Cause And Effect

[modwiz]

Europeans are weird.

[Emil El Zapato]

I think this short video is a good fit for the thread title.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSke6nepaeQ

I've seen some of his reviews and the critics say thumbs down. The word was that the right can't do comedy. I've never investigated that as it seemed pretty pointless to me.

As another non-American^*, I'll raise my drink to that.

* Wait... What? You mean there are such things as non-Americans?! How is that even possible?! This here is The Internet™, and everyone knows there are only Americans here, and that they come in only two varieties: either you're a Trumpanzee™ or you're a Wokemon™. And that's all there is! Bah!

"Non-Americans", such a preposterous idea!

I'm not sure that would be a good thing really, I've on multiple occasions pointed out why I think so, but if the U.S. stopped subsidizing the entire world that might mean more free shit for me. And I'm in the mood to go for that. I know that is a very American ethnic minority, bought and paid for liberal view but I'm cool with it. See, the truth ain't that hard to take.

[Emil El Zapato]

Considering that the earth is not your country, But a place you happen to live on I guess Your minute influence is better served sipping that margarita on a costa rican beach.
Maybe even enjoy some of the other treasures Costa Rica has to offer, although i don't particularly like their coffee brewing process it's easy and fun enough.

And trust me you can watch the world come apart from there Just as well.
Whoever told you you needed to help your country go through some existential crisis lied.

As a non american I can't wait for that dream and it's influence on the world to die down and stop existing allready...

With Love
Eelco

hey Cats, I worked with a guy from Costa Rica when I was a Ground Control Officer for NASA. Actually, his mother was Costa Rican and his father was an uber-rich American. And I had a couple of friends from the same work environment that would take trips there for 'entertainment' They all loved it.

Though hurricanes can be a problem.

[Fred Steeves]

And trust me you can watch the world come apart from there Just as well.

Well now aside from the US and her vassal states in Europe, which are likely to sink first, I see the rest of the world actually coming together with a chance to finally take a deep breath, and thrive.

Whoever told you you needed to help your country go through some existential crisis lied.

Well now I'd be talking about regular people, not their government.

As a non american I can't wait for that dream and it's influence on the world to die down and stop existing allready...

Well now, I see that as a bit more nuanced. Influence in what way? The ingrained "Manifest Destiny" mindset needs to burn upon a funeral pyre, I think that's a major source of our collective and ever mounting mental illness; but whatever happens here the US isn't going anywhere - if properly humbled, she could learn to actually work hand in hand with other nations rather than strong arming them, and take her rightful seat at the table amongst every other nation.

AS EQUALS.

But first, the power junky would have some serious, messy withdrawals to go through. The shakes, the puking, the shitting, the whole 9 yards. Let's hope we can just eventually take our place back at the table as equals, without doing something stupid in the meantime and igniting a nuclear war. That's the fine line needs to be walked whether I'm here, or sipping Pina Coladas in Costa Rica.

[Catsquotl]

Well now aside from the US and her vassal states in Europe, which are likely to sink first, I see the rest of the world actually coming together with a chance to finally take a deep breath, and thrive.

I sincerely hope so, But you seem to be a tad more optimistic then me.

Well now I'd be talking about regular people, not their government.

A little more nuanced then. Honestly what do you see yourself doing when the proverbial shit hits. That would benefit where you are now as opposed to being in costa rica. To me it seems you would be in a way better position to reflect, recharge and coordinate helpful means from a place of beauty and rest instead of from within the muck. There's undoubtedly need for men on both sides. Karmiccaly I don't think you need to feel compelled to stay and suffer because you could possibly doing a smidgen more good staying put.

If properly humbled, she could learn to actually work hand in hand with other nations rather than strong arming them, and take her rightful seat at the table amongst every other nation.
AS EQUALS.

Agreed, but that will take time and unless one can provide direct meaningful care for those puking, shaking and what not's during the getting clean phase.
I'd stay back, lay low. Let the sickness run it's course and sip that Pina Colada..
I've helped a few sick in my day and it's not something I feel able to do when an epidemic hits.

With Love

ps. The kapitalist dream is obsolete and should be gone as far as I am concerned.
A land of the free. We'll see how that develops.... I would hope that would encompass all of earth.

[Fred Steeves]

Well now aside from the US and her vassal states in Europe, which are likely to sink first, I see the rest of the world actually coming together with a chance to finally take a deep breath, and thrive.

