Near the end, you wrote: So many centuries later, a quarter way into the new millennium,
That should be "A quarter century into the new millennium"
I will also note that the less people have studied history, the easier it is to fool them with propaganda. Thus, our schools teach much less history today, and much of what is taught as history is heavily edited and redacted, and even invented, to promote the preferred perspective of our overlords. As examples, the history of Iran begins with the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, and the history of Ukraine begins with Russia's special military operation in 2022. Everything that happened before those dates would just confuse the issue.
One of my grad school professor said, "we prefer the certainty of known pain to the uncertainty of unknown gain." I am aware others have phrased the concept in other ways. But this one stayed with me all these 81 years.
About a decade ago, a friend, my daughter‘s father-in-law, recommended a book titled The Confidence Game - Why We Fall For It Every Time by Maria Konnikova. It was a fascinating dive into the realm of how con men employ their craft and how the people never catch on. My biggest take away from the book was that the more strongly someone believes they cannot be conned, the easier it is to con them. After finishing the read, I discussed the book with my friend. He then told me, “I understand what she wrote, but I just don‘t think I can be conned. I know too much to fall for a con job.” I was dumbfounded. His statement told me he’d learned nothing and was precisely the kind of person that con men go after. I shared my friend’s comment with my daughter. She laughed in reply. “Are you kidding?! He‘s been conned so many times and he doesn’t even know it!” Konnikova also wrote that the only thing more difficult than conning someone is convincing him he‘s been conned. So true.
Joel, another essay to make us think about how fast our ship is sinking in the U.S.. We elected the best Con-Man to lead all the other con-men to extinguish the last embers of what our ancestors fought for, a pure Democracy.
And so it goes. As the 4th crusade is being fought. The billions of Muslims still trying to take over the world and the sheep that follow this barbarian cult is a fine example of what you speak. The wheel just keeps on rolling and nothing ever changes. We should just try to my our own business and enjoy every day. We'll said Joel.
So it was and ever shall be, we the sheeple will always prefer the cool comfort of the easily understood propaganda fed to us by our elite overlords to having to exercise our brains and grapple with the realities of where this might be leading us to.
Well written and informative, Joel, as usual; but I grow weary and depressed by the dark side of humanity. Knowing there is nothing physically I can do, I take refuge: I have “my books and my poetry to protect me,” and, of course, the “Notes from the End of the World.” Wasn’t it Bernays who enticed women to enjoy the aroma - and losing of weight - of tobacco in the 1930s?
What you say, as always, is enlightening. A major change today is the Media. Television, all sorts of instagram, You Tube, Facebook and the like are all propaganda, but a way of life for most. We followers just go about our business.
Do we really want freedom. Even the most hardy homesteder eventually saw some value in association particularly in regard to public safety then utilities, schools and voila city councils etc. with excessive taxation. Can this inexorable human eating monster be detained in reality. It may be housed in our need for affiliation which seems to have endured over millennia. Are wise freedom affirming goverments psychologically possible?
Near the end, you wrote: So many centuries later, a quarter way into the new millennium,
That should be "A quarter century into the new millennium"
I will also note that the less people have studied history, the easier it is to fool them with propaganda. Thus, our schools teach much less history today, and much of what is taught as history is heavily edited and redacted, and even invented, to promote the preferred perspective of our overlords. As examples, the history of Iran begins with the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, and the history of Ukraine begins with Russia's special military operation in 2022. Everything that happened before those dates would just confuse the issue.
Both excellent observations. (Will correct the former. Thanks!)
I thought that was perhaps why things are so off the rails. 225 years passed and I slept through them. Alas, no such luck.
One of my grad school professor said, "we prefer the certainty of known pain to the uncertainty of unknown gain." I am aware others have phrased the concept in other ways. But this one stayed with me all these 81 years.
About a decade ago, a friend, my daughter‘s father-in-law, recommended a book titled The Confidence Game - Why We Fall For It Every Time by Maria Konnikova. It was a fascinating dive into the realm of how con men employ their craft and how the people never catch on. My biggest take away from the book was that the more strongly someone believes they cannot be conned, the easier it is to con them. After finishing the read, I discussed the book with my friend. He then told me, “I understand what she wrote, but I just don‘t think I can be conned. I know too much to fall for a con job.” I was dumbfounded. His statement told me he’d learned nothing and was precisely the kind of person that con men go after. I shared my friend’s comment with my daughter. She laughed in reply. “Are you kidding?! He‘s been conned so many times and he doesn’t even know it!” Konnikova also wrote that the only thing more difficult than conning someone is convincing him he‘s been conned. So true.
Joel, another essay to make us think about how fast our ship is sinking in the U.S.. We elected the best Con-Man to lead all the other con-men to extinguish the last embers of what our ancestors fought for, a pure Democracy.
And so it goes. As the 4th crusade is being fought. The billions of Muslims still trying to take over the world and the sheep that follow this barbarian cult is a fine example of what you speak. The wheel just keeps on rolling and nothing ever changes. We should just try to my our own business and enjoy every day. We'll said Joel.
So it was and ever shall be, we the sheeple will always prefer the cool comfort of the easily understood propaganda fed to us by our elite overlords to having to exercise our brains and grapple with the realities of where this might be leading us to.
The more we believe that things change, the more they just remain the same .
All we have are momentary bouts of joy
Well written and informative, Joel, as usual; but I grow weary and depressed by the dark side of humanity. Knowing there is nothing physically I can do, I take refuge: I have “my books and my poetry to protect me,” and, of course, the “Notes from the End of the World.” Wasn’t it Bernays who enticed women to enjoy the aroma - and losing of weight - of tobacco in the 1930s?
Hi Joel,
What you say, as always, is enlightening. A major change today is the Media. Television, all sorts of instagram, You Tube, Facebook and the like are all propaganda, but a way of life for most. We followers just go about our business.
Do we really want freedom. Even the most hardy homesteder eventually saw some value in association particularly in regard to public safety then utilities, schools and voila city councils etc. with excessive taxation. Can this inexorable human eating monster be detained in reality. It may be housed in our need for affiliation which seems to have endured over millennia. Are wise freedom affirming goverments psychologically possible?
wonderful enlightenment .. and how are things in Buenos Aries, Cordoba, Rosario, and Mendoza?