Tag: #history

 

Did you know that a lot of authoritarians and tyrants were duly elected, and then they just decided never to leave – or installed a puppet government?  Indeed.

 

How do they get elected?

Demagogs have been part of the political reality since the beginning of civilization.  Many who are in campaign mode will be enticed to lie about whatever makes their potential constituents perk their ears, get their most basic emotions flowing – so long it moves their happy butt from their cozy living spaces to the ballots.  The actual platform is almost irrelevant, because a demagog plans on doing whatever they want anyway.

However, those rallies, those commercials, debates, zingers, sick burns, or whatever other tactic their followers find enticing will make them angry enough to show their undivided support and loyalty.  This support will be incremental, first by tuning in, then buying all kinds of merch, then showing up at whatever place they are asked (where they will likely buy even more merch), get surrounded by a bunch of people who are falling under the same swindle – and fired up against whomever they are supposed to be angry at this particular time.

Yes, you’ve read that right – whoever is the person or entity that will be recipient of the furious rage will change – and that could even include an ardent loyalist who for whatever reason was disavowed.  Remember, for an authoritarian – EVERYONE is disposable, no matter how close or loyal they were to the authoritarian.

They get elected by getting you angry (worth repeating), and posing themselves as the only solution to all problems they claim is tearing the fabric of society – what they don’t tell you is that a lot of those problems are really make believe – they are designed to get you fired up, make you so enraged as to lose your rationality, while making you feel as the smartest person in the room, because you’re surrounded by a bunch of people who were convinced of the same BS.

 

 

How do they get YOUR vote?

Authoritarians “wanna-be” will be getting YOUR vote by lying to your face.  Once they get to power, they could very well become full authoritarians if the office to which they have been elected is corrupt enough to become a rubber stamp to their antics.  That is why they will surround themselves with loyalists to erode the strength of those who are actually holding them accountable.  Accountability is good, and expected if you’re the leader.  Lack of accountability opens the door for authoritarianism and tyranny.

If an “authoritarian wanna be,” and their propagandist realized that you and your like-minded folks are naïve, they will lower the standards on the narrative even more, and see how much can they lie to your face without you calling them out, or worse – if you’re short-sighted enough to keep parroting their buzz words and talking points, even if they are inconsistent.

This of course will frustrate the crap out of the people who are actually paying attention – even if they were in the same political party at some point – but the most naïve group will double down on their devotion for their “dear leader” and attack anybody who dares calling the inconsistencies out.  But remember, for the naïve group, the inconsistencies are irrelevant, because in their echo chamber all that BS makes perfect sense.  It is designed to be that way.

When a person is angry, rationality and fact-checking is the first thing that goes out the window – especially if planted talking points are making them believe they have the answers.  But talking points are not the same as facts.  They are statements that are easily digestible, and can pass the smell test unless you dig an inch deeper for scrutiny.  The authoritarians just need you to be naïve enough until they galvanize power.  After that you’re disposable.

If you realize that you’ve been duped, then they will silence you because they already got all the power that they needed to keep you and everybody else quiet – or make you and everything you ever loved violently disappear.  In my book Authoritarianism & Propaganda the Puppet Master Tools I cite several examples that show how situations like this happened.  And yes, lying to naïve voters is a tactic that has been proven and used pretty much forever.  But people keep falling for it.  Why?

I’ll be as diplomatic as I can – because tons of people don’t give a crap about anything or anyone who is not in their immediate surroundings, or if it does not seem to affect them.  To get your vote, the demagogs will make you believe somebody who is outside your bubble is the enemy – but if you would actually get to talk to them, you would realize the obvious – we are more similar than different.

That realization is inconvenient to a demagog – if you forget everything I said, remember this – they don’t care about you, or if you pledged your loyalty to them – unless it is self-serving to them.  And the very second you become inconvenient, then you will become disposable.  There is a reason why all these demagogs surround themselves by “yes” men and women.  HLC

 

Authoritarians are only as strong as their followers, but did you know that authoritarians actually weaken and exploit their own followers?  Indeed, they do.

 

Authoritarians are actually weak!

Sure, they can see larger than life, be charming, witty, or even calculating and shrewd – all that is a façade.  They are actually very insecure people who are so far up their own behind that they have convinced themselves that they are super-human, and the under some religions “god’s gift to mankind.”  I’m not even kidding.

Most authoritarians, and “authoritarians wanna-be” will display some of the following traits.  This is not an all-inclusive list of red flags… but they should be enough for you to start digging a bit more onto their character idiosyncrasies.

·       They whine a lot!  Much like ill-mannered toddlers, or misguided prepubescent teenagers; except that they are a lot older, and somehow think that being a pedantic-name-calling-immature-goon is ok.  It is not.

·       They surround themselves by people who will kiss their butt.  These people will become a rubber stamp to their antics, and do mental gymnastics to justify the unjustifiable to others outside the group – even if they themselves cannot stand this person’s guts.

·       They take no accountability, and will pretend or outright say that they are never wrong.  And of course, their aforementioned acolytes will parrot the same talking points verbatim, and will likely be very aggressive to anybody who calls them on any [of the likely many] inconsistencies that they spew.

·       They exploit people’s biases.  This can be very evident pretty much whenever they accuse their opposition of doing or planning on doing something nefarious.  Then surprise-surprise it is something they (the authoritarian) end up doing themselves, or there is already a precedent that they have been enacted that exact shady action they are accusing others of doing – even if their opposition has never enacted those nefarious actions.

·       They are petty, and won’t fight an important issue on the merits – not ever.  Because they are actually incapable of doing so.  But if they address it, then it will likely turn into an ambush-style “date-me-bro” type scenario.  Because they’re not really interested on answering a legitimate question with facts, but rather create a visceral response that might seem like a “sick burn” to those who are too shortsighted to realize that they are worshiping an adult who has not matured, and continues to act like a 1980’s high-school bully

I can go on, but these should get the brain-wheels running.  If you want more examples, I’ve literally written over 100 articles and released two books about this topic, all available on this site.  And there is a lot to read, because the level of collective cognitive dissidence the world is facing is gigantic, and it was specifically designed to put our population into the negative situation we find ourselves in right now.

 

They draw their power from you!

This is directed not only to those who are in favor of the authoritarian, but also a warning for those against said authoritarian.  They want you to lose your cool and give up on actually finding common ground through dialog and problem solving.  And of course, they want the platform.  In other words, Authoritarians are losers, but they will pose as the “cool kid” by attacking whomever is at a potential disadvantage.

