Right now, the world is scarred, and embroiled in a puss-like situation. It’s festering with maggots and slime. It is pulsating, with pustules, and is very painful.

We cannot make out what is going on as the pain is excruciating.

But over time, maybe soon, a scab will form.

And once the scab is removed, we will get to see what the world really looks like. My guess is that it will be much different than what we have known and our lives… all of our lives will be forever changed.

…

I had a vision.

Quod Licet Iovi …

The BBC reported on August 22, 2022:

Taiwan: Two US warships sail through strait

Two US warships are passing through the Taiwan Strait, the US Navy has announced.
...
Washington says its two guided-missile cruisers - the USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsville - are demonstrating freedom of navigation through international waters.
...
Beijing views such actions as provocative and maintains that the island of Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory.

On Sunday, its military said it was monitoring the two vessels' progress, maintaining a high alert, and was ready to defeat any provocation, Reuters news agency reports.

The US Navy said in a statement that the transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrated the "United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific".

The WSJ on August 6, 2023:

Russia and China Sent Large Naval Patrol Near Alaska

A combined Russian and Chinese naval force patrolled near the coast of Alaska last week in what U.S. experts said appeared to be the largest such flotilla to approach American shores.

Eleven Russian and Chinese ships steamed close to the Aleutian Islands, according to U.S. officials. The ships, which never entered U.S. territorial waters and have since left, were shadowed by four U.S. destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

“It is a historical first,” said Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a retired Navy captain. “Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative.”
...
Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the patrol was a reminder that the U.S. has entered “a new era of authoritarian aggression” and applauded the robust U.S. response.

Posted by b at 13:29 UTC | Comments (99)

Gonzalo Lira – Trailer Trash Tim

As American as American can be, talking about Gonzalo.

What’s the worst kitchen spill you’ve committed or witnessed?

Black Treacle- AKA Molasses.

I put a two pound tin of it in hot water to soften before use, and thought I had cracked the lid open. Apparently not.

Ten minutes later, with an impressive bang, the pressure opened the lid, and most of the tin sprayed itself all over the kitchen. Walls, cupboards, ceiling, lights, the lot. It took weeks to get properly clean, and I had to repaint.

Isn’t sending military hardware (e.g. F-16, Mirage aircraft) to Taiwan a direct violation of the One China policy? Why does China not retaliate?

Good Question

You see these guys?

They have FIFTY NUCLEAR WEAPONS

I repeat fifty nuclear weapons that can destroy Tokyo, Kyoto, Sydney, Melbourne and allegedly even Honolulu

They have hacking skills that even Israelis fear

How do you think they became a Nuclear Power? How do you think they remain a Nuclear Power? How do you think they sustain themselves financially and trade wise given they are cut off from the entire civilized world?

CHINA!!

They played the Bishops Gambit with North Korea & you seriously seem to believe that sending F-16s to Taiwan would lead them to retaliate?

It’s nothing bigger than moving a pawn

You seriously think the Chinese are 1% worried or nervous about weapons being sent to Taiwan or Japan?

This is a Country that literally provided Nukes to North Korea to create the largest strategic chess move on the Pacific Sea

What the US are doing – Sending Pelosi, McCarthy to Taiwan, giving weapons to Taiwan etc are all petty stuff of zero strategic significance

China meanwhile has two fully armed Nuclear Allies in Asia and under the nose of the US ensured that North Korea got nukes

So dont believe the Chinese protests

The Chinese have done things of the highest strategic significance and something infinitely more dangerous than 20 Air Bases Or F-16s by the US

So why would they ever retaliate?

They like to pretend to be offended and pretend how US is dangerously doing stuff when in reality, China ensured a country is given an arsenal capable of liquidating 6 Million people

And every Idiot thinks US is the strategic player

In reality with North Korea, China won the game a long time ago.

In the US does the punishment generally fit the crime?

In the picture above is Cameron Herrin, and this is the moment a Judge sentenced him to 24 -years in prison. 18-year-old Cameron Herrin, lived in Tampa, Florida, and in 2018, graduated high school and was gifted a black Ford Mustang from his parents to congratulate him on graduating.

On May 23rd, Cameron and his brother Tristan had gone to the gym and while there bumped into a friend named John Barrineau, and it was there the three decided to go for a drive. Cameron and Tristian was in the Mustang, while John took his own car. As they approached street lights both cars were side by side, and both goaded each other into a street race.

As they sped down the residential street, both cars had reached over 100 miles an hour in a attempt to keep up with each other. At the same time, Jessica and and her young daughter Lilia were crossing the road as the cars came hurtling towards them. Unfortunately for this young mother and and her baby daughter, the cars were going too fast to make it to the other side of the road, and the black Ford Mustang slammed into them.

At he same time Jessica’s husband David Robonel, happened to be driving past in his own car, not realising what had just occurred. He noticed a big crowd of people gathering to see the carnage, but he just wanted to get home and hoped no one was badly hurt. David then tried to call his wife, but she wasn’t answering and when he went home she wasn’t there either. He figured his wife must have stopped to see the accident, so went to look for them there.

Once he got there it didn’t take him long to realise what he was looking at. HIs wife and the babies stroller was right there in the middle of the street and it was that moment his world came crashing down on him. His wife Jessica passed away the same day and his daughter Lilia passed the following day, after doctors fought to save her.

Right away Cameron and John were arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. John Barrineau took a plea deal and was given 6-years in prison and 15-years probation. Cameron took an open plea, but to his surprise he was given 24 years in prison. His family were shocked at this verdict and many people believed it was to harsh a punishment.

Actions have consequences and in this case the consequences were dire for David who had his whole family wiped out in a blink of an eye. We could take into account the fact Cameron parents gave their son a powerful sportscar, at 18, your still a kid, and if he wasn’t going to kill someone, he would have killed himself.

When the Judge was sentenced him he had to take in the mitigating factors, had Cameron no history of dangerous driving the sentence would have been much different. Had it not been a mother and her young daughter, with a father sitting in the gallery contemplating were his life goes after the trial is over, then the sentence would have been different.

What punishment would have been fitting here? He will be classed as a non-violent inmate and when his parole hearing comes around after 7-years (I’m not sure how the parole system works in America, so I’m guessing) he will more than likely walk, his friend John will be out in about 3 years.

China Declares It Will Hit The U.S Hard Against The CURBS!

https://youtu.be/uAStM1gOpjQ

Ukraine Declares “Military Threat to Navigation” Against Russian Ports; Poland, Lithuania, Latvia Moving Troops Toward Belarus and Kaliningrad. Blockade to Begin?

World Hal Turner 06 August 2023

For the first time in modern history, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia are simultaneously moving military forces to the borders with Belarus and Russia. Local observers say a land blockade of Kaliningrad and Belarus is taking shape.  This comes just hours after Ukraine publicly declared a “Military Threat against Navigation” for the Russian ports of Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi, and Taman.

