This is awesome! Far above my pay grade. However, as I read this I cannot help but think of the distraction of consumerism and entertainment. Citizens lost their focus on what was being done to them because they became enamored with trinkets. Most of us were guilty. We were told that the media was our buffer (advocate)to protect us against propaganda, and to borrow a phrase, misinformation (LIES). We have been too easily duped.
Thank you. Good observation. I’d say that this endless obsession of ours comes from our shattered dignity, our servitude to “authority” figures. Our subconscious sees our pathetic subservience. It “rewards” us with self-loathing.
No, the West is not dying, the West already died, a long time ago. Religion, philosophy, history, all that died in Western man. All that remains is an empty shell that sooner or later will collapse, either under its own weight or the onslaught of barbarians from within and without. The inhabitants of the West, I won't say Westerners, they are only physical descendants, but not in heart and spirit. They surrendered their heads and hands to ideas that echo empty in the shell of the former West. The laws of physics and time will take their toll, as will the laws of nature embodied in the vultures that gather around the former life and the future corpse.
1. I suggest that what you have described as fundamental problems can be traced to a root cause of cultural narcissism. We’re thus into Christopher Lasch / “The Culture of Narcissism territory.”
2. With ref to Carroll Quigley’s “The Evolution of Civilization,” Western Civilization seems to be on the cusp of transition from Stage 4 (Conflict) to Stage 5 (Empire). What Trump & Co, including any covert international allies, appear to be aiming for is a fundamental reform of self-serving institutions back to society-serving instruments. This will be an epic accomplishment, if successful, despite the odds again.
I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that the US (and then elsewhere) is to soon experience a combination of Bukele-El Salvador (gangs/crime networks) and Milei/Argentina (rooting out government inefficiency and corruption) major reform events.
I see your point, but by "western civilisation" here I mean the values and identity of certain groups of people, rather than the status of conquest belonging to a state or an alliance of states. "Empire" characterizes the US and its NATO lackeys, but it doesn't characterize Serbs, for example, who in many way honor Western values much more than their Anglosaxon counterparts.
Not being a scholar, I’ve taken to Quigley’s teaching on the subject of civilizations. As with you, he distinguishes between Empire and the civilization from which it seems to eventually arise. Your thought on values and identity are very important aspects of what I understand to be the culture of a civilization.
Culture, in turn, is something I think of as being analogous to individual personality, only at collective scale. (My take from Christopher Lasch’s “The Culture of Narcissism”). Quigley has main elements of culture defined.
Liked your thoughts on the manipulation of Hitler and Germany before and during WWII. I’m of the view that these same hidden forces were behind the Bolshevik Revolution (an early color revolution, if you will), but they lost control when their guy Trotsky didn’t get control (look deep enough, and you’ll find that US Trotskyites morphed into the neocons). Hitler and Germany were thus weaponized to neutralize the Soviet behemoth; when that didn’t work, the Nazi monster had to be put down.
Thx for the interesting dialogue. Fascinating subject.
The Achilles heal of humanity is societies herd mentality whereas critical thinking is abandoned with fear as the guiding force.
Plus, humanity has always been under a form of top down authoritarian rule from birth. I used to ask my children of age, past4-5, what do you want to do? Then listen and be a guiding force towards individualism. It works. They are sovereign even if they make stupid decisions, and find out the hard way.
Summed up: tough love!
Now for any enemy of my freedom: I will love you to a physical death, and then I will forgive you for being a sociopath/psychopath-maybe, hehe…
Reminds me of a line from the great Victor Davies Hanson who insists Alexander was the *worst* western leader up until Hitler, specifically because of the adoption of Eastern conduct like the idolization of leadership (in the form of himself)
This is a great piece and I must add that it is the corruption of every facet of the societal construct. The corruption of everything in the name of material, control, power and or worse. So many people are easily tuned into the propaganda and they dont even understand they are.
Thank you. We can't help the already afflicted. All we can do is make sure future generations are not a traumatized as the current occupants of this planet.
Yes exactly and that is why I don’t watch cable tv and what I have noticed is that my kids don’t watch tv - just one simple thing like this and it’s noticeable
The individuals who have fully and intentionally and knowingly committed themselves to Western virtues — in the Greco-Roman and Germanic traditions — and the ideals (or values) of critical thinking, freedom, and commitment to logic over emotion have arguably given themselves over to the worship of (or honoring & serving) a false god. Westerners have embraced the ancient god of Israel, recognizing that the patriarch Jacob (grandson of Abraham) was renamed “Israel”. What were (and are, if this god is still being feared/revered, worshipped and honored and served) the character traits of this god of Jacob/Israel? Did his traits exemplify teaching his worshippers to be critical thinkers, freedom lovers, and committed to logic over emotion? I would argue “No”. Of his traits — e.g. honoring trickery, deception — this god seemed particularly to delight in mass murder, ethnic cleansing, holocausts and enslavement. All for the behalf of his chosen people. The unchosen peoples who were not of Israel? They were beneath this god’s concern. Does this sound like the universal Father of all humanity to you? Does this sound like divine Sophia, divine Wisdom?
