Grounding tools for a destabilized world. From psychological survival to community care and emotional regulation, these resources help build inner and outer strength for navigating collapse with clarity and courage.
Most people think they participate in democracy every few years.
They vote in an election, follow the news, argue with relatives over the holidays, and hope the people they elect will make good decisions.
But there is another voting booth we visit almost every day.
The grocery store.
The pharmacy.
The hardware store.
The department store.
The gas station.
The coffee shop.
Every purchase we make sends a signal into the economic ecosystem around us. Most of us don’t think about it because modern life is already exhausting enough. We have jobs to work, bills to pay, children to raise, meals to prepare, and endless responsibilities competing for our attention.
We are trying to survive.
Yet even while simply trying to survive, we are participating in a vast system of incentives, investments, and influence that extends far beyond the products we place in our shopping carts.
That realization became the inspiration for a new project I call The Civic Ledger.
The Hidden Vote & The Food We Eat
Beyond Products
When most people buy a loaf of bread or a package of coffee, they are not buying a political ideology.
They are buying lunch.
They are feeding their families.
They are solving an immediate problem.
Yet the companies that manufacture, distribute, and sell those products often take the profits generated from those purchases and reinvest them into a wide variety of activities:
lobbying efforts
political action committees
trade organizations
environmental initiatives
worker programs
shareholder dividends
community investments
civic advocacy
In other words, our purchases don’t stop at the cash register.
They continue their journey long after the receipt is thrown away.
The question becomes:
Where do they go?
Where Does the Money Go?
Antisocial Investments
The first branch of The Civic Ledger explores what I call Antisocial Investments.
These are organizations that have been connected through publicly documented lobbying, political spending, executive donations, or influence networks to activities that may undermine democratic institutions, labor protections, environmental stewardship, healthcare access, or economic fairness.
The purpose of this work is not to create villains.
Reality is rarely that simple.
The goal is awareness.
Many consumers know more about the ingredients in their breakfast cereal than they know about the political and economic systems their purchases help support.
The Antisocial Investments series attempts to make some of those hidden systems visible.
It functions less like a blacklist and more like a map.
A map of influence.
A map of power.
A map of where money flows after it leaves our hands.
A giant barcode city dominates the horizon.
Prosocial Investments
But maps should not only reveal dangers.
They should also reveal possibilities.
That realization led to the second branch of the project:
Prosocial Investments.
While researching corporate influence, I began discovering businesses that were experimenting with different ways of organizing economic life.
Some were cooperatives.
Some were employee-owned.
Some invested heavily in environmental stewardship.
Some prioritized worker well-being.
Some supported democratic participation.
Others remained politically neutral while focusing on strengthening local communities.
These organizations are not perfect.
No organization is.
But they represent something important:
Alternatives.
They remind us that businesses are not natural forces like hurricanes or earthquakes.
They are human creations.
And human creations can be designed differently.
The Turning Point
The Living Civic Garden
As the project evolved, I found myself moving away from thinking about corporations as isolated entities and toward thinking about them as participants in an ecosystem.
That led to a new image:
The Living Civic Garden.
In a healthy garden, many different plants contribute to the flourishing of the whole.
Some strengthen the soil.
Some attract pollinators.
Some provide shade.
Some nourish the community.
Likewise, healthy societies depend on many different forms of contribution.
Cooperatives distribute ownership.
Employee-owned businesses distribute wealth.
Independent enterprises strengthen local economies.
Community-focused organizations reinvest in neighborhoods.
Environmentally responsible companies help preserve the conditions necessary for future generations.
Each contributes something unique to the civic ecosystem.
The question is not whether any company is perfect.
The question is whether it helps cultivate healthier soil.
The Living Civic Garden
A New Symbol System
To help visualize these patterns, I developed a symbolic language for The Civic Ledger.
🟩 Democracy / Civic Engagement
🔵 Labor / Worker Well-Being
🌎 Environmental Stewardship
⚖️ Civil Rights / Inclusion
🤝 Community Investment
🔶 Employee Ownership
🟣 Cooperative Ownership
🏡 Independent Enterprise
⚪ Political Neutrality
🟨 Mixed Record
These symbols are not intended as moral absolutes.
They are guideposts.
A shorthand language for exploring how different organizations interact with society.
Together they create a civic map hidden within the marketplace.
Every Dollar Is a Seed | “Consumption is never entirely passive.”
Every Dollar Is a Seed
Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned while creating this project is that consumption is never entirely passive.
Every purchase helps reinforce a system.
Every purchase strengthens incentives.
Every purchase contributes, however slightly, to the world that emerges tomorrow.
This does not mean we should obsess over every transaction.
Nor does it mean that ordinary people bear sole responsibility for systemic problems.
The systems we inhabit are often stacked against us in ways we neither created nor control.
But awareness matters.
Awareness creates choice.
And choice creates possibility.
A dollar is never just a dollar.
It is a signal.
It is a vote.
It is a seed.
The question is not whether we are planting seeds.
The question is:
What kind of garden are we helping grow?
What Kind of Garden Are We Helping Grow? “Every dollar is a signal. A vote. A seed.”
A Tale of Two Emperors — Separated by Two Millennia, United by the Same Wound
Burn the World Down: Nero-Trump Split Image
History does not repeat. But it rhymes — in fire, in spectacle, in the slow rot of institutions hollowed out by one man’s bottomless need for adulation. And sometimes in how narcissistic leaders will Burn the World Down around them… literally and metaphorically.
Nearly two thousand years apart, two figures emerge from the same psychological mold: the narcissistic ruler who mistakes performance for governance, who sees the state not as a trust to be honored but as a stage to be owned. One wore a laurel wreath and played the lyre while Rome smoldered. The other wears a red cap and posts to social media while democratic norms crumble. The costumes differ. The pathology is identical.
The Performer on the Throne
Burn the World Down: The Performer on the Throne
Nero did not govern Rome so much as perform it. He fancied himself a great artist — a singer, a poet, a charioteer — and he demanded that the world reflect his self-image back to him. He built the Domus Aurea, his Golden House, a palace of staggering extravagance stretching across 300 acres of Rome’s heart, complete with a 30-meter rotating golden statue of himself as the sun god. The message was unsubtle: I am not merely emperor. I am divine. I am the light.
Donald Trump understands this language fluently. Before he ever entered politics, he spent decades erecting towers and stamping his name on them in gold letters as tall as a man. Trump Tower. Trump Plaza. Trump International. The branding was never about real estate. It was about the same compulsion that drove Nero to commission that colossal statue — the raw, unquenchable hunger to see one’s own name reflected in the skyline of the world. When he returned to the White House, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico. He proposed putting his face on Mount Rushmore. The Golden House has merely moved to Mar-a-Lago.
Burn the World Down: Nero’s Opulent Domus Aurea (Made by Genolve)Burn the World Down: Rendering of Trump’s Golden Ballroom
Scapegoats & the Fire
When Rome burned in 64 CE — whether by accident, negligence, or Nero’s own hand remains debated — the emperor needed someone to blame. He chose the Christians: a small, strange, already-suspect minority who could be painted as enemies of Rome, subverters of tradition, threats to the social order. It did not matter whether they were guilty. What mattered was that the crowd needed a villain, and Nero needed the crowd’s attention redirected.
The mechanism is ancient. It is also contemporary.
From the opening day of his first campaign — “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists” — Trump has governed by the same principle Nero understood instinctively: a frightened, angry populace is a manageable one, provided you give them an enemy. Immigrants. Refugees. Muslims. The “deep state.” Transgender athletes. The targets rotate, but the function never changes. Find the outsider. Name them the source of your people’s pain. Watch the crowd roar its approval. This is not politics. This is the oldest magic trick in the authoritarian’s repertoire, and Nero would have recognized it immediately.
Burn the World Down — Nero and Trump: The Great Fire of RomeBurn the World Down: Christian Scapegoats — Triumph of Faith-Christian Martyrs in the Time of Nero by the French artist Eugène Romain Thirion
Burn the World Down: Stephen Miller’s War on Democracy, Trump’s Illegal Immigration Policies & the Scapegoating of Innocent People
The Removal of the Inconvenient
Here is where the parallel becomes most chilling — and most instructive.
Nero did not consolidate power in a single dramatic coup. He did it incrementally, by removing, one by one, everyone who might restrain him, challenge him, or remind him of his obligations to something larger than himself.
First came Britannicus, his younger stepbrother and rival to the throne — poisoned at a dinner party. Then his mother Agrippina, who had made him emperor and believed she could control him — assassinated on his orders when she proved inconvenient. Then Claudia Octavia, his first wife, exiled and executed to clear the path for Poppaea. Then, eventually, Poppaea herself — allegedly kicked to death in a rage. And throughout it all, the court filled not with wise counselors but with flatterers, yes-men, and sycophants who told Nero only what he wished to hear.
Trump has not murdered people. Let that distinction stand clearly. But he has murdered institutions with the same methodical incrementalism. The State Department, hollowed. The EPA, defanged. The Department of Education, targeted for dissolution. Inspectors general — the internal watchdogs of democratic governance — fired en masse in the middle of the night. Judges who rule against him are denounced as illegitimate. Generals who push back are fired or publicly humiliated. The Joint Chiefs, the intelligence community, the free press — all reframed as enemies of the people. What Nero did with poison and the Praetorian Guard, Trump does with executive orders, social media, and the slow strangulation of institutional legitimacy.
The result, in both cases, is the same: a court of sycophants, a vacuum where wisdom once sat, and a ruler accountable to no one.
And women have long held the Title of Inconvenient… across many different cultures and times. Three of the people Nero is known to have killed or contributed to their deaths are women. Along these same lines is Donald J. Trump who has been convicted of sexual assault and is doing everything in his power to conceal and repress the Epstein Files. If he were innocent, why is he hiding these files?
This is where history’s rhyme becomes most painful to hear.
Seneca — philosopher, statesman, and Nero’s tutor — watched the murders accumulate. Britannicus. Agrippina. The parade of the discarded. And like so many good people throughout history, he chose the path of dignified withdrawal. He asked to retire to his country estate. He stepped back from the court, from the chaos, from the escalating horror. Surely, he must have reasoned, this cannot continue. Surely the madness will exhaust itself. Surely Rome’s institutions, its traditions, its fundamental decency will reassert themselves.
They did not. Seneca was eventually accused of conspiracy — on thin and dubious evidence — and Nero ordered him to take his own life. The philosopher who had taught the emperor about virtue, restraint, and the common good was destroyed by the very man he had tried to shape into something worthy of power.
Does this not sound familiar?
Look around at the good people of America today. The senior officials who resign rather than implement unconscionable orders — and then say nothing publicly, for fear of the backlash. The Republican senators who privately express horror at what is happening and publicly say nothing consequential. The corporate leaders who withdraw from the public square, quietly pulling DEI programs, quietly complying with whatever winds blow from Washington, heads down, hoping the storm passes. The ordinary citizens who have tuned out the news because it is simply too exhausting, too relentless, too dark.
They are doing what Rome’s good people did. They are retiring to their country estates.
And history’s lesson on this point is merciless: it does not end well for those who wait.
The insanity of such rulers does not die down. It does not self-correct. It does not exhaust itself and return the world to normal. It escalates — until it is stopped, or until it collapses everything around it. There is no third outcome.
Even granting the most optimistic political scenario — a midterm correction, a 2028 restoration of something resembling democratic normalcy — the damage already done will echo for decades.
Nero’s Rome never fully recovered its pre-Neronian character. The trust between emperor and Senate, between ruler and citizen, had been poisoned in ways that could not simply be legislated away. The precedents had been set. The guardrails had been demonstrated to be merely suggestions.
The damage Trump has inflicted is similarly structural, and in one domain — climate — it is not merely structural but irreversible on human timescales.
The decisions made and unmade in the 2020s regarding climate mitigation are not policy choices that a future administration can simply reverse with the stroke of a pen. Carbon already in the atmosphere does not respond to executive orders. Ecosystems tipped past their thresholds do not recover because a new president rejoins the Paris Agreement. International coalitions dismantled and trust shattered require years, sometimes decades, to rebuild — and we do not have decades to spare.
We have already crossed into the territory where the question is no longer whether catastrophic climate disruption occurs, but how catastrophic, and how soon. What happens in this decade sets in motion consequences that will unfold across the rest of this century. The decade of decisive action has been squandered — not by accident, but by deliberate political choice in service of fossil fuel interests and short-term electoral calculation.
The scenario imagined in Sapience: The Moment Is Now — once the province of speculative fiction — grows less speculative with each passing year. Nation-states bankrupted by cascading climate disasters. The retreat of governmental capacity in the face of crises that exceed its resources. The rise of multinational corporate entities as the only institutions with sufficient capital and reach to fill the vacuum. A world governed not by democratic consent but by the logic of emergency management and corporate liquidity.
If that future arrives, historians will mark this decade as the moment the door to prevention closed. And they will note, with the same weary recognition with which we now study Rome, that the people of that era saw it coming — and too many of them retired to their country estates and waited for someone else to act.
Burn the World Down: 2029 End of the Line for People of Earth
The Wisdom Wrap: What These Two Men Teach Us
Nero and Trump are not aberrations. They are archetypes — recurring figures in the long human story of what happens when power is given to those whose primary relationship is with their own reflection.
They teach us that:
Spectacle is not governance. The roar of the crowd is not the same as the consent of the governed. Entertainment and leadership are not the same thing, and a civilization that cannot tell the difference is in mortal danger.
Sycophancy is not loyalty. It is the final stage of institutional decay. When a leader surrounds himself only with those who tell him what he wants to hear, he has not achieved security — he has achieved blindness. And blind leaders drive civilizations off cliffs.
Withdrawal is not neutrality. Seneca learned this too late. The decision to step back, to keep one’s head down, to wait out the storm — this is not an act of wisdom. It is an act of complicity dressed in the clothes of prudence. History does not excuse it, and neither should we excuse it in ourselves.
Collapse is not inevitable — but it requires us to choose otherwise. Rome did not have to fall the way it fell. The conditions were created by human choices, human failures, human cowardice and greed. So too with what faces us now. The archetype of the narcissistic ruler is powerful — but it is not all-powerful. It has been broken before, by citizens who refused to retire to their country estates, who refused to normalize the abnormal, who held the line when the sycophants told them the line did not matter.
The question for this moment — as it was for Rome, as it is in every age when the fire-starter takes the throne — is not whether we understand what is happening.
We understand.
The question is whether understanding will be enough to move us to act.
Burn the World Down: 2029 End of the Line for People of Earth
Burn the World Down: Nero, Trump & Now: Briefing Document
Burn the World Down: The Gilded Ruin The Rise and Fall of Nero — Slide 1
The Theatricality of Tyranny: Nero as a Historical Template for Absolute Power
This briefing document analyzes the reign of Nero through the lens of “theatrical coding”—a method employed by ancient historians to preserve warnings about the nature of self-absorbed, ruthless leadership. By examining the accounts of Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio alongside modern archaeological and revisionist insights, this document explores how the staging of power in the first century provides a template for identifying modern figures who prioritize personal interest over the public good.
The Historiography of Performance: “Theatrical Coding”
Ancient historians did not merely record biographies; they used “theatrical coding” to warn future generations about the inherent dangers of autocracy. In this context, the lurid stories of Nero’s stage performances, public depravity, and familial cruelty are viewed not just as gossip, but as archetypal shorthand for the corruption of the princeps—the “first among equals.”
Burn the World Down: Nero, Trump: Deconstructing Nero — Slide 6
Dissimulation and Doublespeak
As outlined by Shadi Bartsch in Actors in the Audience, the Neronian era forced the Roman elite into a state of perpetual performance. Under the “scrutinizing eye” of the ruler, senators became actors and dissimulators. This environment distorted language into “doublespeak”—saying one thing while meaning another—as a survival mechanism against imperial oppression. This theatricality transformed the political arena into a stage where representation was dictated by the pull of autocratic authority.
Vituperatio: The Rhetoric of Malignity
Critics of the traditional Neronian narrative, such as Thorsten Opper, suggest that many accounts were shaped by a rhetorical tradition known as vituperatio (vituperation). This allowed historians to invent or exaggerate perversions to malign a character. However, from a critical historian’s perspective, the convergence of these stories across multiple authors suggests a fundamental truth about the “theatrical” style of Nero’s rule, regardless of whether specific details were apocryphal.
Burn the World Down: Deconstructing Nero — Slide 7
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Templates for Power: The Private Playground of the Tyrant
The “Nero template” identifies a leader who views the state, the public, and even their own family as a playground for exploitation.
The Systematic Destruction of the Family
Nero’s treatment of his inner circle serves as a primary warning against leaders who lack empathy or public concern.
Agrippina the Younger: Nero’s mother and co-regent was systematically sidelined and eventually murdered. Historians describe elaborate plots, including a self-sinking boat, before she was ultimately stabbed. Her death is often framed as a “sacrifice” to appease the senatorial elite who resented her political influence.
Claudia Octavia: Nero’s first wife, beloved by the people, was divorced, banished, and executed in a steam bath. The public riots in her favor ironically triggered more extreme cruelty, as Nero became more determined to eliminate her as a symbol of popular resistance.
Poppaea Sabina: His second wife allegedly died after Nero kicked her in the belly while she was pregnant. While some revisionists suggest this was a “matrimonial row that got out of hand” or a miscarriage, the historical coding remains: the tyrant’s rage consumes even the most intimate and vulnerable.
Sexual Exploitation as Political Control
Nero’s sexual behaviors are interpreted by historians as a means of asserting total, arbitrary control over all bodies within the empire.
The Castration of Sporus: Nero had the freedman Sporus castrated and married him in a public ceremony where Sporus wore the traditional garb of a bride.
Pythagoras and Public Consummation: Nero later played the role of the bride in a ceremony with another freedman, Pythagoras, consummating the union on a couch in full view of banquet guests.
The “Animal Skin” Games: Suetonius records that Nero would don animal skins to assail the private parts of men and women bound to stakes, a “theatrical” display of dominance and the “unmanning” of his subjects.
Burn the World Down: Emperor Nero ordered the castration of a young man named Sporus to make him resemble his deceased wife, Poppaea Sabina.
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The Great Fire: Scapegoating and Spectacle
The Great Fire of Rome in AD 64 provides a template for how a “theatrical” ruler handles catastrophe.
Historical Myth
Archaeological/Revisionist Reality
Nero “fiddled” (sang of Troy) while the city burned.
Nero was in Antium when the fire started and led relief efforts.
Nero brazenly set fire to the city to make room for his palace.
The fire likely started accidentally in the slum housing of the Circus Maximus.
Nero used the apocalyptic backdrop for a theatrical performance.
Nero did build the lavish Domus Aurea over the ruins, signaling a lack of sensitivity to public loss.
Nero’s subsequent persecution of Christians—scapegoating a marginalized group for the fire—establishes a template for “political scapegoating” used by ineffective or negligent leaders to deflect culpability.
Burn the World Down: This painting is titled Nero’s Torches (Pochodnie Nerona), created in 1876 by the Polish artist Henryk Siemiradzki
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Evolution vs. Devolution: A 5,000-Year Cycle
The debate persists: has the psychology of the “ruthless ruler” evolved into something more sophisticated, or has it devolved into more destructive forms?
Ancient Tactics: Nero’s theatricality was overt—singing on stage, public executions, and physical “unmanning.” Power was asserted through direct, often grotesque, spectacle.
Devolution of the Public Good: The case of the 400 slaves executed in AD 61 illustrates a devolution of justice. Despite public support for the innocent slaves, Nero backed the senatorial faction to uphold a brutal deterrent law, prioritizing political alliance over human life.
Nero — Myth & Warning: Infographic (LMNotebook)
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Modern Comparisons: The Neronian Legacy in the 21st Century
The “shorthand” of Neronian history remains a vital civic tool for identifying contemporary political figures who utilize public attention for personal entertainment and exploitation.
Decadence and Domestic Profligacy: Modern leaders have been compared to Nero for their lavish personal expenditures during times of national crisis. Examples include the “gold wallpaper” used in the renovation of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street apartment, redolent of the frescoes and gold leaf of the Domus Aurea.
Theatrical Trolling: Former President Donald Trump’s retweet of a photograph of himself “playing the fiddle” during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis is cited as an act of “Neronian trolling,” deliberately invoking the image of the detached leader during a catastrophe.
Public Attention as Power: The “Epstein class” and figures like Trump are noted for using wealth and public platforms to pursue personal, often cruel, entertainment, paralleling the Roman emperor’s use of the theater and gladiatorial games to distract or manipulate the populace.
The Persistence of the “False Nero”: Affection for Nero persisted among the common people for decades after his death, leading to the emergence of “false Neros.” This highlights a historical truth: political popularity is often untethered from effective or moral leadership.
Conclusion
The accounts of Nero serve as a coded warning for future generations. Whether through the “theatrical” execution of family members, the “vituperative” rhetoric of historians, or the “doublespeak” of the court, the Neronian template identifies the perennial risk of leaders who prioritize their own “stage performance” over the stability and welfare of the state. History, in this sense, is not just a record of the past but a diagnostic tool for the present.
Burn the World Down: Nero, Trump & Now:Political Governance Review
Burn the World Down: Dramatic View of Nero Playing His Lyre as Rome Burned
Political Governance Review: The Theatricality of Tyranny and the Shorthand of History
1. The Historiographical Script: History as Theatrical Coding
In the study of classical power dynamics, “theatrical coding” emerges not as a mere biographical quirk, but as a sophisticated literary defense mechanism deployed by Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio. These chroniclers recognized that in the absence of modern recording technology, the preservation of civic warnings required a standardized language of pathology. They utilized vituperatio—the rhetorical art of personal attack—not as a simple smear campaign, but as a deliberate “topos” taught in Roman rhetorical schools. By retrofitting the excesses of leadership into archetypal scripts, these historians signaled the presence of a “monster” rather than a legitimate princeps. Through “clever design” (Freudenburg), the fall of a leader was often coded to mirror mythic catastrophes like the destruction of Troy, transforming historiography into a template for identifying the rot of absolute power.
As analyzed by Shadi Bartsch in Actors in the Audience, the distortion of language under autocratic authority functions as a mechanism of imperial oppression, creating a climate redolent of Stalinist dissimulation:
Scripted Realities: The requirement for subordinates to become “actors,” masking their true thoughts to survive the scrutinizing eye of a ruler who demands constant performance.
Dissimulative Survival: The evolution of “doublespeak”—saying one thing while meaning another—as the only available mechanism to undo the suffocating effects of imperial suppression.
Forced Theatrical Participation: The degradation of the elite through compelled participation in the emperor’s “drama,” effectively stripping the senatorial class of their agency and dignity.
The Distortion of Discourse: The process by which the magnetic pull of autocratic authority warps all public representation, rendering authentic communication a capital offense.
This mechanism of recording power ensures that the “Shorthand of History” is not merely a record of events, but a diagnostic manual for identifying the early onset of the tyrannical template.
Burn the World Down: The Gilded Ruin The Rise and Fall of Nero — Slide 15
2. The Nero Template: Case Studies in Deranged Exploitation
Nero serves as the foundational archetype for the performer-leader, a figure who perceives the state not as a trust, but as a private theater for self-gratification. This transition from princeps(first among equals) to a self-absorbed performer is crystallized in the “Sacrifice of the Beloved,” specifically the fate of Claudia Octavia. Despite—or perhaps because of—populist riots in her favor, Nero responded with a liturgy of calculated cruelty: a divorce, banishment, and a state-sanctioned execution involving the slitting of her wrists and suffocation in a steam bath. The delivery of her decapitated head to court was a theatrical punctuation mark. The political warning is clear: in a self-absorbed regime, public affection for a victim is viewed as a personal affront by the ruler, ironically accelerating the victim’s destruction.
Nero’s court functioned as a “playground for exploitation,” where familial bonds were systematically dissolved to assert arbitrary dominance. This was not merely criminality; it was the theatricalization of the domestic sphere to prove that no boundary was sacred.
The Dramaturgy of Dominion
Target of Exploitation
Theatrical Act (Source-derived)
Political Warning Encoded
Agrippina (Mother)
A sequence of “clever designs”: a falling ceiling followed by a self-sinking boat; finally, a literal womb-stabbing.
The total erosion of natural bonds; a leader who consumes the source of their own legitimacy for the sake of the “show.”
Claudia Octavia (Wife)
Suffocation in a steam bath and the delivery of her decapitated head to the Neronian court.
The danger of populist favor; how a leader’s jealousy of the public’s love for another triggers extreme state cruelty.
Poppaea Sabina (Wife)
A “matrimonial row” resulting in a fatal kick to the pregnant belly (interpreted by modern archaeology as a miscarriage coded as a “topos”).
The “Tyrant’s Topos”: how a domestic tragedy is retrofitted by history into a template of irredeemable evil to signal the end of a dynasty.
Britannicus (Brother)
A calculated assassination to eliminate the last competing claim to the Julio-Claudian line.
The violent liquidation of legitimacy; the prioritization of a sole, theatrical authority over established succession.
This exploitation of the domestic sphere served as a precursor to the exploitation of the human body as a broader tool of arbitrary state control.
Burn the World Down: Nero Orders His Mother KilledBurn the World Down: This image depicts a historical moment in time titled Nero and Agrippina by painter Antonio RizziBurn the World Down: This painting, created in 1876 by Giovanni Muzzioli, is titled Poppea Brings the Head of Octavia to NeroBurn the World Down: It is widely reported that Nero kicked his pregnant second wife, Poppaea Sabina, to death in a fit of rage.
3. Sexual Exploitation as Arbitrary Control: The “Unmanning” of the Empire
The Neronian court transmuted private deviance into a public liturgy of state dominance. Nero’s sexual behaviors—specifically the accounts of Sporus and Pythagoras—were viewed by ancient historians not as matters of personal preference, but as theatrical assertions of total control over all bodies. The castration and formal marriage of the youth Sporus, followed by Nero adopting the role of the “bride” to the freedman Pythagoras, were performances of “unmanning” the empire. By consuming these pseudo-nuptials at banquets in full view of the elite, Nero forced the citizenry to witness and participate in their own degradation, acknowledging his power to rewrite the most fundamental biological and social realities.
The “Softened” Citizenry: Ancient medical records, specifically the Epitome of Medicine by Paul of Aegina, describe castration by compression: placing children in a vessel of hot water until the “bodily parts are softened” and dissolved. This anatomical dissolution serves as a harrowing metaphor for a citizenry under a theatrical tyrant. A populace that allows its agency to be eroded is “softened” in the heat of a leader’s whims, losing its political form and becoming a malleable object for the autocrat’s entertainment.
This personal depravity was the ultimate assertion of class-based dominance, where the bodies of the subjects became the literal stage for the ruler’s pathology.
Burn the World Down: This image shows a scene depicting Emperor Nero marrying Sporus, a young man he had castrated to resemble his deceased wifeBurn the World Down: Genolve depiction of Nero marrying a Freedman at the bride.
4. Convergence and Class Tensions: The Elite vs. the Street
The memory of Nero remains a “Contested Memory.” To the senatorial families, he was a “Stalinist” monster who utilized dissimulation to hollow out the Republic. To the masses, however, he was a vigorous “Restorer” who bypassed the conservative Senate to build a direct power base with the “Street” and the knightly classes. The construction of the Domus Aurea (Golden House) following the Great Fire of AD 64 was a strategic maneuver: it was a “necessary investment” in the entertainment and housing of the knights, the middle tier of Roman power, effectively marginalizing the old elite.
Historical Record vs. Archaeological Nuance
Literary Accounts (The Script)
Archaeological Facts (The Nuance)
Nero “fiddled” (sang of Troy) from a safe elevation while Rome burned.
Nero was in Antium when the fire started and rushed back to lead relief efforts.
The fire was a deliberate act of arson to clear space for the Domus Aurea.
Nero provided housing for the homeless, arranged grain supplies, and instituted building codes.
The Domus Aurea was a sign of purely selfish, deranged luxury.
The palace served as a strategic investment to house the court and entertain the knightly class.
The “Monster” was universally hated upon his death.
Persistent “False Neros” and positive graffiti in Pompeii show enduring street-level popularity.
The ultimate archaeological proof of this “Shorthand of History” is found in the Carthage sculpture, where Nero’s jowly, full-faced image was literally re-carved and disfigured into the face of his successor, Vespasian. This physical re-coding of power demonstrates how history literally erases the performer to make way for the new regime.
5. Modern Convergence: Identifying the Contemporary “Theatrical” Tyrant
The tactics of ancient tyrants are mirrored by modern political figures who utilize public attention as a tool for personal entertainment and “Neronian trolling.” This leadership style—attention-seeking, petulant, and arbitrary—treats governance as a medium for self-promotion rather than a civic duty.
We see this modern convergence in the “Epstein class,” which views the bodies of the vulnerable as a playground for power, and in specific cultural signifiers. A notable modern echo of “fiddling” occurred in Spring 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis, when a retweet featuring a leader playing a fiddle was used as a tool of populist distraction. Similarly, the “gold wallpaper” renovation of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street residence serves as a contemporary iteration of the Domus Aurea—an aesthetic of excess standing in for legitimate authority.
Burn the World Down: Convergence — Slide 4 of The Gilded Ruin The Rise and Fall of Nero (LMNotebook)
Red Flags for Neronian Leadership
Prioritization of the “Show”: The transformation of policy into performance and governance into entertainment.
The Family Playground: The use of family members as either tools for power or targets of arbitrary exploitation.
Scripted Realities: The manipulation of the narrative through “theatrical coding” or social media to override objective facts.
Aesthetic of Excess: The focus on gilded displays (gold leaf, luxury brands) as a substitute for administrative competence.
Populist Trolling: The use of public spectacle and “vituperatio” to distract from administrative or economic turmoil.
6. Evolution vs. Devolution: The 5,000-Year Psychology of Power
The psychology of the ruthless ruler has not evolved; it has merely found more efficient stages. While modern technology has made the theatricality of power more transparent, it has also made it more dangerous, allowing for the instantaneous spread of “Scripted Realities.” The transition from the princeps to the “monster” described by Suetonius and Tacitus illustrates a recurring historical cycle: power that begins with promise often devolves into a desperate performance of dominance.
We must understand that the “pious frauds” and apocryphal contraptions of historians are often more important than the facts themselves. They represent a psychological fossil record—a warning system designed to detect the presence of a leader who has abandoned the public good for the sake of the show. If multiple sources repeat the same archetypal stories of madness, the “theatrical coding” must be taken seriously as a civic defense mechanism.
The theatrical tyrant is never a relic of the past; he is a recurring pathology that waits for a citizenry to “soften” enough to accept the performance as reality.
Burn the World Down: Nero, Trump & Now: Study Guide
Burn the World Down: A-dramatic-ancient-Roman-palace-interior-under-stormy-torchlight-with-Emperor-Nero-in-rich-imperial-robes-standing-in-the-foreground-half-in-shadow-we808
The Theatricality of Tyranny: Nero and the Coded Shorthand of History
This study guide analyzes the reign of the Emperor Nero through the lens of “theatrical coding.” It posits that ancient historical accounts, such as those by Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, function as a deliberate shorthand to warn future generations about the nature of self-absorbed, ruthless leadership. By examining the convergence of these narratives, we identify templates for power that remain relevant to modern political analysis.
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Burn the World Down: The Gilded Ruin The Rise and Fall of Nero — Slide 6 — Theatrical Coding
Burn the World Down | Part I: The Template for Power
Theatrical Coding and Archetypal Storytelling
Ancient historians utilized specific “theatrical” stories—Nero’s stage performances, public sexual depravity, and animal-skin “games”—not merely as gossip, but as a coded warning system. This “shorthand” describes a ruler who views the empire as a private stage and the populace as a captive audience.
Dissimulation: Under autocratic authority, subordinates (such as Roman senators) are forced to become actors and dissimulators. This “doublespeak”—saying one thing while meaning another—becomes a survival mechanism in a “darkly self-concealing” literary and social culture.
Vituperatio: A rhetorical tradition of personal attack where historians could invent or exaggerate stereotypes to malign a character’s moral standing, signaling a leader’s unfitness for office.
The Paradigm of the Stage: When an emperor takes the stage, the audience must “play along—or else.” This transforms the political arena into a theater where representation is distorted by autocratic pull.
Case Study: The Exploitation of Family and Public
The deaths of those closest to Nero serve as a “playground for deranged exploitation” and a warning template for how absolute power reacts to public sentiment.
Figure
Historical Narrative as “Coding”
The Warning Template
Octavia
Divorced, banished, wrists slit, and suffocated in a steam bath; her head delivered to court.
Populist Trigger: Riots in favor of a beloved victim can ironically trigger more extreme cruelty from a self-absorbed ruler.
Agrippina
Targeted via a self-sinking boat before being stabbed; her final gesture was offering her womb to the blade.
The Unnatural Reign: Hostility toward a mother figure coded as a warning against leaders who disregard the most fundamental social bonds.
Poppaea Sabina
Kicked to death while pregnant after a “matrimonial row.”
The Topos of the Tyrant: Killing a pregnant wife is a historical “topos” (commonplace) used to signal the ultimate “evil deed.”
Sporus
A freedman castrated and married to Nero in a traditional bridal ceremony.
Unmanning as Power: Sexual exploitation and castration used to assert total, arbitrary control over all bodies in the empire.
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Burn the World Down: The Gilded Ruin The Rise and Fall of Nero — Slide 9 (created by NotebookLM)
Burn the World Down | Part II: Modern Comparisons and Evolution
Convergence of Ancient Tactics and Modern Figures
The “theatrical” style of rule—prioritizing public attention and personal entertainment over the public good—finds parallels in modern political figures.
