Knowledge Is Power. Panic Is Death. Reconnection Is Resilience

Amidst the current global pandemic of fear, what is most urgently needed is perspective.

What must be done? In sum, we must disconnect from a dying system which is sucking the life out of us, out of humanity, and out of the planet, and thereby stop supporting it, stop feeding it, and stop giving it our energy and our power. Power structures only have power when the people give them their power. When the people stop giving them their power, they collapse, as we saw in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc. Remember that. That is the key. We must disconnect and decouple from dying, life-destroying systems, patterns and structures of power, and reconnect with community, nature, and our deeper selves. That will radically empower the people, while removing power from the system which feeds off the people and keeps them subjugated and in virtual chains. Only then can we begin to truly heal our world, and heal our communities and ourselves in the process.

Here are some thoughts on how we can make that shift, with the results being greater awareness, greater aliveness and empowerment, greater resilience, and a healing of ourselves, our families, our communities, our society, and the beautiful, fragile, highly resilient planet that is our home.

Belief in technology as salvation, or worse, technocracy as salvation, is a thought pattern stemming from poverty consciousness, scarcity consciousness, inner impoverishment, weakness, delusion, alienation and fear – and the belief that either technology or technocracy will be our saviour, will, I assure you, lead us into slavery, dystopia, and the slow and painful death of our species.

Knowledge is power. Bacon was right about one thing, at least.

People are afraid of wolves, coyotes, snakes, bugs, bears…the flu. Our ability to assess danger rationally in our modern, coroporate ruled, media manipulated, techno-entranced, deeply alienated society, is near zero, it would seem.

In terms of modern man’s fear of nature, it is, by and large, utterly unwarranted. Respect and alertness are needed – not fear. Nature is far safer than “civilization.”

Despite delusional and misplaced fears, which are pandemic, unless you do something stupid: like keeping food or toothpaste in your tent (bears will investigate anything with a scent that just may conceivably mean edible items), or feeding bears, or trying to pet bear cubs; or unless you’re in grizzly country, rattlesnake country, or polar bear territory, in the desert, British Columbia, the jungle or the far north; your chances of being attacked by dangerous creatures are nearly zero – in the wilderness, that is. 

The city is far more dangerous than the wilderness. Bad drivers can kill you. Even if you’re just crossing the street. Or the smog and pesticides will give you with cancer, or the stress will give you a heart attack. 

Get out of the city. Read Thoreau. Don’t follow the lost herd. Definitely don’t follow the media, the government, the technocrats or bureaucrats, the elite, or the “authorities”.

Think for yourself. Eat organic, lower your stress, exercise, and don’t believe the hype.

Most dangerous of all, statistically, are obesity and poor diets, along with poverty and malnutrition, pharmaceuticals, and cars. Covid is no more dangerous than the flu, the figures now confirm.

0.26% mortality rate for covid-19, compared to 0.1% typically for the flu, so it is slightly higher for covid-19, but still miniscule compared to cancer, poverty, hunger, malnutrition, obesity, death by pharmaceuticals, junk food, or cars. Even bathtub drownings killed more people in Japan than covid-19. Check and verify the figures for yourself. Look at the Italian government study, for a start. (See Trends Journal and GreenMedInfo for further evidence-based information and analysis.) 

Yet the lemmings panic on cue, like Pavolv’s dogs, and stay rigidly in denial of the really big dangers: growing environmental disaster, pollution, war, poverty, obesity, fast food, junk food, pesticides, and fascism.

(See my essays: Importing From China, Any Enemy Will Do, Geopolitics 2020, Trump Says Up, You Say Down… Reality Check, and, Danger & Delusion From ISIS To Ebola)

Don’t be manipulated by fear-mongering media, or elites who cynically use fear to their advantage.

Remember:

Divide and conquer is the oldest and most essential maxim and strategy of control, used by all empires, including the latest: the global neofeudal empire of technocratic corporate fascist oligarchy.

And as we also know, in terms of the corporate-state media and the elite:

If it bleeds it leads.

Necessary Illusions are good for plutocrats.

Manufacturing Consent is the basis of elite-ruled pseudo-democracy.

And any crisis will do for Shock Therapy.

Stay calm, boost your immune system naturally, with real food, omega-3s and vitamins C and D, exercise, sunlight, love and joy – and question everything.

Above all, it’s what you put in your mouth, as in, “food-like substances” which really should not be ingested, along with certain pharmaceuticals and injections, which are the biggest danger.

Get outdoors. Do your own research. And embrace your power.

Real power comes from within – and it is quiet confidence, energy and strength, that does not need to be showy or to boast.

After inner power and inner resilience, comes the power of community, and the power of nature. Build your connections on these three levels, along with a healthy body, mind and spirit, and your empowerment and resilience will grow.

Read, reflect, make time for solitude and nature, build networks of mutual aid, and we will, in the process, heal ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world.

Disconnect first. Then only can you truly connect to others, to the natural world, to your deeper self, or even to reality. Dissociation from reality is the great plague of the modern 21st century world. We are enmeshed and entangled in webs of illusion, and in systems and patterns which alienate us from one another, from nature, and from ourselves. We must, therefore, disconnect from human systems that are, to a high degree, based in delusion and dissociation from reality, in order to better connect to the real world, to ourselves, and to one another.

If you have not yet, then begin now: learn to love books, reading, reflection, solitude and nature; and the nourishing of your body, your spirit, and your mind.