All three countries seem to be clearly preparing for a total land blockade of Belarus and by extension the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

Beginning to look like the start of WWII with what happened with the enclave Dantzig; only this time, the Suwalki Gap may be the tripwire.

Below from the Latvian city of Ludza, through which, allegedly, the transfer of military equipment to the border with Belarus is taking place:

Meanwhile, inside Belarus, elements from the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) send “Greetings from the Poland Border.”

Meanwhile, in Germany, the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall this week marked the construction launch of a new factory in the western town of Weeze that will produce fuselage sections for the F-35 stealth combat aircraft.

The premier of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, took part in a ground-breaking ceremony at the construction site, saying that “a highly modern factory is to be built here that will guarantee good jobs for decades.”

Rheinmetall is a partner of the US company Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35 together with Northrop Grumman, another US firm.

The factory, which is estimated to cost €200 million ($219 million) and will have an area of some 60,000 square meters (645,835 square feet), is to go into operation in 2025 – unless the war breaks-out and Russia smashes it with hypersonic missiles, as seems VERY likely to anyone capable of actually thinking.

Its up to 450 workers will produce the fuselage parts for at least 400 of the aircraft, 35 of which are earmarked for use by Germany’s armed forces at a cost of €8.3 billion. Those aircraft are being purchased as part of the €100 billion package agreed by the government last year to upgrade the country’s military.

This announced planning should give readers a much better view of how current hostilities are viewed by the bigshots:  They seem to be planning that the war that’s coming will literally last YEARS.

If any of us thought the troubles between Ukraine and Russia would remain a limited conflict, clearly that belief was incorrect.   Very much military hardware is actively moving this morning and, day-by-day, it seems clear that an actual World War 3 is shaping up.

Get right with God.

Browned Butter Spaghetti with Mizithra

I used to love to go to the Spaghetti Factory for this. It’s so delicious! Mizithra is a great Greek cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• Cooked spaghetti, drained
• 1 cup Mizithra cheese, grated
• Parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut butter into tablespoon-size pieces and place in a 2 quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).
2. When the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.
3. When the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a pleasant caramel aroma.
4. Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.
5. Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan.
6. The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.
7. Boil the pasta of choice until al dente.
8. Drain pasta and divide into four servings.
9. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Mizithra cheese over each pasta serving.
10. Top with 1/4 cup hot brown butter.

Old Folks

San Jose Is The Most Empty City I’ve Ever Seen | Theres Literally 0 People

What is the cheapest thing you’ve seen a mega-rich person do?

A multi-multi millionaire and I were driving home after a poker game. We stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken. The millionaire asked to speak to the manager. When he came over he asked him what do you do with the chicken when you close? The manager said, well when we close in 20 minutes we have to throw it out. The millionaire said that we shouldn’t pay full price for what you’re throwing away, why don’t you let us have it for a third the price? The 2 of them spent 8 minutes bargaining and finally agreed on half price. When we got to the car my companion said that since he bargained the manager down, I should pay for it. I said that since I was driving him home he should pay. He looked disgusted, but eventually agreed.

What scary gut feeling did you have that turned out to be true?

Turns out my gut was wrong, in this scenario. I was closing up a coffeeshop by myself in downtown Seattle, was probably around 10:30 PM and in the winter so pitch black outside. We had a regular who always seemed nice, he was maybe 60something and was always wearing the same MIA-POW Vietnam vet hat and jacket, long grey hair, beard, the works. I tried to make it clearer and clearer that I was closing up (ie LEAVE!) but he just sat there, and kept looking at me with kind of an intense look. I started getting more and more nervous; he was a big dude. Finally he came up to the counter and I can’t lie, I was wondering what the hell he was trying to pull. He just said “I saw someone go into the bathroom, and they never came out. I really don’t want to leave you here until I know you’ll be OK. I will wait outside if you want but that’s why I’m still here”. I still wasn’t sure if he was screwing with me or what, so I went and tried to open the (locked) bathroom door. No answer. We used to get junkies shooting up, or people would just forget and lock the key inside, so I wasn’t really worried. I knock multiple times and ask if there is someone in there, no response. Then, on a whim I say “I just called the cops”…a dude BURSTS out of the door covering his face with his jacket and books it onto the street outside. I am standing there flabbergasted as this dude was pretty clearly waiting in there until I closed the shop, hopefully just to rob us but who knows. Needless to say the Vietnam vet did not ever pay for his tea from me or any other employee as long as I worked there. I still think of him as a guardian angel and hope he is doing well and happy. So, for once I’m glad I *didn’t* trust my gut

***EDIT #2***

He did not leave until I did, I had to ask him to wait outside as that was company policy when we cashed out the register, but he damn well stayed outside until I left, and even offered to escort me to my bus stop. He is a damn angel on earth.

***EDIT***: Thank everyone for your heartfelt responses. I agree, this man was and is a hero. I am not a hawk by any stretch (I’m a big ol’ anti-war peacenik), but our veterans don’t necessarily get the support they should. If you want to donate to a veteran’s charity the following are supposedly very high quality

• Armed Services YMCA of the USA(A)
• Bob Woodruff Family Foundation (A)
• Fisher House Foundation (A+)
• Gary Sinise Foundation (A)
• Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind (A)
• Homes for Our Troops (A)
• Hope For The Warriors (A)
• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (A-)
• Mission Continues (A)
• National Military Family Association (A)
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (A)
• Operation Homefront (A-)
• Semper Fi Fund (A+)
• Team Rubicon (A-)
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

ETA: Donating to the VFW is also a great idea.

Niger’s New Government Wants U.S. Troops Out!

The recent coup in Niger has left the United States in the lurch, relegating the more than 1,000 troops stationed in the African country to U.S. bases.

A pan-African response to Western (American led) colonialism.

Yes, to the multiple American military bases located in Niger, which are ostensibly being used to “fight terrorism” but in fact are just another arm of U.S. military power that stretch to nearly every corner of the globe.

Will China cut off rare earth exports to Western, South Korean, Japanese and Taiwan chipmakers in retaliation for US sanctions on Chinese chip technology?

Here’s the thing about China

They normally think 1001 times before making such a decision because they don’t want to be caught flat like the USA or EU who make all decisions in a hurry and are usually left holding nothing and end up embarrassed

All that China is doing is simply saying

Look. I took on Rare Earth processing because you decided it was too unprofitable and too messy and too unsafe for your water and your environment

I extract rare earths and process them at a profit of $ 3.95 a ton so that you guys can make your EVs at a 36% —54% profit

Now, I feel with the way you guys are treating me and harrassing me. I won’t clutter my environment and affect my people for you anymore

It’s not worth the $ 3.95 a Ton profit

I can rather use it for my domestic industries in greater quantity

I can reduce my rare earth processing and save my environment

I can sell you rare earths at $ 21 profit per Ton because I know you will process them at $ 26.50 a ton LOSS if you directly process rare earths

Its not retaliation

It’s REFLECTION

Why should China keep cluttering its environment and soil just to keep EU and US and Australia clean and pristine in their switch to EVs when these nations are so hostile to China to all the time

---

Is this a Blow?

