To Be or Not to Be - by ‘Joseph Smith’ (hat-tip David Barrows)

I did not ask to be born into this world. Had I been asked I would have said no.
(Notwithstanding the fact that I have had what most people would consider to be a
good life). Too much pain, suffering and death.

Telephone ringing:
Hello, this is the Ministry of Health. How can I help you?

My name is Joe Smith (he/him), and I would like you to kill me.

Laughter:
Well, I would not put it exactly that way, but yes this is the medically assisted
death division.

Mr. Smith, could you please give me a little background detail?

How Nonconformity Cures a Sick Self and a Sick Society – The Wisdom of Ralph Waldo Emerson (suggested by Henry Chaussovsky)

“I must be myself, I cannot break myself any longer for you. . .If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should.”   

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance 

‘War is Peace’ by Henry Chaussovsky

To claim that Russia’s goal is to satisfy the former USSR’s ambitions and that Ukraine has any 

potential to win the current war shows an extensive influence of the mass media narrative. 

Indeed, to justify the wide-ranging supply of weapons to Ukraine the image of what the media 

used to call ‘one of the most corrupt countries in the world’ must be presented as an innocent 

Response to Dr. Smithin’s Blog Freedom and Democracy, by Dave Barrows

1. In his recent Blog Freedom and Democracy, Dr. Smithin raises some interesting and important issues. He is certainly correct, the current altercation between Russia and the Ukraine is not a fight for freedom and democracy. His analysis of the Ukrainian economy and society is correct with respect to corruption, the role of oligarchs, one party government, etcetera.

Freiheit und Demokratie (Freedom & Democracy) by John Smithin

As promised, but somewhat belatedly, here are my more detailed thoughts on the discussion we had a couple of weeks ago about ‘Chinese election interference’ in Canada, public inquiries, and so on and so forth. I don’t personally think that these things are very serious per se, they are mainly just part of the chatter, narrative, media manipulation, political game-playing, etc. that is often used to distract the public from the real underlying issues (whatever these elusive concepts may be).

Notes on ‘subjectivity, ‘intersubjectivity’ and ‘objectivity’ by Torrey Byles

Logic is rooted in the social principle.


Human consciousness and behavior are not that different from other animals. Our distinctive difference is the extreme elaboration of certain cognitive mechanisms which underly language, as an instrument in planning, and the practical skills by which those plans are executed. This elaboration has made us the most generalized and adaptable animal on earth. This small difference has mighty consequences. (Ingold, Tim. The Animal in the Study of Humanity. P. 372)