COLLECTIVE MADNESS
“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
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ReplyDeleteSaw an article recently by a conservative writer positing that the use of George Orwell’s book, 1984, has been overused to the point that it is almost a meaningless cliché. Perhaps, that article was a prelude to this story…
1984 Redux - Newspeak Ascendant
From dictionary.com…
newspeak
/ˈnjuːˌspiːk/
noun
1.
the language of bureaucrats and politicians, regarded as deliberately ambiguous and misleading
The following is from the Cliffs Notes explanation of Newspeak as used by Orwell in his book:
In his Appendix, Orwell explains the syntactical arrangement and the etymology of the Newspeak. A living language, such as English, one that has the capability of diverse expression, has the tendency to gain words and therefore broaden the awareness and knowledge of its speakers. Newspeak, on the other hand, loses words, by removing words that represent opposing concepts, for example, because the word "good" presumes the opposite of "bad," the word "bad" is unnecessary. word: can be expressed simply by adding standard prefixes and suffixes to this one root therefore, awareness. The idea behind Newspeak is that, as language must become less expressive, the mind is more easily controlled. Through his creation and explanation of Newspeak, Orwell warns the reader that government that creates the language and mandates how it is used can control the minds of its citizens.
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/n/1984/critical-essays/the-purpose-of-newspeak
Which brings us to the following…
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DeleteTrumpland and the Narrowing of Thought
George Carlin has a famous skit called 'The Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV.
It’s a humorous (and as it turns out now, rather quaint) rant about censorship and words people aren’t allowed to say on TV . Today, because of changing standards, the skit wouldn’t even apply. Yet, I was reminded of this skit when seeing the latest story coming out of Trumpland.
The seven deadly words the CDC (and likely all other Trump administration agencies) are forbidden from using in official documents.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/ar-BBGNo02?li=BBmkt5R&OCID=ems.display.welcomeexperience
The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the nation's top public health agency from using a list of seven words or phrases — including "fetus" and "transgender" — in any official documents being prepared for next year's budget.
Policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were told of the list of forbidden words at a meeting Thursday with senior CDC officials who oversee the budget, according to an analyst who took part in the 90-minute briefing. The forbidden words are "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based."
In some instances, the analysts were given alternative phrases. Instead of "science-based" or -"evidence-based," the suggested phrase is "CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes," the person said. In other cases, no replacement words were immediately offered…
Dwell on that for a moment.
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DeleteCarlin's skit was about censorship. Given Carlin’s skit, the fact that the administration has chosen seven deadly words to be snuffed out of official documents is pregnant with poetic irony.
These people are now out snowflaking those they call snowflakes.
Too funny. Well, not ha ha funny. A better description might be as Trump is wont to say, Sad! So sad!
To bring it all back to the newspeak reference, here is one sentence from the Cliff Notes piece above…
>Newspeak, on the other hand, loses words, by removing words that represent opposing concepts, for example, because the word "good" presumes the opposite of "bad," the word "bad" is unnecessary.
In eliminating the word bad you also lose the ‘concept’ of bad.
With this in mind, what does it mean when the Trump administration tries to eliminate the words ‘evidence-based’? Worse, what does it mean when it is trying to eliminate the concept of ‘vulnerable’?
I have to disagree with the author of the article I mentioned in opening these comments. IMO, Orwell is still relevant today. While he was fixated on communism, many of his observations have broader usage. But perhaps Carlin, with his observations on the perversity we put up with from our leaders on a continuous basis, is even more pertinent and topical today.
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ReplyDeletebecause Trump wipes out their "one-world-we-love-each-other" ideology
:o)
And a very merry Christmas right back out you.
No doubt that's true about Trump. In word and deed, every day he is putting coal in the stockings of anyone who has less than an eight figure net worth.
God bless us every one.
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What's up with the quoting of Tiny Tim ?
DeleteTrump, a diverse monster, evidence based and science based research has shown, is an entitled vulnerable transgender fetus of a man created by the nation's mania for diversity.
ReplyDeleteDon't fall for anything that comes out of his entitled transgendered fetal mouth.
DeleteYou will rue that day.
He obviously wants us to use 'baby' in place of 'fetus', and I don't find that objectionable.
DeleteIt's a tougher sell to kill a baby for its body parts than to do the same to a 'fetus'.
And if you don't like 'baby' use 'developing human being' instead. Or, perhaps, child.
Delete.
DeleteGeez, Bob.
And what's your explanation for the elimination of 'evidence based' or 'science-based'? How do you explain away the use of the word 'vulnerable'?
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.
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DeleteThe Trump brand is at record lows with everyone but his base.
Evangelicals make up a good portion of his base and even they are turning on him and eschewing even the name 'evangelicals' because it has become tainted in association with him, Bible-thumping whackjobs like Roy Moore, the Moral majority and others.
