Excellent. It always lifts my spirits to see a piece from you in my inbox. I've been opposed to the pandemic response from the start and have always been an outspoken activist, but even now it is incredibly difficult to speak my truth to friends and some family. I say a few gentle things and they look at me with fear in their eyes - I watch their hearts close - caught in the Narrative and holding on tight. I am incorrigible but how to approach people without alienating them when they're so brainwashed?
as the other comments here demonstrate, it really depends on the situation. Sometimes I find that gentle, good-natured humor can really bypass people's defenses. The other thing is personal stories without an agenda to change the other person.
Yes, thank you. I'm reminded of when I was a teenager passionately anti the Vietnam war and arguing endlessly about it with my friends. Years later and none of them remember being ever in favour of the war. Also, here in New Zealand, you'll hardly find a soul now who would admit to having been opposed to sporting sanctions against the S. African apartheid regime, and yet the whole country was split down the middle about it in the 1980s. I worry about how long it will take for a majority to awaken about the current pandemic debacle in the face of censorship and sophisticated propaganda...it's heartening to read your offerings and all the great comments. Thank you!
Troubling to consider, the prospect that this may be a markedly longer 'slog' than we'd ideally prefer. While I agree that it appears, generally, the 'collective trance' is beginning to lift and we're even beginning to see some traction with class actions and discrimination claims against the 'unvaxxed' in the workplace, there remain stubborn holdouts, still.
As a personal (frustrating) example, my employer -- a publicly-traded company -- recently informed all those with exemptions that they will no longer be accepted/renewed; those of us currently with exemptions have until end of Sept to be inoculated or be terminated. Middle of 2022, and still, arrogance/hubris remains at executive 'leadership' levels. It's clear by now these shots don't curb spread; how can employers continue to justify these affronts to ethics/fundamental human rights?
I have been sending periodic dispassionate emails to my compliance/HR depts with case studies and mainstream pieces that showcase the shifts in sentiment (examples of other employers/orgs loosening policy, editorials from 'mainstream' publications now openly scrutinizing mandates, etc.), so far to no avail.
My practice leads however did approve my request to include more 'traditional'/non-mRNA shots, such as Covaxin, as part of the list of what may be deemed 'compliant', and also approved travel expenses (Covaxin isn't currently available in the U.S.), but the bottom line is submitting to this policy is a form of submission to egregiously unethical acts that need to be called out and rebuked at all turns (not to mention the blatant discrimination in place for those exempted: i am excluded from participating in any team events; can't visit my company office or meet with colleagues or clients). But i have multiple dependents, and the job is otherwise a good fit. Still, I'm currently exploring other options (limited, unfortunately -- since many other employers in my area of experience continue to have certain mandates for new hires).
"Just get the shot and move on", I'm told by quite a few fellow peers, and even a couple family members.
The thing about putting up a fight is that the first person to do it often gets squashed. If enough people fight back, then the bullies will stop. You raise the costs of enforcement. But that doesn't help you, only those who come after you.
I wonder if you could get a homeopathic "vaccine" (they do exist you know) and submit that. It might slow things down.
Can you share an example of a "homeopathic vaccine" for Covid? Not familiar with this offhand. I suspect if it's not WHO-approved it may not be approved here either, but will be willing to pursue it anyway.
I hear you, Erin! It's tough. Even professionals who deprogram the branwashed have a hard time doing so. It ain't easy. I highly recommend learning motivational interviewing in order to lead people out of their brainwashing. I use it for helping addicts drop the denial of their addiction and it's pretty effective.
There are some really good videos at reachingpeople.net. They also have a YouTube channel and a weekly zoom call. I’ve learned a lot about how to have conversations, (mostly how to temper my own expectations and passions so I don’t get all worked up😄). But really, they explain how to share information so that it is at the right level and temperament for the ones you hope to inform.
Good point Erin! How long I wonder too..... It seems to be taking way longer than we hoped it would. The other day I was called selfish (by a friend of my husband's - long known, ie not a stranger) for not being injected! I had to smile really. Of course she refused to discuss or debate. I shake my head in amazement - you'd think by now, with every second person (and most of them vaxxed) coming down with the 'weaponised flu' the penny might be starting to drop. But no, the cognitive dissonance - and sophisticated propaganda as you say - runs very deep. We live in hope right. And try to keep out frequency up. (I'm in New Zealand too. Where are you?)
I actually have great stories. Myself, I got vax for immigration purposes and got very sick. Then my son had reactions and this is how I opened people hearts. But it is not easy because personal experiences lack veracity if CNN says the opposite. Those that listen normally I use a lot of Charles ideas with my stories and works
Sometimes asking gentle questions around cracks in the narrative can start others thinking. Where direct truth telling does not.
Also been an example of someone in a vibration of love, kindness, openness and peace towards the covid fear porn can inspire some folks to shift or at least ask you questions.
I believe from the current booster numbers that most Americans no longer follow the vax narrative, even if they are not openly saying so. Ditto masking.
This is an excellent question, and one I've been struggling with as well. Gentle questioning seems to be the best way to go, though timing of that is also critical.
I've also noticed how important it is to remain as objective as possible, empathetic to the emotions in play, yet grounded to not become emotionally triggered. I believe a relentlessly objective perspective is one of those things that can establish trust over time, as these narrative cracks continue to form.
Yes. A great idea is inviting someone on a Facebook page that might help them see an alternative view or recommending a Substack article. But I think people have given up on reading lately. So this doesn't seem to work anymore 😅
I also find it extremely difficult to talk to people, there is still so much fear. I'm so tired of it all, though. Trying to talk to people about this and being in the minority here in my community.. it's excausting.
Yes! I said something similar MUCH further down the thread. The camaraderie of the shunned is a beautiful thing. I feel like I've winnowed down the people with whom I can be myself and speak from the heart. And what magnificent company! On the outside, I pick and choose what to say, generally dropping some statistics when someone else brings it up. But it's created a closeness and intimacy between strangers, a sharing of deep thoughts.
Yeah I gotta admit that when people start talking about “crazy anti vaxxers” I stay silent. I don’t defend anything. I don’t speak up that I’m not jabbed. I suppose I’ve lost my Joan of Arc.
In this kind of situation I always talk. But I do it with extreme kindness.. Because it is obvious that in this kind of talking are people who are totally brainwashed. Totally asleep.
And it's usually best to play dumb and ask questions. I was in my area's market the other day and they have a new cash register where you auto check out. I refused to pay there and the clerk was angry at me. So I asked? "Who does this auto register benefit really? Is it that good? Does it help your company? She had to admit that it doesn't benefit her because they would definitely downsize if people started checking out on their own. It was definitely better than arguing and I think she definitely got it...
I think it's very important, contemplating any discussion, to be honest about my intentions and needs., many of which may be unconscious. Do I really want to hear another's perspective? Why? Am I willing to be changed by what they share? Am I hoping to score points, convince or change them? Do I just feel a need to be heard? Or to feel that I'm evolved enough to have difficult discussions? Much of the time I realize that I'm trying to involve the other person in meeting my needs, needs that are better met on my own or with someone else.
I've been considering a strategy of discussing discussing. Telling the truth -- e.g. "this is an important topic and I'd love to exchange ideas, but I've seen how difficult that can be and don't want to offend anyone I care about. So I remain silent, but maybe I don't need to. Is our recent covid experience something you'd be interested in discussing? Can we do so without upsetting each other? etc etc" Real questions and hopefully an honest and thoughtful discussion about process rather than going to directly to subject matter.
