Methinks the death notices are a tad premature. First, there remain more patriots than Leftists in this country. The only problem is that most patriots have not been paying attention. With the combination of Jab related deaths accelerating, debt being unmanageable (and the economy heading towards a wall), the wokeness within society, an invasion, the weak/lame "leadership" in DC that only wants war and are behind these woes....there is a high likelihood that the "adults" will be forced to step in and regain control. Unfortunately, the return to anything normal is going to be painful and will take years to correct. As far as our enemies are concerned, they are worse off than we are. Russia has yet to take Ukraine out and runs the risk of outright war (aka a "major fail"); and China has its own internal problems that can upset its society. Iran and Israel are just a sideshow and no one really wants to become involved. Folks figure that this whole Gaza thing is Israel's problem. Thus, I submit to you that America will remain the least ugliest Troll and the world will be forced to keep it propped-up. Again, this doesn't mean we will ultimately relinquish dominance....just not today. In the interim I would suggest that people maintain their humanity and be part of the solution. Pax
I agree there are many patriots and that they've not been vigilant, but I think what we all widely consider to be "Merka" is on its last legs. That's not to say that the ideas that founded the country won't survive and thrive, it just won't look like the map and management you've grown up with.
By the way, don't write off Russia. Assuming you are in the States, you are getting a very slanted view. Russia's economy is booming and you are misinterpreting the Russian strategy in the Ukraine. Bangkok is packed with affluent Russian tourists. Shop signs are in Russian. You can hear Russian being spoken everywhere. There are similar scenes in many other tourst hot spots. Contrary to the GeezerMedia narradigm of being on its knees, Russia is ascendant.
I started basic Russian as a senior in high school (my French teach, of all people!). I just couldn't continue it at the college level, as no one was offering it.
I am thinking about taking it up again...may prove VERY practical.
Americans are totally sheltered and brainwashed by the Geezermedia.
By the bye, a friend of mine, who is completely absorbed into the Matrix, is heading to Bangkok in the next few days. He honestly believes Russia is collapsing and the people are in rebellion against Putin. Bangkok is absolutely overrun with Russian tourists now. Signs everywhere in the Cyrillic alphabet. The economy is booming and they are filling the vacuum created by the lack of American and European tourists. Can't wait to hear my friend's reaction if any of it penetrates his fog.
It's 3am on Tuesday morning -- your post is stamped 26 mins. ago to match it up. My time zone is Waktu Indonesia Barat (WIB), which is West Indonesia Time. I am in the same zone with Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, an hour ahead of Singapore, and an hour behind Bali. Probably more than you wanted to know. :) Sounds like you're in Hawaii or Alaska?
It's a beautiful and complex language. I've only learned a few phrases from working with Russians quite a bit. My uncle also taught Russian history at university for 30 years, and a bit rubbed off on me. As a priority for me, though, I think Mandarin (spoken only) would be more beneficial in the near term. I still love listening to Russian poetry in any case, even if I understand nothing.
I'm here in the States. It would be foolish to write off Russia. Personally, I think it is an underutilized country with a lot of potential. That said, it does have its own internal dynamics and problems....so I don't view it as a monolith either. My take on the Russian strategy in Ukraine is "why interrupt your enemy when he is in the process of killing himself". The strategy of Ukraine has been to throw waves of men against well defended forces. That, and that the Russian army has significantly more resources...so it can easily ware Ukraine down. It is simple math. What is tragic is how the flower of Ukraine has been decimated. Apparently, the average age of a Ukrainian soldier is now 42! Upwards of 500K Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded. Russia has a similar amount in reserve. Again, not very good math. What discourages me is how no one in the West is pursuing an "off ramp"...it seems to me that the killing should have stopped a long time ago. The longer things go on the higher the chance for a major escalation and a "major exchange". Not a good outlook....again, I hope that I am proven wrong and that humanity wins. Pax
The Ukraine is nothing but a narradigm generator, testing ground, revenue center, recycling center for spare cash, all for the MIC. They could care less about the political Matrix spun around it, or the lives being shattered. It's harvest time.
Indeed, the Russians are providing the screen on which the Ukrainian mosquito can beat its brains out. It is a playground for the Fourth Reich to build their new empire, but their fatal mistake is fighting for acquisition of territory, while the Russians simply swat at them and take advantage of strategic goofs.
All the West wants is PR victories to keep the folks at home -pumping treasure into a conflixt that has no bearing whatsoever on US/UK/EU interests. In many ways, it is an echo of Vietnam.
