The Use of Crisis Actors

[Wind]

It's always interesting to follow these discussions. People get divided and the other side says that no, there's nothing wrong with tools which are capable of enabling mass slaughters and meanwhile the other side tries to do something about the problem albeit some of them are too emotionally driven, then again would I blame the victims of mass slaughers for being too emotional? Just think about it. Nothing is ever achieved, because the NRA is too powerful. In fact events like these just make people buy more guns. People get more divided. Cui bono?

Guns are tools and like any tools they belong to the hands of responsible users. Military grade weapons however should not belong to civilians. I do think that guns are cool too, but what isn't cool is seeing and hearing about mass slaughters all the time. I understand very well that guns are a symbol of freedom and a phallic symbol for men too, guns aren't the problem per se, but the easy access to them is. Many Americans seem to love guns more than their youth.

[Aragorn]

It's always interesting to follow these discussions. People get divided and the other side says that no, there's nothing wrong with tools which are capable of enabling mass slaughters and meanwhile the other side tries to do something about the problem albeit some of them are too emotionally driven, then again would I blame the victims of mass slaughers for being too emotional? Just think about it. Nothing is ever achieved, because the NRA is too powerful. In fact events like these just make people buy more guns. People get more divided. Cui bono?

Guns are tools and like any tools they belong to the hands of responsible users. Military grade weapons however should not belong to civilians. I do think that guns are cool too, but what isn't cool is seeing and hearing about mass slaughters all the time. I understand very well that guns are a symbol of freedom and a phallic symbol for men too, guns aren't the problem per se, but the easy access to them is. Many Americans seem to love guns more than their youth.

But then again, we're talking of a developing nation.

[GraceKB]

The problem is that our youth are being manipulated.

They are also being terrorized by ongoing drills being conducted in schools.

Apparently at Parkland "simunition" was used, producing minor wounds which healed quickly.

Apparently? How do you know that simunition was used? Because Fetzer said so? He claims that Samantha Fuentes was shot in the face but she said, in more than one interview, the injuries to her face came from shrapnel and diving behind bookcases and file cabinets. He lies. He willfully twists things to fit his agenda that everything is a hoax. Has he EVER interviewed one person that was there?

I watched Kerry Cassidy interview him and believe me it was difficult to hang in there for 2 hrs. Cassidy has an annoying habit of interrupting her guests but not with Fetzer. He drones on and jumps from one thing to another...NOBODY DIED!!...FAKE BLOOD...shoes are a calling card...at Parkland...and Sandy Hook...the London Bridge...Paddocks ears...on and on and on. You get my meaning. I believe he does that to keep people confused and to wow those that are easily duped with his brilliance. In truth, his message is not brilliant. It's simplistic and stupid. Nobody died, everything is a hoax, they want your guns. Period.

It may surprise you to hear that I have no problem with gun ownership or the 2nd amendment. What I have a problem with is opportunistic vampires that glom onto these horrific happenings with absolutely no regard for the people who were impacted. I also have a problem with those that blindly follow them, spread their bullshit and worse. People have lost loved ones AND then are attacked and threatened...called liars and pedophiles and things. Add to that, I have a problem with the simplified right/left boxes that are instantly thrown in the mix. Life is much more complicated and nuanced than that. I also have a problem with those that will not LISTEN to alternative views.

[GraceKB]

But then again, we're talking of a developing nation.

Really? I thought your post about the damage that the US has done in the world was brilliant and spot on. But this one and a couple of others seem a little arrogant and condescending.

[Aragorn]

But then again, we're talking of a developing nation.

Really? I thought your post about the damage that the US has done in the world was brilliant and spot on. But this one and a couple of others seem a little arrogant and condescending.

It was partly tongue-in-cheek, but not entirely facetious. As I see it, there are two aspects to the USA.

