I immediately recognized the Biblical allusion in your opening remarks and it struck me that this is a perfect summary of what common sense is, you don’t do stuff that you haven’t thought through and you definitely Never ever do dumb stuff.
These lessons of are obviously lost on these folks. Myself and many commenters have scratched our heads and wondered aloud, “Why are these people so stuck on stupid and failing to grasp the obvious?”, apologies to WFB Jr.
Perhaps their obvious bias against anything and everything that is even remotely related to Christianity or the Bible is the source of this stumbling block?
What’s the old song, “don’t spit into the wind and don’t pull on Superman’s cape”?
Still scratching my head, but not sure they are ever going to change their thinking. Well, not until events force them to do so.
SMH, From head-scratching to head-pounding! Brian Berletic’s latest presentation may give us some answers - and they’re not by any means reassuring. From the Rand report to a ghoulish treatise on MIC global skullduggery (“Strategic Sequencing Revisited”), the future does not look bright. A ceasefire in Ukraine would be merely a pause in the longer project to bring down the great powers one after the other. Very much recommend!!
This sounds very much like what I've been maintaining. Trump doesn't want a peace treaty. He wants a ceasefire that doesn't settle core issues so that Russia's hands remain tied in Ukraine and has limited ability to come to the aid of other countries--China and Iran, primarily.
Yes! I even thought of offering BB’s thoughts on your post on “Trump’s agenda” - and of course it’s not entirely his own agenda by a long shot (ooops!).
Right. Trump thinks much of the Anglo-Zionist agenda can be accomplished by artful deals. It's about cementing US global hegemony which keeps Anglo-Zionists in charge for centuries.
The clue to this was Trump threatening war on anyone who tried to supplant King Dollar.
A fundamental question here is what are America's actual "security interests". The concepts that drive our military activities around the world seem contrived or contrary. Same with Europe's new drive against the Russians. Protecting or creating Democracies. Politicians operate in a state of being willfully-misinformed regarding all of this. All that I can conclude is that Europe and the US are still operating as colonial powers (Blackrock!), while they no longer have the mojo to pull it off (this is where the willfully-misinformed politicians are necessary). It's looks like it's ending painfully.
Europe reminds me of the old Looney Toons dog characters Spike and Chester,(sorry format wouldn’t allow photo) little Chester (Europe) always trying to goad big Chester (US) into some misadventure. If you’re curious Google.
Basic European economics is a missing aspect of European leaders' seemingly incongruous insistence on settlement terms that will not lead to an end of this war. Not miscalculation, pure strategy - with no or minimal loss of German lives. Could Europe's dismal economic situation be the driving force? Germany's over ride on their constitutional "Debt Brake" allows then to stimulate their failing economy, with debt spending. Reportedly €500 billion in Military assistance spending and €500 billion in spending for infrastructure (over 12 years). So why end the war in Ukraine, if Germany's economic recovery depends on debt spending?
It's sort of a magical (pagan) incantation kind of thing (like in "The Wizard of Oz"). Tap your heels together three times and repeat "There's no place like Europe." If you repeat the incantation often enough it will be true.
Missed the Jermyn discussion, so tx for posting Mark! Did anyone see the photo of the year on Simplicius’ most recent substack? slouching forward in their velvet and gilded armchairs, brows furrowed with anxiety, hands clasped tightly, the great kings of the West sock it to Russia, unsure of the US’ support in their delusional, maniacal demands…while, on Red Square are aligned, ramrod straight, a majority of the world’s dignitaries, with Putin in the center, come to honour Russian sacrifice in WWII. The result of 80 years’ of reliance and dependence on US to protect them. If they had arms themselves, they wouldn’t be behaving so outlandishly and childishly, pretending to be still in the Cold War.
Nooo…but that photo showed the wimpiness and weakness of the Euros while we know that behind the scenes they are marching to Hegseth’s orders: grow an army! Question: will the European citizens oppose the madness? Can it be stopped?
Good and very important questions. It gives me comfort to know that we at MIH have good sources for what is going on in Europe and maybe an "early warning system" from you and Steg and Amanda R. and some other people I am likely forgetting. It seems to me that Macron especially requires close watching. He is very slippery! So thank you for that and also for your eloquent posts!
Grotesque, sad sickness of financialized societies led by narcissicists who thought they would be king---each and every one. Only the power of their guns can hold back the rage of the populace, but only for a while.