They tend to be very much emboldened by faux-bravado – so long their “friends” are able to rescue them.  But if they are on a one-one feud they will fold like an origami dove.  That is why they draw power from the attention they get by their adoring followers.  And that is also the reason why they double down when somebody calls them out, and they will move the goal post, or change the narrative to fit their immediate “debate-me-bro” event.  These tactics are actually pretty pathetic when you see it pragmatically.

But most importantly, if you’re their follower they are insulting YOU, because you’re their first victim.  They will either con you out of money, time, effort, and make you believe you should be grateful for the “privilege” of being allowed to kiss their butt whenever they feel like it.  Oh, and also feel grateful if they disavow you for disagreeing with them – because how dare you not show unlimited obedience and loyalty to them?  Right?  By the way, you’re disposable to them.

And the reason why they are so weak is because no matter how “successful” they might look, their accomplishments are always below what they touted to be.  That means that no matter how high their position, rank, or stature they attained, they will always feel like they are second best, because they already lied to be better than they truly are – that is why they overcompensate to act as though they have to be number one on everything.  Again, this is pretty pathetic.

They will attack others mercilessly, but they have very thin skin if anybody points out their idiosyncrasies.  But remember, the authoritarian projects their insecurities onto their followers.  Even if they did not share the same insecurities at first, this projection exploits their biases and exacerbates them to the point where these vulnerabilities become very real.  Much like when you’re in a toxic relationship that is changing you for the worse.  Authoritarianism is similar but a lot more complex on scale and scope.

If you forget absolutely everything I just said in this article, remember this.  The authoritarians are weak, and they only draw strength from your attention and outrage.  The best way to defeat them is by understanding the full context of any argument, and accept if you’ve been mistaken, and take steps to correct your path.  No matter if you’re for or against this authoritarian, the truth can be found by pairing intellectual honesty with critical thinking.  HLC

 

In propaganda you need a scapegoat, somebody who is going to be blamed for all troubles and tribulations.  These will be designated as second-class citizens.

 

This could be YOU, if you’re not careful.

Propagandists will use a dash of truth in a sea of falsehoods.  It is part of their strategy.  Propaganda is meant to unify a certain segment of the population, prompting their loyalty while disenfranchising whomever they feel is immediately disposable, or threatening the mass brain-washing directed at their obedient fools.

The sad truth is that there are plenty of second-class citizens right now – but they have not realized that they have been arbitrarily placed in this category – in other words, they might be prisoners in a golden cage, or experiencing a seemingly care free life as “free range cattle” – living blissfully unaware of the overlords’ intentions – until the day they become somebody’s dinner.

I know this example might seem hyperbolic, but the analogy stands.  There is no shortage of people who have galvanized a certain level of power, and they are very much aware that if they lose their power this will spell a lot of overdue paybacks.

You see, a lot of people who accumulate power in dubious ways accrue a lot of enemies and resentment along the way.  So, they know that if they lose power, they are in a world of hurt.  For example, that is why authoritarians surround themselves exclusively by “yes men and women” who will kiss their but no matter how deceitful their “dear leaders” antics get.

Anybody, even those loyal to the “dear leader” will become second-class citizens the very second this aforementioned “dear leader” finds them inconvenient.  And we’ve established that the propagandist is likely linked to the dear leader’s intentions.  Though we have seen propagandists also find themselves on the precarious side of this sick dynamic, and become very aware of their own mortality and vulnerability against the authoritarian monster they helped to groom and create.

 

How do we prevent this from happening?

Being labeled a second-class citizen is not limited to your skin color, or even your socio-economic strata.  Wealthy people have become second-class citizens if the less-affluent population got enraged at them and stripped them of all power.  For example, the French Revolution, or even the Bolshevik Revolution… however, the new rulers will enact a new stratum of power and control.

The way you prevent this from happening is actually the way the USA is intended to be.  Everybody has the right to exist in peace and become the person they are meant to be.  Of course, there are many retrograde legislators, elected leaders, special interest groups, confused people, theoretical zealots, etc. who want to prevent equality for all.  Why?  Because they have attained some level of power, and if they lose their power, they know that they will have to legally answer a lot of the shady things that kept them in power.

Yes, historically – and we can cite hundreds of examples around the world that have the “have nots” as the second-class citizens, and again as I said – all of us could be vulnerable to be them, no matter how rich or powerful you think you are right now.

For example, let’s say if there is a dystopia and the middle class rises against the 1% of billionaires in the USA, do you think they really have a chance to fight against the bulk of the middle class?  Spoiler alert, they cannot – no matter how rich they are, it becomes a number game.  And by the way, it is the middle class who is indeed making them insanely rich.  With that, I am not advocating for violence either way, I just want to pragmatically show that who can be a second-class citizen is very subjective – and depends on who’s in the driver’s seat.

What I will say is that whoever is making the decisions could very well lose control, and somebody will be filling that vacuum, we’ve seen that happen around the world and through history many-many times.  We can now understand and measure these patterns.  The way to prevent a dystopia from sparking is through fairness.  That is what I am advocating for.  True equality levels the plain field so we can compete based on our merits.

On my books Authoritarianism & Propaganda the Puppet Master Tools, and Woke & Proud the Charlatans’ Inconvenience I go in depth on how this first-class and second-class citizen dynamic can play and shift based on the decision we make each day.  I’ll keep writing more articles that add to the larger topic, which is how to defeat authoritarian propaganda.  And I’m giving you answers to this complex question one article at a time.  HLC

 

Few things are as accelerating as when a powerful figure seems to be reading your mind, and speaking to the masses in a belligerent manner.  Is that good?

 

The pedantry of hostile politics.

A demagog is able to exploit people’s most basic instincts.  That primal emotion that excites the crowds when they are “owning” or “defying” whomever is that the collective decided that needs to get squashed or punished in any way.  This is a strong catalyst, because it makes people get a rush of dopamine – especially if everybody in that group feels just as fired up.

That is why you see during political debates that a zinger, or another “sick burn” that can be scored against their opponent will have a lot more views, likes, reactions, shares, and clout than actual policy and substance.  And yes, the modern media algorithms are designed to reward those primal feelings, because that is what glues people’s eyes to the screen.

On my book Authoritarianism & Propaganda the Puppet Master Tools, I very much explain how this phenomenon exists, and it has existed pretty much from millennia.  My book cites specific examples from the Bolshevik revolution, but this is a very well utilized tactic, even though a lot of the younger and older crowds, along with their unsuspecting minds, fall for it – quite easily I might add.  Do you have an old relative who gets fired up if you talk about politics or religion?  There you go.