The first aspect is that which I have alluded to higher up already, and which you are now alluding to as well, i.e. the USA as a player on the international scale. This is predominantly a matter of military invasions and saber-rattling with other militarily powerful nations such as Russia and China, and these days also with North Korea, although North Korea's military capabilities are by far not as threatening to world peace as those of the US and Russia.

The second aspect is that of the US population and its culture, which are so heavily indoctrinated with pro-US and pro-capitalist propaganda that they can't see things for what they are, while at the same time they are also firmly convinced that their skewed world view is the correct one.

Allow me to give you a few examples. First of all, on average, US Americans understand neither fascism nor socialism. They see the latter as a threat — due to the pro-capitalist and anti-communist propaganda of the 20th century — and they think that fascism is the same thing as Nazism. As such, they don't realize that they are, effectively, living in a fascist regime, because fascism is a form of government where policy is dictated by the corporate world through political sock puppets.

Fascism is also characterized by militarism. In the USA, someone who's been (or is) in the military enjoys a higher social status than a civilian, and especially if they're with the Marine Corps. Fascism is also marked by nationalism and a strong sensation of patriotism, all of which the US population is indoctrinated with through the (very poor) education system. Also in the USA, scholarships are handed out to students based upon their performance in sports teams — a hero culture. This is once again typical for a fascist regime.

Then we have the surveillance culture — sadly enough, the whole western hemisphere is now infested with that — and the fact that human rights are purposely being violated during the interrogation and detention of political prisoners. And lastly, fascist regimes also feature heavy repression and often gratuitous police brutality. The USA still practices capital punishment, and often in very cruel manners at that.

On account of the education system, the intellectual level in the first couple of years of continued education at US American universities and colleges is no higher than that of the average high school student here in Europe, and to illustrate this even further, when it comes to a comparison of IQ scores between the US population and the rest of the world, then there is a discrepancy of on average 15 to 30 points.

Of course, if you take an IQ test in the USA, then the 100-points meridian will have been calibrated against the rest of the US population, and so you may score higher or lower than your fellow countrymen and -women. But if you then take your IQ score with you to Europe and you take the test here, you will find that your score sits between 15 to 30 points lower than what it says on the paper with your US American IQ results.

The last thing a fish would ever come to question is the water it swims and breathes in.

[GraceKB]

It was partly tongue-in-cheek, but not entirely facetious. As I see it, there are two aspects to the USA.

The first aspect is that which I have alluded to higher up already, and which you are now alluding to as well, i.e. the USA as a player on the international scale. This is predominantly a matter of military invasions and saber-rattling with other militarily powerful nations such as Russia and China, and these days also with North Korea, although North Korea's military capabilities are by far not as threatening to world peace as those of the US and Russia.

The second aspect is that of the US population and its culture, which are so heavily indoctrinated with pro-US and pro-capitalist propaganda that they can't see things for what they are, while at the same time they are also firmly convinced that their skewed world view is the correct one.

Allow me to give you a few examples. First of all, on average, US Americans understand neither fascism nor socialism. They see the latter as a threat — due to the pro-capitalist and anti-communist propaganda of the 20th century — and they think that fascism is the same thing as Nazism. As such, they don't realize that they are, effectively, living in a fascist regime, because fascism is a form of government where policy is dictated by the corporate world through political sock puppets.

Fascism is also characterized by militarism. In the USA, someone who's been (or is) in the military enjoys a higher social status than a civilian, and especially if they're with the Marine Corps. Fascism is also marked by nationalism and a strong sensation of patriotism, all of which the US population is indoctrinated with through the (very poor) education system. Also in the USA, scholarships are handed out to students based upon their performance in sports teams — a hero culture. This is once again typical for a fascist regime.

Then we have the surveillance culture — sadly enough, the whole western hemisphere is now infested with that — and the fact that human rights are purposely being violated during the interrogation and detention of political prisoners. And lastly, fascist regimes also feature heavy repression and often gratuitous police brutality. The USA still practices capital punishment, and often in very cruel manners at that.