Christian organizations are removing 'evangelical' from their names. Even Billy Graham's daughter is eschewing the term. Young people are just calling themselves 'Christians' rather than endure the stigma associated with the term evangelical.
I don't know what it means in terms of the big picture but it can't be good for Trump.
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Well we Lutes ain't giving it up.
DeleteIt's the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
ELCA
And if you don't like it you can roast in hell.
How do you explain away the banning of the word 'vulnerable' ?
DeleteYou've always said you were invulnerable, and proved it too.
I think The Donald wants to be thought of as invulnerable, like everyone thinks of you.
Take it as a compliment.
It wasn't the Russians intervening in the election on behalf of Trump, it was the FBI intervening in the election on behalf of Hillary Clinton -
ReplyDeleteDecember 16, 2017
Comey Should Be Indicted
By Daniel John Sobieski
Now we know that not only did Hillary Clinton show intent in her handling of classified materials routed through her private server, but that former FBI Director James Comey and his team showed intent in letting her get away with it, to the detriment of American national security.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, in a Thursday letter to current FBI Director Christopher Wray, reveals how edits to Comey’s exoneration memo went beyond changing “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless” but edited out content that shows the FBI knew Hillary was intentionally in violation of the Espionage Act but that, since the decision to exonerate her had already been made, they had to submit to the annals of history a lie they agreed upon:
Newly released documents obtained by Fox News reveal that then-FBI Director James Comey’s draft statement on the Hillary Clinton email probe was edited numerous times before his public announcement, in ways that seemed to water down the bureau’s findings considerably.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to the FBI on Thursday that shows the multiple edits to Comey’s highly scrutinized statement.
In an early draft, Comey said it was “reasonably likely” that “hostile actors” gained access to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email account. That was changed later to say the scenario was merely “possible.”
Another edit showed language was changed to describe the actions of Clinton and her colleagues as “extremely careless” as opposed to “grossly negligent.” This is a key legal distinction.
Johnson, writing about his concerns in a letter Thursday to FBI Director Christopher Wray, said the original “could be read as a finding of criminality in Secretary Clinton’s handling of classified material.”
“This effort, seen in light of the personal animus toward then-candidate Trump by senior FBI agents leading the Clinton investigation and their apparent desire to create an ‘insurance policy’ against Mr. Trump’s election, raise profound questions about the FBI’s role and possible interference in the 2016 presidential election and the role of the same agents in Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation by President Trump,” Johnson said.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/12/comey_should_be_indicted.html#ixzz51SJ1uDcM
Und Gott Bless Dr. Nicolaus Fest Everyone !
ReplyDeleteBEST LINE OF THE WEEKEND
ReplyDeletemcss207 • a day ago
Hillary on Ellen Degenerates show. Two lesbians still asking WHAT HAPPENED?
I heard Degenerates was beginning to date men, of all things.
DeleteOops, that's not right -
Shocker! Ellen DeGeneres's wife Portia de Rossi leaves her for a man ...
www.hindustantimes.com/...ellen-degeneres...man/story-GgoLopemb3MrEc0Ex8RqR...
Mar 15, 2016 - Comedienne and TV host Ellen DeGeneres and partner Portia de Rossi, who have been married for seven years, are reportedly calling it quits. ... Shocker! Ellen DeGeneres's wife Portia de Rossi leaves her for a man? ... Her ex-girlfriend Anne Heche left her for James Tupper after they dated for three years.
Maybe Ellen will get together with Kaityn Jenner ?
She'd be half way there.....
I think Ellen is a freak.
DeleteI am invited to Raul Labrador's 50th Birthday Party.
ReplyDeleteShould I go ?
I have to RSVP by tomorrow.
Dear Friend,
DeleteTime is running out, but you can still RSVP to Raúl's 50th birthday celebration this
Monday, December 18th at The Boise Depot.
An invitation is below and you can purchase tickets here:
[http://www.raullabrador.com/50].
P.S. We'll be going live on Facebook from the birthday celebration from 7:00 P.M. to
about 7:15 P.M. Mountain Time. If you can't join us in person, we hope you'll join
us on Facebook Live.
Paid for by Raul Labrador for Governor, Milford Terrell, Treasurer
Fuck it. I'm not driving to Boise, and I'm not paying for tickets either. I may not even vote for him for Governor. He's basically broke and just wants the job because it pays more than being a Representation to Congress.
Adopt a Labradoodle.
DeleteMight make a good dog.
DeleteExplaining Quirk:
ReplyDeletehttps://sites.psu.edu/conspiracytheories/files/2017/02/mk-ultra-14we8hk.jpg
You know, you might be onto something there.
DeleteThat strap may be putting to much pressure on his noggin.
This could easily interfere with the information flows in his noggin, resulting in the delightful madness he displays every day.
If the strap were loosened just a little perhaps the information flows would gradually return to something resembling normal noggin information flows.
The upside is he might slowly being to make some sense.
The downside is he might not be nearly so interesting and entertaining.