Rediscover your love for others, for community, for the natural world, for humanity, for the Earth, for learning, for creativity, free expression, and for yourself. We all had these things naturally as small children. We have been socially conditioned to lose them, to deny them, and to suppress them. But they can and must be rediscovered – especially now, when our world is in crisis. These are the core things which will heal our world, our communities, and ourselves. Not technocracy, not Big Brother, not plutocratic elites posing as saviours, not technology, not drugs: it is love and wisdom which will heal us and our world. That requires that we disconnect from certain things, and reconnect with others.

Disconnect, listen, observe, read, reflect – these things are critical. Make the time. Nourish your body, and also your mind and your spirit. Then you can reconnect with life in deeper, healthier, more joyful, empowering, and more meaningful ways.

We must disconnect and decouple from the systems, patterns, thinking, organizations, groups and substances which drain our energy, deplete us, divide us, further alienate us, exploit us, degrade us, or make us sick. That generally comes in small steps; although, many have taken great leaps, as have I, many times, and that works too. Sometimes small steps are all that is possible. Sometimes a great leap is required to save our sanity, our soul, or our very lives.

We must examine things for ourselves, question everything, and decide for ourselves what is truly life-supporting, nourishing, or life-enhancing, and what things merely give the illusion of being life-supporting, nourishing or life-enhancing, but in truth degrade, disempower, alienate, exploit or impoverish us, drain us or enslave us. We must unplug, pause, and reflect deeply, in order to even begin to think clearly, or to see what is going on.

Excessive time spent staring into electronic screens, excessive time spent in buildings or cars, the mainstream media in general, the corporate world and corporate culture in general, the fiat money system, the myriad “food-like substances” which are in truth more poison than nourishment, along with the fundamental, root poisons, which are ignorance, greed and hate: these are among the things we must disconnect from, and which literally and figuratively drag us down.

Some things require a complete disavowal and refusal, such as crack cocaine or hillbilly heroine, or other dangerous drugs and other addictions, for people who have succumb to them. I would place the major media and the Fortune 1000 biggest corporations in that category, as well: they are poison, and they are life-destroyers. They must be boycotted and renounced.

Other things, like the internet, the phone or the TV, simply require a more balanced approach, and frequent disconnection, rather than permanent disconnection. (Although, I respect people who choose to eliminate them entirely from their lives, especially TV, and there are good reasons for such a response.)

But I leave it to you to decide what we must disconnect from, either completely or periodically, for greater well-being, quality of life, health, healing, ethical standards, empowerment, fulfillment, the healing of ourselves and our world, and simply for greater aliveness and joy.

There is much entanglement and much debris in our minds and our lives. Clearing our minds and our lives of entanglements and debris, and clearing away physical and mental toxins, is vital now.

Disconnect: We must first disconnect in order to reconnect; and thereby, live and love more fully, and with greater empowerment and joy. Then only, come the revolutionary changes and the regeneration we urgently need.

Reconnect: with others, with nature, and above all, with your deeper self. That is where our true power, liberation and resilience lie. Not in drugs, not in money, not in material things; and certainly not in cynical elites posing as the protectors and saviours of humanity.

A global awakening of humanity is underway, and is growing with accelerating speed. Remember that. The people will triumph. The oligarchs of East and West will fall. Our world will be healed, and regenerated, and the people will be free.

J. Todd Ring,

September 9, 2020

Further reading:

My first two published books:

Enlightened Democracy: Visions For A New Millennium

And

The People vs The Elite: A Manifesto For A Democratic Revolution, Or, Survival In The 21st Century & Beyond

And see my other recent essays:

Flash Drive Revolution

The Death and Rebirth of Freedom and Democracy

Covid Update

Any Enemy Will Do

Importing From China

Sinking All Ships (But Our Own)

Geopolitics 2020

Global Overview 2020

The Certainty Of Death, Or The Death Of Certainties

Also critically important:

The Hero With A Thousand Faces – Joseph Campbell

World As Lover, World As Self – Joanna Macy

Choosing Reality – Allan Wallace

The Protestant Ethic & The Spirit Of Capitalism – Max Weber

The Pathology Of Normalcy – Eric Fromm

The Corporation – Joel Bakan

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Brave New World Revisited – Aldous Huxley

Roads To Freedom – Bertrand Russell

Mutual Aid – Peter Kropotkin

The Empathic Civilization – Jeremy Rifkin

The Ecology Of Freedom – Murray Bookchin

The Chalice & The Blade – Rianne Eisler

Wisdom of the Elders – David Suzuki

The Wayfinders – Wade Davis

Stolen Continents – Ronald Wright

Year 501: The Conquest Continues – Noam Chomsky

A Short History Of Progress – Ronald Wright

Collapse: How Societies Choose To Fail Or Succeed – Jared Diamond

Necessary Illusions – Noam Chomsky

Class Warfare – Noam Chomsky

The New Confessions Of An Economic Hitman – John Perkins

The Shock Doctrine – Naomi Klein

The End of America – Naomi Wolf

The American Deep State: Wall Street, Big Oil & The Attack On American Democracy – Peter Dale Scott