On account of the education system, the intellectual level in the first couple of years of continued education at US American universities and colleges is no higher than that of the average high school student here in Europe, and to illustrate this even further, when it comes to a comparison of IQ scores between the US population and the rest of the world, then there is a discrepancy of on average 15 to 30 points.

Of course, if you take an IQ test in the USA, then the 100-points meridian will have been calibrated against the rest of the US population, and so you may score higher or lower than your fellow countrymen and -women. But if you then take your IQ score with you to Europe and you take the test here, you will find that your score sits between 15 to 30 points lower than what it says on the paper with your US American IQ results.

The last thing a fish would ever come to question is the water it swims and breathes in.

Thanks for taking the time to explain and forgive me if I seem overly sensitive. Frankly, the comments about only being on the thread for entertainment were the big turn off for me, but if you find all this entertaining and fodder for America bashing, go for it.

There is nothing you said above that I disagree agree with except for your use of "they" as if we are all a hive mind because we happen to be born in America. It should be obvious to you that that is another convenient fallacy. Look at the difference of opinions by Americans on this thread, for example. We aren't all cowboys. We aren't all hopeless materialists. And we all aren't xenophobes. You say "on average" but the truth is you have no way of knowing what each individual KNOWS about fascism, socialism, capitalism etc. Generalizations like that suck imo and really don't add to the conversation because it puts people on the defensive.

[tarka the duck]

Here is the beginning of the article preceded by G. Edward Griffin's comment:

Why is Griffin suggesting that the backers of these pro-gun control movements are doing something wrong?
That their actions are somehow shady, nefarious, devious and dishonest? It’s no secret that there are existing
organisations that are offering advice, services and support to the March for Your Life movement.
Is there a problem with that?

[tarka the duck]

The problem is that our youth are being manipulated.

They are also being terrorized by ongoing drills being conducted in schools.

No. These kids are being terrified by acts of violence.
Fear comes from a feeling of being unable to control events around us.
Empowerment comes from knowledge that it’s possible to learn ways that could possibly keep us safe.

By your logic, fire drills would terrify children. Telling them to put seat belts on would terrify them.
Suggesting they don’t play with rattle snakes would terrify them. Warning them against going with
someone to look at some puppies would terrify them.


Here is something that might well terrify kids: how about one of Wayne La Pierre’s speeches?

“There are terrorists and home invaders and drug cartels and carjackers and knockout gamers and rapers,
haters, campus killers, airport killers … I ask you: do you trust the government to protect you?
We are on our own … The things we care about most are changing … It’s why more and more Americans
are buying firearms and ammunition.”

and

“I call on Congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed officers
in every single school in this nation.”

Apparently at Parkland "simunition" was used, producing minor wounds which healed quickly.

Fetzer is the only person claiming this.
Fetzer is a proven, habitual liar.
Ergo, this is a lie.
Simples.

I also agree with those who say that the right to gun ownership decreases violent crime.

All evidence is to the contrary.

If it was indeed the case, America would be one of the safest places on earth.

[Emil El Zapato]

Really? I thought your post about the damage that the US has done in the world was brilliant and spot on. But this one and a couple of others seem a little arrogant and condescending.

People always get carried away when they feel they are on safe ground...human nature is obviously a little condescending, Darwinian theory and all. Unfortunately, Aragorn makes a great point when he says that. Perhaps we should be forgiven for our immaturity but at the same time held in check. Children should not play with matches or guns. Nor should any society that isn't mature enough to handle mature issues.

I grew up a gun owner, kinda of a hunter, my friends were fanatics. Shotguns, reloaders to make their own shells, skeet shooting, etc. My favorite was always a scoped rifle, something about those always 'felt' good. I had an acquaintance that blew himself away by accident when hunting, Had another that purposefully blew his head off with a shotgun, I could go on. When I lived in Wichita Kansas and the community was experiencing an active serial killer a spree killer mounted themselves on the upper floors of a Holiday Inn. At that time in a very conservative city owning a gun actually became shameful. Under peer pressure I sold my rifle and since have never owned a gun, though through the years I have been offered 'throwaways' to solve personal disputes which after some careful thought I rejected.

