on this day let us remember how all war is a means for profiteering, eugenics and further hyper-consolidation of material wealth into the hands of the few
You are clearly doing your part, Gavin. This piece is a manifesto of clear-eyed truth, laying out the reality that is resting just below the surface. Thank you for writing -- and it seems, living -- with so much integrity.
As for living in integrity, I am not perfect and have a lot of room for improvement. One of my goals for 2024 is to read through my entire book and meticulously assess whether or not I am actually practicing what I preach (to the fullest extent that I am able). Much of what I wrote in that book (especially in the Regenerative Poetry and Short Stories chapter) was written during moments of serene clarity when I was consciously taking more time each day for self-care, meditation and time spent in stillness in nature. I have been neglecting those things in some ways in the past year (only meditating for maybe 1/2 hour a day and focusing on working hard in a material sense first and foremost, putting nurturing the inner garden on the back burner). And as my wise and lovely wife often says, we cannot share something with the world if we do not cultivate it within ourselves first.
For me, striving to live with integrity it is a perpetual path of little improvements with no final destination or pinnacle to reach. As I learn more about this universe, this human civilization, my fellow non-human beings on Earth and my place within that universe, I am empowered to hone the degree of which my own choices serve to benefit not only myself, but all my fellow beings.
One of the things I have learned recently that is inviting me to hone the degree of which I live with integrity (and compassion) is what I have learned about the Lithium, Cobalt and Tantalum mining industries. Acting on what I have learned so that my choices reflect compassion and integrity (given what I know about those industries) is not easy in our modern day culture that is hyper-digitalized and technology dependent. I am striving to make baby steps however, to withdraw my support from those industries in everyway I can... but knowing what my smartphone, and ipad, desktop computer and lithium battery powered camping / survival gear costs ecologically and in places like the Congo does weigh heavily on me. For now, I am not buying any new devices of those types as I cherish the Boreal Forest and the sacred value of life (whether it be children in the Congo or Lynx in the Balsam Fir forests of northern Ontario) more than I value gadgets that entertain and/or make things easier for me.
Those are some of the things that come to mind when I contemplate whether or not I am living with integrity right now.
Thank you for the heartfelt comment and thank you for serving as a mirror for me.
I appreciate you reading what I shared and taking the time to comment.
I feel we can effectively resist those parasitic forces through severing our dependency on their centralized systems one baby step at a time. Each of us can begin that process in the garden and in the kitchen by reclaiming our food and health sovereignty.
Since I think the term "victim of an attack" and "attacker" would be very subjectively defined depending on who you are talking to and depending on what side in a conflict one may be cheering for, and depending on which propaganda outlets one may or may not have their brain plugged into, before I attempt to answer that, could you be a little less ambiguous with your hypothetical question?
In other words, can you please clearly define exactly who this hypothetical "victim of an attack" and this hypothetical "attacker" is within the construct of your question so I can answer with more clarity?
> Since I think the term "victim of an attack" and "attacker" would be very subjectively defined depending on who you are talking to and depending on what side in a conflict one may be cheering for, and depending on which propaganda outlets one may or may not have their brain plugged into,
That's basically saying that because lies and propaganda exist, there is no such thing as objective truth.
Nope, but it is saying that without defining who you are talking about exactly (in your hypothetical question involving a story of "good guys" and "bad guys") it would be impossible to answer the question in an objective manner (since any answer would be based on vagueness, generalities lacking necessary nuance and would basically represent pointless speculation).
Why don't we stop beating around the bush here. Given current world events and given where the corporate mass media apparatus is attempting to direct the attention of everyone in the developed world, there is a high likelihood that the nameless "victim of an attack" and "attacker" in your intentionally slippery and ambiguous question is referring to groups of individuals involved with the situation in Israel and Gaza.
Would I be correct in that supposition?
If not, please answer my question from the previous comment and clearly define who exactly you are talking about. Thanks.
When you say "valid first principles", what I am really hearing you say is "testing the water for establishing whether or not one has the proclivity to be submissive in the face of engineered social pressure, whether or not one has a willingness to align their views with war profiteering propaganda and whether or not one has a willingness to cheer for the side in a war that we are told to by the dominant involuntary governance structures".
All this wishy washy talk wreaks of an attempt to set up of a pretense for telling other people why they are cheering for the wrong group of humans (which are killing some other group of humans).
I see the prominent proclivity of humans to gather around symbols such as flags and declare how one is better than the other and justifies why one group swearing allegiance to this flag or that religion is "bad" (and deserving to be killed/oppressed) and this other group swearing allegiance to this flag or some other religion is "good" (and should rule over the other for their own good) as a form of mental illness.
It goes back to the Stockholm Syndrome type mentality that I touched on in the article above, where people desperately seek to put one group or individual on a pedestal (which often involves idolizing institutions or individuals that are actually very abusive, duplicitous and sometimes murderous) while demonizing another group (which that first dominant abusive institution is telling people to look down on and see as less than human and/or "dangerous" in a way that serves the will of the corporatocracy in some specific timeframe).
Though Charles is apparently a statist (given his recent involvement with RFK's presidential campaign) and I do not align with that belief system myself, I do think he offers some valuable insights into what he refers to as "redemptive violence" and the proclivity of many people to embrace herd mentality/mob dynamics (rather than thinking for themselves).
It’s true,......we ran the course of ‘governments’. Long ago. It is time for an actual working group of ideas. Like the natives with their elders with no egotists. We need to meet with representatives every month, for recreation, education, events, power, heating, roads and hiways , goods and services traded. No more just let the government take care of it. We need to all know what’s needed and wanted in our communities. We need to be involved in its development.
The current evidence and trends indicate that likelihood of the armies of other countries harming a person is minuscule when compared to the likelihood of one's own local government to do so. In the past 3 years governments around world in the developed "democratic" nations initiated a psychological, biological and financial warfare on their own citizens, resulting in the decimation of countless small businesses, mass psychosis in a large portion of the population and the death of tens of millions who (under coercive pressure) subjected themselves to experimental fraudulent pharmaceutical products. In essence, your programming that tells you that your government will "keep you safe from the really bad guys" is not supported by the facts. https://corbettreport.substack.com/p/flashback-our-leaders-are-psychopaths
You are implying there are more ‘Pinky and the Brains’. Perhaps. I was talking more on a new paradigm neighborhood model. We would have to do that first.
I like your vision for a localized regular council where community members meet to voluntarily contribute their shared energy and resources to create and maintain that which serves them in their local area. That is something I would be willing to contribute towards willingly. Thanks for the comment.
