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Trump's unprecedentedly goofy kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro appears more a temper tantrum on the part of a spoiled child than the act of a statesman. There is no particular reason to think that the new President, close Maduro ally, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, will be any more cooperative with the US than Maduro was. On the other hand, she is probably more intelligent than Maduro, being a highly trained and fairly successful finance minister, so, actually, Trump may have done the leftist Maduro regime a bit of a favor, by giving her more power, until international pressure forces the US to release Maduro. Nor is this likely to put any pressure on Cuba, since any supposed "blockade" of Venezuela will be largely unenforceable, and they can just ship the oil through Brazil, or other countries, in any case.
This "precision military operation" does not appear to have accomplished anything of value or signficance, at all. Other than irritating people, and further convincing the world of Trump's mental instability, that is. I guess some people might think that's a good thing, right?
It's quite clear that Maduro's "trial" -- if it ever actually occurs that is -- will be more of a trial for Donald Trump, than for Nicolas Maduro. International pressure will be brought to bear, all those involved may face retaliation from countries around the world, the blatant illegality of the operation will be brought to bear, the leftist regime in Venezuela will inevitably be involved. Any such "trial", again, if it ever occurs, will be far more of a circus than legal proceeding. Of course, we're rather used to that under Trump. Trump actually appears to be more interested in discrediting the justice system itself when he goes to court, than in achieving any particular objective within it, and, he usually loses, even when judges he himself has appointed are presiding in court!
Venezuela remains totally independent, intact, and inviolable, whatever Trump may say to the contrary, or attempt to imply with stunts like the Maduro kidnapping. Trump hasn't the forces, the support, the means, or the technology to actually defeat the Maduro regime. Stunts of this type are all he can achieve, and, he may be hoping more to distract Americans, or perhaps create a "rally around the flag" effect with them, than anything else. However, polling suggests that Americans have by this time learned to see through Trump's P.T. Barnum like stunts, and simply resent his attempts to distract them from reality itself.
What's the next step? With Trump, of course, one never knows, he is highly creative and extremely unpredictable, and prides himself on this fact. He may do nothing. He may do something. However, as with this act, he probably won't really do a great deal of any significance at all. He'll just talk a great deal about it, whatever he does, or, even if he does nothing whatsoever.
The real question is, how Americans will react to all this nonsense in November of the current year. Will they reward Trump for behaving like a spoiled brat, by keeping the GOP in power? Or, will Americans have had enough of Trump's tantrums and irrationality, and decide to throw the GOP out, and hope the Democrats will impeach and remove Trump and his entire cabinet, to really make America great again? While the polling moderately favors the Democrats, all analysts agree that the polls are broken. What is much more significant, is that Democrats have been massively outperforming the polls in recent elections, all over the country. And, that is why the GOP is getting very nervous these days.
They owed Rothschild money
Few ever ask, on who's terms?
This is a classic economic hit man thing.
Could be a factor. Probably is, actually.
I say cancel odious debt. Their debt was run up by an evil dictator? So why should the people of Venezuela pay for it?
And if people don't pay their debt to Rothschild, rothschild will be more wary about lending it to future countries. That'd be good cuz It always comes with strings attached. Woke stuff.
As always.
That's the way of the globalists' world.
World Economic Forum, International Monetary Fund, Bank for International Settlements, World Bank Group, etc., etc., etc.
Agreed, but, people want their money. And, it's not necessarily just Woke people, either.
If we are smart we get more countries interested in helping with this. The second best reason for this is it will make us look better and like we care about international cooperation instead of just doing whatever we want in any country. But the number one reason is it pulls in more people to be on the hook when it all goes south.
This is going to be expensive. If we stay we are going to find ourselve in another permenent nation building and insurgency war. This is going to cost 3 trillion.
Polymarket says we aren't going to invade:
https://polymarket.com/event/will-the-us-invade-venezuela-in-2025
But also that US troops have a decent chance of returning:
https://polymarket.com/event/us-forces-in-venezuela-again-by?tid=1767640643835
That's some odd hair splitting. It's just the way things go that you can't really attack someone, expect a change, and not be forced into invasion. It just never works out that way.
It looks like Khamenei now has non-trival odds of being deposed:
https://polymarket.com/event/khamenei-out-as-supreme-leader-of-iran-by-june-30-747?tid=1767640879911
And also some odds of hitting Colombia by the end of the year:
https://polymarket.com/event/us-strike-on-colombia-by-january-31?tid=1767641356167
Imagine the cost if we end up in multiple nation building attempts at once.