I'm so glad I discovered your writings. When the covid crisis began, the only people speaking against it were diehard Republicans. I have viewed myself as a Progressive for my entire adult life, and I counted on my Progressive friends to speak out against this madness. To my horror, some of the folks who'd been my cohorts during Occupy were amongst the fiercest proponents of Pandemania. I watched them transform into diehard adherents--one by one, like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Radical socialists joined forces with Big Pharma to coerce people into getting the shot. One of my closest friends pulled a stun gun on someone on a Seattle city bus because the individual refused to put on a mask while he sat near her. The fact that the person appeared to be mentally ill did not deter her from threatening him (she, of course, viewed it as protecting herself).
Full disclaimer: I received the first two rounds of the Moderna vaccine. At the time, my husband was dying of cancer, and I did what I felt was necessary to protect him. He had faith in the medical system because he was completely dependent on chemo and other medications to keep him alive. Those "medicines" caused him to develop severe neuropathy and kept him in a state of excruciating pain and nausea for nearly two years. I often wonder if he would've lived longer had he chosen to forgo the medical route. The pharmaceutical corporations make a fortune from the suffering of cancer patients, but for some reason, this isn't considered a crisis.
I never once castigated my unvaccinated friends for their choices. In fact, when the mandates came on strong at the end of last year, I urged them to stick to their principles. I refused to patronize any establishment that required proof of vaccine, due to my deep convictions about the evil wrongheadedness of such rules. I will continue to do so. I have been so outspoken about this matter on social media that many people assume I must be unvaccinated and (gasp!) anti-vaxx. I just smile at their delusions. Such is the power of propaganda, its ability to put folks into easily identifiable boxes.
It's worth pointing out that, like most people (vaxxed and not), I got covid anyway. So did my thrice-vaxxed adult daughter (who is totally bewildered by the vehemence of my opinions--I'm vaccinated, after all!! Why the hell don't I want to just show my vaccine card?!) It felt like a bad cold. I spent some time indoors, writing and doing yoga. I actually look back fondly on the experience. And no, I don't think the vaccine prevented me from getting even sicker (really, how can anyone know?)
Anyway, I'll quit rambling now. Again, I want to emphasize how much I appreciate your voice, Charles, as well as the many sensible voices of other people on your threads. Heartfelt thanks to all of you.
I really appreciate them too. I suspect there are many people who got the shots due to coercion and are therefore not diehard supporters, and their voices have a credibility with the true believers that ours might not have.
I actually have several vaxxed friends who are not down with mandates, vaxx passes, etc. I suspect that at least a few of them regret getting the shot, since it turned out to be useless. I know I do. As usual, the folks who are most strident about their continuing support of vaccinations are the ones we hear from the most. Their voices are deafeningly loud. The rest tend to keep silent, which is a damned shame.
Lightening up sounds like a great idea! I am going to remember to do it whenever possible.
How anyone could believe it's right to force someone out of their livelihood due to that person's unwillingness to take a shot is beyond my comprehension. Let alone bar such an individual from restaurants, bars, health clubs, and even some stores.
"one by one, like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
My experience also exactly. My friends aren't political activists but more like jaded cynics w various jobs in the arts/culture, and they've all bought every single mass-produced narrative of the past few years: Trump (which I get), Russiagate, George Floyd, Ukraine, and of course Covid and the masks and vaxxes and mandates.
I'm not sure I've ever seen or read of any phenomenon like this, w absolute mass panic and mass conformity (down to using the same exact words and phrases) among what is supposedly the most educated, intelligent and cultured sector of society. It continues to absolutely shock me.
My current theory is that smartphones + social media + constant internet access are the greatest tool ever invented for brainwashing and for the dissemination of propaganda.
I feel like all the so-called leaders of our society are addicted to mass rage and panic like a crackhead is addicted to crack, and I don't see this fever breaking for anything short of a major cataclysm.
Re: your final sentence: I have to agree. But I'm an idealist, like Charles. Hope feels better to me than devolving into total cynicism (though I certainly do understand the latter sentiment).
I have a lot of jaded friends in the arts, as well. So many of them fell for this nonsense. Fortunately, I moved from Washington state to Bisbee, Arizona during the start of the pandemic. We weren't nearly as nuts here as a lot of other places. Even though Bisbee is a "liberal" town (what does that word even mean, any more?) a lot of folks were not on board with restrictions. We didn't see a lot of vaccine pass rules at Arizona businesses, but when I visited my daughter in Portland, Oregon last May, signs requiring proof of vaxx were hanging on the doors of several establishments. Portland never had across-the-board vaccine pass rules--these businesses are embracing a sort of voluntary fascism. I know that "fascism" is a strong word, but in this case it's sadly apt. I continue to hope that such folks finally wake the hell up.
We live in such an extraordinarily disorienting time.
Who would have guessed 20 yrs ago at the turn of the century that the next generation of "liberals" would be opponents of free speech and thought and expression, passionate about hunting down and punishing dissenters and apostates, skeptical of claims of bodily autonomy, and would demand that everyone be forced to inject a Pfizer product or else be banished from society?
There are always multiple factors but I think the main one here is our planetary internet poisoning and how a punitive digital panopticon has been constructed where we've all traded privacy and sanity for the oxytocin high of Likes, and where the most popular pastime is destroying strangers for fun to show off your virtue and allegiance to tribal dogma.
Sometimes larger factors beyond our control play the biggest part in how events unfurl, and I think in our case we are living through a replay of what the printing press plus the Protestant Reformation did to Europe 500 yrs ago—every prior supposedly settled arrangement (political, social, religious, personal etc) is being torn up and either destroyed or repurposed. And if that history is any guide, we should return to some level of normalcy maybe in another few decades or so.
Kudos for not patronizing businesses that require vax proof & being outspoken.
Eye-opening my progressive/liberal friends didn't question authority & became proponents of whatever the media fed. Several went proudly ballistic at non-mask wearers. Shocking really. Likewise, I found myself grouped with neofascist Republicans as the brunt of jokes on TV. I stopped watching. Lessons on the power of fear, propaganda & categorizing that I'll never forget.
A biochemist friend is required to be tested 2x week for his job since he refused vax. Of the vaxxed people he works with, he's the only one who hasn't gotten Covid. Only my vaxxed friends have gotten Covid & maintain the narrative their infections weren't serious due to jabs. Maybe or maybe not. They're eager for third boosters.
Several of my unvaccinated friends either have not gotten covid at all, or have gotten very light cases (much lighter than mine). In contrast, all of my vaccinated friends have contracted the virus, some of them multiple times. But so far, we've all lived through it.
My stun-gun wielding, four times vaccinated friend has softened her stance a bit after getting covid and surviving with flying colors. She's an older woman with diabetes, and she's fine now. My hope is that some of the other diehards will moderate their views, but a lot of them seem to be hanging on out of sheer stubbornness. I get it--it's hard as hell to admit that you made a grievous error, harder still if you spent two years vilifying folks about masks and the vaxx, only to discover that you were wrong all along.
Glad to know of a non-vaccinated person having a light case. My sister continues to harp on the unvaccinated being hospitalized & dying despite evidence to the contrary. I just let her self-righteously blather on.
Anecdotally, have post-infection vaxxed friends who've actually hugged me recently. That's progress. These same friends came to my husband's outdoor b'day party almost two years ago. I had to set up separate tables & they distanced.
No one I know is taking the monkey pox seriously--yet.
What a great conversation you started here, Leah! With Gerri, I send my condolences. I like to think no suffering is in vain and it's getting us all to a new realization, but who knows? With Charles, I feel there's great power in the vaxxed speaking up. Like CP, I loved your phrase about pod people. It's very eerie and Twilight Zone, isn't it?
I've been saying that Covid is an acronym for Conformity Over Ideology. It's lazy virtue-signaling instead of doing the research to decide what you stand for and then STANDING FOR IT. But giving up the company of the virtuous has been good for me. I was asked to house a banjo player for a concert that required a vax pass to attend. Saying no hurt them more than it hurt me!
