Another beautifully concise piece. Sharp, short and to the point. The metaphor is spot on!
I wrote something along those lines not long ago (not so well written but much like it in content. I got some stick and...a lot of silence for my pains. People are such cowards. Even of they agree with what you're (and I was) saying they won't dare say so out loud.
I feel like I've sort of "come home", finding your site. It's not only what it's said here but some of the link that emerge from here, too. I though true Anarchy was dead or totally distorted and perverted. Not so. It's still alive, well and living (for now) on the ether. May we see it take flesh, sooner rather than later. (And even then it might be too late -but it's the though wot counts, as we say in my neck of the woods)
Thanks so much. It's a difficult situation, and your kind words are much appreciated.
Anarchism is alive and well, however, and much better theorists and activists than myself are currently out there. Peter Gelderloos' is an important and balanced voice, for instance.
In my point of view, one shouldn't take any side, but try to protect himself and his loved ones from all the barbaric war, if one is caught in the middle. If not, one should not engage in toxic propaganda, or acts or insults, from either side, but to engage in or facilitate dialogue. Peace is always possible, it is the only real solution. Negociations (serious ones) have to bring a cease-fire, and therefore spare some lives that otherwise would be destroyed aimlesly.
That's an important discussion, not least since that concept is bandied around in basically every important narrative in the current media discourse.
I think democracy in any real sense is only plausible in small-scale societies with a very high degree of self-reliance and control over the means of production, and possibly also in loose-knit confederations formed by such societies.
It is a strange world when the "good guys", the ones fighting a war for peace (!?) surround the world with military bases (around 5,000 US bases, with about 600 overseas): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases, not to mention missile installations, black ops and general espionage bastardry.
Pointing out the Orwellian nature of language possibly doesn't change a lot of minds, especially those of the intellectuals who Feyerabend excociates, but it nevertheless needs to be said. And said again and again and again. Because this propaganda machine self-perpetuates, and the only way it can be stopped is by people stopping it, or by it destroying itself.
I hope we manage the form, but suspect it will be the latter, which in turn, will have massive "collateral damage" (ugh, all of these euphemisms that have infected language...)
Thanks brother. I wish people would just take a deep breath and look away from the inflammatory headlines and stop reposting nonsensical Putin-memes for just a minute.
Thanks man. Good one. His emphasis that this is an existential battle for Russia (rather than some arbitrary attempt at expansion of hegemony) is really important.
Judging by how many people who questioned the covid narrative have now fallen for the new red scare, it's obvious that their deepest convictions about the west and its mission of progress were not challenged, rather they saw the pandemic and its responses as an impediment to said mission. They will still fight for their quasi religious belief and cannot form a more nuanced macro view of the events and history. Only a very small % of us are operating outside the lens (the matrix if you will). It is embarrassing to see people equate the western response to Russia's push back as a 'global response'. I'd bet most of the rest of the world is applauding Russia for finally standing up to their mutual bully.
Thanks a lot. Yeah, it's an imperfect analogy, but I think it brings out a few core issues of this mess.
"NATO was rapidly arming ukraine, bringing in and setting up military installations and equipment directed toward Russia. This was known, public and in news."
Exactly. Nobody seems to remember this, now it's just black and white narratives with Putin as Hitler and the West as the voice of reason and justice.
Please keep in touch. I think maintaining the dialogue and discussions however we can is extremely important now.
Another beautifully concise piece. Sharp, short and to the point. The metaphor is spot on!
I wrote something along those lines not long ago (not so well written but much like it in content. I got some stick and...a lot of silence for my pains. People are such cowards. Even of they agree with what you're (and I was) saying they won't dare say so out loud.
I feel like I've sort of "come home", finding your site. It's not only what it's said here but some of the link that emerge from here, too. I though true Anarchy was dead or totally distorted and perverted. Not so. It's still alive, well and living (for now) on the ether. May we see it take flesh, sooner rather than later. (And even then it might be too late -but it's the though wot counts, as we say in my neck of the woods)
Keep them coming compadre!
Thanks so much. It's a difficult situation, and your kind words are much appreciated.
Anarchism is alive and well, however, and much better theorists and activists than myself are currently out there. Peter Gelderloos' is an important and balanced voice, for instance.
In my point of view, one shouldn't take any side, but try to protect himself and his loved ones from all the barbaric war, if one is caught in the middle. If not, one should not engage in toxic propaganda, or acts or insults, from either side, but to engage in or facilitate dialogue. Peace is always possible, it is the only real solution. Negociations (serious ones) have to bring a cease-fire, and therefore spare some lives that otherwise would be destroyed aimlesly.
What is "democracy"? Where is it to be found?
That's an important discussion, not least since that concept is bandied around in basically every important narrative in the current media discourse.
I think democracy in any real sense is only plausible in small-scale societies with a very high degree of self-reliance and control over the means of production, and possibly also in loose-knit confederations formed by such societies.
Indeed...wonderful writing as always.
It is a strange world when the "good guys", the ones fighting a war for peace (!?) surround the world with military bases (around 5,000 US bases, with about 600 overseas): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases, not to mention missile installations, black ops and general espionage bastardry.
Pointing out the Orwellian nature of language possibly doesn't change a lot of minds, especially those of the intellectuals who Feyerabend excociates, but it nevertheless needs to be said. And said again and again and again. Because this propaganda machine self-perpetuates, and the only way it can be stopped is by people stopping it, or by it destroying itself.
I hope we manage the form, but suspect it will be the latter, which in turn, will have massive "collateral damage" (ugh, all of these euphemisms that have infected language...)
Thanks brother. I wish people would just take a deep breath and look away from the inflammatory headlines and stop reposting nonsensical Putin-memes for just a minute.
And this from Jim Kavanagh https://thepolemicist.substack.com/p/the-battle-of-ukraine-and-the-war
Thanks man. Good one. His emphasis that this is an existential battle for Russia (rather than some arbitrary attempt at expansion of hegemony) is really important.
Judging by how many people who questioned the covid narrative have now fallen for the new red scare, it's obvious that their deepest convictions about the west and its mission of progress were not challenged, rather they saw the pandemic and its responses as an impediment to said mission. They will still fight for their quasi religious belief and cannot form a more nuanced macro view of the events and history. Only a very small % of us are operating outside the lens (the matrix if you will). It is embarrassing to see people equate the western response to Russia's push back as a 'global response'. I'd bet most of the rest of the world is applauding Russia for finally standing up to their mutual bully.
Thanks a lot. Yeah, it's an imperfect analogy, but I think it brings out a few core issues of this mess.
"NATO was rapidly arming ukraine, bringing in and setting up military installations and equipment directed toward Russia. This was known, public and in news."
Exactly. Nobody seems to remember this, now it's just black and white narratives with Putin as Hitler and the West as the voice of reason and justice.
Please keep in touch. I think maintaining the dialogue and discussions however we can is extremely important now.