The Gilded Residence: Nero’s Domus Aurea (Golden House), featuring gold leaf and ceilings that dropped flower petals, is compared to modern “Neronian” displays of wealth, such as Boris Johnson’s reported $125,000 renovation of Downing Street with “gold wallpaper” or the gilded private residences of Donald Trump.
Neronian Trolling: In 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis, Donald Trump retweeted a photograph of himself playing a fiddle—a direct nod to the (historically inaccurate) myth of Nero “fiddling while Rome burned,” serving as a modern form of theatrical provocation.
The Epstein Class: Modern exploitative figures who use power for personal, cruel entertainment mirror the “playground of exploitation” seen in the Julio-Claudian court.
Evolution vs. Devolution
A central debate for the investigative historian is whether the “ruthless ruler” has evolved or devolved over 5,000 years.
Devolution: The argument that modern leaders have devolved into more destructive forms, using technology to amplify the same “self-absorbed” Neronian traits.
Evolution into Sophistication: The counter-argument that modern manipulators have become more “sophisticated,” utilizing “tweets” and controlled narratives to achieve what Nero sought through public declamations and stage performances.
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Burn the World Down | Part III: Glossary of Historical Coding
1. Acta: Records of judicial proceedings; in martyr literature, these were often stylized to portray the confrontation between power and the individual. 2. Bulla: An amulet worn by freeborn Roman boys; used in statuary to identify Nero’s initial “angelic” and legitimate status before his “theatrical” decline. 3. Cognitio extra ordinem: The wide latitude permitted to provincial governors to act on their own initiative; a source of the “sporadic and local” nature of Neronian-era persecution. 4. Damnatio Memoriae: The official damnation of a ruler’s memory; explains why many hostile accounts were drafted after Nero’s death to burnish the reputations of successors like the Flavians. 5. Pax Deorum: “Peace of the gods”; the justification used by tyrants to suppress “un-Roman” groups (like early Christians) who were perceived as a threat to state stability. 6. Princeps: “First among equals”; the title Nero held, masking the reality of a monarchy and creating the “theatrical” need for the emperor to constantly perform for the senatorial class. 7. Superstitio: A term used by Pliny and Suetonius to label Christianity as “depraved” and “excessive,” coding it as a contagion rather than a legitimate religion (religio). 8. Topos: A traditional theme or formula in literature; for example, the “tyrant killing his pregnant wife” is a topos used to signal total moral collapse.
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Burn the World Down | Part IV: Critical Analysis Quiz
1. According to the concept of “Theatrical Coding,” why did historians like Suetonius emphasize Nero’s stage performances and animal-skin games?
A) To provide an accurate record of 1st-century Roman entertainment.
B) To act as a coded shorthand warning future generations about self-absorbed leadership.
C) To encourage the public to attend more theatrical events.
D) To document the evolution of Roman musical instruments.
2. The execution of Claudia Octavia is presented as a “template” for what political phenomenon?
A) The successful implementation of imperial divorce laws.
B) The necessity of steam baths in Roman hygiene.
C) How populist support for a victim can ironically trigger more extreme cruelty from a tyrant.
D) The peaceful transition of power within the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
3. What does the castration and “marriage” of Sporus represent in the analysis of Neronian power?
A) A progressive move toward gender fluidity in the ancient world.
B) A personal romantic preference of the emperor.
C) A method of “unmanning” others to assert total, arbitrary control over all bodies.
D) A traditional Roman religious ceremony for freedmen.
4. How does the “Domus Aurea” correlate with modern political figures in the provided text?
A) It is compared to the efficient management of public housing.
B) It is used as a metaphor for the “Epstein class” and their use of public attention.
C) It is compared to Boris Johnson’s “gold wallpaper” and Donald Trump’s gilded residences as evidence of Neronian profligacy.
D) It is cited as the first example of sustainable urban architecture.
5. Why do investigative historians consider the “convergence” of similar stories across multiple ancient authors to be significant?
A) It proves the stories are 100% factually accurate.
B) It suggests that even if theatrical coding is applied, the repetition indicates an underlying truth or essential warning.
C) It shows that ancient historians all belonged to the same guild.
D) It indicates that Nero had a very successful public relations team.
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Burn the World Down | Answer Key and Analytical Commentary
1. B. Theatrical coding uses the stage as a paradigm for the theatricality of power, turning Nero’s personal follies into a cautionary shorthand. 2. C.Historians note that the people’s riots in Octavia’s favor made Nero more determined to destroy her, serving as a warning for how victims of tyranny are often endangered by their own popularity. 3. C. Sexual exploitation is analyzed not as a personal vice but as a calculated assertion of dominance over the physical bodies of subjects. 4. C. The text directly links the “profligacy” of renovating private residences with public or donor funds to the “Domus Aurea” style of self-indulgent governance. 5. B. Convergence suggests that the “archetypal storytelling” used by Tacitus, Suetonius, and Dio is a vital civic tool, regardless of whether certain details (like the fiddle) are apocryphal.
Burn the World Down | Review of How America Got Here: Rise of Mega Corporations & an American Oligarchy
Burn the World Down: 64 CE: a spark near the Circus Maximus becomes Romes greatest firestorm. [Image created with Genolve]
Given the critical impending collapse of the American democratic, capitalistic, economic system that is teetering on the edge of oblivion with its balance in the hands of a cruel, sadistic narcissist, let’s review how American innovation locked in the hands of CEOs has slowly, then all of a sudden, corrupted into Ruthless Oligarchy.
Pre-2024:Throughout history, empires rise and fall (Wolff).
The British Empire declines, giving rise to the American Empire (Wolff).
1870-1970s: U.S. experiences a century of economic growth with rising wages (Wolff).
Around 1970s: Real wages in the US stop rising, leading to increased debt and women entering the workforce (Wolff).
The concept of “The Corruption” emerges, a societal ill rooted in selfishness and greed, leading to the downfall of civilizations (Mann). This is explored through the lens of the Pyramid Model of Mind and how the most “successful” people take advantage of it (Mann).
The development of the Totalitarian mindset and the rise of isms, paving the way for social unrest (Mann).
2000-2021: Russian Oligarchs gain power and are then brought to heel by Vladimir Putin, who offers them a choice: loyalty or imprisonment (Mockler)
2022: Brooke Harrington discusses American Oligarchs and their influence on the US Government (Mockler). Elon Musk buys Twitter but isn’t yet seen as a full-throated MAGA Republican (Mockler).
2024:D. Mann publishes Sapience: The Moment Is Now (Mann).
The US dollar begins to lose its status as the international currency as other countries start to explore alternate options (Wolff).
Late 2024:Trump runs for, and wins, another term as US President.
Elon Musk donates $200 million to Trump’s campaign and sets up a headquarters in Pennsylvania to campaign for him (Mockler). Musk holds a $1 million giveaway for voters in red counties (Mockler).
Trump’s Inaugural Committee receives a massive influx of funding from wealthy tech CEOs and Billionaires, such as Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Uber CEO, and Ken Griffin (Mockler). The inauguration budget is four times that of Obama’s 2009 inauguration (Mockler).
Tech Titans such as META’s Zuckerberg, and Amazon’s Bezos, begin currying favor with Trump, making business moves in support of his politics (Mockler).
The TikTok CEO visits Trump during his inauguration as his platform is expected to be banned in the US (Mockler).
Billionaire tech entrepreneur V Ramaswami joins Musk in an initiative to cut government spending (Mockler)
President Biden gives his Farewell Address, warning that the U.S. is turning into an oligarchy (Mockler).
There is a massive spike in Google searches for “oligarchy” following Biden’s address (Mockler).
Adam Mockler analyzes the concept of Oligarchy and its presence in American politics via his YouTube channel (Mockler).
Economist Richard Wolff delivers a stark warning about the decline of the American Empire and the potential for social collapse (Wolff).
January 16, 2025: President Biden delivers his Farewell Address, warning against the rise of an oligarchy in the United States (Mockler).
January 20, 2025: Donald Trump is inaugurated into office as US President. Billionaires and tech CEOs attend his Inauguration (Mockler).
January 25, 2025: D. Mann publishes blog post exploring the implications of the current political, economic, and psychological crises based on the analysis of Richard Wolff and Adam Mockler and drawing on the ideas presented in her book, Sapience: The Moment Is Now.
On Saturday afternoon, I stood on the edge of a long road in Arlington holding a protest sign. The plan had been simple: people would line eight miles of Glebe Road in a quiet show of resistance. Earlier that day, thousands had gathered at another protest nearby, and the energy had felt electric. But on my stretch of pavement, there was only wind, passing cars, and the sound of traffic. For a while I wondered where everyone was—until the conversations the next day with working people gave me the answer. Most of them weren’t indifferent. They were cautious. They were protecting jobs, careers, and families in a moment when speaking too loudly can carry real consequences. This got me thinking about my work on the Houses of Wreckage and the Colosseum of Power.
Trump’s Destruction of the Free World & the Colosseum of Powerr: Cover of the Coex to the Houses of Wreckage
The Colosseum of Power:Why I Created the First Houses of Wreckage
Over the past few months I’ve been working on a new series of visual books called The Houses of Wreckage. The first one, The Colosseum of Power, looks at a small circle of enormously powerful figures whose wealth, media platforms, and political alliances now shape much of the modern world.
It is not a conspiracy map.
It is a power map.
And the reason I made it has less to do with politics than with a moment I experienced standing on the side of the road in Arlington last weekend.
Earlier in the day I attended a large protest. The energy was powerful. Thousands of people showed up, and for a few hours it felt like the public was awake to the forces reshaping American democracy.
Later that afternoon, another action was organized: a plan to line eight miles of Glebe Road with protesters.
On my street, I was the only one who showed up.
Standing there alone, I had a lot of time to think. Not about why people support authoritarian politics—but about why so many people who do not support it still remain silent.
The answer came the next day in conversations with working people.
Most of them said some version of the same thing:
I can’t risk it. I have to keep my head down. I have a job to protect.
Federal employees worry about retaliation. Contractors worry about losing contracts. Workers inside large corporations worry about their careers. Many people are supporting families while navigating a volatile economy.
Silence, for many people, isn’t approval.
It’s survival.
That realization is part of what led me to create The Colosseum of Power.
The book is a short visual exploration of the modern arena of influence—politics, media, technology, and wealth. It looks at a handful of figures who occupy enormous positions of power in those systems: political leaders, media empires, tech platforms, and billionaire industrialists.
These individuals do not control everything. But together they represent different pillars of influence:
Political power. Media narrative power. Digital platforms. Economic infrastructure.
Trump’s Destruction of the Free World & the Colosseum of Powerr: Middle Pages of the Codex to the Houses of Wreckage
When those forces begin to align in certain ways, the consequences ripple outward into the lives of ordinary people.
Jobs change. Information ecosystems shift. Public institutions weaken or strengthen.
For workers inside large corporations, inside federal agencies, or inside the vast systems that make modern life function, these changes are often felt long before they are understood.
That’s why The Colosseum of Power isn’t really about villains.
It’s about structures.
Think of an ancient Roman colosseum. At the top sit the wealthy and powerful watching the spectacle. In the arena, the drama unfolds. But the entire structure rests on something else entirely: the labor that built it and the public that fills it.
Modern power works in much the same way.
The systems of politics, media, and wealth are visible. But the foundation beneath them is the same as it has always been:
working people.
People who keep cities running. People who build infrastructure. People who deliver packages, maintain servers, write code, manage logistics, teach students, process documents, and hold together the quiet machinery of daily life.
Many of those people have opinions about the direction of the country. But economic pressure and professional risk can make those opinions invisible.
And that’s understandable.
History shows that most moments of change do not begin with dramatic gestures. They begin with something quieter: recognition.
Recognition of how power actually operates. Recognition that systems are built by people and can be reshaped by people. Recognition that the arena is larger—and more complicated—than the daily headlines suggest.
That’s what The Colosseum of Power is meant to offer.
Not a final answer.
Just a map of the arena.
Because the first step toward changing any structure is understanding how it is built.
And who, ultimately, is holding it up.
Trump’s Destruction of the Free World & the Colosseum of Power: Last Page of the Codex of the Houses of Wreckage
Trump’s Destruction of the Free World & the Colosseum of Power:Archetypal Animation
Visual Concept Prompt
Create a cinematic, symbolic animation illustrating the idea of modern power as an ancient arena.
The scene opens in twilight with a vast ancient Roman-style colosseum, partially ruined but still towering. Its stone walls are cracked and weathered, blending classical architecture with subtle modern elements—antenna towers, satellite dishes, and glowing data cables running through the stone like veins.
At the top tiers of the colosseum, shadowed figures representing powerful elites sit in ornate seats. They are stylized archetypal silhouettes rather than literal portraits: – one figure with a crown and raised hand representing political authority – one with a broadcast tower staff representing media power – one surrounded by floating digital symbols representing tech platforms – others holding coins, gears, or blueprints symbolizing wealth and industry.
In the center arena, the ground glows faintly like a chessboard shaped like a map of the United States. Pieces move slowly across it as if part of a strategic game.
Beneath the arena floor, visible through cracks in the stone, thousands of workers form the structural foundation of the entire colosseum. They are stylized human silhouettes holding tools, keyboards, delivery boxes, books, and machinery—representing different forms of labor. Their collective effort literally supports the arena above them.
Occasionally, beams of light shine down from the upper tiers, casting long shadows across the arena floor, suggesting the influence of power from above.
The animation slowly pulls back to reveal the full structure: a massive arena of politics, media, technology, and wealth built upon the labor of ordinary people.
Color palette: deep bronze, stone gray, dim gold light, and glowing blue digital highlights.
Mood: mythic, contemplative, slightly ominous but not dystopian—more like a symbolic revelation about how modern systems are structured.
Style: illustrated graphic-novel aesthetic, dramatic lighting, high contrast, cinematic depth.
Final frame text fades in:
“If democracy is the arena… who sits in the stands, and who carries the stones?”
Music:Stones Beneath Power 03:10 Stability — Slow tempo cinematic ambient orchestral score with deep drones, taiko-like percussion, cello, brass swells, glassy synths, and sparse choir. Minor harmony with suspended chords, no flashy solos, contemplative and ominous mood with gradual emotional lift.
The Colosseum of Power is a symbolic portrait of the modern arena where politics, wealth, and media collide. In stark images and visual storytelling, the great Houses of influence circle the spectacle at the center while the foundations of democracy strain beneath them. Part allegory, part political reflection, this compact book invites readers to look beyond the arena lights and see the structure holding it all up.
You may also like Wisdom Guardians. It begins with discussions on Climate Change and has moved onto the rise and fall of Ruthless Rulers through human history. Both of these topics are core themes running throughout the Sapience Series.
Remember, information is power.
A cinematic symbolic look at modern power: politics, media, tech, and wealth towering over an arena built on everyday labor. Who shapes the game, and who holds it up? #democracy #power #labor #media #technology #politics #wealth #workers #socialcommentary #civics #genolve
Before power captures institutions, it captures perception.
Democracy does not collapse in a single dramatic seizure. It erodes when citizens no longer share a coherent reality. When people inhabit different informational worlds, self-government becomes nearly impossible.
This is not accidental. It is engineered.
And it begins in the mind.
In psychology, apperception describes how new information is absorbed through existing mental frameworks. We do not see the world as it is. We see it through the models we have already built. Every experience is filtered, interpreted, and woven into prior belief.
When those mental models are distorted, reality itself becomes pliable.
The defining political struggle of our era is not merely about laws or elections. It is about perception.
What happens to democracy when perception itself is privatized?
The Manufacturing of Reality: Social Media Is Training Us to Obey
We Already Perceive Only a Fractionof the Manufactured Reality Swirling Around Us
Modern physics offers a humbling insight: human perception is inherently partial.
Quantum mechanics reveals that observation affects what is observed. String theory proposes that what we experience may be a thin “brane” floating within a far larger “bulk” of dimensions beyond our sensory reach. Whether one takes these models literally or metaphorically, the lesson is clear: reality is deeper and more complex than our immediate awareness.
We are always navigating a thin perceptual membrane stretched across something vastly larger.
Healthy societies expand that membrane. They cultivate curiosity, humility, and cognitive flexibility. They encourage citizens to refine their models of reality as new information emerges.
But what happens when the informational environment becomes saturated with noise?
Instead of expanding perception, we flood it.
Twenty-four-hour media cycles. Algorithmic reinforcement. Outrage as currency. Endless scroll. Contradiction layered upon contradiction.
When the signal-to-noise ratio collapses, people do not become more discerning.
They become fatigued.
And fatigue narrows perception.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Image from Another Reality Is Leaking into Ours
Lenin: Capture the Narrative First (The Manufacturing of Reality Is Old)
Vladimir Lenin understood that revolutions are won in the realm of narrative before they are secured in the realm of governance.
Control the story, and you control interpretation. Control interpretation, and you shape allegiance.
If every event is filtered through a single ideological lens, complexity disappears. Alternative explanations become suspect. Dissent becomes betrayal.
Once perception is reorganized, resistance feels irrational. The new order feels inevitable.
The first victory is cognitive.
Hitler: Replace Reality with Myth (The Manufacturing of Reality Is Repetitive)
Adolf Hitler refined this strategy by fusing mythic identity with grievance.
Hero. Enemy. Betrayal. Destiny.
These are archetypal structures. They bypass analytical reasoning and move directly into emotional circuitry. Facts lose relevance because belonging becomes paramount.
Myth simplifies a chaotic world. It offers clarity where complexity feels overwhelming. It offers identity where economic instability erodes dignity.
When myth overtakes shared reality, institutions weaken. Courts, legislatures, journalism — these depend on a baseline agreement about what is real. Remove that baseline, and democratic structure becomes hollow.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Hitler’s Bunker (Remind you of anyone today obsessed with death, destruction, and bunkers?)
Trump: Saturation as Strategy (The Manufacturing of Reality: Still Happening Now)
Donald Trump operates in a different media ecosystem — one defined not by centralized propaganda but by fragmentation and saturation.
The strategy is not uniformity.
It is overload.
Constant statements. Contradictions. Provocations. Breaking news layered upon breaking news. The informational field becomes so dense that evaluation becomes exhausting.
When everything demands attention, sustained attention collapses.
Exhaustion becomes compliance.
This is not merely personality or spectacle. It is perceptual warfare in an age where attention is the most valuable commodity.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Little King Trump
Economic Stress Narrows the Mind, an Essential Ingredient in the Manufacturing of Reality
Economic precarity intensifies this dynamic.
Research on scarcity shows that when individuals are preoccupied with financial insecurity, cognitive bandwidth shrinks. Immediate survival crowds out long-term reasoning. Abstract policy debates lose urgency compared to rent, food, healthcare.
Under chronic stress:
Simplified narratives feel stabilizing.
Strong leaders feel clarifying.
Identifiable enemies feel grounding.
The mind narrows because it must.
A narrowed mind is easier to guide.
This is not a moral failing. It is a cognitive reality.
And it makes perceptual manipulation more effective.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Always Involves Corruption and Income Inequality
The Loss of Interior Expansion
There was a time in Western intellectual history when alternative cosmologies emphasized interior awakening. Early Gnostic traditions, later marginalized and pruned from orthodoxy, suggested that reality is layered — and that human beings possess the capacity to awaken beyond surface appearances.
Whether one accepts those metaphysics literally is beside the point.
Psychologically, such traditions cultivated depth. They encouraged inward exploration alongside outward structure.
Much of Western civilization instead consolidated around more hierarchical metaphysical models: authority centralized, truth mediated, salvation externalized. Over centuries, this narrowed the manuscript of the mind.
In a universe that physics now describes as multidimensional and probabilistic, our cultural habits often remain rigid and binary.
We stare at the brane and forget the bulk.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Inner Space
The Privatization of Perception, Critical Ingredient in the Manufacturing of Reality
Today, perception is no longer shaped only by culture, family, or local community.
It is curated.
Algorithms — owned and operated by private corporations — determine what rises into visibility and what sinks into obscurity. They optimize for engagement, not coherence. For emotional activation, not contemplative depth.
The result is fragmentation.
Different citizens inhabit different informational universes. Shared reference points dissolve. A common civic narrative becomes difficult to sustain.
Democracy requires an informational commons. It requires enough overlap in perception that disagreement can occur within a shared frame.
When perception itself is privatized, the commons erodes.
The danger is not disagreement.
The danger is epistemic isolation.
The Manufacturing of Reality: The Art of Confusion
Noise Versus Signal, You Must Know the Different to Avoid Getting Caught Up in the Manufacturing of Reality
The deeper cost of this manufactured reality is not simply political instability.
It is human diminishment.
When attention is perpetually captured, individuals lose access to their own interior signal. Reflection is replaced by reaction. Depth is replaced by immediacy.
Discoherent noise overwhelms the perceptual membrane.
And when that happens, people forget who they are — and what they are capable of becoming.
Democracy is not sustained by outrage alone. It is sustained by citizens capable of sustained thought, capable of soft focus, capable of seeing beyond the immediate stimulus.
In martial arts, instructors speak of using “soft eyes” — widening the field of vision rather than locking onto a single threat. Soft eyes allow you to perceive the whole field.
Hard focus is useful in crisis.
But permanent hard focus leads to blindness.
A society trapped in permanent hard focus — outrage, fear, reaction — loses its depth perception.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Ordinary People Trapped In a Rage Machine and Economic Deprivation
Expanding the Perceptual Field
The defense of democracy is inseparable from the defense of consciousness.
This does not require ideological conformity. It requires cognitive expansion.
Strengthening apperception rather than surrendering it. Restoring signal amid noise. Reclaiming interior depth in a saturated world. Widening the brane.
Power trains the mind before it takes the state. It reshapes narrative before it reshapes law. It narrows perception before it narrows rights.
The counter-movement must therefore begin in perception as well.
Slow down the feed. Diversify sources. Engage opposing arguments without caricature. Create spaces for sustained conversation. Practice soft eyes.
Because the most radical act in an age of manufactured reality may be this:
To expand your awareness rather than contract it.
Democracy depends on citizens who can tolerate complexity without fleeing into myth. Citizens who can endure uncertainty without surrendering to authoritarian clarity. Citizens who recognize that their perception is partial — and who remain willing to refine it.
We inhabit only a fraction of reality.
The question is whether we will allow that fraction to be engineered for us.
Or whether we will widen it ourselves.
Before power captures the state, it captures the mind.
The preservation of democracy begins by reclaiming it.
The Manufacturing of Reality: Visualization of Mind and Thought as Resonance and Waves
The Manufacturing of Reality: Feature Archetypal Animation
Music: Pulse of the Feed 03:10 StabilityMid-tempo (80–95 BPM) cinematic ambient electronica with pulsing synth bass, soft glitch percussion, airy pads, and sparse piano motifs. Minor-key harmony with subtle tension, occasional filtered risers, no flashy solos. Mood: investigative, uneasy, reflective—building toward clarity and resolve.
That’s all that stands between us and a future where democracy remains a living, breathing reality — or one where it becomes a hollow shell, ruled by those who’ve mastered the art of manipulation. Forty days is not much time, yet it’s enough to decide whether “We the People” still means anything, or whether those words become a historical relic, muttered in classrooms and campaign speeches but stripped of their power in practice.
This isn’t melodrama. It’s math.
Last year, over 90 million Americans didn’t vote. Ninety million voices silent while decisions about their lives, freedoms, bodies, wages, and futures were made without them. That silence wasn’t accidental — it was engineered. And in the next 40 days, the same forces that fed that silence are working overtime to do it again.
The question is: will we let them?
Democracy on the Brink: How Authoritarians Win Before a Single Ballot Is Cast
We often imagine authoritarianism arriving like a thunderclap — jackboots in the streets, constitutions burned, leaders seized in the night. But in reality, it arrives more quietly. It seeps in like a fog, softening resistance, numbing outrage, dulling the will to act. And it does this long before a single ballot is cast.
Democracy on the Brink: Authoritarian T-shirt — Wear It to Your Next March | The Quip Collection
There’s a playbook — one that’s been used over and over, from the fall of ancient republics to the rise of modern strongmen. And every tactic in that playbook is aimed not at armies or institutions, but at your mind.
Distraction: Flood the public square with endless scandals and meaningless controversies until people tune out. The more chaotic the noise, the harder it is to focus on what truly matters.
Division: Pit neighbor against neighbor, turn every difference into a battlefield, and fracture the collective power that democracy depends on.
Despair: Feed the narrative that nothing changes, that power always wins, that your vote is just a drop in the ocean. A hopeless citizen is a silent citizen.
Disinformation: Twist reality itself until truth becomes a matter of opinion. Once shared facts disappear, democracy — which depends on them — dissolves too.
These are not side effects of our political dysfunction; they are the strategy. And they’re devastatingly effective. As I argue in Sapience: The Moment Is Now, authoritarianism doesn’t just conquer governments — it colonizes consciousness. It shapes how we perceive reality, how we relate to one another, and how we decide whether to act at all.
The Most Powerful Weapon Authoritarians Use: Your Inaction (Apathy In Action)
If this sounds grim, that’s because it is. But there’s also hope buried in this truth — because it reveals the most powerful weapon authoritarians have is not violence or propaganda. It’s your inaction.
Democracy on the Brink: Distracted and Sad Super Hero | August 2023 Blog
The 90 million people who stayed home last election weren’t lazy. They were conditioned. Conditioned by decades of messaging designed to convince them that their voice didn’t matter, that “the system” was too corrupt to fix, that politics was something best avoided. And this conditioning starts young.
We are raised in a culture that equates obedience with virtue, that trains us to outsource our agency to systems and experts, that markets passivity as peace. Advertising tells us to consume instead of create. Political rhetoric tells us to hope instead of build. And a 24-hour outrage economy tells us to scroll instead of speak.
Democracy on the Brink: Obey
This is psychological warfare — and it’s working.
But here’s the paradox: inaction is exactly what makes the system seem unchangeable. The less we participate, the more power consolidates. The more power consolidates, the more hopeless participation feels. It’s a feedback loop — one we have the power to break, if we choose.
What We Can Still Do — Right Now to Help Democracy on the Brink
Here’s the good news: this story isn’t over. Forty days is enough time to change its ending.
Democracy on the Brink: VOTE Lawn Sign | The Quip CollectionAnd the Update Sign Based on Hurricane Trump’s Whims [Find it at The Quip Collection, Reckoning Line, Resistance]
History isn’t written by those who watch — it’s written by those who show up. And showing up is simpler, more powerful, and more contagious than most people realize.
Here’s how:
Vote — and help three others do the same. Make sure you’re registered, make a plan, and then go beyond yourself. Text friends. Talk to neighbors. Offer a ride. Turn voting from an individual act into a communal one.
Counter disinformation. Lies spread fastest when they go unchallenged. Don’t let them. Speak up in conversations. Share credible sources. Correct falsehoods gently but firmly. Truth still matters — but only if we defend it.
Interrupt apathy. Change how you talk about politics. Don’t focus only on candidates — focus on what’s at stake: democracy, freedom, dignity, future. Remind people that the point isn’t perfection; it’s progress.
Be visible. Yard signs, protest flags, social posts, conversations at the grocery store — they all matter. Visibility signals to others that they’re not alone. That’s why I created my latest sign reminding people that 90 million didn’t vote last year. It’s not just a statistic — it’s a rallying cry.
And if you need tools, check out the Sapient Survival Guide. It’s built to help ordinary people navigate the psychological battlefield we’re all living in — and to remind you that resistance isn’t just about politics. It’s about reclaiming your agency.
Also, right here, part of the Sapience Shop, is The Reckoning Line. Here you will find clothing, decals, yard signs, face masks, protest flags and posters, plus a whole lot more to make your voice heard. And every voice activated, inspires another who is staying silent to stand up, speak up, and rise against this authoritarian take over.
The Reckoning Line
The Reckoning Line
Where silence breaks, truth sharpens, and courage takes its place.
This collection stands at the edge of illusion and awareness—a space for those who see through the chaos and choose to respond with clarity and conviction. Whether through bold statements, symbolic designs, or quiet defiance, each piece is a marker on the line we must all walk when the moment calls us to reckon—with ourselves, with history, with the future.
Every democracy reaches a moment like this — a moment when the future narrows to a single, urgent choice: surrender to fear and fatigue, or stand up and participate.
Ours has arrived.
We are not powerless. We are not voiceless. But we are at risk of believing we are — and that belief is the most dangerous weapon in the authoritarian arsenal. The antidote isn’t grand gestures or perfect solutions. It’s small, consistent acts of defiance. It’s refusing to be silenced. It’s daring to believe that collective action still matters.
Carl Jung wrote that the “shadow” — the darker impulses in ourselves and society — must be faced and integrated, not ignored. That’s what democracy demands of us now: to face the shadow of manipulation, apathy, and fear, and transform it into purpose.
Democracy on the Brink: The Devil Definitely Believes that He Is God | From Sept. 2023 blog
We have 40 days. Forty days to prove that democracy is not a relic of the past, but a living promise to the future. Forty days to reject the fog and see clearly. Forty days to stand up, speak out, and show up.
The future is still ours to write — but only if we write it together.
📚 Explore & Act
Read:Sapience: The Moment Is Now — for a deeper dive into the psychological and historical roots of our current crisis.
Equip:Sapient Survival Guide — tools and insights to stay grounded and active in the age of manipulation.
Signal: Check out the “90 Million Didn’t Vote” yard sign and resistance gear — because sometimes, the simplest act of visibility sparks a conversation that changes everything.
Wait, There Is More
After all the whining, sniviling, and downright lying MAGA did about the 2020 election, cumulating in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, what if it turns out that MAGA stoled the 2024 election… that Trump did not win and that Kamala should be our President today?
Does this sound far fetched?
Listen… and learn.
Democracy on the Brink — Nathan Taylor, Executive Director of Public Engagement for Election Truth Alliance, joins us to discuss discrepancies in the 2024 election and how to bolster election integrity Election Truth Alliance Website: https://electiontruthalliance.org/2024-us-election-analysis/
Democracy on the Brink: Listen to X (who Elon call his minime) tell Tucker how Elon Musk used Star Link (which he calls SpaceX… ‘casue when your name is X, everything is called X, right?) to Do Whatever They Want to Help Trump Win the 2024 Election… “They’ll never know…” … evil laughs….
Democracy on the Brink: Why I Might Be Too Late
Why it might be too late for America to not collapse:
Ex-Republican Exposes DARK FORCE Behind Trump Support | The Weekend Show
Because good people need a guide when the undead wear suits, wave flags, and drool power
Sapient Survival Guide: Part mythic handbook, part political manifesto, part psychological field guide—this 62-page survival document is a razor-sharp reckoning with the world as it is… and a rally cry for what it could be.
Introductionon How to Survive
How to Survive… In the first weeks of the Trump regime, I called it: The MAGA Zombie Apocalypse. Back then, it felt like satire—a dark metaphor for a rising tide of authoritarian groupthink. But five months into Trump 2.0, the metaphor is no joke–we are living through not only the MAGA Zombie Apocalypse, but the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse.
This point was made most powerfully by Noble Prize Winning economist on May 21, 2025: Paul Krugman.
The Last Word | May 21, 2025 with Paul Krugman | What we are talking about is sadistic zombie behavior… these are ideas that should be dead but it keeps shambling along eating people’s brains… (to listen to what I am referring to… click this link and fast-forward to minute 23 of the video)
And Paul Krugman is not the only award-winning economist raising alarm bells on what Trump and his renegade regime is doing to America’s economy and the global economy.
The images above are from Richard Wolff‘s latest video warning of the impending dangers of Trump’s unhinged ideas. This links to his video. Below is his bio.
A lifelong professor of economics, Richard D. Wolff is a well-known critic of contemporary capitalism and the leading proponent of an alternative economic system based on Worker Self-Directed Enterprises (WSDEs). He is the host of Economic Update, and has been interviewed on several popular television programs that include: Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill Moyers’ Moyers & Company, The Charlie Rose Show, and Up with Chris Hayes. As the founding director of Democracy at Work (d@w), Wolff’s publications that advocate for making the workplace democratic include articles in Truthout.org, The Guardian, Common Dreams, as well as his recent book: Capitalism's Crisis Deepens The videos you'll find here also advocate for WSDEs as a key part of moving forward from the current model of capitalism to a new and better economy. For more information, please visit our websites: http://democracyatwork.info http://rdwolff.com
Another award winning economists who is raising Red Alerts on Trump and his MAGA regime is Jeffery Sachs. Both Wolff and Sachs are saying the same thing and that is the USA is an empire in decline. The new rising empire is rising even faster because of Trump and his shenanigans.
Jeffery Sachs Official YouTube Page || There are a lot of Deep Fakes on YouTube since the rise of AI, so I am linking you to his official site. You can explore his discussions and interviews for the topics that interest you most. Sachs is one of the most knowledgable and powerful speakers of Truth at this moment in time.
Who is the new empire?
Why it is China. Why else are political figures (on both the left and right) demonizing China? They need a boogeyman because they don’t know how to fix or stop America’s decline as the dominate super power in the world.
Listen to the experts. I am just the messenger of their insights and warnings of this moment in time.