"Perhaps it’s the case that the collective West is in the grip of an ideology that leads them to refuse to make such basic calculations." I hope you will flesh out your philosophical insights on this lack of capacity to see what's real from your insight in Etienne Gilson's critique of knowledge, having translated the philosopher's original French text for publication in the English language. Thank you in advance.
Mark wrote: "bizarre phenomenon of the NATO nations making all sorts of demands upon Russia—demands which they lack either the political or military leverage to impose upon Russia."
And:
"Perhaps it’s the case that the collective West is in the grip of an ideology..."
A religious zealot, or a cult member immersed, acts on his devotion to the ideology of the group he is in. Just as Darwinism was and is a pagan religion, so the devotion to ecology is a pagan religion. Yes, such an ideology grabs the mind and spirit of too many.
I think that with such a mindset as most of the European leaders have, they have become haughty, egotistical, and self-righteous. They are blinded to facts and reality because they worship the earth and themselves.
Re: the leaders of the European NATO nations, I think you are right about them being haughty, egotistical, and self-righteous (who knows on what basis). Additionally, I think it is about them serving their masters who expect to obtain money and power and control. IMO, the puppets in the governments of the EU now wouldn't know ideology if you spelled out the word for them. They don't have the knowledge or intellect to deal with such nor do they care. On the other hand, their masters have been trying to establish a new pagan religion among the European population based on ecology and collective racial and colonial guilt, and the national puppets can spout the platitudes of these paganisms quite well. The good news is that (as always) anything that doesn't comport with reality is eventually obviated and corrected by it.
--- or maybe the "Judeo-Christian" ideology of exceptionalism / aka choseness ---
The simplicity of Zoroaster: Good thoughts, good words, good deeds, vs. "god revealed to us that we are chosen & we must convert all to worship our god."
I reject the "Judeo Christian" construct. That is what much of the earlier Meaning in History is all about--coming to a true Christian understanding of revelation.
I wanted to ask you about the earlier MIH discussions on this topic. I came onto your blog just before the change to the substack forum. Can you suggest the right search word to find that older material? I think you have posted it before, but I cannot locate the links you may have suggested. I have the same opinion as you regarding the Judeo-Christian construct. I reject it. I believe this was a concept meant to misguide Christians for the purpose of propaganda and disinformation not to mention control. I've never been a student of revelations and have not paid much attention to the end times scenarios. Thanks, CTK
The European leadership sees no negatives to their demands of Russia.
It probably actually help them to keep the war with Russia going. One positive for them is to justify censorship that helps keep them in party. As well as to slime opposition as pro Russian. And to go the nationalist jingoism to get support, hyping the Russian threat. I’m sure there is more reasons.
The only one named that was pro Houthi campaign was General Kurrila, and the Saudis said if x people were killed the Houthis would negotiate.
I’m suspicious of the ny times article. It feels spinning, doing a limited hangout. And no mention of the Israelis.
My guess is the military promised a slam dunk, egged on by neocons, and Israel, and the U.S. military’s effectiveness reputation took a big hit with Trump and his Administration. And Israel’s reputation for good advice took a hit.
That was pretty much my reaction, as well. When the divorce from Netanyahu first came up it was reported that it had been Netanyahu who had promised Trump an easy win. Kurilla was a partner of the Israelis in this--you can find plenty of stories about K traveling to Israel to consult. NYT tries to protect Waltz a bit, but this was almost certainly one of the areas where Trump learned that Waltz was going behind his back and coordinating with Netanyahu.
Read this article in the context of Friedman's. Trump is still over in the Middle East doing the Israel Lobby's work, but the Israel Lobby is now aware that they need much better PR and Netanyahu is the wrong guy for that.
Re the need for better PR, former senator Ron Coleman was recently over in Israel warning them that they were losing young people in America and that they needed to do a better job. They're not giving up their policies and goals, but they see a need to adjust tactics.
I immediately recognized the Biblical allusion in your opening remarks and it struck me that this is a perfect summary of what common sense is, you don’t do stuff that you haven’t thought through and you definitely Never ever do dumb stuff.
These lessons of are obviously lost on these folks. Myself and many commenters have scratched our heads and wondered aloud, “Why are these people so stuck on stupid and failing to grasp the obvious?”, apologies to WFB Jr.
Perhaps their obvious bias against anything and everything that is even remotely related to Christianity or the Bible is the source of this stumbling block?
What’s the old song, “don’t spit into the wind and don’t pull on Superman’s cape”?
Still scratching my head, but not sure they are ever going to change their thinking. Well, not until events force them to do so.
