Yesterday I got to get off the best “been there, done that” moments in my entire LIFE.
While in Boston, Massachusetts, I took a stroll across the cold stones of Copp’s Hill Burying Ground – the site that inspired Howard Philips Lovecraft’s “Pickman’s Model”. I could almost sense the ghouls scurrying in those ancient tunnels, buried deep underneath my feet. I could almost see their blasphemous silhouettes emerging from the myst.
Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here
This experience (part of “Ghosts and gravestones tour”- highly recommended!) was supposed to make you feel a bit anxious, maybe even scared. I don’t know about that. I was too busy not trying to piss myself, out of the sheer joy and excitement – quoting one of my colleagues `I was like a kid in a candy shop”.
After all, how often do you get to walk the same forbidden paths your favorite writer did?It all left me speechless, so I leave the final remark to the Master:
“There’s no use in my trying to tell you what they were like, because the awful, the blasphemous horror, and the unbelievable loathsomeness and moral foetor came from simple touches quite beyond the power of words to classify. There was none of the exotic technique you see in Sidney Sime, none of the trans-Saturnian landscapes and lunar fungi that Clark Ashton Smith uses to freeze the blood. The backgrounds were mostly old churchyards, deep woods, cliffs by the sea, brick tunnels, ancient panelled rooms, or simple vaults of masonry. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, which could not be many blocks away from this very house, was a favourite scene.”
It’s a rare thing that you can see raw, honest emotions both in interviewee and the interviewed. Yet, in one of more recent Jordan Peterson’s podcasts you can see tears, sadness, and by no doubt, you will know that they come from the deep heart. (Unlike some other unfortunately much more viral interviews, like the one with one royal couple…).
I stumbled recently on Yeonmi Park’s story and I can’t get it out of my head.
It’s not just about North Korea. It’s not just about the other villain, the silent supporter of the regime – Peoples Republic of China. This story is not just about those “far away lands” which we think do not concern us. This story is also about West,
It is about the state of humanity. It is about the struggle between good and evil, freedom versus totalitarianism, courage versus cowardice, sacrifice versus indifference.
It’s also a story of hope. And something I personally can relate to – the life changing power of books.
If you haven’t seen it yet – go grab some coffee, put your headphones on and invest those 2 hours of your life in hearing Yeonmi’s story.
It might change you, or change your perception at least a bit. And hopefely you will be able to read the dire warning.
Do not take you freedom for granted – wherever you are.
Jordan B. Peterson’s books are at the top of my shelf, just next to G.K Chesterton and C.S Lewis.
They call him controversial. They call him dangerous. Mainstream press (or should say “presstytutes”?) line up in forming all kinds of tactics aimed at discrediting him.
They really don’t like what he has to say.
And the reason is simple.
That’s because we already reached the times of which Orwell spoke in his famous quote:
“The further a societydrifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.”
Dr. Peterson’s “12 rules for life” is a treasure chest of great lessons. Some are new and some are the ones, we always knew yet needed to be reminded of.
I could write long essays on how they resonate with me & how they helped me in some of the toughest moments of my life. But that’s story for another time.
There is one common theme, that is at the core of Jordan B. Peterson’s writings.
His relentless pursuit of the Truth.
Since writing my thesis (more than a decade ago) on methods of influence and manipulation and their ethical aspect, this is the theme that I can relate to on deeply personal level.
So for those of you who do not know Peterson’s writings really well I highly recommend that you disregard everything you heard about him in media, just grab his “12 lessons for life” and start reading it.
But for start if you are not up for such a big leap, a brand new opportunity has arrived. Official channel of Jordan B. Peterson just posted a well animated video which illustrates some of his essential ideas.
The animations are brilliant and on the point, much like Dr. Peterson’s lectures themselves.
I would not recommend to treat the video as a ‘ersatz’ to the proper thing which are his books.
But surely it is a great, short & crisp introduction to what he has to say.
And to start understanding why it is so damn important.
In their recent efforts of promoting so called “inclusion” one of the major cartoon TV published a graphic on their social networks, targeted at children, which was encouraging the use of “gender non-conforming pronouns” (hope, I got it right…).
So… Rejoice Fellow Citizen, your TV channel is now teaching Newspeak to your kids! Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984 are not knocking at your door anymore, they have already stormed your house with their muddy boots and making themselves comfortable on your couch.