Zombie Ideas Are the Vectors of the Zombie Plague
But, we are not there any more and no matter how hard Trump and his MAGA zombies wish it to be… America is not going backwards in time (this universe just doesn’t work that way). However, what we do have going on now is a full-scale infection of zombie ideas. Listen to Noble Prize Winning Paul Krugman describe to Larwance what a zombie idea is. In economics, this is an actual term used to describe destructive economic decisions. Paul Krugman doesn’t mince words, nor does he call what Trump and gang are doing populism. He hits much closer to the core of what is happening right now to ordinary, working class Americans. He calls it the work of sadistic zombies.
This isn’t just “authoritarian drift,” it is: sadism.
Sadistic MAGA zombies don’t just crave power—they relish in cruelty. They cheer at book bans, scream at school boards, and fantasize about revenge. They’ve been taught to believe that empathy is weakness and democracy is rigged. They’ve been fed a diet of fear and conspiracy until all that’s left is a shell of resentment wrapped in a red hat.
And while this madness unfolds in public view, a darker vision looms—one I explore in my book, Sapience: The Moment Is Now. It’s a near-future world where the zombie virus of unchecked greed and ignorance has finally run its course. Nation-states collapse under the weight of climate disaster and political rot. Mother Nature strikes back with rage: fire, flood, famine. But the super-elite? They’re safe. Sequestered in their billion-dollar Multis—fortresses of luxury, profit, and surveillance. Built on our backs. Funded by our suffering. They don’t just survive the apocalypse—they monetize it.
How toSurvive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse
So the question remains: how do good people survive this sadistic MAGA zombie apocalypse?
How do we navigate a world where cruelty is a badge of honor, truth is malleable, and the future has been auctioned off to the highest bidder?
Survival is no longer about hiding from the undead. It’s about refusing to become one.
Survival Guide
1. Don’t Try to Convert the Infected
In Sapience, I explore how mass manipulation hijacks apperception—the brain’s power to weave new experiences with old mental models. MAGA zombies have had their apperception hacked. They see cruelty as strength, lies as truth, and their oppressors as saviors.
You can’t decode a mind that’s been corrupted by a system that rewards delusion. So stop trying to “wake them up.” You’re not dealing with the uninformed—you’re facing the intentionally misinformed. Conserve your energy. Strengthen your own reality instead.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important: Page from Soon To Be Released Graphic Novel
2. Fortify Your Moral Immune System
In a world unraveling—where sea levels rise while civility sinks—what protects us isn’t bunkers or bitcoin. It’s moral clarity. Sapience argues that individual awareness must evolve faster than the systems collapsing around us.
Survival means knowing what you stand for when everything else falls. Read real history. Nourish empathy. Reclaim archetypes of wisdom, guardianship, and creative rebellion. Build an inner compass the zombies can’t corrupt.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important: Fortify Your Moral Immune System
3. Find Your Survivor Tribe
The collapse is not coming—it’s here. As I describe in Sapience, nation-states crumble into irrelevance while the ultra-elite shelter in fortified Multis, profiting from engineered scarcity and division.
Meanwhile, the rest of us must rely on each other. The uninfected. The awake. The aware. Find your people. Your “Wisdom Guardians,” as I call them. Artists, truth-tellers, scientists, street-level organizers, and kitchen-table philosophers. Form pods. Trade skills. Share hope. The future will be rebuilt by tribes of sapients who remember how to feel and think at the same time.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important: Find Your Tribe
4. Use Humor Like a Machete
Zombies don’t laugh. That’s your advantage. In Sapience, I argue that imagination isn’t a luxury—it’s a survival mechanism. Satire, sarcasm, irony: these are weapons against despair and disinformation.
Laugh at absurdity. Call it out. Use your wit to dismantle the systems that want you numb. If authoritarianism is a theater of cruelty, then humor is your standing ovation for sanity.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important: Zombies don’t laugh.
5. Stop Playing Their Zero-Sum Game
The MAGA horde, like the billionaires they worship, believes in scarcity. If they have rights, we lose ours. If they get help, we suffer. In Sapience, I trace this zero-sum thinking back 5,000 years—to the roots of empire, hierarchy, and manufactured division.
Survival means refusing to play this game. The future depends on a different model—abundance through awareness, not extraction. We build systems that care. We dream bigger than the dystopia sold to us.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important Stop Playing Their Zero-Sum Game — National General Strike is our most powerful tool. We have seen this before. If the German people would have mobilized and strikes in 1931-2, they could have ended Hitler before the Holocaust.
This is a future blog, but it describes in detail the use of fear, violence, and corruption in cowing the masses into obedience to the tyranny of Trump & Co. Sapience: The Moment Is Now takes an even deeper dive into how tyrants gain power and control over the masses in the chapters about Ruthless Rulers. I also explore modern man’s long history of being ruled by ruthless men in my Podcast Series: Wisdom Guardians (on YouTube & Spotify)
The sadistic MAGA zombie apocalypse isn’t just metaphor. It’s psychological warfare, ecological collapse, economic sabotage, and civil decay—all rolled into a carnival of chaos. In Sapience, I call for preparedness not just in supply—but in spirit.
Yes, stock the pantry. But also stock your consciousness. Build mental models that help you adapt, imagine, and act. Prep not just for survival—but for post-collapse purpose.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important Prepare Like It’s Real—Because It Is
What Are We Losing & Where Can We Hide?
Not many Americans can afford to move to another country. However, there might be some places in the US that can weather the coming chaos, economic collapse, tariffs, etc. etc. better than other places.
I asked ChatGPT this question.
And I asked it to factor in the impact of MAGA’s Big Beautiful Bill, Trump’s Big Beautiful Tariffs, and Elon’s Big Beautiful Cuts of the Federal Work Force.
Wait, you say, what exactly do these fired federal employees have to do with my economic wellbeing and security? Will we really miss them? Surely, federal employees weren’t doing anything that affects me?!
This is a massively important question — because most Americans don’t realize how deeply their everyday lives rely on federal workers and civil service infrastructure, often until it’s too late.
When Elon Musk and Donald Trump — directly or indirectly — push policies or appoint people who gutted, defunded, or demoralized the federal workforce, the effects don’t look like chaos at first. They look like delays, breakdowns, confusion, and crises without answers.
These cuts of federal employees are not only being done by Elon’s DOGE teenage team of hackers, but also Trump-era cabinet secretaries who are doing everything they can to hurry up attrition, hollowing out, or outright hostility to entire departments to get them to resign. These efforts combined with Elon Musk’s privatization fantasies and support for anti-government ideology, have real, painful consequences — especially during a high-stakes summer.
Here’s a powerful rundown of what Americans will miss, lose access to, or suffer from due to this sustained war on the federal workforce and public service infrastructure:
🌀 Weather and Climate Disasters: You’re on Your Own
Fewer NOAA and National Weather Service meteorologists, leading to delayed or downgraded storm warnings.
Less support from FEMA during floods, wildfires, hurricanes, or tornado recovery — especially in rural and low-income areas.
Climate data suppression or manipulation, making disaster preparation harder for local governments.
Slower response times to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and heat waves, which are growing more frequent and intense due to climate change.
Fewer trained staff at FEMA to process aid, rebuild communities, or coordinate rescue operations.
Weather forecasting delays and reduced storm tracking accuracy as NOAA scientists are driven out or not replaced.
Public lands left unguarded during fire season due to cuts to the U.S. Forest Service.
🥵 Extreme Heat Protections (OSHA, EPA, HUD)
No federal heat standards enforced for workers in warehouses, fields, and construction — putting lives at risk.
EPA gutted so fewer checks on urban heat islands, air pollution, and water safety.
Public housing remains unprepared for heatwaves, with no upgrades to AC, insulation, or cooling stations.
✈️ Travel Chaos (TSA, FAA, National Parks)
Fewer TSA workers = longer lines, more delays, and heightened security risks and greater risk of air traffic issues..
FAA staff shortages = more flight delays and greater risk of mid-air incidents.
National parks overwhelmed, under-maintained, and under-patrolled — risking both safety and ecological damage during peak summer visitation.
Passport and visa delays due to underfunded State Department staffing and backlogs.
Slower response times for air safety violations or airline consumer complaints.
🍔 Food Safety Risks
Cuts to USDA inspectors and FDA staffing mean:
Fewer food recalls.
Slower response to contamination.
More tainted food reaching grocery shelves — especially in meat, dairy, and produce.
🧒 Programs for Kids & Families (USDA, HHS, Education Dept.)
Cut summer lunch programs for low-income kids who rely on school meals.
Delayed child care subsidies and family health services from HHS.
No staff to administer educational grants or summer learning programs — deepening the gap for marginalized students.
🔥 Public Lands and Firefighting
Fewer park rangers, firefighters, and wildland emergency responders.
Reduced protection for forests, wildlife, and endangered ecosystems.
Delays in wildfire prevention programs, increasing the risk of massive summer fires.
🌽 Farmer & Food System Support (USDA, EPA, Labor)
Fewer inspections for food safety, pesticides, and agricultural fraud.
No support for small farmers as subsidies and conservation programs go unstaffed.
Farmworker protection enforcement drops, putting vulnerable workers in harm’s way.
🏥 Health Access and Medical Oversight
Cuts to CDC staff and public health departments hamper outbreak tracking.
Medicare/Medicaid call centers and case managers are overwhelmed.
Less oversight of toxic workplace exposures (via OSHA or EPA), which rise in summer heat.
😷 Public Health & Science (CDC, NIH, FDA)
Slower outbreak response and tracking of new COVID, flu, or RSV variants.
Cancer trials delayed, new treatments slowed.
Fewer food and drug inspections, leading to more recalls and risks.
💼 Small Business and Economic Aid
Delays or shutdowns in:
SBA (Small Business Administration) loan approvals.
USDA rural development grants.
Housing programs (HUD) and energy assistance.
🏛️ Justice & Democracy (DOJ, DOL, USPS, Census Bureau)
Delayed civil rights investigations, police oversight, and workplace discrimination cases.
EEOC, DOJ Civil Rights Division, and labor board staffing gutted.
Slower investigations into:
Police abuse
Discrimination
Corporate exploitation
Undermines voting rights enforcement in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
Labor rights violations ignored due to DOL staff losses.
USPS delays worsen, affecting medication delivery, ballots, and rural access.
Census follow-up workers slashed, hurting planning, school funding, and representation.
💻 Tech and Infrastructure Cracks
Fewer cybersecurity experts defending federal systems.
Disrepair in federal IT systems, IRS help lines, Social Security portals, and more.
Musk’s influence has led to privatized chaos at agencies like NASA and the FCC — where public-good missions have taken a backseat to private profiteering.
🌐 Digital & Infrastructure Access (FCC, NTIA, DOE, DOT)
Broadband expansion stalls, leaving rural and tribal communities offline.
Clean energy grants delayed or canceled.
Transportation projects halted or badly managed due to DOT understaffing.
👵🏽 Elder and Disability Services
Social Security Administration understaffed, leading to:
Long wait times for claims.
Missed payments.
Errors with disability benefits and Medicare.
Veterans Affairs delays for medical care and claims processing.
🚱 Environmental Protection Gutted
EPA enforcement weakened under both Trump and Musk-aligned deregulation.
Polluters operate with impunity in many regions.
Less testing of water, air, and soil — disproportionately harming vulnerable communities.
🚸 Education and Child Protection
Cuts to Head Start, school nutrition programs, and summer youth employment.
Backlogs in child abuse investigations (in coordination with HHS).
Less enforcement of IDEA (special education law) — hurting children with disabilities.
🎯 Bottom Line:
Federal workers are the invisible backbone of a functioning society. When figures like Trump and Musk wage ideological wars against “the deep state,” what they’re really doing is crippling the systems that keep everyday people safe, housed, fed, informed, and protected.
👨👩👧👦 In a Nutshell:
Americans will lose rescue, relief, safety, dignity, and time this summer — not because the government is inherently broken, but because it’s been systematically sabotaged from within. Cuts aren’t just budget line items — they’re broken bridges, burning forests, spoiled food, unpaid claims, and unanswered calls when you need help most.
Economic Hardship Map Due to Trump, MAGA, MuskCuts & Tariffs — Knowledge Is Critical in How to Survive
Factoring in impacts of the cuts to Federal Workers, Republicans Big Bad Beautiful Bill, Trump’s Rollercoaster Tariffs, rounding up and deporting immigrants (who are the economic backbone Americans stand upon), among other nonsense and authoritarian tendencies of Trump and his cronies, ChatGPT made this map.
It shows the worst, bad, good, and best states to weather the coming economic weather that promises to be very destructive to everyone living in the USA.
Everyone, except for the billionaires who are counting their billions once again thanks to the Republican Prime Directive to Make the Rich Richer!
And this pain that is coming is not short-term. It is how the billionaires are turning You and me into a permanent fixture of their glorious money machine. Unless we rise in numbers they can’t ignore, we are doomed to a lifetime of repetitive cruelty (dubbed efficiency).
It is efficiency only meant to benefit them! DOGE was the first bite…We the People are the next!
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse is Important: Best and Worst Places to Weather the Zombie Apocalypse: Knowing
🔥 Conclusion: The Path of the Sapient
We are not merely surviving an election year. We’re fighting a mind virus. We’re fighting despair. We’re fighting a worldview that delights in the suffering of others. But we have what they don’t: compassion, clarity, and creativity.
As we navigate the toxic fallout of this mind virus—engineered by empires like the House of Trump, the House of Koch, and the House of Musk. These modern dynasties feed on chaos, feed on fear, and feast on the unraveling of the common good.
They offer fiery distraction, oily decay, and cosmic delusion, packaged as strength, wealth, and genius. But their apocalypse is not inevitable.
What they lack—and what we fiercely hold—is sapience: the rare, revolutionary capacity to stay human in the face of inhumanity. They burn and extract. We create and rise.
Yes, the MAGA zombie apocalypse is real—an infestation of cruelty, delusion, and decay. But so is the Firebird: that fierce symbol of rebirth rising from ash, wings carved from imagination and resolve.
We are not here to be consumed. We are here to outlast. To outlove. To outthink.
There is no magic savior coming. But maybe that’s the point.
In a world devoured by cruelty and delusion, choosing to remain fully human—aware, kind, imaginative—is the ultimate form of rebellion. In a world designed to dull us into obedience, simply choosing to be awake, compassionate, and creative is an act of defiance.
In Sapience: The Moment Is Now, I argue that it’s time to awaken the archetype of the Sapient Human: one who sees through illusion, transcends despair, and creates meaning even in rubble.
The sadistic MAGA zombies may be loud. They may be real. They may be many. But they are not the future.
This isn’t just resistance. This is transformation.
The sadistic zombies are drooling from their new found power. The dynastic Houses of Economic Power are roaring as the ticker tapes measuring their richness ticks up and up and up.… like one of Elon’s rocket ships! But they are not the future.
And, we have all seen what happens to Elon’s rocket ships to Mars!!!
You are!!
Read Sapience: The Moment Is Now as distraction and psychological armor in mastering How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse
🧠🧟♀️ Download How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse — This is YOUR Sapient Zombie Survival Guide
This is your field manual for surviving the coming storm. And stay tuned… the Graphic Novel is coming—armed with satire, art, and deeper strategies to fight the mind virus and keep your soul intact.
How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse
A comprehensive guide on How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse
Companion Guide: Colosseum Of Power (see below). The first graphic novel of this series began as a Codex to the Forces in power tearing our democracy to shreds. I decided to focus on the billionaires first, them move on to the architects (such as Curtis Yarvin) and dismantlers (such as all the Yes men and women in Trump’s cabinet). Together, the billionaires funding the architects and dismantlers create the Codex to the forces ushering in Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism (two opposing and contrary ideals to democracy). If we are to survive as a democratic system, ‘We the People’ need to put checks on mega corporations, tax billionaires, and pass legislation that will never again let a man like Trump near the levers of power ever again. Part of this process means holding all the people who have participated in the dismantling of democracy accountable for their actions: put Pete Hegseth on trial for war crimes, put RFK on trail for letting the measles epic get out of control and closing down cancer research… you get the idea.
Companion Guide to How to Survive the Sadistic MAGA Zombie Apocalypse
First Guide to the Houses of Wreckage destroying our democracy:
The Colosseum of Power is a symbolic portrait of the modern arena where politics, wealth, and media collide. In stark images and visual storytelling, the great Houses of influence circle the spectacle at the center while the foundations of democracy strain beneath them. Part allegory, part political reflection, this compact book invites readers to look beyond the arena lights and see the structure holding it all up.
The ABCs of DOGE: Why Federal Workers Are the Backbone of Democracy
Imagine waking up one morning to find that the essential systems and services you rely on—air traffic control, food safety inspections, national security, disaster response, infrastructure maintenance—have come to a screeching halt. Trash piles up in national parks, social security payments are delayed, and critical weather forecasts no longer reach those in the path of devastating storms. This is not a dystopian fantasy; it is the harsh reality of what happens when federal workers disappear.
The ABC’s of DOGE: A Democracy Without Experts?
Federal workers are not just employees; they are the experts who keep critical systems running smoothly. These professionals—scientists, engineers, analysts, healthcare workers, and security experts—have sworn an oath to uphold the values of the United States. They do this work at a fraction of what private corporations would charge the government, not for personal gain, but because they believe in democracy and public service.
Yet, an alarming trend is emerging: the systematic dismantling of the federal workforce in favor of privatization. If Trump and Elon Musk succeed in their vision of replacing federal workers with privatized, corporate-run alternatives, the consequences will be devastating.
The ABC’s of DOGE: The Dangers of Privatization
Privatizing the federal workforce is a direct attack on democracy. Why? Because corporations do not serve the public—they serve profit. The so-called efficiency of the private sector comes at a cost: higher prices, reduced transparency, and a lack of accountability.
Think about what happens when you outsource essential government services to private mega-corporations:
Cost Explosion: Private companies will charge double, triple, even ten times what federal workers do now for the same services. Why? Because they exist to maximize shareholder profits, not to serve the public.
Tax Burden Shift: While billion-dollar corporations receive massive tax breaks under a privatized government, the working-class citizen will be left footing the bill. Your tax dollars won’t be funding public services; they will be funneled into the pockets of the ultra-wealthy.
Corporate Control: When the government is run like a business, citizens are no longer participants in a democracy—they become customers of an authoritarian oligarchy. Public interest will take a backseat to corporate agendas, and policies will be dictated by the highest bidder.
The Real DOGE: Democracy Over Government Exploitation
This is why the ABCs of DOGE matter. “DOGE” isn’t just a meme—it’s a rallying cry: Democracy Over Government Exploitation. The fight to preserve our federal workforce is a fight to preserve our democracy itself.
The acronyms used to talk about federal departments and agencies may seem like a bunch of nonsense that MAGA is falsely accusing of being superfluous and telling the American people that there is so much waste, fraud, and abuse going on inside of them. However, in the two months of Elon’s chainsaw massacre of federal agencies, not one case of fraud has been brought to the courts, not one iron-clade example of waste or abuse has been brought to Congress or the People to demonstrate the validity of of their lie.
And no case of waste, fraud, or abuse ever will be brought to Congress or the People because it is a BIG, FAT lie. It is a ploy concocted by the most extreme of the MAGA mindset to get the American people to rollover and let the MAGA maniacs dismantle our democracy and replace it with an Authoritarian Oligarchy. The pathetic examples that Elon does cite, such as there is a 350 year old man receiving Social Security is simply an admission of his vast ignorance and immense stupidity in not understanding or even attempting to learn about the systems, the people, the agencies that he and his teenage racists hackers are dismantling.
America to Elon is like his Cybertrucks that are built with crappy glue so that pieces of its exterior panelling fall off while driving or like his crappy rockets that blow up in mid-air causing airplanes to turn around in mid-air to avoid colliding with the pieces of his rocket crashing back down to Earth. Elon likes to call this” ‘a rapid unscheduled disassembly.’
Charlie Warzel summed it up incredibly accurately in The Atlantic on February 3, 2025 in his article: The ‘Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly’ of the United States Government. He says, “Elon Musk, a foreign-born billionaire, is exercising significant influence over the U.S. government through his role in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He has overseen workforce cuts, implemented an insecure email server, and gained access to sensitive government systems, raising concerns about national security and data privacy.”
Are we going to let Elon keep cutting our federal workforce?
If Elon-Trump keep cutting Federal Workers using their rabid DOGE, America loses, BIG. Here are some of the endangered letters of the alphabet of American democracy, the departments, agencies and services Americans depend upon and perhaps have long taken for granted for too long that the whistle of conmen appealed to enough people to put crooks into the White House. Strongmen-conmen who lie, cheat, steal, and are willing to use violence to get what they want. And if they do, our American democracy may soon be a thing of the past, an extinct species of nation-states, a failed state.
Following are just a few of democracy’s alphabet that we will soon lose:
No CDC – No warning or protections from pandemics.
No CPSC – No safe products. Dangerous toys, electronics, and appliances.
No CFPB – No protection from scams & fraud. Banks, lenders, and corporations run wild.
CFPB employees protest outside closed DC headquarters | NBC4 Washington
No DEA – No enforcement against drug trafficking. Rise in illicit drug flow.
No DHS – No border security, cyber defense, or emergency response.
No DOD – No national defense. Weak military. No cybersecurity.
Trump Makes INSANE Post As Maddow Goes PUBLIC Over SCANDAL! || Jack Cocchiarella who highlights Rachel’s breakdown of how Trump siding with Putin turns our allies against us and make the USA much less safe
Trump HOLDS DISASTER Meeting as WAR PLANS LEAK (through group text plan of war plan to invade Yemen) || MeidasTouch… 26 minutes ago
Pete Hegseth ACCIDENTALLY Texted a Journalist SECRET WAR PLANS!?
Trump RAGES As Hillary STICKS DAGGER In Him After SCANDAL ERUPTS!
No DOE – No safe nuclear or renewable energy. No quantum computing experts.
No DOI – No national parks. No wildlife protections. No public land stewardship.
No DOJ – No justice. Corruption, discrimination, and corporate crime run unchecked.
No DOL – No workplace safety, fair wages, or unemployment support.
No DOT – No safe roads, bridges, or railways. More accidents, failing infrastructure.
No ED (Department of Education) – No public education. Schools defunded. Student aid gone.
Trump expected to issue executive order to eliminate Education Department || CBS News — 126K views 2 weeks ago
‘He has no vision’: Fmr. Education Secretary blasts Trump over elimination of Dept. of Ed.
No EPA – No clean water. No fresh air. No safe environment.
No FAA – No flights or safe skies. More plane crashes. Air travel chaos.
No FCC – No net neutrality. No affordable broadband. Corporate control of media.
No FDA – No safe food, drugs, or vaccines.
No FEMA – No disaster relief. Communities left to fend for themselves after hurricanes, floods, fires.
MEDIA BLACKOUT: America’s Poorest Counties Devastated By Catastrophic Flooding || More Perfect Union — 1.4M views 10 days ago
No FHFA – No oversight of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Housing market instability.
No FEC – No election oversight. Dark money and fraud flourish in politics.
No FTC – No protection against monopolies, corporate abuse, and scams.
No HHS – No public health protections. No medical research funding.
No HUD – No housing assistance. More homelessness, unaffordable rents.
No ICE – No immigration enforcement. Border security weakens. Or more frightening, becomes a piece of the authoritarian arm piece used to frighten, intimidate, and destroy anyone considered an enemy of the state, which in an authoritarian oligarchy is anyone who does not go along with all the lies and con games being played upon the people.
‘Bring Them Back’: Trump Vs Judge Fight Escalates Over Deportations Of Venezuelans | El Salvador
SHOCK PROPOSAL: Trump Calls To Send Tesla ‘Terrorists’ To Prison In El Salvador
No IRS – No tax enforcement. Billionaires pay zero taxes while working Americans foot the bill.
No NASA – No space exploration. No climate monitoring. No satellites. Elon will get to blow up as many of his crappy rockets as he wants and We The People will pay for his light show showering hazardous waste over the United States and the world.
No NHTSA – No car safety regulations. More vehicle recalls, dangerous roads. Instead, Elon will use this hole to jam through executive orders signed by his puppet President Trump to force people to drive his dangerous autopilot cars… the fully automatic ones that he wants to roll out this year. Watch this video and report: The Hidden Autopilot Data That Reveals Why Teslas Crash | WSJ
No NIH – No cures. No medical research. No advancements in medicine.
Since the "DOGE cuts" (referring to the Department of Government Efficiency's proposed cuts) to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there have been significant concerns about the future of medical research, including workforce reductions, grant delays, and a cap on indirect cost reimbursements, which has led to a temporary freeze on some of the cuts. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Here's a more detailed breakdown of the situation:
Planned Cuts: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is planning to reduce the NIH workforce by around 3,400 employees, aiming to reset staffing levels to those employed at the end of fiscal year 2019. [9, 10]
Layoffs and Early Retirements: The NIH is bracing for layoffs, with officials expecting cuts similar to those seen at the end of the Trump administration. [9]
Internal Turmoil: The NIH has faced internal turmoil, with two high-ranking officials resigning and the agency still lacking a permanent director. [11, 12]
Early-Career Scientists Affected: Some scientists, including those with tenured positions, are facing uncertainty about their job security as contract renewals are no longer automatic. [8]
2. Impact on Research Funding and Grants: [13, 14]
Indirect Cost Cap: The NIH announced a policy to cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15% for all new and existing research grants, effective February 10, 2025. [13, 14]
Grant Delays and Freezes: Federal courts have temporarily frozen plans to slash the rate NIH pays for “indirect costs” and the administration’s temporary “pause” on federally funded grants and loans. [6]
Grant Terminations: The NIH has terminated a growing list of research projects, including studies on HIV in children, reducing mold exposure and its effect on asthma, and LGBTQ+ related studies. [15, 16]
Concerns about Medical Innovation: Scientists and researchers are concerned that these cuts could delay medical advances and hinder the development of treatments for various diseases. [3, 11, 17]
Impact on Universities and Research Institutions: Universities and research institutions are facing significant budget cuts and are struggling to maintain their research programs. [2, 3, 6, 7]
Examples of Affected Research: A research project on cannabis use disorder impacting non-heterosexual women at Ohio State University was canceled after DOGE pulled funding. [15]
3. Ongoing Legal Challenges and Political Backlash: [5, 18]
Temporary Restraining Order: A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order, halting the directive to slash NIH grants. [5, 18]
Lawsuits: Lawsuits have been filed by attorneys general challenging the proposed cuts in indirect costs. [7]
Political Opposition: Some politicians have criticized the DOGE cuts, calling them “dangerous and short-sighted” and expressing concerns about the impact on medical research and public health. [2, 3]
No NSA – No cybersecurity. More cyberattacks on government, businesses, and individuals.
No NSF – No science. No research funding. No innovation.
No NTSB – No investigations into plane, train, and highway crashes. Elon’s crappy cars benefit again!
No OSHA – No workplace safety. More injuries, deaths, and labor abuses. All the oligarchs benefit from this one.
No SBA – No small business support. Corporate monopolies take over.
SBA, HHS to take over some Education Department responsibilities, Trump says || Face The Nation
No SSA – No Social Security. Seniors and disabled left without income. Fact check: Elon Musk calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme, this is very RICH coming from a South African who made billions from American tax payers! The real reason Elon wants to take Social Security away from our seniors and disabled is so he can get major tax breaks as he continues to sell the United States crappy products and inferior services.
‘The plan is to scuttle the agency’: Democrats demand answers from Musk on Social Security cuts
Sabotaging Social Security: Trump & Musk Move Ahead with Plan to Gut Agency
Trump supporters TURN ON HIM at Republican TOWN HALL
No TSA – No airport security. More terrorist threats and hijackings.
No USDA – No help for farmers. No food safety inspections.
No USPS – No mail. No rural delivery. No affordable shipping.
No SEC – No regulation of Wall Street. More stock market crashes, Ponzi schemes, and fraud. The oligarchs love this one!
We must ask ourselves: Do we want to live in a society where decisions are made for the benefit of all, or one where billionaires dictate every aspect of our lives for their own gain? The answer should be clear.
The ABC’s of DOGE: The MAGA Contagion: When Extremism Becomes Policy
The erosion of federal institutions is not happening in a vacuum. It is part of a broader, more insidious phenomenon: the contagion of MAGA ideology. What began as a political movement has metastasized into an extremist agenda, one that now silently endorses mass layoffs of federal employees, the shutdown of USAID, the Department of Education, and even an attempt to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace—a non-profit organization, not even a federal agency.
Independent Agency CEO: ‘DOGE has broken into our building.’
This movement is no longer confined to rhetoric. The so-called “DOGE boys”—young men ranging from 18 to 26—have been emboldened to take physical action, showing up armed and forcing their way into government agencies and organizations that attempt to resist their intrusion. This is not governance. This is intimidation. This is authoritarianism creeping in through the back door.
Every American should be deeply concerned. Is this what MAGA voters truly wanted? A government dismantled by corporate greed and enforced through violence? A society where expertise is abandoned, institutions are gutted, and democracy is reduced to a hollow shell controlled by billionaires? This is the reality we are facing if we do not push back.
Ex-NFL kicker Chris Kluwe arrested after city council protest
Symbols of Hate: Then & Now – Vinyl Activist Sticker
History repeats itself when hate goes unchecked. This bold vinyl sticker draws a powerful parallel between past and present, featuring the infamous 1939 swastika and today’s red MAGA hat—both symbols of division and extremism. Designed for activists, educators, and socially conscious individuals, this sticker sparks conversation and challenges the normalization of hate.
N*zis are Taking Over The Government! || Adam Mockler — 27K views 1 month ago
The zombie horror story has roots in Haitian slaves fearing their cruel Masters would bring them back after death to work forever in their sugar cane fields, but it got a make over in Nazi Germany under Hitler when practically overnight once trusted family, friends, neighbors changed from trusted members of society into blood thirsty supporters of Hitler’s Hate regime. Friends would turn neighbors, friends, and family into the dreaded SS for helping Jews or not being loyal to Hitler.
Introducing our vibrant, bold MAGA Apocalypse Unisex Softstyle T-Shirt, it is perfect for your next protest! This tee radiates an edgy vibe that challeges the assumed mandate MAGA thinks it has gained. Wear it to your next resistance meet up or just wear your values whereever you go.
Himmler, pictured with Nazi leader Adolph Hitler as he salutes passing SS troops. Courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
In 1929, Hitler appointed Himmler Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (SS.) At the time, the SS served as bodyguards for Hitler and other top Nazi leaders. As the newly appointed leader of the SS, Himmler sought to develop an elite faction of the Nazi Party. In 1929, the SS totaled 280 men. By the time the Nazis came to power in 1933, Himmler had grown the SS to 52,000. Himmler inducted two new functions for the SS—internal security and guardianship over racial purity. In 1931, Himmler established the Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service, or SD) to gather intelligence and monitor opponents within the Nazi Party, leaders of other political parties, and government officials. In 1934, the SD was distinguished as the sole political intelligence agency for Germany. Five years later, in September 1939, Himmler fused the SD with the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA.)
Following the Nazi’s invasion of Poland, in 1939 Hitler appointed Himmler as the Reich Commissar for the Strengthening of the German Ethnic Stock. This new position authorized Himmler and the SS to have complete control over German resettlement in areas of occupied Poland and eventually the Soviet Union in 1941. Himmler had complete say over who was German, where ethnic Germans should live, and which populations should be moved out or destroyed to make room for resettled Germans. Himmler’s plan for resettlement would be conducted with the help of the Einsatzgruppen, also known as the SS’s mobile killing units. The Einsatzgruppen was tasked to initiate and partake in mass murder of Jews, government officials, Roma, and people with disabilities, no matter the age or gender.
Bad DOGE: Manifestation of the Mind Contagion Called MAGA
As town halls in Republican-controlled districts fill with outraged voters, it becomes clear that many who supported Trump never intended for him, Elon Musk, and the GOP to dismantle the federal workforce, gut agencies, and set their sights on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Yet, a deeply entrenched MAGA loyalist base still cheers on the destruction. This unwavering 40% of the electorate includes January 6 insurrectionists—some of whom Trump pardoned on his first day back in office—violent agitators, and those who celebrate chaos and cruelty as political strategy.
Fury thrown at lawmakers during recent town halls
TIDAL WAVE of Regret Slams Republican Voters as Reality Sinks in
Surrounding these extremists are legions of keyboard warriors, relentless in their pursuit of anyone who dares oppose the Trump-Elon regime. They harass and threaten those who stand for truth, expertise, and democracy. They despise professionals, intellectuals, and anyone who possesses knowledge beyond their limited worldview. Their reality is small, insular, and designed to benefit only one group: rich, white men who hoard power and wealth.
These individuals do not engage in rational debate; they demand reality conform to their beliefs. They are hostile to facts, science, and history. They lash out violently—both online and in the streets—against anyone who challenges their narrative.
Who are these people? How did they become this way? Can they still be reached, or are they a malignant force eating away at democracy from within? And if democracy can be wrestled back from their grip, what do we do with them? Their response to opposition is clear: intimidation, suppression, and violence. The question remains—how will the rest of America respond?
The ABC’s of DOGE: What You Can Do
Raise Awareness: Share this message with friends, family, and colleagues. The more people understand the stakes, the harder it will be for privatization efforts to move forward unchallenged.
Support Federal Workers: Show your appreciation for the people who keep our country running. From TSA agents to environmental researchers, these individuals dedicate their lives to serving the public.
Use Your Voice: Protest, petition, and vote against policies that seek to dismantle our federal workforce and hand control to private corporations.
Display Your Support: Our ABCs of DOGE stickers, shirts, and signs are designed to start conversations and spread awareness. Place them on your laptop, water bottle, or car to make a statement wherever you go.