Iron Heel – Jack London

1984 – George Orwell

Giants: The Global Power Elite – Peter Phillips

The Power Elite – C. Wright Mills

The New Rulers of the World – John Pilger

A Game As Old As Empire – John Perkins

Escape From Freedom – Eric Fromm

Shambhala: The Sacred Path Of The Warrior – Chogyam Trungpa

The Discourse On Voluntary Servitude – Etienne de La Boitie

Walden, and, On Civil Disobedience – Henry David Thoreau

The Certainty Of Death, Or The Death Of Certainties

 

It’s amazing to me, to see, even in thoughtful writings, even in exceptionally thoughtful writing, which is as far above the norm as the moon is from the bottom of the ocean, that even there, certain cultural constructs of the mind, certain prejudices or pre-formed and unquestioned assumptions, certain axiomatic, ideological presumptions and certitudes, are passed along without thought – as if the author were merely remarking on the sky being blue, and everyone knew it, of course, so such notions need no argument or support, but are taken as fact. These ideological constructs and presumptions are castles made of sand, but the authors, including most of the better thinkers and scholars, and virtually all people at all times, assume them to be as certain as the law of gravity. The blind, unconscious, unquestioning assumption of ideological constructs is almost shocking – at least when it is seen in otherwise intelligent people and otherwise intelligent writings. Concepts such as progress, development, civilization and civilized, freedom and liberty, democracy, evolution, or “evolved”, are tossed about with utter casual manner, with no rigour, no questioning of their actual meaning: meaning, in practice, their meaning has no meaning; or worse, and more commonly, their meaning means precisely the opposite to what it is presumed to mean. Orwell understood these things well. The fact that the vast majority, including the vast majority of intellectuals, do not, is very dangerous indeed, to say it mildly.

Fascism, war, slavery, cultural arrogance, and a culture of blindness, ignorance and shared delusion, the death of democracy and freedom, ecological holocaust, and the collapse of civilization (sic), are the likely results, the almost certain and inevitable results, and soon, if we do not begin to question far more, and assume far less.

Fortunately, all such concepts, ideological constructs and cultural certitudes are now being called into question. And none too soon. Our certainties are quite literally killing us. They are also a prison, and shackles and chains, of our own making. Let us shatter them now. It is time.

JTR,

February 1, 2020

 

Post-Script:

See my essay, Fundamentalism and Relativism, in my first book, Enlightened Democracy, for further reflections on the middle way between extremes, which represents basic sanity. Also, watch for my new book, The People vs The Elite, which is being released now.

Get ready for some exciting, but possibly quite turbulent times. The proverbial shit is about to hit the fan. And as usual, that will have both positive as well as negative consequences and implications around the world.

A New Social Contract: The Parable of the Happy Kingdom

A brief preamble: 

The old social contract, the last social contract, has clearly broken down. That was the New Deal, which was a compromise between the business elite and the 99%, which lasted between the late 1930s until the 1970s. The business elite, with increased global powers, decided in the 1960’s that they no longer wanted to compromise. (See Chomsky, The Crisis of Democracy.) They wanted all power for themselves – that is nothing new in history, other than its global scale. The deal was off, and the war on democracy became a full scale class war. 

Now we need a new social contract, since the liberal democratic model has failed, the Marxist-Leninist model has likewise failed; and the “new normal” of global, bi-partisan, technocratic corporate fascism is intolerable, to put it mildly, and is simply a new empire, ushering in a deeply dystopian world order, which must be flatly and firmly refused and rejected by the people.

A vision is necessary. The old models have failed, and are crumbling. The elite want to revive fascism as their solution. That will fail as well. We defeated the fascists before, and we will defeat them again. 

I have written extensively about visions for a better world, and have offered a manifesto for non-violent democratic revolution, in my first two published books: Enlightened Democracy, and, The People vs The Elite, which I would frankly urge everyone to read. 

There is, however, a value to extremely concise manuscripts or treatises, however. It needs to be spelled out clearly and in brief, so that anyone and everyone cam understand what must be done. In that spirit, I offer this parable.

*

There was a kingdom that lived in peace, but which had only recently escaped from an almost unimaginably long period of suffering and turmoil.

In this happy kingdom, which was no longer a kingdom, but in name only, new immigrants were arriving daily, for it was rumoured far and wide that this was a glorious and wonderful place to be, and a great many now wished to live there. They people of the land could not take in all the people who wished to come and share their land, but they took in as many as they could, because they knew from long experience what it was like to suffer, and they refused to turn their backs on others who were not so fortunate as they had only recently become.

Daily the new immigrants were welcomed. And a typical morning went something like this.

What is your profession, your skill set, your trade?

I am a lawyer.

Right, then. The exit is to the left, the dungeon to the right. Take your pick….. Next!

On and on it went, few lawyers daring to arrive, hearing of closed doors to them in response to their trade. Prostitutes were let in, but not lawyers.

(Lawyers, the people had decided, were barred and banned, unless they forswore their former profession, because, it was rightly perceived, lawyers had a habit of over-complicating everything, with the result that the people’s minds were clouded and confused, leaving their common sense laid waste, such that they became easy prey to the schemes of evil men and evil  women. Klauss Schwabb and Christine Lagarde, remain in their now fortuitously recovered and vivid memory.)

Carpenters, farmers by the thousands, shipwrights, cabinet makers, cobblers, tailors, potters and bakers arrived and were welcomed, but lawyers were barred – and the irony of their term for refusal was not lost on them nor on the people.