Yes, but I think before taking a decision making role, there needs to be a standard diplomacy for meetings as people are different, that’s the beautiful thing about them, and some people just rub other people the wrong way,......it happens. So a little course on why we want to help here, how to communicate, what to do if you disagree with majority. ...etc.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment and I appreciate you sharing this post. I feel like it is especially important for people to educate themselves on how and why wars are initiated and perpetuated given what is happening in the Middle East (and elsewhere) right now.
Vera Sharav ( the holocaust survivor I mentioned in the article above in reference to her documentary called "Never Again Is Now" ) recently commented on the situation in Israel/Gaza by saying:
“This is called planned demolition” (aka a False Flag Operation)
“Security experts are blaming Israel’s government for Saturday’s invasion in which Muslim forces from Gaza massacred over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped at least one hundred hostages.
So far no investigations have been launched into how the invaders were able to cross Israel’s heavily fortified border unimpeded, nor why it took Israel’s highly trained security forces over six hours to respond to calls for help.
Since 2005, when Israel expelled all Jewish residents from Gaza and ceded the territory to Muslims, Israel has been building sophisticated defense systems along the border. Foreseeing a possible above-ground invasion, Israel spent $220 million to develop an advanced security system “with no margin of error.”
This includes barbed wire fences and a 23-foot high wall. Motion sensors are embedded in the ground along the electronic fences, which are accompanied by watchtowers armed with remote-control machine guns. The border is also patrolled by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, and Humvees operated by highly trained troops. Hundreds of night-vision cameras placed along the border constantly transmit to command centers which are operational 24/7.
Also deployed along the Gaza border is at least one semi-autonomous robotic vehicle called the Jaguar, equipped with dozens of cameras, sensors, transmitters and a 7.62mm MAG machine gun. The Jaguar sports a remote-controlled PA system and can self-destruct if captured by the enemy.
To stave off underground invasions, a 40-mile-long underground “smart fence” equipped with hundreds of AI-powered cameras, radar, and other sensors. The fence can detect infiltration by sea and is connected to a remote-controlled weapons system. One hundred and forty thousand tons of steel and concrete were reportedly used to build the barrier.”
Stellar piece, Gavin. Thank you for being a voice of sanity countering the vociferous propagandists who are working to drag us to the bidding of the leaders.
“Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship.… Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.”
—Herman Göring in conversation with Gustave Gilbert, “Nuremberg Diary”
Thank you! I just watched Corona Investigative Committee presentation: July 1, 2022. I appreciated your contribution and was sorry to see that they had to cut you short. However, in the time alloted you made some excellent points as did Dr. Reiner Fuellmich ( whom i have enjoyed listening to on many occasions since he began speaking about the truth about the "CV" and the depopulation injections). Although i do not recall hearing him before, i did appreciated what Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg had to add as well. I will get to the others as time allows.
Aww, thanks so much, Johrey, and glad you found it valuable! I was glad I could publish my notes at my Substack so viewers could see everything I had to omit.
Thank you my friend! I appreciate you taking the time to read it, re-stack and share the kind comment.
That is a very apt and illuminating quote.
Perhaps we can reverse-engineer some solutions based wisdom from analyzing the truth embedded in the quote above. Perhaps via illuminating the ubiquitous psychological mechanisms that facilitate war mongers, war profiteers and eugenicists being able to weaponize fear and herd mentality we can instead embody the antithesis of fear and emancipate them from their mental slavery. Perhaps instead of 'dragging people along' we can inspire them to stand up on their own two feet, find their own moral compass within and help them embrace their own sovereignty as conscious beings. Perhaps we can remind them that the seeds for a more beautiful, equitable, compassionate, honorable, honest, healthful and abundant world dwell within each one of us.
Perhaps we can remind them that it is time to move past the era of followers and leaders, peasants and princes, worshipers and saviors, haves and have-nots, minions and tyrants, corporate producers and consumers and usher in the age of self governed, self reliant, creative, resilient and symbiotically connected human beings which collaborate of their own free will to leave this world a little more beautiful than it was before.
I believe this is exactly what you are doing with your writing and I am honored to walk this path along side of you. Planting seeds in hearts and minds is just as important as planting them in the fertile Earth. Keep up the great work planting those seeds in hearts and minds far and wide!
The human species is not meant to live a peaceful life. Nature has created us with a “psychopath” gene. It is only active an a small portion of the population, but it is successful enough in driving pro-creation and evolution to become a durable gene. With this gene in place, there will always be individuals pursuing power through whatever means necessary, and that is almost always violence: violence begat by the psychopaths and violence begat by people defending themselves.
On top of that, nature has given us the “belief in God” gene, which predisposes most people to believe these psychopaths have some sort of channel into the divine. We seem to need that comfort, even if it leads us to our death.
Until we accept this torturous dichotomy, we will continue to give psychopaths what they need to control us.
And instead of sanctions and reprisals that cripple the people, it should be the standing rule that the government of a country that starts a war will be completely annihilated. Of course, that will never happen. Only the poor "slobs" suffer the consequences.
Brilliant piece and so appropriate for today. It breaks my heart to think about the broken bodies, death and destruction caused by those little soulless men who are always planning the next conflict to further fill their coffers and increase their power. It is so distressing when most people believe in the illusions sold by government and media, waving their flags in support of an ideal that never existed.
I strive to honor the lives of those (well meaning people) who were goose stepped into the profiteering and eugenic schemes of those who manufacture and perpetuate wars, loosing their lives in the machinery of the war racket by speaking the truth about the nature of war and it's true purpose (in the hopes that this can prevent others from having their lives shattered by the act of choosing to pick up a gun and take orders to use it to end other human being's lives).
I know a lot of well meaning flag waving people and find it distressing seeing them spend so much of their precious God given time on this Earth praising, idolizing and revering institutions and statist individuals that (for the most part) are directly involved in oppressing, maliciously manipulating, abusing and sometimes actively harming those same people. Here in Canada, our corrupt government has an especially effective PR program that ends up instilling a powerful type of Stockholm Syndrome in the citizens here. It is just so much easier to believe a pretty story about the 'kind, courageous, neighborly and noble nation state of Canada' rather than be confronted by the truth of what our government is really about (and take a long honest look in the mirror to acknowledge and take responsibility for our role in it) so many choose the easier more comforting path and swallow the fairytale.
As these statist empires become more and more unsustainable and begin to crumble under their own weight, those that cling to them will inevitably go down with them, but that will be their own choice.