Yep

A quota may be established where a maximum of 40,000 battery packs will be exported a year from China

Today it’s almost 180,000

So that’s a 70% -75% cut in the supply chain

For at least the next 10 —15 years until the production is met elsewhere , EVs made outside China and friendly nations like Russia will be throttled badly

Yet here is the silver lining

China has no issues if you keep making EVs in China and exporting them. No issues at all.

This is to protect Chinese EVs from the same trade threats as Chinese Chips at a later date

Tomorrow if EU bans Chinese EVs like they banned Huawei then China will cut all EV rare earths and throttle their EV industry for at least 2 Decades

That will keep China dominant in EV technology and a leading player

---

China was caught on the wrong foot for 5G and Huawei

Now China is taking precautions with its EV dominance

Gonzalo Lira ARRESTED Before Hungary Border Per Mark Slebota Journalist. BREAKING IF TRUE?

What happened at New York City’s Union Square on August 4th?

The power of these so-called internet influencers was shown in full force.

21-year-old Kai Cenat is arguably the biggest black internet influencer today. He’s largely famous on Twitch, a streaming platform.

He doesn’t make music; he plays no instruments, he doesn’t act; he has no apparent talents, and he had zero prior connection to the entertainment industry. He’s funny, he had access to the internet. That’s how he became famous.

Good on him. Life’s hard, a young man’s gotta make bread however he can.

One of the reasons why he has a huge following is that he maintains a good relationship with his fans, for instance, he does regular giveaways.

He had told them he was going to give away 300 PS5s, a largely sought-after gaming console, on Friday at NYC’s Union Square park.

Guess how many people turned up?

Around 2000 people, mostly teenagers and young adults, the perfect age group for a wild riot.

The majority of them couldn’t get close to Kai. Just to see him, they climbed cars and the train station entrance’s roof.

Eventually, they became rowdy. The mass held up traffic. They threw bottles, rocks, lit fireworks, fought with police, damaged cars.

Police slowly dispersed the crowd and arrested over 60 people, half of whom were minors.

No deaths, no serious casualties.

Kai did not notify the city before hosting such a huge event. He was taken into police custody, charged with inciting a riot, and released a few hours later.

The First Real Images Of Mercury – What We Found?

ASEAN-China Week kicks off, reaffirming cooperation and closer ties

‘Track II diplomacy’ helps in breaking down barriers, leaving less room for third parties to sow discord

By Wang Qi in Fuzhou Published: Aug 06, 2023 11:18 PM

China and ASEAN reaffirmed the importance of solidarity and cooperation in the face of challenges and vowed closer and stronger ties in the future as the first ASEAN-China Week 2023 unfolded in East China’s Fuzhou on Friday, two days before ASEAN Day 2023, the organization’s 56th birthday. 

The event is co-hosted by the ASEAN-China Center (ACC) and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Fujian Provincial Government and Fuzhou Municipal Government. Over 300 senior government officials, diplomatic envoys, entrepreneurs and think tank experts from ASEAN and China attended the event that will last until August 11.

During the main themed forum on a “Forward-looking ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the New Era,” representatives of both China and ASEAN countries stressed the importance of regional peace and stability.

During the ASEAN-China (Fujian) Forum on Trade and Investment Cooperation on Sunday afternoon, three public service platforms under the China-Indonesia “Two Countries, Twin Parks” were unveiled. Strategic cooperation framework agreements for nine projects under “Two Countries, Twin Parks” were also signed. 

Sessions like a gourmet carnival, ASEAN film week and an ASEAN-China symphony concert were held during on opening day. The Shangri-La Hotel in Fuzhou offered food from ASEAN countries and China for participants to enjoy, with majority of whom used chopsticks instead of knives and forks, while films from ASEAN nations were introduced on a huge screen. 

Despite the complexities in the international situation, ASEAN has successfully managed to maintain peace and stability of the region and sustain good growth momentum, Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Center, said in his opening speech on Sunday. 

Shi said that ASEAN is one of the most dynamic regions and is leading the post-pandemic recovery of the world. The success of ASEAN “lies in its right choice of progress over regression, cooperation over confrontation and openness over isolation… [it] lies in its adhering to solidarity and independence, in its cherishing peace and development.”

The year 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), and the 10th anniversary of an initiative for China to work with ASEAN countries for a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and for a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Ambassador of Thailand to China Arthayudh Srisamoot hailed the ASEAN-China Week’s role in creating more knowledge and understandings about ASEAN culture, as the Chinese public will have an opportunity to learn about ASEAN, products and meet new people through the event.

2023 also marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Ambassador Srisamoot hailed the initiative’s role in fostering connectivity between nations. 

The free flow of Thai exports has enjoyed very good market access in China… the BRI provides an ideal neighboring environment for the two countries to cooperate, not only in transportation, logistics, but also in people-to-people exchanges of culture and youth between two nations, the ambassador told the Global Times.

Ong Tee Keat, senior fellow with the Taihe Institute and chairman of Malaysia-based think tank the Center for New Inclusive Asia, told the Global Times on Sunday that since the relationship between China and ASEAN has been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, it becomes more necessary to develop all-round and multi-dimensional relations.

Non-political sessions during the event seek to break down barriers between the people to avoid unnecessary suspicion, just in case a third party sows discord and inciting populism when there’s misunderstanding, Ong said. 

Ong is former deputy speaker of Malaysia’s lower house of parliament, Malaysian transport minister and president of the Malaysian Chinese Association. He believes that the “Track II diplomacy,” which stresses people-to-people and cultural exchanges and non-official contact, is crucial for China to deepen ties with ASEAN.

ASEAN-China Week, which came after the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Jakarta in July, is viewed as an important event to promote other China-ASEAN exchanges in the second half of 2023. 

The 2023 ASEAN-China Summit is scheduled to be held in September, followed by the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. The APEC Summit in November will be also attended by ASEAN nations and China. 

Benito Gosiaco Techico, special envoy of Philippines president to China for trade, investment and tourism, told the Global Times on Sunday that Manila is looking forward to more investment collaboration with China, particularly in the field of agriculture, information, technology, tourism, manufacturing and renewable energy. 

“The prospect is definitely positive,” he added. 

ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner for three consecutive years. In the first half of 2023, trade with ASEAN countries accounted for 15.3 percent of China’s total trade, reaching 3.08 trillion yuan ($428.96 billion), up 5.4 percent from 2022. 

