New Show: MindMatters (RIP Truth Perspective)

MindMatters: The Rise of Homo Americanus with Zbigniew Janowski

Re the show.

Interesting discussion, including "smoking to defy reality" ;-) and various other humorous moments among more serious ones.

There was a moment (Elan was speaking) regarding things that change (events such as George Floyd was one such), with the hint of agenda, which caused Janowsky to consider the social nuances around it - can't remember what he said exactly, something along the lines that it just happens. Suppose that is true, too, what happens takes on its own social momentum, however 'what happens' can just as quickly become capital for those who can see its use and maneuver to exploit it through an agreeable press, that then helps to normalize it. Could not help to think at the time of this discussion of that Karl Rove quote:

While you are studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors, and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.
which comes back to agendas.

Overall, there were many things presented in the talk of interest (art and museums - that was good); a talk that I might need to see again, so thank you guys!

PS. Elan, re the discussion with Zbigniew on your old philosophy professor, Nicholas Capaldi (small world), wherein from the site you guys linked on the show notes, there is an interview between Janowski and Nicholas (Mills is brought up):

The Death of Liberalism? An Interview With Nicholas Capaldi​


This month we are so very pleased and honored to present this interview with the renowned philosopher, Nicholas Capaldi, who is the Legendre-Soule Distinguished professor at Loyola University, New Orleans, USA. He is interviewed by Dr. Zbigniew Janowski, who himself is a philosopher and author of several important books and is currently working on a collection of articles, entitled, Gods Will Have Blood: Rise of Totalitarianism in America.

The rest can be read here.

So I'm thinking about the change atom bombs made to the world and the one we are witnessing these days: PC, gender madness, tribalism / crowd thinking (read some old good Everett Dean Martin on behavior of crowds - it's SJWs to a tee!), etc., even vaxxocracy, and I think that all that can go away sooner or later, if not entirely than just becoming marginal. But nothing is going to remove the atom bombs from this reality - that was the change. So maybe what's going on now is not that hopeless as we tend to fear.
Yes, possibly - or rather inevitably things will change as history shows. It may take a few generations, or perhaps quicker if given right thought a speedy incubation (perhaps some kind of new shock to awaken the masses) that might provide reorientation back to a renewal in the interest of combined knowledge and reason that has been misplaced.
 
MindMatters: How Did We Get Here? The Atrophy of Liberalism in the West, with Nicholas Capaldi

Will try this again.

That was a delightful talk. Appreciated it Elan, Harrison and Adam.

Loved how Nicholas described his post supervisor direction to the sociology class, which was full, resulting in his attending philosophy lead by professor William Fontaine (he also spoke of Sidney Hook). Glad the former class was full or this MindMattters conversation might not have happened at all.

Nicholas talked of the historical higher education vs what can be seen now as 'longer' education. The former being that not many today would meet the criteria of what it meant to attain the first distinction, and he makes the case for this distinction. Moreover, the former leans to those who have aspired to "deeper commitments" to help sustain higher moral virtues - now lost. Today, though, longer education looks to sustaining attendance that he also discusses as a way of solving social problems - a big mistake. The structures in place have gone on to silence any decent of what used to be open discourse (silencing represented by most all university settings). Can't have openness today as people can see.

Later, this came about in discussion of dangerous structures (talking about social problems), wherein the search was on for hidden structures in social conditions (sciences) that do not exist, unlike where hidden physical sciences makes observations and test by experimentation. Whole institutions now are dedicated to these phantom social hidden structures (much more was said on this).

At one point, Nick brought up the recognition within self, of ones self-destructiveness (writ large as a society too), and the ability to look and recognize. There was a little of an unsaid G in this brief talk, osit. Then Nick further looks to the "fix everything" people, with examples (he made a quick one on emptying prisons to make it look like society had evolved) and how this has more or less enveloped society now. This reminded me of when economist highlight GDP as a measure of a healthy economic society, which they also tend to paint as an overall measure of society's wellbeing. People can feel good after hearing the numbers. However the GDP clappers know full well, or should, that a great many negative things that happen in society (pollution, crime (begetting more lawyers, judges and prisons), poverty (more government structures), negative Health (as we can see today), and of course the war machine et cetera) all raise GDP.

Elan, don't be too embarrassed with your in-class exam lateness, as that was a great exchange memory from 30-years ago.

At the shows end, exploring reading groups sounded really great.

Nice interview guys, and a really nice man to interview.
 
Hi Guys

Can I make a strong request that you consider interviewing NYU's prof Mark Crispin Miller, a renowned expert on propaganda. He has a range of published books but none of late - but has been highly vocal - and to my mind quite brilliant - on how propaganda has been taken to a new level of mind control in these dark days. I posted three outstanding talks he did here linking through from 1963 to today. I have his email but you should also be able to find easily via his NYU page. :cool2::-D
 
Hi Guys

Can I make a strong request that you consider interviewing NYU's prof Mark Crispin Miller, a renowned expert on propaganda. He has a range of published books but none of late - but has been highly vocal - and to my mind quite brilliant - on how propaganda has been taken to a new level of mind control in these dark days. I posted three outstanding talks he did here linking through from 1963 to today. I have his email but you should also be able to find easily via his NYU page. :cool2::-D

Just took a look at his first video that you posted in the corona thread and oh man what an intro. We'll definitely have to try and get him on the show. Thanks for the suggestion and for posting his videos!
 