I never realized how much self-righteousness surrounded me until Covid brought it out. I think, to Charles' question, what leaves us vulnerable to manipulation is our secret sense of superiority. What makes us incorrigible is refusing to believe we're better than anyone else.
I have an uncanny ability for starting long conversations, which is why I have such a love/hate relationship with social media. I'm glad this discussion is more positive than some of my vitriolic Facebook arguments.
I love your covid acronym--it's so apt! Here in AZ, the larger music clubs have FINALLY dropped their vaxx mandates. This was wonderful news because I love live music so much. Bisbee didn't have those draconian rules, but Tucson did. So I just stayed in town for my live music fixes, and supported local bands in the process. (We have a lot of great music here. People even dance and hug!)
It's hard not to react with judgment and self-righteousness towards folks who are blatantly exhibiting those same traits, but I'm trying my best. I'm in a unique position to talk with my vaccinated friends about the absurdity of mandates, and about being more understanding and inclusive, since I'm vaxxed myself. Ha! It's gotta be good for something. ;)
Thank you Charles. I love being incorrigible and am so proud of my sons for being incorrigible in their own ways. Some things I worry about, are people actually creating the next catastrophe/food shortage by stockpiling and predicting it? Are we being realistic or are we just ultra focused on the negative?Will my sons (17 and 21 be able to navigate this world without having the vax? How? We still cannot even travel to certain countries? Foreigners who are not fully vaxxed cannot enter the US. And children in certain US states are denied public and private education if they do not have the required vaccinations. Sometimes it feels like having a target on one’s back that no one can see but that affects everything. Your essays speak to me and encourage me to face my part in creating division. Your readers bring me hope. I must acknowledge that I have an underlying grief for what has happened over the last few years (or maybe I just became more aware) and grave concern for humanity because I see ill health everywhere. I am usually the glass half full type, but there is this sense of hopelessness hiding inside ever since Covid.
I think that the worst is over, for now anyway, regarding vax mandates. I think they will probably be relaxed by schools and governments. They will shift to some other pretext to intensify control over the public. That is why I'm focusing now on the deeper patterns (using Covid as a window to them).
I'll add though that "the worst is over" doesn't mean to relax our resistance and stop speaking out. It is over BECAUSE we are resisting and speaking out, and will continue to do so.
Here in Canada we, the unvaccinated, are now permitted to travel on a plane, train or boat, but we have to isolate for 14 days upon arrival back in Canada. We are also required to have to have the ARRIVECAN app on our phones to enter the country. Those who don't comply are being fined $5000:
Canada is in the process of implementing this travel app/digital ID as a replacement for passports and, as far as I can garner, will transform into the social credit system similar to that in China. I am desperately trying to pull myself out of this negative mindset as those close to me are tired of hearing my doom and gloom. I struggle between whether to continue fighting for the future of my children and grandchildren or whether I am part of the problem by continuing along this path of trying to alert those around me of what our government has planned for us.
I was put on unpaid leave last fall for refusing to be experimented on with an untested treatment. The Canadian government denied us access to employment insurance if we were put on leave for that reason, despite the fact that we all paid into it. My union refused to stand up for me, even though I had a doctor's letter of exemption. If not for my siblings in the U.K. I would have been homeless. They paid my rent for five months. I am not afraid to resist. I look forward to your essays and find solace in your words but I am so very weary.
I "liked" this comment, but I am very sorry to read of your weariness. I know it well.
It is really sad what has happened to Canada.
You are brave. The thing about courage that makes it brave is that the fear is sometimes quite justified. You stand up to power, and sometimes power cuts you down. It is, after all, "power".
The most important thing to know is that your efforts will bear fruit, albeit possibly in ways you will never see. No act of love is ever in vain.
It may be that the words of doom and gloom, the warnings and the protests, are not the most effective strategy for resistance and change. These have their place, but in interactions with loved ones and acquaintances, these only wok if there is some degree of receptivity. If there is no receptivity, then warnings are counterproductive. Humor, honest questions, attentive listening, etc. might be more productive. At least they establish a basis of trust and prevent the other person from dehumanizing you.
No easy solution here. Thank you for being brave. when you put something at risk, it issues forth as a powerful prayer. Because God, or whoever is listening, knows you are serious.
I worry lots about my 14 year old son. We didn’t have so many mandates here in the U.K. as the US did, but I know it’s lockstep in a each county so just a matter of time till they all do the same thing.
I hope that this will all come out soon. I feel like you and try so hard to stay positive but every morning I wake up it hits me like a new wave of mourning and I just don’t want to do the day. The idea of winter coming is filling me with dread as to what are they going to do to us next? Xx
I feel exactly the same. Here in Europe it's summer now and everything seems to have paused for a while, but I feel hopelessness thinking about what they already say they have in store for us, as soon as September comes. The virus fear mania seems desperate to return. I just pray that something will happen and it won't continue.
Timely piece. Was just listening to a discussion between Desmet and Brett Weinstein on the latter's podcast. Desmet noted that the conditions for mass formation - atomization and loneliness, free-floating anxiety, and so on - were actually strengthened by the coronavirus episode, since the lockdowns and the rest of it hit our social networks like a neutron bomb. Thus, while the pandemania has receded, the ground has been made fertile for an even worse manifestation to come.
With the economy collapsing, and what really looks like a manufactured food crisis on the horizon, it's easy to imagine what that next version could look like. Those events can't be predicted, so it's absolutely essential that a widespread understanding of this sociopsychological mechanism be disseminated as widely as possible in order to at least try to forestall it when the beast slouching towards Davos rears its ugly head again.
In the last half of the conversation with Desmet and Brett, Desmet talked about how the individuals who do not give in, who stay strong throughout actually stronger individuals. Their souls grow. I found this to be the most interesting comment and deserves more attention.
Yes, that was a profound insight, and exactly correct in my opinion. Indeed, if one looks at the purpose of life on Earth as soul development, and accepts the hypothesis of metempsychosis, then it may well follow that we chose to incarnate at this time specifically for the opportunity to rapidly grow our souls.
Dear Charles, I was guilty of this early on but I could not for the life of me describe it near as well: "...partly because of a deep-seated instinct to sense the mood of the mob and escape its hostile notice by signaling the correct virtues and professing the correct opinions." I've always been hyper-vigilant and hate in-person confrontation, so I went along with some things to get along. I'm ashamed of that today but I also know I am stronger now and will not be so easy to manipulate again. Thank you.
Hi Charles, Thank you, as always, for your thoughts and perspectives. My sister recently came up with something I hadn't heard or seen before. She accused me of having a persecution complex when I described the ostracism, some of it severe in the early days, experienced at my home in Marin County, California, over not having the injection. I was speechless, which of course was her intention.
That is classic "blame the victim." Happens all the time to victims of domestic abuse. The abuser convinces everyone that it is the abused who is at fault. The abused becomes socially isolated. Everyone believes the abuser and takes his side.
In Margaret Anna Alice's post, "A Mostly Peaceful Depopulation," she lists Biderman's Chart of Coercion that shows the methods of stress manipulation used on prisoners of war and domestic abuse victims. It's eerily prescient to our situation. And she asks the questions that you're raising, Charles:
Why are governments, public health agencies, the media, Big Tech, and “experts” stoking fear instead of calmly assessing the data and attempting to dispel panic—like every responsible authority has done for genuine crises in the past?
Why are all of these entities speaking in unison with a single voice as if everyone has been handed the same script?
Why are they covering COVID 24/7 on every available outlet, drumming up the death tallies and case counts and behaving as if it were the only newsworthy story on the planet?