Russia is a geographically vast place with huge amounts of natural wealth and a small dispersed population. The Russian strategy has thus been to be mostly defensive, when attacked they give (rather sell dearly) ground and allow the stresses of offensive action and the harsh terrain and climate to attrit the invader, until conditions are favorable to expel the invader. And the home field advantage of people fighting for home and women and children always exists.
Napoleon and Hitler were defeated by this winning strategy.
If I put myself in the shoes of Mr Putin, I believe I would do little different. The country’s wealth, its people and culture must be conserved. The enemies are corrupt, aggressive, arrogant, and arguably insane. But they do have centuries of wealth to burn through before they can be stopped.
Accordingly, you try diplomacy even far beyond the point where it’s obviously not working. When forced into a defensive war, keep most of your forces in reserve to deter greater aggression. Be smart and manipulate your enemies into wasting men and material.
It has worked very well. The western empire has spent its arsenal of overpriced and obsolete war toys with no resources to replace them. They have sacrificed their productive genius to rapacious greed and globalism (née communism). The western empire is bankrupt many times over with nearly infinite false promises. It has replaced fighting men with esprit, with the worst kind of women and effete men. Due to the nuclear triad, it cannot really be defeated, it has to be encouraged to crumble. The Russians learned this lesson from their front row seat at the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Chinese merely had to read Sun Tzu.
Very astute observations. You apparently have a firm grasp of the situation. I think few Westerners really comprehend the size and diversity of Russia. It spans half the northern hemisphere, across 12 time zones, and bridges oldest civilizations in existence. Given these parameters and the cohesiveness of Russian culture under the Orthodox church, the Western craving for quick victories and PR triumphs are hopeless pursuits. Russian strategy has almost always been to suck its enemies into attrition traps, then snap the trap on them. The current "leaders" in the West have poor educations and are slaves to an insane ideology that Russia knows quite well. The West is essentially being destroyed by the same trick used on the USSR in the 1980s. Turn-about is fair play.
Ernie: Stalin threw away Russian lives at the Battle of Stalingrad as if they were popcorn. Putin does not do this. Putin knows that every Russian life is valuable. Russian births are going up a bit but the population is still too low for such a large country with so many resource riches.
"The Times of the Gentiles" and the run up to Armegeddon.
Everything is developing in precise accord with Prophesy, from the precise fulfilment of Isaiah 66 on May 14, 1948 to the opening skirmishes of " Armegeddon" being fought today against the Prophesied background of China, Russia, and Iran drawing into alignment, and everything else in between.
Including for just one graphic example of the inevitable nature of Prophesy, the blessing we received of control of all the world's seagates, Suez Panama Gibraltar etc, which we did receive, on time, precisely as Prophesied, and did subsequently lose, also as Prophesied, for mass disobedience.
Don't let Chruchians turn you away.
They are full of contrariness and lead people astray
God is the original Real Thing, and things will continue to progress in precise accord with Prophesy.
Well, it wouldn't be the Far Side if I didn't have a slightly different take. To paraphrase Joseph Farrell, the interpretation IS the deception.
I am of the opinion that the prophesies in Revelations were fulfilled in AD 70, with the sacking of Jerusalem. To believe otherwise, in my view, is to say the Christ was wrong -- or worse, deceptive -- in Matthew 24:34.
Further, it is my contention that nefarious forces deliberately manipulated the interpretation of Revelations to control and pacify the masses, and are manipulating world events in order to APPEAR as if THEIR interpretation of prophesy is coming to pass. This would certainly be in keeping with Evil's desire to deceive and amass power at all costs.
Consider the possibility and see if this point of view doesn't have a better fit with current events and the entities we are fighting. Cheers!
No, what is deceptive is looking at a single verse and ignoring the reality that surrounding it are numerous examples of people of " this generation " being guilty of Abel's murder in 4000 BC!
It's just misunderstanding propagated as " interpretation".
Evil has a vested interest in keeping you from the Truth and Churches and Evangelicals do a bang up job of it.
At one point. Christ tells those assembled " You" killed Zachariah.
You really need to read at least the whole chapter at least , better the surrounding chapters, best the entire book because there is nothing of substance to support your " interpretation", which is really misapprehension.
Also, there are so very many unfulfilled end time prophecies in that era and that chapter as to render your whole argument moot.
Chief among them, the Gospel had not been preached throughput the world. Evangelism hadn't got properly started...
Iran China and Russia had not moved into alliance, knowledge had not exploded exponentially .