Then one day, an old man arrived, almost unnoticed in the throng, long beard and quiet ways, he almost disappeared into the woodwork. But for his twinkling eyes and unusual long brown cloak, he was a most unremarkable man.

What is your profession, skill set, trade? Have you any skills that might make your immigration to this new country easier for you?

I am a philosopher, the old man said quietly, with a voice that sounded somehow like the melody of a mountain stream, though perfectly human and natural at the same time.

The attendant blinked.

Come with me. The king – the former king, that is, to be precise – wishes to see any who might clarify what went so wrong in the past, and for millennia, and which was only overcome here, in this little former kingdom, just recently, and in our lifetimes; so that we might avoid such troubles and such evils forevermore, or at least, as much as possible.

And the old man was thus taken to see the former king.

To the king, or former king, after the usual introductions and greetings and the necessary preamble, the old man said this.

The role of government is to protect the people from tyranny. In good times, the government is nearly invisible, yet there, like a trusted dog by the fire. In bad times, when great evils arise, then only does government become prominent in the lives of the people. And when the evils are driven back, and once again held at bay, then once again, the government becomes almost invisible, like a well-fed, sleepy hound, curled up at his master’s feet. For the people are always the true masters of themselves, and hence, of the government, which is but the servant of the people’s needs. 

When the government makes itself the master of the people, then the government has become the great evil it was designed to protect against; and so, must be banished, or put down, like a rabid dog who attacks his own family. Only then can peace arise again.

This downing of the dog, as the old ones in my realm have called it, this removal of a government which has betrayed the people by overstepping its bounds, and becoming the tyranny it was intended to protect against, is best done with non-violent means, for the dangers of violence, both in terms of evil echoes and ripples spreading through space and time and minds, and even in terms of a failure to successfully complete the task of downing the rabid dog of state, can never be overstated, and so, should be avoided. But the removal of such governments from power in such times of corruption of the government, is not only the right, but the moral duty of the people. It must be firm, swift, and unhesitating, decisive and unwavering, and complete.

When the peace is restored, and the tyrannical government is no more, then the principles of liberty, justice and peace can be restored. And the central principle of a peaceful society, and a just society, is this: freedom and compassion are the two central values which must always be balanced and upheld. If either is lacking, then the society will surely and inevitably descend into madness, turmoil, tyranny and decay.

If you want to know how great evils arose in the past, this is how: the balance was lost, and forgotten. 

If you want to know how great evils are banished and prevented; and peace, and justice, are restored and maintained, it is not so complicated, but it does require eternal vigilance: you must balance freedom and compassion, and never let anyone fool you into believing that the one can be sacrificed for the other; for when either is lost, then madness, turmoil, tyranny and decay will invariably arise, and are guaranteed.

You seek great tomes, great wordy treatises, great, expansive, flowery prose, filled with allusions to famous people, deference to supposed authorities, and great canonical texts. But that is not where wisdom comes from. It is wisdom that is best, beyond all. And the heart of wisdom can be expressed in 10,000 lines, or 1,000 lines, or in two lines. Verbosity is not the measure of wisdom.

But wisdom comes not from words, in any case; and is not always immediately available, though it is the birthright (and even the true nature) of all. Common sense will do. That is common enough, when the people refuse to be fooled by puppet masters and false messiahs. Common sense is more than enough to live in prosperity, in harmony, and in peace. Read all the great and obscure texts you like. Some are of truly great value. Listen to all the verbose and airudite…pardon me…erudite, long-winded, high-sounding, jargon-dropping and pretentious “experts” you wish. Just remember, the keys to freedom, to justice, to harmony, to a life of well-being, and to peace, are within the human heart. If you cannot find them there, then seeking for them elsewhere will likely bring about the chaining of humanity, not its blessings, its protection, or its liberation. Look within.

Balancing the cardinal and foundational values of freedom and compassion is the most essential element. If you can achieve this, and you can, then you can have a peaceful society, and peaceful lives, for a long time to come.

Do not overcomplicate things. That will only invite confusion, and confusion will only invite evil, which always plays on, and feeds on, confusion. Keep it simple. Defeat the tyrants; then help the people without imposing on their freedom, and let them live in peace.

The great evils of the past – which your people have blessedly liberated themselves from, by virtue, not of their exceptional virtue, for they are simple people like the rest, but by virtue of their recovered common sense – arose because the balance was forgotten, and temporarily lost. 

The great evils arose because the right, as it was called, wanted freedom without compassion, which left the door open to tyranny, and invited it in. And they arose because the left, or the less enlightened and more confused among the left, which sadly came to dominate the people’s minds, accepted the lie that security, safety and compassion require the sacrifice and surrender of freedom – which guaranteed that tyranny would be enthroned, and nightmarish society would arise. 

Avoid such grave, and avoidable errors, and the people can live in peace, and will. It is as simple, and as challenging, as that. Remember the balance. Let the people live in peace.

J. Todd Ring,

November 22, 2020

Compromise or Collapse

The elite always do the same thing. They have repeated the same failed patterns for millennia. They never learn. They could be wealthy and powerful, virtually in perpetuity, or at least, for a very long time – if they were willing to compromise. They are not. Instead, they fall into imperial hubris, and imperial over-stretch, every time. And it will mean their total loss of power, and the collapse of their most beloved global empire.