I think most people aren't really thinking through the military implications of invading Venezuela, which explains Polymarket's confusion. On the one hand, we have the fantasists who see the US military as invincible, despite the fact that we usually lose wars. These losses are rationalized as 'victories", one way or another, in order to maintain the "gold standard" of US military power. On the other hand, people are looking at history, and the size of South America, and realizing what a mess this would truly be, if systematically pursued.
Losses for the people of both sides.
Victories for the corporatocracy.
Otherwise they wouldn't do it.
You assume that these people are always rational, or, in any case, usually rational, Jason. I'm by no means convinced of that. In fact, I'm not really clear of the extent true, perfect rationality is possible. Sure, I'm sure these people at the "top" think they're winning, on their terms of interest, of course. But, are they, really? What are they "winning", exactly? Money, power, long life? Something else?
It's quite rational. The CIA (and other institutions like them) has two goals: 1) gain power (money, drugs, energy, influence, etc.) to gain more power, and 2) always have plausible deniability (even if it's a poor narrative). Found in "The CIA as Organized Crime: How Illegal Operations Corrupt America and the World" by Douglas Valentine - a great book for @x0x7.
Consistency and rationality aren't quite the same thing. The CIA is certainly consistent, usually in a rather nasty way, but, that does not necessarily mean they are entirely rational, by any means. Why do they want, what they want, and is it really clear that their own behavior isn't rather self-destructive, and often irrational?
Because you don't align with it doesn't make it irrational. People who believe in Gods, royalty, and government are IMO foolish, but they are rational from their perspective.
The West (USA, CIA, MI5, Mossad, banksters, etc) is a dog chasing a car. What will they do when they finally catch complete control? Maybe a junkie chasing the dragon is a better comparison.
OK. I think we're simply disputing semantics here, the definition of "rationality". To me, rationality means chasing a goal that is genuinely of value -- whatever that really means, of course -- rather than systematically pursuing something out of habits that may simply result in your own imminent destruction. In other words, it's very hard to really define "rationality" precisely.
And defined by who? The psychotic ruling class defines it.
Further, "Trump's invasion" is no mere flight of fancy. He's just the puppet figurehead. There are countless think tanks, councils, commissions, groups, banksters, industries, and NGOs of all sorts that certainly weigh in on global affairs. There is a rationale and there is a consensus - and they'll continue to tweak their views, strategies, and actions as events unfold.
Of course. But, since their goals are frequently meaningless, self-destructive and self-negating, what difference does it really make?
In your opinion.
I agree.
To those psychopaths, before they die they can live a life of comfort, decadence, and luxury while climbing their social ladders (trying to find meaning in it that we can't fathom), then leave what's left of their legacy to their psychopathic families.
They can be avoided, and ignored. Or, if need be, they can be destroyed, although they don't realize it.
Accurate description. All for propaganda's sake.
None of this matters. This event is much larger than the cult-of-personality and team-politics you're upset about. This is war of empire that affects millions, and perhaps the entire world.
Old Trump will be dead sooner or later, but this globalists-driven conflict's repercussions will ripple for centuries.
I made this meme 6 years ago.
Wrong.
If voting were effective, they'd make it illegal.
The real question is, how can we make people aware, inspire them to act, and effectively resist tyranny (from all sides) to secure freedom and prosperity?
I guess I'm a bit more of an anarchist/nihilist than you are, Jason. I'm not sure it's really clear what the right way to achieve freedom and prosperity is, or, indeed, if we actually really know very well when we truly are prosperous and free, in a meaningful sense. Given we can't always clearly even recognize the reality of these things, how can we strive to achieve them? So much of human existence, and certainly of human society is disinformation, that I don't know that we can even determine which way we should be going. It's all a game of blind man's bluff.
Trump is a fool, albeit a somewhat dangerous fool, in my humble opinion.
Hard to believe.
ALWAYS resist TPTB's tyranny, corruption, censorship, and unearned authority.
It's not that difficult to determine which way NOT to go. And, critically, do not over-correct with opposite extremism. Always be tuning for the balance that is required.
Trump is just the symptom of the corrupt matrix of rigged systems managed by the psychotic ruling class. The solution is to pull back the curtains. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
We need a new term.
Anarchist = no rulers.
We need no corrupt matrix of rigged systems, but concise.
I suppose we're essentially in agreement here, Jason. Which, actually doesn't surprise me too much, at all.
Can someone be an anarchist and an nihilist at the same time? Anarchism requires believing in something. That's certainly not nothing. I think Anarchism is more romantic rather than nihilist.
More precisely, is against believing in authority but believing in autonomy.