Apparently language matters. And the proponents of the great cultural revolution perfectly know that, after all they are all good Marxist scholars.
Once you hijack the language you can pave the way to people’s minds and souls.
If I can bend society around me and all my social interactions, so that they subdue to my subjective view of reality then indeed the possibilities are limitless. I can be anything. Anything, in that amorphous, pudding-like mass of conforming jelly (non-conforming to gender, resisting supremacies yet so obedient in whatever the corporations are telling them) that our society becomes.
And so… I can’t help but wonder.
Who is really driven by hate here?
People, who refuse acknowledging something that just plays whack-a-mole with their inherent sense of Truth? Or people, who despise the Truth so much that they are expecting everyone around them to participate in their lie?
Who is really trying to impose their worldview and not being ‘inclusive’ enough?
People who denounce the right of others to ‘self-identify’? Or rather those who deny the others the right to objectively observe & name reality for what it is?
If you think 2020 wasn’t awkward enough, here comes an eerie, symbolical scene for its ending. A babushka style Mary and Joseph, (ancient?) astronaut, an Uruk-Hai warrior (seriously!), and an angel that looks like taken from a Starbucks logo.
Source: vaticannews.va
It is not an avangard street art, from a squat. Nope, its this years Nativity Scene revealed few days ago in front of St. Peters Basilica in Vatican. If this is the way that Holy See wants to sum up the weirdness of what we all experienced in 2020 then I guess they achieved their goal.
One might say; this is just art. A creative interpretation, a step beyond the trivial depiction of what we all already know. Yet, if art is to instil in us specific emotions – then why is that it does not bring the joy that should be associated with Christmas. Instead… the feeling I get when looking at these sculptures is something that I would describe as a mix of amusement and uneasiness. It just feels off.
Particularly, that astronaut, that seems to be copy pasted from some fringe historians stories about ancient aliens. If you look closely you will see that its holding something in its hands… is it a gift?
As Catholic, I do believe that symbols are meaningful. So I wonder; is this just a artistic flop or a well thought, obscured preview of a things to come?
It seems we are living in interesting times, indeed. We are seeing a global shift. Wheels have been put into motion.
The Great Reset is nigh.
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum described it like this;
“The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future.”
That future is being decided, as it seems above the head of a common man. The governments and big corporations, are putting their hands together in a tight grip to secure peace and prosperity.
What do these new plans for The Great Reset mean, exactly?
Well for one, a shift to a so called “stakeholder capitalism” where private corporations play the role of “trustees of society” and directly or indirectly influence the way the economy is shaped as well as the some of the laws.
In theory, this means that all the big players, governments and major private organisations come together to tackle global challenges such as social, environmental issues or, you got it… the pandemic.
But what that could mean in practice?
It could mean further acceleration of the trends we are seeing today.
Globalisation, higher taxation, invigilation, more rules to follow (such as climate/diversity/inclusion) which only big players can abide in order to stay afloat. More barriers and obstacles for small and medium size business, which not only have to deal with a post-Covid impact but also higher taxes (which big players can avoid more easily) and an additional set of requirements with regards to policies/infrastructure etc. enforced by them via legislature.
So in short – when big boys/girls get together (even if in theory for the”greater good”) then there might not be any space left for the little ones.
So fellow Citizens… erm… rejoice?
Some are pointing out, that such a merger of state and business, is always a murky water (as history shows).
Others warn of neo-feudalism and there are those who see it as a paving road to… you got it New World Order.
And I do mean here some backwater, foil hatter from demonetised YouTube channel – but a renown dignitaries such as Archbishop Vigano (former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States).
In his recent letter to President Donald Trump, Vigano writes a dire warning of a things to come, if the globalist agenda continues in it’s current form.