Carne Adovada

This is a wonderful filling for burritos or simply great served over rice with the resulting gravy. For better flavor, prepare a day ahead.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces (about 25) whole dried New Mexican red chile pods
• 4 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon crushed chile pequin
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried Mexican oregano
• 3 pounds thick boneless shoulder pork chops

Instructions

1. Heat shortening in a Dutch oven, and sauté garlic until browned.
2. Remove the seeds and stems from the chile pods. Rinse chiles in large mixing bowl and drain.
3. Place moistened chiles on baking sheet and toast carefully in the oven for 5 minutes. They do not need to be completely dried out.
4. Remove from the oven then let cool.
5. Add half of the chiles into a blender, and puree with 2 cups warm water. Pour into Dutch oven with previously browned garlic and repeat with the other half of the chiles.
6. Add the remaining ingredients to the chile (garlic salt, oregano, onion, chile pequin)and let boil on a medium-high heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken but should remain a little soupy.
7. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
8. Remove the fat from the pork and cut the meat into 3/4 inch cubes. Stir pork into the chile sauce and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
9. The following day, heat oven to 300 degrees F. Use butter to coat large baking dish, so it doesn’t stick.
10. Add the marinated carne adovada with sauce into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours, stirring once at an hour and a half into baking. At 2 1/2 hours, remove foil (to thicken sauce).
11. Serve hot with homemade Flour Tortillas or on Navajo Tacos.

The US Military is collapsing

Is there such a thing as too many aircraft carriers?

Sure. Thailand has one aircraft carrier:

HTMS Chakri Naruebet .

They cannot afford to maintain it and they cannot afford the aircraft for it. It serves no purpose other than to be the world’s most expensive royal yacht. In fact, nobody understands why they wanted an aircraft carrier to begin with since Thailand has no need for overseas force projection. It is the ultimate example of a white elephant.

To conclude, Thailand has too many aircraft carriers, because even just one is too many for them.

WHY IS THE WEST SO WEAK (AND RUSSIA SO STRONG)?

THE ROLE OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND WESTERN EDUCATION

Gaius Baltar

Aug 3, 2023

It is becoming increasingly clear to more and more people in the West that something has gone terribly wrong with the Ukraine project. Predictions and projections didn’t pan out and the West doesn’t seem to know what to do. The Russian economy wasn’t a house of cards as predicted, Russian weapons weren’t inferior as predicted, Russian soldiers and commanders weren’t incompetent as predicted, and Russian technology wasn’t inferior as predicted.

In some respects the Russians even seem to be superior to the West. Their weapons are effective and in many cases outright technologically superior, as clearly demonstrated by their hypersonic missiles, SAM systems and electronic warfare systems. Their economy appears to be surprisingly advanced and diversified and based on real wealth creation rather than financialization and debt like the West’s. Their strategic and tactical thinking also seems to work, while the West‘s clearly doesn‘t.

The whole mess is often explained as a result of a miscalculation by the western elites – they underestimated Russia and overestimated the West. The situation, however, is far worse than that. Every day that passes reveals the impotence of the West more and more and the situation is becoming outright humiliating. At this point the rest of the world either shakes their heads or simply laughs at the West and its politicians and diplomats – not to mention its crazed populations.

The dysfunction of the West is far deeper than just the situation around the Ukraine project. It’s absolutely everywhere. The West can’t do diplomacy in general, it can’t run its cities or countries except into the ground, its high-tech projects fail almost as a rule, its infrastructure is crumbling, its economies are crumbling, and all public policies seem to have a civilizational suicide as a final goal. The West’s control mechanisms over the rest of the world are also crumbling, including the dollar, sanctions, color revolutions, military interventions and threats. Nothing seems to work and everything the West does seems to make things worse.

Any rational person upon hearing a western leader, diplomat or “expert” speak, asks himself this question: “Are they just lying or are they really this incompetent and delusional?” The answer is “both” but the incompetence factor is far greater than most people can imagine.

Why has this happened? It’s clear that the cause is far deeper than the deindustrialization of the West or economic problems in general. The economy doesn’t explain the incredible incompetence shown by the West before and during the war in Ukraine.

I suggest that the cause of this unfolding disaster is a serious structural problem in the West – which Russia seems to have largely avoided. This structural problem is a necessary condition for the current western system and has been purposely created to bring it about and maintain it. This problem is the subject of this article – as well as the “mechanism” behind it. This is unfortunately a long article, but the subject matter demands it.

Human capital and its properties

The current ideologically-based power structure of the West outright requires that certain types of people be in positions of influence and certain types of people be sidelined. This applies to all steps of the social ladder; from kindergarten teachers to university teachers and corporate executives, and all the way up to the leaders of society itself. This has been progressing steadily for the last five decades or so, and has resulted in a major structural problem for the West. That problem is the obvious and massive degradation and misallocation of human capital in the West.

Human capital can be described as the quality of a company’s or nation’s workforce, or more specifically how competent the employee pool is – how well they are trained, how quickly they can be trained, how they are educated in general, and how they make decisions. In order to understand what competence really means, let’s define it further.

Competence can be described as specific or general. This distinction is extremely important and must be understood by anyone who attempts to manage human capital on a small or large scale.

Specific competence is the ability to do a certain type of work. This can be carpentry, coding, chemistry, medicine, piloting an airliner, and so on and so forth. Some of these types of jobs may require a lot of competence, training and intelligence, but what they have in common is that their scope is limited and clearly defined. They exist within clear boundaries, separate from the complexities and vagueness of the world in general. Each type of work requires certain abilities innate in the person, as well as varying degrees of training. People, of course, differ a lot in their level of specific competence within each field.

General or high-level competence is the ability to do work that is beyond clearly defined boundaries. The subject matter of those types of work exists in a complex “variable universe” and can be exceedingly vague and confusing. It requires the ability to be adaptive and be able to transfer skills between different types of work. This also applies to expertise in one field being applied to a completely different field – such as applying psychology to economics or astrophysics to climate science.

Examples of positions requiring general or high-level competence people are corporate executives, all kinds of planners and administrators, product developers, inventors, high-level consultants and analysts, military leaders and planners, diplomats, judges, political leaders, and high-level scientists and theoreticians, to name a few.

Specific and general competence types of work are not two separate things. Types of work or “jobs” can be said to range from almost completely specific up to almost completely general. Almost all types of work have elements of both but in varying proportions. To illustrate this I will take an example from a company I’m personally familiar with. This is a software company with several owners, most of whom work at the company. One of the owners is an exceptionally competent database specialist. However, when he contributes to decision making for the company as a whole, he becomes an outright problem. The management structure of the company had to be “modified” to neutralize him in that role, as well as a few others. This employee has exceptional specific competence but very poor general competence. He cannot “transfer” his specific database competence over to competence in moving the company into the future. He simply cannot operate objectively or sensibly outside his database job.