Depends on the example cases. A goth girl with black roses is more romantic than a crazy bomb-throwing anarchist of the 1900s.
I prefer existentialism (is what it is, make meaning where you will) to nihilism (we're all doomed).
Don't you just love Google AI:
Anarcho-nihilism blends anarchist rejection of authority with nihilist belief in the meaninglessness of existence, asserting that since life and systems lack inherent purpose, all rules, morality, and institutions (government, capitalism, religion) must be dismantled, often through direct action, to create a truly free, albeit potentially destructive, space for genuine life, focusing on immediate experience over utopian futures. It's a diverse philosophy rejecting dogmatism, ranging from artistic expression and mutual aid to insurrectionary acts, but fundamentally sees society's established structures as empty constructs to be overcome, not reformed.
Sounds very good to me.
Doesn't it though? It's amazing how much fun both Nietzsche and Beethoven had, and how much wonderful work they did, while dying slowly and painfully from syphilis, and losing their minds. Schubert didn't have quite as much fun, although his work was wonderful, so, he probably put himself out of his own misery by exhausting himself into pneumonia at the age of 31.
You might appreciate this.
https://goatmatrix.net/c/Bolsheviks/E3zfk4VA4M
Blew me away.
Well, I'm old enough to remember and to have read the first volume of the Gulag Archipelago, when Solzhenitsyn first published it in the West, in 1973. There's a very interesting comment he makes in that. He says he wrote the whole thing down in prison, then memorized it, then destroyed the manuscript of it, to make sure he wouldn't get in trouble for it. Think carefully about that. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. If you could memorize the whole thing, why write it down, at all? He's telling the reader that he made most of this up. Quite openly.
Perhaps. That's not the story I heard.
I heard he wrote it in parts that were kept very separate - in case some of it were captured not all of it would be destroyed. I find it plausible, though extreme - for extreme circumstances.
I have screenplays in my head that are very solid stories, but not yet on paper with the proper immutable text defined. I should be writing them instead of spending so much time on GoatMatrix.
There are other reasons to wonder about whether he was an op. Most bold historical characters have their pros and cons. There are many diverse takes on Nietzsche, for better or worse.
Powerful ideas regardless.
You're a filmmaker, then?
https://Janglers.ca (it's not dangerous - I need to fix the SSL)
Ah, you're in a Canadian music band. Explains the open mindedness and easy sociability. Also the interest in ideas that could be useful in creative development.
Not a band. Animation & Filmmaking.
Key jangling = animation keyframes + shiny distractions.
Also, by being clear, concise, and catchy with deeper content they need not be just shiny distractions but can also be Glossed & Profound. Shallow and deep at the same time, like a beautiful babe with brains.
Where are you marketing them, if you don't mind my asking? YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, something like that?
No where yet.
This year I've been working to afford decent recording gear.
Am renovating a 34'x17' studio creative meeting space (though I've had a stomach bug or something this week). Got a final layer to paint at one end (walls & ceiling), then the entire floor - plus other rooms later (kitchen, storage, halls).
And have about 1/4 of my raw ideas sorted on my wiki, redirected from FreedomSanta.com. Was writing until Christmas season sucked all my free energy. Second time today: I need to reduce my GoatMatrix time. When I have scripts close to ready, I'll pitch them through GoatMatrix for feedback.
Prepping, shooting, and post/editing are huge.
Then the Internet PR + financial setup (+ resecuring all of my systems and accounts) are also huge and need to be in place before I release a single thing.
I'm aiming for great success and must anticipate all the attention, good, bad, and subversive, that will come with questioning authority. Of course great success is far from common, and I have no expectations, but I can do my best and at the very least might achieve sustainable reasonably profitable success.
That's all we can ever do, Jason. I'm old, so they pay me just to be old, which does stifle ambition a bit. However, I remain extremely curious. Always was, actually.
You can string any two words together and get a response from that AI. I typed in penguin nihilism and got a result.
So, what's your point, exactly? You don't think this makes sense? It makes pretty good sense to me, as an indication of my own view of things. You must be Canadian, if it's not specifically endorsed by an authority recognized by the Canadian government, it's nonsense, something like that, eh?
Try googling "anarcho-nihilism", if you prefer, and look at some of the sites. e.g.,
https://usa.anarchistlibraries.net/category/topic/anarcho-nihilism
That's not a good insult.
I believe x0x7 is in the US, East Coast.
I'm in Windsor, Canada, and fuck all governments, including "mine".
Well, then, at least you're on the right track. You know, people in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones. You're awfully touchy, for someone who's so critical. Lighten up! And, actually, most Canadians do need lightening up.