Why are people all suddenly parroting the same phrases like “social distancing,” “New Normal,” “Build Back Better,” and the Orwellian double-think gem “together apart”?
Why does it seem like everyone has suddenly lost their capacities for critical thinking, reasoning, logic, and scientific analysis?
Why are they encouraging discrimination against those who refuse to comply with unscientific and nonsensical guidelines?
Why did they turn the world into an open-air prison?
Time will learn you might not even done enough! Try to laugh about it, even turn your sisters remark into a joke, so it holds longer! It will be very clear were dealing with a planned massacre which can only be executed by the use of our fears.
Charles, The criticism you get -- "The real cause of all our problems is a psychopathic Satanic elite controlling everything from behind the scenes" -- totally obscures what's really going on by using the term Satanic. Uh oh, red flag -- Satan is a figure from the Christian Bible dredged up by centuries of believers to freak out whoever it is that feels threatened. It's a moralistic term going hand in hand with heaven and hell, neither of which Christ himself mentioned at all. Why not just cut to the chase and point to the driving force behind high crimes and misdemeanors committed in the name of public health: late-stage predatory corporate capitalism. It's capitalism which gives birth to figures like Bill Gates, who may be a monster but is a capitalist success story! Unless we find a way to abandon capitalism and the patriarchy that enables it, any attempt to defeat the tidal wave of greed and corruption drowning us will not work.
yeah, in The Conspiracy Myth I said something similar, that the big-C conspiracy theory assigned the hidden cabal as a proxy for corporate capitalism etc. -- a conscienceless, alien force inimical to the wellbeing of humans and the earth.
It is indeed the case that Satan is barely mentioned at all the bible. In the Old Testament i think basically just once by name, in the Book of Job. (The serpent in the garden was not named). Then in the New Testament, in the temptation of Christ. In both cases he is not depicted as malevolently evil. He offers tests and temptations. In Job his relationship to God seems rather cordial.
In my YT episode on Bret Weinstein, The Demonization and Demonetization of Disinformation, I talk about Elaine Pagel's book, The Origins of Satan. She said that it was used to describe the 'intimate enemy,' the enemy within. These were the Jews who were rebelling against the Roman Empire, the zealots. I think this speaks to your own theories, Charles, about scapegoating and Rene Girard.
Good distinctions drawn. Any resistance requires identifying what to resist but with the complexity in this current situation, naming ‘the enemy’ is the main belief that keeps us all divided. We all strive in our own ways to make sense of or find patterns in the molten chaos of our milieu but it carries the risk of fixating on a simple answer, as Charles points out. The power inherent in holding all the unanswered questions in our minds yields much insight. By allowing the cloud patterns of events to swirl before our conscious gaze, we gain glimpses of who we are in the matter of created narratives. The power is in us but it is subtle work to hear the whispers of our humanity and hold our gaze unflinchingly without fixating on one thread. Melanie Reinhardt made a powerful observation of the work to be done with “Keeping your heart open in hell.” And so we go full circle back to a biblical reference.
I would like to point out Michael, by your focus on the word ‘ Satanic’ you forget the point which is made that we are being played by our own weaknesses.
Another encouraging piece, a sense of direction, a sense of (approximately) "true north"--we simply must know where we are, how we got there in order to prevent the same thing from happening again. I just had this conversation with a sympathetic friend, i.e., I must have other conversations with family and friends in my life who have given me such a hard time in failing to understand "consent" and "sovereignty" regarding my body. Seems if I explain what has happened that they can be smart enough to see what it means for it all to be unfolding again, should that be the case. D Stark, not sure how we get out of this mess without examining it. Charles could have launched an outright attack on all who have helped to create the pandemania many of us have been living with for the past few years just because we made different choices than others would allow us to make. This is not attack--it is and has always been (from Charles, from so many pro-consent voices) clear examination so that our eyes may be wide open, our stand strong if/when the time comes. Thanks, Charles!
I noticed that Chelsea Green published Mattias Desmet's book as well as The Coronation. I always read permaculture gardening books from them and I wondered if this was a different direction for them. I pulled up a couple articles with people criticizing the publisher for promoting conspiracies and false information. Anyhow, I bought both books and felt glad to support them and grateful that they are publishing these and speaking out in their own sphere. I feel encouraged to be bold and long to join the incorruptible... but I feel like a toddler just getting my legs strong enough. Baby steps. I am not deeply afraid but I dread the social awkwardness and I always feel so emotional that it is hard to speak calmly and communicate facts.
I love Chelsea Green. They encouraged me to write my book, How to Dismantle an Empire. In the end, the editor I'd worked with left and they felt it was outside their zone, but that definitely kept me going long enough to self-publish. They have some impressive titles, like Oil and Power.
Understand how you feel. I'm bravest when emboldened by anger. Not typically the best time to speak, though sometimes that's worked well for me. Properly channeled anger can be effective. Yes, start with baby steps. Bet you can!
I have just returned from a singing retreat in Sussex, UK in a group of 15 wonderful women. It was amazing to be together closely with people I had not met before sharing all kinds of nourishing and challenging activities after 2 and half years of constrained and oppressed life. I have a small sense of what a more beautiful world can be like! There were no Covid protocols, no tests and as intimacy and safety grew we held each other, hugged each other, massaged each other and made wonderful sounds together. The active Covid rebels gradually discovered each other and talked in free times about our experiences, thoughts and feelings. We also sang freedom songs round the fire. Those of us who have been swimming against the tide for so long need this kind of healing and inspiration to be incorrigible, stronger and more rebellious and yet keep reaching out with love and hope.
Thank you so much for this beautiful view into the better world which we actually might be heading for! The energy of the gathering you attended is flushing out through your report. Please spread it widely!
Excellent piece. I like how you’re keeping the door open for the “alt middle” or “alt centre” space. Let’s not build a counter narrative that forecloses the bigger task of healing the centre and returning it to dialogue, discourse, dispute and disobedience. Civil society has taken a blow; let’s heal this sacred space.
Beautifully put. Exactly how I feel as well. There's been enough alienation, and especially the fixation on enemies = this is what continuously fuels the division. US vs THEM has got to stop.
so welcomed here. You nail the core issues so clearly around the dynamics of mass formation and the deeper challenges facing us if we are not to decend into this madness again. Keep writing Charles and bless you.
An incorrigible here. I was terminated from my (non-healthcare) job in March because I would not get vaccinated. I am thinking I will be gifting the CEO your book. (And he will probably be open to it.). I never got angry, but stood my ground. It was very interesting. And fortunately I was in a position where it didnt cause me any trouble.
Excellent. It always lifts my spirits to see a piece from you in my inbox. I've been opposed to the pandemic response from the start and have always been an outspoken activist, but even now it is incredibly difficult to speak my truth to friends and some family. I say a few gentle things and they look at me with fear in their eyes - I watch their hearts close - caught in the Narrative and holding on tight. I am incorrigible but how to approach people without alienating them when they're so brainwashed?
as the other comments here demonstrate, it really depends on the situation. Sometimes I find that gentle, good-natured humor can really bypass people's defenses. The other thing is personal stories without an agenda to change the other person.
Yes, thank you. I'm reminded of when I was a teenager passionately anti the Vietnam war and arguing endlessly about it with my friends. Years later and none of them remember being ever in favour of the war. Also, here in New Zealand, you'll hardly find a soul now who would admit to having been opposed to sporting sanctions against the S. African apartheid regime, and yet the whole country was split down the middle about it in the 1980s. I worry about how long it will take for a majority to awaken about the current pandemic debacle in the face of censorship and sophisticated propaganda...it's heartening to read your offerings and all the great comments. Thank you!
That is a telling story.
