World War Three

[Wind]

"The Kremlin can't create, so all that's left is to destroy," is a strange claim. In what sense can they not create? That's a new one on me!

Perhaps the pictures I posted would suffice and there is much more, more gruesome ones I'll rather not post here.

Then again, one could say that is the reality of war? Anyone in favor of such insanity is not sane certainly.

One should read into the history of Russia and Soviet Union to see how the society is built though.

It's not helping that the Western powers are eager to keep the war going and provoking Russia.

[Octopus Garden]

The great powers are controlled by those who think they are above God. Think of all the people they had to walk over to get where they are. Xi, Putin, Biden, Trump, Boris Johnson. They're assholes.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mv1s4Xj7bk

[Aragorn]

The great powers are controlled by those who think they are above God. Think of all the people they had to walk over to get where they are. Xi, Putin, Biden, Trump, Boris Johnson. They're assholes.

In part — or at least, in countries that uphold the semblance of democracy — it's because the public at large still thinks that humanity can do no better than to elect assholes as leaders. And where voting an asshole into office cannot be justified, the voting process is eliminated by the assholes who already hold some position of power, so that they can put one of their own into the position of top dog.

Even the European Union works that way. The citizens of the EU have no say in who gets to be President of the European Union, or in any other nomination in the executive branch of the EU — we can only vote for the European Parliament, and that too is filled with assholes.

Society breeds sociopaths, and then gives these sociopaths all the best options for rising to power. The system was engineered that way by other assholes a long time ago, and it's self-re-enforcing. There's no possible escape, other than by getting the whole of the population to demand its replacement by a holographic consensus-rule system with a direct ruling by the people on the actual issues, as opposed to voting for political parties and/or representatives.

And that is never going to happen, because (1) nobody has thought about it yet, (2) too many people are happy with the way things are run, (3) people just aren't smart enough to have an educated opinion on individual issues, (4) there are too many differences of opinion among the population to reach any kind of consensus on anything at all, and (5) we're living in a world full of idiots barely capable of using the toilet by themselves without assistance.

[Catsquotl]

Society breeds sociopaths, and then gives these sociopaths all the best options for rising to power. The system was engineered that way by other assholes a long time ago, and it's self-re-enforcing. There's no possible escape, other than by getting the whole of the population to demand its replacement by a holographic consensus-rule system with a direct ruling by the people on the actual issues, as opposed to voting for political parties and/or representatives.

And that is never going to happen, because (1) nobody has thought about it yet, (2) too many people are happy with the way things are run, (3) people just aren't smart enough to have an educated opinion on individual issues, (4) there are too many differences of opinion among the population to reach any kind of consensus on anything at all, and (5) we're living in a world full of idiots barely capable of using the toilet by themselves without assistance.

Ok, So what would be the recommended course of action to live a "happy" life, where the soul crushing side effect of society are diminished as most as it can without making to much concessions to our initial dreams?

[Aragorn]

Ok, So what would be the recommended course of action to live a "happy" life, where the soul crushing side effect of society are diminished as most as it can without making to much concessions to our initial dreams?

If you figure it out, let me know. It's a Catch-22.

[Diabolical Boids]

Live a happy life in spite of what assholes society is. Stay away from politics as old news and old thinking. Genius is in simplicity and thinking big doesn't have to be complicated. Nothing out there will make you happy, it comes from inside. ..

and pisses people off.

[modwiz]

Things are crazy, but these two almost give us a break.

Thoughtful with little blah blah.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM2IlvqN6yE

[Octopus Garden]

In part — or at least, in countries that uphold the semblance of democracy — it's because the public at large still thinks that humanity can do no better than to elect assholes as leaders. And where voting an asshole into office cannot be justified, the voting process is eliminated by the assholes who already hold some position of power, so that they can put one of their own into the position of top dog.

Even the European Union works that way. The citizens of the EU have no say in who gets to be President of the European Union, or in any other nomination in the executive branch of the EU — we can only vote for the European Parliament, and that too is filled with assholes.

Society breeds sociopaths, and then gives these sociopaths all the best options for rising to power. The system was engineered that way by other assholes a long time ago, and it's self-re-enforcing. There's no possible escape, other than by getting the whole of the population to demand its replacement by a holographic consensus-rule system with a direct ruling by the people on the actual issues, as opposed to voting for political parties and/or representatives.

And that is never going to happen, because (1) nobody has thought about it yet, (2) too many people are happy with the way things are run, (3) people just aren't smart enough to have an educated opinion on individual issues, (4) there are too many differences of opinion among the population to reach any kind of consensus on anything at all, and (5) we're living in a world full of idiots barely capable of using the toilet by themselves without assistance.