I'm not touchy, just pointing out.
Blanket statements smother communication.
Some Canadians I know need lightening up, among many other things.
You and xOx7 are tag teaming me, Jason, that's not fair! I'm responding before I really know who I'm talking to, and that affects my response, which is conditioned to the personality of the responder. You are not touchy, xOx7 is touchy. You are not particularly critical, xOx7 is quite critical. Not that I mind, but, it changes the nature of the interaction. Everyone is very different, including Canadians. I grew up in Kingston, Ontario, but was born in the US. Currently I'm in the US. Dual Citizen. I guess both of you are Canadians, but I thought you might be British. Although, xOx7 does sound a bit like a New Yorker type, both of my parents were born in the Bronx.
I made one comment.
Well that's OK then. Like I said, anarcho-nihilism is a standard term, you can Google it, and, I probably am one.
Anarcho-nihilism is a thing. Nihilism is a thing. Often associated with goth, death, blackpills, etc.
Anarcho-absurdism is NOT yet a thing. Absurdism is a thing, similar but different, often associated with whimsy, clowns, humour, etc. Perhaps it's better?
It's less threatening, certainly. You, Jason seem to be an anarcho-absurdist. I have those leanings too, but, I suspect I might be more of an anarcho-nihilist much of the time, deeply distrusting all social structures, with a rather ferocious intensity. This is why I actually don't think Trump is all bad. Trump is undermining ALL social structures, quite intentionally to, again, in my opinion.
Social structures are what they are, for better and worse.
Unearned, corrupt, exploitative, and excessive authority is my gripe.
I know it's nice to be optimistic (while nihilistic?) with hope but you are willfully choosing to ignore the mountainous failings of Trump, the systems, and everything they represent.
Trump is the very embodiment of the establishment. There literally is no bigger puppet figurehead. I don't know how you can have such ginormous blinders on that you can't see that.
Further, he's not just letting Zionism be evil, he's helping and accelerating their machinations. Trump is the (current) figurehead of corruption too.
I'd respect you more if you bought into the Flying Spaghetti Monster rather than blind faith in Trump.
Oh, you misunderstand me, Jason. Surely, you've read the article I've written here, or, at least the title? I think Trump is a malicious goon with a passion for pure destruction. But, that is both anarchistic and nihilistic, up to a point, although the element of greed and obsession for power is also strong with Trump. Trump is rather like Adolf Hitler -- a greedy conservative with delusions of grandeur and a desire for pure destruction because those delusions aren't usually gratified sufficiently to please him. Trump does mostly damage, but, he does shake things up. We'd be better off without Trump, but, not everything he's doing is entirely bad.
I read it and was able to respond.
Doesn't jive with...
Typically I very much dislike black and white binary thinking, but "Billionaires are not your cool friends".
Hitler was not "literally Hitler". He was leader of the underdog team - and thus they didn't get to write/rewrite history. All the leaders and all the governments are evil, including Churchill, FDR, Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler.
Trump is endlessly moot, as intended. We'd be better off without the establishment tyranny's corrupt matrix of rigged systems.
Nothing he does is good. He's an evil symbol for people to read into whatever they want to read.
Trump is playing his part in the century cycle of destruction for the New World Order - Novus ordo seclorum on the US dollar bill. Ordo ab chao | out of chaos, comes order | one of the oldest mottos of Craft Freemasonry.[3]
They create or allow the mayhem.
People look to the leaders for solutions.
They bring the new order of peace under greater tyranny.
Problem ► Reaction ► Solution : the Hegelian dialectic.
Well, for example, Trump is criticizing the Justice System and the Universities and the Media. Surely, this isn't entirely a bad thing? They could do with some criticism, don't you think, whatever his motivations might be.
But, I agree that Trump's agenda is simply to amass power for himself. However, I don't really think he's that good at it.
Talk and actions, saying and doing, are very different.
Further, he's corrupt. Anything he says is held in contempt. Better, he could point to someone in higher standing to talk, though by proxy they'd be tainted too. Best would be to let others actually slowly disassemble the decades of corruption with undeniably good results.
Ev. Er. Y. Thing. he says is bullshit, even if it's true.
Trump.Social is power. His family has a crypto scheme that permits unregulated bribery. There's no end to the back room deals we won't learn about for years, decades, or maybe never. He is the swamp and the only draining is done by children on their knees.
Essentially true. Like I say, I think we're better off without him, but, every cloud has a silver lining, even Donald Trump.