The more a person feels they are in the right, the more they will gravitate towards whomever seems to be reading their mind.  This is because they feel this person speaking so intensely “gets him or her” – whatever doctrine is that they are pushing for.  This is not a “left or right” side of the political spectrum; it works well no matter where in that gamma you might be sitting.  Why?  Because it is a human trait, or in this case a human vulnerability.

Many politicians will lie to your face.

Politicians – not all, but a sizable number of them – will lie in your face and even cry theatrically if that serves their purpose.  Many others, especially as they are gaining clout, will be very much on the attack against anybody they consider their enemy, and they will use this faux bravado as a badge of honor to assert dominance over the crowd they are performing for.  And the more impressionable minds will buy it all with gusto.  It’s pretty sad actually.

Why?  Because people might forget what the hell you told them, but they sure as hell will remember how they felt.  That is why it is very easy for many thousands of people to parrot talking points and buzz words.  They sound absolutely watertight when you’re in an echo chamber, but when you put that into actual scrutiny, you’ll soon find out that those arguments have the water integrity of a hairnet.

It is not so much as WHAT you say, but HOW you say it will entice the audiences.  It is a method of exploitation.  If you’ve been following this series of articles for a while, then you know what they are after – the biases!  A person who has strong biases will be easily exploited, while convincing them that they’re the smartest person in the room.  They are not, it’s a swindle, much like when a person is getting scammed.  It sounds good a promising but there is a lot of information left about their decision-making prowess.

When a politician seems to be very intense, and attacking their opponents as a person – but not on the substance of their claims or doctrine – then you know that they are demagogs.  Accountability based on the merits is very different than somebody throwing a sophomoric attack, such as a derogatory nickname to another candidate.  If the latter is true for your candidate of choice, and you enjoy it – your mind has been highjacked.  They are exploiting you.

Yes, I know this might make you mad.  Don’t get mad at me, I am teaching you how to break free from that.  Get mad at the demagog who is playing with your emotions and your feelings.  They are insulting your intelligence.  I am here to tell you that we are all vulnerable to fall for this trap, but once you realize that it is a trap then you can avoid falling for it.  To learn more, keep reading my articles, they will set you free.  HLC

 

It is very easy to fall into the authoritarian’s propagandistic trap, it is designed to be easily assimilated.  If you’ve fallen for it this will help you escape.

 

Propaganda is designed to make you an obedient fool.

In my book Authoritarianism & Propaganda the Puppet Master Tools, I go in detail about how this works, and how to defeat authoritarian propaganda.  It takes people, and by people it means everybody, and by everybody it means it starts with ourselves.  Yes, we can be the catalyst that will make it better or worse for everybody.

I wish I was being hyperbolic, but the fact is that some of the most dehumanizing authoritarian monsters in history were not very remarkable themselves until they got enough traction because others had certain exploitable biases, and from there these obedient fools became the muscle to impose whatever is it that these authoritarians were advocating for.  What is it that they were advocating for?  It did not quite matter, so long as it was against whomever or whatever they said they were against.

In every society people are going to be frustrated by something.  And this anger is largely irrelevant in the great scheme of things, but it will be crucial to convince people that they are on the winning team.  They are actually not in the winning team (all authoritarians ended powerless), but they are convinced that their “sacrifices” – of sacrificing others in dehumanizing ways is actually a justifiable move.  This is also happening around the world as you’re reading my words.

 

You’re actually disposable to them, but your rage becomes their currency.

Authoritarians will be posing as unifiers towards whatever group of chosen ones are playing ball along with the authoritarian – and will be extremely divisive towards anybody who was deemed outside this “exclusive circle.”  It is designed to be that way, they want you to see others as lesser human, or even rob them of all humanity, and also the propagandists will make you fear this dissenting group – while portraying them as weaker.

So, anybody with common sense would ask, which one is it?  Are they weak, or are they a menace?  Well, the enemy is actually the one advocating for divisiveness, because they want you to protect the leader, even if you sacrifice yourself – because now this dear leader becomes symbolic of whatever is it that you’re convinced it is the moral superior end-state – even if the dear leader advocates for crimes against humanity.

We’ve all fallen for a similar (hopefully not genocidal) trap at some point.  Think for example while in school picking on the weaker kid, or any outsider.  Fortunately, most people grow up from that immature phase and become decent to other people in their lives.  But that is not the case for everybody.  Propagandists don’t want you to mature, they want you to “feel like a grown up” – but they are keeping you subdued.

The trick is that the way they subdue you is by moving that hate and resentment towards other people.  The victims become scape goats for any shortcomings.  And shortcomings will abound, because authoritarians are not running a utopia, they are enslaving your obedience, and the moment you wake up they will push you away from the circle of trust before you realize what just hit you.

Authoritarian propaganda is designed to be that way.  How do you escape from that?  Don’t be divisive, understand the context so you can separate facts from fiction.  If you forget anything I’ve said, remember this – understand the full context, and realize why a narrative is being directed towards your anger.  HLC

 

Popularity does not always equal skill or competence.  However, it can be quite exploitable when a particular brand loyalty can be highjacked to push an agenda.

 

The face of the movement is not always in charge.

On my book Authoritarianism & Propaganda the Puppet Master Tools I dedicate a sizable part to help people understand the mechanics of authoritarian propaganda.  Often the “dear leader” is not even the one in charge, though it would certainly have some level of influence over the masses.

Most authoritarians need to borrow an existing clout and then transform it into a group of obedient fools who will heed their every word.  What the useful fools fail to realize is that the words they actually hear are carefully redacted and chosen to gain their concurrence through faux outrage.  This is a tactic as old as civilization itself, and it works!

Throughout history we’ve seen countless examples of people who thought they could “control” an authoritarian wanna-be, and use their influence as a catalyst to push a specific agenda.  A classic example is when Benito Mussolini was invited to become the Prime Minister for Italy.  There was a lot of division among the citizens circa that timeframe, and the arrogance spewed by Mussolini seemed to be the answer to the less-acute minds in charge.  Well, the miscalculation ended in the creation of fascism.  We are still dealing with that aftermath.

When you’re paying attention to a politician, you also must pay attention to the hearts and minds of their followers.  Some of these followers will have exploited biases, which will cause them to perpetrate heinous crimes against humanity, while being convinced they are the morally superior crowd.

The goal post of what is acceptable, and what it is “now needed” will of course continue shifting.  Generally, it does not start with genocide from the get-go, but rather by adding a level of frustration that is largely fictitious, but might seem very real inside a political base echo chamber.