What compelling evidence is there that the god of Jacob/Israel, which god (according to the Bible) moved Jacob’s entire family into Egypt and then removed them from Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron after Israel had become an exceedingly numerous and great nation, is a god of mass murder and enslavement? What evidence is there that the ancient god of Israel is not the universal Father who created all things and loved his creation with a divine and transcendent and sublime love? What evidence is there that the god of Israel is a god of murder and enslavement? How about the extermination of the Amalekites and the Midianites (in the latter case with the exception of 32,000 virgin girls, of whom 32 are reserved for Jehovah aka YHVH) at the instruction of Moses? Does this qualify?
I think this is a very complex condition. I do not like the term Christian because it has so many connotations to so many people. I am no deep scholar but I recognize deep thought and introspection. My take is slightly different, in that because I believe most of the Bible, I believe everything that has happened was revealed to us beforehand so that we would be prepared. Yet, it is still shocking to see all the evil unfold before us! As I've said before, when one considers Satanic Ritual Abuse and all it entails, I can't help but believe that all these "leaders" are more prisoners and slaves than the rest of us. I'm not sure that most of them understood what they were getting into when they signed up. Our entire world, nature, and universe is being destroyed by the greatest liar of all time. There are always unintended consequences.
You are clearly not a philosopher. Definitions are paramount to understanding with CLARITY what we are trying to say. If you are defining freedom as coming through voluntarism that COULD work, but freedom would be the STATE brought about BY voluntarism, therefore freedom still needs a definition.
This is awesome! Far above my pay grade. However, as I read this I cannot help but think of the distraction of consumerism and entertainment. Citizens lost their focus on what was being done to them because they became enamored with trinkets. Most of us were guilty. We were told that the media was our buffer (advocate)to protect us against propaganda, and to borrow a phrase, misinformation (LIES). We have been too easily duped.
Thank you. Good observation. I’d say that this endless obsession of ours comes from our shattered dignity, our servitude to “authority” figures. Our subconscious sees our pathetic subservience. It “rewards” us with self-loathing.
No, the West is not dying, the West already died, a long time ago. Religion, philosophy, history, all that died in Western man. All that remains is an empty shell that sooner or later will collapse, either under its own weight or the onslaught of barbarians from within and without. The inhabitants of the West, I won't say Westerners, they are only physical descendants, but not in heart and spirit. They surrendered their heads and hands to ideas that echo empty in the shell of the former West. The laws of physics and time will take their toll, as will the laws of nature embodied in the vultures that gather around the former life and the future corpse.
It's hard to disagree
1. I suggest that what you have described as fundamental problems can be traced to a root cause of cultural narcissism. We’re thus into Christopher Lasch / “The Culture of Narcissism territory.”
2. With ref to Carroll Quigley’s “The Evolution of Civilization,” Western Civilization seems to be on the cusp of transition from Stage 4 (Conflict) to Stage 5 (Empire). What Trump & Co, including any covert international allies, appear to be aiming for is a fundamental reform of self-serving institutions back to society-serving instruments. This will be an epic accomplishment, if successful, despite the odds again.
I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that the US (and then elsewhere) is to soon experience a combination of Bukele-El Salvador (gangs/crime networks) and Milei/Argentina (rooting out government inefficiency and corruption) major reform events.
I don’t think this is false hope, but time will tell. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/14/politics/matt-gaetz-attorney-general-el-salvador-prison-bukele/index.html
I see your point, but by "western civilisation" here I mean the values and identity of certain groups of people, rather than the status of conquest belonging to a state or an alliance of states. "Empire" characterizes the US and its NATO lackeys, but it doesn't characterize Serbs, for example, who in many way honor Western values much more than their Anglosaxon counterparts.
Not being a scholar, I’ve taken to Quigley’s teaching on the subject of civilizations. As with you, he distinguishes between Empire and the civilization from which it seems to eventually arise. Your thought on values and identity are very important aspects of what I understand to be the culture of a civilization.
Culture, in turn, is something I think of as being analogous to individual personality, only at collective scale. (My take from Christopher Lasch’s “The Culture of Narcissism”). Quigley has main elements of culture defined.
Liked your thoughts on the manipulation of Hitler and Germany before and during WWII. I’m of the view that these same hidden forces were behind the Bolshevik Revolution (an early color revolution, if you will), but they lost control when their guy Trotsky didn’t get control (look deep enough, and you’ll find that US Trotskyites morphed into the neocons). Hitler and Germany were thus weaponized to neutralize the Soviet behemoth; when that didn’t work, the Nazi monster had to be put down.