This stage in the growth (and beginning of the end) of empires we are observing around us is inevitable and will make the way for dormant seeds that we plant now to germinate and set down roots when the time is right. Some seeds lay dormant in the leaf litter and soil in the forest for decades waiting until that moment when the huge rotten tree that was obscuring the light comes falling down, allowing the light to shine down and nourish new potential to spring forth. Each of us can be as those dormant seeds and sow seeds full of potential here in this shadowy civilization (in the knowing we are accelerating the collapse of the towering rotten structures above us that are currently casting shadows).
While this process is occurring, I choose to plant and save seeds (focusing my energy on growing my food and medicine in my garden, helping others to do the same, sharing and co-creating with others with a similar inclination locally and spending my time enriching my mind, heart and spirit in the wilderness through learning from the genius of Creator’s design that is infused into the architecture of intact ecosystems).
> This stage in the growth (and beginning of the end) of empires we are observing around us is inevitable
The only reason you can maintain your rather silly philosophy and LARP at being a post-apocalyptic farmer is because your decaying empire is still functional enough to use the threat of violence to stop others from harming you.
> focusing my energy on growing my food and medicine in my garden
Once the empire collapses it'll be replaced by people who will have no problem taking all your food and medicine at gun point. If you're really lucky, they'll leave you with enough so you can grow more food and medicine for them to take next year.
> through learning from the genius of Creator’s design that is infused into the architecture of intact ecosystems
Well, you've clearly learned nothing about how nature works. A brief film about a pack of wolves hunting a deer would teach one far more about life than everything you've ever written.
Those that desperately cling to corrupt centralized systems (such as involuntary governance structures) will have to learn the hard way that parasitic and oppressive empires inevitably implode under their own weight. This is especially true when the empires are based in anthropocentric worldviews and destructive forms of agriculture. See "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations - https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520272903/ for pertinent historical data).
Lashing out at me with labels intended to be derogatory says a lot about where you are at, and very little (to nothing) about me.
As part of my permaculture design mindset and approach to life, I try to make an honest assessment by taking a step back, looking at the realistic worst case scenario, and then analyzing if my design (and/or my way of living) is resilient and adaptable enough to survive (and preferably thrive) if such a hypothetical worst case situation happened. When I design a garden I try to imagine what the pressures of a storm that only happens once every hundred years (or a hundred year drought etc) would do to my garden. Would it survive? Would it still produce? and I ask myself questions like “How can I optimize this design to be ready to withstand the pressures of a hundred year storm”?
When I apply this lens of perception to our current situation I see that overt government-sponsored violent oppression in high population centers being possible in our future (regardless of geographic location). That likelihood is a lot higher than invading armies from other nation states given the current totalitarian/technocratic trajectory of most governments in the plutocrat dominated developed nations. I also feel that focusing a lot of time and resources on weapons or planning for combat/revolting is not a solid way to prepare for that potential emergency, because in the end, if the oligarchs unleash their full arsenal in the open (whether in a contrived nation vs nation conflict or just overt oppression of citizens by the government within one's own local, at the behest of the oligarchs) we are talking about high powered LRADs and DEWs (microwave based, laser based and other directed energy weapons) that can be mounted on vehicles at a distance and we are talking about heavily armed drones and robotic combat units (and those are just a few of the technologies we know about).
It is clear the oligarchy intends to starve out large portions of the working population and sow the seeds of distrust, conflict, hate, division and fear as to keep us distracted and fighting each other as they implement their agenda incrementally outside the scope of perception of the masses.
Thus, it is clear that our task must be to plant the seeds for the opposite to thrive in each of our communities.
The thing about taking steps to learn to grow and preserve one’s own food is that it simultaneously serves the purpose of increasing one’s emergency preparedness while also increasing the quality of one’s life (even during the best of times). This is a pathway that also starves the oligarchs and their parasitic corporations. If one embarks on such a journey of learning and then a tyrannical government decides to use the threat of violence to take away one’s land or home, the act of learning and enriching oneself via growing and preserving the food still remains valuable. If we choose to do things that help us align with natural localized cycles for providing our basic survival needs (like gardening, seed saving, foraging and preserving) we are increasing our emergency preparedness in a joyful and healthy way.
That is why I put my time and energy into preserving/sharing heirloom seeds, creating good soil, gardening skills, creating food forests, increasing foraging knowledge/experience, increased health/immunity, preserving experience, and that is why I put most of my time and energy into the symbiotic relationships and friendships I forge with neighbors and the broader community I am a part of (through sharing abundant harvests, seeds, knowledge and helping others to grow regenerative gardens and make medicines) as these are things that have innate value.
These things will retain their value whether or not tyranny and/or invading military forces are commonplace (and whether or not we have access to fiat currency or any kind of currency that is authorized by central authorities for that matter).
There are ancient horticultural systems that were utilized by some Native American and First Nation peoples (as well as others on different continents) and they are ways of cultivating which can offer us an effective method to create resilient food/medicine production systems that are less likely to be raided by degenerates, mercenaries, government thugs or brainwashed soldiers as they are by the very nature of their design, ‘camouflaged’ to the untrained eye. These “Food Forests” become permanent gardens that require very little (if any) work to keep alive and producing once they are established. These systems contain a wide spectrum of species suitable for harvesting food, medicine, building material and other important resources. The mature Food Forest, looks like it sounds, and so because the modern eye has been trained to see food production systems as big fields, many would not recognize what they were looking at if they saw it and would ignore the forest garden as ‘just another useless section of forest’ and move on.
I will share links to a few examples below so you can see what I am talking about:
If we cultivate food forests like the ancient peoples that lived in what is now called Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, the US, Morocco (and many other places where indigenous peoples created similar permanent food production systems that blended with existing ecology) we are building up food security and doing so in a way that is essentially ‘invisible’ to the ignorant. These systems provide habitat for diverse wildlife, replenish the water table, stabilize the soil and feed humans at the same time. It is likely most roaming thugs would not be able to recognize a food forest if they saw one and even if armed thugs were to kill those that tend the food forest, history teaches us the food forests gain their own momentum and continue to live on and feed others for many generations.
Those who live by the sword will die by the sword, thus, I instead chose to live aligned with life, planting seeds, and helping others to do the same. In the end it all comes down to what you want to do with the little bit of time you get gifted to live this life on Earth. You can choose fear, ego and violence, or you can choose love, courage of the heart and to foster life to grow onto its highest potential. I do not claim one path is "better" than the other, they are just different, and I chose the latter myself.
> When I apply this lens of perception to our current situation I see that overt government-sponsored violent oppression in high population centers being possible in our future (regardless of geographic location).