🚫 No Federal Workers? No Future! 🚫 Eye-Catching Yard Sign for Awareness & Activism
No Federal Workers… No future is what happens when federal workers disappear and are replaced by yes men. This bold and thought-provoking yard sign makes it clear: No Safe Food. No Clean Water. No Flights. No Roads. No Justice. No Future. No Cures.
ABCs of Democracy T-Shirt, Retro Adventure Tee for Patriotic Enthusiasts, Bold Statement Graphic
The ABCs of Democracy… What happens when federal workers disappear? This bold and thought-provoking sticker makes it clear: No Federal Workers. No Democracy.Show your support for federal workers who are the experts that keep all critical systems, services, and logistical things running and working for you. Without our federal experts, all things any advanced, modern civilization needs to survive in a highly competitive and dangerous world will come to a screeching halt.
“History is full of inferior forces beating superior…”, Rectangle Button Magnet, Inspirational Quote
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“America Stood at a Fork in the Path and Chose the Psychopath”, Square Sticker Roll, Political Sticker
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“ICE: Abolish It”, Political Protest Labels, (Bold Black & White), Square Sticker Roll
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The time to act is now. Once federal expertise is lost, it will not easily be regained. If we allow the systematic dismantling of our government workforce, we are not just losing workers—we are losing democracy itself.
Kindness Still Counts
Gov. Pritzker Commencement Address: Kindness is intelligence
Message of the year… indeed, the decade: “How do you spot an idiot?Look for the person who is cruel. The kindest person in the room is often the smartest.” — Gov Pritzker
Welcome to the Wisdom Guardians Podcast—where we break down the urgent issues shaping our world. Guided by current events, science, psychology, politics, sociology, philosophy, history, economics, and more, we explore everything from experts’ warnings on climate change, the fall of empires, and the forces driving today’s challenges. This episode/blog focuses on Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom.
Through deft insights and compelling storytelling, each episode delivers thought-provoking perspectives and practical knowledge that helps you gain and grow the wisdom needed now more than ever before to navigate an increasingly complex world.
Go beyond each podcast episode with Briefing Documents, Fact Sheets, Timelines, Study Guides, and even deeper dives into the topics covered. Visit Sapience: The Moment Is Now (sapience2112.com) for exclusive content and further episode details.
🔹 Stay informed.
🔹 Challenge the narrative.
🔹 Gain actionable tools for understanding and change.
Episode 4 explores the views of Adam Mockler, Richard Wolff, and D. Mann on the current state of democracy and capitalism. Mockler highlights the rise of oligarchy in the U.S., while Wolff provides an economic analysis of the decline of the American empire, comparing it to historical patterns. D. Mann’s excerpt from Sapience: The Moment Is Now examines the psychological roots of humanity’s crises, attributing it to a “corruption” that erodes cooperation. The collective message urges readers to confront reality, embrace empathy, and work towards solutions to prevent societal collapse. The post ends with a call to order D. Mann’s book Sapience: The Moment Is Now from Amazon.
Briefing Document 1: Sapience: A Critical Juncture for Humanity
Introduction:
This document analyzes a collection of blog posts, video transcripts, and excerpts from the book “Sapience: The Moment Is Now,” all hosted on the sapience2112.com website. These materials explore a multifaceted crisis facing humanity, encompassing political, economic, and psychological dimensions. The core argument across the sources is that humanity is at a critical juncture, facing the potential collapse of democratic systems, economic instability, and a deepening disconnect from wisdom, empathy and cooperation. This briefing will identify key themes and concepts within the sources.
Key Themes and Concepts:
The Rise of Oligarchy and the Decline of Democracy:
Adam Mockler’s Analysis: Mockler’s video transcript highlights the alarming trend towards oligarchy in the United States. He points to a surge in Google searches for “oligarchy” following President Biden’s farewell address, indicating a growing awareness of this shift. Mockler connects this with the increasing influence of wealthy individuals like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and others, using their financial power to shape political outcomes. He argues that their donations to politicians and their participation in inauguration events demonstrate an unhealthy level of control.
Quote:“An oligarch is someone who influences politics outside of the formal system,” explained by Brooke Harrington who studies this exact thing at Dartmouth University. She spoke with the five-minute fix in 2022 when US sanctions were targeting Russian oligarchs at the outset of the war in Ukraine. Quote: “It’s someone who isn’t an elected representative or Cabinet member but who has the ear of the president.”
President Biden’s Warning: Biden’s farewell address warned that “a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra wealthy people” was creating an oligarchy that “literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, and freedoms.” This warning acted as a trigger for increased public awareness and online searches about the meaning of oligarchy.
Comparison to Russia: Mockler draws parallels between the current situation in the U.S. and the rise of oligarchs in Russia, emphasizing that these individuals use their wealth to entrench power outside the formal election process, just as Putin essentially took control of the Russian Oligarchy to create his own autocracy. He warns against “obeying in advance” and giving up on the fight to save democracy.
Quote:“We need to keep fighting. We are not Russia, and I know people in the comments are going to be like: Adam, we basically are Russia. We’re not we’re not Russia yet. Trust me.”
Economic Collapse and Systemic Denial:
Richard Wolff’s Analysis: Economist Richard Wolff presents a critical analysis of US capitalism, arguing that it is a system in “very deep doodoo”. He posits that the US, like previous empires, is in a state of decline and is being kept afloat by denial. Wolff argues the system is failing due to wage stagnation for 40 years, mass debt accumulation, increased inequality, and a refusal to confront these issues.
The End of Rising Wages: Wolff highlights that real wages in the US stopped rising in the 1970s, leading to women entering the workforce en masse, and a reliance on consumer debt to maintain the illusion of continued growth.
Quote:“The American working class today earns, in terms of what it can afford to buy, the average American worker earns now what he or she did in 1978.”
Historical Parallel to Germany: Wolff draws a chilling parallel to post-World War I Germany, where economic hardship and hyperinflation led to the rise of extremism. He suggests that the current economic conditions in the US, combined with public dissatisfaction, could lead to a similar outcome.
The Rise of China and the Decline of the US: Wolff asserts that the US dollar’s dominance is ending, and that China is becoming the dominant economic power. He argues the US is in a war with Russia in Ukraine to weaken its alliance with China, and also engages in trade wars which were ultimately a failure.
Quote:“China shows all the signs of a rising Empire, matching all the signs of a declining American Empire here.”
War is Bad for Everyone: Wolff makes it very clear that war is never a good answer because it only creates more suffering. He explains that the US has invaded many small countries and lost every single time.
The Psychological Roots of the Crisis and Corruption:
“Sapience: The Moment Is Now” Excerpts: The book excerpts delve into the psychological and historical roots of the problems. “The Corruption” is described as an artery-clogging disease that undermines cooperation, fueled by self-interest and greed that lead to violence and fear, the book argues.
Quote:“Mother called the artery clogging disease that kills civilizations the Corruption. It cuts up cohesive cooperation with selfish self-interests. Money often lies at the root of the Corruption.”
The Decapitation of the Pyramid Model: The Pyramid Model of Mind is presented as a natural order intended to foster a cohesive civil society, but this system has been subverted by those corrupted by the Ouroboros. This leads to power consolidation at the top and the creation of rigid, aggressive, and fearful mindsets. These corrupt leaders use isms as “thinly veiled attempts to legitimize the corruption.”
The Dark Triad and Totalitarian Mindset: The document identifies the “Dark Triad” (narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism) and the more intense “Dark Tetrad” (adding sadism) as key factors in the corruption of leaders and the rise of totalitarianism. The Totalitarian mindset spreads as people fall prey to hate culture and become detached from real relationships. These ideas are all reinforced by the constant bombardment of information and misinformation coming through the tiny screen everyone carries around, and the anonymity of the Internet, which makes it too easy for people to act out their dark inner demons and inflict pain on others.
Quote:“The Totalitarian mindset is one of the most aggressive, cruel, mean-spirited, spiteful, malicious, nasty, callous, pitiless, savage, cold-hearted, hostile, and beastly mindset ever hammered out inside the human mind.”
A Call to Action:
The blog posts end with a clear call to action. We are at a crossroads, and the status quo is not sustainable. It is up to the ordinary people to fight for change and a better future for everyone and our planet.
The solution is not violence or blaming others. The solution is empathy, cooperation, and self-awareness. A true, conscious civilization looks out for the well being of everyone, not just a select few.
The message is clear that the human race can make a choice between Fate, where they keep repeating the same mistakes until their self-destruction, or Destiny, where they turn toward the long path of wisdom and healing that is needed at this critical moment in history.
Conclusion:
The sources paint a bleak picture of the current state of affairs, warning of the dangers of unchecked oligarchy, economic collapse, systemic denial, and the psychological factors that contribute to our shared crises. The key takeaway is that humanity must act decisively to confront these challenges. The document highlights the importance of moving beyond blame and division, embracing cooperation and empathy, and recognizing the need for a radical shift in how we understand our role and impact in the world. The document suggests that by doing this, people can, together, create a better destiny for our human race and planet.
Next Steps: To truly understand the issues presented, it is recommended to read “Sapience: The Moment Is Now,” and to watch the full videos by Adam Mockler and Richard Wolff. Further research into the concepts of oligarchy, economic systems, and the psychology of power would also be beneficial. The authors provide many other sources on the website to continue one’s learning journey.
This briefing document provides a detailed overview of the main ideas found across these sources. It can be used as a foundation to begin a deeper discussion of these important issues.
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom:Analysis of “Sapience: The Moment Is Now” & ContentRelated to this Podcast
Executive Summary:
The provided materials paint a grim picture of the current state of global affairs, arguing that humanity is on a path to self-destruction due to a combination of oligarchic political structures, failing economic systems, psychological denial, and a pervasive “Corruption” that erodes cooperation and empathy. The author and the cited commentators (Adam Mockler, Richard Wolff) urge immediate action, emphasizing the need for awareness, critical thinking, and a shift toward empathy, cooperation, and sustainable solutions. The core argument is that ignoring these issues will lead to societal collapse, drawing parallels with historical examples like the decline of the British Empire and the rise of extremism in 1930s Germany.
Key Themes and Ideas:
The Rise of Oligarchy and the Fall of Democracy:
Adam Mockler analyzes President Biden’s Farewell Address, where he warned that the U.S. is “turning into an oligarchy.” Mockler highlights a spike in Google searches for “oligarchy” following the address, indicating public ignorance and concern.
Mockler connects the rise of oligarchic influence to wealthy individuals like Elon Musk buying their way into political power. “The richest man in the world has bought his way into the White House, and now he gets an office space not because he was elected, he wasn’t even born in America.”
The analysis draws parallels between the U.S. situation and the emergence of oligarchs in Russia, noting how Putin consolidated power by demanding loyalty from wealthy individuals.
Mockler urges viewers not to “obey in advance” and to continue fighting for democracy. He emphasizes that the U.S. is not yet Russia and that corrective actions are still possible.
Brooke Harrington defines an oligarch as “someone who influences politics outside of the formal system,” emphasizing that “it’s someone who isn’t an elected representative or Cabinet member but who has the ear of the president.”
Economic Decline and Systemic Denial:
Richard Wolff argues that the U.S. economic system (capitalism) is in “very deep doodoo” and facing its greatest difficulties.
Wolff attributes this crisis to a “commitment to denial” among political, cultural, and economic leaders, which prevents them from confronting the reality of the situation. “It is a very human thing to do. It’s like a little child who puts his or her hands in front of her face when there’s a scary dog in the neighborhood because she still imagines at age three… that if you don’t see it it isn’t there. And if you don’t see what’s going on around us then perhaps it isn’t there.”
He presents a historical framework of empires rising and falling, arguing that the American Empire peaked between 1870 and 1970 and is now in decline.
Wolff highlights the stagnation of real wages since the 1970s as a critical turning point. “Americans today receive the same real wage, a living wage , that they did in 1978.” This stagnation has been masked by the entry of women into the workforce and the rise of mass debt.
He draws a parallel between the current U.S. situation and 1920s/30s Germany, where economic hardship led to the rise of extremism.
Wolff points to the declining dominance of the U.S. dollar and the rise of China as a competing economic power. He criticizes the U.S. for resorting to warfare and trade wars in an attempt to maintain its dominance, seeing the conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war aimed at weakening China’s ally, Russia.
He states that “The danger lies in denial, not in facing it”
The Psychological Roots of Societal Collapse: The Corruption & The Pyramid Model of Mind
D. Mann, author of Sapience: The Moment Is Now, delves into the psychological roots of humanity’s problems, introducing the concept of “the Corruption.”
The “Corruption” is described as an “artery clogging disease that kills civilizations” and the “disease that will stop the collective heartbeat of humanity on Earth.”. It erodes cooperation through selfish self-interests, often rooted in money.
The Corruption is explained as an addiction that arises with hate culture that leads to the inability to take responsibility for bad decisions.
The author argues that the Corruption mutates and grows more virulent over time, leading to violence, fear, and pain.
The author contends that in the absence of good leadership, many will follow the corrupt and corrupted. “There is not a way to avert their fate once they passed a certain level of civilization”.
The blog discusses how the “Pyramid Model of Mind” conceived as a method to protect civilizations, ended up as a means of control when decapitated for the personal gain of a leader, or small collection of elites.
The text indicts isms” which lead to “warped ideologie[s]” for trapping “people in the shallowest regions of their minds.”
Call to Action: Empathy, Cooperation, and Sapience
All sources emphasize the urgency of action.
The blog explicitly rejects blame and violence as solutions, advocating for empathy, cooperation, and “actionable solutions.”
The author calls for taking stock and reassessing how “we use our precious light of consciousness.”
Richard Wolff emphasizes the need to stop denying reality and to confront the challenges facing humanity. He identifies the “mass of the people,” particularly the working class, as the key to driving change.
The materials conclude with a call to choose “Destiny” over “Fate,” implying a need to consciously shape a better future rather than passively accepting a predetermined outcome.
Quotes:
“We are turning into an oligarchy.” – President Biden (as quoted by Adam Mockler)
“We do have too much regulation in this country.” – Jeff Bezos (as quoted by Adam Mockler)
“It is a system in very deep doodoo.” – Richard Wolff (referring to capitalism)
“Americans today receive the same real wage, a living wage , that they did in 1978″ – Richard Wolff
“The danger lies in denial, not in facing it.” – Richard Wolff
“The Corruption cuts up cohesive cooperation with selfish self-interests.” – D. Mann
“It is a gam that has led us all down the path of fate where we are collectively giving in to our ignorance, greed, hate, and rage.” – D. Mann
Potential Discussion Points:
The accuracy and potential biases of the presented analyses.
The feasibility of the proposed solutions (empathy, cooperation, self-awareness) in the face of entrenched power structures.
The historical parallels and their relevance to the current situation.
The role of individual responsibility versus systemic change.
The psychological mechanisms of denial and how to overcome them.
The nature of the Corruption and how it can be addressed.
This briefing document provides a starting point for understanding the complex arguments presented in the source materials. Further research and critical analysis are encouraged.
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom:American Oligarchy: A 2024-2025 Timeline
Timeline of Events:
Pre-2024:Throughout history, empires rise and fall (Wolff).
The British Empire declines, giving rise to the American Empire (Wolff).
1870-1970s: U.S. experiences a century of economic growth with rising wages (Wolff).
Around 1970s: Real wages in the US stop rising, leading to increased debt and women entering the workforce (Wolff).
The concept of “The Corruption” emerges, a societal ill rooted in selfishness and greed, leading to the downfall of civilizations (Mann). This is explored through the lens of the Pyramid Model of Mind and how the most “successful” people take advantage of it (Mann).
The development of the Totalitarian mindset and the rise of isms, paving the way for social unrest (Mann).
2000-2021: Russian Oligarchs gain power and are then brought to heel by Vladimir Putin, who offers them a choice: loyalty or imprisonment (Mockler)
2022: Brooke Harrington discusses American Oligarchs and their influence on the US Government (Mockler). Elon Musk buys Twitter but isn’t yet seen as a full-throated MAGA Republican (Mockler).
2024:D. Mann publishes Sapience: The Moment Is Now (Mann).
The US dollar begins to lose its status as the international currency as other countries start to explore alternate options (Wolff).
Late 2024:Trump runs for, and wins, another term as US President.
Elon Musk donates $200 million to Trump’s campaign and sets up a headquarters in Pennsylvania to campaign for him (Mockler). Musk holds a $1 million giveaway for voters in red counties (Mockler).
Trump’s Inaugural Committee receives a massive influx of funding from wealthy tech CEOs and Billionaires, such as Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Uber CEO, and Ken Griffin (Mockler). The inauguration budget is four times that of Obama’s 2009 inauguration (Mockler).
Tech Titans such as META’s Zuckerberg, and Amazon’s Bezos, begin currying favor with Trump, making business moves in support of his politics (Mockler).
The TikTok CEO visits Trump during his inauguration as his platform is expected to be banned in the US (Mockler).
Billionaire tech entrepreneur V Ramaswami joins Musk in an initiative to cut government spending (Mockler)
President Biden gives his Farewell Address, warning that the U.S. is turning into an oligarchy (Mockler).
There is a massive spike in Google searches for “oligarchy” following Biden’s address (Mockler).
Adam Mockler analyzes the concept of Oligarchy and its presence in American politics via his YouTube channel (Mockler).
Economist Richard Wolff delivers a stark warning about the decline of the American Empire and the potential for social collapse (Wolff).
January 16, 2025: President Biden delivers his Farewell Address, warning against the rise of an oligarchy in the United States (Mockler).
January 20, 2025: Donald Trump is inaugurated into office as US President. Billionaires and tech CEOs attend his Inauguration (Mockler).
January 25, 2025: D. Mann publishes blog post exploring the implications of the current political, economic, and psychological crises based on the analysis of Richard Wolff and Adam Mockler and drawing on the ideas presented in her book, Sapience: The Moment Is Now.
Cast of Characters:
Adam Mockler: A pro-democracy YouTuber. He analyzes current political and economic trends, explaining complex concepts like oligarchy.
Richard Wolff: An American economist and professor. He critiques capitalism, economic inequality, and the decline of the American Empire.
Joe Biden: President of the United States. In his farewell address, he warns against the emergence of an oligarchy in America.
Donald Trump: President-Elect of the United States, about to be inaugurated for his second term in office.
Elon Musk: Tech billionaire, owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), Tesla, and SpaceX, among other things. He becomes a major supporter of Trump, using his wealth and influence to gain access to the White House.
Jeff Bezos: Founder of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post. He openly supports Trump to get help with regulation reduction.
Sam Altman: CEO of OpenAI, donating to Trump’s Inaugural fund.
Mark Zuckerberg: Founder of Meta, donating to Trump’s Inaugural Fund and ending fact-checking on social media platforms in support of Trump.
Ken Griffin: Hedge Fund Manager, donating to Trump’s Inaugural fund.
Uber CEO: (Name not specified) — Tech Titan donating to Trump’s Inaugural Fund.
TikTok CEO: (Name not specified) — Tech Titan visiting Trump at the Inauguration of Trump’s second term, when the platform was expected to be banned.
V. Ramaswami: A millionaire biotech entrepreneur who joins Elon Musk in leading an initiative to cut government spending under Trump’s administration. He quits from DOGE and is running for mayor or governor.
George Soros: A wealthy individual who has used his money for philanthropic purposes.
Vladimir Putin: President of Russia. He consolidated power by asserting his control over the Russian oligarchs.
Brooke Harrington: A professor at Dartmouth University who studies oligarchies. She explains the difference between wealthy people and oligarchs.
Sheldon Adelson: Late billionaire casino tycoon and Republican mega-donor. His wife Miriam is a big donor to Trump and received a presidential medal of freedom.
Maximillian Potter: A journalist with the group Protect Democracy who comments on the tech CEOs currying favor with the Trump administration.
D. Mann: The author of Sapience: The Moment Is Now and the blog posts in this source. She explores the psychological roots of humanity’s crises. She also shares a family history that traces the development of what she calls “The Corruption” that takes hold of civilizations and leads them to their downfall.
Mother: D. Mann’s mother is a character in Sapience: The Moment Is Now whose family comes from Ojibwe and European cultures. She is a person of wisdom who has studied the root causes of “The Corruption.”
Father: D. Mann’s father is a character in Sapience: The Moment Is Now and was an academic who studied history and religion.
Yong Xing-li: A historical figure in Sapience: The Moment Is Now who was a master of the long game of economics. He is seen as a savior and is killed for his passions.
Rain: D. Mann’s character in Sapience: The Moment Is Now who lives in a future destroyed by what she calls “The Corruption.” Rain’s mother, father, grandmother, and Yong Xing-li all tried to teach her about “The Corruption” to avert disaster, but it was all to no avail. Rain acutely feels the suffering of people who have had no hand in creating the system that oppresses them all.
This timeline and character list should give a clear overview of the main events and individuals discussed in the podcast created from the sources provided.
1. What is an oligarchy, and why is it a concern in the U.S. according to these sources?
An oligarchy is a form of government where power is held by a small, privileged group, often wealthy individuals, who use their influence for their own corrupt or selfish purposes. In the context of the United States, the sources highlight how a small number of ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations are exerting undue influence on politics and government, effectively bypassing democratic processes. This is evidenced by massive donations to political campaigns, particularly the unprecedented funding of Trump’s inauguration, and direct access to the White House by individuals like Elon Musk. This trend is deeply concerning because it undermines the principle of one person, one vote, and threatens the basic rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens by prioritizing the needs of the few over the many.
2. How has the American economic system changed since the 1970s, and what are the consequences?
The sources describe a drastic shift in the American economic system starting around 1980. Prior to this, the U.S. experienced a century of steady growth where both profits and real wages rose consistently. However, since 1980, real wages for average Americans have stagnated, essentially remaining at 1978 levels despite increased productivity. Simultaneously, wealth has been radically redistributed upwards, with the top 1% accumulating vast fortunes, in part due to tax laws that favor corporations and the wealthy and in part due to flat wages that created inequality. This inequality has been masked by the mass entry of women into the workforce and the proliferation of consumer debt. The consequences include increasing family stress, a debt-ridden society, and a disillusioned populace feeling economic pressure, which are all indicators of a declining empire.
3. What is the role of denial in the current crisis, and why is it a problem?
Denial is presented as a major obstacle to addressing the crises facing humanity. According to the sources, many people, including political, cultural, and economic leaders, are in denial about the severity of the current situation, the rise of an oligarchy, and the consequences of economic inequality. This denial is a way of avoiding the frightening realities of a collapsing system. The sources suggest that such denial leads to inaction and prevents society from taking the necessary steps to enact positive change. Instead of acknowledging the problems, there is a tendency to blame individuals or external factors rather than recognizing systemic failures. This is further compounded by the desire to maintain a comforting illusion of never ending capitalistic growth, ignoring clear signs of decline.
4. How do these sources compare the U.S. to the Roman and British Empires?
The sources draw parallels between the rise and fall of historical empires, such as the Roman and British Empires, and the current state of the United States. These empires rose and fell over centuries and often went into denial when signs of decline started appearing. The U.S. is depicted as following a similar trajectory. After a century of unprecedented economic growth, the U.S. Empire is now showing signs of peaking, declining and breaking. The sources show the US is now a nation in crisis, plagued by denial and an inability to face its challenges, which are the same features that defined the end of these other empires.
5. According to these sources, what does history teach us about how a society reacts when it experiences economic collapse?
The sources compare the present state of the U.S. to 1920’s Germany after its loss in World War I. In this scenario, the German working class suffered through massive economic setbacks, including an inflationary period that wiped out savings and a following depression. This led to social unrest and eventually to the rise of extremism, most notably Adolf Hitler. The sources warn that the U.S. faces a similar risk as the middle class is under relentless economic stress while in a state of systemic denial about the collapsing system. The sources emphasize that it is impossible to push a population to this level of economic despair without significant and profound consequences that are almost always very bad.
6. What is the “Corruption” as described in Sapience: The Moment Is Now, and how does it relate to the present-day issues?
The “Corruption” is defined as the disease that kills civilizations by cutting up cohesive cooperation with selfish interests. It is a disease of consciousness often rooted in greed and the pursuit of money and power, which then erodes the social, moral, and ethical lines of a society. It lures otherwise good people to do bad things that benefit only a select few at the expense of everyone else. The Corruption is depicted as a self-perpetuating cycle of fear, anger, hate, and revenge that ultimately leads to the collapse of a society. According to this source, the “Corruption” is not unique to any one group but exists within all humans, which is why it travels from civilization to civilization. The modern world’s economic systems, which privilege the amassing of money above all else, have become a major breeding ground for the Corruption.
7. What does “decapitating the pyramid” mean in the context of these sources?
The “pyramid” refers to the Pyramid Model of Mind that was conceived long ago by peaceful people for use in civil societies. The sources describe how this Model is “decapitated” when corrupted individuals seek to concentrate power at the top for themselves. This results in hierarchies where only the top person’s needs and desires matter, while the well-being of the majority is disregarded and even used for personal gain. This decapitation can occur at different levels: at the soldier level, leading to violence and dictatorship, and at the scribe level, which employs intellectual deception to legitimize inequality, as seen in capitalism. The key aspect of this decapitation is it turns a system designed for the good of the whole, into a system that only benefits the few and uses the many for their own ends.
8. What solutions or call to action do these sources suggest for addressing the current challenges?
The sources call for a radical shift away from denial, blame, division, and violence toward acknowledging collective responsibility and embracing change. Adam Mockler advocates for resisting the normalization of an oligarchy and fighting for democratic principles. Richard Wolff urges people to face the reality of their collapsing system without fear and to learn from historical patterns. Sapience: The Moment is Now highlights the importance of empathy, cooperation, and self-awareness and provides a psychological framework for people to build the inner strength necessary to confront the challenges at hand. All sources call for a move towards more just, equal, and compassionate ways of living and emphasize the necessity of unity and collaboration to shape a more sustainable future. They also urge individuals to take action and not to passively accept the current trajectory of the world. They also emphasize that to create a positive change, average people must push back against the forces that are working against them.
Study Guide: Oligarchy, Economics, and the Corruption
Instructions:
Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each, based on the provided source material.
According to Adam Mockler, what event triggered a massive spike in Google searches for “oligarchy”?
What is the main distinction, according to Brooke Harrington, between a very wealthy person and an oligarch?
What deal did Vladimir Putin offer the Russian oligarchs, as described in Adam Mockler’s video?
What economic period in the U.S. does Richard Wolff highlight as a time when real wages consistently increased?
According to Richard Wolff, what are the two primary ways the average American has maintained the illusion of economic growth since the 1970’s?
What historical example does Richard Wolff use to illustrate the potential consequences of a declining economy and widespread social suffering?
What is “The Corruption,” as described in Sapience: The Moment Is Now, and how does it affect civilizations?
What is the Pyramid Model of Mind, and how is it used by civilizations, according to Sapience: The Moment Is Now?
According to the Sapience excerpt, what is the key characteristic of people who fail to master “the money game” and how do they try to compensate?
What is the Totalitarian mindset, as described in the Sapience excerpt, and what is its defining feature?
Quiz Answer Key
President Biden’s Farewell Address, where he warned that the U.S. was turning into an oligarchy, triggered a massive spike in Google searches for “oligarchy.” This event alerted many Americans to the concept, resulting in widespread online searches for its definition.
The main difference is that an oligarch influences politics outside of the formal system, while a wealthy person may simply have money; it is the abuse of power and influence that creates an oligarch. An oligarch does not hold an elected position, but still has the ear of the president.
Putin offered the Russian oligarchs a deal: they could keep their wealth and power as long as they remained loyal to him and stayed out of his way. This demonstrates how Putin consolidated his power by controlling powerful economic players.
Richard Wolff identifies the period from 1870 to 1970 as a century of consistent economic growth in the U.S., characterized by real wage increases every decade. This period is unique and sets the U.S. apart, as a nation, in terms of economic growth.
Since the 1970’s, the illusion of economic growth in the US has been maintained by sending women into the workforce en masse and the emergence of mass debt. This allows the average American to continue buying goods without real wage increases.
Richard Wolff uses the example of post-World War I Germany, where economic hardship and social suffering led to the rise of extremism and Adolf Hitler, to highlight the dangers of repeated history and economic collapse. This demonstrates the risk of the current US situation.
The Corruption is described as a disease that cuts up cohesive cooperation with selfish self-interests, often rooted in money, and that entices good people to do bad things. It erodes cooperation, causing fear, anger, and distrust and can lead to the collapse of civilization
The Pyramid Model of Mind is a way civilizations organize themselves, promoting cohesion and collective action; civilizations acting as a single entity. It was designed by peaceful people and is used as a means of both organizing and protecting civilization.
People who fail to master the money game resort to brute force, deception, and violence as means to achieve their goals, indicating their incompetence and lack of ability. They cheat and manipulate systems to make sure they always win and are often very arrogant.
The Totalitarian mindset is described as a rigid, aggressive, and destructive way of thinking; it is superstitious, projects idealized images of grandeur and is hostile to anyone who disagrees. This mindset is associated with a strong desire to control others and is easily attached to an “ism.”
Essay Questions
Instructions: Answer the following essay questions, incorporating details and concepts from all source materials.
Analyze how the concepts of oligarchy, economic decline, and psychological “corruption” intertwine to pose a threat to contemporary society, as presented in the texts.
Discuss the role of denial, as explored by both Richard Wolff and D. Mann, in perpetuating current societal crises, and propose ways to overcome this psychological barrier.
Compare and contrast the economic analyses provided by Richard Wolff and the “money game” as described in Sapience: The Moment Is Now, exploring the historical and systemic factors that contribute to current inequalities.
Using the provided texts, discuss the importance of empathy, cooperation, and self-awareness in creating change, with specific examples of how these concepts can address the current crisis.
Examine how the “Totalitarian mindset” described by D. Mann can manifest in modern society, using current political and economic trends as examples, and explain why this mindset is so dangerous.
Glossary
Oligarchy: A form of government in which power is held by a small group of people, typically wealthy or privileged individuals.
Plutocracy: A form of oligarchy where power is held by the wealthy and that wealth is used to maintain and expand their power.
Denial: A psychological defense mechanism involving the refusal to acknowledge or confront painful realities.
Real Wages: The purchasing power of wages, adjusted for inflation, reflecting the actual goods and services an income can buy.
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): The total value of goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period; it is used to measure the size and economic power of a nation.
The Corruption: A conceptual term described as a disease that cuts up cohesive cooperation with selfish self-interests that has plagued civilizations since their inception.
Pyramid Model of Mind: A hierarchical structure used by societies to organize themselves for cooperation and collective action.
Ouroboros: An ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, representing the cyclical nature of things and the destructive cycle of civilizational rise and fall.
Dark Triad/Tetrad: A set of personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) that are often associated with manipulative and destructive behavior.
Mindset: A script or story people follow to guide behavior and define reality; these are often imbued with emotion and are a lens through which people view and interpret the world.
Totalitarian Mindset: A rigid, aggressive, and destructive way of thinking that is hostile to anything that is not exactly like what it believes to be true, and those who believe differently are thought to be dangerous.
Ism: A thinly veiled attempt to legitimize the corruption that the people on top use to ride roughshod over the rights, opinions, and feelings of the people they have imprisoned in their decapitated pyramid.
Decapitated Pyramid: A corrupt hierarchy where the flow of power is diverted to the top, trapping people in a system of control and oppression, instead of serving as a structure for civilization to grow and thrive in.
Catabolism: A destructive metabolism or systematic death, used to describe how a civilization erodes from within due to the Corruption.
Sapience: The ability to apply knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight to guide one’s life; another term for wisdom and understanding.
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom:Deeper Dive into America’s Failing Capitalism
Richard Wolff cites several key economic indicators to support his thesis that the American economic system is in a state of decline. Here’s a breakdown of these indicators:
Stagnant Real Wages: Wolff emphasizes that real wages in the U.S. have not increased since the 1970s [1, 2]. He clarifies that real wages are adjusted for inflation to show the actual purchasing power of wages [1]. While money wages might have gone up, the cost of goods and services has also increased, meaning that the average American worker today earns the same real wage, in terms of what they can afford to buy, as they did in 1978 [2-4]. This is a significant shift from the period between the 1870s and 1970s when real wages consistently rose each decade [1, 2, 5].
Radical Redistribution of Wealth: Wolff notes a radical redistribution of wealth from the bottom and middle classes to the top over the last 40 years [6]. He explains that the top 10% have become much richer, the top 5% even better off, the top 1% even more so, and the top one-tenth of 1% have done the best of all [6].
Changes in Tax Laws: Wolff argues that changes in tax laws have contributed to this wealth redistribution [1]. He points out that taxes were reduced for corporations and the rich, while they were increased for the middle and lower classes [1]. This was done by both Republicans and Democrats, though Republicans did it more quickly [1].
Increased Debt: With stagnant wages, Americans have had to accumulate debt in order to maintain their standard of living [7]. Wolff notes that banks began lending money to consumers in the 1970s, leading to a society now dependent on credit cards and loans for homes, cars, and education [7, 8]. This has led to a debt-ridden society unlike anything seen before [7, 9].
Rising Productivity vs. Flat Wages: Wolff notes that while workers’ productivity has increased over the last 40 years due to technological advancements like computers, robots, and AI, workers’ wages have remained flat [10]. This means that employers benefit from workers’ growing output while the workers themselves do not see a corresponding rise in their pay [11]. This gap between wages and productivity is a major driver of inequality [10, 11].