They want you to ultimately fight alone (don’t be a dummy!)

An authoritarian wants you to fight ultimately alone, especially after you’ve alienated anybody else who would be in your team.  That is why you will always hear the reality that an authoritarian only cares about himself or herself – everybody else is disposable.  That loyal base they enjoy, and who worships them is ultimately disposable.

This is nothing new, it has happened time and time again.  They will make their base believe they are part of a bigger team that is fighting “good against evil” – without realizing that they have already become the mirror version of whom they despise.  I’ve mentioned in a previous article, it starts with a bias – it gets exploited, and from there it is very easy to control the crowd.

That is by the way one of the reasons why those controversial “outliers” seem to get so much traction in gaining prominence.  There is marketability in controversy and demagoguery.  For example, if you watch a movie with a very vanilla plot and no conflict, then it will be a snore-fest.  But if you add some conflict, even if it is manufactured or too fantastical to be accurate, it will have a much higher chance of getting people to watch it.

Something similar happens to people when pushing an agenda – except that it will feel very real, as though they are the protagonist of their own movie or adventure.  If a crowd or political base has already demonstrated a proclivity for falling for a certain narrative, they will be pointed in that direction – and enhance the echo chamber – creating this faux reality they are now convinced it is the morally superior way of life.

In reality, they were only afforded a fraction of the “truth” – but it was poignant enough to make them believe they are the smartest people in the room.  They are not, they are being manipulated – and spoiler alert – we are all potential victims.  That is why I advocate for pairing critical thinking with intellectual honesty.  HLC

 

Insider threats can be witting or unwitting.  But they both aid the adversary into achieving their goals.  Today this is happening more often than people think.

 

Expanding on this topic.

On my previous article I mentioned that there is at least one elected leader who is repeating adversarial state-sponsored talking points verbatim.  Sadly, that person is not the only one, and adversarial talking points are being parroted by too many people who have a significant level of placement and access in higher offices.  And of course, this is music to the ears of those people leading nations who want to get rid of the United States of America as a premier world power.

What some people fail to realize is that they might have convinced themselves that they are actually working, or even sacrificing for their best interests, and the interests of their community.  However, in reality they are being manipulated in ways they cannot begin to comprehend.  And yes, it is designed to be cryptic enough for them to be confused.  That’s also why this level of mass manipulation tends to be so effective.

We all have biases; some are more controllable than others.  And based on the environmental circumstances, some of these biases might become invisible even to ourselves as we normalize certain traits – kind of like hiding in plain sight.  This can be subtle enough that it goes unnoticed for years, sometimes it will be a bit starker, and an epiphany might follow.

For example, group mentality in their environment could prevent people from breaking their bias shackles.  Instead, the desire to find the truth will be replaced with willful ignorance.  Of course, the correct answer would be to warrant pragmatic analysis.

Make no mistake, the world is a lot more complex and intricate than what you and I (or any of us for that matter) are combined.  And there are entities and people who are banking on the fact most people will feel so overwhelmed by even thinking about it that they will simply look away and let willful and blissful ignorance take the reins of their lives.  That too its designed to be that way.  There is no easier battle to win than the one the opponent forfeits.

But that is only one layer to the equation.  The adversarial forces realized that it is easier to defeat their perceived foe if they are divided.  And paradoxically, this division happens by “uniting” a core segment of those who will ultimately become divisive against everyone outside this “circle of trust.”  The “circle of trust” will become a “circle of obedience,” and any outsider will automatically be viewed as a dissident, and from there things only accelerate exponentially.

It all starts with a Bias.

Biases are highly exploitable, and we tend to look at “other people’s biases” – and point them out – but we tend to be very lousy at seeing those very same biases affecting us when the mirror is presented in front of us.  Why?  Well, because it can be traumatic, it forces a person to see the reality of what they don’t want, or are not “quite ready” to confront yet.

This of course is wonderful for the propagandists who want to move your perception of what is acceptable or unacceptable.  An insider threat can be witting, knowingly doing something bad.  But often it is easier to persuade a person to do something stupid if they are convinced that they are vindicated to do whatever it is that they are persuaded to do.  Even if this action is against others, or even their best interests.

People hate being pointed out that there is wrong, and that “egocentric” level of stubbornness can be extremely valuable to those who are manipulating us.  A narcissist is paradoxically a person with very low self-esteem.  And they can easily be manipulated if a bias – usually their own vanity gets stroked the right way.  A certain compliment, a certain flattering “observation” – or whatever behavior or observation that can otherwise serve as a mechanism of defense for their ego should they be put on the spot.  Those are incredibly powerful catalysts to move rhetoric into action.

How can this be achieved?  It depends on the person, but if a person has an exploitable bias, then their proclivity to follow a charlatan’s lead will not be a bridge too far.  In other words, if a person is already preempted to believe any sort of unfalsifiable narratives, doctrines, or even allegories – then by providing a fraction of plausibility for a more “defined” narrative it will be a lot easier to be accepted at face value.  Even if the definition of this narrative is conjecture at best.

Pair that with the collective understanding or belief system from everybody else involved, and this will be a very easy transaction for any entity who wants to exploit the bias a person exhibits.  The bias itself is almost irrelevant, it is more important for them to assess your willingness to accept something divorced from reality at face value.  That’s how this insider threat manipulation starts.  HLC

 

Adversarial propaganda does get repeated verbatim on mainstream media, and sadly enough, also by elected leaders.  According to colleagues, MTG is one of those.

 

Repeating adversarial regimes talking points.

Representative (R-GA 14h District) Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG)is a figure who has gained notoriety in the American political discourse.  She has found herself in the middle of many controversial issues since she got in office back in 2001.  Even her colleagues in the GOP have very publicly taken exception to many of her views.

Most recently, she has been the catalyst of a civil war battle between her and the incumbent Speaker of the United States House of Representative, Mike Johnson.  A man who also happens to be a hardliner GOP politician who gained notoriety for some very divisive views when it comes to policy that is very much aligned with theocracy.  That’s is not where MTG disagrees with – for her, Jonhson is not extreme enough on a myriad of other divisive issues.

Although MTG has been all but disavowed by her own Caucus, she is very much praised by state-sponsored media outlets which happen to be against the United States of America. Is that surprising?  Not really, unless you have not been paying attention to the geopolitical climate in the last several years… and by several years I mean since well before the Soviet Union went the way of the dodo.

 

The insider threat.

