The United States is on the frontier of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World.” Full force propaganda, political/social correctness, “safe spaces,” everyone on Field Day gets ribbon”…the list goes on. Huxley’s vision is characterized by a society in which the population has been converted into standardized zombies. Starting with the educational system, children are educated in a way which shapes their self-image appropriate to their socioeconomic caste; critical thinking and individualism is discouraged. Sound familiar?
A colleague of our’s today remarked that “these markets are nothing more than another form of propaganda used as political/geopolitical tools.” Hard to argue against that considering every economic report issued by the Government is intentionally manipulated for purpose of brainwashing the public into thinking that the economy is doing better than everyone thinks. Remember, no criticial thinking allowed.
In this latest episode of the Shadow of Truth we dive into these issues full-throttle, including a brief discussion on the incipient rebellion brewing:
German banks exposed to $100 billion of shipping debt … making them collectively more exposed than banks from any other single country in terms of debt to the sector …
http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/german-banks-face-100-billion-exposure-to-shipping
I woke up this morning (as I do Australia), to read what your current take is of the crazy world of economics, but instead I got some diatribe, on a subject you completely have no understanding of. I say completely no understanding, with the exception of course, the groupthink within the Alt-right movement, which renders you even more misunderstood (if possible) of social psychology.
You have absolutely no understanding of what you’re talking about, in regards to the evolution of the human race, and the point we are at today, and the implementation of, what is loosely described as a; “better society for all.”
But no, you just keep banging on about the glass half full, in regards to your false perceptions, regarding the real intent of political correctness.
People such as yourself, embody the belief that Charles Darwin’s correct all along, which is slowly being proven to be incorrect by modern Epigenerics.
Without going deeply into the structures of genetic inheritance, and its relationship with consciousness, and the increase in social cohesion, I’ll simply state that, (despite what Darwin said), the human race thrives, and progresses in a group social setting, ONLY when we cooperate with one another, and NOT, when we are in competition with each other.
What is it with Austrian economics and this inhibited view of society, where you view the desire for positive social group dynamics, as some type of negative undertaking?
What is the connection there??
And you cherry pick, terribly, the things about the modern world and social constructs, which you view as negative in the progression of the human race.
Example; you view so-called “safe spaces,” as some type of social policy, which holds back the human race, when you fail to understand the intention behind.
Ditto with the ribbons to all those kids that compete in little athletics. There is ultimately a proven reason why these various social policies are implemented.
But, for people such as yourself (middle-aged white man who lives in America), you somehow misinterpret the world around you, because you hanker for the America of your youth, which now does not exist, and any remnants of that society, is fast disappearing.
And for that reason, you despair, and blame it on other events you perceive as being destructive to your comfortable (old) view of the world.
If safe places, and ribbons for all the children competing, is so bad, then why has it been largely successful in those countries that have implemented these social policies?
Just look at the Scandinavian countries. . . Oh, but of course they are “socialist” countries, right? Therein lies another problem. Clueless Americans, such as yourself, who live in a huge echo chamber/goldfish bowl, have completely no understanding about the world around them.
You’d need look no further than your quote from Charles Heston, who is the embodiment of everything that I’ve just explained to you is wrong.
Why don’t you stop using your limbic system to view the world, and engage your prefrontal cortex, and then (only then), will you have a real understanding of the world BEYOND your cloistered (goldfish bowl) environment.
Perhaps you should psychoanalyse yourself, before you run off at the mouth, and embarrass yourself, with false perceptions, of a world that you find increasingly threatening.
To put it simply, stick to your area of expertise, which is a contrarian economist, and leave the social dynamics up to the experts.
I’m not saying that you don’t deserve your point of view, but all I’m saying is that your point of view is distorted by your false perceptions of reality, and your innate desire to have something that’s long disappeared, and which will never return.
For those who can’t be bothered to read:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0diJNybk0Mw
OMG, seriously? What utter garbage. What I’ve noticed is a lot of young men raised in your preferred dumbed-down safe-space ribbons for all education & social systems talk like they’re all gay… and clueless where it matters. Interestingly, none of these systems were able to save the Great Barrier Reef. And personally, I find today’s social, financial and political systems increasingly intolerable. SOME of today’s youth are innovative and critically thinking achievers, SOME.
You should have cut back on the Adderall right after college.
Hmmm
I am not sure to whom you are referring here. In my day amphetamines had recently become controlled substances with the enactment of Comprehensive drug abuse and prevention act in 1970. I personally didn’t know anyone using them in those days. Though without question drug abuse in general was rampant on my campus, just not their use as study aids. The closest I get to that these days is an extra cup of morning coffee. Instead of a sophomoric ad hominem attack, perhaps you could offer at least the semblance of a credible rebuttal?
Hmmm
In rebuttal to Peter. I too wish to offer a suggestion. For example: I concur that “safe zones” as they exist in the modern construct, are in fact anything but. They are as all sane, rational, logical thinking free people understand in reality to be nothing more than euphemisms for state sponsored oppression. Which means Mr. Heston hit the nail squarely on the head with his quote.
As a matter of fact, your own “diatribe” is a classic example of PC being used as a weapon against dissent. Your condescending tone and dismissive rhetoric does more to illuminate your underlying motives than elucidate what in truth is hardly a complex problem of describing a mechanism for state sponsored tyranny and oppression. Rambling on about topics and issues you clearly wish to exploit, for what I firmly believe to be nefarious purposes, exposes you as an operative of the state in one way, shape or form or another. Freedom begins as a state of mind, and therefore short of exterminating the entire human race, will always be with us no matter how determined the forces of evil array themselves against it. Have a wonderful day.
So, my comments never made it past moderator?
Not surprising, given the alt-rights’ hypocrisy when it comes to free speech.
So who really are the snowflakes??
And who is it that needs “safe spaces?”
And to think I never used profanity once.
Oh well, maybe when I wake up in the morning, my comments might reappear.
Or then again, I might wake up in the morning, to find the US empire has collapsed.
Or perhaps even, I might wake up to find that Schrodinger’s cat is actually dead.
Since these markets are propaganda tools, I feel they won’t let the markets tank. They can keep on buying with limitless money printing. Even Janet Yellen is saying that the Fed buying stocks is a good thing. More and more I fear that there will be only periods of shallow retraces followed by buy the dip bounces taking the markets higher and higher, making a mockery of capitalism and destroying any semblance of efficient price discovery. I would love to hear from others if they have thought of this possibility and what might be the probability of it actually happening.
Top notch interview, Dave. Excellent commentary and insights. If exposing all of the bullshit in the world around us is a form of therapy for you, listening to you talk about it is a form of therapy for me (hey, it’s cheaper and more effective than seeing a shrink, right?). IRD is my “safe space”.