You would be better served by focusing more on how severe violent oppression is and less on whether it is "government-sponsored".
> That likelihood is a lot higher than invading armies from other nation states given the current totalitarian/technocratic trajectory of most governments in the plutocrat dominated developed nations.
I wasn't talkin about invading armies.
> if armed thugs were to kill those that tend the food forest, history teaches us the food forests gain their own momentum and continue to live on and feed others for many generations.
Yes, I'm sure the violent thugs will appreciate your sacrifice.
Come to think of it, no they won't. They'll forget all about you and assume the food forest is evidence of their divine favor.
> Those who live by the sword will die by the sword
Thanks for sharing your perspective on what I would be "better served" focusing my time on.
Well, if that potential were to come to pass (my choice to live by the non-aggression principle and focus on regenerating ecosystems and creating self-sustaining / self-perpetuating food / medicine cultivation systems leading to violent thugs taking my life through their decisions, then that is my path and I would still be glad I chose it. This would remain true whether they wear a uniform, or are just every day random low level thugs.
If that were to come to pass, I pray that those who would choose to initiate violence and murderous acts find a swift path to healing their hearts, minds and souls, whether in this life, or if need be, the next. I also pray that should that come to pass that their decedents have their hearts and minds opened to be capable of fully receiving the gift that the Living Earth and the Creator gives them through having access to a food forest.
The choice to take a life out of malice, inflicts a deep wound in the being of the one choosing that act of malice, such a wound does not only inflict trauma into the heart and mind of the one choosing to murder, it leaves a mark on the soul which requires a long path to healing. The only path to lasting peace is one where our entire family of humanity embark on a path of inner healing and endeavors to help each other along the way.
Each choice we make leaves a mark on our heart and a mark on our soul. We carry that with us when we leave this place. Making choices to seek out ways to go out of our way kill or harm others (whether for "retribution" or any other reason) represents a submission to fear and choice that placates and appeases the ego. Each one of those thoughts and actions is like a paint brush stroke we put across the canvas of reality which can never be erased. When one looks back on their life, do you think that they would feel proud and happy looking at times when you chose fearful, hateful, violent and murderous thoughts and actions?
Thus, I pray that all those who make choices to hurt me, find a swift path to healing, so that future generations can experience a world where humans finally stop acting like rabid primates and instead choose to unlock their true potential through recognizing the sacredness of all life.
"𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁. We may experience this as synchronicity, which seems to happen with uncanny frequency just at those moments where one takes a leap in the dark... Synchronicity so often congeals around bravery. Synchronicity is the snapping of the laws of probability as reality shifts to align with brave choices." - Charles Eisenstein
I can also speak from personal experience to this.
While I do believe that each of us have a pre-determined time when we have agreed to leave this Earth (and no amount of prayer or will power will extend that time frame) the time we do have here can be drastically improved and our efforts supported in meaningful ways through genuine, open-hearted prayer/meditation. The Creator of all things does not interrupt or override our free will, but when invited to be part of our lives on Earth, all things become possible.
Therefore, I use these moments I have been gifted in this life to align with healing, peace and to nurture and help things grow onto their highest potential, for when I look back on this life, those choices will make my soul content.
> The choice to take a life out of malice, inflicts a deep wound in the being of the one choosing that act of malice, such a wound does not only inflict trauma into the heart and mind of the one choosing to murder, it leaves a mark on the soul which requires a long path to healing.
Looking at history, this does not appear to be the case.
And yet nobody had ever heard of PTSD before the 20th or at best the late 19th century. In World War I Shell Shock, as it was then called, has explicitly a new thing. This despite the great deal of violence throughout human history.
I suspect that PTSD has less to do with the violence itself than with being spit by ungrateful people, like Gavin, who one is defending.
As you know, Gavin, I'm into my twilight years. I still grow a little garden and raise my hens, but it's not getting easier. The weather is always a struggle, and it appears as if THEY (The Hierarchy Exploiting You) are doing everything to make the weather unbearable; so many cloudy days but not enough rain. And the bugs! I planted squash two times; first crop destroyed by the vine borers, second by pickle worms. What little produce I harvested came at a healthy price for sure, but at least we knew it wasn't covered with pesticides. But I'm not giving up; I have spinach, lettuce and chard growing, and still getting cherry tomatoes in November.
I've just finished another Taylor Caldwell novel, The Balance Wheel, which she wrote in 1951. Her words are truer now than ever. I credit her for introducing me to the soulless little men decades ago. Sadly, there appear to be more of them than ever and their power is incredible, but I think more people are recognizing them, thanks to technology. I'm terribly afraid it may be too late.
You are clearly doing your part, Gavin. This piece is a manifesto of clear-eyed truth, laying out the reality that is resting just below the surface. Thank you for writing -- and it seems, living -- with so much integrity.
Thank you Mary! I really appreciate that.
As for living in integrity, I am not perfect and have a lot of room for improvement. One of my goals for 2024 is to read through my entire book and meticulously assess whether or not I am actually practicing what I preach (to the fullest extent that I am able). Much of what I wrote in that book (especially in the Regenerative Poetry and Short Stories chapter) was written during moments of serene clarity when I was consciously taking more time each day for self-care, meditation and time spent in stillness in nature. I have been neglecting those things in some ways in the past year (only meditating for maybe 1/2 hour a day and focusing on working hard in a material sense first and foremost, putting nurturing the inner garden on the back burner). And as my wise and lovely wife often says, we cannot share something with the world if we do not cultivate it within ourselves first.
For me, striving to live with integrity it is a perpetual path of little improvements with no final destination or pinnacle to reach. As I learn more about this universe, this human civilization, my fellow non-human beings on Earth and my place within that universe, I am empowered to hone the degree of which my own choices serve to benefit not only myself, but all my fellow beings.
One of the things I have learned recently that is inviting me to hone the degree of which I live with integrity (and compassion) is what I have learned about the Lithium, Cobalt and Tantalum mining industries. Acting on what I have learned so that my choices reflect compassion and integrity (given what I know about those industries) is not easy in our modern day culture that is hyper-digitalized and technology dependent. I am striving to make baby steps however, to withdraw my support from those industries in everyway I can... but knowing what my smartphone, and ipad, desktop computer and lithium battery powered camping / survival gear costs ecologically and in places like the Congo does weigh heavily on me. For now, I am not buying any new devices of those types as I cherish the Boreal Forest and the sacred value of life (whether it be children in the Congo or Lynx in the Balsam Fir forests of northern Ontario) more than I value gadgets that entertain and/or make things easier for me.