I’ve said this before, but it is worth repeating.  There are two main categories of insider threat – a witting and unwitting insider threat.  The former is the one that is very much aware they are working in favor of the adversary and are doing so wittingly.   That’s bad.

The unwitting is worse, because that means they are aiding an adversary, but they are too dumb to realize they are doing so.  Which one is MTG?  Who knows, but there is a valid reason why the adversarial regimes prop her rhetoric, not only from her mouth, but amplifying what she says on their propaganda efforts.  And I am not talking about some “liberal” – so called “woke” – soy-feed whatever epithet the right-wing folks like to disparage their opposition – This is a concern raised by the GOP leaders themselves.

And unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you would know that the GOP is struggling – and has been struggling.  The internal fight and polarization inside their party is worse than ever.  On one side you have the “traditional GOP” folks, and on the other extreme you have the many shades of the MAGA-universe.  And there are plenty of shades for the latter.  Not all MAGA are created equal, and that’s why many are now ex-MAGA.  Yes, there is a civil war among MAGA folks.

Spoiler alert, it will get worse – but as these division points occur, only one group comes up on top.  Who?  The adversarial nations who are hell-bent in “proving” that the American system of governance is not only flawed – but ineffective.  That’s what they are selling, and people like MTG are phenomenal mouth-pieces to amplify that message.

MTG might not be doing so wittingly, but there is a reason why the adversarial propagandists are propping up her misconceptions.  It should not take a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Analysis to understand why.  Although a lot of MTGs efforts have failed, they give credence to a different audience.  An audience that sadly most people in the USA don’t understand, or care to understand that it’s paying attention to its every move.

Fortunately, some of us are paying attention and writing about it.  I’ll keep adding small articles to keep awakening THIS important context by exploring each element.  Just keep in mind that there is indeed a much larger context, and we’ll break it down into little, more digestible chunks.  HLC

 

We welcome Doctor in History Fernando Hidalgo Nistri!  Author of several academic-level books and articles in Europe and South America.

 

Wordsmith Talent and Legacy.

Dr. Fernando Hidalgo Nistry, to me is also affectionately known as “Tío” because he also happens to be my uncle.  He is my mother’s first cousin, and one of the most complexly fascinating people I’ve ever met in my life.  You’ll see why in a moment as you read my words today.

For as long as I can remember, my uncle Fernando was what is known as an exceedingly smart person.  One of my earliest memories of him is when I was possibly four or five years old.  He was pointing to the stars on the night-sky to the other grownups in attendance at a family event at his father’s state.  I remember my uncle naming all the constellations and celestial bodies, and going into exquisite detail about their orbit patterns and a lot of other facts.

As I was growing up, he was also the kind of uncle that would give you a pop quiz about all kinds of stuff that cultured people are supposed to know.  For example, he would ask me “what’s the capital of Portugal?”  I think we’ve got along well, because I was able to reply confidently “Lisbon.”

He would also be the kind of uncle who would teach us and expect us to understand a vernacular that was both descriptive and academic.  I don’t know for certain if everybody understood the way his words always seemed to have a deeper connotation.  His personality is very unique.  Extremely professional, and down-two-Earth to the point he “tells it as he sees it.”  Very uniquely balanced, and it works!

A worldly man, he enjoys traveling – but he calls the beautiful city of Seville in Spain his home.  He constantly asks me to go visit him, and I should take him up on that.  I went to Seville when my grandmother was alive, and she took us to Europe.  It was an unforgettable trip, a lot has changed I’m sure, because I was a teenager at the time.  We’ve tried to coincide, but when I was in Europe, he was somewhere else on the planet, yet we get to chat once in a while, and I always look forward to our conversations.

We have a lot in common with my uncle Fernando, he loves photography, and writing, and science, and history, and actually intellectually stimulating conversations… and for what I’ve heard, people also seen to find us very amusing to be around.  I can tell you that my uncle is very fun to be around.  His quick wit and personality would be disorienting in a good way, because it would bring a very interesting level of introspection to those around him.

 

You can buy this I’m holding in my hand and others at this link:

When you get to read his books and articles, then it becomes evident the exceedingly intricate complexity of his mind.  His books are written in his first language, which is Spanish – and if you’re a Spanish speaker (like myself) – yes, you need to read them all.  It will blow your mind, and you will learn a lot of new words.  I know I have.  As I said on the onset, his style is at the academic level of writing.

It is a joy to read, but you’re also learning so much from every sentence.  And by this, I mean you might need to read it slowly because his wordsmith is so well crafted that if you do it as casual reading you will miss a lot of details in the process.  My uncle speaks several languages, but for some reason English was not his favorite language.

I’ll be honest, can’t blame him because each language has a different level of intricacy when it comes to its vernacular, grammar, and how these factors can express complex ideas more succinctly, whilst being highly descriptive.  It’s not a diss on the English language, but think about it as different tools.

The language’s’ grammar is directly linked to the culture, and even a word-for-word translation might be widely different from what it was originally written.  That is why there is a huge difference between “translation” and “interpretation.”

With his permission, I’ll do my best to try make an English version of his writing, for any non-Spanish speakers.  I’ll caveat, that I might not be able to make it full justice to it.  Much like when you translate the lyrics of a song from one language to another… sometimes they don’t have quite the effect as the original.

Bringing History Doctor Fernando Hidalgo Nistri to our Arts Network.

When Half Life Crisis started the Arts Network , I mentioned that I wanted to showcase people and entities who have been highly influential in my life.  My uncle Fernando is one of those people.  This is my way to thank him for all that he’s inspired me in my life for so many years, and hope that his words will inspire our readers as well.

History, critical thinking, intellectual honesty, and art are so important in how we continue culturally evolving as civilized societies.  We’ve lost a lot of that in the last several years.  One of the best ways to learn from history is by listening to the historians who were there!  And my uncle Fernando is one of those people who has tirelessly captured those important moments in our history.

But he is even more complex than a historian, he also has a phenomenal eye for photography and captures images that are documentaries of beauty some take for granted, yet it is part of our lives.

My uncle Fernando will also have his own landing page in our Half Life Crisis Arts Network section.  The page will also be featuring his books, and how to acquire them.  As well as many links to his articles and examples of his photography.  I know you will find him as fascinating as I have.  Welcome once again Tío Fernando to our Arts Network team! HLC

Today in America 03MAR2024 – Half Life Crisis www.halflifecrisis.com

 

There is so much occurring simultaneously in the national discourse that the truth tends to be muddied up.  Today I bring clarity to these many issues.