Troubling to consider, the prospect that this may be a markedly longer 'slog' than we'd ideally prefer. While I agree that it appears, generally, the 'collective trance' is beginning to lift and we're even beginning to see some traction with class actions and discrimination claims against the 'unvaxxed' in the workplace, there remain stubborn holdouts, still.
As a personal (frustrating) example, my employer -- a publicly-traded company -- recently informed all those with exemptions that they will no longer be accepted/renewed; those of us currently with exemptions have until end of Sept to be inoculated or be terminated. Middle of 2022, and still, arrogance/hubris remains at executive 'leadership' levels. It's clear by now these shots don't curb spread; how can employers continue to justify these affronts to ethics/fundamental human rights?
I have been sending periodic dispassionate emails to my compliance/HR depts with case studies and mainstream pieces that showcase the shifts in sentiment (examples of other employers/orgs loosening policy, editorials from 'mainstream' publications now openly scrutinizing mandates, etc.), so far to no avail.
My practice leads however did approve my request to include more 'traditional'/non-mRNA shots, such as Covaxin, as part of the list of what may be deemed 'compliant', and also approved travel expenses (Covaxin isn't currently available in the U.S.), but the bottom line is submitting to this policy is a form of submission to egregiously unethical acts that need to be called out and rebuked at all turns (not to mention the blatant discrimination in place for those exempted: i am excluded from participating in any team events; can't visit my company office or meet with colleagues or clients). But i have multiple dependents, and the job is otherwise a good fit. Still, I'm currently exploring other options (limited, unfortunately -- since many other employers in my area of experience continue to have certain mandates for new hires).
"Just get the shot and move on", I'm told by quite a few fellow peers, and even a couple family members.
It'd certainly be alot 'easier' for me if I did.
Suckage.
The thing about putting up a fight is that the first person to do it often gets squashed. If enough people fight back, then the bullies will stop. You raise the costs of enforcement. But that doesn't help you, only those who come after you.
I wonder if you could get a homeopathic "vaccine" (they do exist you know) and submit that. It might slow things down.
Appreciate the words/sentiment. Indeed.
Can you share an example of a "homeopathic vaccine" for Covid? Not familiar with this offhand. I suspect if it's not WHO-approved it may not be approved here either, but will be willing to pursue it anyway.
I hear you, Erin! It's tough. Even professionals who deprogram the branwashed have a hard time doing so. It ain't easy. I highly recommend learning motivational interviewing in order to lead people out of their brainwashing. I use it for helping addicts drop the denial of their addiction and it's pretty effective.
There are some really good videos at reachingpeople.net. They also have a YouTube channel and a weekly zoom call. I’ve learned a lot about how to have conversations, (mostly how to temper my own expectations and passions so I don’t get all worked up😄). But really, they explain how to share information so that it is at the right level and temperament for the ones you hope to inform.
Good point Erin! How long I wonder too..... It seems to be taking way longer than we hoped it would. The other day I was called selfish (by a friend of my husband's - long known, ie not a stranger) for not being injected! I had to smile really. Of course she refused to discuss or debate. I shake my head in amazement - you'd think by now, with every second person (and most of them vaxxed) coming down with the 'weaponised flu' the penny might be starting to drop. But no, the cognitive dissonance - and sophisticated propaganda as you say - runs very deep. We live in hope right. And try to keep out frequency up. (I'm in New Zealand too. Where are you?)
I'm in Wellington how about you? It's so lovely reading all these comments isn't it - lovely company we're keeping!
Heeeyyy!! So am I! Yes indeed. We so need this..... Where in the city are you Erin? I'm in Hataitai.
I'm in Lyall Bay! Hmm...not sure where we go from here. I assume we don't give contact details on this forum? It would be great to meet you!
I actually have great stories. Myself, I got vax for immigration purposes and got very sick. Then my son had reactions and this is how I opened people hearts. But it is not easy because personal experiences lack veracity if CNN says the opposite. Those that listen normally I use a lot of Charles ideas with my stories and works
Sometimes asking gentle questions around cracks in the narrative can start others thinking. Where direct truth telling does not.
Also been an example of someone in a vibration of love, kindness, openness and peace towards the covid fear porn can inspire some folks to shift or at least ask you questions.
I believe from the current booster numbers that most Americans no longer follow the vax narrative, even if they are not openly saying so. Ditto masking.
This is an excellent question, and one I've been struggling with as well. Gentle questioning seems to be the best way to go, though timing of that is also critical.
I've also noticed how important it is to remain as objective as possible, empathetic to the emotions in play, yet grounded to not become emotionally triggered. I believe a relentlessly objective perspective is one of those things that can establish trust over time, as these narrative cracks continue to form.
Yes. A great idea is inviting someone on a Facebook page that might help them see an alternative view or recommending a Substack article. But I think people have given up on reading lately. So this doesn't seem to work anymore 😅
I also find it extremely difficult to talk to people, there is still so much fear. I'm so tired of it all, though. Trying to talk to people about this and being in the minority here in my community.. it's excausting.
Gina, That's why you have us! And why we are all here! We are NOT alone! We have each other to strengthen and nourish us when we feel overwhelmed.
And the standard of the contributors is generally awesome! So many brilliant people - I wish we could all meet up in person.
Yes! It would be amazing if we could all meet up. I wish we had another Woodstock right now. How amazing would that be?!! :DDD
Yes yes yes
Yes! I said something similar MUCH further down the thread. The camaraderie of the shunned is a beautiful thing. I feel like I've winnowed down the people with whom I can be myself and speak from the heart. And what magnificent company! On the outside, I pick and choose what to say, generally dropping some statistics when someone else brings it up. But it's created a closeness and intimacy between strangers, a sharing of deep thoughts.
Yeah I gotta admit that when people start talking about “crazy anti vaxxers” I stay silent. I don’t defend anything. I don’t speak up that I’m not jabbed. I suppose I’ve lost my Joan of Arc.
In this kind of situation I always talk. But I do it with extreme kindness.. Because it is obvious that in this kind of talking are people who are totally brainwashed. Totally asleep.
And it's usually best to play dumb and ask questions. I was in my area's market the other day and they have a new cash register where you auto check out. I refused to pay there and the clerk was angry at me. So I asked? "Who does this auto register benefit really? Is it that good? Does it help your company? She had to admit that it doesn't benefit her because they would definitely downsize if people started checking out on their own. It was definitely better than arguing and I think she definitely got it...
Sorry for the long reply! 😅
I think it's very important, contemplating any discussion, to be honest about my intentions and needs., many of which may be unconscious. Do I really want to hear another's perspective? Why? Am I willing to be changed by what they share? Am I hoping to score points, convince or change them? Do I just feel a need to be heard? Or to feel that I'm evolved enough to have difficult discussions? Much of the time I realize that I'm trying to involve the other person in meeting my needs, needs that are better met on my own or with someone else.
I've been considering a strategy of discussing discussing. Telling the truth -- e.g. "this is an important topic and I'd love to exchange ideas, but I've seen how difficult that can be and don't want to offend anyone I care about. So I remain silent, but maybe I don't need to. Is our recent covid experience something you'd be interested in discussing? Can we do so without upsetting each other? etc etc" Real questions and hopefully an honest and thoughtful discussion about process rather than going to directly to subject matter.
I'm so glad I discovered your writings. When the covid crisis began, the only people speaking against it were diehard Republicans. I have viewed myself as a Progressive for my entire adult life, and I counted on my Progressive friends to speak out against this madness. To my horror, some of the folks who'd been my cohorts during Occupy were amongst the fiercest proponents of Pandemania. I watched them transform into diehard adherents--one by one, like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Radical socialists joined forces with Big Pharma to coerce people into getting the shot. One of my closest friends pulled a stun gun on someone on a Seattle city bus because the individual refused to put on a mask while he sat near her. The fact that the person appeared to be mentally ill did not deter her from threatening him (she, of course, viewed it as protecting herself).