Those are some of the things that come to mind when I contemplate whether or not I am living with integrity right now.
Thank you for the heartfelt comment and thank you for serving as a mirror for me.
So true Gavin - working hard and always struggling with forces that take our rights and rob our pockets.
I appreciate you reading what I shared and taking the time to comment.
I feel we can effectively resist those parasitic forces through severing our dependency on their centralized systems one baby step at a time. Each of us can begin that process in the garden and in the kitchen by reclaiming our food and health sovereignty.
> Since a very young age we are indoctrinated into the idea that wars are the story of “good” guys vs “bad” guys
So the victim of an attack is morally equivalent to an attacker?
Since I think the term "victim of an attack" and "attacker" would be very subjectively defined depending on who you are talking to and depending on what side in a conflict one may be cheering for, and depending on which propaganda outlets one may or may not have their brain plugged into, before I attempt to answer that, could you be a little less ambiguous with your hypothetical question?
In other words, can you please clearly define exactly who this hypothetical "victim of an attack" and this hypothetical "attacker" is within the construct of your question so I can answer with more clarity?
Thanks for your time and thanks for the comment.
> Since I think the term "victim of an attack" and "attacker" would be very subjectively defined depending on who you are talking to and depending on what side in a conflict one may be cheering for, and depending on which propaganda outlets one may or may not have their brain plugged into,
That's basically saying that because lies and propaganda exist, there is no such thing as objective truth.
Nope, but it is saying that without defining who you are talking about exactly (in your hypothetical question involving a story of "good guys" and "bad guys") it would be impossible to answer the question in an objective manner (since any answer would be based on vagueness, generalities lacking necessary nuance and would basically represent pointless speculation).
Why don't we stop beating around the bush here. Given current world events and given where the corporate mass media apparatus is attempting to direct the attention of everyone in the developed world, there is a high likelihood that the nameless "victim of an attack" and "attacker" in your intentionally slippery and ambiguous question is referring to groups of individuals involved with the situation in Israel and Gaza.
Would I be correct in that supposition?
If not, please answer my question from the previous comment and clearly define who exactly you are talking about. Thanks.
Before getting to specifics, it is first necessary to establish valid first principles.
When you say "valid first principles", what I am really hearing you say is "testing the water for establishing whether or not one has the proclivity to be submissive in the face of engineered social pressure, whether or not one has a willingness to align their views with war profiteering propaganda and whether or not one has a willingness to cheer for the side in a war that we are told to by the dominant involuntary governance structures".
All this wishy washy talk wreaks of an attempt to set up of a pretense for telling other people why they are cheering for the wrong group of humans (which are killing some other group of humans).
I see the prominent proclivity of humans to gather around symbols such as flags and declare how one is better than the other and justifies why one group swearing allegiance to this flag or that religion is "bad" (and deserving to be killed/oppressed) and this other group swearing allegiance to this flag or some other religion is "good" (and should rule over the other for their own good) as a form of mental illness.
It goes back to the Stockholm Syndrome type mentality that I touched on in the article above, where people desperately seek to put one group or individual on a pedestal (which often involves idolizing institutions or individuals that are actually very abusive, duplicitous and sometimes murderous) while demonizing another group (which that first dominant abusive institution is telling people to look down on and see as less than human and/or "dangerous" in a way that serves the will of the corporatocracy in some specific timeframe).
Charles Eisenstein broaches this topic and unpacks some of the psychological mechanisms at play in this series: https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/a-temple-of-this-earth/
Though Charles is apparently a statist (given his recent involvement with RFK's presidential campaign) and I do not align with that belief system myself, I do think he offers some valuable insights into what he refers to as "redemptive violence" and the proclivity of many people to embrace herd mentality/mob dynamics (rather than thinking for themselves).
Wow your axioms are completely nuts.
Let's start with some simpler question:
Is it acceptable for individual humans to defend themselves against attack? Even if it involves hurting or killing the attacker?
If so what about retaliating against an attacker, either directly for delegated via his society's justice system?
It’s true,......we ran the course of ‘governments’. Long ago. It is time for an actual working group of ideas. Like the natives with their elders with no egotists. We need to meet with representatives every month, for recreation, education, events, power, heating, roads and hiways , goods and services traded. No more just let the government take care of it. We need to all know what’s needed and wanted in our communities. We need to be involved in its development.
Seems very naive. Do you think other countries that want world power or your resources would allow you to continue to exist?
The current evidence and trends indicate that likelihood of the armies of other countries harming a person is minuscule when compared to the likelihood of one's own local government to do so. In the past 3 years governments around world in the developed "democratic" nations initiated a psychological, biological and financial warfare on their own citizens, resulting in the decimation of countless small businesses, mass psychosis in a large portion of the population and the death of tens of millions who (under coercive pressure) subjected themselves to experimental fraudulent pharmaceutical products. In essence, your programming that tells you that your government will "keep you safe from the really bad guys" is not supported by the facts. https://corbettreport.substack.com/p/flashback-our-leaders-are-psychopaths
You are implying there are more ‘Pinky and the Brains’. Perhaps. I was talking more on a new paradigm neighborhood model. We would have to do that first.
I like your vision for a localized regular council where community members meet to voluntarily contribute their shared energy and resources to create and maintain that which serves them in their local area. That is something I would be willing to contribute towards willingly. Thanks for the comment.
Yes, but I think before taking a decision making role, there needs to be a standard diplomacy for meetings as people are different, that’s the beautiful thing about them, and some people just rub other people the wrong way,......it happens. So a little course on why we want to help here, how to communicate, what to do if you disagree with majority. ...etc.
Brilliant work my friend...i have 're-stacked' this excellent summation of the forces that have built an entire industry against peace.
Greetings Mark!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment and I appreciate you sharing this post. I feel like it is especially important for people to educate themselves on how and why wars are initiated and perpetuated given what is happening in the Middle East (and elsewhere) right now.
Vera Sharav ( the holocaust survivor I mentioned in the article above in reference to her documentary called "Never Again Is Now" ) recently commented on the situation in Israel/Gaza by saying:
“This is called planned demolition” (aka a False Flag Operation)
https://rumble.com/v3qc6na-this-is-called-planned-demolition.html
Wars and all conflicts are third party oriented.
“Security experts are blaming Israel’s government for Saturday’s invasion in which Muslim forces from Gaza massacred over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped at least one hundred hostages.
So far no investigations have been launched into how the invaders were able to cross Israel’s heavily fortified border unimpeded, nor why it took Israel’s highly trained security forces over six hours to respond to calls for help.