I sincerely hope so, But you seem to be a tad more optimistic then me.

I'm very optimistic about Global South countries, the long abused nations of Africa as a shining example, who are now becoming unafraid to tell Uncle Sam to take a hike. Yankee Go Home! The Scramble_for_Africa ends now.

Or said another way, as Jim Morrison put it:

"Well I've been down so god damn long, come on and free me".

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-NCupxMQTQ

Well now I'd be talking about regular people, not their government.

A little more nuanced then. Honestly what do you see yourself doing when the proverbial shit hits. That would benefit where you are now as opposed to being in costa rica.

Honestly, I don't know, much of it would depend on the situation. Being from Florida, I'll put it as if we're under a hurrinane warning, but not knowing if it's only going to be a Category 1, or a catastrophic Category 5. Two entirely different sets of circumstances.

Actually this incoming storm has already been named by yours truly, Hurricane Shiva. Creating with the one hand, while destroying with the other.

Agreed, but that will take time and unless one can provide direct meaningful care for those puking, shaking and what not's during the getting clean phase.

Years ago I decided to go cold turkey from a well set in pain pill addiction, and it was a living hell like I never imagined, still gives me the willies thinking back on it. Anyway, I did it alone and re-emerged from that dark pit 10 days later to rejoin the land of the living, but it sure would have been nice to have someone looking after me, and explaining some things during that process.

So for instance when this storm hits, an awful lot of heavily propagandized people are going to be freaking out - "how can this be happening to the greatest, kindest nation on earth?" People who have spent years looking beyond the ridiculous daily headlines could be of service to at least maybe be explaining a thing or two that they need to hear. They're not remotely ready to hear any of that now, but when things get sketchy and the "news" has stopped making any sense, they may grow some new ears.

I'd stay back, lay low. Let the sickness run it's course and sip that Pina Colada..

That's still an option, it all depends.

[Octopus Garden]

There is an inevitability to the chaos that lies ahead, in the U.S. imo, Fred. I don't think there is anything anybody can do about it. Too much money concentrated at the top, in too few hands, is making people very angry and they are deflecting that anger in a right/left way that is being exaggerated and inflamed by social media.

My husband (American) and I lived near Seattle for 8 years and started making plans to leave when Bush was elected. We arrived in Canada permanently a matter of weeks before the Iraq war started. It was a huge relief.

From the time husband and I met in 1993, we talked about the fascist creep that was starting to really take hold in the US. I figured that, as more and more people became dispossessed they would start to swing more toward socialism, at which point elections would be rigged to prevent it. I figured it was 15 years away. Turns out it was much sooner.

What I didn't figure into the equation was that liberals were so into the same game, they would prevent Bernie Sanders from taking his rightful place as president. He was the only candidate who could have beat Trump...easily.

Anyway, glad to be out of there and would suggest to anybody that is contemplating staying to influence that though it is a noble goal, it is likely a futile one.

[Fred Steeves]

There is an inevitability to the chaos that lies ahead, in the U.S. imo, Fred. I don't think there is anything anybody can do about it.

I think you're right, that's why I'm comparing it to a landfalling hurricane - it's coming, it's gonna happen, just a matter of who takes it seriously or not, and who prepares or not. I'm guessing 95+% of the little piggies have built their house out of straw, and don't even believe the big bad wolf exists, that's the polar opposite of preparation, and unprepared little piggies are in big trouble.

Too much money concentrated at the top, in too few hands, is making people very angry and they are deflecting that anger in a right/left way that is being exaggerated and inflamed by social media.

Yep, and of course that's a colossal error in judgment, as you're saying the problem is top/down, not left/right. The people at the top are more than happy to keep us divided in that way, plus multiple others, and a compliant media is more than happy to assist as they are officially partnered up at this point.

My husband (American) and I lived near Seattle for 8 years and started making plans to leave when Bush was elected. We arrived in Canada permanently a matter of weeks before the Iraq war started. It was a huge relief.

Ha! I remember people talking about doing that back in the day, ironic that we're having this conversation then, because I was still a hawkish conservative at the time who absolutely LOVED people like Bush Jr. and company.

Do you think you're safe in Canada? I would guess safer, but not safe from what's coming. You guys are still tied to the dollar based world order which makes vulnerable to sanctions, a relatively weak military, and if your own sniveling elites ever show signs of second thoughts on their utter and complete loyalty to the US, you might expect a not so happy hegemon right across your southern border.