Full disclaimer: I received the first two rounds of the Moderna vaccine. At the time, my husband was dying of cancer, and I did what I felt was necessary to protect him. He had faith in the medical system because he was completely dependent on chemo and other medications to keep him alive. Those "medicines" caused him to develop severe neuropathy and kept him in a state of excruciating pain and nausea for nearly two years. I often wonder if he would've lived longer had he chosen to forgo the medical route. The pharmaceutical corporations make a fortune from the suffering of cancer patients, but for some reason, this isn't considered a crisis.
I never once castigated my unvaccinated friends for their choices. In fact, when the mandates came on strong at the end of last year, I urged them to stick to their principles. I refused to patronize any establishment that required proof of vaccine, due to my deep convictions about the evil wrongheadedness of such rules. I will continue to do so. I have been so outspoken about this matter on social media that many people assume I must be unvaccinated and (gasp!) anti-vaxx. I just smile at their delusions. Such is the power of propaganda, its ability to put folks into easily identifiable boxes.
It's worth pointing out that, like most people (vaxxed and not), I got covid anyway. So did my thrice-vaxxed adult daughter (who is totally bewildered by the vehemence of my opinions--I'm vaccinated, after all!! Why the hell don't I want to just show my vaccine card?!) It felt like a bad cold. I spent some time indoors, writing and doing yoga. I actually look back fondly on the experience. And no, I don't think the vaccine prevented me from getting even sicker (really, how can anyone know?)
Anyway, I'll quit rambling now. Again, I want to emphasize how much I appreciate your voice, Charles, as well as the many sensible voices of other people on your threads. Heartfelt thanks to all of you.
Thanks for this humanizing story.
Also I really appreciate those vaccinated people who speak out against mandates and vax passes. Thanks for doing that :)
One of the lost truths of this whole affair is, How about everyone lighten up!
I really appreciate them too. I suspect there are many people who got the shots due to coercion and are therefore not diehard supporters, and their voices have a credibility with the true believers that ours might not have.
I actually have several vaxxed friends who are not down with mandates, vaxx passes, etc. I suspect that at least a few of them regret getting the shot, since it turned out to be useless. I know I do. As usual, the folks who are most strident about their continuing support of vaccinations are the ones we hear from the most. Their voices are deafeningly loud. The rest tend to keep silent, which is a damned shame.
Lightening up sounds like a great idea! I am going to remember to do it whenever possible.
How anyone could believe it's right to force someone out of their livelihood due to that person's unwillingness to take a shot is beyond my comprehension. Let alone bar such an individual from restaurants, bars, health clubs, and even some stores.
Fear is a helluva drug.
"one by one, like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
My experience also exactly. My friends aren't political activists but more like jaded cynics w various jobs in the arts/culture, and they've all bought every single mass-produced narrative of the past few years: Trump (which I get), Russiagate, George Floyd, Ukraine, and of course Covid and the masks and vaxxes and mandates.
I'm not sure I've ever seen or read of any phenomenon like this, w absolute mass panic and mass conformity (down to using the same exact words and phrases) among what is supposedly the most educated, intelligent and cultured sector of society. It continues to absolutely shock me.
My current theory is that smartphones + social media + constant internet access are the greatest tool ever invented for brainwashing and for the dissemination of propaganda.
I feel like all the so-called leaders of our society are addicted to mass rage and panic like a crackhead is addicted to crack, and I don't see this fever breaking for anything short of a major cataclysm.
Re: your final sentence: I have to agree. But I'm an idealist, like Charles. Hope feels better to me than devolving into total cynicism (though I certainly do understand the latter sentiment).
I have a lot of jaded friends in the arts, as well. So many of them fell for this nonsense. Fortunately, I moved from Washington state to Bisbee, Arizona during the start of the pandemic. We weren't nearly as nuts here as a lot of other places. Even though Bisbee is a "liberal" town (what does that word even mean, any more?) a lot of folks were not on board with restrictions. We didn't see a lot of vaccine pass rules at Arizona businesses, but when I visited my daughter in Portland, Oregon last May, signs requiring proof of vaxx were hanging on the doors of several establishments. Portland never had across-the-board vaccine pass rules--these businesses are embracing a sort of voluntary fascism. I know that "fascism" is a strong word, but in this case it's sadly apt. I continue to hope that such folks finally wake the hell up.
We live in such an extraordinarily disorienting time.
Who would have guessed 20 yrs ago at the turn of the century that the next generation of "liberals" would be opponents of free speech and thought and expression, passionate about hunting down and punishing dissenters and apostates, skeptical of claims of bodily autonomy, and would demand that everyone be forced to inject a Pfizer product or else be banished from society?
There are always multiple factors but I think the main one here is our planetary internet poisoning and how a punitive digital panopticon has been constructed where we've all traded privacy and sanity for the oxytocin high of Likes, and where the most popular pastime is destroying strangers for fun to show off your virtue and allegiance to tribal dogma.
Sometimes larger factors beyond our control play the biggest part in how events unfurl, and I think in our case we are living through a replay of what the printing press plus the Protestant Reformation did to Europe 500 yrs ago—every prior supposedly settled arrangement (political, social, religious, personal etc) is being torn up and either destroyed or repurposed. And if that history is any guide, we should return to some level of normalcy maybe in another few decades or so.
History is a rollercoaster! Buckle up!
My condolences on your husband.
Kudos for not patronizing businesses that require vax proof & being outspoken.
Eye-opening my progressive/liberal friends didn't question authority & became proponents of whatever the media fed. Several went proudly ballistic at non-mask wearers. Shocking really. Likewise, I found myself grouped with neofascist Republicans as the brunt of jokes on TV. I stopped watching. Lessons on the power of fear, propaganda & categorizing that I'll never forget.
A biochemist friend is required to be tested 2x week for his job since he refused vax. Of the vaxxed people he works with, he's the only one who hasn't gotten Covid. Only my vaxxed friends have gotten Covid & maintain the narrative their infections weren't serious due to jabs. Maybe or maybe not. They're eager for third boosters.
Several of my unvaccinated friends either have not gotten covid at all, or have gotten very light cases (much lighter than mine). In contrast, all of my vaccinated friends have contracted the virus, some of them multiple times. But so far, we've all lived through it.
My stun-gun wielding, four times vaccinated friend has softened her stance a bit after getting covid and surviving with flying colors. She's an older woman with diabetes, and she's fine now. My hope is that some of the other diehards will moderate their views, but a lot of them seem to be hanging on out of sheer stubbornness. I get it--it's hard as hell to admit that you made a grievous error, harder still if you spent two years vilifying folks about masks and the vaxx, only to discover that you were wrong all along.
Glad to know of a non-vaccinated person having a light case. My sister continues to harp on the unvaccinated being hospitalized & dying despite evidence to the contrary. I just let her self-righteously blather on.
Anecdotally, have post-infection vaxxed friends who've actually hugged me recently. That's progress. These same friends came to my husband's outdoor b'day party almost two years ago. I had to set up separate tables & they distanced.
No one I know is taking the monkey pox seriously--yet.
What a great conversation you started here, Leah! With Gerri, I send my condolences. I like to think no suffering is in vain and it's getting us all to a new realization, but who knows? With Charles, I feel there's great power in the vaxxed speaking up. Like CP, I loved your phrase about pod people. It's very eerie and Twilight Zone, isn't it?
I've been saying that Covid is an acronym for Conformity Over Ideology. It's lazy virtue-signaling instead of doing the research to decide what you stand for and then STANDING FOR IT. But giving up the company of the virtuous has been good for me. I was asked to house a banjo player for a concert that required a vax pass to attend. Saying no hurt them more than it hurt me!