So what makes this employee have such poor general competence – or more specifically – what is general competence? General competence requires three necessary conditions: a) High general intelligence or IQ, b) the ability to be objective, even in situations where the result of your conclusions may not be to your liking, and c) the ability to reach conclusions without being influenced by others (i.e. independent thinking). The latter two conditions are a direct result of how the human brain interacts with the environment. The mechanism behind it is too complicated to describe here, but in simplistic terms it can be said that humans range in their relationship with reality from the emotional-outward/subjective to the introspective/objective. This variable, like all evolutionary traits, including IQ, is normally distributed. This has rather disturbing implications which may be difficult for some people to understand.

Let’s first look at IQ, or general intelligence. In order to be able to deal with seriously complicated work or get through a real university program, an IQ of about 125 is necessary. Only about 5% of the population in the West has this IQ or higher. This means that the pool of potentially high-level competence people is very small to begin with. Even if we use a cut-off of an IQ of 115, which is sufficient for most semi-complicated work, the potential pool only goes up to 16% of the population.

Now let’s take a look at the other variables, i.e. objectivity and independent thinking. Those two are correlated and we will, for the sale of convenience, handle them as the same variable or trait, even though they aren’t. They are normally distributed, much like IQ, with most in the middle and fewer toward the extremes in both directions. On one side of the distribution are people who, to state it bluntly, are incapable of thinking objectively about any issues that may interact with their personal views about anything at all. They can be competent in a limited field which is “neutral” to them (such as databases), but not involving anything else. They can’t run a company in a competitive environment, except into the ground. They can’t run a city, a country, a military campaign, an economy, or anything requiring general competence, except into the ground, regardless of their intelligence. These people are clearly not suitable for general/high-level competence jobs.

So, what is the proportion of the population that is objective enough and independent thinkers enough to be suitable for those jobs? That’s difficult to determine but it’s clear that it is maximum 50% of the population. In reality it’s far less but let’s be generous and say it’s 30%. What does that mean?

IQ and objectivity/independent thinking are somewhat correlated but let’s assume they are not. Let’s say that we have a pool of potentially objective and rational people that is 30% and a pool of people with IQ of 125 that is 5%. That means that the pool of high-level general competence people is 5% of 30%, or 1.5% of the population.

If we are really generous and assume that 50% of the population is objective and rational and an IQ of 115 is sufficient for those jobs, then we have 16% of 50%, which is a pool of 8% of the population.

The importance of this cannot be overstated. This group, whether we define it as 1.5% of the population or 8% of the population, is extremely valuable. This is essentially the only group in society that can reliably evaluate complex situations and make subsequent rational decisions. Without it, modern technological society simply cannot be built or maintained – let alone advanced. Let me rephrase this – if we do not identify and utilize this group, we cannot run our complicated societies except into the ground.

The western purging of competence

Modern western society is from a governance standpoint ideologically motivated and ideologically controlled. It is being pushed in a very clearly defined ideological direction, led by the European Union and the current US administration. This ideology is not the subject matter of this article, but it can be seen everywhere by any rational and independent-thinking person. For the uninformed-curious a good place to start is the website of the EU’s policy-making body; the World Economic Forum.

In order to achieve these ideological goals for the West, two things must happen: a) The right people must be put into power at all levels of society and b) any disruptive elements must be eliminated or suppressed. Since all ideological goals tend to be more or less in conflict with reality, there is no group more disruptive to them than the one who operates objectively and independently. People like that simply cannot be allowed into positions of power, and if they must be, they must be kept quiet and/or forced to toe the line.

The objective/rational/general competence group, whether it is 1.5% or 8% of the population, therefore becomes a problem rather than a resource. This is exactly the situation in the West today.

Many people have noticed that meritocracy has been systematically abandoned in the West and the relationship between competence and reward severed in giant swaths of the economy – and almost completely in government. What few people seem to realize is that this is a necessity for the West’s ideological goals to be reached. High-level competence cannot be promoted because it is a threat. It cannot therefore be rewarded.

In order to illustrate this, let’s take a look at what happens when a member of the 1.5% is allowed to gain significant power. Elon Musk is a smart man, probably with an IQ of 150 or more. He is also quite objective and realistic in his assessments, and an independent thinker. His ownership and governance of Twitter/X is a major problem for western ideological goals. Free speech is an obvious threat to any ideology and, to rub salt in the wounds, Musk belittled the guardians of the Ideology at Twitter by making fun of them, then by firing them all and only keeping the competent ones. This cannot be allowed to stand and we can already see the response. The EU is planning to use force to stop this affront to the Ideology and may actually block Twitter in Europe. Ideological champion (and suspected lizard robot) Mark Zuckerberg was even instructed to cook up an ideologically pure Twitter copy in response – but seems to have failed. We eagerly await further responses, which may range from lawfare up to more “direct” actions, and will most likely be directed at Musk personally.

The reconfiguring of western education

As previously noted, two things must happen for the ideological goals to become reality: The right people must be promoted and the wrong people must be suppressed. This process of elevation/suppression has become the main goal of the western education system – all the way from kindergarten up to university. If we look at what the education system has been doing, this becomes extremely obvious. Here are a few examples:

• Evaluation of competence is being systematically degraded to avoid comparison between the competent and the incompetent. Exams are being discarded in favor of constant “projects” and students work in groups so the incompetent may hide. Schools avoid testing the individual directly as much as they can – and thereby comparing him to others. The competent ones must not be encouraged, and if at all possible, they themselves must not realize that they are above others.
• Universities are increasingly basing admittance on other criteria than competence, including quotas based on non-competence variables.  The most insidious selection method is the “personal essay” which applicants must submit – and is sometimes even more important than grades. All applicants know that the more they signal virtue in the essay, the more likely they are to be admitted. On the basis of the essay, the universities can pick the ideologically pure – which is the only purpose of the essay requirement to begin with.
• Almost every academic subject is being turned from the objective to the subjective to assist the irrational-incompetent student. This even applies to hard subjects such as mathematics – where nowadays 2+2 doesn’t necessarily equal 4. Even intelligence is now subjective and the stupid can be as smart as the intelligent – it’s just a question of perspective, the right measuring tools, and idiotic inventions such as “emotional intelligence.”
• Almost every subject has been made easier than before to help the incompetent students and even critical fields such as medicine are now graduating people who are utterly incompetent and clueless – on a large scale. This systematic lowering of standards also has the added benefit of creating disinterest in smart and rational students. A smart student performs better and better relative to others as the subject gets harder. If the subject is easy or made uninteresting, he will sink down to mediocracy – which is a part of the purpose of lowering the standards to begin with.
• Disciplines which may be a threat to the irrationality of the Ideology have been massively subverted and corrupted. This applies to several fields, but particularly to psychology and history, which in their proper forms would be a massive threat to western ideological goals. Psychology has been twisted into an almost unrecognizable abomination, and history is mostly just lies these days.
• Fake disciplines have been invented from the ground up for the purpose of training the ideologically pure without the need for competence or intelligence or any connection to reality. These disciplines can be found in lists of “most useless university degrees” all over the internet, but that is a misunderstanding. Those degrees are not useless at all – they elevate the ideologically pure in society by awarding them university “certification.” This certification justifies giving them important positions in society.