Well I appreciate any anarchist. Well, almost any anarchist. The ancoms sure can have authoritarian personalities. It's weird how they also push to get certain people into government, and those people then create all kinds of speech rules and the such. It sure doesn't feel very anarchist living under the policians they support. So I support anarcho-*!communist.
Arguably, the early Christians were anarcho-communists. And, of course, they became very authoritarian under Constantine the Great, and this led to Roman Catholicism, and the Holy Inquisition. It's interesting what people mutate into. A bit scary, too.
And that anarcho-communist group, the Taborites (also) with the stake-burned rebellious leader that influenced Martin Luther before the split.
Indeed, Jason, but, what's this I see here? While having simultaneously posted that Wikipedia is "dead", you are quite cheerfully using Wikipedia as the natural reference source about the Taborites. Please, explain yourself! Like I said, Wikipedia is still the best online source for general information, and you know, Jason, actions speak louder than words!
Thought you'd appreciate that. I used Wikipedia many times under this post.
I'm first to admit we all live paradoxes.
I've also said Wikipedia is a good start - but don't trust it. Use their "official" stance to skeptically launch into further inquiry. Same with corrupt Google-owned YouTube. All rational GoatMatrix folks will agree.
Agreed.
Didn't mean to tag-team. Just reading new comments, opining where I saw fit.
x0 has his own tone, but I don't think he's touchy, nor critical. That's just my take.
I lived in NYC, SF/Oakland, and Austin, but am Canadian. Been around from Alaska to Key West and from Newfoundland to Mexico - but never been off North America.
We all of us have our perceptions. I think I get on xOx7's nerves a bit, but, we seem to get along. Why haven't you travelled to Europe? You really should, even I've been to Europe from time to time. Very different from North America.
You did at one point but I got over it. Now I see you as a helpful balance and good for helping me attrit some elements that I'd want to. Also because you write long form opinions your content is linkable to elsewhere in article form, which is very helpful. When I remember to do that.
I don't want you to take this the wrong way but I've found the best way for me is to just not read what you write. As long as I don't get sucked in myself you are acutally a very nice guy to have a round for site culture and growth reasons.
Thanks. That's a very nice, fair, balanced compliment. Not groveling, just positive feedback. Unusual, actually.
I think Hunter S. Thompson said something like never turn down an opportunity to travel. Generally I've followed that, within reason - the main reasons being finances, opportunity, and purpose. Plus I prefer autonomy to selling out.
The wide world is a lot more accessible with the Interweb - yet distant behind a keyboard. If I had an unlimited budget I don't know I would travel much, nor where I'd start. I'd rather create with a capable team (harder to find than you'd think).
It seems you're in "popular Canadian music band", is that correct, as AI tells me?
Did you like my poem "Erwin's song"?
https://goatmatrix.net/c/Poetry/5GK6mwNRAz
Best poem I've written, I think. Actually came to me in a dream, most of it anyway. Kind of like Coleridge's Kubla Khan, but, a trifle grimmer.
This Robbie Burns? (1759-1796) is well known among Freemasons. This is a 1996 CD containing 23 songs by Robbie Burns.
I like ♫ Epic Pirate Party & Celtic Folk Pub ♫ music. In fact I like a lot of world beat and world music. In college and university I DJ'd a "Whirled Peas" radio show.
If you have the time/energy, I'd recommend searching for grants. Then you can hire one or more composers to develop your poem into a song. Then you can get it recorded. Then you can hire me to make you a music video. Then we could release it on the LeverMind Variety Show that features me as Santa Libertas in some but not all episodes.
If I looked like Brad Pitt it would be a different show. But for now Santa will be in it until quality is established appealing to others who may come in so I can stay mostly behind the camera.
I'll look into it, thanks, that's a good idea.
I used to do a lot of TV commercials, a bunch of music videos, movies, etc. Animation and live-action art direction mostly. Plus I went to Burning Man 10 times.
Epic noble dream poem. Music might help.
About 30 years ago I had the only poetic dream I recall, and wanted to dev it into a children's book that I would illustrate. I have some of it incomplete saved somewhere.
It starts something like, "A maroon baboon named Maloon Baru lived in a zoo but didn't know what to do." This young monkey with existential angst visits his parents and all the zoo animals looking for occupation. The wise giraffe with vision above and beyond others asked what he usually does. He reflected, I just hang around and learn about the world, which is a good start for a young baboon.
Actually, I think that poem might do well with music. Kind of like Robbie Burns, on steroids. If I could write poems that good every day, I think I could do quite well. However, I don't think I can do that, at all. What's interesting is that the name "Erwin", actually means "friend of the military", which fits in perfectly with the poem, but, I didn't know that, when I wrote it! Weird, eh?