The Temple, however, WAS destroyed,37 years later.
It's a very weak argunent and it just does not hold up.
I certainly understand your POV, however my training as a monk pushed me in a different direction. Out of curiosity, how would you interpret John 8:44 ff? In my opinion, it essentially cancels the "Old Testament," once you realize who the Christ is talking to and the deity he is referring to. It puts a whole different spin on things, as do the Nan Hamadi and Qumran texts. From the moment Constantine and Jerome got their hands on the "New Testament" and created the canon, things have spun out of control. As far as I'm concerned, the canon is deeply compromised.
I am reminded that the archives of the Libertarian Enterprise were recently moved. So I can't easily link to my essay, USA: RIP. But I am recapitulating it on Substack at L5 News. Coming soon to a 'stack near me
A very Interesting and engaging view of history. It is unfortunate that as the US falls, those in power will most certainly create extraordinary hardship, death ,and destruction worldwide. When we build back, and we will build back. The hope is that new ideas of Individual freedom and Liberty will prevail over hierarchical controls. I doubt it as history proves the most ruthless power hungry usually rise to the top in the popularity contest we call " Free and Transparent "elections .
The ideals of robust individualism cannot be erased. Once people taste true freedom, there is no going back. Clearly, though, the USA is in dire need of reform, and that is my point here. The map and political entity we generally call "America" will collapse, and likely soon. In its place, folks will return to the founding ideals and the mess that is the Swamp will be wiped away.
When empires collapse, they leave power vacuums and the struggle to become "king of the hill" is not a pleasant one. However, I believe the age of empires is over and what comes next will more resemble a Golden Age, than a political cesspool. The road is very bumpy though. That much is unavoidable.
Great article. Empires are illusions of grandeur. People put up with them for peace and prosperity. The Empire is the drunken uncle at the family reunion. He's tolerated but not loved.
"I will not be ignored!" Screams the Uncle as he lurches back into his chair.
Methinks the death notices are a tad premature. First, there remain more patriots than Leftists in this country. The only problem is that most patriots have not been paying attention. With the combination of Jab related deaths accelerating, debt being unmanageable (and the economy heading towards a wall), the wokeness within society, an invasion, the weak/lame "leadership" in DC that only wants war and are behind these woes....there is a high likelihood that the "adults" will be forced to step in and regain control. Unfortunately, the return to anything normal is going to be painful and will take years to correct. As far as our enemies are concerned, they are worse off than we are. Russia has yet to take Ukraine out and runs the risk of outright war (aka a "major fail"); and China has its own internal problems that can upset its society. Iran and Israel are just a sideshow and no one really wants to become involved. Folks figure that this whole Gaza thing is Israel's problem. Thus, I submit to you that America will remain the least ugliest Troll and the world will be forced to keep it propped-up. Again, this doesn't mean we will ultimately relinquish dominance....just not today. In the interim I would suggest that people maintain their humanity and be part of the solution. Pax
I agree there are many patriots and that they've not been vigilant, but I think what we all widely consider to be "Merka" is on its last legs. That's not to say that the ideas that founded the country won't survive and thrive, it just won't look like the map and management you've grown up with.
By the way, don't write off Russia. Assuming you are in the States, you are getting a very slanted view. Russia's economy is booming and you are misinterpreting the Russian strategy in the Ukraine. Bangkok is packed with affluent Russian tourists. Shop signs are in Russian. You can hear Russian being spoken everywhere. There are similar scenes in many other tourst hot spots. Contrary to the GeezerMedia narradigm of being on its knees, Russia is ascendant.
I started basic Russian as a senior in high school (my French teach, of all people!). I just couldn't continue it at the college level, as no one was offering it.
I am thinking about taking it up again...may prove VERY practical.
Americans are totally sheltered and brainwashed by the Geezermedia.
By the bye, a friend of mine, who is completely absorbed into the Matrix, is heading to Bangkok in the next few days. He honestly believes Russia is collapsing and the people are in rebellion against Putin. Bangkok is absolutely overrun with Russian tourists now. Signs everywhere in the Cyrillic alphabet. The economy is booming and they are filling the vacuum created by the lack of American and European tourists. Can't wait to hear my friend's reaction if any of it penetrates his fog.
Boy, is he ever going to be in for a shock!!! Hahahaha 😂😂
A smart traveler prepares.
I keep meaning to ask you: What day and time is it there now? Here it's 11:30am on Monday...