LOL, remember what Dr. David Banner says to the reporter following him around in the intro to the old Incredible Hulk tv show?

"Don't make me angry Mr. MgGhee, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry".

What I didn't figure into the equation was that liberals were so into the same game, they would prevent Bernie Sanders from taking his rightful place as president. He was the only candidate who could have beat Trump...easily.

That's part of our collective mental illness. People on the so called left are so far gone in their hatred of Trump, that they see this shit happening more and more right before their very eyes, but deny reality there's anything wrong because people with d's behind their name did it. Of course the other side does the same damn thing, just that we're not really talking about them so much in the moment.

Like Frank's pointing out Bernie got cheated twice in a row, and they don't give a rat's ass about it, all that mattered was "someone get Trump!". But then of course that's when I and many others learned what a "cuck" is, and through that he's all but destroyed his own movement, and by this point I consider him a total and complete sell out. Any more the man disgusts me...

Anyway, glad to be out of there and would suggest to anybody that is contemplating staying to influence that though it is a noble goal, it is likely a futile one.

A bit of gallows humor to wrap up this exciting episode:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyenRCJ_4Ww

[Octopus Garden]

I figure that regardless of which party of the duopoly 'wins' its inevitable that the US will turn its back on China, economically, while forging even closer ties with Mexico and Canada. They need our natural resources and need Mexico to do a lot of the manufacturing. The higher end manufacturing will be done in the US.

Things will be very expensive through that adjustment. Crime will be rampant, domestic violence, drug violence. Much like today, only worse.

That's how it manifests in the future. There could be something like civil war, but the surveillance state is so airtight now, unless the elite want the country divided in a real way, they won't allow it. If it threatens Wall Street, it aint happenin'.

The only way civil war becomes a reality is if taxes are raised significantly on the very rich.

[Emil El Zapato]

Again, there is a lot of truth to what you 'say', but China is too influential to just ignore. Those days of ignoring are truly gone. That is why the U.S. has always been down on the scoreboard...but, what the hell, I will say it, the American right will do whatever they can to f*ck that up, that is what they do. To show you how out of step they are, they don't even realize that they are supposed to be in alignment with other authoritarian wannabees. The only thing that stops them is the racial double-bind that they are helpless to resolve in a rational way.

I figure that regardless of which party of the duopoly 'wins' its inevitable that the US will turn its back on China, economically, while forging even closer ties with Mexico and Canada. They need our natural resources and need Mexico to do a lot of the manufacturing. The higher end manufacturing will be done in the US.

Things will be very expensive through that adjustment. Crime will be rampant, domestic violence, drug violence. Much like today, only worse.

That's how it manifests in the future. There could be something like civil war, but the surveillance state is so airtight now, unless the elite want the country divided in a real way, they won't allow it. If it threatens Wall Street, it aint happenin'.

The only way civil war becomes a reality is if taxes are raised significantly on the very rich.

The U.S. (precipitated by the right) heave-ho'd that boat 30-40 years ago when they violated the spirit of NAFTA. So, if they flip the manufacturing process back to the traditional method they will manifest what you say. According to some talking heads, Biden is heading in that direction but honestly, he is far too aware to fall for that.

[Octopus Garden]

Biden's economic policy and Trump's are pretty much the same. They see things in terms of money and spin the money reality to appeal to the elecorate's belief systems.

The world is changing. Globalism as we've known it since the '80's is done. The US no longer has any interest in China, for any reason, and the right and left are both aligned on that issue.

I think people waste a lot of time thinking of these things from a political ideology point of view. Just look at the money. Rupert Murdoch hated Trump but supported him on Fox, because he wanted to keep HIS taxes lower. It's vile, but that's the way it is.

[Wind]

Rupert Murdoch hated Trump but supported him on Fox, because he wanted to keep HIS taxes lower. It's vile, but that's the way it is.

Murdoch is possibly one of the most despicable cretins to walk on this Earth spreading all that vile nonsense through Faux Propaganda. When evil selfish douchebags like that get in ruling positions then society will be greatly influenced too and for the worse. Americans in general are so brainwashed that it's hard to even fathom it because the brainwashing already starts from school and then TV does the rest with fluoride and other chemicals in the tap water.