Thx for the interesting dialogue. Fascinating subject.
Very insightful comment. Thank you
The Achilles heal of humanity is societies herd mentality whereas critical thinking is abandoned with fear as the guiding force.
Plus, humanity has always been under a form of top down authoritarian rule from birth. I used to ask my children of age, past4-5, what do you want to do? Then listen and be a guiding force towards individualism. It works. They are sovereign even if they make stupid decisions, and find out the hard way.
Summed up: tough love!
Now for any enemy of my freedom: I will love you to a physical death, and then I will forgive you for being a sociopath/psychopath-maybe, hehe…
Did not find even one fault. Excellent
Many thanks, Timothy
Great article.
Reminds me of a line from the great Victor Davies Hanson who insists Alexander was the *worst* western leader up until Hitler, specifically because of the adoption of Eastern conduct like the idolization of leadership (in the form of himself)
Interesting insight. I agree. Alexander was yet another false idol contributing to the end of the Greek civilization.
Well done mentioning the curse of Keynesianism as one of the reasons for, or manifestations of, the death of the west. I enjoyed reading this.
I am glad some of us get this crucial detail.
This is a great piece and I must add that it is the corruption of every facet of the societal construct. The corruption of everything in the name of material, control, power and or worse. So many people are easily tuned into the propaganda and they dont even understand they are.
Thank you. We can't help the already afflicted. All we can do is make sure future generations are not a traumatized as the current occupants of this planet.
Yes exactly and that is why I don’t watch cable tv and what I have noticed is that my kids don’t watch tv - just one simple thing like this and it’s noticeable
The individuals who have fully and intentionally and knowingly committed themselves to Western virtues — in the Greco-Roman and Germanic traditions — and the ideals (or values) of critical thinking, freedom, and commitment to logic over emotion have arguably given themselves over to the worship of (or honoring & serving) a false god. Westerners have embraced the ancient god of Israel, recognizing that the patriarch Jacob (grandson of Abraham) was renamed “Israel”. What were (and are, if this god is still being feared/revered, worshipped and honored and served) the character traits of this god of Jacob/Israel? Did his traits exemplify teaching his worshippers to be critical thinkers, freedom lovers, and committed to logic over emotion? I would argue “No”. Of his traits — e.g. honoring trickery, deception — this god seemed particularly to delight in mass murder, ethnic cleansing, holocausts and enslavement. All for the behalf of his chosen people. The unchosen peoples who were not of Israel? They were beneath this god’s concern. Does this sound like the universal Father of all humanity to you? Does this sound like divine Sophia, divine Wisdom?
What compelling evidence is there that the god of Jacob/Israel, which god (according to the Bible) moved Jacob’s entire family into Egypt and then removed them from Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron after Israel had become an exceedingly numerous and great nation, is a god of mass murder and enslavement? What evidence is there that the ancient god of Israel is not the universal Father who created all things and loved his creation with a divine and transcendent and sublime love? What evidence is there that the god of Israel is a god of murder and enslavement? How about the extermination of the Amalekites and the Midianites (in the latter case with the exception of 32,000 virgin girls, of whom 32 are reserved for Jehovah aka YHVH) at the instruction of Moses? Does this qualify?
Interesting point. And I agree. I give my take on it here: https://sotiris.substack.com/p/why-the-west-is-ngmi-part-1
I think this is a very complex condition. I do not like the term Christian because it has so many connotations to so many people. I am no deep scholar but I recognize deep thought and introspection. My take is slightly different, in that because I believe most of the Bible, I believe everything that has happened was revealed to us beforehand so that we would be prepared. Yet, it is still shocking to see all the evil unfold before us! As I've said before, when one considers Satanic Ritual Abuse and all it entails, I can't help but believe that all these "leaders" are more prisoners and slaves than the rest of us. I'm not sure that most of them understood what they were getting into when they signed up. Our entire world, nature, and universe is being destroyed by the greatest liar of all time. There are always unintended consequences.
The "west" is dying from a murder suicide by Israhell.
The West is dead,
It had no balls.
Hark now!
Satan calls!
You ain't wrong
Define freedom.
https://sotiris.substack.com/p/on-voluntaryism
The word freedom doesn’t appear in your defining section.
Even idiots know that a word must be excluded from its definition.
You are clearly not a philosopher. Definitions are paramount to understanding with CLARITY what we are trying to say. If you are defining freedom as coming through voluntarism that COULD work, but freedom would be the STATE brought about BY voluntarism, therefore freedom still needs a definition.
You either didn’t read my post or you can’t understand English. Never claimed I was a philosopher. You imagined that part.
You engage with philosophy constantly without understanding how it works.
Also from your bio: "Philosophy (Devotion to Wisdom) + Eros (Spiritual Lust) + Pathos (Meaningful Suffering) + Thrasos (Audacious Defiance)"