“The purpose of the Great Reset is the imposition of a health dictatorship aiming at the imposition of liberticidal measures, hidden behind tempting promises of ensuring a universal income and cancelling individual debt. The price of these concessions from the International Monetary Fund will be the renunciation of private property and adherence to a program of vaccination against Covid-19 and Covid-21 promoted by Bill Gates with the collaboration of the main pharmaceutical groups. Beyond the enormous economic interests that motivate the promoters of the Great Reset, the imposition of the vaccination will be accompanied by the requirement of a health passport and a digital ID, with the consequent contact tracing of the population of the entire world”
The loudest proponents of “inclusion” and “diversity”, are pushing the society away from liberty and towards more & more obvious totalitarianism. Big players in media, politics, tech and commerce have hijacked the public discourse (including universities) and are weeding out everything which deviates from mainstream narration with methods that have nothing to do with civilised debate. Some ideas, even if scientifically proven or statistically backed are labeled as unacceptable, fascist in other words “heretical”. It is not only that you are not allowed to voice your opinion anymore, – often you are not even allowed to ask questions.
Moreover, it is not only opinions & ideas that are labeled, but more often than not, individuals who dare to express them. People are slandered, ostracised and attacked for merely standing out in their worldview.
In times where memes and emotions, replaced arguments and facts, it is easy to spin the debate out of control. As Jordan Peterson (featured in the documentary) observes” The consequence that you are not talking is that you fight”.
These thoughts and warnings have been brilliantly captured through series of interviews and discussions in a new movie by Marijn Poels; Paradogma.
As Norbert Bolz, one of the professors featured in the movie ironically observes:
“Free thoughts supported people in informing themselves, so that they can form their own opinions and think independently. Right now it is assumed that people are no longer adults. Thank God we have responsible journalists and politicians that lead us in the right direction”
Liberty needs heretics so that out of the stir, out of the clash of the ideas the Truth can emerge. Because the Truth does not need to be protected from the lies by force, It stands for Itself . But surely, lies need brute force to be protected from the Truth.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
George Orwell
If you are watching the news, rubbing your head wondering if it is just you or rather the whole world went nuts, then welcome in the club. You are not alone. Fortunately, there are a few others, some brilliant minds, that not only have the ability to see dangerous paradigm shifts plaguing our society, but also have the courage to speak against them. Their voices are a breeze of freedom and encouragement to all those, who like me might feel overwhelmed by the madness oozing from the mainstream media narration. Hear them out while you still can.
1. John Cleese
Who would think we will be living in times where Monty Python would become a stronghold of reason and common sense. Yet here we are.
So yeah, you read that right; this list is starting not with a philosopher, but with a creator of probably most famous comedy troupe in modern history; John Cleese.
“If people cant control their own emotions, then they are going to start controlling other peoples’ behaviour.”
These few short words on PC & the destruction of comedy, and the bare fact from whom they are coming from, depict in what scary world we arrived at.
2. Sam Harris
Really now? I am a Catholic and I recommend… Sam Harris to you? Yeah, Sam Harris is an outspoken atheist and probably we would disagree on a few matters. That doesn’t mean I that I don’t wholeheartedly agree with him, whenever he brings reason & common sense, to a conversation which had drifted far off from rationality. He shared some great thoughts on neuroscience and rise of AI. But also on recent events, which shows his courage. In times, where media are oozing at us with emotional blackmail he dares to speak the following;
“ This feeling of not-liking, of outrage, of disgust (..) this feeling isn’t an argument. This feeling shouldn’t be the basis for your belief for anything to be true or false about this world. Your capacity to be offended is not something that I or anyone else needs to respect. It isn’t something that you should respect. It is rather something you should be on your guard for. “
3. Douglas Murray
Speaking of times of madness, this list would not be complete without the Author of “Madness of Crowds” one of the two books which broke the veil of silence, and provided one of the very few neutral & fact based accounts on a raging trends that are reshaping our society.
Douglas Murray is a bestselling author & journalist, who unlike his peers from mass media has done his homework and is not afraid to pick up on subjects which are getting dangerously close to becoming taboo in the mainstream narration. Here is one of the interviews with him, where he delves into the consequences of identity politics.
4. Taylor Marshall
Being a Catholic, I wouldn’t be also myself if I wouldn’t smuggle into the list a strong voice of the Church. But hey, he is not a priest! One might say.
Well Church is also laity, and their voices like the one of Taylor Marshall need to be heard. In his podcast, Taylor Marshall is not afraid to touch topics which are difficult; both for secular and a Catholic world. He dares to speak the uncomfortable truth, while many representatives of the clergy remain comfortably silent.