Since 2005, when Israel expelled all Jewish residents from Gaza and ceded the territory to Muslims, Israel has been building sophisticated defense systems along the border. Foreseeing a possible above-ground invasion, Israel spent $220 million to develop an advanced security system “with no margin of error.”
This includes barbed wire fences and a 23-foot high wall. Motion sensors are embedded in the ground along the electronic fences, which are accompanied by watchtowers armed with remote-control machine guns. The border is also patrolled by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, and Humvees operated by highly trained troops. Hundreds of night-vision cameras placed along the border constantly transmit to command centers which are operational 24/7.
Also deployed along the Gaza border is at least one semi-autonomous robotic vehicle called the Jaguar, equipped with dozens of cameras, sensors, transmitters and a 7.62mm MAG machine gun. The Jaguar sports a remote-controlled PA system and can self-destruct if captured by the enemy.
To stave off underground invasions, a 40-mile-long underground “smart fence” equipped with hundreds of AI-powered cameras, radar, and other sensors. The fence can detect infiltration by sea and is connected to a remote-controlled weapons system. One hundred and forty thousand tons of steel and concrete were reportedly used to build the barrier.”
Read More here:
frontline.news/post/security-experts-blame-israel-government-for-attack-they-had-sources-inside
Stellar piece, Gavin. Thank you for being a voice of sanity countering the vociferous propagandists who are working to drag us to the bidding of the leaders.
“Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship.… Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.”
—Herman Göring in conversation with Gustave Gilbert, “Nuremberg Diary”
I read somewhere that you are unmasking totalitarianism. That is wonderful news. Thank you for your work in that.
My pleasure and honor, Johrey, and thank you for supporting that mission!
Margaret Anna Alice, do you have any videos in which you are speaking?
Yep! You can find them in the Interviews & Presentations section of my Wake-up Toolkit:
• https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/i/85808929/interviews-and-presentations
These are the videos/podcasts:
• Corona Investigative Committee presentation: July 1, 2022 (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/a-mostly-peaceful-depopulation + https://odysee.com/@Corona-Investigative-Committee:5/Session-111-Anna-Alice-Odysee-final:4)
• World Council for Health interview: March 27, 2023 (https://worldcouncilforhealth.substack.com/p/the-story-behind-mistakes-were-not / excerpted from the General Assembly Meeting #82: https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/multimedia/general-assembly-meeting-82/)
• Libre Solutions interview (https://libresolutionsnetwork.substack.com/p/digital-autonomy-and-the-arts-with) + one from yesterday with Visceral Adventure and Liam Sturgess (https://libresolutionsnetwork.substack.com/p/digital-autonomy-and-the-arts-with-86c)
• Podcast (audio-only) with Mickey Z. (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/what-noam-chomsky-can-teach-us-about)
Thank you! I just watched Corona Investigative Committee presentation: July 1, 2022. I appreciated your contribution and was sorry to see that they had to cut you short. However, in the time alloted you made some excellent points as did Dr. Reiner Fuellmich ( whom i have enjoyed listening to on many occasions since he began speaking about the truth about the "CV" and the depopulation injections). Although i do not recall hearing him before, i did appreciated what Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg had to add as well. I will get to the others as time allows.
Aww, thanks so much, Johrey, and glad you found it valuable! I was glad I could publish my notes at my Substack so viewers could see everything I had to omit.
Thank you my friend! I appreciate you taking the time to read it, re-stack and share the kind comment.
That is a very apt and illuminating quote.
Perhaps we can reverse-engineer some solutions based wisdom from analyzing the truth embedded in the quote above. Perhaps via illuminating the ubiquitous psychological mechanisms that facilitate war mongers, war profiteers and eugenicists being able to weaponize fear and herd mentality we can instead embody the antithesis of fear and emancipate them from their mental slavery. Perhaps instead of 'dragging people along' we can inspire them to stand up on their own two feet, find their own moral compass within and help them embrace their own sovereignty as conscious beings. Perhaps we can remind them that the seeds for a more beautiful, equitable, compassionate, honorable, honest, healthful and abundant world dwell within each one of us.
Perhaps we can remind them that it is time to move past the era of followers and leaders, peasants and princes, worshipers and saviors, haves and have-nots, minions and tyrants, corporate producers and consumers and usher in the age of self governed, self reliant, creative, resilient and symbiotically connected human beings which collaborate of their own free will to leave this world a little more beautiful than it was before.
I believe this is exactly what you are doing with your writing and I am honored to walk this path along side of you. Planting seeds in hearts and minds is just as important as planting them in the fertile Earth. Keep up the great work planting those seeds in hearts and minds far and wide!
The human species is not meant to live a peaceful life. Nature has created us with a “psychopath” gene. It is only active an a small portion of the population, but it is successful enough in driving pro-creation and evolution to become a durable gene. With this gene in place, there will always be individuals pursuing power through whatever means necessary, and that is almost always violence: violence begat by the psychopaths and violence begat by people defending themselves.
On top of that, nature has given us the “belief in God” gene, which predisposes most people to believe these psychopaths have some sort of channel into the divine. We seem to need that comfort, even if it leads us to our death.
Until we accept this torturous dichotomy, we will continue to give psychopaths what they need to control us.
That's utterly ridiculous.
Much evidence to the contrary...
What a beautiful and inspiring comment, Gavin, and I feel grateful and honored to walk this path alongside you, too!
And instead of sanctions and reprisals that cripple the people, it should be the standing rule that the government of a country that starts a war will be completely annihilated. Of course, that will never happen. Only the poor "slobs" suffer the consequences.
Brilliant piece and so appropriate for today. It breaks my heart to think about the broken bodies, death and destruction caused by those little soulless men who are always planning the next conflict to further fill their coffers and increase their power. It is so distressing when most people believe in the illusions sold by government and media, waving their flags in support of an ideal that never existed.
Thanks Nancy.
Yes it breaks my heart too.
I strive to honor the lives of those (well meaning people) who were goose stepped into the profiteering and eugenic schemes of those who manufacture and perpetuate wars, loosing their lives in the machinery of the war racket by speaking the truth about the nature of war and it's true purpose (in the hopes that this can prevent others from having their lives shattered by the act of choosing to pick up a gun and take orders to use it to end other human being's lives).