Murdoch kicked out Sucker because he no longer could stand him and he wasn't useful to him. Carlson is heralded as one of the champions of truth in the ultra right wing circles and in the alternative community, yet he too actually hated Trump and he's a known liar and antisemite. They all would stab each other in the back as soon as they get the chance. Totally self-serving jerks who only care about themselves. Yet the people listening to them wouldn't even know truth if it hit them straight in the face. Those propaganda channels such as Faux and CNN just keep people in the cultural war in US. It's manufactured bullshit. I don't know if that's enough to cause a civil war though, there probably has to be bigger issues for that than some Woke World Wars.

Trump is agent Orance unleashed, Captain Chaos created by the narcissistic, self-entitled culture and he is there to cause mayhem, round two is coming soon. Old sleepy Joe Biden serves his corporate puppet masters and the military industrial complex, just like the rest of the status quo cookie cutter politicians.

If people think that those are the best "leaders" then my goodness, I'd like to say that they surely deserve to be ruled by such morons in Idiocracy. The two-party system ruled by money is obsolete and morally bankrupt. The inmates are running the asylum, enjoy the show.


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeQdpLlIjl0

[Fred Steeves]

The world is changing. Globalism as we've known it since the '80's is done. The US no longer has any interest in China, for any reason, and the right and left are both aligned on that issue.

The US was hoping to gash Russia to death both economically with sanctions, militarily with it's proxy attack dog, and THEN turn it's eyes to the next proxy attack dog in Taiwan to knock China down a peg or two.

Those plans for China are still on, even though the first part of the plan has only made the ageless boogie man stronger.

This is where other aspects of this shared mental illness come into play. Russia is here to stay, and neither them nor China can afford security wise to stand fast and watch the other be defeated. They'll step in for each other out of need for national survival if nothing else. Only mental illness could lick its chops in anticipation of taking those two on.

This is anything but the US losing its interest in China. The unipole has now lost that lofty status, we're already in a rapidly blooming multi polar world, but empire wants it all back any way it can get there.

[Fred Steeves]

Murdoch kicked out Sucker because he no longer could stand him and he wasn't useful to him. Carlson is heralded as one of the champions of truth in the ultra right wing circles and in the alternative community, yet he too actually hated Trump and he's a known liar and antisemite.

See, this is where we have been thoroughly trained to not only keep dividing ourselves, but eating our own as well. Odious as many of Tucker's views are IMO, he was the proverbial last man standing in American tv news across the board who dared to be anti war, and question our deep state. I don't care what his motives were he was doing it, and millions were listening.

Now there's nobody left, there are no others, to do even a smidge of that. I don't see why it's so hard to even ally with someone else on a singular point of agreement, even if the two parties would never agree on much anything else. I'll sit down with someone I thoroughly despise, if they're willing to help me stop a war for instance.

The same thing happened not all that long ago, when people like Max Blumenthal from "The Grayzone" scraped together our first anti war rally in seemingly forever in DC. Everyone was invited under the flag of this singular cause - "we can disagree on every other issue under the sun, but on this one particular issue we stand united".

Well some groups on the left like especially "Code Pink", decided to opt out because some people MAGA type folks on the right were going to be attending. I think Code Pink does some great work, Nadia Benjamin is priceless when she gets inside of special elite events and gets herself hauled away by calling them to account to their faces; but in this case I vehemently disagreed with this decision to not attend.

"Nadia", sit your ass down with "Tucker", and hammer out a goddamn deal to try and stop a war you both despise so much...

Christ...

[Emil El Zapato]

Biden's economic policy and Trump's are pretty much the same. They see things in terms of money and spin the money reality to appeal to the elecorate's belief systems.

The world is changing. Globalism as we've known it since the '80's is done. The US no longer has any interest in China, for any reason, and the right and left are both aligned on that issue.

I think people waste a lot of time thinking of these things from a political ideology point of view. Just look at the money. Rupert Murdoch hated Trump but supported him on Fox, because he wanted to keep HIS taxes lower. It's vile, but that's the way it is.

appeal to the public...yes, that is what they are supposed to do, but trying to appease the public is a lose/lose. No, I don't agree about China. China is a global economic power and has to be played with, if a country, especially another global economic power refuses to acknowledge playdates is stunts their own growth. For grownups it could be called hamstringing oneself.

We'll have to see.