This article will be broken down into a few parts in order to segment some of the craziness.  It is going to be a bumpy ride, and although it will be a long article, this is the very top of the tip of the iceberg.  An open mind is advisable to read these passages, because it will shed some light on information that tends to be redacted in some news outlets and from the voices of many pundits & other influencers.

The good news is that I am truly independent, therefore I have no political motivation.  I am, however, very much against misinformation, because that affects us all – regardless of which side of the political spectrum we lean towards.  Enjoy the ride!

 

Trump is not “that” rich.

In case this is the first time you see it, Trump had to admit via his attorneys that he does not have the amount of cash he used brag to the entire world he had.  For many of us, realizing that Trump was nowhere as rich as he claimed to be it is not surprising.  It might however finally dissuade a lot of his loyal followers in the MAGA base to finally leave him.  The reason is because many MAGA followers just tolerated his antics because they thought he was a multi billionaire.

In case you were not aware, Trump recently lost two separate civil cases and was ordered to pay several million dollars in compensation.  Most of his supporters still think it is a “witch hunt” perpetrated by President Biden.  Of course that isn’t the case, and these problematic cases of sexual assault and fraud he was found liable in two separate courts, occurred well before the Biden Presidency or the Trump Presidency [for that matter] even started.  Here is a quick synopsis of these two cases.

Both of these cases were handled by his attorney Alina Habba, who has been touted by her peers [meaning other attorneys] as highly incompetent.  Whatever the case, she is to my knowledge the only attorney who has cost her client almost half a billion dollars.

 

Trump’s Civil Fraud Case.

Trump was fund liable from swindling many investors through the span of several years.  Trump was directed to pay $355 million in penalties plus interests.  But the total figure starts at $454 million because it also includes people in Trumps orbit, to include his two elder sons.  The interest for the payments Trump owes each passing day he does not pay is $87,502 – and by the way the verdict took place on February 16, 2024.  So, this figure just keeps climbing more and more.

This case of course found out that he was lying about his wealth and that he overinflated his assets to get loans, and undervalued them when it was time to pay taxes.  The fact is that if he is unable to have this interest rate from rapidly accruing, that on its own is enough to ascertain that he simply does not have the cash to pay, or even to appeal the case.  Trump said he was going to appeal, but he needs to post the money upfront to guarantee he will pay if he loses again.  Which will likely be the case.

The fact is that neither banks, nor attorneys are lining up to support Trump.  Trump also asked to pay only just north of $100 million [or a fraction of what it is required] to appeal.  That was denied to him as it would have been denied to anybody in a similar situation.  Trump went onto making some unusual fund-raising events, which included selling some hideous $400 golden shoes and a $100 cologne that by the way sold-out, but won’t be making it to their customers hands until the Summer.

Another thing that sprouted, even if by proxy, was at least one Go-fund me campaign, and people were contributing to pay the legal fees of this billionaire.  There seems also to be some course of action of utilizing GOP campaign funds for his legal troubles.  But my understanding is that would be highly illegal. Which by the way, there is another case under that premise – this time for paying hush money to a porn star.

Bottomline, Trump said via his attorneys that if he pays the entire amount [even as a bond], which is close to half a billion dollars penalty, he would have to start selling some of his real state.  So, let’s put that in perspective.  Trump was ordered to pay that amount because he was found that he defrauded a bunch of people.  You know, as in taking their money, and now he does not have the money.  In other words, it was spent – not properly invested to grow.  This realization might finally be what turns off some of his base who considered him a financial genius.

 

Trump sexual abuse case.

On May 9, 2003 Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll in 1996.  Trump was directed to pay $5 million.  But this case is a lot more nuisance than Trump simply being found liable for sexual assault, which under the New York statutes it is just different language that in fact found Trump liable of raping Carroll.  Yes, they found and were able to provide proof that Trump is a rapist.

What some people might not realize about this case is that the statute of limitations has already expired, and although Carroll was unable to go against Trump back in the 90’s – remember, these were very different times.  We have come a long way to being able to speak truth to power.  For some of us who were alive in the 90’s I can assure you that the world has moved forward by leaps and bounds, yet there are many who want to return back to the most short-sighted blunders in those years.

However, as the story re-surfaced, Trump started bad mouthing Carroll and made some very defamatory remarks against her.  The case went to court, Trump kept making some very low brow and insulting remarks in true Trump fashion style against Carroll – many of these remarks from very prominent platforms.  You know, double down and triple down.  So, the case ended up going to court for defamation.  This of course backfired on Trump, because not only he was stuck with a $5 million award payable to Carrol, but he also got all his sexual abuse past come to light.  It did not end there.

As expected, Trump was not happy at all with this, therefore he double down, and disparaged Carroll again.  And this once again backfired.  Remember, the case was already settled that Trump raped Carroll.  Adding to the miscalculation, Trumps attorney, Alina Habba managed to make things a lot worse for Trump, turning this $5 million original award into a whopping $83.3 million award, as Carroll won her case for defamation again.  It is very likely that Trump was the master mind directing Habba to say whatever is it that she said in the trial.  Of course, that was not a good strategy.

One thing is clear, Trump has not paid a dime yet for either one of these millionaire awards against him.  Which makes you think, if he really was a billionaire, paying off and then appealing could be a lot easier than accruing all this additional debt in interests, not to mention all the negative media attention that it puts on his supposed fortune.  For now, only some of his most fervent MAGA supporters are still onboard and will pay their hard-earned money to help a billionaire pay his legal obligations.  Food for thought.

Credit the link below to the Associated Press (AP) who is tracking Trump’s many criminal and civil cases.  They have a huge team of journalists who can do that in real time; it is only me writing for the Half Life Crisis site at this time.

Tracking the criminal and civil cases against Donald Trump (apnews.com)

Hunter Biden handed GOP House Representatives their own butts.

In a different part of our bizarre political discourse, the GOP have been hell-bent in an unsuccessful effort to impeach President Biden.  Bottomline, they have zero evidence.  If the evidence to impeach Biden existed it would have been plastered all over the planet, and there would be non-stop coverage of it.  That has not happened, nor will it, because what the GOP members are alluding towards simply does not exist.

In an effort to find some compromising links to Joe Biden, the GOP has been very adamant on pursuing dead-end leads related to the President’s son, Hunter Biden.  For context, Hunter Biden is a recovering addict, and in the past, he had done some shenanigans, and has gotten in some trouble before.  However, he has always made a conscientious effort to keep his father out of the spotlight, because he understands how important this is to his father’s public service.