I know a lot of well meaning flag waving people and find it distressing seeing them spend so much of their precious God given time on this Earth praising, idolizing and revering institutions and statist individuals that (for the most part) are directly involved in oppressing, maliciously manipulating, abusing and sometimes actively harming those same people. Here in Canada, our corrupt government has an especially effective PR program that ends up instilling a powerful type of Stockholm Syndrome in the citizens here. It is just so much easier to believe a pretty story about the 'kind, courageous, neighborly and noble nation state of Canada' rather than be confronted by the truth of what our government is really about (and take a long honest look in the mirror to acknowledge and take responsibility for our role in it) so many choose the easier more comforting path and swallow the fairytale.
As these statist empires become more and more unsustainable and begin to crumble under their own weight, those that cling to them will inevitably go down with them, but that will be their own choice.
This stage in the growth (and beginning of the end) of empires we are observing around us is inevitable and will make the way for dormant seeds that we plant now to germinate and set down roots when the time is right. Some seeds lay dormant in the leaf litter and soil in the forest for decades waiting until that moment when the huge rotten tree that was obscuring the light comes falling down, allowing the light to shine down and nourish new potential to spring forth. Each of us can be as those dormant seeds and sow seeds full of potential here in this shadowy civilization (in the knowing we are accelerating the collapse of the towering rotten structures above us that are currently casting shadows).
While this process is occurring, I choose to plant and save seeds (focusing my energy on growing my food and medicine in my garden, helping others to do the same, sharing and co-creating with others with a similar inclination locally and spending my time enriching my mind, heart and spirit in the wilderness through learning from the genius of Creator’s design that is infused into the architecture of intact ecosystems).
> This stage in the growth (and beginning of the end) of empires we are observing around us is inevitable
The only reason you can maintain your rather silly philosophy and LARP at being a post-apocalyptic farmer is because your decaying empire is still functional enough to use the threat of violence to stop others from harming you.
> focusing my energy on growing my food and medicine in my garden
Once the empire collapses it'll be replaced by people who will have no problem taking all your food and medicine at gun point. If you're really lucky, they'll leave you with enough so you can grow more food and medicine for them to take next year.
> through learning from the genius of Creator’s design that is infused into the architecture of intact ecosystems
Well, you've clearly learned nothing about how nature works. A brief film about a pack of wolves hunting a deer would teach one far more about life than everything you've ever written.
Those that desperately cling to corrupt centralized systems (such as involuntary governance structures) will have to learn the hard way that parasitic and oppressive empires inevitably implode under their own weight. This is especially true when the empires are based in anthropocentric worldviews and destructive forms of agriculture. See "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations - https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520272903/ for pertinent historical data).
Lashing out at me with labels intended to be derogatory says a lot about where you are at, and very little (to nothing) about me.
As part of my permaculture design mindset and approach to life, I try to make an honest assessment by taking a step back, looking at the realistic worst case scenario, and then analyzing if my design (and/or my way of living) is resilient and adaptable enough to survive (and preferably thrive) if such a hypothetical worst case situation happened. When I design a garden I try to imagine what the pressures of a storm that only happens once every hundred years (or a hundred year drought etc) would do to my garden. Would it survive? Would it still produce? and I ask myself questions like “How can I optimize this design to be ready to withstand the pressures of a hundred year storm”?
When I apply this lens of perception to our current situation I see that overt government-sponsored violent oppression in high population centers being possible in our future (regardless of geographic location). That likelihood is a lot higher than invading armies from other nation states given the current totalitarian/technocratic trajectory of most governments in the plutocrat dominated developed nations. I also feel that focusing a lot of time and resources on weapons or planning for combat/revolting is not a solid way to prepare for that potential emergency, because in the end, if the oligarchs unleash their full arsenal in the open (whether in a contrived nation vs nation conflict or just overt oppression of citizens by the government within one's own local, at the behest of the oligarchs) we are talking about high powered LRADs and DEWs (microwave based, laser based and other directed energy weapons) that can be mounted on vehicles at a distance and we are talking about heavily armed drones and robotic combat units (and those are just a few of the technologies we know about).
It is clear the oligarchy intends to starve out large portions of the working population and sow the seeds of distrust, conflict, hate, division and fear as to keep us distracted and fighting each other as they implement their agenda incrementally outside the scope of perception of the masses.
Thus, it is clear that our task must be to plant the seeds for the opposite to thrive in each of our communities.
The thing about taking steps to learn to grow and preserve one’s own food is that it simultaneously serves the purpose of increasing one’s emergency preparedness while also increasing the quality of one’s life (even during the best of times). This is a pathway that also starves the oligarchs and their parasitic corporations. If one embarks on such a journey of learning and then a tyrannical government decides to use the threat of violence to take away one’s land or home, the act of learning and enriching oneself via growing and preserving the food still remains valuable. If we choose to do things that help us align with natural localized cycles for providing our basic survival needs (like gardening, seed saving, foraging and preserving) we are increasing our emergency preparedness in a joyful and healthy way.
That is why I put my time and energy into preserving/sharing heirloom seeds, creating good soil, gardening skills, creating food forests, increasing foraging knowledge/experience, increased health/immunity, preserving experience, and that is why I put most of my time and energy into the symbiotic relationships and friendships I forge with neighbors and the broader community I am a part of (through sharing abundant harvests, seeds, knowledge and helping others to grow regenerative gardens and make medicines) as these are things that have innate value.
These things will retain their value whether or not tyranny and/or invading military forces are commonplace (and whether or not we have access to fiat currency or any kind of currency that is authorized by central authorities for that matter).
There are ancient horticultural systems that were utilized by some Native American and First Nation peoples (as well as others on different continents) and they are ways of cultivating which can offer us an effective method to create resilient food/medicine production systems that are less likely to be raided by degenerates, mercenaries, government thugs or brainwashed soldiers as they are by the very nature of their design, ‘camouflaged’ to the untrained eye. These “Food Forests” become permanent gardens that require very little (if any) work to keep alive and producing once they are established. These systems contain a wide spectrum of species suitable for harvesting food, medicine, building material and other important resources. The mature Food Forest, looks like it sounds, and so because the modern eye has been trained to see food production systems as big fields, many would not recognize what they were looking at if they saw it and would ignore the forest garden as ‘just another useless section of forest’ and move on.