Inflation and Rising Interest Rates: The working class has been hit with COVID-19, then inflation, and then rising interest rates after 40 years of losing wealth, having their families fall apart, and their positions in society erode [11, 12]. Prices are going up roughly twice as fast as wages, further damaging the financial stability of the working class [13].
Comparison to Germany: Wolff draws a historical parallel to Germany in the early 20th century. He notes that the German working class was also hit by a series of economic shocks including defeat in World War I, massive inflation, and the Great Depression [14-16]. This led to widespread desperation and the rise of extremism and ultimately the rise of Adolf Hitler [17]. Wolff suggests that the current economic pressures on the American working class are similar to what Germany experienced before the rise of the Nazi party [12, 14, 17].
Decline of the US Dollar: Wolff argues that the days of the US dollar as the world’s sole international currency are over [18]. He points out that many countries, including China and Russia, are moving towards a new international currency, which is the currency of the People’s Republic of China [18, 19]. This indicates a shift in global economic power away from the US [18, 19].
GDP Comparison: Wolff compares the GDP of the US ($21 trillion) with Russia ($1.5 trillion) and China ($17.5 trillion) to demonstrate that China is a much more significant economic competitor to the US than Russia [19-21]. He also notes that China’s economy is growing at a rate of 6 to 9% annually, while the US economy is growing at a rate of 2 to 3% [21].
In summary, Wolff uses these economic indicators to argue that the American capitalist system is failing, leading to increased inequality, a decline in the standard of living for the working class, and a loss of global economic dominance. He warns that the US is in a state of denial about this decline and needs to confront the reality of its situation before it is too late [4, 6, 22-26].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: American Oligarchy, A Perilous Political Landscape
Adam Mockler’s analysis, as presented in the provided blog, characterizes the US political landscape as being in a perilous state, with a growing threat of oligarchy [1, 2]. Here’s a breakdown of how he depicts the situation:
Emergence of Oligarchy: Mockler highlights a significant shift in American politics towards an oligarchy, which he defines as a government run by a few, especially a despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes [3]. He notes that oligarchies where members of the ruling group are wealthy or exercise their power through their wealth are known as plutocracies [3].
Influence of Wealthy Individuals: Mockler emphasizes the excessive influence of wealthy individuals in politics, drawing attention to the fact that billionaires and corporations are pouring massive amounts of money into political campaigns and presidential inaugurations [2]. He points to Elon Musk’s expected use of office space in the White House after spending $200 million on Trump’s campaign as a prime example of how the rich are buying their way into power [2, 4]. He also highlights the large sums donated to Trump’s inauguration by other tech giants such as Jeff Bezos, Sam Ultman, Mark Zuckerberg, and others [2].
Trump’s Transactional Presidency: Mockler suggests that Trump’s presidency is transactional, with oligarchs and potential oligarchs growing in influence [5]. He notes that many in the business community view Trump as someone they can do business with [5]. Tech CEOs are scrambling to curry favor with the Trump administration, with examples such as Mark Zuckerberg ending fact-checking on social media platforms and Jeff Bezos spiking a Kamala Harris endorsement [5].
Erosion of Democratic Norms: Mockler’s analysis implies that the influence of the wealthy is undermining the democratic process [5]. He notes that President Biden warned in his farewell address that the US is turning into an oligarchy [6]. This warning is followed by a massive spike in Google searches for “What is an oligarchy?” as people seek to understand what is happening [6].
American Oligarchs: Mockler explains that oligarchs are a subset of the very wealthy who influence politics outside of the formal system and are not elected representatives but have the ear of the president [5]. He cites Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino tycoon and Republican mega-donor, and Elon Musk as examples of American oligarchs [5].
The Danger of Obeying in Advance: Mockler cautions against “obeying in advance,” which means accepting that the current trajectory of the US political system is inevitable [7]. He says that this is a form of giving up, and it is necessary to keep fighting [7]. He warns against a cynical attitude that believes there will never be another election [7]. He insists that the US is not yet like Russia, where oligarchs are fully embedded in politics [7, 8].
The Disconnect Between Politicians and the People: Mockler points out a disconnect between politicians and the people, explaining that many of Trump’s supporters see him and the billionaires aligned with him as “outsiders” who will disrupt the status quo [9]. He notes that Democrats are perceived as being associated with the elite, which has made Trump more appealing to some voters [9].
Oligarchs Are a Subset of the 1%: Mockler clarifies that being rich does not necessarily make a person an oligarch [10]. An oligarch is someone who influences politics outside of the formal system [5].
In summary, Mockler portrays the US political landscape as one where traditional democratic norms are threatened by the growing influence of a wealthy elite who are using their financial power to shape political outcomes and entrench their power within politics outside of the formal election systems [7]. He warns against cynicism and emphasizes the need for continued effort to preserve democracy [7].
D. Mann’s perspective on humanity’s current predicament, as presented in Sapience: The Moment Is Now, is that humanity is facing a critical juncture, teetering on the edge of self-destruction due to a pervasive force called “The Corruption” [1]. This predicament is not just a matter of political or economic instability, but a deeper crisis rooted in humanity’s collective consciousness [1, 2].
Here are the key elements of Mann’s perspective:
The Corruption as a Disease: Mann describes “The Corruption” as a disease that erodes cooperation, cohesion, and unity within a civilization [1]. It is a force that prioritizes selfish self-interests, leading to a breakdown of social structures and a loss of trust [1]. Money often acts as a lure, enticing people to act against the common good [1, 3].
Psychological and Emotional Fallout: This “disease” manifests as a toxic brew of fear, anger, and pain, which in turn fosters further negative emotions like hate, greed, envy, and revenge [1]. This toxic plaque clogs the lines of conscious awareness in a civilization, creating a cycle of negativity and destruction [1].
Cycles of Violence: The Corruption is not static but mutates and becomes more virulent with each jump to a new civilization; violence, fear and pain are its vectors [4].
Ubiquitous Nature: The Corruption is not confined to any single culture or time period; it is a universal phenomenon existing inside all humans [4]. It is described as a “whiny, violent, petulant, and very thin, polluted stream of human consciousness” [4].
Economic Systems: According to Mann, the modern world is defined by economic systems imposed by Western Civilization, and these systems are now held hostage by the Corruption [4]. The “money game” is a “malevolent satire of the survival game” where people willingly cede power to those with the most wealth [3].
The Pyramid Model: The Pyramid Model of Mind, originally intended for civil societies, has been corrupted. Individuals driven by self-interest manipulate this model for their own gain, undermining societal structures [3, 5]. This is referred to as “decapitation” of the pyramid, which turns it into a prison rather than a system for transformation. This decapitation can happen through violence (dictatorships) or deception (oligarchies and democracies) [6].
The Rise of Isms:Isms are viewed as attempts to legitimize corruption and trap people in shallow thinking [7]. These ideologies tend to become increasingly extreme, making it more difficult for people to escape their influence [7].
The Totalitarian Mindset: The totalitarian mindset, fueled by the Dark Triad or Tetrad, is one of the most aggressive vectors of the Corruption [8]. This mindset is characterized by a rigid, cynical, and hostile view of others, and it is very easily amplified in the modern world through internet trolling and hate culture [8].
Loss of Personal Responsibility: People are increasingly unwilling to take responsibility for their actions, preferring to blame others. This is amplified by modern technology, especially the internet, which allows people to act out frustrations anonymously, creating a culture of hate and trolling [8].
A Choice Between Fate and Destiny: Humanity is at a crossroads. One path leads to “fate,” represented by the “rocks of ignorance,” which is a continuation of the destructive patterns created by the Corruption [9]. The other is “destiny,” a more difficult path that requires a conscious effort to slow down, reassess the way humanity uses its “precious light of consciousness,” and actively choose a different way forward in order to save life on Earth [9].
The Need for Wisdom: Mann’s concept of “sapience” emphasizes the necessity of applying knowledge, experience, understanding, and common sense [2]. Overcoming humanity’s current predicament requires a combination of intellect and heart, which leads to wisdom [10].
In summary, Mann views humanity’s predicament as a consequence of a deep-seated “Corruption” that has metastasized throughout human history, manifesting in various forms such as greed, inequality, and violence, which has now led the world to the brink of a catastrophic collapse. The way out of this predicament requires a fundamental shift in consciousness, moving away from self-interest, and embracing empathy, cooperation, and self-awareness.
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: The Decline of the American Empire
Richard Wolff’s analysis, as presented in the provided blog, highlights several key economic trends contributing to the decline of the American Empire [1, 2]. Here are some of the most important trends he identifies:
The Fall of Empires: Wolff frames his analysis within a historical context of rising and falling empires, noting that they are born, evolve, and eventually die [3]. He places the American Empire within this cycle, arguing that it is now in a state of decline [1, 4, 5]. He identifies the peak of the American Empire as occurring between 1870 and 1970 [1, 6, 7].
Stagnant Real Wages: A central point of Wolff’s analysis is the stagnation of real wages for American workers since the 1970s [1, 7-9]. He explains that while wages rose consistently from the 1870s to the 1970s, they have remained flat since then. This means that the purchasing power of the average American worker has not increased since 1978, despite increases in productivity [7-9]. Wolff notes that real wages are wages adjusted for the prices that a person must pay [7].
Rising Inequality: Wolff emphasizes a radical redistribution of wealth from the bottom and middle classes to the top over the last 40 years [10]. The top 10% have done very well, the top 5% even better, the top 1% even better than that, and the top one-tenth of 1% the best of all [10]. This was made possible, in part, by changes to the tax laws that relieved corporations and the rich of taxes while switching them to the middle and lower classes [7].
Increased Debt: To maintain the illusion of growth, Americans have been encouraged to accumulate debt [11]. Wolff notes that banks began lending to consumers who had not been lent to before, resulting in a society that is now debt-ridden [11]. The rise of credit cards, mortgages, car loans, and student loans has led to an unsustainable debt burden for many families [5, 11-14].
The Role of Women: Wolff observes that women entered the workforce en masse as a result of stagnant real wages, in order to sustain the fantasy of growth [15]. He also notes the increased pressure this has placed on families, which has led to a high divorce rate and high consumption of psychotropic drugs by women in the US [12].
The Disconnect Between Productivity and Wages: Wolff notes that productivity has continued to rise while wages have remained flat. This means that the benefits of increased productivity are going to the employers (a very small class) rather than the workers who are producing the value [16, 17].
Inflation: Wolff notes that Americans have experienced a series of economic blows such as COVID, inflation and rising interest rates after 40 years of declining wages [18].
Historical Parallels: Wolff draws a parallel between the current situation in the U.S. and the economic and social conditions in Germany leading up to World War II [19]. He describes the German working class being hit with extreme economic blows after World War I and the hyperinflation that ensued in the early 1920s, which led to the rise of extremism [19-22]. He suggests that the US may be heading down a similar path [18].
The Decline of the US Dollar: Wolff argues that the days of the US dollar as the dominant international currency are over [23, 24]. He notes that other countries are now developing alternative international currencies and that China is emerging as an economic superpower [23, 24].
China’s Rise: He points out that China’s GDP is rapidly approaching that of the United States, which has resulted in China becoming a serious competitor and a sign of the decline of the American Empire [25, 26]. He notes that the average annual growth in the US is around 2-3% while China’s annual growth is between 6-9% [26].
US Military Aggression: Wolff observes that the United States, like the British before it, is trying to slow down the rise of China through military means, which has led to conflict with Russia in Ukraine [27, 28]. He states that Russia is an ally of China, and that the sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine have been ineffective because Russia has found other buyers of oil and gas, particularly India and China [29, 30].
Denial: Wolff notes that the American system is in deep trouble, but the political and cultural leaders and economic leaders, are in a state of denial [3, 31]. The denial is a way of not having to face what is happening [3, 31].
In summary, Wolff’s analysis highlights the fragility of the American Empire, the stagnation of wages for workers, the radical redistribution of wealth to the very top, unsustainable debt, and the emergence of China as a major economic competitor. He also warns against the dangers of denial and the tendency to resort to violence in the face of decline, which he notes will only hasten the fall of the American empire [32].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: The Corruption as the Cause of a Civilization’s Descent
D. Mann’s concept of “The Corruption,” as detailed in Sapience: The Moment Is Now, refers to a disease-like force that erodes cooperation, cohesion, and unity within a civilization [1]. It is presented as a key factor in the downfall of societies [1]. Here are the key characteristics and elements of this concept:
Selfish Self-Interests: The Corruption is rooted in selfish self-interests that prioritize the individual over the collective good [1].
Money as a Tool: Money is often at the root of the Corruption, acting as a “shiny, bright object” that is presented as a bribe or a false promise of prosperity, which lures people to do bad things [1].
Enticement to Bad Actions: The Corruption entices good, peaceful people to engage in harmful behaviors that benefit only a select few, undermining the well-being of the entire system [1].
Erosion of Cooperation: As the Corruption takes hold, it erodes cooperation, cohesion, and unity, causing the lines of a civilization’s conscious awareness to clog with “the hard plaque of fear, anger, and pain” [1].
Cynicism and Distrust: This toxic environment causes people to lose trust in one another and become increasingly cynical [1].
Toxic Plaque: The book suggests that a second layer of “toxic plaque”, unique to humans, is deposited over the initial layer of fear and anger. This second layer is made up of hate, greed, envy, and revenge, which can lead people to act outside of their basic instincts [1].
Destructive Metabolism: When enough civilizing lines of cohesion become blocked, the internal crisis then manifests into physical reality, initiating a destructive metabolism or catabolism within the civilization. This destroys the systems that people depend on to survive [1].
Cycles of Violence: The Corruption is not static; it mutates and becomes more virulent each time it jumps to a new civilization. Violence, fear, and pain serve as its vectors [2].
Origins: The Corruption is said to have emerged in the Fertile Crescent, where it evolved and mutated over 5,000 years [2].
Ubiquitous Presence: The Corruption is not limited to any single culture or time period; it is a universal phenomenon that exists inside all humans [2].
The Modern World: White European culture is presented as the tip of the spear that created the Modern world, which is now held ransom by the Corruption, which is much deeper and more pervasive than Western Civilization [2].
Economic Systems: The book states that Western Civilization controlled and imposed economic systems, which then came to define the Modern World [2].
The Money Game: The book describes a “money game” as a malevolent satire of the survival game, where people willingly cede power to those who amass the most wealth. This game is played on the “Field of Mind” and is essentially what people call economics. It requires intelligence and skill, but those lacking in these qualities resort to brute force, deception, and violence [3].
The Pyramid Model of Mind: The book discusses the Pyramid Model of Mind, which was initially developed by peaceful people for civil societies [4]. However, corrupted individuals exploit the model by focusing only on their own gain and undermining the structure of society from within [5].
Decapitation of the Pyramid: Corrupted individuals can “decapitate” the pyramid model, turning it into a prison rather than a system for transformation. This is done either through violence at the soldier level (dictators and tyrants) or through deception at the scribe level (oligarchies and democracies). In both cases, the corrupt individuals consolidate power, wealth, and prestige at the top, where there is only room for one of them [6].
The Game of Isms: Isms are described as thinly veiled attempts to legitimize corruption and trap people in shallow thinking [7]. They decay over time as their ideologies must continually warp to maintain their hold on people [7].
The Totalitarian Mindset: The totalitarian mindset, which is aggressive, cruel, and hostile, is a significant vector of the Corruption, especially when combined with the Dark Triad or Tetrad. This mindset is characterized by rigid thinking, simplified biases, and blaming others for their problems [8].
Role of Technology: The modern world, with its screens and internet, has amplified the effects of the Corruption. People can now act out their frustrations and anger anonymously, which creates a culture of hate and trolling. This makes it easier for totalitarian mindsets to spread [8].
In essence, “The Corruption” is a multifaceted concept encompassing psychological, social, and economic elements. It represents the underlying force that drives civilizations toward self-destruction by undermining cooperation and promoting selfishness, greed, and violence [1, 2, 5]. The book emphasizes the need for self-awareness and a conscious choice to resist the influence of “The Corruption” in order to create a better future [9, 10].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: American Economic Decline,Wolff’s Analysis
Richard Wolff uses several economic indicators to support his thesis that the American economic system is in a state of decline and faces serious challenges [1, 2]. These indicators highlight a system characterized by inequality, stagnant wages, and a shift in global economic power [3-5]. Here are some of the key indicators he cites:
Stagnant Real Wages: Wolff emphasizes that real wages in the U.S. have not increased since the 1970s [6, 7]. He defines real wages as the amount of money workers earn adjusted for the prices they pay for goods and services [6]. He states that the average American worker earns the same real wage today as they did in 1978 [7]. This is a central point in his analysis, demonstrating that despite economic growth and increased productivity, workers have not benefited financially for over 40 years [4, 7, 8].
Radical Redistribution of Wealth: Wolff points out a significant redistribution of wealth from the bottom and middle classes to the top over the past 40 years [3, 6]. He explains that the top 10%, 5%, 1%, and especially the top 0.1% have become much wealthier, while the majority of the population has not seen corresponding gains [3].
Changes in Tax Laws: He explains that changes in tax laws have contributed to this redistribution of wealth [6]. Tax burdens have been shifted from corporations and the rich to the middle and lower classes [6]. He notes that both Republicans and Democrats have participated in this shift, though with different levels of intensity [6].
Increased Debt: Wolff argues that Americans have accumulated massive amounts of debt as a result of stagnant wages [9]. He states that the growth of consumption in the last 40 years has been based on women’s earnings and debt [10, 11]. He highlights the rise of consumer debt through credit cards, mortgages, car loans, and student loans [9, 10, 12].
Rising Productivity with Flat Wages: Wolff explains that while workers’ productivity has significantly increased due to technology and automation, wages have remained flat [4, 6]. This means employers benefit from increased output, while workers do not see a corresponding increase in compensation [4, 13]. This discrepancy exacerbates inequality [13].
Inflation and Rising Interest Rates: Wolff notes that the working class has been hit with inflation and rising interest rates, which further undermines their economic stability [13-15]. He explains that prices are increasing roughly twice as fast as wages, which he says is destructive to the working class [15].
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Wolff uses GDP to compare the economic power of different countries [16, 17]. He points out that while the U.S. has a GDP of $21 trillion, China’s is $17.5 trillion, and Russia’s is only $1.5 trillion [5, 17]. He also notes that China’s economy is growing at 6-9% annually compared to 2-3% in the U.S. [5]. This economic data suggests a shift in global power away from the U.S. [5].
Decline of the US Dollar: Wolff explains that the US dollar’s status as the dominant international currency is coming to an end [18]. He says other countries are moving toward another international currency, which is the currency of the People’s Republic of China [18].
These indicators, according to Wolff, demonstrate that the American economic system is in a state of decline, characterized by inequality, stagnant wages, increasing debt, and a shift in global economic power [2-4]. He argues that the system is committed to inequality and that the current situation is not sustainable [13, 19]. He also makes a historical comparison to Germany, where a similar set of economic circumstances led to the rise of extremism and devastation [14, 20-23].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: The Rise of Oligarchy in the U.S., Mockler’s Take
Adam Mockler characterizes the rise of oligarchy in the U.S. as a dangerous and undemocratic shift, where a small group of wealthy individuals wield excessive influence over politics, effectively undermining the democratic process [1-4]. Here’s a detailed breakdown of his characterization:
Concentration of Power: Mockler emphasizes that the U.S. is transitioning into an oligarchy, a system where a few powerful individuals exercise control for their own corrupt and selfish purposes [1, 3]. He also points out that when these individuals wield power through their wealth, it is also a form of plutocracy [3].
Wealthy Donors: He highlights the significant role of billionaires and corporations in funding political campaigns and inaugural committees [2]. For example, Elon Musk spent $200 million on Trump’s campaign and is expected to have office space in the White House [2, 5]. Other tech leaders such as Jeff Bezos, Sam Ultman, Mark Zuckerberg, and others are also donating vast sums of money to political causes [2].
Transactional Politics: Mockler argues that many in the business world see Trump as a transactional figure, believing they can influence him through financial contributions. This has led to tech CEOs making business moves to curry favor with the Trump administration [6]. Bezos, for example, said that if he can help Trump reduce regulation, he will [2, 5].
Influence Beyond Formal Systems: Mockler cites Brooke Harrington, who studies oligarchs, to clarify that an oligarch is “someone who isn’t an elected representative or Cabinet member but who has the ear of the president,” thus demonstrating that oligarchs influence politics outside the formal systems [6]. This indicates that their power operates outside of the traditional democratic processes.
Erosion of Democratic Norms: The increasing influence of the wealthy is eroding democratic norms [4]. Their involvement in politics is not just about donations but about shaping policy and having direct access to political power [2, 5]. This means that the interests of the few are taking precedence over the interests of the many [2].
Public Awareness: Mockler observes a spike in Google searches for the term “oligarchy” after President Biden’s farewell address, which included a warning about the country becoming an oligarchy [7]. This indicates a growing public awareness of this issue and the concern it generates [7].
Comparison to Russia: Mockler draws a parallel between the U.S. situation and the rise of oligarchs in Russia, where wealthy individuals gained power through corruption and were later controlled by Putin [3, 8]. He notes that in Russia, the oligarchs’ power was entrenched through their wealth within politics, outside of the formal election systems [9]. However, Mockler also stresses that the U.S. is not yet Russia and that people should not give up hope by “obeying in advance,” [9].
Oligarchs as a Subset: He emphasizes that not all wealthy people are oligarchs. Rather, oligarchs are a subset of the wealthy who use their influence to affect politics [4, 6].
New Level of Influence: Mockler highlights that the current level of wealthy influence is different from the past, representing a new scale of influence. He also suggests that Trump is changing what the presidency means [6].
Integration into Government: Mockler notes that Trump is integrating his wealthy allies into the government, giving them key roles and further solidifying their influence [6, 10]. For example, Elon Musk and V Ramaswami are leading an initiative to cut government spending [10].
In summary, Mockler views the rise of oligarchy in the U.S. as a result of the increasing and unchecked power of wealthy individuals and corporations who are leveraging their financial resources to unduly influence politics, thereby weakening democratic norms and potentially setting the stage for a less representative system [1-4, 6]. He urges the public to recognize this trend, resist it, and fight for a more democratic system [9, 11].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: The Decline of the American Economic System
Richard Wolff uses several economic indicators to support his thesis that the American economic system is in decline. Here are some of the key indicators he cites:
Stagnant Real Wages: Wolff emphasizes that real wages in the U.S. have not increased since the 1970s [1-3]. He defines real wages as the amount of money workers earn adjusted for the prices they pay for goods and services [1, 4]. He states that the average American worker earns the same real wage today as they did in 1978 [2]. This stagnation of real wages is a major point in his analysis, showing that despite increases in productivity, workers have not benefited economically [1, 5, 6].
Radical Redistribution of Wealth: Wolff points out a significant redistribution of wealth from the bottom and middle classes to the top over the past 40 years [7]. The top 10%, 5%, 1%, and especially the top 0.1% have become much wealthier, while the majority of the population has not [1, 7].
Changes in Tax Laws: He explains that changes in tax laws have contributed to this redistribution of wealth [1]. Tax burdens have been shifted from corporations and the wealthy to the middle and lower classes [1, 2]. He notes that both Republicans and Democrats have participated in this shift, albeit at different speeds [1].
Increased Debt: Wolff argues that Americans have accumulated massive amounts of debt as a result of stagnant wages [8, 9]. He states that the growth of consumption in the last 40 years has been based on women’s earnings and debt [9, 10]. He highlights the rise of consumer debt through credit cards and the increasing reliance on loans for homes, cars, and education [8, 11, 12].
Rising Productivity with Flat Wages: Wolff explains that while workers’ productivity has significantly increased due to technology and automation, wages have remained flat [5, 6]. This means employers benefit greatly from increased output while workers do not see a corresponding increase in compensation, which exacerbates inequality [5, 6].
Inflation and Rising Interest Rates: In recent times, the working class has been hit with inflation and rising interest rates, which further undermines their economic stability [6, 13]. Wolff states that prices are increasing roughly twice as fast as wages, which is destructive to the working class [14].
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Wolff uses GDP to compare the economic power of different countries [15]. He points out that while the U.S. has a GDP of $21 trillion, China’s is $17.5 trillion, while Russia’s is only $1.5 trillion [16, 17]. He notes that China’s economy is growing at 6-9% annually compared to 2-3% in the U.S. [17]. This economic data suggests a shift in global power away from the U.S. [15, 17, 18].
Decline of the US Dollar: Wolff explains that the US dollar’s status as the dominant international currency is coming to an end. Other countries are moving toward another international currency, which is the currency of the People’s Republic of China [15, 18].
These indicators, according to Wolff, demonstrate that the American economic system is in a state of decline, characterized by inequality, stagnant wages, increasing debt, and a shift in global economic power [19]. He argues that the system is committed to inequality and that the current situation is not sustainable [5, 14, 18].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: American Oligarchy, A Warning
Adam Mockler characterizes the emerging political situation in the U.S. as a shift towards oligarchy, where power is concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals who influence politics outside of formal democratic systems [1-3]. Here’s a breakdown of his key points:
Rise of Oligarchy: Mockler emphasizes that the U.S. is turning into an oligarchy, a system where a small, privileged group exercises despotic power for corrupt or selfish purposes [2]. He also notes that when members of this ruling group exercise their power through their wealth, it is called a plutocracy [2].
Influence of Wealthy Individuals: Mockler highlights the increasing influence of billionaires and corporations in politics [1]. He points out that wealthy individuals like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and others are donating massive amounts of money to political campaigns and inauguration funds, effectively buying their way into political influence [1]. For example, Elon Musk spent $200 million on Trump’s campaign, and is expected to have office space in the White House complex [1, 3].
Trump as a Transactional President: Mockler argues that many in the business community see Trump as a purely transactional president [4]. They believe they can influence him by giving him money [4]. This perception has led to tech CEOs scrambling to gain favor with the Trump administration, making business moves to appease him [4].
Erosion of Democratic Norms: The increasing influence of wealthy individuals is leading to an erosion of democratic norms, with the very wealthy influencing politics outside the formal system [4]. Mockler notes that, according to Brooke Harrington, an oligarch is “someone who isn’t an elected representative or Cabinet member but who has the ear of the president” [4].
Public Awareness: Mockler observes a significant spike in Google searches for “oligarchy” after President Biden’s farewell address, indicating a growing public awareness of this issue [1, 5]. He views Biden’s warning about a burgeoning oligarchy as a crucial wake-up call [5, 6].
The Example of Russia: Mockler draws parallels between the situation in the U.S. and the rise of oligarchs in Russia. He notes that in Russia, the oligarchs’ power was eventually usurped by Vladimir Putin, who demanded their loyalty [2, 7]. He also notes how oligarchs in Russia have used their power to entrench their wealth and power within politics, outside of the formal election system [8].
Do Not Obey in Advance: Mockler warns against “obeying in advance,” or giving up hope and accepting the current situation as inevitable. He insists that the U.S. is not yet Russia and that there is still time to fight for change and maintain democratic processes [8].
Oligarchs as a Subset of the Wealthy: Mockler clarifies that not all wealthy people are oligarchs; an oligarch is specifically someone who influences politics outside the formal systems, making them a subset of the super elite [4].
New Level of Influence: While rich people have always influenced politics, Mockler sees the current level of influence as something new and different from the past. He suggests that Trump will change what the presidency means, and that the growing influence of billionaires on the system could be a direct result of Americans’ dissatisfaction with government responsiveness [4, 9].
Integration of Wealthy Allies: Mockler points out that Trump is integrating his wealthy allies into the government, similar to his first term where many cabinet members were millionaires or billionaires [9].
In summary, Mockler characterizes the emerging political situation in the U.S. as a dangerous shift toward oligarchy, driven by the excessive influence of wealthy individuals and corporations. He warns against complacency and urges people to actively resist this trend to preserve democracy [1, 2, 4, 6].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom:: American Empire’s Decline Is A Multifaceted Crisis
Adam Mockler, Richard Wolff, and D. Mann offer complementary analyses of the current crises facing the United States and the world, each approaching the problems from a different perspective, but arriving at similar conclusions about the severity of the issues and the need for fundamental change [1, 2].
Here’s how their analyses complement each other:
Mockler’s Analysis: Mockler’s analysis focuses on the political landscape and the rise of oligarchy in the U.S. [1, 3]. He uses current events, like President Biden’s Farewell Address and the spike in Google searches for “oligarchy,” to illustrate the growing awareness of a power shift [3, 4]. Mockler’s discussion of Elon Musk’s influence and the role of wealthy donors in politics highlights how power is being concentrated outside of formal democratic systems [3, 5]. Mockler also emphasizes the danger of “obeying in advance,” urging people not to give up hope or accept the current trajectory as inevitable [6].
Wolff’s Analysis: Wolff provides an economic perspective, offering a historical overview of the rise and fall of empires, particularly focusing on the American Empire’s trajectory [1, 7]. He explains how the U.S. economy has shifted from a period of growth and rising wages to one characterized by stagnant wages, growing debt, and extreme wealth inequality [8-10]. Wolff details how changes in tax laws and the relationship between capital and labor have led to this redistribution of wealth [10]. He warns of the consequences of this inequality, drawing parallels to the economic conditions in Germany before the rise of extremism [11-15]. He highlights the role of denial in preventing people from recognizing the severity of the economic problems [16, 17]. Wolff also emphasizes the decline of the US dollar and the rise of China as a global economic power, suggesting the end of the American Empire [18, 19].
Mann’s Analysis: D. Mann delves into the psychological and philosophical roots of humanity’s problems [2]. In Sapience: The Moment Is Now, the author explores the “Corruption,” a disease of consciousness that leads to the breakdown of cooperation and cohesion within civilizations [20]. Mann uses the concept of the “decapitated pyramid” to explain how power structures can be corrupted, leading to inequality and the suppression of individual agency [21, 22]. The author also discusses the role of “mindsets” and “isms” in perpetuating harmful systems, emphasizing the need for individual awareness and empathy to create positive change [22-24].
Here’s how their analyses come together:
The Political Consequences of Economic Instability: Mockler’s analysis of the rise of oligarchy can be seen as a direct political consequence of the economic issues outlined by Wolff. The concentration of wealth, the stagnation of wages, and the growing debt (as described by Wolff) can create conditions that enable the wealthy to amass political power and influence, as Mockler demonstrates.
The Role of Denial and Psychological Factors: All three perspectives highlight the role of denial as a significant barrier to positive change. Wolff explains how denial prevents people from acknowledging the economic crisis and the decline of the American Empire [7, 16, 17]. Mann’s concept of “The Corruption” adds a psychological dimension to this denial, showing how fear, anger, and hate can clog the shared awareness of a society, preventing people from seeing the truth [20]. Mockler’s description of people “obeying in advance” and giving up on the possibility of change shows how denial can undermine the very possibility of meaningful action [6].
Call for Change: While each perspective has a unique angle, all three complement each other in calling for urgent action to address current crises. Mockler urges resistance against the rise of oligarchy [6], Wolff calls for an end to denial and a recognition of the decline of the American Empire [25, 26]. Mann offers a philosophical path forward, stressing the need to develop empathy, and self-awareness to overcome the “Corruption” and create a better future [2, 27].
Interconnectedness of the Crises: All three perspectives emphasize the interconnectedness of political, economic, and psychological factors in the crises facing humanity. The political system is influenced by economic power, while both are undermined by psychological factors like denial, fear, and hatred. This interconnectedness of the crises reveals the need for holistic solutions that address all of these factors.
In summary, Mockler’s political analysis, Wolff’s economic perspective, and Mann’s psychological insights work together to present a comprehensive picture of the crises facing humanity, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these issues and the need for individual and collective action for meaningful change [2].
Oligarchy, Economics & Wisdom: Societal Denial and the Obstruction of Progress
Societal denial is a significant obstacle to progress because it prevents people from acknowledging and addressing problems [1, 2]. Denial can manifest as an unwillingness to confront uncomfortable truths, which can then lead to inaction [3, 4].
Here’s how denial hinders progress, according to the sources:
Ignoring Economic Realities: Economist Richard Wolff argues that the US is in “deep doodoo” due to denial about the failing economic system [1]. This denial prevents an honest discussion about stagnant wages, rising debt, and the widening gap between the rich and the poor [1, 5-7].
Failure to Recognize Systemic Issues: People often focus on individual cases rather than seeing social phenomena [5]. Wolff uses police violence as an example, stating that people blame individual officers instead of understanding the systemic nature of the problem [5]. This denial of systemic issues prevents the implementation of large-scale solutions.
Accepting False Narratives: Denial makes people vulnerable to false narratives and scapegoating [8, 9]. For example, some people blame immigrants for economic problems instead of acknowledging the flaws within the economic system itself [9, 10].
Hindering Collective Action: According to the blog summary, the author of Sapience: The Moment Is Now emphasizes that denial and inaction stem from psychological roots. Overcoming denial is necessary to build the inner strength needed to confront reality and promote cooperation [4]. The blog also highlights that denial prevents people from working together to find real solutions [2, 11].
Obeying in Advance: The blog uses the term “obeying in advance” to describe people who believe that positive change is impossible or that they are powerless to change the status quo [12]. This can be seen when people assume that elections will not matter or that the US is already destined to be an oligarchy [12].
Maintaining the Status Quo: Denial allows harmful systems to continue unchallenged [1, 4]. The sources suggest that political, cultural, and economic leaders are often committed to denial, which preserves their own power and advantages [1, 13].