I could go on but you get the picture. What we are looking at here is not the failure of the western education system, but a very carefully planned “pivoting” toward new objectives. The primary purpose of the education system is no longer education. The entire education system of the West has been reconfigured to carry out a “filtration” process. The purpose of this process is to identify, instruct and elevate the ideologically pure while suppressing the dangerous 1.5/8 group. The education system, particularly the universities, has largely abandoned real education and is almost solely focused on this mission. This mission is not just carried out by the education system, but by all institutions of governments and a large part of the corporate sector. A side-result of this filtration process is the degradation of all education in the West, and subsequently, degradation of its human capital in general.

Western society, in general, has abandoned rationality and replaced it with subjectivism (formally designated as “post-modernism”).  The purpose of that is not just to train and advance the ideologically pure, but to use subjectivism as an oppression tool against the 1.5/8 group and the rational part of the population outside of it. The best way to suppress a rational person is to subject him to an existence of total and constant irrationality. It is essentially gaslighting on a civilizational scale, directed at the dangerous rational group.

While the dangerous rational group is being suppressed and subverted, the ideologically pure “leaders of tomorrow” are indoctrinated rather than educated, given university certifications rather than real degrees, and finally provided with an unending amount of fake and well paid jobs in both the private and public sector. This well-paid ideologically pure group then becomes the power base of the new ideological system.

The upward migration of the incompetent

The goal of this deliberate intervention into the educational system is to create what you might call a “migration pattern” in society based on (lack of) competence and ideological purity. The right people need to be put into the right positions and the right jobs, and since they are incompetent, this needs to be managed for them. After they leave school with their certifications, government and the private sector take over and actively push them upward, while pushing the dreaded 1.5/8 group away from influence and well-paid jobs.

Two developments in the West have been godsends for these efforts: the outsourcing of western manufacturing to Asia and the virtual abolition of competition in the corporate sector. This massively decreased the complexity level of the western economy and subsequently the need for the 1.5/8 group. When most companies operate services in a protected environment, there is far less need for high-level/rational people – while in a “real economy” these people simply cannot be sidelined. Also, when you can get away with operating a fake economy based on the dollar reserve status, you can also operate a fake society run by incompetents.

Let’s take a closer look at how this upward migration of the ideologically pure is managed after they receive their university certifications – and how the 1.5/8 group is systematically blocked. There are five main methods being employed – which together form a long-term takeover process of society. These methods are the following:

• Public sector filtering
• Public sector stuffing
• Job-creation by decree
• Private sector filtering
• Private sector stuffing

Public sector filtering – This describes the job selection process in the public sector. Initially the “foot-in-the-door” method is used. A few ideologically pure politicians and bureaucrats position themselves within the system and start controlling who is hired. This increases exponentially over the decades as more and more purists gain access to the levers of power. Currently the process is so overt that it is starting to become expressed in recruitment policy papers – such as the recent example of the British government excluding “white men” from becoming fighter pilots. The West has almost completely been able to exclude the 1.5/8 group from public-sector positions using this method – including its armed forces.

Public sector stuffing – As the public sector filtering process advances, the purists inside the system start creating more and more positions for their purist brethren. New departments are created, work groups and committees appear, and the public sector expands. Publicly owned companies, such utility companies, hospitals and schools are also often used as storage units for large numbers of the ideologically pure. This is extremely obvious in the West. Every unnecessary law or initiative requires more and more people – and these people are all carefully selected.

Job-creation by decree – This method is directed at the private sector, as well as the semi-public sector. Government purists start creating new laws and standards which all companies must fulfill. Those are justified on the basis of “goodness” and usually involve the environment, equality, safety and such things. This creates a large number of positions within private companies which are tailored for the ideologically pure – particularly in support functions such as human resources, compliance functions and others. This enables a “foot-in-the-door” situation in the private sector and gives the purists access to the levers of powers there – much like they already have in the public sector.

Private sector filtering – As the purists have gained access to the private sector – particularly human resources (which is the standard purist Trojan horse in private companies) – they start filtering new recruits exactly the same way the public sector does. As in the public sector, this filtering process is becoming more obvious. A significant number of companies are now specifying which groups will not be hired in their job advertisements. Since they can’t overtly say “we don’t hire smart, independent thinkers” they usually use “white men” as a proxy for that group for some reason. That group is considered to be a particular threat, although you can be sure that anyone who doesn’t follow the program will be fired, regardless of their gender or the color of their skin.

Private sector stuffing – Shortly after Elon Musk bought Twitter he fired something like 80% of its employees. That 80% was the company’s private sector stuffing ratio – quite high. Companies, particularly in sectors which can influence public opinion – but not solely, are increasingly creating a large number of positions which are either totally superfluous or intended for influence operations against the public.

Those filtering and stuffing methods are the primary mechanisms that have been used for the takeover of western societies by the ideologically pure. There are other mechanisms, such as ESG,  filtering by certain banks and investment funds regarding who gets financing and who doesn’t – and the uncontrolled immigration engineered by the ideologically pure which is seen by them as a continuation of the internal migration process. However, all that is beyond the scope of this article.

The ideologically pure have systematically been moved into almost all positions of power in the public sector and a large part of the private sector – and the situation in the private sector is increasingly mirroring the public sector in hiring practices and employee stuffing. The dangerous 1.5/8 group is being kept away by all means, and with great success. The power base of the Ideology is firmly in place.

This job migration program hasn’t been cheap. Millions of unnecessary jobs cost money and it is clear that a significant part of western public debt can be attributed to this program, a fact which doesn’t seem to have been noticed by many people.

The consequences

The main thing to understand is that western societies and economies have been put on an ideological footing. Productivity, competitiveness, technology and science are simply not priorities anymore in the West. Explaining the consequences of this process for the West would take many articles, or a book of several hundred pages. Still, let’s mention a few examples.

The inverse competence crisis – The goal of this entire project has been to place the ideologically pure in all positions of power at all levels of society. These positions are, in a normal and competitive society, occupied by the highly competent 1.5/8 group. The process has now reached near-completion with most positions of power occupied by the ideologically pure. Some of those people have high IQs but they are neither objective nor independent thinkers. The Ideology they must subscribe to is simply incompatible with those qualities. This has some serious consequences.