I never realized how much self-righteousness surrounded me until Covid brought it out. I think, to Charles' question, what leaves us vulnerable to manipulation is our secret sense of superiority. What makes us incorrigible is refusing to believe we're better than anyone else.
I have an uncanny ability for starting long conversations, which is why I have such a love/hate relationship with social media. I'm glad this discussion is more positive than some of my vitriolic Facebook arguments.
I love your covid acronym--it's so apt! Here in AZ, the larger music clubs have FINALLY dropped their vaxx mandates. This was wonderful news because I love live music so much. Bisbee didn't have those draconian rules, but Tucson did. So I just stayed in town for my live music fixes, and supported local bands in the process. (We have a lot of great music here. People even dance and hug!)
It's hard not to react with judgment and self-righteousness towards folks who are blatantly exhibiting those same traits, but I'm trying my best. I'm in a unique position to talk with my vaccinated friends about the absurdity of mandates, and about being more understanding and inclusive, since I'm vaxxed myself. Ha! It's gotta be good for something. ;)
Thank you Charles. I love being incorrigible and am so proud of my sons for being incorrigible in their own ways. Some things I worry about, are people actually creating the next catastrophe/food shortage by stockpiling and predicting it? Are we being realistic or are we just ultra focused on the negative?Will my sons (17 and 21 be able to navigate this world without having the vax? How? We still cannot even travel to certain countries? Foreigners who are not fully vaxxed cannot enter the US. And children in certain US states are denied public and private education if they do not have the required vaccinations. Sometimes it feels like having a target on one’s back that no one can see but that affects everything. Your essays speak to me and encourage me to face my part in creating division. Your readers bring me hope. I must acknowledge that I have an underlying grief for what has happened over the last few years (or maybe I just became more aware) and grave concern for humanity because I see ill health everywhere. I am usually the glass half full type, but there is this sense of hopelessness hiding inside ever since Covid.
I think that the worst is over, for now anyway, regarding vax mandates. I think they will probably be relaxed by schools and governments. They will shift to some other pretext to intensify control over the public. That is why I'm focusing now on the deeper patterns (using Covid as a window to them).
I'll add though that "the worst is over" doesn't mean to relax our resistance and stop speaking out. It is over BECAUSE we are resisting and speaking out, and will continue to do so.
Here in Canada we, the unvaccinated, are now permitted to travel on a plane, train or boat, but we have to isolate for 14 days upon arrival back in Canada. We are also required to have to have the ARRIVECAN app on our phones to enter the country. Those who don't comply are being fined $5000:
https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html
Canada is in the process of implementing this travel app/digital ID as a replacement for passports and, as far as I can garner, will transform into the social credit system similar to that in China. I am desperately trying to pull myself out of this negative mindset as those close to me are tired of hearing my doom and gloom. I struggle between whether to continue fighting for the future of my children and grandchildren or whether I am part of the problem by continuing along this path of trying to alert those around me of what our government has planned for us.
I was put on unpaid leave last fall for refusing to be experimented on with an untested treatment. The Canadian government denied us access to employment insurance if we were put on leave for that reason, despite the fact that we all paid into it. My union refused to stand up for me, even though I had a doctor's letter of exemption. If not for my siblings in the U.K. I would have been homeless. They paid my rent for five months. I am not afraid to resist. I look forward to your essays and find solace in your words but I am so very weary.
I "liked" this comment, but I am very sorry to read of your weariness. I know it well.
It is really sad what has happened to Canada.
You are brave. The thing about courage that makes it brave is that the fear is sometimes quite justified. You stand up to power, and sometimes power cuts you down. It is, after all, "power".
The most important thing to know is that your efforts will bear fruit, albeit possibly in ways you will never see. No act of love is ever in vain.
It may be that the words of doom and gloom, the warnings and the protests, are not the most effective strategy for resistance and change. These have their place, but in interactions with loved ones and acquaintances, these only wok if there is some degree of receptivity. If there is no receptivity, then warnings are counterproductive. Humor, honest questions, attentive listening, etc. might be more productive. At least they establish a basis of trust and prevent the other person from dehumanizing you.
No easy solution here. Thank you for being brave. when you put something at risk, it issues forth as a powerful prayer. Because God, or whoever is listening, knows you are serious.
Thank you for your response. I know this is true and something I have yet to learn how to do. Time for some serious work on myself.
Teena: I admire your courage and bravery. Thinking of you and sending loving vibes to you from me an inter-being in South Carolina.❤️
Thank you 🙏🏻❤️
I totally agree with you.
I worry lots about my 14 year old son. We didn’t have so many mandates here in the U.K. as the US did, but I know it’s lockstep in a each county so just a matter of time till they all do the same thing.
I hope that this will all come out soon. I feel like you and try so hard to stay positive but every morning I wake up it hits me like a new wave of mourning and I just don’t want to do the day. The idea of winter coming is filling me with dread as to what are they going to do to us next? Xx
I feel exactly the same. Here in Europe it's summer now and everything seems to have paused for a while, but I feel hopelessness thinking about what they already say they have in store for us, as soon as September comes. The virus fear mania seems desperate to return. I just pray that something will happen and it won't continue.
Excellent, thank you. I feel less alone reading your articles.
One of my favorite quotes. "If you have yet to be called an incorrigible, defiant woman, don't worry, there is still time."--Clarissa Pinkola Estés
There is time for all of us to stand up & clearly, calmy say what should be said about any injustice.
Typo--calmly.
Timely piece. Was just listening to a discussion between Desmet and Brett Weinstein on the latter's podcast. Desmet noted that the conditions for mass formation - atomization and loneliness, free-floating anxiety, and so on - were actually strengthened by the coronavirus episode, since the lockdowns and the rest of it hit our social networks like a neutron bomb. Thus, while the pandemania has receded, the ground has been made fertile for an even worse manifestation to come.
With the economy collapsing, and what really looks like a manufactured food crisis on the horizon, it's easy to imagine what that next version could look like. Those events can't be predicted, so it's absolutely essential that a widespread understanding of this sociopsychological mechanism be disseminated as widely as possible in order to at least try to forestall it when the beast slouching towards Davos rears its ugly head again.
In the last half of the conversation with Desmet and Brett, Desmet talked about how the individuals who do not give in, who stay strong throughout actually stronger individuals. Their souls grow. I found this to be the most interesting comment and deserves more attention.
Yes, that was a profound insight, and exactly correct in my opinion. Indeed, if one looks at the purpose of life on Earth as soul development, and accepts the hypothesis of metempsychosis, then it may well follow that we chose to incarnate at this time specifically for the opportunity to rapidly grow our souls.
Ironically I don't think that either Desmet or Brett made the connection to the soul. Karma and dharma aren't what either of them study.
(I had not heard of the word metempsychosis previously.)
Dark horse Podcast?
Yes.
Dear Charles, I was guilty of this early on but I could not for the life of me describe it near as well: "...partly because of a deep-seated instinct to sense the mood of the mob and escape its hostile notice by signaling the correct virtues and professing the correct opinions." I've always been hyper-vigilant and hate in-person confrontation, so I went along with some things to get along. I'm ashamed of that today but I also know I am stronger now and will not be so easy to manipulate again. Thank you.
That's been one of the blessings of Covid -- to reveal what was otherwise hidden.
Hi Charles, Thank you, as always, for your thoughts and perspectives. My sister recently came up with something I hadn't heard or seen before. She accused me of having a persecution complex when I described the ostracism, some of it severe in the early days, experienced at my home in Marin County, California, over not having the injection. I was speechless, which of course was her intention.
That is classic "blame the victim." Happens all the time to victims of domestic abuse. The abuser convinces everyone that it is the abused who is at fault. The abused becomes socially isolated. Everyone believes the abuser and takes his side.