According to the sources, oligarchs benefit from maintaining the status quo and actively contribute to the problem by influencing politics outside of the formal systems [14-16].
The Cycle of Denial: According to Richard Wolff, denial is a “very human thing to do” [1]. It can act like a child putting their hands over their eyes to avoid seeing a scary dog, and thus, to believe that it isn’t there [1].
Historical Repetition: According to Wolff, the failure to acknowledge a problem can cause a repeat of history. He uses the example of the German working class who, after a period of intense economic hardship in the 1920’s, turned to extremism [17-19]. The sources suggest that current societal denial could lead to similar outcomes [2, 11, 19].
The Corruption: According to D. Mann, the “Corruption” is a disease of consciousness that clogs the shared awareness of a civilization with fear, anger, and pain. It causes people to lose trust and grow cynical [20]. The layers of fear and anger then cause hate, greed, envy and revenge [20]. When these lines of cohesion become blocked, the civilization begins to die [20].
In summary, the sources suggest that societal denial is a pervasive problem that prevents the acknowledgement of difficult truths, leading to inaction, and thus, hindering the ability of individuals and society to find real, lasting solutions to major problems [1, 2, 11].
D. Mann’s book, Sapience: The Moment Is Now, delves into the psychological factors that contribute to societal crises, identifying a concept called “the Corruption” as a key driver of humanity’s downfall [1, 2]. Here’s how the book addresses these factors:
The Corruption: This is described as a kind of disease that erodes cooperation, cohesion, and unity within a civilization, caused by selfish self-interests [2]. It often starts with money, which can be presented as a bribe or false promise [2]. The corruption entices people to do bad things that benefit a few rather than the many [2].
Erosion of Cooperation: The Corruption leads to a breakdown in cooperation, causing a civilization’s conscious awareness to clog with “the hard plaque of fear, anger, and pain” [2]. People lose trust and become cynical, creating a toxic environment [2].
Human-Specific Toxic Plaque: A second layer of plaque, unique to humans, forms over the initial layer of fear and anger, consisting of hate, greed, envy, and revenge [2]. These toxic emotions can lead people to act outside of their basic instincts [2].
Mental Model Blockage: When the lines of cooperation are clogged, it leads to destructive metabolism or catabolism [2]. This systematic death within the mental model of the civilization destroys the systems people depend on, forcing them to flee or die [2].
Cycles of Violence: The book suggests that the Corruption originated in the Fertile Crescent and has mutated and grown more virulent each time it has jumped between civilizations, with violence, fear and pain as its vectors [3].
Mindset vs. Mental Model: The book distinguishes between mindsets and mental models. Mindsets are like scripts that people are supposed to follow, often prescribing, advising, directing or commanding, while mental models are shapes that individuals can choose to stay within or not, using their own quality of mind [4].
Totalitarian Mindset: The book describes the totalitarian mindset as aggressive, cruel, and hostile. It is characterized by a rigid and superstitious view of the world, simplified stereotypical biases, and a need to project idealized images of grandeur, often blaming others for the bad [4].
The Dark Triad/Tetrad: The book introduces the Dark Triad (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) and its more extreme form, the Dark Tetrad, which adds sadism. These personality disorders are seen as vectors of the Corruption, twisting and contorting public performances into violent, selfish displays of ignorance [4]. People with these traits actively seek to inflict pain on others, often hiding behind a screen on the internet [4].
The Decapitated Pyramid: The book introduces the “Pyramid Model of Mind,” as a way to describe how civil societies are organized [5]. The book suggests that civilizations are like living creatures that can act as a single being, especially when there is unity in belief and behavior [5]. However, when corrupted individuals, who seek to benefit only themselves, occupy powerful positions within the pyramid, they can “decapitate” the flow of power. Dictators and tyrants do this at the soldier level with violence [6], while oligarchies and democracies do it at the scribe level through the use of their intellect to deceive ordinary people, who are exhausted from just trying to survive [6, 7].
The Game of Isms: The book notes that the modern world is full of isms, which are attempts to legitimize corruption [7]. Isms often make false promises that trap people in shallow thinking, and decay over time because their core ideologies must continually warp to keep people trapped in the shallowest regions of their mind [7].
Consequences of Immaturity: The book suggests that immature consciousness is susceptible to extreme points of view, leading to uncivil actions [4]. It also highlights how people increasingly ignore the root causes of their anger and prefer to attack others whom they have dehumanized [4]. This is connected to the rise of hate culture on the internet [4].
Need for Self-Awareness: The book promotes the need for self-awareness to confront the challenges facing humanity [8]. It highlights the need to slow down, reassess, and choose a different path forward, rather than succumbing to ignorance and hate [9].
Wisdom: The book emphasizes that the combination of intellect and heart is what wins the long game of economics and that these qualities must be present to save a dying world [10].
In summary, Sapience: The Moment Is Now argues that psychological factors, particularly the spread of the Corruption through fear, hate, and greed, are critical drivers of societal crises. It calls for increased self-awareness, empathy, and cooperation as a means to combat these destructive forces and shape a better future. It emphasizes that the choice is up to each individual to choose between fate and destiny [9].
Let’s end with another amazing video by what huge snowflakes MAGA maniacs really are!
Recently, I found out that I really hate the word hierarchy. I came to this conclusion after arguing with an old, ex-Facebook friend about “functional hierarchy“.
I fundamentally don’t believe any human hierarchy can withstand the corruption of thought. It is thinking too much that has gotten the world into the predicaments it is in, thinking is not the God it once was, and it is not going to get us out of our messes.
We are like 10 billion baby birds clustered in nests of endless thought and thinking, and we are terrified to fly. This will make sense if you keep reading! But before dropping into the underworld, you better watch this Mother video!!!
Meghan Trainor — Mother (Official Music Video) — How to Stop Mansplaining | Thank You EJ!!! This is so Awesome!!!
This whole convoluted conversation happened because of a very simple question I asked about a diagram this particular man made about Transformational Change.
In the graphic he posted, I noticed there is no pathway for what to do if people don’t agree on the type of Transformational Change needed or on how to implement it.
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies:
So, I made the following comment:
On the outer circle of Discuss & Agree... what happens when you Discuss & Disagree or even further have Conflict?
Without this other very real possibility included in a realistic way, this is a closed-circle of "Liked-minded" thinkers who will grow smaller and smaller in their shared beliefs and ideas of Transformation, which they may conclude: "Needs to Be Imposed on Everyone Else for the Good of the World."
So much trauma and cycles of destruction, reprisals, vendettas have emerged out of Closed-Systems of Thinking ending in "Do Gooder" agendas.
What do you think?
Well, maybe I was alittle too provocative and Alan Wattsy in my comment when I ask about Do-Gooder agendas. He probably has no idea what I mean. But, as you will see, he assumes he knows what I mean… but he has no clue.
What I am referring to is explained simply in this video:
Alan Watts – The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions
His response to my comment is as follows:
true. Which is why this model aims to 'transcend to THEN include'... the ethical commitment to acton behalf of the whole.
Can you show me a model where informed democracy is addressing Overshoot? No... there is, unfortunately, a functional hierarchy which needs to honour those who CAN see more, sense more, grok more, on behalf of the whole system/social field. This is only part of the process
If interested you might find more here (it's a link to his website...)
GULP! Now, I have a whole bunch more questions!
Really, he has made a mental model thatCAN identify people who have transcended and these people get admitted into some governing body who will make decisions and act on behalf of the whole?
Does this mean, the whole world?
Does it mean all the misfortunate survivors of the coming catastrophe that is going to destroy most of mankind …pick your catastrophe:climate change, nuclear war, AIs take over the world; they do this because they were given instructions by a Do-Gooder programmer desperately trying tomake the world safe for all life, so the AIs decide that humans have to go to make the world safe for more lifeforms.
You think I am exaggerating?! Then, you better listen to the Godfather of A.I.s as we know them today. He cracked the code for how the human mind works and implemented his understandings to machine learning. And did you know machines hallucinate? Well, the intelligent ones do! I think this is utterly fascinating!
I also know that this guy (and many others in his circle of friends on Facebook) fervently believe the world is going to collapse, and it is going to be God awful, so we better have a plan.
Knowing this, and assuming I survive the collapse, what if I don’t like this transcended group of people who are going to jump into action with their plan to save us and ensure only actions that benefit the good of us all are implemented?
And Grok?!! Really, is this like Mork (where is Mindy?). Or is Grok more like super Geeky?
Whatever it is, I don’t think I want anyone grokking for me.
I should have given up the ghost at this point, but I was stupid and engaged further saying:
Ah yes, functional hierarchy like what we see in the Good’Old USA or Russia sure is showing the world how much more they see than the rest of us can see on how to make the world Great again!
I say this tongue and cheek but without allowing for conflict even on the highest levels of hierarchy, I just don’t see how the human race is going to be doing much transforming any time soon, except maybe some fizzy bubbles on the sides of spaceship Earth
By the way, I could have also brought up China’s ambitions, North Korea’s ambitions, India’s ambitions, Saudi Arabia’s ambitions, and the newly incorporated states of mind and ambitions of Trump & Company, Elon Musk & Companies, Zhong Shanshan & Companies, Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault & Companies, and the list of corporations who make more money than most countries GDP is endless. But, I didn’t want to overwhelm him.
He responded with gusto! Writing the following response:
At this moment I've just watched a program on Al Jazeera on Black Lives Matter, and seeing (one of) the deep dysfunctional divisions in the US - the US is in collapse (see Umair Haque or Chris Hedges) [OH?!! Thank God this guy knows something I didn't know! Thank God We're going to die!], and will continue to split apart along these and other fault lines as biophysical reality gets harder to cope with (with climate change and ecological collapse and resultant economic collapse - which is already happening).
These divisions are caused by competing for identity (and survival) at a level less than that needed for the higher-level collective identity - in the words of one commentator the 'more viable future' would be 'a multiracial society that can live in harmony'.
I need to interrupt here. This guy has just made a huge pivot and is lecturing me about my own country! I live in the United States of America. In fact, I live less than 5 miles from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
Now, I’m not putting Al Jazeera down, but since I live here and I must navigate these competing “identity issues” every day, I think I know a little bit more about them than he does or a single documentary can cover.
In fact, I’ve made a few documentaries myself about these very divisions and dysfunctions.
Here are just a few of them:
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (2)
Black Lives Matter
Trump Rally about a Month and a Half Before Jan. 6 | Cacophony — The Beautiful Humans of Earth
Sustain the Flame – Full (Best Version) Women’s March on Washington 2017
Women’s March 2018 — Can’t Delete Reality
March for Truth — Watergate Redux
March for Truth — State of World
Sioux Z Dezbah at Women’s March on Washington — 1/21/17
Science March | 6 years ago
Sapience Talks — March for Science — Climate Change is Critical | 6 years ago
March for Science — Climate Change is Single Most Critical Issue | 6 years ago
Sapience Talks (#3) — Science Builds Communities
Sapience Talks – Day after Comey is Fired — interview 1
Sapience Talks – Day after Comey is Fired — interview 2
Sapience Talks – Comey Fired – #3
Sapience Talks #2 — The Intersection of Science & Spirit
Web of Lies — March for Truth
Women’s March 2018 — Diversity
Women’s March 2018 — Handmaid’s Tale
Women’s March 2018 — Stranger Things
March for Our Lives | 5 years ago
Never Again | March Against Gun Violence | 5 years ago
Deep Forgiveness (Darryl Green) & March for Our Lives | March For Our Lives | 5 years ago (This is the only one this ex-friend watched and made fun of it.)
Orange is the New Black — Science March 2017 | 6 years ago
“I Want to Be a Scientist” — Science March 2017 | 6 years ago
College Students Climate March | 6 years ago
Curiosity & Human Civilization – Science March 2017 | 6 years ago
Science March 2017 — Bio-medical Robots | 6 years ago
Science March 2017 — Bio-medical Research and Cuts to NIH | 6 years ago
Teens – People’s Climate March | 6 years ago
We ARE the Monsters | 6 months ago
We Are the Story Earth Needs | 4 years ago
Whew! I bet you thought I’d never stop listing them!
Back to ex-FakeBook friend’s comments.
When I refer to 'functional hierarchy' I mean the sort of hierarchy that every natural ecosystem has - nested, holonic, and operating on behalf of the whole AND with diverse individual yet interdependent autonomous beings. In nature this animate intelligence expresses itself through co-evolution and within the higher 'goal' of 'life'.
AH!!! The baby birds! I bet you read this far to see what the 10 billion baby birds in nests is all about! It’s about this comment.
First of all, I bet this ex-friend doesn’t know that being a baby bird in a nest is the most dangerous time of a bird’s life. It is a time of flightlessness that make baby birds vulnerable to all kinds of threats--crows, squirrels, snakes, cats, even wind.
The best thing for a baby bird to do is grow up fast and get the heck out of the nest!!! And have you ever looked at a nest after all the baby birds have left? I have! It’s full of poop!!!
I am not very impressed with his responses so far and started to do my own research on how to run a country or run a bunch of survivors after a great BIG disaster.
I quickly find based on his reference to nests,which I think he wants it to sound NATURAL, that he really doesn’t mean ‘functional hierarchy‘ at all — if he is really talking about a natural system where there is lots and lots of diversity and autonomous living beingswalking about and doing their thing, then he is talking heterarchy; full stop: NOT hierarchy.
I found an article rather quickly in Forbe’s about all of this and this article led me to Philip Bobbitt’s Shield of Achilles. I will talk more about this later. But clearly my ex-friend has never heard of Philip or his book.
Also, before moving on to the rest of his comments, let’s dig into this word holonic:
A holon is something that is simultaneously a whole in and of itself, as well as a part of a larger whole. In other words, holons can be understood as the constituent part–wholes of a hierarchy. Wikipedia
It is also a fundamental theory of machine learning. So, we are back to the end of the world by A.I.s!
Who knows, he might even be the Do-Gooder programmer who writes a well intention code to save as much diversity of life as possible that ends the human race because the AIs determine we are killing life faster than we are preserving it.
And the last thing I want to know: has he talked to this animate intelligence himself?!
How the HELL does he know that this thing or being has a higher goal and that the goal is life?
First of all, I know he doesn’t believe in God, but this is sounding a lot like a God with goals who is going to Make Something Happen!
This an important clue to his thinking, and it provides a glimpse into the Mega Myth he fervently believes runs the universe.
This myth is The Fully Automative Model. This short Alan Watts tells it best!
Alan Watts – The Ceramic and the Fully Automatic
Alright, I’ve digressed enough, so back to his comments:
In Human systems we most often have structural hierarchies, with power-over dynamics. We DO need ways of inviting (creative) conflict across difference to discuss the options in front of us; and a functional Democracy is meant to assist that process. And, it can... but often at a level that is removed from the emerging future realities of biophysical collapse.
Wow — I’m so glad he pointed this out to me. I would still be thinking humans who live in great BIG civilized systems still gather around one GREAT BIG camp fire singing Kumbaya to solve conflicts!
Is he possibly admitting that there should be an arrow in his diagram for conflict?!!
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies:
We could have ended this entire conversation right here!
But wait! He goes on!
If democratic representatives were aware of the biophysical realities within which all their ideas and creative options are nested (functional hierarchy) then perhaps they might make collective decisions in mutual interest at levels required for what's coming. Unfortunately most people are ecologically illiterate and removed from nature so they don't realize that their current comfort levels and assumptions of entitlement, and fear of others taking them from them, are threatened by bigger, more encompassing forces (that will affect everyone) that will cause massive suffering as whole systems collapse.
Fine, these are overly broad generalizations that basically paint a picture that pretty much every human being living in a civilization on Earth is an illiterate, fearful, comfort-seeking coward with entitlement issues. If he wants to define nearly 10 billion people on Earth in this way, he’s not all wrong, but neither is he all right.
In making all my documentaries, I met and talked with so many motivated, well-informed, highly intelligent people who had profound ecological awareness and were not sitting home eating Cheetos! Rather, they were getting on a buses at 3 a.m. to get to marches happening in Washington, DC on Climate Change, Science, Gun Violence, Trump, Lies, and Black Lives Matter.
Perhaps he’s simply mansplaining again. But he still has more to say:
My point about 'transcend' is that only people that understand this can see which futures are no longer viable. That does not mean they 'know everything' - but it does mean they have a different worldview. They cannot guarantee 'the way' to go - there is no single direction. They can however point to many of the non-ways to go, because of Universal Harms that would and do threaten Universal Interests - not just the vested interests of any particular group that sees 'others' as the biggest threat to their identity and wellbeing.
Oh goodie! Transcendence! Yes, I really want to know more about what he means by transcend!
But, Hmmmmm… there are ONLY a select group of people who can understand this? My father was a pastor. My grandfathers were pastors. My great grandfathers were pastors as were many of my uncles and cousins… and you get the picture… I have been steeped in the language and imagery of transcendence.
What he describes is not transcendence. It’s intellectual arrogance, which is super creepy. At least he recognizes he and other transcended individuals might not get it right and cannot guarantee “the way to go“.
I remain highly concern about how power and authority is being ranked and sorted in his System of Transformation.
How is this really complicated human issue of governing itself in ever bigger and bigger systems of humans going to decide and select people to serve on this “functional hierarchy“? How in the HELL are they even going to recognize Transcended individuals?!
First of all, I don’t think you can recognize transcended people. In fact, for thousands of years, human beings typically tend to kill people who have transcended, in other words people who have become Holy.
Why do humans kill Holy people? Because Holy people scare the crap out of us regular, run of the mill human beings.
And why is this? Because Holy people are Whole people–they have fully integrated their Light and Dark sides, their Good Side and their Evil Side, the Savior and the Devil. This is not my idea. This is a very ancient idea as expressed by Alan Watts.
So, if you think you are a bunch of highly intelligent Transcendedpeople, you probably aren’t. But if you take the reins of ruling a great big bunch of humans, and you believe you are a transcended bunch of bloʊks, then you are eventually going to have to decide who lives and who dies.
Running huge human systems is not for sissies or for people who are squeamish because Nature makes LIFE and DEATH decisions every day, and if you think you are a bunch of Transcended humans running things like NATURE does, then guess what!?? You are going to have to make these kind of decisions too.
If you don’t,Kaboom! Another disaster! Overpopulation, perhaps like The Mote in God’s Eye, which is a science fiction novel by American writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, first published in 1974.
This story is about human beings first contact with an intelligent alien race. How exciting, except these aliens are more intelligent than humans and they keep something concealed from the humans who are trying to decide if they are friends or foes. The thing they are hiding is population issues…really, really serious population issues that have caused this ancient race of intelligent beings to rise to spectacular heights only to crash back down into primitive savagery again and again and again… something they call Cycles.
Such big and complex decisions required to run an advanced, intelligent civilization (regardless of whether they are human or aliens) depends entirely on what is being valued by the group and by who wants to do the running of things.
How is this any different than what is happening in the USA, in Russia, or in any hierarchical system on Earth? In fact, how is it different than how corporations, cities, towns, non-profits, and pretty much every modern, technology-using human system (and perhaps even intelligent alien system) are deciding how to run things?
If an intelligent group of beings decides to run things by a hierarchy, then they have to decide first on what they value. Based on these values, a ranking is created that determines how the hierarchy will be structured.
In other words, the values selected determine who will be placed on top of the pyramid to give to the orders and who will be placed in the middle and bottom of the pyramid to listen to and follow the orders. Another way of seeing this, is that the people in the middle and on the bottom (everyone who are below the ruling class) are the ones doing the work to hold up the agreed uponvalues.
Everyone–this includes rulers, managers, middle managers, bosses, workers, and through much of human history, slaves–assumes the mold of the Functional Hierarchy. Another way of saying this is that every person assume a role that holds the mold, which operates constantly in the background of everybody’s mind who lives in the system. This operating system provides unconscious instructions sort of like an algorithm, which are a set of rules to be followed or calculations to be made to solve problems encountered as the system operates through time.
The mental model of a pyramid is a powerful system of thinking. Indeed it is machine-like. It can be cold, calculating, and extremely brutal, perhaps this is why humans are so found on hierarchies, regardless of if they are functional or dysfunctional.
However, whenever (wherever) humans create hierarchies to run things, lots of people and things don’t make it to the top of the pyramid because they simply don’t fit into the desired values of the “functional hierarchy” (something humans created based on arbitrary ideas and values). The people and things(living beings) that get left outside of the ideal are automatically de-valued. Clearly, something important is being left out, being ig-nored, by the very ideas necessary to create a Functional Hierarchy.
Let’s see if he answers or addresses any of these concerns because so far he has not. But he’s also not done explaining (or should I say mansplaing):
In our approach we don't create 'safe-spaces' where everybody stays in their comfort zone. We create 'safe-enough spaces' where people are challenged. From our website Glossary: (his website again and another diagram)
“Safety is not the absence of threat—it is the presence of connection.”
– Gabor Maté
We use the term to describe spaces where we can have challenging Courageous Conversations about difficult topics, involving rigorous inquiry from multiple perspectives, and still hold space for “respectful belonging” where we can appreciate one another as we live the questions together.
Part of our approach is to hold people 'safe-enough' while challenging them not to collude at levels less than the biophysical system dictates is needed - ie. face reality and live the questions, together, in Universal Interests... and, yes, you are right to be cynical, for it is virtually impossible from this starting point... especially in the US at present.
Hmmm… I don’t really have a problem with all this mulling about safety and safe enough and challenging people. But he is not providing a tangible way of doing anything differently than what we are already doing in the world with all our hierarchies, functional or not!
And, WOW, he is really putting the USA down! I never knew he hated Americans so much!!!
So, once again I press on when I should have stopped writing this:
So how do you select people: "that understand this can see which futures are no longer viable."
How do you ensure all peoples, the ones still asleep in the safety of civilization and the people awaken to the the coming collapse, are represented in the decision-making of the 'functional hierarchy' (I don't think you used functional previously, but that is beside the point)... who gets to decide what is functional and belongs in a human hierarchy?
Might it not be our very own overthinking of every problem and solution digging us all deeper into the pit of collapse?
And who is "our" in approach? Is this the synthesize of your years of deep thinking and consideration, which is considerable and done with empathic intent, or are there others involved in the "our"?
And, you did not mention Russia or Putin? How does this transcendent approach handle this situation? Or is this Western propaganda at work blowing up the situation in Ukraine?
One quick side note on overthinking and/or clinging to an idea or a thought when clearly one should have let go of it long ago. When a person does this, the idea or thought tends to grow smaller and smaller.
This is because the process of thinking presses the LIFE FORCE right out of an idea or a thought. The more the LIFE FORCE is removed, the less and less alive the IDEA is inside ones mind, or should I say the MORE DEAD the IDEA BECOMES.
Every single person who is born into Western Civilization is trained to do this from the day they are born. It is essential they learn how to do this and to do this all the time so that they stay in the social order, the social hierarchy, regardless of it is a functional one or not.
Alan Watts and many of great sages of Buddhism speak a lot about the need to let go of our ideas and patterns of thought and beliefs. They encourage us to fly, not to cling to dead and dying thoughts that make us do ignorant and increasingly crazy things. Once we outgrow our ideas or learn something new, we need to let go of them and move on with the flow of all things living in time and are alive.
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Drawing from Notebook on 4/24/23 | Pressed into the Mold or Clinging to a Thought Until All the Life Is Drained Out of the Idea
Now, back to his thoughts and thinking:
...thanks for engaging. First, re 'functional hierarchy' I did mention it
I don’t think until this point he knew who I was, and I hit a nerve for sure: a functional nerve! In his original invitation for Transformational Change anyone, he does not mention functional. That is what I was commenting about. The first time he mentions functional and hierarchy is in his first comment to my original question. And his answer to that question is what made more questions in my mind.
But, he goes on:
"Can you show me a model where informed democracy is addressing Overshoot? No... there is, unfortunately, a functional hierarchy which needs to honour those who CAN see more, sense more, grok more, on behalf of the whole system/social field. This is only part of the process "
There’s the Geeky Grokking again. And the inference that some human beings are better than and more advanced than others, in what precisely?!
If you read it as hierarchy then you probably didn't see my point... it is a naturalfunctional hierarchy - which many debate, but which does exist, based on maturity, capability, consciousness levels and activation (or not) of human development potentials - NOT a constructed human hierarchy (like an imposed boss/ servant relationship - with power over).
OH WOW! He says it again, it is a natural functioning hierarchy! Which apparently should make all the difference something like what Simba discovered, right?
Alan Watts & David Lindberg & The Lion King – Who Are You
But, no, my ex-friend is not talking about a Natural System because he is dividing and cutting it up into all sorts of categorizes by using labels such as maturity, capability, consciousness levels and activation. This is what the thinking mind does; it cuts up reality into little tiny bits then messes them up, so we can never put it back together again…just like Humpty Dumpty or at least not as long as our selfish, self-center, fearful, greedy human minds are in control of the narrative.
And, he’s still not done mansplaining. So maybe there is still something in his explanation that won’t make the hairs stand on my arm.
Here he goes! Hold onto your steering wheel:
That said, people are, despite their best wishes and hopesNOT equal [I don't disagree with this, but please...] every parent knows this... you don't force a kid who can only crawl to walk before they are ready (or at all);[Well... duh!] yet you can assume they have the potential, and, if they see others doing it, will one day also do so - where does the leadership example come from...? Another younger kid? An older kid? An adult? [Ah, perhaps here's the natural functional hierarchy...you age into it? Is this what he's implying? Well, I take issue.] Hence we need to be careful NOT to assume people don't have 'potential' while also recognising that not everyone has actualised it yet - that's why we generally don't let kids drive trucks. [Haha -- he hasn't been to the USA! Here, we can do anything at any age!]
OK!!! Full Stop!!! We’ve got to explore this explanation a little bit more!
Hmmm… maybe babies can drive trucks!
And what if the evolution of mind runs in reverse to the evolution to the physical body?
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Above, the trajectory of growth of the human body is indeed as he describes… until… the decline begins. However, many of the most ancient sages say we come into this world perfect and through the trials and journey of life, our consciousness narrows and shrinks and becomes less and less than what it started out as… until… the physical decline begins!
I’m a MOM! I’ve raised a baby! Yes, my baby crawled, then she walked, and now she drives a truck!!! It all happened exactly as he says…LOL!
But, I don’t think WISDOM grows that way. I think on the Mental-Spiritual realm (this gooey, sticky place inside the human mind where we feel this utterly strange sensation of sentience, something we all simply refer to as consciousness) that growth rather runs in reverse to the body.
As we grow up, we get narrower and narrower in our thinking and focus. We are forced to shut out more and more of the world from our MIND so we can carry out the tasks of daily living (or survival in a manmade world). Eventually, we all get to an incredibly small world views with an incredibly small selection of thoughts, ideas, values that we think explain everything. What we fail to see is we have become a SINGULARITY and we are COLLAPSING in on ourselves!
This sounds terrible, but this is the mental world… not the physical world. This moment of COLLAPSE is the most exciting opportunity ever! It the MOMENT of Transformation.
The thing you got to do when you get to this MOMENT is KEEP MOVING… go man go!!!
Whatever crisis you hit, it’s there for a reason. It is your DOING, your HAPPENING because you want to GROW and TRANSFORM is what consciousness does... it is flowing, it is dancing, it is constantly making new patterns and experiences.
I can’t tell you what your moment of crisis will be or when you will hit it. But if you are human, you’re going to have a chance to thread the eye of your MOMENT IN TIME.
Each of us is born into this world with utterly unique capabilities and potential. Each of us is trying to master innate abilities we have always had, but we forget we have them because of all the training we get into HOW TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN.
Don’t get me wrong! There is tremendous value in this. Going around and hitting other kids over the head is not a NICE way to move through the WORLD (Trump and Putin obviously never moved passed this stage in mental development).
We all want civility in this world. That is how we all live in peace and plenty, but we cannot master our innate abilities without really digesting and integrating ALL the knowledge trained into us on how to be a GOOD CITIZEN and RECKON that with WHO WE REALLY are (and have always been since the day we were born).
Without this reckoning that is really going to feel like a constriction, a tightening and reduction of consciousness, you won’t get to other side of your Self.
If you are paying attention, there is going to a point of crisis in your life that is going to make you question everything. And this is ALL RIGHT! In fact, it is essential.
But, if you are not paying attention (Ron DeSantis, I’m talking AT you), and you don’t want to WAKE UP, then you are not going to WAKE UP. And this is ALL RIGHT too!
The only thing I can tell you if you do hit this point of constriction is:
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies:
But wait, my ex-friend is not done mansplaining:
Unfortunately many in politics (such as your infamous ex-Pres) reach arrested development at a level less than what is required to provide systems-ethical leadership for our times. Bully boy narcissism (pick any number of exemplars, globally) is not what's called for when the potential extinction of humanityis the writing on the wall.
[What did I tell you? He is totally into total collapse of our global system...and human extinction. But maybe we deserve to go extinct and resistance is futile, so why suffer the inevitable? It's a collective gamble that we all clearly lost...right?!!]
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: See — I love to make funny pictures of Putin and Trump!
But this also pissed me off. Not the Bully Boy Narcissism comment, that just made it very obvious he is not paying attention to me or my work (as he pretended to do for years).
If he had been paying attention, he might have learned something NEW because I’ve been writing and posting about all this stuff (some stuff very humorously, some very critical of our ex-President) for a long time.
Basically, my take away from his comment is that he is implying this functional hierarchy is most probably going to consist of a lot of grumpy old men and a few token women who refuse to grow up.
I know this guy from lots of previous engagements, and I can read between the lines, and this is exactly what he is saying.
He is also implying HE is the one who can see further, run faster, and out thinkall the rest of us to lead this NEW functional hierarchy that will save the world from collapse (or after collapse)!
It leads me to wonder just which direction is he and his new functional leaders going towards? Is it truly the “right” direction to be looking or is it just more of the same tangled web of endless bureaucracies we are already stuck in up over our eyeballs already?
So these are some of the reasons this comment really pisses me off.
And also, some of the wisest, kindness, most inclusive people I know are young people. I would totally choose a younger people over jagged jerks like my ex-friend is being here as he defends his fictional “functional hierarchy.“
But, maybe I should still be patient and read keep reading:
As for "who are we when I say 'our'" - I provided a link to 'our' website - And Now What - and this is the About Us page - https://andnowwhat.be/about/ - and, yes, it is the result of "years of deep thinking and consideration, which is considerable and done with empathic intent" by each of us alone, and for several years collectively.
______
YEAH! Finally! He is addressing the Putin bastard and dysfunctional Russia!
As for Russia or Putin - what can I say... he would not be included in the 'transcendent' because he is, by definition, not aiming to transcend and include (partly my point) but to take-over by force... which, incidentally, also happens to be the way the US generally behaves - and it will continue to do so, for it fears losing the dominance its inhabitants take for granted, and fears what would happen if others behaved toward it as it has toward them.
But, hey wait! That is a huge BIG pivot! WOW, he really hates us. He didn’t even finish his thought about Russia.
I was REALLY hoping to learn something about his thinking on Putin.
Several years ago, back when we conversed all the time, I told him that the most evil character in my book is based on Putin. This was before Putin invaded Ukraine and Trump was cozying up to him like a pussy cat to a snake or is it a snake to a pussy cat or are they really both SNAKE CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe Putin and Trump mated and mutated!!!!!!!!!!!
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Viral ‘Amazon Snake Cat‘ Has the Internet Totally Baffled | WOW! I want one of those!!!
He immediately put me down by lecturing me on how Putin is a pussy cat, really he isn’t a bad guy at all, he’s just watching out for his country like any good ruler would do. And, it’s a BIG country he has to take care of and the world isn’t very nice place, especially the WEST. He told me that I was simply indoctrinated by Western media and didn’t understand things accurately.
He kind of sounded like Trump (?!!)in that moment! I have never forgotten his put down. And, it’s probably the real reason I needled him.
But, I have digressed again! Let’s get back to his mighty man-splaination!
So, to be clear - I think you have just pointed to why there needs to be distinction between those who CANthink transformationally, on behalf of the whole system, and those who can only think of their own vested interests or for a smaller subset of the whole (individual, in-group, corporation, nation)...
So, if you had to try to create transformative change that might get the US out of the mess it has created for itself, who would you select? Who would you not select? And why?
I’m fine with leaving Putin out of the hierarchy too… DUH!
But HERE again he pivots and attacks my country lumping the USA in the same dusty coal bin as Putin and his goons.
We are having this conversation, by the way, over the United States Memorial Weekend, which is a time we reflect on the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces, especially the ones who died or were injured.
I have 2 Great Uncles who served in WWI, an Uncle who served in Korea, and a brother who served in the Army Reserves. He’s really pissed me off NOW!
And Now What would have happened to the world if the US had not gotten involved in these great wars?
Would he really want a Kim Jong Un ruling over the whole Korean Peninsula? Does he know Winston Churchill begged the US to get involved in WWII? What if the US had just sat on its hands mumbling: “We don’t want to get involved in that war,” as it sang Kumbaya to itself as it pretended nothing’s going on over there?
Yes, the USA has made some really bad foreign affairs decisions. The US has sent troops into places they should not have sent them. The US has pulled troops out of places we have been when they should not done this: Afghanistan!!
What happened in Afghanistan is complicated. How do you define exactly when all the trouble began and how do you define when it has all ended? Was it 1219 to 1332 when the Mongol Empire ruled Afghanistan? Was it 1370 to 1405 when Timur (sometimes referred to as Tamerlane) ruled the land that would become Afghanistan plus a whole lot more of middle Asia? Both Empires are remembered for the barbarity of their conquests.
