Open Thread - 07-03-26 - Almost Independence Day
In the Spirit of '76
I spent 10 months, this past year, undergoing chemo and radiation therapy in my battle against cancer. It was the lowest point of my life. But I didn't let it break my spirit.
I made the decision early on that I would concentrate on the task at hand and avoid the depression that can so very easily set in under those conditions. The struggle ahead was as much of a battle with the disease that was attacking my body as it was a battle with the gloom and doom that could attack my mind if I allowed it. I couldn't control the disease but I could control my spirit. And it was that spirit that drove my will to not lose hope in that fight for my life.
To beat the depression within, I had to beat the depression without. I did this mostly by limiting my time on that great instrument of despair, the internet. I'd wake up in the morning, take a quick look at the news headlines and then find other ways to occupy my time. I diligently researched everything I could find about the malady I was facing. I talked with old friends and family on the phone. I forced myself to eat as much as I could. I spent a lot of time watching the birds at the birdfeeder. I did a lot of looking out the window in general, and contemplating. I practiced my dobro to keep my fingers nimble, stiffness being a side affect from the chemo. I slept, oh boy, did I sleep. But most of all I would stretch out on the recliner and watch my rather large collection of old documentaries, TV shows and old movies, mostly old westerns, one after another. It was cathartic watching the good guys beat the bad guys, and emblematic of my struggle to beat the cancer within.
After that dark chapter of my life was over, although with cancer it's never really over, I returned to my daily internet routines. Having spent so much time away from the constant sturm and drang and the foreboding undertow of the largest and most potent propaganda and societal manipulation device the world has ever known, I was gobsmacked by the increased effort to break the spirit of the people. I had always noticed it but with the partially refreshed memory that I was observing it with after spending ten months away, it was crystalline clear. The effort seemed to have increased ten fold. The internet is a great gift to humankind, yet, on the other hand, it can be used as a weapon.
Two trains running on one line
One train is a benevolent boon for the peoples of the world. It has brought the knowledge of the world to the fingertips of the tribes of the Amazon, the frozen tundra of Siberia, the homeless of Skid Row, the great deserts of the Sahara, to all the everyday people just trying to survive in a world that is transforming so quickly that even the electrons that make up the digital transmissions can hardly keep up with the rapid pace of change. We the people of the world can instantly talk to one another, compare notes, plan events, tell our stories, engage in commerce, find each other, in essence it has brought the world together as never before and in that regard has become a force for relative good.
The other train, the weapon, is what really jumped out at me like a frog leaping from a pan of boiling water. The internet is being used to divide peoples, races, ethnicities, countries, religions, economies, the whole of humanity itself, against one another, and and ultimately to supplant us into tranches of conformity and subservience, like mindless drones. The constant din of gloom and doom the internet observer is subjected to is meant to wear down the spirit and to facilitate the notion of hopelessness. Too much gloom and doom is not healthy for the mind or body. The object is to make us give up and give in, to cast a blind eye towards those that are the cause of the mess the world finds itself in and to give in to those greedy few who wish to bathe in the ostentatious opulence and power provided to them by the blood sweat and tears of all those who are not them. The ultimate goal is to roll us all up in digital chains, while they suck up the wealth of Mother Earth, until she bleeds dry.
As such, the internet has proven to be a robust vehicle used towards the goal of supreme dominance. You can see it everyday in the articles and comments across the spectrum of hidey-holes where people seek out like minded souls, and sometimes not so like minded souls. Statements like "We are so Fucked", "It's too late", "I give up", exemplify the defeatist posturing and defines just how effective the gloom and gloom campaign is in subduing minds. Giving up is exactly what's expected.
That, my friends, in my humble opinion, is what it's all about. The constant barrage of fake news, the fake AI postings, the mass confusion caused by the obfuscation, the out and out lying in the face of facts, the outrageous transgression of laws and mores, the push for data centers to house an AI that will most likely be used to spy on us, the economic pain caused by inflation, the flagrant propaganda in the media, on and on. All of it, is meant to beat We the People down to conform with whatever this new order is that they may try to impose on us all. Giving up is exactly what's expected.