In Margaret Anna Alice's post, "A Mostly Peaceful Depopulation," she lists Biderman's Chart of Coercion that shows the methods of stress manipulation used on prisoners of war and domestic abuse victims. It's eerily prescient to our situation. And she asks the questions that you're raising, Charles:
Why are governments, public health agencies, the media, Big Tech, and “experts” stoking fear instead of calmly assessing the data and attempting to dispel panic—like every responsible authority has done for genuine crises in the past?
Why are all of these entities speaking in unison with a single voice as if everyone has been handed the same script?
Why are they covering COVID 24/7 on every available outlet, drumming up the death tallies and case counts and behaving as if it were the only newsworthy story on the planet?
Why are people all suddenly parroting the same phrases like “social distancing,” “New Normal,” “Build Back Better,” and the Orwellian double-think gem “together apart”?
Why does it seem like everyone has suddenly lost their capacities for critical thinking, reasoning, logic, and scientific analysis?
Why are they encouraging discrimination against those who refuse to comply with unscientific and nonsensical guidelines?
Why did they turn the world into an open-air prison?
https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/a-mostly-peaceful-depopulation
Why indeed!
Gaslighting at its finest. Very common right now.
Time will learn you might not even done enough! Try to laugh about it, even turn your sisters remark into a joke, so it holds longer! It will be very clear were dealing with a planned massacre which can only be executed by the use of our fears.
I always feel a bit saner and safer while reading your thoughtful words, Charles.
Charles, The criticism you get -- "The real cause of all our problems is a psychopathic Satanic elite controlling everything from behind the scenes" -- totally obscures what's really going on by using the term Satanic. Uh oh, red flag -- Satan is a figure from the Christian Bible dredged up by centuries of believers to freak out whoever it is that feels threatened. It's a moralistic term going hand in hand with heaven and hell, neither of which Christ himself mentioned at all. Why not just cut to the chase and point to the driving force behind high crimes and misdemeanors committed in the name of public health: late-stage predatory corporate capitalism. It's capitalism which gives birth to figures like Bill Gates, who may be a monster but is a capitalist success story! Unless we find a way to abandon capitalism and the patriarchy that enables it, any attempt to defeat the tidal wave of greed and corruption drowning us will not work.
yeah, in The Conspiracy Myth I said something similar, that the big-C conspiracy theory assigned the hidden cabal as a proxy for corporate capitalism etc. -- a conscienceless, alien force inimical to the wellbeing of humans and the earth.
It is indeed the case that Satan is barely mentioned at all the bible. In the Old Testament i think basically just once by name, in the Book of Job. (The serpent in the garden was not named). Then in the New Testament, in the temptation of Christ. In both cases he is not depicted as malevolently evil. He offers tests and temptations. In Job his relationship to God seems rather cordial.
Satan, according to Girard IS the Scapegoat Mechanism.
In my YT episode on Bret Weinstein, The Demonization and Demonetization of Disinformation, I talk about Elaine Pagel's book, The Origins of Satan. She said that it was used to describe the 'intimate enemy,' the enemy within. These were the Jews who were rebelling against the Roman Empire, the zealots. I think this speaks to your own theories, Charles, about scapegoating and Rene Girard.
The Demonization and Demonetization of Disinformation: https://youtu.be/9UlgpFoaIJc
Good distinctions drawn. Any resistance requires identifying what to resist but with the complexity in this current situation, naming ‘the enemy’ is the main belief that keeps us all divided. We all strive in our own ways to make sense of or find patterns in the molten chaos of our milieu but it carries the risk of fixating on a simple answer, as Charles points out. The power inherent in holding all the unanswered questions in our minds yields much insight. By allowing the cloud patterns of events to swirl before our conscious gaze, we gain glimpses of who we are in the matter of created narratives. The power is in us but it is subtle work to hear the whispers of our humanity and hold our gaze unflinchingly without fixating on one thread. Melanie Reinhardt made a powerful observation of the work to be done with “Keeping your heart open in hell.” And so we go full circle back to a biblical reference.
I would like to point out Michael, by your focus on the word ‘ Satanic’ you forget the point which is made that we are being played by our own weaknesses.
Another encouraging piece, a sense of direction, a sense of (approximately) "true north"--we simply must know where we are, how we got there in order to prevent the same thing from happening again. I just had this conversation with a sympathetic friend, i.e., I must have other conversations with family and friends in my life who have given me such a hard time in failing to understand "consent" and "sovereignty" regarding my body. Seems if I explain what has happened that they can be smart enough to see what it means for it all to be unfolding again, should that be the case. D Stark, not sure how we get out of this mess without examining it. Charles could have launched an outright attack on all who have helped to create the pandemania many of us have been living with for the past few years just because we made different choices than others would allow us to make. This is not attack--it is and has always been (from Charles, from so many pro-consent voices) clear examination so that our eyes may be wide open, our stand strong if/when the time comes. Thanks, Charles!
I noticed that Chelsea Green published Mattias Desmet's book as well as The Coronation. I always read permaculture gardening books from them and I wondered if this was a different direction for them. I pulled up a couple articles with people criticizing the publisher for promoting conspiracies and false information. Anyhow, I bought both books and felt glad to support them and grateful that they are publishing these and speaking out in their own sphere. I feel encouraged to be bold and long to join the incorruptible... but I feel like a toddler just getting my legs strong enough. Baby steps. I am not deeply afraid but I dread the social awkwardness and I always feel so emotional that it is hard to speak calmly and communicate facts.
I love Chelsea Green. They encouraged me to write my book, How to Dismantle an Empire. In the end, the editor I'd worked with left and they felt it was outside their zone, but that definitely kept me going long enough to self-publish. They have some impressive titles, like Oil and Power.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Dismantle-Empire-2020-Vision/dp/1733347607/
Understand how you feel. I'm bravest when emboldened by anger. Not typically the best time to speak, though sometimes that's worked well for me. Properly channeled anger can be effective. Yes, start with baby steps. Bet you can!
You bring water to the thirsty.
I have just returned from a singing retreat in Sussex, UK in a group of 15 wonderful women. It was amazing to be together closely with people I had not met before sharing all kinds of nourishing and challenging activities after 2 and half years of constrained and oppressed life. I have a small sense of what a more beautiful world can be like! There were no Covid protocols, no tests and as intimacy and safety grew we held each other, hugged each other, massaged each other and made wonderful sounds together. The active Covid rebels gradually discovered each other and talked in free times about our experiences, thoughts and feelings. We also sang freedom songs round the fire. Those of us who have been swimming against the tide for so long need this kind of healing and inspiration to be incorrigible, stronger and more rebellious and yet keep reaching out with love and hope.
Thank you so much for this beautiful view into the better world which we actually might be heading for! The energy of the gathering you attended is flushing out through your report. Please spread it widely!
Excellent piece. I like how you’re keeping the door open for the “alt middle” or “alt centre” space. Let’s not build a counter narrative that forecloses the bigger task of healing the centre and returning it to dialogue, discourse, dispute and disobedience. Civil society has taken a blow; let’s heal this sacred space.
Beautifully put. Exactly how I feel as well. There's been enough alienation, and especially the fixation on enemies = this is what continuously fuels the division. US vs THEM has got to stop.
so welcomed here. You nail the core issues so clearly around the dynamics of mass formation and the deeper challenges facing us if we are not to decend into this madness again. Keep writing Charles and bless you.
An incorrigible here. I was terminated from my (non-healthcare) job in March because I would not get vaccinated. I am thinking I will be gifting the CEO your book. (And he will probably be open to it.). I never got angry, but stood my ground. It was very interesting. And fortunately I was in a position where it didnt cause me any trouble.
Good for you, Warrior!