Pundits

Pundits probably know less than anyone about everything. So why acknowledge their ignorance as anything else?

Why do something

...when you can do nothing and get the same results?

Imcompetent?

Corruption and incompetence may straddle a fine line: "Which are you, incompetent or just corrupt?"

(And yes, C., the misspelling was on purpose.)

Seldom Defeat

Defeat is seldom more assured than when self-inflicted. But then what of martyrdom?

Is It Art?

Russia’s Propaganda Trolls become a power in cyberspace:

With the exposure of the Internet Research Center, it also appears that Russia is drawing on disinformation techniques used during the Soviet Union. One Russian propaganda scholar has referred to it as less of an information war as much as a war on information (“A Russian TV Insider Describes a Modern Propaganda Machine“). 

Regardless of the view, such activities have been successful in helping to oust governments or influence public behavior. This should be very telling, especially considering ongoing efforts between the two governments to try to gain mutual understanding on cyber security issues. One area that highlights this challenge is how security should be addressed in cyberspace.

Yes, but is it art?  If it is not art, how really effective is it?

Also, is the above an example of how writing about propaganda is (always) itself propaganda?

Maybe?

If alienation is a normal response to civilization and society, is it still alienation?

FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States

FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States:

Praise Allah, for soon every American city shall be plagued with disaster and hardship,” al-Zawahiri said in the video, which includes several minutes of footage of young, masked al-Qaeda militants casually sipping beverages as they thumb through the latest issues of Time and U.S. News And World Report. “The infidels have brought this pain and destruction upon themselves through their arrogance and callousness. Soon, the United States will watch in horror as its bridges crumble, its desperate citizens suffer in want of medicine and paying employment, and its once vast riches are reduced to naught. The righteous warriors among our ranks must now unite, get comfortable, and look on from afar at the calamity unfolding in the West.”

“We vow that we will not cease sitting around and laughing it up until America is reduced to rubble,” he continued.

We have met the enemy, and it is us.

2 Questions:

• Why is The Onion now a source of real commentary?
• Why is no one else saying the obvious?

What have you done for me lately?

i. Recent success provides excellent cover for past failures.
ii. Future failures lesson the significance of past sucesses.
iii.  What have you done for me lately?

Why the Outrage?

Why the outrage over something already known?

Say Stuff

The insecure, the stupid and politicians always seem to feel a need to "say stuff" for its own sake. Which one are you?

Change

Even though it occurred through their entire life, why are the old surprised by change?

Looking Over

Looking over ones shoulder whilst running increases the risk of tripping or running into something.  Why is abstract thought less likely to remember this caution?

What's More Important?

Is college or an education more important?

(See Link.)

Youth Are Getting Screwed

..and they know it.  The Twentieth Century is long over.  How long before the dinosaurs realize their stupid geezer hippie/conservative crap is not going to fly with this generation,and therefore has no future?

Values

Values are not universal.

(Ask why this even needs to be stated?)

Facts

If one is not entitled to one's own facts, then are we really free?

Buy Nothing

Is a campaign to buy nothing a form of advertising?

Ideological Crisis

John Robb is absolutely correct that capitalism is facing an ideological crisis similar to that which resulted in the collapse of communism 20 years ago.  Although culturally speaking, capitalism as a means of economic exchange is probably not going anywhere (just as authoritarianism in Russia), it's ideological basis is under assault as confidence in its resultant system erodes.  In addition, governments (to varying degree) have been "hollowed out" by globalism, so there is really nothing left to step up to fill its place.  The only recourse is to switch one's orientation to "primary loyalties" as described by William S. Lind in his past writings.  In the West, much like other parts of the world, the result will be division into smaller entities than the current nation-state arrangement.  The question is how small will it go?

Financial Crisis II Electric Boogaloo (Part 2)

Punked World. Punked out for the banks. Well, for a change, at least it's not just the US that is FUBAR. As far as the Author's question concerning the lack of a progressive tea party, here are two response questions and answers:

Q: What the hell is a "progressive" anyway? 

A: A Chump who voted for Obama (and not because they thought he was the lesser of two evils).  Why would anyone follow such a useless lead?

Q: Who cares about preserving this stinking mess other than a bunch of honky geezers? 

A: (See #1.)

Neither the Tea Party or "Progressives" speak for most Americans.  Only the MSM and/or alternative media would espouse otherwise. See also Barack Obama VS Those Craaaazy Republicans: Is He the Lesser Evil, or the More Effective Evil (via Naked Capitalism).

Chris Hedges seems to think wasting time with occupying Wall Street means something.  (He obviously spends too much time in NYC.)  It's too far gone for that.  (Where were these people in 2008?  Probably, hoping the biggest looser since Millard Filmore would come riding to their rescue.)

Europe Stews on Greece, and Markets Sweat Out the Wait. Riding to the rescue with funny money. Why anyone would take a "rescue" seriously is amazing.

Saving the Rich, Losing the Economy.  Policy makers care about their class and nothing more.

World's economic crisis 'worse than bank crash'.  Some have a clue, but too little, too late.

Ciphers

Regarding Ciphers:

In the parlance of communications intelligence, a cipher is a secret message deliberately encoded to mislead unintended recipients.

[...]

Ciphers are often used to disguise messages encoded to mislead virtually everyone, whether they be citizens, consumers, stockholders, employees, voters, viewers, readers, Internet junkies, students, patients, or parishioners. They are a sophisticated form of lying and deceit—one of the most important instruments of mass manipulation and social control in our culture. A person, such as a political leader, who transmits misleading messages is also a cipher.

[...]

To some ciphers are world-class bloodsuckers who exploit our vulnerability and our inability to cope with the human condition. Ciphers tell us what to believe, how to live, how to raise our kids, how to work, how to play, how to make love, and how to die. From them we also learn what to buy, how much to pay for it, and when to replace it, as well as where we will work, how much we will be paid, and what working conditions will be like. We call this “freedom.

Cipher is also a synonym for zero, indicating a value of naught, symbolizing nothingness and a hint of nihilism. It can refer to a person or a thing of no importance, a nonentity. Ciphers stand for nothing. Thus a person, a place, a thing, an idea, or a message may be a cipher. But in our culture, some of the most important ciphers are politicians, TV advertisers, the Internet, text messages and money.

True freedom is not believing zero.  How many of us are really free?