But that is ancient history, right? What does that have to do with the barbarity of our modern age? Well, have you seen Flee? If not, you should!
FLEE – Official Trailer |Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner FLEE tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan. Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen Executive Produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Produced by Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen
If you watch Flee, you may ask Why did the US fund the mujahideen?
Well that’s a long, sordid, complicated story that “began decades earlier, after the Soviet Union invaded that country in 1979. The U.S. wanted to do everything it could to counter the Russians during the Cold War. And so, at that time, the U.S. worked with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to arm Afghan Islamist fighters known as the mujahideen.” — Read or listen to PBS NewsHour and the Former head of Saudi intelligence recounts America’s longstanding ties to Afghanistan
This colossal battle between the two Titans of the Modern Western World, because if you’re going to be a Good Titan you’re going to need a Bad Titan. It has been this way in the human made world for 5,000 years. If you’re wondering why I pick this number, you are just going to have to wait and read my book.
Since WWII, the USA and USSR (now Russia) made so many Nukes if they went to war with each other, the world would descend into a nuclear winter so profound, life as we know it would cease. Something like Midnight Sky depicted:
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Earth after some unnamed disaster, but most likely nuclear war | Midnight Sky
So instead, the US and Russia poke each other through proxy wars that create a different sort of consequence: Blowback. I am not as stupid as my mansplaining friend wants to pretend that I am, nor are countless Americans like me.
US support of mujahideen created Osama bin Laden who would train Saudi men to fly planes into buildings pulling off one of the worst terrorist event on US soil 9/11. Leading to the US invasion of Afghanistan and hunt for bin Laden.
The Pakistan government has repeatedly denied that it provides any military support to the Taliban in its diplomacy regarding its extensive operations in Afghanistan.82 Of all the foreign powers involved in efforts to sustain and manipulate the ongoing fighting, Pakistan is distinguished both by the sweep of its objectives and the scale of its efforts, which include soliciting funding for the Taliban, bankrolling Taliban operations, providing diplomatic support as the Taliban's virtual emissaries abroad, arranging training for Taliban fighters, recruiting skilled and unskilled manpower to serve in Taliban armies, planning and directing offensives, providing and facilitating shipments of ammunition and fuel, and on several occasions apparently directly providing combat support. -- Human Rights Watch
Pakistan did this because it served their interests. US stayed for 20 years to encourage democracy because that served our interests. Then, the US pulled out due to a deal negotiated by the Orange turkey himself, Trump, and implemented by Biden, letting everything all come crashing down again, just like what happened to Amin and his family on April 28, 1992, and the USA played a role in this collapse too!
If we are really honest with what is happening in the world right now, it has so much more to do with ordinary, everyday men and women and their individual and collective beliefs, values, and biases than it has to do with a big bad Russia or a big bad USA.
Oh yes, humans know how to cluster together into great, big, bad armies and nations. We know how to build pyramids—Functional Hierarchies–structures that live inside our minds and operate endlessly like algorithmic codes transported seamlessly into our very souls on endless streams of thoughts (conscious thoughts or unconscious thoughts) and also the things we are told we must do or else!
We’ve been doing this for over 5,000 years. Creating human pyramids to get our way in this world; it is a very human thing to do. And it’s worked way too well!
Wherever Amin and his family fled, they had to fear the RULES and CUSTOMS of every country and nation where they had FLED desperately seeking safety… seeking a HOME.
How we treat the least of us is a global issue! Is there any place on Earth where humans have settled that can claim to be completely angelic and benevolent? Is there any nation, state, or city in the world from any time that has always made the right decisions at the right time, always and always and always… like a GOD or an angel?
I think my friend is a bit jealous of the USA’s status in the world because he knows his Functional Hierarchy is just a wish-dream. It is his performance; his great show in the world of men and their endless games of one-upmanships. Yes, indeed these are ships made out of thoughts built like pyramids. These Functional Vessels sail every day to the twin continents of Doom and Disaster.
This mansplayer knows very well where he’s going, and he also knows that he will never captain a ship as BIG as the Good’Old USA. But who cares?! He knows if he crows loud enough, long enough that we all just cry out: Hip, Hip Hooray–for that’s just what we say when another ship sets sail to the Land of Doom or Disaster!
Now, being pretty beyond pissed, I pressed him again:
I don't think you are really talking about hierarchies as how you explain it in the above comment.
Rather you are describing a Heterarchy, but this is your thinking and work, so you are absolutely free to name it whatever you like.
And, the And Now What? team looks exceptional
As for who would I select? There is absolutely no one I would select to form a team to transform the Good'Old USA. There is no way I am in a position to see, understand, or hear all the voices and ideas that would be necessary to do such a thing... this country will either survive or it will die, as things in this world have always done.
And to be clear... I am of the USA... but I am not of the fraction in the USA who are dead set... "to take-over by force" (as you put it) ...the rest of the world. Nor do I "fear losing the dominance" in the world, nor do I "take for granted" that the USA has dominance or that my Whiteness gives me privilege in the world as we know it. And, I am not alone in knowing this... and in the face of the pressure to conform to the Mold, I resist it, as do many others here in USA and as reports come on in Russia, despite the threat of death there, while here, it harassment, lost opportunities, and hate.
I must surmise your opinion of the United States is as low as your opinion is of Russia. I suspect you are implying that the US flows in the very same vein and mindset of World Domination and Control as Russia, China, North Korea, the unincorporated state of Trump, the unincorporated state of Elon Musk, and anyone else with power, authority, or money who can make others submit to them.
But be careful of over generalizing systems. They are always so much more complicated than you can fully see and comprehend. This is why I remain highly suspicious of hierarchies, even highly evolved, functional hierarchies, because when it comes down to it... it is only made up of men (and a few token women).
I might suggest that I am like a very small cell like an antibody reacting and responding to an overwhelming spiritual-psychological-psychic Viral Infection that seeks devastation and to do harm to pretty much anyone who is not on the "inside" of the infection.
And this infection is everywhere, not just Russia-USA, it is inside every human being on the planet, including myself... one can only acknowledge the infection is real, it is deadly, and it will not stop until human life is brought to its ultimate demise (self-inflicted and totally avoidable)...
I find by the way, the youngest humans among us are the wisest and healthiest. If I had to depend on someone to carry me to a safe spot because I ran out of energy (due to fighting against the overwhelming infection that I know is inside of me and everyone else and an infection that I know I cannot by myself overcome) I would choose the youngest among us in the infected country formerly known as the USA.
He responds with the infamous:
When people do this on FakeBook when there clearly is not a sickness, death, despair, or trauma, it means: “Fuck off” … with a smile.
By the way, Alan Watts says the best leaders are the most Selfish! What he means by this are individuals who have thought about what being Selfish means. Alan Watts says it so much better!
Alan Watts – Selfish
Anticipating Mansplayer would not be able to explain to me why I should trust a functional hierarchy to save the world, I did my own research. This is what I found.
Heterarchyvs Hierarchy vs Anarchy
In a hierarchy, if A is over B, and B is over C, then A is over C — your basic pecking order. In a heterarchy, though, you can have A over B, B over C, and C over A. Think of the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Paper covers rock; rock crushes scissors; scissors cut paper. -- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes -- 2/4/16
Heterarchy
“A heterarchy of values determined by the topology of nervous nets.” — Warren McCulloch’s 1945 essay
A HETERARCHICAL SYSTEM In a heterarchy, as opposed to a hierarchy, there is no “top” or “bottom” ranking. However, unlike in an anarchy, there is superiority and inferiority as each element is activated in some circumstances and inhibited in others. McCulloch calls these circular configurations of neurons: “dromes of diallels.”
Copyright Strat for 2016 www.stratfor.com
This is a fascinating article in Forbes: Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time. You need to read the whole thing yourself, if you are interested in this idea, but here are a few parts that really capture my excitement in discovering this word I did not know existed.
Interestingly enough -- and here's where both problems and possibilities start popping up -- this circular logic is identical to what Nobel economist Kenneth Arrow described as the "Voter's Paradox." The problem goes all the way back to the late 18th century when it was identified by Marquis de Condorcet. Consider the case in which one faction prefers candidate A over B and candidate B over C; a second, equal faction prefers B over C and C over A; and a third faction prefers, you guessed it, C over A and A over B. The choice that eventually gets made will not be a reflection of the real preference of the whole society, but will instead result from "irrational" and arbitrary issues like who voted first and who voted last. And over time and subsequent elections, the decision may cycle from one choice to another with no apparent reason. -- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes -- 2/4/16
Why the quotation marks around "irrational"? Because in the analysis of the relationship between hierarchy and heterarchy, it is precisely the definition of what counts as rational that is at stake. As McCulloch explained:
“Circularities in preference instead of indicating inconsistencies, actually demonstrate consistency of a higher order than had been dreamed of in our philosophy. An organism possessed of this nervous system — six neurons — is sufficiently endowed to be unpredictable from any theory founded on a scale of values. It has a heterarchy of values, and is thus internectively too rich to submit to a summum bonum [highest good].”
Now there is a phrase to conjure with: "internectively too rich to submit to a summum bonum." This sounds like the Middle East. Or the geopolitical, global problematique. Or the Republican primaries in the United States. Or the problems of the European Union.
The problem with heterarchy, and the challenge to making it work, is not the lack of hierarchy, but too many competing hierarchies. And that's the reality we live in. -- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes -- 2/4/16
(…)
"Heterarchy" is an unwieldy word. Our ongoing discussion group on making heterarchy work eventually abandoned the word when one of our members looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary and found the definition to be "rule by aliens." That's not what we meant at all. Despite its unwieldiness, and shadows of aliens, though, the term recommends itself for the way it mediates the dialectic between hierarchy and anarchy. -- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes -- 2/4/16
Hierarchies
As Francis Fukuyama showed in The Origins of Political Order, the first hierarchies were imposed by "strongmen" and then later justified by ancestor worship and a priestly caste. From all we can determine, primitive hunter-gatherer bands were heterarchical. Teamwork joining different skills was necessary to bag a woolly bison. But no one leader called for deference to a summum bonum.
With the transition from nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers to larger settlements with agricultural surpluses, patriarchy and hierarchy were required to maintain some degree of order. As my colleague in this space, Ian Morris, argues in his several books, the bargain we humans made with hierarchies might strike a visiting Martian as odd once it compares the life of the unencumbered hunter-gatherer with the lives of later citizens suborned under often onerous hierarchies. But once you start down that road toward hierarchy, from the point of view of defense and security, bigger is almost always better. So there is a natural logic of larger, more powerful hierarchies conquering and subsuming smaller, less powerful hierarchies.
Next thing you know, people are talking about "the American Century," or "the Chinese Century," as if it is perfectly natural that some nation must be number one. I recall an invitation to give a talk at Rand a few years after the fall of the Soviet Union. The concern at Rand was how to manage a "unipolar world" now that the bipolar order of the Cold War had come to an end. I tried to tell the researchers at Rand about heterarchy ... but they were not interested. There was a mindset there, a hierarchical mindset, that insisted that somebody must be "number one," and it better be us.
You see this mindset at play in the well-worn epithet of the lion as "king of the jungle." Who says that the jungle has to have a king? The jungle is not a political order, however many alpha male gorillas may roam its paths. The jungle is an ecology -- an incredibly complex web of metabolisms, relationships and interactions, some of which may be hierarchical. But there is no summum bonum in the jungle. -- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes -- 2/4/16
Chapter 25 of Philip Bobbitt’s Shield of Achilles. In those 60 pages, Bobbitt develops three scenarios:
“The world of The Meadow is that of a society of states in which the entrepreneurial market-state has become predominant. In this world, success comes to those who nimbly exploit the fast-moving, evanescent opportunities…“
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Photo by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels.com
“The world view portrayed in The Park… reflects a society in which the values and attitudes of the managerial market-state have prevailed. Governments play a far larger role…“
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Photo by Ryutaro Tsukata on Pexels.com
“Unlike the regional groupings fostered by The Park, the states of The Garden have become more and more ethnocentric, and more and more protective of their respective cultures.”
As you will not be surprised to hear, these scenarios and their names can be associated with certain geopolitical avatars, namely, North America for the wide open Meadow, Europe for the publicly managed Park, and East Asia for the ethnocentric Garden. "In a meadow all is profusion, randomness, variety. A park is for the most part publicly maintained, highly regulated with different sectors for different uses. A garden is smaller, more inwardly turned -- it aims for the sublime, not the efficient or the just."
Bobbitt then explores a range of drivers and trends, possible events and challenging decisions prior to the articulation of the three scenarios in which all of these elements play out in different ways. In my humble opinion, the truly remarkable climax of Bobbitt's very long book is the elegant construction of the heterarchy of choices playing out in the global geopolitical dynamic involving the United States, Europe and East Asia. -- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes -- 2/4/16
If you read this far, you should go to the full article: Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time by Jay Ogilvy | Forbes — 2/4/16 and read carefully all the possible scenarios of the three different ways the 3 different ways of organizing hierarchies interact and lead to global outcomes. . No wonder my ex-friend is terrified, but then again, he is trying to solve an impending cataclysm with yet another type of hierarchy.
Hmmm… yeah… like that is going to work after more than 5,000 years of increasingly dysfunctional myopic hierarchies!
For five centuries, the State has evolved according to epoch-making cycles of war and peace. But now our world has changed irrevocably. What faces us in this era of fear and uncertainty? How do we protect ourselves against war machines that can penetrate the defenses of any state? Visionary and prophetic, The Shield of Achilles looks back at history, at the “Long War” of 1914-1990, and at the future: the death of the nation-state and the birth of a new kind of conflict without precedent.
Another thing about hierarchies is that they can go sideways fast. Big ones can. Little ones can. Corporate ones can. Non-profit ones can. Peace-loving ones can. Bottom line, if humans build a hierarchy to run something, it seems too tempting for humans not to take advantage of it.
Also, governments of any kind are dealing with a lot of information, pushes and pulls, demands, crises, polls, budgets, public opinion (that is by definition pretty variable depending on the day) and so many more things. So to take a country like Russia or the USA and make the comments my ex-fakebook friend said is a pretty naive and ignorant thing to say.
This episode on Throughline is very compelling. If you want to see how easy it is for a hierarchy to go sideways, listen to this one.
Corruption. Wealth. Authoritarianism. Torture. These are the words many people associate with Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator of the Philippines, and his wife, Imelda. But in 1965, on the day of his presidential inauguration, clad in bright white traditional Filipino clothing, Ferdinand and Imelda were the picture of hope and progress: the Camelot of the Philippines. They styled themselves as mythical figures with a divine right to rule, even as their democratic ascent reached a dictatorial peak.
Ferdinand Marcos ruled for two decades. And then, in 2022, more than thirty years after his death, the Philippines elected a new president: Ferdinand's son, Bongbong. Both in his campaign and since taking office, Bongbong has evoked the Marcos era as a golden age — effectively, rewriting history.
Welcome to the "Epic of Marcos." In this tale of a family that's larger than life, Ferdinand Marcos is at the center. But the figures that surround him are just as important: Imelda, his muse; Bongbong, his heir; and the United States, his faithful sidekick. The story of the Marcos family is a blueprint for authoritarianism, laying out clearly how melodrama, paranoia, love, betrayal and a hunger for power collide to create a myth capable of propelling a nation.
Today on the show, the rise, fall, and resurrection of a dynasty — and what that means for democracy worldwide.
The Freedom of Speech
Mansplaining “Functional” Hierarchies: Image from Throughline: Volunteers help roll up a giant banner printed with the Preamble to the United States Constitution during a demonstration against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall October 20, 2010 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Another thing about hierarchies is that they need to select and enforce the values that matter. But just as I was needling my ex-friend, how are these values selected? Are we conscious of them or not?
This episode of THROUGHLINE goes through the history and conscious and unconscious biases of the USA selecting and enforcing just one value: Freedom of Speech. If you are interested in this process, take a listen. It is worth your while!!
Book bans, disinformation, the wild world of the internet. Free speech debates are all around us.What were the Founding Fathers thinking when they created the First Amendment, and how have the words they wrote in the 18th century been stretched and shaped to fit a world they never could have imagined? It's a story that travels through world wars and culture wars. Through the highest courts and the Ku Klux Klan. What exactly is free speech, and how has the answer to that question changed in the history of the U.S.?
Anarchy
Most anarchists are disappointed hierarchists. From Mikhail Bakunin to Harvard philosopher Robert Nozick, anarchists have taken potshots at the failings of hierarchy: They shoot holes in the purported legitimacy of exercises of authority, whether by the divine right of kings or the use of violence to impose subordination.
As Francis Fukuyama showed in The Origins of Political Order, the first hierarchies were imposed by "strongmen" and then later justified by ancestor worship and a priestly caste. From all we can determine, primitive hunter-gatherer bands were heterarchical. Teamwork joining different skills was necessary to bag a woolly bison. But no one leader called for deference to a summum bonum[the highest good, especially as the ultimate goal according to which values and priorities are established in an ethical system].
-- Heterarchy: An Idea Finally Ripe for Its Time
So in summary of the Forbe’s article and Throughline episode, hierarchies can be concluded understood as:
Organic vs Mechanical World View — More From Alan Watts
Throughout this series I have been trying to explain two fundamentally different ways of looking at our world, one characteristic predominantly of the West and the other of the East. And these might be called, respectively, the way of description as opposed to the way of seeing. The way, in other words, of understanding things in words or in terms contrasted with the way of understanding through looking and seeing a field or a subject totally all at once. Or you might call these the linear view (strung out in a line) or the total view (seeing all at once), or the serial view on the one hand as contrasted with the simultaneous view on the other. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
Now, in classical Western science we have depended largely on this serial or analytic view, which understands the world by translating it into ideas, into words, or into, say, even series of numbers. The basic feature of it being that things are understood in a step-by-step way in sequence. And insofar as we constantly look at nature in that way, we tend to think of nature as something constructed—something, in other words, made or put together as we ourselves make and put things together through a series of steps. And perhaps this gives us the feeling that if we understood nature sufficiently, if we understood in full detail all the steps which go to the making of our universe, we could ourselves make it. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
Now, it’s here, you see, that we get a very fundamental contrast between East and West, and especially through Chinese and Japanese ideas of the formation of nature. Because for them it seems extremely odd to think of nature as being constructed or made by a sort of step-by-step procedure.Their feeling is rather that the world and its forms are not so much constructed as grown. And one of the most important keys to an understanding of Far Eastern thought is to see the difference between a view of a constructed world and a grown world. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
Now, to give a sort of crazy illustration of this: supposing I construct something—for example, an artificial flower—and you know, when you get instructions, how to do this, and you buy a book of do-it-yourself artificial flowers, you get a step-by-step procedure which tells you what to do. Step one: take a piece of wire with a black button and fix it to the end. Step two: take the stamens previously cut out and affix it to the button. Next step: insert a disk of sticky material, push the wire through the middle, and then affix the petals. Here they go. And notice that, as I put them on, I take them from outside and around me—things that are bits—and I bring these bits together to make the flower a construction, or whatever form it is that I’m intending to create. And so from going around to the center, from getting something that was previously pieces and bringing it all together, I get my flower. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
How to make artificial flowers at home with paper / diy home decoration paper flower
But now watch how an actual flower grows; how it starts, as it were, from the center. And it unfolds itself not bit by bit, but all the parts of the flower exfoliating together from the center outwards, in contrast to the making process, which goes from the outside inwards. From a situation where the parts are originally all apart (all in bits) and then assembled, contrasting with a situation where you have some simple beginning (like a seed or a bud), and as it expands it constellates or forms its own parts from within itself. And this is the fundamental process of natural growth. It’s in the same way that the human baby is formed within the womb. It’s in the same way that, if you watch crystals under a microscope forming a solution, you will notice the whole area of the crystal, the whole structure of the crystal, coming into being all together at once, and you will not see a kind of bit-by-bit assemblage which we use when we make machines or make houses or make tools. Even when we carve a block of wood—although the block of wood is not originally a lot of distinct parts, nevertheless we work upon it from the outside towards the inside, whereas all processes of growth go from the inside to the outside. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
Time-Lapse: Watch Flowers Bloom Before Your Eyes | Short Film Showcase
Now, in our current scientific way of thinking in the West, this kind of growth, this kind of formation, is always talked about in terms of what we call field theory; fields of force. And I suppose one of the most striking exhibitions of what a field is can be seen in looking at the formation of magnetic lines of force in iron filings—as when we take filings that are not magnetized, just thrown chaotically over an area, and then, with the magnets underneath, notice that all the filings form together into a pattern, the whole area moving together, every single part of it simultaneously into its shape. And that shows us the whole nature of a field of force. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
Magnetic Field Around Stack of Magnets With Iron Filings
(Blab, blab, blab…I skipped a lot of important stuff from his talk to get to the part that links up to my inquiry about hierarchies vs heterarchies, but what Watts says here is exactly what Jay Ogilvy is sharing in the article in Forbes)
And then, in turn, in the field there is a structure, and the structure of the field is thought of as governing the formation of the universe. And you may remember that, in the last program, I gave you a particular Chinese world which meant the basic pattern or order of the world. Do you remember this word, which is pronounced lǐ, and which had as its original meaning “the markings in jade,” “the fiber in muscle,” or “the grain in wood.” This word, then, designates the basic structure within the tao, within the fundamental field of the world, and thus its order—which can be, as it were, understood by looking at it, but is too complex, too much happening so fast all together at once, for us ever to be able to analyze it in the relatively clumsy language of words. Now thus, you see, it seems to us that that order is enormously complex. The order of nature, the order of beauty, the order of ethics—all these kinds of orders baffle us when we try to think about them bit by bit. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
Lǐ 里 Inside – Chinese Word of the Day 每日一词
The “Tao” Explained: Deep Insights With Deng Ming Dao 道
But actually this order is only a complicated order when we try to think about it. I mean, it’s very simple, isn’t it, to drink water if you put it in a cup or a glass and toss it down. But it would be extraordinarily complex if one tried to drink water with a fork. And in the same way, the world and the order of the world, the activity within the field, seems incredibly complicated to us when we try to translate it into thinking and into words. But this, then, is the fundamental Chinese Taoist and Indian Buddhist view of how the formations of the world arise. Not by a step-by-step process which can be put down in a line like the instructions for making the flower, but by something which happens spontaneously all together at once. -- Alan Watts | Organism Earth
The centipede was happy, quite, Until a toad, in fun, said, “Pray, Which leg goes after which?” This worked its mind to such a pitch, It lay distracted in a ditch Considering how to run.
All this writing about Transformation has made me remember that I wrote a blog about this very idea 6 years ago, way back when I started this blogging business (which is a pretty useless one at that).
One of my very early posts was titled Is Collective Transformation Possible? It was sandwich between my Girl With Dragon and Divine Dodo series. Also, I had just finished my Women’s March Documentary documenting why thousands (millions) of women and men around the world gathered to march against Trump and after doing all that work, well, yes, I was hoping some people would watch it…at least some of it…and commune with me about some of the really important issues people were bringing up. We all felt what TRUMP stood for and it was revolting. But no one really watched my documentary and NO ONE communed (communicated) with me about any of the issues explored in my Women’s March Documentary, except my REAL friends in Germany.
I joined hundreds of Facebook groups to meet liked-minded people who might care. It was so exciting and so hopefully for a minute, then my time of constriction came.
I knew it was coming. I could feel it. It had been building up for quite some time. But no one I was talking to then understood what I was talking about. I told this one group that felt itself to be an extremely rare group of enlightened beings, that I needed to go through a very small hole or to make a very difficult journey. They just smiled politely and said: “Oh, maybe you’re already on the other side? Maybe you’re already HERE!!”
And when my time of constriction gripped me with such despair that death sounded more pleasant that life and thoughts of violent murder and suicide floated continuously through my mind… all these NEW, hopeful, FAKE friends vanished like THE NOTHING. Many of my physical friends did too.
I was left to navigate my inner DARKNESS where a good part of my inner collective wanted me dead. I was drawing my journey. I was documenting my descent. But you know what Mansplanyer said to me at a point of crisis, a time when I simply needed a compassionate listener and occasional cheerleader? He told me he didn’t think the Dodo was a good look for me and I shouldn’t continue… people might get the wrong impressions!
Well…DUH, Duh, duh! Do you see what is happening to Dodo? He’s being crucified for GOD’s sakes! Don’t you think I know DEAD is not a GOOD look?
As my inner collective divided into fighting factions–some aspects of myself wanted to help me, other aspects not so much, my exterior collective crumbled as well. These were the real life people who said they were my friends but they dried up like the Great Salt Lake, leaving nothing to help me during a very difficult time–a kind word, likes of my blog posts, regular comments on my Facebook page–would have meant so much to me at this time.
The System of Facebook is not set up to operate with kindness and compassion. Rather it is set up for Performers to Perform.
I would soon learn all these “NEW” friends were FAKEFRIENDS. They were happy to court my attention IF (and only IF) I FOLLOWED THEM. The more blindly I followed, the more FAKE ATTENTION they might throw my way, and even that was ify. Most just had to be constantly admired!
This behavior is called Bread Crumbing or Baiting. It is an aspect of a significant psychological disorder called Narcissism. And FAKEBOOK is especially calculated up to cater to Narcissists and for people suffering from the opposite imbalance of this disorder: the ECHO Personality.
Narcissistic baiting & how deal with it | 92,295 views May 14, 2023 (There is a reason this video is getting so many views! Every person in civilized society is dealing with more and more Narcissitic People more often)
I was an echo that nobody missed when my voice began to fail and fade.
I chose to surround myself and to trust people who were nesting, in hollow holonic circular thoughts that spun round and round shrinking, sinking, shrieking point of consciousness that was cut off from true human understanding.
I pulled the Cloak of Darknessand Doubt over my own head and descended into HELL.
Cloak of Darkness and Doubt
To be a genuine human being requires self-sacrifice. It requires suspension of thinking and judgement. It requires listening, sometimes for hours and hours and hours, as someone else wails in grief and despair due to the circumstance of their life. To be alive, to be a real authentic human being requires give and take… not just take, take, take… and abandoning others when they become a burden to you.
To be a trustworthy person, you have to be a person that another person can TRUST to be there when TIMES are TOUGH. This might require sitting for hours and hours in complete silence just being with another human being who is being crushed by their circumstances. It is only people who are capable of doing this who can be TRUSTED with AUTHORITY. Only people who other people can depend on to BE THERE when YOU NEED THEM can be trusted with the Authority to make decisions for the Greater Good, which might very well require the Sacrifice of Self.
March 2, 2022 Blog Post
Just like what is going on in Ukraine right now… hundreds of thousands of men and women are STANDING UP, STANDING AGAIST BRUTALITY… TO HELL with my MANSPLAYER ex friend who equates the USA with Russia! I STAND WITH UKRAINE! I stand with every person doing creative acts of resistance as well as every person fighting, killing other people to defeat Russia NOW!
This is the stuff my father did. He was never called to serve in a war. He was a listener. He provided compassionate assistance to anyone for as long as they needed it! He was a healer. He gave his time, his money, his life for others. This is how the world is saved… not by abandoning each other when we need each other the most because it takes too much TIME! Time is all we have… and how we value our time decides the type of world we live inside.
Saving the World is not the stuff being hocked on FakeBook or pretty much anywhere you look or turn for security and comfort (not comfortable but for solace and support) in our modern, overly complicated, pyramid-based world.
We made this world out of thoughts! It is a world that forces every civilized person to Hold the Mold of their cult–ture, of their caste, of their race (because the Modern World is extremely racists), of their economic situation, and of their place in the social order (all the hierarchies in which they live and must navigate to work, to play, to live).
The Modern World was built by narcissists to lift up narcissists that is why narcissist are rising to the Top of Likes like frothy bubbles on FakeBook, this is why they rise and hold the highest levels of power in almost every modern human civilization on Earth–each one built out of pyramid schemes. That is why everybody wants to be a narcissist in our world or at least they need to learn to play with narcissistic people and like it. Because that is how you wield POWER in the physical world NOW.
If you aspire to be a narcissist,FakeBook is the place for you! There are so many narcissists playing and sparring with each other on FakeBook. And there are so many echoes (like ME) attracted to all the glittery, sparkly thoughts, ideas, wishes, and dreamsthe narcissists spin. But, they are simply spinning hollow holonic nests of dead and dying thoughts. And the spinning of these expiring, nesting thoughts creates a vortex that has a suck. And if you get sucked into one of these vortex (most often it is one of your own making), you are heading straight down to HELL.
I knew what was happening to me, inside and outside of me, 6 years ago. And, The Dodo knew that I had pulled the Cloak of Darkness and Dark over my head. The Dodo knew I did this to myself, but the Dodo did not judge… he was just there providing glimmering specks of creative imagination, LIGHT—sparks of light (but not thinking light), that were guiding me through HELL.
And the Dodo was the one thing that Mansplayer didn’t want me to have. He told me to give up the Dodo, to stop drawing him!!! And, I did stop drawing him, but I also stopped following the Mansplayer. But I was still in HELL; however now, without my guide, the dumb, stupid Dodo! HELL is a place of our own making... HELL is where you doubt yourself! Doubt is the Dark Force!
From a blog published in May of 2021
In this old post where I wonder if Collective Transformation is possible, I provide a list and links to all the wonderful people I was meeting on Facebook 6 years ago. I cannot recommend any of these people today. Not the artists, musicians, or writers who are listed, but the people who made me DOUBT myself. These people I cannot recommend.
These people know who they are. They are the ones playing at DOING something to SAVE the WORLD. But they can’t even SAVE THEMSELVES much less take a MOMENT in their very busy days to HELP anyone else who is drowning.
“OH NO!” You’ll hear them yell. “I can’t stop. You’ll slow me down! You’re too much of a burden in this state of despair. I’m the only one who can SEE more, RUN faster, TRAVEL farther than ALL the REST!! I’m the only one who can SAVE the WORLD!!!!”
All of them yell this. Mansplayers and Womansplayers, there are hundreds of thousands of them all yelling different version of this chant night and day…telling you (begging you) to follow them! But the only place you are going to go if you follow them is down because without the super powers of kindness, compassion, love… these people, all of them, are just hypoallergenichollow holonic nesters spinning around and around a vortex of their own making, drilling deeper and deeper into the darkest parts of themselves on streams of endless thoughts.
You are MONSTERS…you people who pretended to care about me and then abandoned me when I really needed a helping hand. You, the ones who treated me as if I were the contagion, while in reality it is you suffering from the most prolific pandemic of our MODERN time: Narcissism and Supreme Ignorance created by OVERTHINKING. This is the Greatest EVIL of our TIME. We are all vulnerable to it but some fight it off better than others.
Signs You’re Dealing With an Evil Person | 3,150,085 views Sep 5, 2020 (and more and more people are dabbling in the DARK TRIAD of psychological disorders)
I don’t know how I survived this time. It lasted for more than 6 years! But the story that my very dear friend from college told me about her suicide attempt somehow stopped me from mine. Today, I don’t think Collective Transformation is possible, even though this is what my story is about. The one I have been writing since 2012.
Have a GREAT DAY! And, remember, GO FOR IT! Follow your passion and whatever you do, keep moving, don’t stop!
Satan’s Sister | Moonrunner by Dance With the Dead
Right now, as of today, the 2023 Alberta, Canada wildfires have burned over 842,000 hectares that is casting smoke that can be smelled in Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Mawaris bearing down on the island of Guam. This is a Category 4 Typhoon with sustained winds of 135 mph and storm surge expected to be as high or higher than roofs of one story buildings.
These are dangerous events that threaten lives and will destroy property totaling millions to billions of dollars. And these are just the latest in a series of serve weather events bearing down on the world--be it astounding flooding events, tornadoes, derechos, fires, and many other severe weather events (click on link to see just the list of 1 billion dollar disasters in 2022).
Layered on to all this killer geologic events such as recent killer earthquakes in Turkey and Syriaor the Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption and tsunami that impacted the entire Pacific Ocean in 2022. And now, Popocatépetl a massive volcano is waking up outside of Mexico City.
Layered on top of these events are mass shootings in the USA...a civilization so polarized, it's paralyzed.
Layer onto all of this the War in Ukrainewith 18,280 casualties (6,596 killed and 11,684 injured -- stats by Radio Free Europe) along with nuclear saber rattling by the crazy tsar Putin driving Russia into the ground and North Korea accompanied by Xi Jinping, China’s very uptight and control freak ruler, eyeing Taiwan
Human beings have always lived in uncertainty. It is only recently we feel it isn’t normal to feel uncertain about something.
But what if we need uncertainty to thrive?
Uncertainty has largely been replaced by routines made very predictable and reliable by all our technology. Living life today is so much more predictable than living it just 70 years ago, much less 150 or 700 years ago. Some may say modern human life is downright boring until something unexpected, unplanned, unpredictable occurs. Then, suddenly we may feel uncertain, anxious, uncomfortable, frighten. We want these feeling to go away because these aren’t the nice feelings we are suppose to feel in our technology rich, everything is at your finger tips society.
But wishing this to be so would be a huge mistake…
Do you want to know why?
Well, I’m not going to tell you. I’m going to let you dwell in a place of uncertainty and let you see what you find out.
However, I will provide a few road markers, if you are willing to take the voyage into the uncomfortable space of being uncertain, not knowing, a place that feels more than a little bit unhinged.
Let’s find out what your look of today really is? Let’s dive into if it may be possible to imagine and see a different look… another way to live a modern life? Does this make you feel uncertain? Is this a bad feeling or a good one? Why?