For context Hunter Biden was still a young boy when Biden was elected to his first term in Congress.  Fast forward, there have been a lot of allegations trying to tie Hunter Biden to his father.  One of those sources was a former FBI informant who also was recently arrested because he was working with Russian intelligence in a concerted effort to interfere in US politics.  And yes, that was the GOP’s star witness.

For some time, the GOP have been trying to corner Hunter Biden in many insidious ways.  Even having sexually explicit images of him shown in the House Floor by Georgia Representative Majorie Taylor Greene.  Yes, that happened!  She showed what could be best described as revenge porn showing nude photos of Hunter Biden engaging in sexual intercourse during an official hearing.

And to add insult to injury, the GOP controlled House of representatives wanted to have Hunter Biden testify in a closed-door session – even though they had made this matter public to the entire country as the story of the century.  Well, this was originally rejected, and Biden even showed up to Congress when they were deliberating about holding him in contempt of Congress – yet the GOP rejected the option of Hunger to testify in front of the whole country right there and there.  You know, calling their bluff.

Fast forward to last week, and Hunter Biden did show up to a closed-door session, and handed the House GOP butts to them.  The transcript is pretty long, but it is worth reading.  The GOP Representatives tried to spin it as though it was a win, but for anybody with a 4th grade reading comprehension, you would be able to identify what the reality of the situation is all about.  And the fact that it was political theater came full circle.

All this waste of taxpayer money and congressional man hours was nothing but a gigantic waste of time many of us realized years ago.  There is no actual evidence to impeach Biden.

I recommend reading the entire transcript on the link below.  It’s pretty long, but it is worth it.  It might make you mad, or laugh in a tragically hilarious manner.

Hunter Biden Full Transcript House of Representatives closed door session. www.halflifecrisis.com

 

Reproductive rights are being threatened in the country.

You’ve probably been familiar with the overturn of Roe vs Wade by the Supreme Court that occurred in 2022.  This is of course one of Trump’s supposedly proudest moments.  And yes, this was possible because the three Supreme Court Justices confirmed under Trump were very much in favor of overturning Roe vs Wade – even though they denied during their confirmation hearings to be inclined to do exactly that.

Just like many of us realized that they were going after Roe vs Wade making abortions illegal and a lot more restrictive depending on each state – the situation was not likely going to end there.  How do we know?  Because the indicators of moving a certain “theocratical” political agenda has been plastered on the wall all along.

There is a certain group of “Christian Nationalists” – which is not the same as Christians from all stripes.  In other words, not every Christian is a Christian Nationalist.  Many Christians actually disavow Christian Nationalists as extremists who happen to use Christianity as a platform to push a political agenda.  And Christian Nationalists are not shy about expressing that they want THEIR version of Christianity to be the rule of the land.  In other words, a theocracy based on their particular interpretation.  And yes, many of them are elected leaders.

For better or worse, this is actually a very unpopular stance – and in each and every one of the last several local, state, and national elections, the so called “pro-life” candidates have been defeated or severely underperformed at the ballot.  Why is that?  Because “Pro-Choice” does not equal “Pro-abortion.”  In other words, the majority of Americans understand the difference, and how each case is unique.  Further, they understand that the life and safety of the mother could be at severe risk with certain pregnancy complications.

And of course, most people are not onboard with forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy to full term, if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.  Especially considering that some young women get raped while they are still children themselves.  For example, should a 13-year-old be forced to carry to term the child of her rapist?  When Roe vs Wade was overturned, it now makes it illegal for this 13-year-old not be forced to carry a rapist child to term.  Think about that for a second – what if that 13-year-old young lady was YOUR child?

The fact is that what we are observing is authoritarian rhetoric disguised as morality under theocratic rules.  This situation is running rampant in America, and it has been largely normalized.  Why?  Because there are Christians all over the place, even though many fail to realize that their denomination is one of a few thousands in the world.  Yes, there are several Christian denominations, and they don’t agree in a lot of their doctrines – hence they have their own denomination.

Although many Christian denominations agree on certain points, there is a lot more than they disagree with.  Want an example?  Sure, how similar are the doctrines between the Jehovah Witnesses and the Latter-Day Saints?  How similar or different are the rituals between Catholics and Pentecostals?  How about the guys who handle dangerous snakes during service, or those who worship in the nude?

Yes, those are all just a few examples of devoted Christians.  Would you go to the nude service or the venomous snake-handling service?  So, under that logic, then you might not be ok if “a particular” denomination of Christianity becomes the theocratic rule of the land.  That is why there is separation of church and state I the USA.  Also, why churches get a tax exemption as long as they stay off the political discourse.  Although we all know that many churches are not only violating that law, but they are also very cavalier about pushing politics from the pulpit.

Some states have a higher concentration of politically charged religious following.  One of these places is Alabama, where recently, In-Vitro Fertilization or IVF is under attack, because they’re considering the cells in a petri dish being already a person.  Yes, this IVF has JUST become an issue – just a few days ago.  And it is taking traction on other states – mostly red states.  And if you think this is not expanding think again.

And by the way, there are many Christians who used IVF in order to become parents.  Now, this IVF procedure is in jeopardy because some people interpret their scriptures differently, and want to force everybody to interpret them in the same manner.  And yes, it is affecting also law-abiding Christians and non-Christians.

If you are a Christian – especially, if you’re a Christian, you might want to realize that there is a particular denomination which wants to take over the way YOU worship.  Yes, I am serious.  This is happening.  If you want to call them false prophets, or swindlers or opportunists, that’s YOUR choice.  And keep in mind that there is a segment of people who use religion as a way to prevent you from having ANY choice in the near turn.

For example, did you know that there is a bill being proposed in Virginia right now that is endorsed mostly by state-GOP legislators who want to make it a lot harder to get contraception over the counter?  So, think about this for a moment, there are people hell bent in not only limiting your options should a person get an unwanted pregnancy, but they are also making it harder to not get pregnant in the first place!

In other words, they are somehow working towards legislating about sexual intercourse between consenting adults.  I wish I was being hyperbolic, but just like Roe vs Wade and other indicators of theocracy working to replace our democratic system, this very much seems to be in the horizon.  Of course, that most people might not want to see it as such, because when we talk about religion it tends to hit a nerve on a great segment of the population… because they think it is singling THEM out.

Well, that is not the case, the reality is that a few are trying to impose their version of religion onto all of us while using the very same religious protections to hide their agenda, which is to ultimately negate religious freedom to the rest of the country.

There is a lot more to explore on this topic, and I plan on writing a full article and perhaps other additional content on this, because it will become a lot more significant sooner than later.  And if you think there are not people in high positions pushing for this to become the norm, think again.