It's all a fantasy, no western civilization, emphasis on civilization is ever going to need a forking gun to protect themselves against their government. If that ever occurs, those individuals will be summarily disposed of. It's just the way it is.

All sane statistical studies support the notion that owning a gun is hazardous to one's health. And the hell with tradition and the 2nd amendment. The 2nd amendment doesn't even belong in a document that emphasizes freedom of choice. True freedom of choice does not include a moral clause that says you may blow your neighbor to hell if you don't get your way.

It is that very style of Neolithic thinking that has us in this dilemma. (relating to or denoting the later part of the Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed).

[tarka the duck]

That's not the first time I've seen this pattern of behavior. I saw it with tarka as well. She asked some really spot on questions and was left hanging. (Different thread)

Hahaha! 😀 So you noticed that too?!! I'm not paranoid ...!

[GraceKB]

People always get carried away when they feel they are on safe ground...human nature is obviously a little condescending, Darwinian theory and all. Unfortunately, Aragorn makes a great point when he says that. Perhaps we should be forgiven for our immaturity but at the same time held in check. Children should not play with matches or guns. Nor should any society that isn't mature enough to handle mature issues.

I grew up a gun owner, kinda of a hunter, my friends were fanatics. Shotguns, reloaders to make their own shells, skeet shooting, etc. My favorite was always a scoped rifle, something about those always 'felt' good. I had an acquaintance that blew himself away by accident when hunting, Had another that purposefully blew his head off with a shotgun, I could go on. When I lived in Wichita Kansas and the community was experiencing an active serial killer a spree killer mounted themselves on the upper floors of a Holiday Inn. At that time in a very conservative city owning a gun actually became shameful. Under peer pressure I sold my rifle and since have never owned a gun, though through the years I have been offered 'throwaways' to solve personal disputes which after some careful thought I rejected.

It's all a fantasy, no western civilization, emphasis on civilization is ever going to need a forking gun to protect themselves against their government. If that ever occurs, those individuals will be summarily disposed of. It's just the way it is.

All sane statistical studies support the notion that owning a gun is hazardous to one's health. And the hell with tradition and the 2nd amendment. The 2nd amendment doesn't even belong in a document that emphasizes freedom of choice. True freedom of choice does not include a moral clause that says you may blow your neighbor to hell if you don't get your way.

It is that very style of Neolithic thinking that has us in this dilemma. (relating to or denoting the later part of the Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed).

I guess I'm looking for middle ground at this point. I personally have no need to own a gun and never have owned one. I don't hunt and I don't go through life feeling like there's danger around every corner so I have to protect myself. That said, I can't see diehard gun owners giving up their guns so where do we go from here? I don't have the answer. I don't know what will work but I can tell you what won't work and what hasn't worked.

[Aragorn]

Thanks for taking the time to explain and forgive me if I seem overly sensitive. Frankly, the comments about only being on the thread for entertainment were the big turn off for me, but if you find all this entertaining and fodder for America bashing, go for it.

I'm afraid you've misread me. I never said that I'm on this thread for the sake of entertainment. In fact, I consider having to read this thread far from entertaining. What I did say is that I will on occasion look at it out of curiosity, given that this thread is now already 13 pages long as I'm writing this, and most other threads are far shorter-lived. So then I will look at it to see where the thread is headed — and especially so considering the rapidly shifting topic on this one.

I also have an additional interest in doing that, namely from my vantage as the administrator here, and by consequence, as part of the mod team. We don't often delete posts anymore — unless they are overtly ad hominem, overtly derailing or accidental duplicates — because we prefer seeing things evolve naturally, and deleting posts tends to break the natural flow for anyone new to the thread, which includes our unregistered visitors. Still, moderation may be required, even if only so as to correctly embed a video — which I have personally already done with one of your posts.