I will share links to a few examples below so you can see what I am talking about:
– https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/ancient-indigenous-forest-gardens-still-yield-bounty-150-years-later-study
– http://www.daviesand.com/Papers/Tree_Crops/Indian_Agroforestry/index.html
– https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-permaculture-food-forests?fbclid=IwAR0xQQGjfgvRgpI8BFw5YcYzJfRbiX1Ao7mv9z0KgQAQ2mK4J8gamh5C05A
– https://returntonow.net/2018/08/01/the-amazon-is-a-man-made-food-forest-researchers-discover/?fbclid=IwAR0-XsOZCldwRzlMG_mkBxxqqYAeZ90TAVEsO4nB-noboHGqX1TZS_nn0xo
– https://www.sdvforest.com/agroforestry/the-fascinating-story-of-human-made-forests?fbclid=IwAR3OVHhCywwzOiCSBMWyk6_Bdy_q-GRRN2N7-525iqdnYmc_BqtKeyu6Wz4
– https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss2/art6/
– https://canadianfeedthechildren.ca/what/food-security-projects/indigenous-food-forests/
- https://www.sdvforest.com/agroforestry/the-fascinating-story-of-human-made-forests
If we cultivate food forests like the ancient peoples that lived in what is now called Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, the US, Morocco (and many other places where indigenous peoples created similar permanent food production systems that blended with existing ecology) we are building up food security and doing so in a way that is essentially ‘invisible’ to the ignorant. These systems provide habitat for diverse wildlife, replenish the water table, stabilize the soil and feed humans at the same time. It is likely most roaming thugs would not be able to recognize a food forest if they saw one and even if armed thugs were to kill those that tend the food forest, history teaches us the food forests gain their own momentum and continue to live on and feed others for many generations.
Those who live by the sword will die by the sword, thus, I instead chose to live aligned with life, planting seeds, and helping others to do the same. In the end it all comes down to what you want to do with the little bit of time you get gifted to live this life on Earth. You can choose fear, ego and violence, or you can choose love, courage of the heart and to foster life to grow onto its highest potential. I do not claim one path is "better" than the other, they are just different, and I chose the latter myself.
> When I apply this lens of perception to our current situation I see that overt government-sponsored violent oppression in high population centers being possible in our future (regardless of geographic location).
You would be better served by focusing more on how severe violent oppression is and less on whether it is "government-sponsored".
> That likelihood is a lot higher than invading armies from other nation states given the current totalitarian/technocratic trajectory of most governments in the plutocrat dominated developed nations.
I wasn't talkin about invading armies.
> if armed thugs were to kill those that tend the food forest, history teaches us the food forests gain their own momentum and continue to live on and feed others for many generations.
Yes, I'm sure the violent thugs will appreciate your sacrifice.
Come to think of it, no they won't. They'll forget all about you and assume the food forest is evidence of their divine favor.
> Those who live by the sword will die by the sword
So will many who do not have swords.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on what I would be "better served" focusing my time on.
Well, if that potential were to come to pass (my choice to live by the non-aggression principle and focus on regenerating ecosystems and creating self-sustaining / self-perpetuating food / medicine cultivation systems leading to violent thugs taking my life through their decisions, then that is my path and I would still be glad I chose it. This would remain true whether they wear a uniform, or are just every day random low level thugs.
If that were to come to pass, I pray that those who would choose to initiate violence and murderous acts find a swift path to healing their hearts, minds and souls, whether in this life, or if need be, the next. I also pray that should that come to pass that their decedents have their hearts and minds opened to be capable of fully receiving the gift that the Living Earth and the Creator gives them through having access to a food forest.
The choice to take a life out of malice, inflicts a deep wound in the being of the one choosing that act of malice, such a wound does not only inflict trauma into the heart and mind of the one choosing to murder, it leaves a mark on the soul which requires a long path to healing. The only path to lasting peace is one where our entire family of humanity embark on a path of inner healing and endeavors to help each other along the way.
Each choice we make leaves a mark on our heart and a mark on our soul. We carry that with us when we leave this place. Making choices to seek out ways to go out of our way kill or harm others (whether for "retribution" or any other reason) represents a submission to fear and choice that placates and appeases the ego. Each one of those thoughts and actions is like a paint brush stroke we put across the canvas of reality which can never be erased. When one looks back on their life, do you think that they would feel proud and happy looking at times when you chose fearful, hateful, violent and murderous thoughts and actions?
Thus, I pray that all those who make choices to hurt me, find a swift path to healing, so that future generations can experience a world where humans finally stop acting like rabid primates and instead choose to unlock their true potential through recognizing the sacredness of all life.
"𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁. We may experience this as synchronicity, which seems to happen with uncanny frequency just at those moments where one takes a leap in the dark... Synchronicity so often congeals around bravery. Synchronicity is the snapping of the laws of probability as reality shifts to align with brave choices." - Charles Eisenstein
I can also speak from personal experience to this.
While I do believe that each of us have a pre-determined time when we have agreed to leave this Earth (and no amount of prayer or will power will extend that time frame) the time we do have here can be drastically improved and our efforts supported in meaningful ways through genuine, open-hearted prayer/meditation. The Creator of all things does not interrupt or override our free will, but when invited to be part of our lives on Earth, all things become possible.
Therefore, I use these moments I have been gifted in this life to align with healing, peace and to nurture and help things grow onto their highest potential, for when I look back on this life, those choices will make my soul content.
New Age gobbledygook.
> The choice to take a life out of malice, inflicts a deep wound in the being of the one choosing that act of malice, such a wound does not only inflict trauma into the heart and mind of the one choosing to murder, it leaves a mark on the soul which requires a long path to healing.
Looking at history, this does not appear to be the case.
> Why should I be embarrassed?
Because you can't see the reality right in front of your face.
I already explained things to you. I can't enlighten someone being willfully blind.
And yet nobody had ever heard of PTSD before the 20th or at best the late 19th century. In World War I Shell Shock, as it was then called, has explicitly a new thing. This despite the great deal of violence throughout human history.
I suspect that PTSD has less to do with the violence itself than with being spit by ungrateful people, like Gavin, who one is defending.
> Surely not their own government?
Well these days most Western governments have way too many people like Gavin in them.
As you know, Gavin, I'm into my twilight years. I still grow a little garden and raise my hens, but it's not getting easier. The weather is always a struggle, and it appears as if THEY (The Hierarchy Exploiting You) are doing everything to make the weather unbearable; so many cloudy days but not enough rain. And the bugs! I planted squash two times; first crop destroyed by the vine borers, second by pickle worms. What little produce I harvested came at a healthy price for sure, but at least we knew it wasn't covered with pesticides. But I'm not giving up; I have spinach, lettuce and chard growing, and still getting cherry tomatoes in November.
I've just finished another Taylor Caldwell novel, The Balance Wheel, which she wrote in 1951. Her words are truer now than ever. I credit her for introducing me to the soulless little men decades ago. Sadly, there appear to be more of them than ever and their power is incredible, but I think more people are recognizing them, thanks to technology. I'm terribly afraid it may be too late.