 

The Supreme Court is perceived as MAGA-biased.

Lately the United States Supreme Court has been perceived as biased by a very large segment of Americans.  The reality is that there is an evident power dynamic difference.  If you have been paying attention, you’ll know that the great majority of the justices are very conservative.  And as I mentioned, three of them were recently confirmed during Trump’s term.

This is a good time to bring current Minority Senate Leader, Mitch McConnell who was the de-facto catalyst to pack the court with highly conservative, and MAGA friendly justices.  And McConnel is also the person responsible for denying President Obama from adding his nominated Justice to the Supreme Court, because that was during Obama’s last year in office.  Yet, McConnel pushed a conservative judge in the last year of Trump’s office.

For any of us paying attention, we realized this tactic from the start.  He was going to pack the courts, not just the supreme court but a lot of other courts in the country – to get a higher level of political advantage with like-minded people.  Some might say that is an unfair assertion, yet the proof to this assessment has come through via many cases that have gravitated towards conservative goals.  IVF is one such case.  There are plenty more, but not many of those cases make it to the national headlines.

But the scrutiny of the conservative Justices has also gathered more momentum after their decision to hear the case for Trump’s eligibility to be in the Colorado ballot.  This of course will put a delay on a resolution for other cases that are related to why the State of Colorado supreme court found that Trump’s election interference and role for the January 6 insurrection makes him ineligible to run for office.

And if you think for a few seconds about this concern to have Trump back in office, it makes perfect sense.  Trump has 91 criminal charges spanning several court cases, has been very vocal about some very divisive rhetoric, he was found to be a fraud and a rapist – and that is just a fraction of the many red flags anybody who is paying attention sees about Trump.  Hence, most Americans voted against him in 2020.  The difference is that he has alienated a lot of his base from that time.  And a lot of his supporters have not been afforded the full story either… so they might jump ship once the truth also reaches their eyes and ears.

Well, unsurprisingly the Justices who were appointed by Trump and other conservative justices are very much onboard with seeing Trump to run for another term, despite the myriad of criminal and civil cases against him.  And this is not me – as the author of this article – trying to put the integrity of the US Supreme Court in question – as far as how objective they are when it comes to political discourse.  This is the common consensus from many people reporting on this topic.

But what I will say is that the rulings and the precedent for each case do raise a lot of questions.  And one of the fears most people have is that there is a clear bias towards one segment of the population and a disenfranchisement of another – an even larger segment of the same population.  The proof is that the most “conservative” doctrines have not been popular at the ballot.  It is especially noteworthy that the MAGA segment of the Republican party is dwindling.  Even though, many remaining MAGAs are still very vocal.

I linked this article to tell you more about the particular case regarding Trump’s eligibility to hold office. Credit to the New York Times.  Even if you don’t agree with them, fact check them with media sources from all political sides – you’ll see the pattern soon enough.

Supreme Court Poised to Rule on Monday on Trump’s Eligibility to Hold Office – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Conflicts continue to ramp up, and they are likely related.

And with the political discourse, we also have to realize that we have a very real linkage to the larger geopolitical stance of the United States on the world stage.  What we have to remember is that what happens in the USA resonates with the rest of the world with ripple effects that are mind-bending to some, and very clearly evident to others who can see the links to these events from a different vantage point.

What does that mean?  It means that even the situations who seen tangentially related at best, or totally unrelated are very much part of the same construct.  They are just not as evident when seeing it from a particular vantage point.  And that would not be a person’s fault, they are just not afforded that vantage point to see the big picture.

For an illustrative example let’s say you’re in a valley, and you are at the bottom of the valley inside a forest.  You might not be able to see the mountains around you, or even what is just a few yards from your vantage point.  But if you climb the mountain, you’ll have a much larger view of the valley and where everting seems to be located.  From there, you will be able to further explore with ease each area because you will have a better idea of how the terrain is laid out.

In geopolitics it is very much the same.  For people who are in their own echo chambers, or political bubbles – they will not be able to see how the events are laid out and how they relate to one another.  The way you can ascend this illustrative mountain is by understanding context.  This context raises your awareness of what is going on, and from there you can see the road leading to each event.  Keep in mind that each stage is going to have an inherited level of complexity, and it is meant to discourage people from keeping on climbing.

When I wrote my book AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGANDA The Puppet Master Tools, I provided some tools on how to see this context in ways that will help you climb to a better vantage point.  The geopolitical realm is complex, and it is also very contentious.  And the end result of many adversarial nations is to negate the USA from remaining the premiere nation in the world – and give an open avenue for adversarial regimes to take the USA’s place.  This has been happening for a while, and they will succeed unless we realize what its going on under our own noses.

I’ve said it before and it is worth repeating.  There are insider threats integrated within the confines of the United States of America, and in many countries that are allied or partnered with the USA.  Insider threats come in two big categories:

1. Witting Insider Threats:

These are people who are performing actions and supporting adversarial narratives and carrying out their desires willingly.  In other words, they are very cognizant that what they are doing goes against the USA and its influence in the world.  Even if they disguise themselves as patriotic.

2. Unwitting insider Threat

These are people who are too stupid to realize they are doing everything the witting insider threat is also doing, but they are just not aware they are complicit.  This latter one is a lot more dangerous than the first one, because they are easily manipulated.

And it is worth repeating that there are a lot of people in Capitol Hill and in other prominent platforms who are repeating and parroting those adversarial talking points verbatim!  I will be dedicating specific content to identifying how this works and how to defend against it.  Remember that these insider threats tend to be wolves in sheep’s clothing.  They will seem patriotic and even probably drape themselves in the regalia that screams USA – but they are repeating the points from their adversaries.

An easy way to see if that is the case is by looking at state-sponsored propaganda and news from an adversarial nation.  How do you know it might be an adversarial nation?  Well, if it is solely run by the state, then that means that the freedom of press is non-existent, and all narratives must concur with the government or be silenced.  So that is already a good pointer, because the USA has freedom of speech [at least for now], and you’re able to speak your mind without the government coming to violently retaliate against you and everything you’ve ever loved.

We still have this freedom we are very much taking for granted and there are a lot of nations who have recently lost it.  They didn’t pay attention to the same indicators I am mentioning, and it was likely there was somebody just like me trying to raise awareness, and he or she ended up screaming into a void.  I’m trying to change that trend, and fortunately there are many who see what I am seeing – we are just not communicating together effectively.  That is what I want to change through my writing.  HLC