It's 3am on Tuesday morning -- your post is stamped 26 mins. ago to match it up. My time zone is Waktu Indonesia Barat (WIB), which is West Indonesia Time. I am in the same zone with Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, an hour ahead of Singapore, and an hour behind Bali. Probably more than you wanted to know. :) Sounds like you're in Hawaii or Alaska?
It's a beautiful and complex language. I've only learned a few phrases from working with Russians quite a bit. My uncle also taught Russian history at university for 30 years, and a bit rubbed off on me. As a priority for me, though, I think Mandarin (spoken only) would be more beneficial in the near term. I still love listening to Russian poetry in any case, even if I understand nothing.
I'm here in the States. It would be foolish to write off Russia. Personally, I think it is an underutilized country with a lot of potential. That said, it does have its own internal dynamics and problems....so I don't view it as a monolith either. My take on the Russian strategy in Ukraine is "why interrupt your enemy when he is in the process of killing himself". The strategy of Ukraine has been to throw waves of men against well defended forces. That, and that the Russian army has significantly more resources...so it can easily ware Ukraine down. It is simple math. What is tragic is how the flower of Ukraine has been decimated. Apparently, the average age of a Ukrainian soldier is now 42! Upwards of 500K Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded. Russia has a similar amount in reserve. Again, not very good math. What discourages me is how no one in the West is pursuing an "off ramp"...it seems to me that the killing should have stopped a long time ago. The longer things go on the higher the chance for a major escalation and a "major exchange". Not a good outlook....again, I hope that I am proven wrong and that humanity wins. Pax
The Ukraine is nothing but a narradigm generator, testing ground, revenue center, recycling center for spare cash, all for the MIC. They could care less about the political Matrix spun around it, or the lives being shattered. It's harvest time.
Indeed, the Russians are providing the screen on which the Ukrainian mosquito can beat its brains out. It is a playground for the Fourth Reich to build their new empire, but their fatal mistake is fighting for acquisition of territory, while the Russians simply swat at them and take advantage of strategic goofs.
All the West wants is PR victories to keep the folks at home -pumping treasure into a conflixt that has no bearing whatsoever on US/UK/EU interests. In many ways, it is an echo of Vietnam.
Russia is a geographically vast place with huge amounts of natural wealth and a small dispersed population. The Russian strategy has thus been to be mostly defensive, when attacked they give (rather sell dearly) ground and allow the stresses of offensive action and the harsh terrain and climate to attrit the invader, until conditions are favorable to expel the invader. And the home field advantage of people fighting for home and women and children always exists.
Napoleon and Hitler were defeated by this winning strategy.
If I put myself in the shoes of Mr Putin, I believe I would do little different. The country’s wealth, its people and culture must be conserved. The enemies are corrupt, aggressive, arrogant, and arguably insane. But they do have centuries of wealth to burn through before they can be stopped.
Accordingly, you try diplomacy even far beyond the point where it’s obviously not working. When forced into a defensive war, keep most of your forces in reserve to deter greater aggression. Be smart and manipulate your enemies into wasting men and material.
It has worked very well. The western empire has spent its arsenal of overpriced and obsolete war toys with no resources to replace them. They have sacrificed their productive genius to rapacious greed and globalism (née communism). The western empire is bankrupt many times over with nearly infinite false promises. It has replaced fighting men with esprit, with the worst kind of women and effete men. Due to the nuclear triad, it cannot really be defeated, it has to be encouraged to crumble. The Russians learned this lesson from their front row seat at the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Chinese merely had to read Sun Tzu.
Very astute observations. You apparently have a firm grasp of the situation. I think few Westerners really comprehend the size and diversity of Russia. It spans half the northern hemisphere, across 12 time zones, and bridges oldest civilizations in existence. Given these parameters and the cohesiveness of Russian culture under the Orthodox church, the Western craving for quick victories and PR triumphs are hopeless pursuits. Russian strategy has almost always been to suck its enemies into attrition traps, then snap the trap on them. The current "leaders" in the West have poor educations and are slaves to an insane ideology that Russia knows quite well. The West is essentially being destroyed by the same trick used on the USSR in the 1980s. Turn-about is fair play.
Very well said.
Ernie: Stalin threw away Russian lives at the Battle of Stalingrad as if they were popcorn. Putin does not do this. Putin knows that every Russian life is valuable. Russian births are going up a bit but the population is still too low for such a large country with so many resource riches.
What you see around you is
"The Times of the Gentiles" and the run up to Armegeddon.