Remember that positions of power and influence are more likely to demand general competence than other positions (as opposed to specific competence). The greater the power, the more the position demands general competence. The people in these positions now are selected by ideological fervor and reliability – so the higher you go, the more ideologically enthusiastic the people who hold them. This means that the least objective and independent thinking people hold the positions which require the greatest objectivity and independent thinking. Therefore, in the West incompetence becomes greater and more common the higher you go. As someone said – “a general is an incompetent colonel.” This can be seen absolutely everywhere except in some holdout private companies. Those exceptions are of course being addressed as we speak.

The second problem is that many of the irrational/subjective people holding all the power have reasonably high IQs. That may seem to be a positive thing but it has a major disadvantage. Moderate to high IQ irrational/subjective people are the easiest to brainwash of all people. The reasons for that are complicated and need to be addressed in another article – but what this means is that the top tier in the West is not only the most incompetent it can possibly be in comparison to what their jobs require – but are also the most malleable and delusional.

The cost and debt crisis – The migration of the ideologically pure into the ideological power base and positions of influence has created millions of jobs in western societies which create no value. These jobs are much more numerous and more widespread than most people realize, and I wouldn’t be surprised if something like 20%-30% of the entire labor force of the West could be fired without any adverse effect. In fact, the effect would be positive, especially if those people could be made to work the (mostly menial) real-economy jobs they are suitable for.

Deindustrialization has been blamed for the extreme debt levels and tax burdens of the West. That is, as far as it goes, true – but maintaining this giant group of incompetents in their fake jobs is also placing an extreme burden on the West. Western societies are now completely unsustainable and cannot be run without constant debt increase.

The competition crisis – This crisis can be explained by the following example: Let’s say there are three companies with combined 100% market share in some sector. There is no real competition between them and everybody can just relax because the customers can’t go anywhere else. These companies can get away with absolute incompetence on most levels, including in management. They don’t need to think about efficiency, safety, productivity or costs, except on their websites and in annual reports. However, if a competitor with competent employees manages to infiltrate the sector, those three companies will hit a wall. There will be an enormous crisis and one or more of them will most likely go under.

This is exactly the situation in the western economies now. Monopoly and oligopoly is the rule and the main objective of most large western companies is to prevent anyone from infiltrating their sector – usually by bribing regulators or by buying the competition. This is a necessity because a huge number of western companies are now run by incompetent management and staffed by incompetent people, particularly in support and management functions. The immortal words of the nameless Boeing employee about the 737 MAX apply to most large western companies; “this airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys.” Western companies are no longer competitive. They cannot compete with Chinese companies now and soon they won’t be able to compete with companies in general outside the West. They simply can’t function except inside an economic safe-space. In fact, the situation is such that the Chinese already do the real work for many of them and reshoring the work is problematic because of (surprise!) the human capital degradation in the West caused by the repurposing of its education system.

This also applies to western societies as a whole. The entire leadership and diplomatic classes of the West are no longer competitive against the rest of the world for exactly these reasons. They are being outmaneuvered by the Chinese, the Russians, the Indians, and everybody else at every turn. Even African leaders are now more competent than western leaders. They have consistently made decisions that are better for their people than leaders in the West – for the last few years anyway.

The complexity crisis – Earlier in this article I stated that the 1.5/8 group is extremely valuable for modern societies and without it complicated modern societies cannot be managed. In the West this group has been successfully sidelined to a great degree and a good part of it doesn’t even bother with university education anymore. The situation, however, is even worse than that. The reconfiguration of the education system and the break between competence and reward in the job market has fundamentally changed the decision making process behind the selection of university education. Why study engineering (which is hard) when you can get an even better paying job with a degree in psychology (which is easy nowadays)? The reconfiguration of the western education system has changed the reward structure, encouraging young people to pursue easy and useless education – simply because the “system” will provide them with jobs.

This has already caused a major crisis in western societies, particularly in the US. The “maintenance” of complex aspects of US society needs a large group of engineers and people with related education. This maintenance is faltering now, and significantly relies on foreign engineers educated in US universities. You see, why would Americans study engineering in a system which doesn’t reward it? If China and India could somehow recall their engineers and others with hard education from the US, the US system could probably not be maintained, let alone advanced. This will get progressively worse and we will soon reach a point where complex systems which underpin society cannot be kept running. That will require some kind of “reset” to a less complex society, with less prosperity of course.

There are far more crises than those four, but I wouldn’t want to sound like a doomsayer by listing more.

Russia and the future

So, what about Russia? Firstly, there are clear signs that the Russians have figured out what is happening in the West and are learning from it. Recently they left the “Bologna process” which is a European education standardization system. The Bologna system has the express purpose of diluting education in member states, implementing certifications rather than real degrees, and filling European societies with badly educated and generally incompetent “experts” who follow the consensus, no matter what. The Russians saw this system as a threat to their country, which it is, and have, at least partly, reverted to the older and more hardcore Soviet system.

Secondly, the Russians seem to be carrying out purges of the incompetent and corrupt within state structures, including the military. Meritocracy seems to be on the agenda, a radical concept these days. The Russians most likely see these efforts as critical to the continuation of their state and nation – and they would be right.

The situation in China is much the same and there are indications that the rest of the non-western world is catching on. Remember that one of the results of the recent Russia-Africa summit was a Russian-organized education effort in Africa. I doubt that women’s studies will be a part of that curriculum.

The current clash between the West and Russia – and increasingly between the West and the rest of the world – is becoming a clash between the incompetent and irrational and the competent and rational. The result is obvious – but what happens when an irrational person who is backed into a corner has access to nuclear weapons? That’s anybody’s guess.

By putting its societies on an ideological footing the western elite has backed itself into a corner. They can’t compete; they can’t develop their economies or societies; and they can’t go back. Fixing the problems of the West will require an economic revival, where a real economy will replace the current fake financialized service economy. This cannot be done without putting the hated 1.5/8 group into positions of power. Therefore, it will not be done as long as the current western ruling class is in power. Western societies will not survive an economic revival in their current ideological configuration. Conflict is therefore the only remaining option for the ruling class to hang on to power.

Indonesia Is Picking China Over US ; Giving The Right To Power

https://youtu.be/SXhSvPN44Gs

Why does China have excellent infrastructure while America has crumbling infrastructure?

The US and China have taken two distinct paths for economic development: the US and the west have chosen financialization, de-industrialization and de-regulation, while China has chosen industrialization.

In the US economy, the largest sector is services, and in services, finance is largest. Finance is mainly about moving money and over time, it does not require that money. This means a large portion of the population becomes unemployed, and wealth flows to the top where wealth is concentrated. With de-regulation, capital is free to seek return anywhere. Under this system, capital becomes more important than the welfare of individuals.