Direct voting on issues rather than having some sociopath do it for you, is a great idea but yeah, only after society starts to appreciate polymaths more, and then create many more of them, will this be possible. The introverted polymath is the way forward. People who don't have a strong desire to be part of a large group. In other words we have to get rid of the tribe to save the tribe, in a sense.

[Diabolical Boids]

Direct voting on issues rather than having some sociopath do it for you, is a great idea but yeah, only after society starts to appreciate polymaths more, and then create many more of them, will this be possible. The introverted polymath is the way forward. People who don't have a strong desire to be part of a large group. In other words we have to get rid of the tribe to save the tribe, in a sense.

I happen to agree with you. But put a polymath on the stage and you will see ALOT of wounded egos going on the offensive. Ensure they have good support system and aren't hung out there like a sacrificial lamb. Which is what people tend to do in this "We want to change the world but also not rock the boat" phase humanity is going through.

[Aragorn]

Direct voting on issues rather than having some sociopath do it for you, is a great idea but yeah, only after society starts to appreciate polymaths more, and then create many more of them, will this be possible. The introverted polymath is the way forward. People who don't have a strong desire to be part of a large group. In other words we have to get rid of the tribe to save the tribe, in a sense.

I happen to agree with you. But put a polymath on the stage and you will see ALOT of wounded egos going on the offensive. Ensure they have good support system and aren't hung out there like a sacrificial lamb. Which is what people tend to do in this "We want to change the world but also not rock the boat" phase humanity is going through.

I've always said — and still maintain — that one would very quickly come to see what really motivates politicians for being in politics if one were to take away their expenses accounts and reduce their exuberant 50%-tax-exempted salaries, pensions and other perks overnight in exchange for what disabled people like myself have to survive on.

Just to throw some numbers out there, the average parliamentarian here makes about as much in one month as I make in a whole year. The mayor of Antwerp — Bart De Wever, of the Flemish-nationalist N-VA party — roughly makes about €500'000 a year, even, and so does the federal prime minister Alexander De Croo. You can buy two Lamborghini Huracáns for that kind of money. Or a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Besides — with the disclaimer that I do not know how these things come to pass in countries other than Belgium — it all becomes so undeniably evident at every election round. We call it "the game of musical chairs", because then you see them all shuffling around between the regional level, the federal level, the European level and the municipal level — the latter specifically referring to becoming mayor somewhere, a situation that does not exist in the Netherlands, because in the Netherlands, mayors are public servants, not politicians. (Catsquotl should be able to corroborate this.)

And while I'm at it, I just read in the news that there's a new rule here in Belgium. Any politician in government who openly disagrees with or criticizes a government decision will now be forced to resign. A similar rule has already existed for many years within Open VLD, the political party of federal prime minister Alexander DeCroo — Open VLD is the Belgian equivalent of the Democratic Party in the USA — namely that anyone who openly disagrees with the party line is immediately relieved of their party membership, and possibly, depending on whether they occupy an office in the executive branch for Open VLD, of their office as well.

And so now it extends onto the whole of the executive branch, regardless of what party anyone is from, because at the federal and regional levels, the executive branch will always consist of a coalition between at minimum two parties — at the federal level, it is currently a four-party coalition even, i.e. Open VLD, the (pseudo-)socialists, the Christian-democrats and the green party.

But of course, nobody really cares about any of that, because this is Belgium, and the typical Belgian only cares about things that immediately affect them. It's all about "me, me, me, me, me."

[Diabolical Boids]

Well yes. We let them reward themselves for not doing their job, not caring, not being a civil servant. A direct vote would end all that but .....they are the ones who get to decide if there is going to be a direct vote.

With that kind of money at stake, you can be pretty sure people aren't lured in by the prospect of serving others.

But usually there's some oddball in whatever parliament or Congress, who is for term limits, wage limitations, benefits and perqs limitations or other 'revolutionary' ideas. That is who people should throw their weight behind. Alas they are usually of a less liberal mindset--liberals want to spend more, conservatives do not. Liberals like government expansion that includes perqs, and money. Conservatives historically don't. Here in the US if you want to expand a social network you look to the left, to restrict or conserve something you look to the right.

So people won't support the 'limiters' preferring to stick with the morally correct party that may be bilking or taking advantage economically by rewarding themselves extravagantly for doing nothing really than profiting and abusing their position than to be seen supporting someone whose social politics they don't agree with.

Politics is mostly psychological. By our own failure to be a little more broadminded and giving means they have us wrapped up like Christmas present.

[Aragorn]

Well yes. We let them reward themselves for not doing their job, not caring, not being a civil servant. A direct vote would end all that but .....they are the ones who get to decide if there is going to be a direct vote.