SMH, From head-scratching to head-pounding! Brian Berletic’s latest presentation may give us some answers - and they’re not by any means reassuring. From the Rand report to a ghoulish treatise on MIC global skullduggery (“Strategic Sequencing Revisited”), the future does not look bright. A ceasefire in Ukraine would be merely a pause in the longer project to bring down the great powers one after the other. Very much recommend!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5B1o7E5A5o
This sounds very much like what I've been maintaining. Trump doesn't want a peace treaty. He wants a ceasefire that doesn't settle core issues so that Russia's hands remain tied in Ukraine and has limited ability to come to the aid of other countries--China and Iran, primarily.
https://meaninginhistory.substack.com/p/trumpspeak-peace-vs-peace-deal
Yes! I even thought of offering BB’s thoughts on your post on “Trump’s agenda” - and of course it’s not entirely his own agenda by a long shot (ooops!).
Right. Trump thinks much of the Anglo-Zionist agenda can be accomplished by artful deals. It's about cementing US global hegemony which keeps Anglo-Zionists in charge for centuries.
The clue to this was Trump threatening war on anyone who tried to supplant King Dollar.
Russia is in a position to disarm European NATO.
A fundamental question here is what are America's actual "security interests". The concepts that drive our military activities around the world seem contrived or contrary. Same with Europe's new drive against the Russians. Protecting or creating Democracies. Politicians operate in a state of being willfully-misinformed regarding all of this. All that I can conclude is that Europe and the US are still operating as colonial powers (Blackrock!), while they no longer have the mojo to pull it off (this is where the willfully-misinformed politicians are necessary). It's looks like it's ending painfully.
Europe reminds me of the old Looney Toons dog characters Spike and Chester,(sorry format wouldn’t allow photo) little Chester (Europe) always trying to goad big Chester (US) into some misadventure. If you’re curious Google.
All the Looney Toons were great! For the later boomers the exemplar of ongoing futility was Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner.
Spot on.
Basic European economics is a missing aspect of European leaders' seemingly incongruous insistence on settlement terms that will not lead to an end of this war. Not miscalculation, pure strategy - with no or minimal loss of German lives. Could Europe's dismal economic situation be the driving force? Germany's over ride on their constitutional "Debt Brake" allows then to stimulate their failing economy, with debt spending. Reportedly €500 billion in Military assistance spending and €500 billion in spending for infrastructure (over 12 years). So why end the war in Ukraine, if Germany's economic recovery depends on debt spending?
It's sort of a magical (pagan) incantation kind of thing (like in "The Wizard of Oz"). Tap your heels together three times and repeat "There's no place like Europe." If you repeat the incantation often enough it will be true.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooM-RGUTe2E
Missed the Jermyn discussion, so tx for posting Mark! Did anyone see the photo of the year on Simplicius’ most recent substack? slouching forward in their velvet and gilded armchairs, brows furrowed with anxiety, hands clasped tightly, the great kings of the West sock it to Russia, unsure of the US’ support in their delusional, maniacal demands…while, on Red Square are aligned, ramrod straight, a majority of the world’s dignitaries, with Putin in the center, come to honour Russian sacrifice in WWII. The result of 80 years’ of reliance and dependence on US to protect them. If they had arms themselves, they wouldn’t be behaving so outlandishly and childishly, pretending to be still in the Cold War.
Scroll down a bit for photo: https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/sitrep-51225-more-talks-games-as
Wonderful description of the photos, ML! You have a literary descriptive talent to which I can't even aspire.
Nooo…but that photo showed the wimpiness and weakness of the Euros while we know that behind the scenes they are marching to Hegseth’s orders: grow an army! Question: will the European citizens oppose the madness? Can it be stopped?
Good and very important questions. It gives me comfort to know that we at MIH have good sources for what is going on in Europe and maybe an "early warning system" from you and Steg and Amanda R. and some other people I am likely forgetting. It seems to me that Macron especially requires close watching. He is very slippery! So thank you for that and also for your eloquent posts!
I just watched The Shepherd: Matt Damon & CIA in 1950s - '60s.
One scene = Damon's mentor must be done away with -- "tie his shoe."
The "kings of the West" gathered in armchairs preparing to tie their shoes (together, as it were).
Very good!
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trumps-rift-bibi-might-be-irreconcilable
Grotesque, sad sickness of financialized societies led by narcissicists who thought they would be king---each and every one. Only the power of their guns can hold back the rage of the populace, but only for a while.