The New Deal was such a compromise, between the ruling business elite and the 99%, but that was forced upon the elite by the people; and now that the ruling business elite are global, transnational, and more powerful, they have decided, as of fifty years ago, to cancel any form of compromise. They reverted to their old form: no compromise – we want it all.

The elite have, as always, two choices: compromise with the 99%, or try for total power. They always fall to greed, egomania, hubris and imperial over-reach; and for that reason, every empire follows the same pattern, and in the end collapses.

The newest of empires, which is the global, bi-partisan corporate empire of billionaire business elites, has decided that compromise is out, fascism is in. It will be their downfall.

The elite could accept that in order to remain wealthy and powerful they must accept that there is an unstoppable awakening occurring across humanity – and that requires, above all, a more equitable sharing of both wealth and power. That, they refuse to do.

In order to remain wealthy and powerful, and not see their empire collapse, the elite would would have to accept that the awakening of humanity, which is now emerging rapidly, requires that freedom, democracy, constitutional rights and constitutional rule be honoured, while inequality is greatly reduced, poverty is eliminated, peace and disarmament is accepted as an urgent priority, and a Green New Deal which provides full employment while healing the planet and establishing a truly green and vibrant economy, is actively embraced.

In short, the elite would have to stop acting as the primary roadblocks to all the necessary and urgent changes, and instead, partner with the 99% to swiftly achieve them. A few of the business and political elite might favour such a plan, but the clear majority do not.

(Soros, Gates, The Rockefellers and Davos, clearly do not favour compromise – they are deeply committed to global technocracy, and to deeply authoritarian global elite rule.)

In fact, the majority of the Global Power Elite have shown that they are adamantly opposed to any compromise, and to any serious positive action in any of these areas, and are instead committed to their current, long-standing agenda, which is global technocratic fascism, and the culmination of the war on democracy and freedom.

The stakes could not be higher. The trouble ahead is dire. But the elite will lose in their grand plan, because they are repeating the same mistakes that have been enacted throughout history. Hubris, egomania and power-lust drives them, and that will be their downfall, as always.

This is no time for complacency, however. The people must stand – and now.

J. Todd Ring,
November 22, 2020

Government and Corporations Care About Your Privacy: That’s Why They Support the Bi-Partisan Global Fascist Coup

Western governments and their criminal friends in big tech pretend to care about citizen’s privacy, while secretly destroying it. But privacy is a misnomer and a red herring. The central issue is whether the people should be spied upon by their government and its big business allies. That is the question of whether we will have a free and democratic society, or whether we will live in an Orwellian gulag. The trend has been toward the latter for 50 years, and in 2020 was put into hyper-drive. And yes, the great majority of the people are asleep, and have no idea of the danger they are in. They are distracted by manufactured fears and infotainment. This must change now. The peril now is much worse than 1939. Now, the fascists have gone global.

J. Todd Ring,
November 22, 2020

Chris Darby, the current CEO of the CIA’s In-Q-Tel, who is also on the NSCAI, told CBS News last year that China is the U.S.’ main competitor in terms of technology and that U.S. privacy laws were hampering the U.S.’ capacity to counter China in this regard, stating that:

“[D]ata is the new oil. And China is just awash with data. And they don’t have the same restraints that we do around collecting it and using it, because of the privacy difference between our countries. This notion that they have the largest labeled data set in the world is going to be a huge strength for them.”

Techno-Tyranny: How The US National Security State Is Using Coronavirus To Fulfill An Orwellian Vision

Freedom of Speech vs Censorship

With the disgraceful behaviour of the Intercept, first censoring the venerable Glenn Greenwald, then attacking and slandering him after he resigned, over his refusal to abide by censorship at the Intercept; and the further disgraceful behaviour of the once-venerable Naomi Klein, who stooped to attacking and slandering Glenn Greenwald for refusing to accept the “new normal” of censorship; and in the midst of a frenzy of intensifying censorship by the corporate-state media and Big Tech, it is high time for some clarity on the fundamental issue of freedom of speech.

Freedom of conscience, belief or thought, along with freedom of speech and freedom of expression, are fundamental to a free and democratic society. This is absolutely critical to understand.

If we lose freedom of speech, we will have lost everything. This is what is not being understood by the centre and the left who have jumped onboard with the righteous censorship craze. It is never righteous, and it is always crazed.

I agree entirely with Chomsky on this fundamental point: “There are only two positions on freedom of speech. You’re either for it or against it. If you’re in favour of freedom of speech, then you’re in favour of it even for views you despise. Everyone’s in favour of freedom of speech for views they like. Stalin was in favour of freedom of speech for views he liked.”

So, the central question, the only question – on this subject – is, are you in favour of freedom of speech? If not, then be prepared to lose all your freedom, and what’s left of democracy, because censorship and the closing down of freedom of speech always ends in tyranny and authoritarianism – if not outright fascism, which is where we are rapidly headed now. These things should be obvious to all, and should not need to be said.

J. Todd Ring,
November 22, 2020

PS:

At the moment, Minds.com, Telegram and Bit Chute offer forums that are pro-free speech and anti-censorship. Use them. And be prepared to hear diverse views, include views you dislike. That’s what it’s like in a free society – you hear diverse views, some of which you despise. Get used to it. It’s called being an adult.

DO NOT rely on the mainstream media or the Big Tech “social media” platforms for accessing, sourcing or sharing information.

Share the vital information, and back up everything important to external hard drives, thumb drives or flash drives. See my article on key strategy: Flash-Drive Revolution.