It's because of my moderation duties that I cannot afford to add any threads to my ignore list. Because, believe me, there are several threads that I would personally otherwise gladly ignore, and this particular thread is one of them.

There is nothing you said above that I disagree agree with except for your use of "they" as if we are all a hive mind because we happen to be born in America. It should be obvious to you that that is another convenient fallacy. Look at the difference of opinions by Americans on this thread, for example. We aren't all cowboys. We aren't all hopeless materialists. And we all aren't xenophobes. You say "on average" but the truth is you have no way of knowing what each individual KNOWS about fascism, socialism, capitalism etc. Generalizations like that suck imo and really don't add to the conversation because it puts people on the defensive.

That is exactly why I use terms such as "on average", or "the average this/that". I speak from experience in dealing with US Americans, and not just here at the forum or back at Project Avalon — where I was only a member for a total of 14 months anyway — but from dealing with them on IRC and on Usenet ever since the turn of the century/millennium, and even for a couple of years worth on Facebook in the past decade.

I have many friends in the USA, and I have several friends here at The One Truth who reside in the USA. Two of our staff members are US American, namely Dreamtimer and Church. But most of my US American friends cannot be considered representative of the majority of the US population, and in fact, they are very different from what I consider "the average US American" from my 18+ years of interacting with such "average US Americans".

Words and language can always be interpreted in many different ways, and it is not uncommon for people to read more into my words than what I'm putting in them. But even more importantly, it is a mistake to identify oneself with one's nationality.

I am a born and bred Belgian — Flemish, to be precise — but I am not an average Belgian or Fleming, and I do not identify with either the country I reside in or its population. I just live here, that's all. (Hint: You may have noticed that my posts don't show any country flag next to my name. That's because I've deliberately chosen not to set one.)

[Emil El Zapato]

The one thing that bothers me that I see often in posts. The idea of emotion as a bad thing and I know from whence it comes. People use a 'lack' of emotion as a mark of reason, but it can be carried beyond a healthy level. Intellectualizing emotional issues is a psychological dysfunction not a mark of superiority. And going a step further a lack of emotion can be reflective of sociopathy which is nothing to be proud of no matter how it is manipulated by the sociopath.

Current brain research suggests that individuals that 'evidence' high emotional reactivity, I'll call it, high emotional functioning are people who have opened a 'window' to higher level functioning in all its variation. Higher reasoning, higher openness, higher critical thinking, higher ability to countenance ambiguity (and this is a big one as it facilitates innovation and problem solving). In a word, the very antithesis of the double-bind conundrum that plagues so many, if not virtually all personalities with a tendency toward authoritarianism.

Solid brain science and research supports this. As time moves on, we discover more and more of the underpinnings of both functional and dysfunctional behaviors. Many of which have their origin in genetics. Add a spoonful of dysfunctional nurturing and we have what we call modern society. As our current parenting takes place most often in the psychological realm of auto-piloting is it any wonder we are screwed, for now at least.

[GraceKB]

I'm afraid you've misread me. I never said that I'm on this thread for the sake of entertainment. In fact, I consider having to read this thread far from entertaining. What I did say is that I will on occasion look at it out of curiosity, given that this thread is now already 13 pages long as I'm writing this, and most other threads are far shorter-lived. So then I will look at it to see where the thread is headed — and especially so considering the rapidly shifting topic on this one.

I also have an additional interest in doing that, namely from my vantage as the administrator here, and by consequence, as part of the mod team. We don't often delete posts anymore — unless they are overtly ad hominem, overtly derailing or accidental duplicates — because we prefer seeing things evolve naturally, and deleting posts tends to break the natural flow for anyone new to the thread, which includes our unregistered visitors. Still, moderation may be required, even if only so as to correctly embed a video — which I have personally already done with one of your posts.

It's because of my moderation duties that I cannot afford to add any threads to my ignore list. Because, believe me, there are several threads that I would personally otherwise gladly ignore, and this particular thread is one of them.