"Perhaps it’s the case that the collective West is in the grip of an ideology that leads them to refuse to make such basic calculations." I hope you will flesh out your philosophical insights on this lack of capacity to see what's real from your insight in Etienne Gilson's critique of knowledge, having translated the philosopher's original French text for publication in the English language. Thank you in advance.
https://youtu.be/voBRu4OEkrM?si=Ey2hMD23qy4HPZ0-
Of course.
Mark wrote: "bizarre phenomenon of the NATO nations making all sorts of demands upon Russia—demands which they lack either the political or military leverage to impose upon Russia."
And:
"Perhaps it’s the case that the collective West is in the grip of an ideology..."
A religious zealot, or a cult member immersed, acts on his devotion to the ideology of the group he is in. Just as Darwinism was and is a pagan religion, so the devotion to ecology is a pagan religion. Yes, such an ideology grabs the mind and spirit of too many.
I think that with such a mindset as most of the European leaders have, they have become haughty, egotistical, and self-righteous. They are blinded to facts and reality because they worship the earth and themselves.
Re: the leaders of the European NATO nations, I think you are right about them being haughty, egotistical, and self-righteous (who knows on what basis). Additionally, I think it is about them serving their masters who expect to obtain money and power and control. IMO, the puppets in the governments of the EU now wouldn't know ideology if you spelled out the word for them. They don't have the knowledge or intellect to deal with such nor do they care. On the other hand, their masters have been trying to establish a new pagan religion among the European population based on ecology and collective racial and colonial guilt, and the national puppets can spout the platitudes of these paganisms quite well. The good news is that (as always) anything that doesn't comport with reality is eventually obviated and corrected by it.
Yes. The "secular" West is consumed with a neo-pagan ideology/religion.
You sometimes see this in the one-word comment of “amen” on FB posts.
Amen.
--- or maybe the "Judeo-Christian" ideology of exceptionalism / aka choseness ---
The simplicity of Zoroaster: Good thoughts, good words, good deeds, vs. "god revealed to us that we are chosen & we must convert all to worship our god."
I reject the "Judeo Christian" construct. That is what much of the earlier Meaning in History is all about--coming to a true Christian understanding of revelation.
Hi Mark,
I wanted to ask you about the earlier MIH discussions on this topic. I came onto your blog just before the change to the substack forum. Can you suggest the right search word to find that older material? I think you have posted it before, but I cannot locate the links you may have suggested. I have the same opinion as you regarding the Judeo-Christian construct. I reject it. I believe this was a concept meant to misguide Christians for the purpose of propaganda and disinformation not to mention control. I've never been a student of revelations and have not paid much attention to the end times scenarios. Thanks, CTK
Start here, near the beginning:
https://meaninginhistory.blogspot.com/2008/09/messy-revelation.html
Here's another pertinent one:
https://meaninginhistory.blogspot.com/2008/09/october-issue-of-first-things-contains.html
https://meaninginhistory.blogspot.com/2008/12/biblical-interpretation-in-crisis-1988.html
The European leadership sees no negatives to their demands of Russia.
It probably actually help them to keep the war with Russia going. One positive for them is to justify censorship that helps keep them in party. As well as to slime opposition as pro Russian. And to go the nationalist jingoism to get support, hyping the Russian threat. I’m sure there is more reasons.
The only one named that was pro Houthi campaign was General Kurrila, and the Saudis said if x people were killed the Houthis would negotiate.
I’m suspicious of the ny times article. It feels spinning, doing a limited hangout. And no mention of the Israelis.
My guess is the military promised a slam dunk, egged on by neocons, and Israel, and the U.S. military’s effectiveness reputation took a big hit with Trump and his Administration. And Israel’s reputation for good advice took a hit.
That was pretty much my reaction, as well. When the divorce from Netanyahu first came up it was reported that it had been Netanyahu who had promised Trump an easy win. Kurilla was a partner of the Israelis in this--you can find plenty of stories about K traveling to Israel to consult. NYT tries to protect Waltz a bit, but this was almost certainly one of the areas where Trump learned that Waltz was going behind his back and coordinating with Netanyahu.
Read this article in the context of Friedman's. Trump is still over in the Middle East doing the Israel Lobby's work, but the Israel Lobby is now aware that they need much better PR and Netanyahu is the wrong guy for that.
Re the need for better PR, former senator Ron Coleman was recently over in Israel warning them that they were losing young people in America and that they needed to do a better job. They're not giving up their policies and goals, but they see a need to adjust tactics.
I'm tired of Israel setting this nation's priorities.
Agree. At this point, the NYT is doing “unlimited hangouts,” attempting to save face as the narrative, or ideology, gives way to reality.