Hong Kong’s economy is dominated by finance; it closely followed the US in economics. This video explains what happened to Hong Kong; the same applies to the US economy:

The great irony about China is that although it is run by a Communist party, it is much more middle-class friendly than the US is. The government understands that China’s future depends on a robust middle-class, and it does not allow the consumer middle class to be eroded the way it was in the US. Unlike the US, the Chinese government believes that finance should be a service to assist manufacturing, not the dominant sector of the economy.

The reason the US does not have good infrastructure now is because Americans voted for low taxes and a weak government and de-regulation; this resulted in capital being in the hands of a very wealthy ruling class, while the rest have to be pleased with the crumbs which fall under the table.

China has a larger and more powerful government which spends it money on infrastructure, and this modern infrastructure investment shows.

Americans chose weak government, and it shows. Now they are paying the price of their choice when it comes to competing with China.

Top 5 Lessons From A 10 Year Journey To Becoming Disciplined

July 27, 2023 Leave a Comment

(photo: @dhakad1989)

No one becomes disciplined overnight. It’s a lifetime journey.

I think there’s way too much emphasis placed on “motivation” and “willpower.” Instead, I think it’s better to understand how human behavior works, and use it to your advantage.

Here are the five most important things I’ve learned about becoming more disciplined, and I hope it helps you.

Win the Morning, Win the Day

It’s a big challenge to have a productive day – That’s 24 hours. It can become overwhelming!

Instead, I only focus on two things.

• I make sure I have a good night’s sleep. If I don’t sleep well, then I’m not on my A game the next day.

This means I go to bed early, I avoid screens at night, I make the room colder, etc.

• Next, instead of trying to have a productive day…I laser focus on my mornings. If I get the first hour right, then the rest of my day will go smoothly.

This means a solid morning routine.

Mine is roughly wake up, use restroom, drink 20oz water, and walk my dog. That’s it. It looks simple but I’m hydrating myself, getting some exercise, and getting some sunlight.

Now I have energy to crush the rest of the day.

Vs imagine starting the day late, checking your phone for an hour, fapping, and then starting work.

It’s about starting your day with MOMENTUM.

Manipulate Your Environment

Make it easier for yourself if you want to DO an action. Make it harder for yourself if you want to AVOID an action.

I use to play my PS4 a lot more than I should. It’d be lunch time and I’d go over to my living room and play a few quick games. A 15-minute break would turn into two hours.

How did I stop? In the morning I’d simply unplug my PS4, and put it in my closet. I increased the “resistance.”

I used my phone as my alarm clock for a period of time. I’d wake up and immediately start checking my social media / reddit. That would turn into an hour, and I’d start my day distracted.

Now I use a standard alarm clock. I turn off my phone the night before and I don’t turn it back on until lunch time the next day.

I’m able to control my behavior because I slightly increase the resistance.

You can also DECREASE the resistance. I was moving to a new city and going to the gym was important to me. One of my criterias for my apartment was to have one with a really nice gym.

Before I struggled going to the gym because it was a 30 minute drive. I only went twice a week. Now I have a place that’s in my Condo. I go to the gym 5 times a week.

Nothing’s changed except the resistance.

Start Small

I’ve noticed on the internet that people literally want to change their lives overnight. That’s not the way things work.

It’s like being able to bench 100lbs and expecting to bench 1000lbs the next day. It takes time.

Don’t have an all or nothing mentality.

A few years ago I started meditating. I told myself, “I’m going to meditate 30 minutes a day!”

That’s challenge.

For the next six months I’d only hit my goal maybe 5 times a month, and I’d keep beating myself up.

And then I decided to start small. My goal was to meditate 1 minute a day. I did that. The small wins kept me motivated. That turned into 5 minutes, and now it’s 10 minutes a day.

So for the past few years I’ve meditated consistently 10 minutes a day. I checked my Calm app and I’ve logged over 200 hours of meditation.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s ok to start small.

Think of your discipline ability as a muscle. If you’ve never done an act before then your muscle is small. Small muscles gets small goals!

Keep Score

What gets measured, gets results.

If you don’t keep score then how do you know if you’re winning or not? Keep score and make it specific.

I always avoided keeping score in the past. I think deep down I was afraid of knowing that I wasn’t putting in my best effort.

Don’t say meditate in the morning as a goal. HOW LONG?

As far as trackers…don’t overcomplicated it. I like HabitBull on SmartPhones. Creating your own spreadsheet is great too.

Score can mean different things depending on your goal.

If you’re trying to save money, then track how much you’re spending on a weekly basis. If you’re trying to gain weight then track your macros. If you’re trying to read more books, then track how many minutes a day you spend reading.

A common excuse is that it takes too much time…

Keeping track of my macros takes 3 minutes a day using myfitnesspal. I keep track of every penny spent using YNAB and it takes me 10 minutes a month.

You know what takes too much time? Putting in a lot of effort and not getting any results.

Is it Optional, or is it a Non-Negotiable?

What does a non-negotiable mean? It means it has to be done no matter what.

A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to do Yoga everyday for 20 minutes. I was trying to figure out where I could get it in my schedule.

I then asked myself, how important is this? Well it’s important to me because of x, x, and x.

Then why not turn it into a non-negotiable?

That means I have to do it no matter what. I think of it like life or death. Someone has a gun to my head and if I don’t do it everyday, then I’m dead. That’s non-negotiable.

In practical terms that means I do Yoga first thing in the morning, before I start work. It means I’m not allowed to sleep and call it a day unless I do Yoga.

Guess what? I’d done it 30 days in a row because I have this attitude.

It’s not optional.

This Cat’s Love For Her Owner Is Everything We Needs

A smile for the day.

Bad “news” on Gonzalo

I was given a vision “snapshot” on late Sunday 6AUG23. I saw Gonzalo Lira. He was dead. Like, really dead. On a slab/table/gurney.

Is this real, or my imagination?

I don’t know. It came out of the blue, and surprised me.

I don’t know what it means. Was my ELF probes hacked? Is it a message from the DC, or just some entities fucking with me.

I. Do. Not. Know.

My mind tells me that Gonzalo is probably performing a “red herring” and actually has other plans. Slipping into Belarus, or going to the Chinese embassy in Ukraine. I don’t know.

But if he was stopped and picked up, he probably (more likely than not) be arrested and transported to court with additional charges.

It is unlikely that he was killed if this was the case. You get, and jail him. Tack on some additional time to his sentence. 5 – 8 years at hard labor sucks, but is not as bad as he thinks. I did five years at hard labor, and I survived. And I was 50 at the time. So, now, you tack on an additional 4 years.

So, my mind tells me that his death is truly unlikely.

Yet…

My vision? Another story. And I always question my “visions” as there’s a lot of “noise” that clouds things up and you at best, you might get a general idea of things, but you don’t know the importance as the time track is often missing.

I hope that he is fine.

And I’m sure that we will hear something, one way or the other.