With that kind of money at stake, you can be pretty sure people aren't lured in by the prospect of serving others.

But usually there's some oddball in whatever parliament or Congress, who is for term limits, wage limitations, benefits and perqs limitations or other 'revolutionary' ideas. That is who people should throw their weight behind. Alas they are usually of a less liberal mindset--liberals want to spend more, conservatives do not. Liberals like government expansion that includes perqs, and money. Conservatives historically don't. Here in the US if you want to expand a social network you look to the left, to restrict or conserve something you look to the right.

Actually, ironically, over here in Belgium, these oddballs are from the PvdA, which is a fairly far-left communist party — not to be confused with the Dutch PvdA party, which is a socialist party. And so right now, our PvdA over here is doing a good job at addressing unethical and/or illegal activity within the political system, but I'm not so sure whether I'd want to have them in office either.

I could be wrong, but it is my impression that (the Belgian) PvdA is still old-school authoritarian, and if anything, the problem over here in Belgium isn't so much a problem of left-versus-right — even though there's that too — but one of an ever-growing authoritarianism, even from parties operating under the pretense of defending liberty. Open VLD is one such a party that pretends to defend civil liberty and democracy, and yet it was they who introduced this "no dissent or you're out" diktat within their own party first, and who are now extending it across party boundaries and onto the whole of the executive branch.

And so essentially, what we've got here is a corrupt feudal caste system disguised as a democracy, with an increasing number of authoritarian rules, and no mercy.

[Diabolical Boids]

Actually, ironically, over here in Belgium, these oddballs are from the PvdA, which is a fairly far-left communist party — not to be confused with the Dutch PvdA party, which is a socialist party. And so right now, our PvdA over here is doing a good job at addressing unethical and/or illegal activity within the political system, but I'm not so sure whether I'd want to have them in office either.

I could be wrong, but it is my impression that (the Belgian) PvdA is still old-school authoritarian, and if anything, the problem over here in Belgium isn't so much a problem of left-versus-right — even though there's that too — but one of an ever-growing authoritarianism, even from parties operating under the pretense of defending liberty. Open VLD is one such a party that pretends to defend civil liberty and democracy, and yet it was they who introduced this "no dissent or you're out" diktat within their own party first, and who are now extending it across party boundaries and onto the whole of the executive branch.

And so essentially, what we've got here is a corrupt feudal caste system disguised as a democracy, with an increasing number of authoritarian rules, and no mercy.

A lot of people I notice want exactly that. A feudal system. Not consciously but unconsciously. Conscioujsly they abhor the idea more than the worst kind of communism, fascism or socialism. But unconsciously it seems people are inviting it in all over. A being--a lord, master or Czar-- more powerful than they that is willing to look out for them, provide them with XYZ, make laws to protect their feelings, give them emotional safety in addition to physical safety (very little in the way of economic safety though) and they are willing to exchange freedom of thought, movement, creativity, and expression for a little security. That's what our last political cycle (rinse and repeat) ended up as here in the US.

We COULD have gotten rid of Trump and STILL worked and built on the good things he left us with. But no. The political animal is a reactive animal. It had to be erased out of fear or spite. But now people are more insecure than ever, less happy, more unstable, more afraid. The more humanity goes to extremes the more scared they get.

Which has also given rise to people who act as social police. It used to be thought police monitoring thoughts. Now its feelings. Like hall monitors monitoring everyone's feelings to make sure they are having the correct and appropriate feeling, in sync with what others think they should be having.

[Aragorn]

[...]

Which has also given rise to people who act as social police. It used to be thought police monitoring thoughts. Now its feelings. Like hall monitors monitoring everyone's feelings to make sure they are having the correct and appropriate feeling, in sync with what others think they should be having.

That's exactly what's happening over here as well, and not just in Belgium but in the whole of the European Union. You see, we have to mirror the United States of America in everything, and especially in all the things the USA fucks up like no one else.

This push toward the Americanization of Europe actually came from the USA itself — and more precisely, from Hillary Clinton during the first couple of months of the Obama administration — but Europe in general doesn't appear to have much of a spine when Uncle Sam opens his mouth. Most of Europe is a NATO member or on its way of becoming one anyway, and NATO is the US's bully mob for establishing that New World Order™.

Well, I'm already well-adapted. I've been speaking English in a fluent North-American pronunciation for decades already now. The only thing that still remains is for me to learn how to use the US American version of the Imperial Measurements system.

[Wind]

No honor among thieves. It appears that Russian forces bombed the Wagnerites and now they have started to fight each other.

Moscow has been going to lockdown and FSB has issued a warrant to arrest the leader of Wagner, Prigozhin.