He gives another perspective, the one that comes of deep understanding of the Christian roots of Western civilisation (same civilisation that gave us science, morals, and the bare concept of objective truth, nothing big, right?). Perspective that sometimes might feel shocking only because we have drifted so far away from those roots.
5. Jordan B. Peterson
“The game of dividing human beings by their group identity ends in disaster, no matter who plays that game.”
I would like to close the list with someone whom I personally consider as one of the most influential thinkers of modern times and a one-man stronghold against the forces of darkness (yeah, not kidding here). The occurring theme of his bestselling book “12 rules for life”, articles, lectures is the one of the constant struggle of forces of chaos and order.
And what we are seeing right now, is raging chaos, that starts to take hold of our culture, society, universities (and what comes with it; science) even our language.
Jordan Peterson has a gift of precisely articulating thoughts, forming them into words that are like sword cutting through that garbage of miasmatic newspeak that hijacked public discourse.
If you haven’t heard of him yet – just do yourself a favour and google one of his interviews or lectures. Here is a rare one , which is more on a funny, laid back note.
I admit that, I tend to overreact a bit when I accidentally see the news. Or when I look at those herds of good natured people blindly following (again) some trendy trend on social media, changing their profile pics into all colours of rainbow (including the newest addition: pitch black).
I can’t help but to draw conclusions which are usually, vastly different from what the mainstream is telling us. As a result, some people (not to say most of them) find me in a striking similarity to that nice guy from “Pacific Rim”, who has been immortalised in the famous meme you can see below…
But you see, there is reason for my specific stance. And I tend to believe it is a good one.
The Author of this blog casually explaining over a coffee, the real message behind mainstream media broadcast. Credit: Warner Bros.
Long time ago, I wrote master thesis on the methods of influence and manipulation of masses, the ethics (or lack of thereof) behind them, their genesis, their philosophical and psychological basis. I had a privilege of having a tutor who is a specialist in Greek philosophy.
And so what was an unavoidable consequence under such guidance, was the necessity for me to confront such abstract concepts as the morals, the good, the evil and the truth.
I delved into mechanisms of controlling masses and how they evolved across the ages. I read through classics like Le Bonn’s “Psychology of crowds”, Machiavelli’s “Prince”, Sun Tzu’s “The art of war”, Schopenhauer’s “Eristics” and Plato’s “Gorgias” to name just a few. I never suspected that, It would be such a captivating research and that it would leave me a different man, quite literally. Firstly it taught me to respect the Truth. Secondly, it left me with a bit of a burden on my perception.
Never again watching daily news channel, reading newspaper or online magazine was the same experience. I started seeing patterns.
And I see them now.
There is a battlefield, where not tools of mass destruction but tools of mass manipulation are unleashed. And we are all in their range.
Divide et impera. People divided are easier to be controlled. Order through chaos. Create a problem so that you can propose a solution. Capitalise on the never-ending fight between the haves and have-nots. Feed the conflict, justify violence, label ideological enemies. Victimise certain “classes” so that they can revolt and overthrow the “oppressors”. Shift the paradigm, redefine the values, so that from the ashes of the old world order a New one can arise. Replace traditionally established institutions with a “more modern” ones, change language, radicalise relationships in the society, drive people to be in constant conflict with each other.
I can’t help but notice that all those tools and mechanism are set in motion to lead us… exactly, where?
This is a fertile ground for a whole range of articles which I promise to deliver in the future.
But for now, let’s start with an appetiser.
If you would like to start getting better grasp of the events that are unfolding behind our very eyes and on our streets, you do not need to study through a library of ancient texts.
Start by watching a few videos (while they are still on YouTube that is…). You can get on to Plato later (assuming you haven’t yet).
So here is my recommendation for step one.
Yuri Bezmenov aka Tomas Schuman, KGB deflector teaching Westerners the methods of soft diversion used by Soviet Union. In other words; how to influence masses to push the state over the edge. This is a lecture from 1984, but don’t be mistaken. It is horrifyingly accurate in explaining what is happening in 2020.
I would say enjoy the video, but I can assure after watching it (if you haven’t done that before) it will leave you in a quite grim mood. Knowledge can be a burden. But if there is one thing I learned from my thesis, it’s the fact that naked truth is always better than a blissful ignorance. Stay tuned for the next episode.
Flame in the Schell 