Having considered this carefully I think the strap ought to be left as it is.
I don't mind his delightful madness, it's a nice change of pace, and we shouldn't rule out the possibility that loosening the strap might have some unsuspected deleterious outcome.
The old medical slogan is: First, be certain one is doing no harm.
We should stick with that.
He is not a lab rat to be experimented on, after all.
Richard Helms disagrees.
DeleteWell, if anyone is going to experiment on Quirk, it should be us, his friends.
DeletePentagon Mysterious UFO Program...
ReplyDeleteNavy Jet Encounters Unknown Object...
Operated Like Nothing Seen Before....DRUDGE
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/unidentified-flying-object-navy.html?mtrref=www.drudgereport.com&gwh=4E1D535643E44B868779BEEBB6817116&gwt=pay
It's possible it's Quirk in his 'Q's'Ultra-Light UFO Tracker
He often takes flight, he tells me, when he has 'those damned head pressures'.
Never had any idea what he was talking about until now.
He says doing loops and swoops 'upstairs' makes his noggin clear.
The revelation of the program could give a credibility boost to UFO theorists, who have long pointed to public accounts by military pilots and others describing phenomena that defy obvious explanation, and could fuel demands for increased transparency about the scope and findings of the Pentagon effort, which focused some of its inquiries into sci-fi sounding concepts like "wormholes" and "warp drives." The program also drafted a series of what the office referred to as "queried unverified event under evaluation," QUEU reports, in which pilots and other personnel who had reported encounters were interviewed about their experiences.
DeleteWorm holes and warp drives sounds exactly like the aerobatics Q was performing to clear his noggin, which Quirk described as loops and swoops !
This is all starting to make sense.
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DeleteGood. Likely, your treatments are starting to work.
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I hope so.
DeleteIf I find myself failing in treating you I am bringing in an outside expert I know who deals in problems just such as yours.
You shouldn't have to go looping and swooping all the time just to clear your noggin.
That's no way to live.
There must be an easier way.
CNS she calls it - Clogged Noggin Syndrome.
DeleteAlways lookin' out for you.
LONG SUPPRESSED SECRET NAVY VIDEO OF QUIRK LOOPING AND SWOOPING FINALLY MADE PUBLIC
DeleteNavy Pilots Encountered Strange Object That Was Faster Than An F/A-18 (Update: Video Added)
JOHN SEXTONPosted at 2:31 pm on December 16, 2017
Maybe you clicked on this story thinking this was going to be some goofy Star Wars parody or a video published by Art Bell as proof the greys are taking over the planet. But, no, this was published today in the NY Times which, one hopes, is not part of a viral marketing campaign for the new season of X-Files.
The story involves two Navy fighter pilots on a “routine training mission” off the coast of San Diego back in 2004. Cmdr. David Fravor and Lt. Cmdr. Jim Slaight were flying F/A-18F Super Hornets 100 miles off the coast when a radio operator on a Navy destroyer contacted them and asked them to check something out:
“Well, we’ve got a real-world vector for you,” the radio operator said, according to Commander Fravor. For two weeks, the operator said, the Princeton had been tracking mysterious aircraft. The objects appeared suddenly at 80,000 feet, and then hurtled toward the sea, eventually stopping at 20,000 feet and hovering. Then they either dropped out of radar range or shot straight back up.
The two fighter pilots were told to investigate. As they arrived at the area in question, they didn’t see anything at first and there was nothing showing on their radar. Then they noticed something odd happening at sea level:
It was calm that day, but the waves were breaking over something that was just below the surface. Whatever it was, it was big enough to cause the sea to churn.
Hovering 50 feet above the churn was an aircraft of some kind — whitish — that was around 40 feet long and oval in shape. The craft was jumping around erratically, staying over the wave disturbance but not moving in any specific direction, Commander Fravor said. The disturbance looked like frothy waves and foam, as if the water were boiling.....
https://hotair.com/archives/2017/12/16/video-navy-pilots-encountered-strange-object-faster-fa-18/
Even Harry Reid was on the case.
DeleteTRUMP LAWYER: Mueller improperly obtained transition docs...
ReplyDelete'Tens of thousands' of emails...
SHOWDOWN...
Special counsel fired before Christmas?....DRUDGE
Judge Jeanine Pirro the Divine is demanding tonight that all this crap be swept out into the alley.
She is calling Mueller & Company a crime family.
"The FBI is a crime family"
"Cardinal Jim Comey"
"The evidence is there, the motive disclosed"
"Do we have the fortitude to not just fire these people but take them out in cuffs ?"
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is proving himself to be hero in all this.
Delete"Rod Rosenstein looked at a deer frozen in headlights"
DeleteJudge Jeanine
I love it when Judge Jeanine starts talking about taking them out in cuffs !
DeleteShe has Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch on right now.....
ReplyDeleteFitton
DeleteFitton
ReplyDelete