Just took a look at his first video that you posted in the corona thread and oh man what an intro. We'll definitely have to try and get him on the show. Thanks for the suggestion and for posting his videos!
Fantastic A Jay. Do watch all three - they are worth every minute. The third is a stormer. I love one of his opening lines to it:

One definition of Conspiracy Theory that I favor is - something that if true, you couldn't handle it...!
 
Just took a look at his first video that you posted in the corona thread and oh man what an intro. We'll definitely have to try and get him on the show. Thanks for the suggestion and for posting his videos!

Just wanted to second Michael's suggestion, I've recently listened to a lengthier podcast with him and I'm sure he would fit perfectly on the show and that you would have plenty of things to talk about.
 
Can I make a strong request that you consider interviewing NYU's prof Mark Crispin Miller, a renowned expert on propaganda.
Watched one of the interviews you linked to over on the covid thread. Very good.

Mark plays out a scene with Biden's speech for vaccines for Americans, and not sure if you noticed that in the background was playing the Masked Ball from the film Eyes Wide Shut by Jocelyn Pook. Creepy, to go with the man.

Miller says a number of times:

“One definition of conspiracy theory that I favour is something, if true, you couldn’t handle it.

That is what a conspiracy theory is.”

Thanks for the suggestion, think it would, if possible, be an interesting interview indeed.
 
Fantastic A Jay. Do watch all three - they are worth every minute. The third is a stormer. I love one of his opening lines to it:
Just finished watching the 3rd. This man is so fluent and a pleasure to watch. No stumbling or searching for words The examples he draws down from recent history demonstrates the slow rot very clearly.

Not to be ageist but at 70 he packs a punch. Two descriptions he gives stuck with me.
That people have a sentimental view of Executive Power. and the PTB have "virtue" on their side.
Thanks Micheal B-C, a great watch.
 
Hi Guys

Can I make a strong request that you consider interviewing NYU's prof Mark Crispin Miller, a renowned expert on propaganda. He has a range of published books but none of late - but has been highly vocal - and to my mind quite brilliant - on how propaganda has been taken to a new level of mind control in these dark days. I posted three outstanding talks he did here linking through from 1963 to today. I have his email but you should also be able to find easily via his NYU page. :cool2::-D
Watched the first two videos plus a lengthy interview he did on Bellingcat's podcast. Imo, the man is brilliant and knows what he's talking about. MindMatters should definitely do an interview with him.
 
Thanks for the show.

I especially like the discussion of death. One of the crappola concepts we are living under in this society is Death = Bad = be afraid! Being encouraged to reduce your life’s risks, and take pharmaceuticals, just so that one can waste away in a home incoherent, lonely and drooling. Better to risk life’s adventures, not load up on life extending drugs (within reason) and die a “timely death”

I think it was Pliny the elder that said (paraphrasing) one of the best gifts the universe can give you is a timely death. I’ve always interpreted that as: To die too young in the prime of life, family, life’s projects and so forth is not timely. To live past your usefulness, interest, goals and become derange and a burden to friends and family is also not timely. It’s the quality of life not the quantity that matters, is another statemen that comes to mind.

Someone I have read recently said history can not be well examined until after its body has decomposed. It is the skeleton we examine. Meaning, the people that were vested in manipulating it, and those that had to live through it, have to passed away, and perhaps and generation or two more. As they are too much invested. I think the same thing could be said of any humor in tragedy. Example: When Monty Python did the sketch about the plague “bring out your dead” I don’t know anyone that doesn’t laugh at that. But make a similar sketch about the WW II atrocities and boom! You’re going down. And I would have to say going down for the right reasons. Here we are, some 70 years later, and in some respects, still living through it.

Thanks again
 
Ditto:lol:Great show guys. Lots of meaningful content with an ironic and humorous twist. Lots to think about. And as for death, well, it's there, waiting for each and everyone of us, a transition into a greater reality. Might as well accept it and get on with this adventure called life. And what an adventure it is.:wow:
As for the clownish Klaus Shwab and his elite. Zap him and Bill Gates, Fauci, all the rest of that criminal cabal, with the truth ray gun. We're on to their evil machinations.:phaser:

Keep 'em coming!:rockon::cool::cool2:
 
Spent a portion of Saturday morning with the latest MM show, which is always a welcoming time::


Thanks to your repeated guest, Alan, and for you both leading the talk. It was a good reminder on some different G matters, with expanded discussion that meshes with our times.

Indeed, watch the hornet nest(s), and one's self among them.
 
The show above spends some time looking at 'fear' in terms of how it is understood (variable) and the Work; awareness, intuition, tension, relaxation etc., yet not denial as this gets people ever time, like going to sleep as can be seen in society today on steroids, with its opposite being awake. In this sense, being awake to the senses and surroundings of reality in all that this means.

The talk in one place reminded me of the Gift of Fear (book), by Gavin de Becker, mentioned in other posts. Here is a YT talk that de Becker gives on the subject, and there is crossover to what was discussed on the show with Alan.

De Beckers said, "there is nothing that will get you into the 'now' more than fear. And that is a truth that is widely abused by the news media. Because the news media is feeding out intuition that actually is false, frequently, meaning things that are not dangerous to us..."

Well, we have had a big dose of that recently.

Gaving de Becker, the author of The Gift of Fear came to St. Francis College September 17, 2013 to talk about Intuition, Denial and how it impacts on our Survival.
 
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