Everything is developing in precise accord with Prophesy, from the precise fulfilment of Isaiah 66 on May 14, 1948 to the opening skirmishes of " Armegeddon" being fought today against the Prophesied background of China, Russia, and Iran drawing into alignment, and everything else in between.
Including for just one graphic example of the inevitable nature of Prophesy, the blessing we received of control of all the world's seagates, Suez Panama Gibraltar etc, which we did receive, on time, precisely as Prophesied, and did subsequently lose, also as Prophesied, for mass disobedience.
Don't let Chruchians turn you away.
They are full of contrariness and lead people astray
God is the original Real Thing, and things will continue to progress in precise accord with Prophesy.
There is no reason to go into the future blind.
Well, it wouldn't be the Far Side if I didn't have a slightly different take. To paraphrase Joseph Farrell, the interpretation IS the deception.
I am of the opinion that the prophesies in Revelations were fulfilled in AD 70, with the sacking of Jerusalem. To believe otherwise, in my view, is to say the Christ was wrong -- or worse, deceptive -- in Matthew 24:34.
Further, it is my contention that nefarious forces deliberately manipulated the interpretation of Revelations to control and pacify the masses, and are manipulating world events in order to APPEAR as if THEIR interpretation of prophesy is coming to pass. This would certainly be in keeping with Evil's desire to deceive and amass power at all costs.
Consider the possibility and see if this point of view doesn't have a better fit with current events and the entities we are fighting. Cheers!
No, what is deceptive is looking at a single verse and ignoring the reality that surrounding it are numerous examples of people of " this generation " being guilty of Abel's murder in 4000 BC!
It's just misunderstanding propagated as " interpretation".
Evil has a vested interest in keeping you from the Truth and Churches and Evangelicals do a bang up job of it.
At one point. Christ tells those assembled " You" killed Zachariah.
You really need to read at least the whole chapter at least , better the surrounding chapters, best the entire book because there is nothing of substance to support your " interpretation", which is really misapprehension.
Also, there are so very many unfulfilled end time prophecies in that era and that chapter as to render your whole argument moot.
Chief among them, the Gospel had not been preached throughput the world. Evangelism hadn't got properly started...
Iran China and Russia had not moved into alliance, knowledge had not exploded exponentially .
The Temple, however, WAS destroyed,37 years later.
It's a very weak argunent and it just does not hold up.
I certainly understand your POV, however my training as a monk pushed me in a different direction. Out of curiosity, how would you interpret John 8:44 ff? In my opinion, it essentially cancels the "Old Testament," once you realize who the Christ is talking to and the deity he is referring to. It puts a whole different spin on things, as do the Nan Hamadi and Qumran texts. From the moment Constantine and Jerome got their hands on the "New Testament" and created the canon, things have spun out of control. As far as I'm concerned, the canon is deeply compromised.
The USA as you describe it died in 1868. It has been zombified for a very long time.
Indeed, it seems Edgar Allen Poe foresaw this situation in his haunting allegory "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar."
I am reminded that the archives of the Libertarian Enterprise were recently moved. So I can't easily link to my essay, USA: RIP. But I am recapitulating it on Substack at L5 News. Coming soon to a 'stack near me
Excellent! It will show up in my email, so I'll keep an eye out for it. Sorry to hear LibEnt got jumbled. Lots of great work there.
Should be there now
A very Interesting and engaging view of history. It is unfortunate that as the US falls, those in power will most certainly create extraordinary hardship, death ,and destruction worldwide. When we build back, and we will build back. The hope is that new ideas of Individual freedom and Liberty will prevail over hierarchical controls. I doubt it as history proves the most ruthless power hungry usually rise to the top in the popularity contest we call " Free and Transparent "elections .
The ideals of robust individualism cannot be erased. Once people taste true freedom, there is no going back. Clearly, though, the USA is in dire need of reform, and that is my point here. The map and political entity we generally call "America" will collapse, and likely soon. In its place, folks will return to the founding ideals and the mess that is the Swamp will be wiped away.
When empires collapse, they leave power vacuums and the struggle to become "king of the hill" is not a pleasant one. However, I believe the age of empires is over and what comes next will more resemble a Golden Age, than a political cesspool. The road is very bumpy though. That much is unavoidable.
PS: I think it is very civil, polite, and kind that RFS responds to comments on his substack. So many substackers don't.
Great article. Empires are illusions of grandeur. People put up with them for peace and prosperity. The Empire is the drunken uncle at the family reunion. He's tolerated but not loved.
"I will not be ignored!" Screams the Uncle as he lurches back into his chair.