congress has blocked him in every way on this. On the other hand some progress has been made.”

Harrison—“Come on George, you know Trump’s idea for a wall was doomed from the start.  Seems to me there is less talk of it now than there was, especially with this new influx of immigrants from Central America.  I’m not sure why Rout wanted us to read this fantasy article about Spaceship Earth, but if it did come to pass for sure it would cure immigration problems, since everyone would be paid to stay where they are around earth. On the other hand, the article is worse than socialism, it’s a utopian fantasy showing what great things would happen if artificial intelligence robots took over the management of the entire Earthian economy.  Where did you find this article Rout?”

Rout—“I ran across it cruising the Internet.  I assigned it because the article ties together  several aspects of what we have been talking about in our group sessions and it seems to me if it were implemented it would solve most of Earth’s problems.”

Harrison—“Well I suppose in fantasy it might.  But how in hell could people ever implement such a thing.  As I understand it it would require internationalizing, or taking over, all corporations around Earth.”

Rout—“No, it would only require taking over corporations directly involved in the production and delivery of the necessities of life.  There could be other kinds of corporations in other industries, so long as they did not require the consumption of basic resources needed to feed, clothe, and house humans.”

George—“It’ll never happen.  It’s pure socialism or worse.  All freedom would be lost and it would entail redistributing incomes in a major way.  In fact it would require a super government confiscating and taking by force all the wealth of existing people.  What would you do about housing?  How could a billionaire afford to live in a mansion he owns if he has to live off some imaginary dividend check from one corporation, called Spaceship Earth, Inc.?  It’s crazy.  I can’t believe you would have forced us to read it, the only time you ever did such a thing. Its becoming clear to me that what you have really wanted to do all along is brainwash us all with socialism or worse pure communism.”

Noam—“I’ll grant you, the article is a bit radical but it covers a lot of ground and it does make a major point, namely that artificial intelligence and faster and more powerful computers will enable humans to do things that have never been possible before, utilizing data bases that never existed before.  And it’s based on solid mathematical theory, linear programing, that has been around for a long time.  As to its suggestion about the dividend income for all humans, it is similar to the basic of idea of basic incomes now, sometimes called MMT, or Modern Monetary Theory. Some experts are advocating paying or giving citizens a basic income to insure there is enough money in circulation to generate a viable economy.  And this idea in this article is based on Buckminster Fuller’s idea to award mind grants to to all humans to eliminate employment overnight, based on the philosophical notion that all people have value, so paying them to think about whatever their talents happened to be might pay off in the long run. For sure it would require massive changes in all countries, not just in the rich countries, but in theory it could work, and something similar to it is probably necessary to stave off global warming and climate change, and human extinction, not to mention the extinction of thousands of species of fauna and flora around spaceship earth.”

Sam—“Good perspective Noam.  Yes, radical changes are going to have to happen, and it’s going to require thinkers with more than a little ability to think outside of political and social boxes.  Whether a group like this one can do it remains to be seem.  There’s a lot of disagreement among the members here. True enough we have learned to respect one another more and I think most of us are more open to differing views and ideas than we were, but I wonder how many of us would vote for something like Spaceship Earth, Inc.”

End of Episode Five

To Be Continued…