If enough people just say no, it will not and cannot work
I, however, still hold out hope. I think that human spirit is being underestimated. The plan is much too ambitious to actually work, it is too vulnerable to action. When people realize that everything may be stolen from them, the spirit within them will rise up. The hopes of the purveyors of this new order will be dashed by the people's will to be free. The cycle of chains-to-freedom and freedom-to chains has happened throughout history, it ebbs and flows with the epochs. The freedom cultivated by the Enlightenment is ingrained in much of humanity, and that genie will not be easily returned to the bottle.
The Founding Fathers knew very well that they could have been hanged for signing the Declaration of Independence, but their spirit drove them on. Does that spirit still live in the hearts and minds of modern Americans? Of the world?
Tomorrow, on the Fourth of July, I, for one, and in the face of my recent adversity, will celebrate that spirit and hope it rises, again.
10:08
Comments
Good morning Free Rangers...
Tomorrow is not only the 4th of July, it is also otc and my anniversary. The running joke is, every year the whole country throws us a huge party complete with fireworks. This year we can throw in an extra funny and call it our 250th anniversary.
As of this posting we will be in the Texas Hill Country, in our favorite little cabin by the pond. There's no wifi here so otc accesses the internet on her laptop by using her phone as a hotspot access point. I'll be replying to the comments on my cell phone. Bear with me. I'm on vacation.
Very well said
Your paragraph on staying away from the internet, the things you did, sounded like things people did as just what normal living was. I curse Rupert Murdoch, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh and the bipartisan pols that allowed them to flourish. The internet showed so much promise, but like television it turned into a cesspool for profit enterprise. Now the only motivation companies have is to squeeze out every dime it can get, period. Nothing else matters.
I wish I had your optimism. I just don't see a leader emerging until things get so bad us 99% can't ignore or muddle through it. For all the blah blah, our political class is for themselves, there are no leaders just winners of popularity contests. Even Orange Satan land is waking up a little.
Very glad to hear about your journey. We met so many people during chemo who were fighting so hard, some were getting infusions every week, for the rest of their lives. It's funny but it felt more like community, more than I felt in decades. Hang in there, keep writing.
Very well said...
back atcha', Snode.
Sorry it took so long to respond, the phone connection is very iffy out here in the hills this morning.
The internet propaganda and how it's used as a weapon was most pronounced after a few month hiatus, it's ubiquitous. Maybe the slow boiling frog metaphor is apt when one engages the propaganda every day, it's less noticeable.
Your right about a leader. The Iran war is a good example of what happens to leaders. But in my optimistic view of the future we are all leaders. We lead by not complying. A leaderless movement comprised of leaders. We are all Spartacus.
I learned a lot about myself going through the cancer fighting process. It is a community.
Thanks, my friend.
A very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !! to you
and otc, JtC. Just your successful fight to bringing the Big Curse to heel is worth celebrating!!
As far as the innertubez and propaganda go, tomorrow is just another day for me. I haven't felt patriotic in decades. With my background in books, I'm very picky about what I read/listen to. It's paying off in spades. I still think this song should be our National Anthem.
My patriotic thought for the day. Enjoy your stay in the Texas Hill Country. Hola, otc! You both stay safe, cool and dry. Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
Thanks obf...
for the anniversary well wishes.
Tomorrow night we're going to the Albert Dance Hall for a concert. This dance hall was built back in the late eighteen hundreds and is basically a large pole barn building with a wood dance floor and a stage. Dance halls have been a big thing here in Texas for over a hundred years. It's a great tradition that brings out great country bands and even greater dancers, which is a club that i admit I don't belong in. The headliner is Cody Widner, not a big star but a great artist in his own right. After not really going to any music events for over a year because of my illness, we just wanted to get a away for a weekend. And if there ever was a weekend to do that it's this one.
I hope you didn't interpret this piece as patriotic, it's anything but that. Sure it's patriotic in the We the People sense, not so much in the sense of what the country has become since its founding. It's a piece about hope and optimism in the face of the constant drum beat of gloom and doom and hope that there's still enough spirit left in the people to stand up.
It's the same spirit alive in Woody's song, This Land is Your Land.