Are We Serious About Human Health? The Rhetoric and Gestures Say Yes, But The Evidence Says No

The government pretends to care deeply and profoundly about human health, using police state measures in a time of crisis, justified by their supposed great concern for health. Yet, the federal government has repeatedly slashed health care funding for the past 40 years.

The blatant and extreme hypocrisy and deceit should be obvious to all. Canada is one of the seven richest countries on Earth. There is no excuse for letting people live in poverty, letting children and the elderly live in poverty, or refusing to fully fund health care.

Further, while chronically refusing to fully fund health care, the federal government gives away billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks to Big Oil companies, most of them foreign-owned – and this, in the midst of a growing environmental and climate emergency.

There is no other word for this than sheer corruption, or crony capitalism. If we are at all serious about human health, then we must demand that Canada, and the Canadian federal government in particular, fully fund health care.

We must demand that a free and just society requires, first of all, freedom and constitutional rights for all, with freedom to choose which health care treatments we will accept or refuse; and secondly, we must demand that health care, education, pensions and public services take priority over corporate profits, especially with regard to the planet-destroying oil and gas industry.

If we cannot do these two things, then we cannot pretend to be a free and democratic society, or a just society, or to have any serious concern about human health at all. If we cannot do these two things, then we are a morally bankrupt nation, with a deeply corrupt government, and are headed rapidly toward a dark age of tyranny, at that.

Speak up now. Write a brief letter to your Member of Parliament, or copy this one to use, and modify it as you will; and send copies to your MPP, local council and mayor, the media, and to all your friends, family and colleagues.

In the midst of both a health crisis and an environmental crisis, as well as a deep and growing, ominous crisis of democracy, what we need above all is clarity of perspective, combined with boldness of action. Currently we are lacking in both. This must change this now.

It is not just in Canada, of course, where the hypocrisy, corruption and deceit are systemic and extreme. The richest nation in history, the US, refuses to fund public health care, saying it is unaffordable; yet, both Republican and Democratic governments continue to give trillions of dollars to Wall Street, whenever Big Business asks for it. The UK, meanwhile, is currently demolishing its public health care system, while pretending to care deeply about human health.

The pattern is global: create socialism and a welfare state for the super-rich, massively fund big business, give a bottomless feeding trough for the billionaires to feed on public funds, and demand austerity for the 99%.

When do we say, “Enough!”?

J. Todd Ring,
Cobourg, Ontario,
Canada
Author of Enlightened Democracy, and, The People vs The Elite

Are We Serious About Human Health?

The Rhetoric and Gestures Say Yes,
But The Evidence Says No

The government pretends to care deeply and profoundly about human health, using police state measures in a time of crisis, justified by their supposed great concern for health. Yet, the federal government has repeatedly slashed health care funding for the past 40 years.

The blatant and extreme hypocrisy and deceit should be obvious to all. Canada is one of the seven richest countries on Earth. There is no excuse for letting people live in poverty, letting children and the elderly live in poverty, or refusing to fully fund health care.

Further, while chronically refusing to fully fund health care, the federal government gives away billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks to Big Oil companies, most of them foreign-owned – and this, in the midst of a growing environmental and climate emergency.

There is no other word for this than sheer corruption, or crony capitalism. If we are at all serious about human health, then we must demand that Canada, and the Canadian federal government in particular, fully fund health care.

We must demand that a free and just society requires, first of all, freedom and constitutional rights for all, with freedom to choose which health care treatments we will accept or refuse; and secondly, we must demand that health care, education, pensions and public services take priority over corporate profits, especially with regard to the planet-destroying oil and gas industry.

If we cannot do these two things, then we cannot pretend to be a free and democratic society, or a just society, or to have any serious concern about human health at all. If we cannot do these two things, then we are a morally bankrupt nation, with a deeply corrupt government, and are headed rapidly toward a dark age of tyranny, at that.

Speak up now. Write a brief letter to your Member of Parliament, or copy this one to use, and modify it as you will; and send copies to your MPP, local council and mayor, the media, and to all your friends, family and colleagues.

In the midst of both a health crisis and an environmental crisis, as well as a deep and growing, ominous crisis of democracy, what we need above all is clarity of perspective, combined with boldness of action. Currently we are lacking in both. This must change this now.

It is not just in Canada, of course, where the hypocrisy, corruption and deceit are systemic and extreme. The richest nation in history, the US, refuses to fund public health care, saying it is unaffordable; yet, both Republican and Democratic governments continue to give trillions of dollars to Wall Street, whenever Big Business asks for it. The UK, meanwhile, is currently demolishing its public health care system, while pretending to care deeply about human health.

The pattern is global: create socialism and a welfare state for the super-rich, massively fund big business, give a bottomless feeding trough for the billionaires to feed on public funds, and demand austerity for the 99%.

When do we say, “Enough!”?

J. Todd Ring,
Cobourg, Ontario,
Canada
Author of Enlightened Democracy, and, The People vs The Elite

For further information see: Gary Null, GreenMedInfo, and Canadian constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati

#health #healthFreedom #healthCare #fascism #1%

Green Homes: Best Practices

I am not a builder, carpenter or architect, but after more than 50 years of experimentation and development in the field, done by literally millions of people, and after 35 years of my own research, I would offer this summary of best practices for truly deep green home design and construction. The field is evolving rapidly, however, as is my own knowledge: so consider this a snapshot summary of best practices as of 2020.