Let’s explore some more….
Living In Uncertainty: Constant Emergency
The first road marker on this voyage into uncertainty comes from Humankind Public Radio in an episode called Constant Emergency.
This audio documentary explores what constant emergencies do to people. It delves into what living in constant states of anxiety and fear does to a person’s psyche and sense of wellbeing. One thing we know is that constant states of emergency translates in our bodies as constant Fight or Flight mode. Being constantly in Fight-or-Flight can generate unrelenting stress and anxiety that can further translate into violent self-talk as well as violence to others.
Have we entered an age of unrelenting chaos? As we grope for a “new normal”, has humanity reached a kind of turning point?
It feels that way — in the wake of the Covid pandemic, intensifying impacts of climate change, the war in Ukraine, mounting threats to our democracy, repeated mass shootings and so much more.
In this timely audio documentary, you’ll hear inspiring stories of survivors. We also listen to health care providers, clergy and others who offer specific guidance to help people navigate these choppy waters. They conclude that new, hope-giving possibilities are emerging.
You’ll learn about a fascinating group of caregivers who travel to trouble spots and train local residents in proven techniques that can help people to heal from trauma. In the lyrics of folksinger Carrie Newcomer: “there’s something holding steady and true, regardless of me and you.”
In this provocative Humankind program, we consider:
1) What resources are needed — for emotional and physical health and for the functioning of our communities?
2) What are ways out of thinking that, in all this commotion, we’re in a downward spiral, with no other options?
3) What simple self-care techniques can relieve the tensions now being felt my so many?
-- HumanKind Radio | Constant Emergency
Following are quick insightful impressions I gleaned while listening to the speakers:
Insights From Melissa Barnett
Each of us carry a full spectrum of emotions concerning our environment that range from love, fear, grief. And there is a lot of un–metabolized fear out there. My perception of the forest had changed after coming back from the fire. Instead of seeing quiet and green and calm, I saw fuel for fire resulting in panic. It was primal fear and hard to be there after the fire. After a catastrophe, isn’t having one’s faith shaken meant to do? Shouldn’t we re-think our patterns, our behaviors, or beliefs?”
“Working with children who came back after the fire, we did art, deep breathing, connection with animals, being outside and looking around their family and friends to see who is there to support them and thinking how they can help them.”
“Peace begins with me.” — Say this as a mantra while you breathe
— Melissa Barnett yoga instructorSonoma, California
Insights From James Gordon, MD
“Training people who are former caregivers (doctors, mental health workers) but also training teachers, preachers, household workers. First step is to shut up and focus on breathing, being here and now. This is a concentrative meditative exercise that calms down the flight or flight response. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure. It calms activity in the amygdala (responsible for violence) and places focus in Frontal Lobe (responsible for compassion, kindness). Deep breathing also activates cranial nerves (responsible for recognizing emotions in others) and frontal lobe come into function when we breathe slowly. When trauma is overwhelming, people go into freeze effect. People release neurotransmitters and disassociate from what is happened. It is a life saving response, but being constantly in freeze response it is deadly. We get people up and moving, maybe dancing, and something shifts inside. A man from Sarajevo who witnessed his entire family massacred after participating in Dr. Gordon’s deep breathing, relaxation, and dancing for the first time was not oppressed with visions of his family being killed.”
“To help people feel safe again in their lives requires hope, an internal shift that our lives can heal. Many people who have suffered trauma believe their is nothing they can do to change their lives. Trauma disables the healing aspects of our brains and minds.
— James Gordon, MD Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington, DC
Insights from Rev. Susan Beaumont
“For a vast majority of people living now there is a longing for simpler, easier, and more pleasant times. There are some eager to rush forward to resolution, but most want to turn back. There is a lost of hope. This is process of disintegrate of systems for new things to emerge. We have to live in this in-between place for the new thing to emerge. It is very hard to sit with Not Knowing. Lost of hope is biggest problem because we loss the ability to be creative in fixing what is wrong. In addition, there is a rush to restore the status quo. We have to remain unsettled so we keep creating, we keep innovating, but rather institute old practices as the New Normal (fueling the fire of collapse). For leaders finding the balance of feeling unstable and stable is very difficult.”
“New community needs to emphasize compassion and teach people how to sit with others and be present with each other in suffering without wrapping it up and putting a pretty bow on it. When people are in need, people benefit most simply from another person willing to listen and be present to the other person’s suffer and suffer it alongside of them… no solving, so strategy. We can be in it but not of it. We can surrender to the circumstances instead of rallying against them and then let it pass through us. A lot of our suffering comes from rallying against them.”
— Rev. Susan Beaumont Troy, Michigan
Insights From Nichole Warwick
“Grief is the BIG Elephant in the room. Not wanting to sit with our losses and our grief. Grieving is a sublet, multi-level process. Went through Al Gore’s Climate Change course, but after seeing so many images of devastation I was overwhelmed and grief struck but I couldn’t articulate it or see it in myself. So there was an element missing in the course for a long-time after I just couldn’t land what it was. A few weeks after the Climate Reality class, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and then I understood what was missing. We live in a culture ill-equipped to deal with grief. Our culture wants people to hurry up and get back to “normal”. With this diagnosis, I didn’t have a choice about my grief. With the tsunami of feelings and emotions, I had to take my time and process is it all.
“It takes courage to see the things we don’t want to see. It take courage to act and show love to people in pain, experiencing loss, or trauma. Look for ways you can help others and this grows your courage to endure your own pain and trauma.”
— Nichole Warwick Sonoma, CA Community Resilience Collaborative
Insights From Sabrina N’Diaye
“Something amazing always grows from bad experiences. There is this tree that grows in the middle of abandoned buildings and rubble. I have witness the darkness and I have witnessed the beauty that rises through it. Sit with yourself, be with all of your feelings and emotions, do not run away so you can be there to see the tree when it rises. When I think of all the people I admire, all of them had to walk through trauma. When I’m doing my work, it is to remember I am supposed to have the experiences to make me afraid, angry, frustrated, joy, love, and laughter… (all of this teaches me who I am.)”
“When feeling overwhelmed, I let myself cry when I hear another person’s story of pain and trauma. I give myself permission to feel what the person is feeling. Also, so many leaders of countries are hurting people. I cannot change the President of Russia, but I can change how I talk to my husband and my children and everyone around me and this changes the energy around us.
The next road marker comes from one of my favorite philosopher-entertainers, Alan Watts. This is a podcast series hosted by Mark Watts, Alan Watt’s son. This one in particular is essential for understanding the beauty and value and necessity of uncertainty.
The third road makers comes from the Library of Consciousness (I love the name of this website-resource). I was looking for something Alan Watts said for my story, so I have highlighted nibbles from this transcript from one of his lectures.
“To act without being motivated by the fruits of action, [this is the way to get out of the wheel of karma.]”
“So long as you’re looking for results—be they good or evil—you’re still bound [by the laws of karma].”
“The word dharma—sometimes meaning “the Buddhist’s doctrine,” or a certain way of life when you talk about a person’s svadharma—you mean “their own function.” We would translate svadharma as “vocation.” Sva is the same as the Latin sus: “one’s own.” Dharma: “function,” in this case. “Operation,” “way of life,” “style of life,” “profession,” “trade,” “role.” It means all those things. And the one thing that dharma really never means is “law,” although it’s often translated that way.”
“Because, you see, you don’t get the idea of law until you move to a culture where order is based on the idea of obedience. In the West, you see, the origins of law spring from where? The laws of the Medes and Persians, the Laws of Hammurabi, the Laws of Moses, and later Roman law. The only healthy legal tradition we have in the West is British common law, which proceeds in an entirely different way from code law.”
“Because, you see, the difference between code law and common law is that code law is laid down by the wisdom of an all-powerful ruler who tells everybody how they must behave, and they must obey him. But common law is evolved by discussion of particular cases rather than referring all the time to abstract principles which are put down in words. And the judge—the good judge—is a wise man, a man with a sense of equity and fair play who arbitrates an issue which is debated in front of him. And from the precedent from which he creates by his decision, common law evolves. You see, that’s a more organic way of producing law. The code law system, which we inherit from our most ancient theological backgrounds, is a tyrannical method of law by imposition.”
“And so you must understand that—in both Hinduism and Buddhism—there is really no fundamental idea of obedience to a personal ruler. Certainly not in Buddhism. A little bit, sometimes, in Hinduism. But even then we get terribly mixed up because, for example, I was talking of the Bhagavad Gita: this is often translated “The Lord’s Song.” Now, for Bhagavān (or Bhagavāt in Sanskrit) “Lord”—as an English equivalent—is quite inappropriate. Because a lord is one who lords it over you. Bhagavān is a title of reverence and respect and love. “The Song of the Beloved” would be much better, in a way—although it’s not quite correct from a strict point of view. We don’t really have an equivalent for this word, the Bhagavān.”
“So although, you see, there has been—in India itself—tyrannical rule, and although the Arthaśāstra (as a manual of politics) gives directions to a tyrant as to how to govern by absolute power, going along with this exposition of this very Machiavellian point of view to government is the constant advice of the sage: yes, this is what you have to do in order to fulfill your office as a ruler, but never forget that you’ll never succeed. The more you try to rule things by force, the more you will stir up violence against you. And so you can never hold on to your power and your possessions; it will always flow away from you.“
On Living With Uncertainty
“So there was one of those great rajas of ancient India who asked a jeweler to make him a ring that would restrain him in prosperity and support him in adversity. And the jeweler wrote on the ring: “It will pass.” But when we come to the deep cosmological and metaphysical ideas, we don’t have law in the Western sense, and therefore nature is not looked upon as something which is an orderly system because it is obeying a commandment.”
On Backward Thinking
And we get into the same confusion when we imagine, for example, that money is wealth. Here we have fantastic wealth, you know, and we have the technological possibility of making everybody on Earth the enjoyer of an independent income. We can’t do it because people say, “Where’s the money going to come from?” Because they think money makes prosperity. It’s the other way around: it’s physical prosperity which has money as a way of measuring it. But people think money has to come from somewhere, like hydroelectric power or lumber or iron, and it doesn’t. Money is something we invent, like inches. So, you remember the Great Depression; when there was a slump? And what did we have a slump of? Money. There was no less wealth, no less energy, no less raw materials than there were before, but it’s like you came to work on building a house one day and they said, “Sorry, you can’t build this house today. No inches!” “What do you mean, no inches?” “Just inches! We got inches of lumber, yes. We got inches of metal. We’ve even got tape measures. But there’s a slump in inches as such,” you see? And people are that crazy! They can have a depression because they have no inches to go around, or no dollars. That’s all a lot of nonsense!”
There Are No Separate Events
“There are no separate events. This is startling to people. But it’s really quite easy to see that there are no events in nature, because you can ask very simply—let’s take something called an event: how do we demark it from other events? At what point, shall we say, were you born? Were you born at parturition? Or when the doctor slapped you on the bottom? Or cut the umbilical cord? Or when you were conceived? Or when your father and mother were first attracted to each other? When was it? When did you begin? There’s no way of deciding except arbitrarily. And for legal purposes we say you were born at parturition. And that’s when the astrologer casts your horoscope—except that other astrologers disagree and want the conception time, and say that’s the real beginning. There isn’t a real beginning. It goes back and back and back in an inseparable continuity. When are you dead? That’s another big argument. And you can get all kinds of ideas about that.”
Point-Instants Are Imaginary
“So once you see that an event is a term in an intellectual calculus—calculus being the way of measuring, say, curved formations by reducing them to point-instants and counting it, you see? But actually, the point-instants are imaginary. The curve wiggles along and it doesn’t stutter from point to point. But in calculus you make it do that. So just as there are no point-instants in the curve, so there are no events in nature. Nature is a constantly fluctuating pattern. You can only designate particular wiggles in a pattern arbitrarily. You can count a convex formation as one wiggle or a concave formation as one wiggle. Then you decide if you call it—if you give the convex properties the title of “wiggle,” you have to deny it to the concave properties, and vice versa.”
Have You Ever Watched A Snake Swim?
“When a snake swims, there’s nothing more beautiful than watching a snake swim in water. Lovely motion! But, you see, it wiggles along. And its wiggle is conceivable, you see, as convex—or was it concave? This way and that way and this way and that way. Now, which side of the snake moves first hen it wiggles? See, it’s very easy to see there.”
Now When the World Moves, What Starts First?
“Now, when we interact with the world, what moves first? Who starts it? The objective world or the subjective world? But they are related as this to that. You can’t have an object without a subject or a subject without an object. Can’t have something known without the knower. And that gives the show away. There isn’t any real distinction between the knower and the known. There’s two ways of looking at something, yes; two poles of a single process. But the knower and the known are subsumed as the knowing. And all life is knowing, being, becoming. And it isn’t something, in other words, that works by the idea of “all this happens because someone shoves it.”
What Is Karma–Really?
But if it’s your karma, everything that happens to you—put it in another way: everything that comes to you is a return to you of what goes out of you. Yes, obviously that’s absurd if you confine the definition of yourself to your voluntary, conscious behavior. That’s a ridiculous definition of one’s self. One’s self, by any stretch of the imagination, must involve far more than the conscious and voluntary aspects of our behavior. And if we see that it involves, intimately and inescapably, the behavior of what we call the “other,” the “not-self,” the “environment,” and see that these two are moving together like the two sides of the snake when it swims, then you get a very curious feeling. And you have to be careful of it if you’ve got a Western background.”
Holier-than-thou People
“Because this is what happens to a lot of people who play around with psychedelic chemicals. There are many, many cases of inflation among these people. That is to say, when you get this sensation that the two sides of the world—the inside and the outside—are moving together, you may think: “I am ruling it!” “I am God” in the Western sense of the word. Therefore, your ego—instead of being, as it were, integrated and transcended with all this process—merely assumes vast dimensions, has megalomania, is blown up by the mystical experience. And so you get the holier-than-thou people going around who seem to think that they’re above all human conventions and have no obligations to anyone or anything: because they’re divine, and they can do as they damn please.”
Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils
What they haven’t realized is that doing as you will isn’t a new kind of behavior that you suddenly put on and say, “From now on, I’m going to go around doing as I will.” You have to realize first that that’s what you’ve always been doing. And you could look at this from a very simple point of view—it’s not a complete point of view—but you can say: “Well now, what about the people who did good and who did the things that they didn’t want to do?” You know, everybody’s mother said to us, “Darling, sometimes we have to do thing we don’t like.” Well, what about that? Well, you can always say the kid obeyed the mother and did the thing that it didn’t like because that was the better part of wisdom. In other words, if he hadn’t done that, something worse would’ve happened. And we choose the lesser of two evils. And when you find yourself in a situation where you have to choose the lesser of two evils, then you say, “I want out of here!” and you take the easiest way; you take the line of least resistance. So that’s your doing.”
Praising and Blaming
““That’s not my fault, that’s your fault!” And so we go around apportioning faults to everybody. Because if we’re going to apportion praise the good things people do, you can’t make praise mean anything unless you also go around blaming. Praise and blame go together. Supposing everybody was acting in a praiseworthy way and we praised everybody for everything—they’ll get tired of it. They wouldn’t even notice it anymore. So, so long as you’re going to get a kick out of being praised, you’ve got to go around blaming, too. It’s very simple.”
Sermon on the Mount
And Ananda Coomaraswamy once described the life of the liberated being as a perpetual uncalculated life in the present. And you say, “Wow! I don’t think I could do that.” That saying of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount about “be not anxious for the morrow.” The uncalculated life. “If God so clothed the grass of the field, will he not much more clothe you, faithless ones?” And I’ve never met a preacher yet who would really take that up. They all say, “Well, of course, that’s too hard a saying for most of us. It’s not practical. Everybody has to take thought for the morrow and calculate.”
We Are Just Kids With Plastic Steering Wheels
“Well, at this point people can go in two directions. There’s one class of people who will say, “Alright, let’s live the uncalculated life. Let’s not make any plans.” And before you know where they are they’re living in a filthy pad, and scrounging around, and living on petty thievery, and so on. This is the usual thing. This has got into it the wrong way. The first thing to do is just as I said: whether you like it or not and whether you know it or not, the relationship between you and the environment is always one that is harmonious. So, in the same way, you are always living the uncalculated life. And you have to find out, first of all, that you’re always doing it, and that what you call your calculations and the things you did were funny little rationalizations. In other words, your ego has about as much control over what goes on as a child sitting next to its father in a car with a plastic steering wheel that is turning the car the way daddy drives it. Because, as I pointed out, most of the functions, most of the goings-on in you, around you, the circumstances of life, have nothing to do with your ego at all. And you don’t even know why you make up your mind to do certain things. We know superficially; we have a few ideas.”
The Pretender — “It’s All Fake”
“So whenever you do a thing like that, you see, you make a forced change. Now, if the change is to happen in the same way that a seed (at proper season) breaks open and sends up a shoot, see, it comes from the whole force of life itself. Now, when you see that, without your having to do anything—see?—you are living the uncalculated life and you’re only pretending you’re calculating it and arranging it, then—as it were—you will have a grasp of the total situation. And you can allow it to produce changes in action which are not forced. So this is why there is always a trend in every kind of spiritual doctrine which says something about grace. Divine grace. There must come about something in you, a change, which you can’t produce. And if you try to produce it you will be a victim of spiritual pride. But on the other hand, all teachers at universities are saying, “You’ve got to make an effort.” There’s some discipline. There is something you must do. Well, that’s the only way to get it across to people that you, as a separate effort-maker, are a myth, are a phantasm. Because if you really try to control your mind and only think the thoughts that you think are good thoughts to think, you will find that you’re going ’round in a circle. Krishnamurti’s awfully good at pointing this out. When people ask him, “How do you meditate?” he says, “Why do you want to meditate?” “Why are you concentrating?” “Why are you saying prayers?” “Why do you think you should believe in God?” And it always comes up: “Because I’m just a son of a bitch. I’m out for my own good, and this seems to be the way.” So he says, “You see? You don’t have any genuine love at all. It’s all fake!”
“My Basis for Moral Behavior Is Pure Selfishness”
And so you have to find, first of all, where the genuine love is. Now, you love you, don’t you? That’s genuine. I won’t argue about that. But then, when you start from this—I gave a talk some time ago to the Air Force; their camp or lab where they make weapons, do all the research. And they got a bunch of us there who were ministers and philosophers, and they had the nerve to ask us: what was our basis for moral behavior; personal moral behavior? Well, I said, “My basis for moral behavior is pure selfishness. And I’m talking, after all, to realistic people here, and I don’t think we need be sentimental and beat about the bush. After all, you’re all warriors and fighters and so on, and you know how rough things are. So I’m going to say to you, frankly: I’m out for me. But, of course, I don’t do it in a tactless way. I don’t go around and hit people over the head and say, ‘Give me this’ and ‘Give me that.’ I’m much more subtle. I say good manners, and ‘please,’ and ‘how nice you all are,’ and so on, and finally people feel massaged, psychologically, into a state where they’ll give.” But then I said after that, “There’s some things that bother me. The first one is: if I love me, what do I want? And furthermore, who am I?”
I Cannot Experience Me Without You — To Love Another, Is to Love Myself
“Because if I’m going to be realistic about getting what I want, I’ve got to be pretty sure what it is that’s me, and what is the state of desire in me. If I am desire, you see, if I am a center of desire, what’s it all for? Well, I think of all the things I want. Well, it so turns out that none of them are me. I might say, “I want dinner.” Doesn’t mean I’m going to eat me up. Any pleasure I can think of is the enjoyment of something that I haven’t thought of defining as myself. Because I like my sensations, I like what happens to my body when I take a fine wine and down it. But then, what’s the difference between my body and the wine? If I say I like the wine, I also mean I like me and the wine together; the mixture. But then I don’t eat you, or a friend, or a lover, in the same way as I drink wine. I live in association and like this. But then I’m loving things that aren’t formally supposed to be me. And as I go into it—in other words, as I investigate what I mean by “me,” I find that I can’t put any limits on it; that I cannot experience “me” without “you,” or without the “other.” They’re inseparable. But you don’t find this out until you investigate it, until you really go into the question: “What do I want?” And that’s the most important investigation anyone can make (which I’m going into in the next session): the question of power. And all these military men, they think they want power. And so I said to them some very subversive and undermining things without anybody knowing it until long after I’d left!”
What Do You Desire?
“Let’s go through with it. What do you want to do? And when we finally got down to something which the individual says he really wants to do, I will say to him, “You do that, and forget the money.” Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living; that is, to go on living doing things you don’t like doing—which is stupid! Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way. And, after all, if you do really like what you’re doing—it doesn’t matter what it is—you can eventually become a master of it. It’s the only way to become a master of something: to be really with it. And then you’ll be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. So don’t worry too much. Somebody’s interested in everything. And anything you can be interested in, you’ll find others who are. But it’s absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don’t like in order to go on doing things you don’t like, and to teach your children to follow in the same track. See, what we’re doing is: we’re bringing up children and educating them to live the same sort of lives we’re living, in order that they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life by bringing up their children to do the same thing. So it’s all retch and no vomit: it never gets there!”
What Do You REALLY Desire
“And so, therefore, it’s so important to consider this question: what do I desire? Well, when we answer that question in a naïve way, we figure out that what we want is to control everything: to create girls that don’t grow old, apples that don’t rot, clothes that never wear out, conveyances that get from one place to another instantly so we don’t have to wait, power available to do anything that you could conceive and do it just instantly; like that. To get this funny technological omnipotence. But if you take time out to think about that, and really go into it with your full strength of imagination and find out whether that’s where you want to be, you will soon see: that’s not what you want. Because the moment you have a situation where you are really in control of things—that is to say, in which the future is almost completely predictable—you will see, as I said last night, that a completely predictable future is already the past. You’ve had it. And that’s not what you wanted. You want a surprise. You don’t know what that’s going to be because, obviously, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you did. You want a pleasant surprise.”
Putin’s HELL… And All Other Tyrants Who Want to Control Everyone
“Imagine the situation of Big Brother: Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, Heinrich Himmler. To be glued, day and night, to a highly defended office with telephones, television screens, watching, peeking, spying on everyone and anything. Getting all this information together. Why, you could never leave the office! I mean, a character, I suppose, like J. Edgar Hoover goes home in the evening. But when he’s back home, you know, there are guards sitting outside the door, there’s that hotline telephone going to something. He’s always having to be in control. And he can’t take any time off, he can’t go for a walk in the park with a friend, or go innocently to the movies, or sit down and just relax and have an undistracted party in the baths at Big Sur. What a pauper this guy is! Completely deprived! Because he wants to be in control, because he wants power. People are frustrated in love; if you’re jilted. There’s a natural tendency in a human being to seek power as a substitute. And that’s a very negative thing. It’s like having a bad temper, to seek power after you’re frustrated in love. You should try and get back on the love beam. Because nobody wants power!”
Psychic Technology — Now That’s Power!
“Now then, when Oriental philosophy and religion was first introduced to the Western world, it was introduced under the auspices of people who were fascinated with power. It was introduced in the latter part of the 19th century, when we had heard all about evolution and how the human race was going on to ever greater heights, and we would eventually develop superman according to Nietzsche or G. B. Shaw and H. G. Wells. Remember all that early fantasy of where evolution would lead through the development of technology. And so, at this time, people like H. P. Blavatsky were talking about the mysterious wisdom of the East, and they phrased it, they commended it to us, in a technological spirit: that there was psychic technology, that there was something, that you could go way beyond anything that could be done through the physical sciences. You could cause your physical body to disintegrate to another level of vibration, and then transmit it and reassemble it somewhere else. You could live as long as you like because you control the fundamental processes. You could determine, if you decided to die, where you would be reborn, exactly. You would be a complete master of life. And so there are still innumerable books being sold which present Oriental philosophy and religion in this light. That charlatan, Lobsang Rampa, who writes about Tibetan mastery—people read that because they think that there may be a way of beating the game.”
Thinking Psycho-Technology All the Way Through to the End…
“So, therefore, the wise men of Asia were represented through this kind of propaganda as masters of life; as, for example, people whose emotions didn’t bother them, who could put up with any amount of pain by simply turning off their feelings, who could foretell the future, who could read your thoughts, and who were above all kinds of ordinary human frailty. Well, when I first met Buddhist priests, Zen masters, swamis, all these wise men from the East, one of the first things that impressed itself upon me was that they were perfectly ordinary human beings. They had bad tempers, they were fussy about certain things, they just acted as I would expect human beings to act. And so, at first, I was very disappointed. I thought they had feet of clay, but they didn’t come up to these promises of psycho-technology.
But after a while I got to realize why not: that they had already thought all that through. They had thought through what might be done if one had all these powers, and had decided that wasn’t what they wanted. The powers of this kind, in Sanskrit, are called siddhi. But there is hardly one decent scripture or text on yoga that does not say, again and again: if you get siddhi, ignore them. Go on to something else. These are only the foothills. These are, furthermore, not only foothills, but they are seductive, blind alleys. Won’t take you anywhere at all.”
Do You Really Want That Plastic Doll? That’s All?
Now, I think that this is the greatest possible lesson for the Western world to learn, because we are so hung up on the idea of power, of control, of being able to make everything go the right way, and we’ve never thought it through. When you get control of it, what are you going to do with it? Supposing I’m an alchemist and I have a whole secret closet full of love filters; very potent ones. And if I see a desirable woman, all I have to do is to offer her a cigarette or give her a glass of wine with one of my secret potions in it, and instantly I’m her master. Now, when I think that through, what would I do with a situation like that? Because all I’ve got, again, is that plastic doll that, when I push it, it does what I tell it to and doesn’t have any comeback. What you always are looking for in things is where the surprise is there, where there’s a comeback. And you say, “My god, this thing is alive! It has a will of its own. It is not in my control. And I would like to have a relationship with something like that, because it would never be dull.” And also, you would feel true affection. After all, you can make love to yourself in a mirror. You can have one of those Dutch wives; you buy them in a place in Kobe, where you get these rubber girls that you fill with hot water. And sailors take them on long voyages. But what an awful thing, you know, when you realize that this thing has no surprise in it, no thing that it does on its own, you see?”
Pursuit of Pure Pleasure Leads You to the Naraka Worlds
Because, you see, pursuing pleasure beyond a certain place takes you into what the Buddhists call the naraka world; that is to say, to hells. When you have explored pleasure to its ultimate limit, the only thing you can get a kick out of is pain. So naturally, you descend from the deva world at the top of the wheel to the naraka world at the bottom, where it shows all these beings in states of torture. Now, of course, the priests say—when they’re bringing up children—if you do bad things you will end up in the hell world. But this is a very inadequate way of showing how one gets to the hell world. You get to the hell world as a result of not knowing what you want, as a result of thoughtless pursuit of pleasure which ends you, eventually, in the pursuit of pain. So if you’re in the hell world, that’s where you want to be!”
What Do You Really, Really Want?
So then, we ask the question: if the motivation of power-gaining disappears—you’ve seen through it and you know that’s not what you want—what other motivation takes its place as the origin of actions? And it seems to me that the answer here is compassion. Simply because, when you want to relate to another living being, what you really are asking of them is that they be in the same situation that you are. You want to meet and encounter someone else who has your problems, your fears, and your delights. You don’t want a doll, you want another “you,” another “self,” because that would be at least as surprising to you as you are. And so, then, at once, when you see that that is the case, and that the most interesting thing in the world is the relationship with these others, and you can see at once yourself in the situation of all the other people, and then you think: no, I don’t want to control these people. I would like them—yes—to be controlled in the sense that they were happy to do the things I would like them to do. But obviously, I can’t force that. Because if I forced it, they wouldn’t be happy.”
This Is the Magic We Have Lost
“But there is, despite a lot of foolishness that goes on this, is a sound thing, you see? That there really is no greater satisfaction that you can imagine than that kind of personal relationship wherein you can trust a being who is other than you and not under your control to do for you what you want—because they like it. As you, on your side, would want to do something for them in that way, and so as to give pleasure to the other person. Just take, in sexuality, where you get a kind of a critical example of this: the biggest fun in sexual relationships is giving orgasm to women. And if that doesn’t happen, many men feel disappointed. Because a thing that they really wanted to do was to give pleasure and get their own pleasure out of giving it.”
Othering of the World
“So you see, it’s really, in a way, the same idea as the Hindu idea. When the Christian speaks of God giving the creature freedom of will, the Hindu says: no, God gets lost in that person and gives up power. And it’s really the same thing. It’s the idea that the all-powerful surrenders power. So that the more you give the power away, what you’re really doing is you’re “othering” yourself. Now, the more you “other” yourself by giving power away, the more of a “self” you are. Because “self” and “other” are reciprocal. So you find that people who, through a sādhanā (a yoga-discipline), have overcome their ego, have transcended the ego, are tremendously strong personalities. You would think, theoretically, they would all be non-entities and to lack entirely what psychologists call ego-strength. But actually, they’re nothing of the kind. They are—every one of them—unique. They’re all quite different from each other. And they are very, very (what I would call) strong characters. Because the more they have given it up, the more they get it.”
A Lovely Irresponsible State To Be In
So, in this way of thinking—let’s put it in another dimension for a moment. Let’s suppose we’re thinking of a relationship that is not just of people. People are very obviously other and independent of one’s ego. But give it to everything. Say to everything—which, of course, is going to include as much of yourself as you can objectify. In other words, your stomach, your intestines, your everything, you see? Say to it all: “Now it’s your turn. Let’s see what you’re going to do.” Let it happen. You know? You do this complete let-off of control. And you find that you—I have to put it in a provisional way first—you get the sensation that everything else is living you. It lives you. That you’ve given away control, you see, to everything else. It’s a lovely irresponsible state to be in.
Bllwp! In giving away the control, you got it.
But then, you see, you do the flip. Bllwp! In giving away the control, you got it. You’ve got the kind of control you wanted. That’s to say, where you had a loving relationship to the world but you didn’t have to make up your mind what it should do. You let it decide. Now, do you see: that’s how your bodies work. You don’t have to make up your mind what your nerve cells are going to do. You’ve delegated all that authority. If the president the United States has to lie awake at nights thinking what every official under his command is going to do, he can’t be president. He’s got to make an act of trust in all those subordinates to be responsible and carry on their things in just the same way as you make an act of trust to all your subordinate organs to carry on their functions without you having to tell them what to do. And this is the secret of what we will call organic power, as distinct from political power. Lao Tzu puts it in this way:
The great Tao flows everywhere, Both to the left and to the right. It loves and nourishes all things But does not lord it over them. And when merits are accomplished It lays no claim to them.
— Lao Tzu
“Let’s see what you’re going to do.”
The more, therefore, you relinquish power—trust others—the more powerful you become. But in such a way that, instead of having to lie awake nights controlling everything, you do it beautifully by trusting the job to everyone else, and they carry it on for you. So you can go to sleep at night and trust your nervous system to wake you up in the morning. You can even tell it: “I want to wake up at six o’clock,” and it will wake you up just like an alarm clock. This seems a sort of paradox to say this, but the principle of unity—of coming to a sense of oneness with the whole of the rest of the universe—is not to try to obtain power over the rest of the universe. That will only disturb it and antagonize it and make it seem less one with you than ever. The way to become one with the universe is to trust it as an other—as you would another—and say, “Let’s see what you’re going to do.” But in doing that, you see—in saying that to everything else (that you have been taught to think is not you), you are also saying it to yourself.”
All the segments above come from the Library of Consciousness assembled by Organism Earth. I stopped at 1:28:18.
Living In Uncertainty: History Is Over!
The final road marker comes from an episode from Throughline titled: History Is Over!
As the end of the 20th century approached, Radiohead took to the recording studio to capture the sound of a society that felt like it was fraying at the edges. Many people had high hopes for the new millennium, but for others a low hum of anxiety lurked just beneath the surface as the world changed rapidly and fears of a Y2K meltdown loomed.
Amidst all the unease, the famed British band began recording their highly anticipated follow ups to their career-changing album OK Computer. Those two albums, Kid A and Amnesiac, released in 2000 and 2001, were entrancing and eerie — they documented the struggle to redefine humanity, recalibrate, and get a grip on an uncertain world. In this episode, we travel back to the turn of the millennium with Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood and the music of Kid A and Amnesiac.
“You know, progress is not necessarily a good thing. Our success was not necessarily a good thing…” — YORKE
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“Into the next century, anxieties will increase.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6
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“Fire coming out from all over.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7
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“The risk of the virus expanding worldwide.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #8
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“New cold war.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #9
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“A field of tears.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #10
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“Sea level rise.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #11
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“Millions still struggling to be free.” — UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #12
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“There’s no question that we must feed the monster. Because the monster has already won. It’s like a movie, but you can’t stop it unless you wake up.” — YORKE
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“Florida is where WOKE goes to die.” — Ron DeSantis
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“You need to name it… name the fear, the dread… and it will begin to diminish.” — YORKE
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“There’s always a sense of dread and a need to get beyond that fear so we can imagine and express a world that can look different than now.” — YORKE
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One Last Thing to Ponder on Living In Uncertainty
What is the opposite of space element?
Neither. Space is best thought of as an empty vacuum, and the opposite of space is density. It doesn’t matter whether it’s earth, water, gas… anything collection of atoms starts to develop a gravitational field, pulling more atoms in as well as space.
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It really is quite spectacular that we are even alive at all. Perhaps, uncertainty is the rocket fuel that powers us into the unknown so we can know. And anyone who really pushes the limits and explores knows how much we need each other in this voyage… perhaps now more than ever before.
Living In Uncertainty: Feature Archetypal Animation
