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Populism a euphemism?

20/1/2017

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How interesting to see the madia, under direction from their politiclown masters, trying to make us believe that we are bad citizens. But then I tend to lose sight of the fact that madia is by definition, the vehicle of propaganda d’excellence. And since the “compassionate liberalists” (also known as “politico-sentimentalists, “bleeding hearts” or “the enlightened”) currently hold the reigns of mainstream madia we are mostly subjected to their views on everything. Since they are fervent believers in their moral superiority, they believe that anyone having a differing belief is wrong and should be converted through indoctrination.
 
I believe (at my own risk and peril) that the problem is that we are hard-wired to link emotions to moral judgement. This is really scary because if values are emotionally grounded, then all of our moral conflicts cannot ever be resolved. Cross cultural research has shown that just about every value that one group cherishes is rejected by another group.
Good-bye world peace.
 
So, you rightly ask, what has that got to do with populism?
 
I am a dyed in the wool cynic (my only redeeming quality) so when politiclowns use the term as an insult toward those who think differently, I immediately get suspicious. Suspicion begets curiosity, so I started to try to understand this phenomenon.
 
According to the internet God, Wikipedia, “Populism is a political style of action that mobilizes a large alienated element of population against a government seen as controlled by an out-of-touch closed elite that acts on behalf of its own interests.”
 
Wow!
 
Since most people, politiclowns and their elite cronies excepted, feel alienated from the political power fest, they can reasonably be labeled as populists. Feeling alienated is an emotion. It is therefore linked to our moral judgement.
Interestingly Karl Marx thought that estrangement of people from aspects of their Gattungswesen ("species-essence or moral values") is a consequence of living in a society of stratified social classes. “The alienation from the self is a consequence of being a mechanistic part of a social class, the condition of which estranges a person from their humanity.”.
Democracy, especially economic democracy, has created this stratified social structure where a small elite rule over the masses. This has awakened our suppressed political emotions.
 
Can you see the light?
 
Deftly leapfrogging your outrage and (dignified) offense, I will get back to the point I was trying to make;
Populism is a euphemism.
Everyone is dissatisfied with the current political (and social) zeitgeist. The politiclowns, being mortally afraid of this situation, have ordered the madia to go forth and indoctrinate the masses with the message that populism is wrong, and that anyone supporting it is bad. That is, you and me! The politiclown elite think that we are all bad and they are good. And we, the popul(list)lation think that they are inept idiots. See the euphemism yet?
 
Our moral judgement is firmly anchored in our emotions, and our emotions tell us that the system is wrong. We are therefore in conflict with the system, but this is no conflict of morals, the game is rigged; it is plain hegemony. So, before you turn sentimental and misty eyed in front of your preferred politiclown, remember that they don’t give a shit about you. Remaining in governance is the holy grail of every politiclown.
 
And if you think that voting for a “populist” politiclown will change anything, you are either confused or delusional; they are just another version of the same comic strip.


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Enviro-masochism

13/1/2017

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Industry is working hard to provide you with “things”, to keep you fed, healthy, entertained and mobile. They only do it because you want it, and not because they love making things. Stop buying and they cease to exist. How much simpler could it be?
 
Industries across all sectors and geographic regions, except maybe North Korea, only exist because you, the consumer, buys the things they produce. And because industry knows that you are feeble-minded they use “marketing” to con you that their things are absolutely necessary to your survival, and you respond like a Pavlovian dog responds to a bell.
 
In order to produce the ever more complex things that you find irresistible and essential for life, industry must dig up things, burn things and transform things. Doing this is generally very messy and causes great pain to mother earth. How much simpler could it be?
 
Because you buy things, industry makes money; the most powerful psychoactive device ever invented. Money is also highly addictive; therefore, industry’s greed knows no limits, and you the follower of fashion, continually feed their addiction.
You, the consumer, know very well that industry is raping the planet to provide you with your indulgencies; that industry is raping your wallet to provide you with your little extravagances.
 
In order to keep up with population growth, industry must extort nature to provide more, mostly finite, elements so that industry can produce ever more things.
How much simpler could it be?
 
Money is not only addictive, it also highly contagious. The mere thought of it fuels a desperate desire to accumulate more and more, so that it can be spent on buying things.
Humankind defines itself through possession of things; the more you own, the greater, smarter, stronger you perceive yourself to be. So, you continue on your quest to collect more things and more money, without regard to the consequences of your desire.
 
As long as you feed the beast it will grow until it devours your planet, and you cease to exist.
How much simpler could it be?
 
Yesterday, I accidently watched a program on National Geographic about an enviro-masochist who travels the world (in carbon guzzling contraptions that fly through the air) with his television crew to document the ravages industry is causing to the planet. A noble, if futile, endeavour. Everyone is painfully aware that we are destroying our planet. We don’t need another television documentary to tell us what we already know. And the great paradox is that if you are able to watch his film, you are contributing to the problem.
 
What we need is a (humane) way to kill the techno-narcissistic zombies devouring things and chasing the illusion of wealth. What we need is a (humane) way to stop unbridled reproduction of human beings. What we need is to stop thinking that we are smarter than nature, and get back to living simply in harmony with her. What we need is to rid ourselves of our addiction to things, and to define ourselves by the good we do to the earth and its inhabitants.
 
How much simpler could it be?

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