Remember that past construction and design should not be judged too harshly – we were learning, and we are still learning. Even 20 years ago, or 10, major blind spots were the norm, even among highly conscientious and informed builders, architects, home owners, developers, contractors and designers. Let us be gentle on past oversights, and focus on the present and the future, as in all things.

In fact, many will feel this summary is overly idealistic. Certainly high quality homes can be built in other ways, and some of them can be genuinely green. I am outlining here, however, not good practices, but best practices. Keep that in mind. But everything listed here is now readily available and achievable in most places, as well as thoroughly tested on the ground. Nothing here is experimental, theoretical or speculative. It is all amply proven.

Note that the size, style, floor plan and aesthetics of the home or building can be varied and adapted in almost any fashion, from low tech, natural and traditional, to high tech modernist, or from tiny to large. What matters is that we understand and incorporate the core principles of truly deep green, healthy home construction and design.

Enjoy the journey!

Core design principles for deep green homes and buildings:

(Reasoning is explained in previous articles – and in the many books and videos that are available now – where it is not already obvious)

– zero fossil fuel use

ie: for heating, cooking, hot water

– net zero energy

the home or building generates all its energy needs:

through wind, micro-hydro, solar, and/or, ground or air geothermal/heat exchanger/heat pump/minisplit systems

– passive solar design

– earth-integrated or bermed

– attached solar greenhouse on sunny side

– very high level insulation

R40, R60, R20 MINIMUM for walls, roof, basement/below grade & floor, respectively

– excellent sealing and draft-proofing

– excellent thermal mass

– use of natural shading and wind breaks by use of trees, hedges, berms, roof overhangs and awnings

– natural lighting and ventilation emphasized and made primary

– composting and grey water systems integrated

– rainwater harvesting, cisterns and ponds (also important for natural temperature moderation of home and micro-climate, and for solar reflection, climate cooling, garden watering and wildlife support)

– low or zero use of toxic materials: natural materials prioritized

– low embodied energy and carbon in materials

ie: concrete, metal, brick (unless sun-baked), foam insulation and fiberglass or rock wool insulation should be minimized or avoided

– local sourcing for materials where possible

– materials and design chosen to include carbon sequestration, as well as air purification, oxygen generation, moisture and humidity moderation and regulation

– cool or green roofs prioritized

– cool or green exterior wall surfaces prioritized

– double door / air lock system

– heat recovery on ventilation, shower drains

– energy efficient lighting, appliances, home systems and electronics

– value and priority ascribed to low maintenance, low operating costs, high durability, DIY-friendly, and to beauty, comfort, functionality, off-grid independence and resilience, ecological stewardship and regeneration, and to community, as well as the primary concerns of cost, health, and above all, ecological footprint

Best insulation:

straw bale

In most areas of North America, South America and Europe, straw bale is ecologically and health-wise the best, by far, while being comparable in cost or less expensive than other options.

Interior walls:

adobe

Exterior wall covering:

adobe

local stone a close second

stucco is a good option, if desired for maintenance concerns vs adobe, but not preferred

Best floor options:

adobe – block or poured

sustainably harvested local hardwood, stone or bamboo are good alternatives

Best roofing options:

gable or shed style roof

green roof on dark side (north side in Northern Hemisphere)

Tesla solar tiles on sunny side (60 degree slope)

Windows and doors:

Double or triple glazing, wood framed, are best. The important thing to realize, however, is that if you design the home or building well, top quality, top performance, top price windows and doors – windows and doors being among the most expensive components of a home or building – are not necessary. Reclaimed or hand made windows and doors can be used if you choose. Certainly you don’t need to spend a fortune.

Summary:

This is a quick overview, and not at all comprehensive; but I assure you, these points are extremely well researched, tested, and proven.

(See Chris Magwood for further details, on the web and at New Society Publishers. He is the leading figure now in North American for green home construction and design.)

Remember: a well designed and well built home will not only have lower ecological impact, but will positively help heal the family, the local ecosystem, the community, and the Earth, while saving money, and being beautiful, comfortable, functional, and full of charm. It’s worth it. And it costs roughly the same, or less, than a conventional, toxic, frankly earth-destroying home. It’s a clear no-brainer.

And yes, that was a pointed statement, and blunt. We should be gentle on past oversights, yes; but it is critical that we fully realize the gravity of the situation and the choices we make as home-owners or as professionals. Our future, our health, and our world are at stake.

Know this as well: if every new home built in North America merely reduced embodied carbon in materials by 60%, to say nothing of going carbon neutral, or carbon negative, and put just marginal improvements into energy efficiency, it would be the equivalent of taking 25 coal fired power plants offline every year.

Yes, the impact of our home and building choices, as with our food and transportation choices, really is that giant, and tectonic. It matters greatly. And we have all the knowledge we need to make a positive revolution – right now.

JTR,

November 19, 2020

More Faux Left Follies

Letter to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

I used to consider CounterPunch, Canadian Dimension, DemocracyNow! and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives among my most trusted sources for news and analysis. No more. The last issue of CCPA’s Monitor confirmed the total loss of confidence, as did the general performance of the “left” in 2020. How can I say such things? Let’s look at a few of the blind spots on the left, including the CCPA. They are big enough to sail the Titanic through.

