Reassesing assumptions

Initial reflections on events in North America

Seemorerocks

I have had to step back since the US election earlier in the week – partially to take stock but also because,in addition to continuing to feel generally unwell have had a sore back that has affected everything and has refused to go away.

In the last five or so years I have had to reassess many previous assumptions.

Through most of my life I have been on the Left and a socialist but rapidly-developing events have seen me reassess this.

Frstly, Mike Ruppert helped me to see that any political philosophy (whether neo-liberalism or socialism) is based on the assumption of “more”, of
‘infinite growth”

Then, the more I know about abrupt and catastrophic climate change the more I realise that nobody has any solutions – because the problems are inherent in what Guy McPherson calls “this set of living arrangements”.

Or to take another quote, we’re “damned if we do and damned if we don’t."

The Left, and in particular,socialism, has always meant for me, social ownership and control of the means of production and has always implied being part of the movement against imperialism, fascism and for peace.

It has never meant “progressive” social policies, still less “political correctness”.

My sense of social justice has meant that I am sympathetic to feminism and to rights for the gay community (right up to being happy to give some support to same-sex marriage).

However, what I have been observing Is that the liberal Left has put these policies on a pedestal while vilifying societies that have made rational choices not to follow the western model, as “fascist”.

This has reached the point where “reasonable” people, people I would have hobnobbed with in the past are baying for war with Russia and wanting to destroy Syria and very obviously – its Christian communites.

Now we are seeing these self-same “democrats” who were accusing Donald Trump of violence and racism while going out into the street and expressing their disagreement (often in a less than peaceful manner) with the result of a democratic election where a majority voted for Trump.

Actually, probably not so much more for Trump but against war, against corruption and cronyism. They are expressing shock and anger over something that they should have seen a mile off. They should have been able to see Wikileaks and the inconvenient (for them) truths that were being revealed.

Instead of that we have a violent reaction and even calls for Trump’s assasination.

This has been bizarre for me because I have been forced to listen to voices I would have eshewed in the past. Fox News, Paul Joseph Watson, Alex Jones and Info Wars for God’s sake! I have to reluctantly recognise that these people that I dislike intensely often (far from always!) carry a lot of truth – certainy more than CNN or the Guardian!

There is disinformation on both sides of the divide so we have to constantly be on the look-out if we want the truth but events are moveing so quickly that I have to admit I can’t double-check everything I post. I certainly don’t stand by everything but by posting different, often opposing viewpoints that people can make up their own minds and find some clarity in contradictory and confusing events.

In short, I see Trump as a consequence, even a symbol.

What we are witnessing is an impersonal process in which everything is breaking down at the same time . Trump, Clinton, Obama and all the others are no more or no less actors in this drama.

Take Trump out of the picture and there would have been another Trump

These are my rather confused thoughts right now.

In the meantime everyone with honesty and integrity that is feeling fear and uncertainty in the midst of these events that I don’t see calming down in any way, has my thoughts and prayers.

Case in point  is Paul Joseph Watson who is ahrd to disagree with in this video

Ditto

I was rather impressed by Steve of Israeli News. Instead of taking questions about a story about convoys of buses in Austin, Texas. Instead of defending a fixed position, or still worse "debunking" a story he tries his best to investigate and see where the truth lies.

The people of Facebook who "debunk", solely based on the source are lazy and, in my mind contemptible.

I am unable to follow every story up with this details and can mistakes.

Mistakes is what they are.

Chris Hedges is absolutely right here. The failure of the political class in the Untied States has led to the unleashing of forces that can only be described as proto-fascist although right now we are seeing the violence, racism and anti-democratic stance is coming from the Left.

It is normal to protest against the actions of politicians – it is unprecedented to protest against the result of an election and call for the removal (or worse) of a politician on that basis.

It is (perhaps) unrecedented for mainstream media to be cheering on mass protest on the streets. Where was CNN with Occupy Wall Street or the ongong DAPL protests?

Postscript: the only things that are absolutely predictable is social and political breakdown and collapse and ultimately the complet collapse of human, industrial society and the extinction of homo sapiens.