Have a great holiday weekend, obf.
@JtC hope you know I wasn't
hope you know I wasn't criticizing you. In fact, I posted that Guthrie tune cos I was thinking very similar thoughts to yours about the positive spirit of this country. Sounds like you and otc are going to be doing some serious hoe-ing down.
You both enjoy, and don't get into too much trouble. LOL.
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
No probs...
I didn't take it as criticism. I can be a bit obscure in my writing sometimes and I get concerned that folks are taking it the wrong way, that's just the way I write.
As far as hoeing down, that's otc's forte, she's an ex dance instructor. Me? I have three left feet. I can dance a little but don't dare go out on a dance floor at a Texas dance hall, those folks can bring it.
I am an expert toe tapper though, while I sit on the sidelines and watch and listen to the band.
Good morning...
I think your attitude had plenty to do with your good prognosis!
Hot as hell here. Went to an outdoor gathering yesterday evening. I brought our battery powered misting fan which helped. But what really turned the tide was a nearby thunderstorm and it's cooling breeze.
Seems to me, the empire's goal to divide us has some effect, but people seem to be waking up. I would point out the recent elections (other than Massey's) in which the winners were pro Palestinian despite the huge Israeli effort to defeat them. Unfortunately the Israel proponents have a real grip on this country. Heard a story about a Texas city that decided to divest their Israeli bond investments. Abbott rolled down and told them that is against Texas law and they must invest in Israel.
The Gaza genocide and greater Israel project is helping to wake folks up. Hope it will be enough to get the genocidal Zionists manics ousted from controlling our country.
Enjoy your hill country escape. Hope y'all see some interesting wildlife.
Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning Lookout...
attitude is the key. You don't want to be your own worse enemy in a time like that. The power of positive thinking really is a thing.
It's hotter than hell here as well, but it's Texas. It will be like this until about September or October, then it's very pleasant for the rest of the year.
Imagine someone holding a gun to your head and forcing you to like them, it's something akin to that. The tide is turning as the world wakes up the horror of what's really happening. The younger generations have already turned against the wanting killing and land grabs. In a few years the jig will be up and they know it, that's the reason for the frantic effort to hold the gun against everyone's head. IMHO anyway.
Thanks for stopping in, the Hill Country is teeming with wildlife, both the two leg and four leg variety.
Ahh, Good morning Johnny and happy independence day,
in your case tripled, the national holiday, your freedom from the awful Crab, and from the pernicious influence of all the daily FUD. It seems that you have seen the Fnords and maintaining that awareness, though very difficult to do consistently, will carry you far.
Beyond that, happy anniversary:
`` Buson
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks old buddy...
It's the trifecta!
I looked into the abyss and starred it down. You learn a lot about yourself when confronted with an existential illness, I know you understand that.
Yep, this celebration is a huge one!
Here's to many more!
And now a word from the global angst -
It is Khameni's funeral
It is the anniversary of the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the USS VIncennes
USindependence is freedom from all of civilization's constraints, so keep your eyes open and your head down.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Yep...
keep your head on a swivel.
Congrats,
you guys! Happy anniversary! And enjoy the break. There’s nothing like a little creative downtime to feed the soul…
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
I hear you, brother...
it doesn't hurt to refresh the batteries every now and then.
You get yourself better so you can rejoin the celebration of life, such that it is. It really is all about what you make of it.
Carry on, my friend.
So dense — it’s taken me all these years until now to figure out
that OtC’s “LOML” i.e. the LOHL = JtC
Happy anniversary, you two!
Thanks, lotl!
So far, this little trip to party on our anniversary has been great!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
You're not alone. It took me awhile too.
Happy anniversay to JtC and OTC. Enjoying ourselves, loving good music and just plain loving is the best revenge.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
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Thanks Dawn...
loving and music is what we do, we travel all over Texas taking in the great sounds by some really great musicians that Texas is famous for.
If I was home I'd post some pictures of us together with many of those artists. If you can catch them in a smallish venue they will usually come out for a meet and greet after the show.
We have a blast.
Thanks lotlizard
we have great fun together, there's hardly a dull moment.