1. Trump is not a populist. Populism means participatory democracy. Don’t foolishly play into the hands of the global bi-partisan corporate fascist elite by sullying the term! Trump is a classic faux populist. Get it straight.

2. The alternative media did not give Trump the presidency.

A. The mainstream media gave Trump the spotlight – “if it bleeds it leads”, and he is a spectacle to sell, which they eagerly did.

B. Chomsky is right: a demagogue of the right was bound to arise, and did, because 40 years of neoliberal class warfare created great popular anger, much of it misplaced. Hence, Obama and the Clintons, and the Democratic Party, gave the world Trump.

C. Blaming alternative media fuels the spectacular and ominous rise of censorship. (Duh!) And blaming “misinformation” furthers that trend. Stop fuelling censorship! It leads invariably to tyranny and authoritarianism, if not outright fascism. How much more of a basic political-economy lesson do you need?!

3. The Democratic party was not “under-prepared” for the 2020 election. You gave them a total gloss. Trump is terrible, but the Wall Street- and CIA-controlled Democratic party establishment is corporatist – which as Mussolini said, literally means fascist. Giving them a gloss, or any support, is unconscionable, and unthinkable.

(By the way, Chomsky was the best political analyst alive until early 2020; but he is not infallible, and I strongly disagree with him in his support for Biden. His argument is that the Republicans are so bad in terms of the environment, we must support Biden and the Democrats. Classic good cop / bad cop routine. But Biden has said emphatically that he does not support the Green New Deal, and he will not ban fracking. That’s your environmental saviour? Think again. Enough games. It’s time for revolution.)

If this is the best of the left, and this is the best think tank in the country – which it is – then we’re in trouble.

Please publish this letter in the Monitor, and on your website, and cancel my membership until you correct these truly seismic errors.

You can find me on Minds.com if you want to discuss things further.

Sincerely,

J. Todd Ring,

Author of Enlightened Democracy, and, The People vs The Elite

#CCPA #TheLeft #AlternativeMedia #populism #Fascism

Lemmings, Cowards & Sheep Unite!

Covid-1984, which is the best way to describe the recent events, is certainly acting as a litmus test. It is separating clearly the men from the boys, the women from the girls, and the people who are capable of sane and rational thought, from the lemmings, the cowards and the sheep.

It is also clearly separating the reliable, honest and sane journalists, news and commentary sources, thinkers, scholars and activists, from the propagandists and fools.

At present, as of the fall of 2020, it would appear that the great majority, in all categories above, including the left, the alternative media, the activists and the intellectuals, along with the politicians, the medical establishment and the mainstream media, are failing abysmally. History will not be kind to them. Moreover, they are utterly destroying any credibility they may have had.

In the not too distant future, and possibly soon, the business and political elite who conducted this global bi-partisan corporate fascist coup, under the pretext of protecting public health, will be removed from power, and locked in maximum security prison for life, with all assets seized, no chance of parole, and no communication with the outside world. The lemmings and cowards who went along with them obediently will simply be disgraced, and will never again have a trace of credbility associated with their name.

How do great evils occur? A few evil men and women scheme and manipulate to ammass great power; and millions of cowardly people cooperate with them, and enable them to succeed, by not asking questions.

Question everything. Think for yourself.

And remember, as I always say, because it is true: “It ain’t over ’till it’s over.”

J. Todd Ring,

November 14, 2020

For those who find these statements shocking, or anything other than obvious facts, please investigate for yourself. I’ve listed many times the sources I find most reliable. But for an excellent overview of what is really happening, in-depth details, excellent on-going updates, what it all means, and what we should do about it, above all, at this moment, I would recommend Canadian constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati.

US Election 2020: Time For Secession

I think the people of the United States should immediately secede from Washington, Wall Street, and Langley – whether Trump or Biden or any other corporate-fascist poster-child is in office – and start the revolution again: this time, with the methods of Martin Luther King Jr.

By the way, I do not jest.

JTR,November 11, 2020

And since farcebook is now routinely censoring even my own essays when I try to share them, as well as being deeply enmeshed in the global surveillance state and the broader rise of censorship, it may be time to secede, so to speak, from the Big Tech “social media” as well.

Reflections On 2020: Bye, Bye Bernie

Bernie could have beaten both Biden and Trump. But Bernie wasn’t up to it. That leaves one choice: revolution.

Bernie failed the people in the end, in 2020. Some predicted that to be inevitable. I had held out a slim hope – knowing fully that no one person can bring about the needed changes single-handedly, and that the revolution is and must be much bigger than Bernie or any other individual. But Bernie failed us. He was drawn in by the deeply corrupted Democratic party, and that was his downfall. In any event, revolution remains the top priority – Gandhian, non-violent, and utterly galvanized and resolved. Still I say, it ain’t over ’till it’s over. Never surrender. Take the lessons, and move on.

Note that Bernie Sanders could have been another FDR figure, or Tommy Douglas, if you are Canadian – bringing in a more democratic as well as a more just society. He chose not to do so. That was his tragic mistake. The DNC cannot be blamed, or the mass media, or the billionaire class, corrupt as the three groups are. This was Bernie shooting himself in the foot. There is no one and nothing he can blame but bis own cowardice. We live on, however, and we learn. We will see a better future. Bernie has sadly written himself out of the picture, but that is by now utterly irrelevant, as is he.

JTR,
November 11, 2020