That is exactly why I use terms such as "on average", or "the average this/that". I speak from experience in dealing with US Americans, and not just here at the forum or back at Project Avalon — where I was only a member for a total of 14 months anyway — but from dealing with them on IRC and on Usenet ever since the turn of the century/millennium, and even for a couple of years worth on Facebook in the past decade.

I have many friends in the USA, and I have several friends here at The One Truth who reside in the USA. Two of our staff members are US American, namely Dreamtimer and Church. But most of my US American friends cannot be considered representative of the majority of the US population, and in fact, they are very different from what I consider "the average US American" from my 18+ years of interacting with such "average US Americans".

Words and language can always be interpreted in many different ways, and it is not uncommon for people to read more into my words than what I'm putting in them. But even more importantly, it is a mistake to identify oneself with one's nationality.

I am a born and bred Belgian — Flemish, to be precise — but I am not an average Belgian or Fleming, and I do not identify with either the country I reside in or its population. I just live here, that's all. (Hint: You may have noticed that my posts don't show any country flag next to my name. That's because I've deliberately chosen not to set one.)

Lol, actually I did notice that you have Middle Earth as a location and stopped myself from pointing that out. I'm a big Tolkien fan so that helped too.

Again, I appreciate you taking the time to explain your position and again I apologize if I misunderstood. If you say I misread you, I'll accept that okay? I stand by what I said about generalizations though regardless of how many Americans you know. We can disagree about things right? In time you'll see that I speak my mind but I don't hold grudges so the white flag isn't necessary.

I'm far from a flag waving American but I'm not ashamed of my heritage either.

[Aragorn]

As time moves on, we discover more and more of the underpinnings of both functional and dysfunctional behaviors. Many of which have their origin in genetics. Add a spoonful of dysfunctional nurturing and we have what we call modern society. As our current parenting takes place most often in the psychological realm of auto-piloting is it any wonder we are screwed, for now at least.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. I see this among today's youth as well, even going back to beyond the so-called millennials. Economic pressure and the indoctrination with the notion that one is not a complete or valuable human being if one doesn't have a career or if one isn't economically active, in combination with the influences of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, have caused both partners of all couples to pursue a career, or at the very least, have a job. Couples can no longer survive on a single income anymore these days, and that has already been the case — at least, here in Europe — from as early as the 1980s.

As a result, and with watching the TV becoming more of a ritual than an actual purposeful decision, parenting has become a half-hearted and — as you put it — autopilot kind of thing. Many of today's young adults have spent more time with daycare moms than with their actual parents, and schools don't consider it their job to teach children about human values. Economic independence and consumerist attitudes have also turned people themselves into consumables, and thus relationships are no longer based upon the same commitments as they used to be, with as a result that people are much sooner inclined to break up than before.

The result is that children more often than not grow up in disjointed family structures, which also makes it easier for them to play out their separated parents against each other in order to manipulate them. Many of these younger adults have come to develop a very cynical, manipulative and opportunistic outlook on life and on their fellow human beings, and it often starts long before they reach adulthood.

What we are witnessing is essentially a breakdown of society through a generational evolution, each new generation getting confronted with these issues to a higher degree than the generation before.

In overall, if humanity could be considered a company, then I'd say that the root of all evil lies with the corporate mismanagement, or otherwise put, the politicians, corporations and educational facilities that have shaped society into what it is today. Because they didn't do that out of long-term considerations for society itself, but out of their own self-interest. And the system is self-reinforcing, because an idealist won't survive very long in today's political culture. Those who do survive in that environment can only do so by becoming just as morally corrupted as the ones already in power.

The saddest part of it all is that they don't even realize just how depraved they've become. Because when it comes to psychology and intelligence, they're no better than the man in the street who voted them in office. They just wear more expensive clothes and drive a more expensive car, that's all. And with their wages — paid from our taxes — they easily can, so why wouldn't they?