My Interest: British History

British History

I have been an avid reader of British history since I was a child. Look and Learn, the Hamlyn/Collins publications and my father’s enthusiasm for the subject were driving factors. Even to this day I have ingrained in my mind the exact order of the English/British monarch from Edward the Confessor onwards (as well as the PMs since Disraeli).

Areas of Primary focus: The British Empire (especially in Africa), the Monarchial succession, the Anglo-Scottish Wars, Tudors and Stewarts and the English Civil War.

Areas of Secondary Focus: The Norman Conquest, Hundred Years War, Royal Navy, Winston Churchill and the Crimean War.

What I feel I need to know more about: The details of the Irish fight for Independence, War of the Roses and the David Lloyd George.

These are the Ten Period that I divide British/English history into:

1.       The Celtic Era and Roman Britain

2.       Saxon Domination

3.       The Norman Conquest and the French Kings. Feudalism.

4.       The Rise of the Tudors and the Decline of Catholicism.

5.       Unification, the Stuarts and the English Civil War

6.       Restoration and the Emergence of the House of Hanover.

7.       The Early Empire and Parliament in the Age of the Enlightenment

8.       Period of Splendid Isolation

9.       Internationalism and WWI

10.   WWII and the Decline of Modern Britain

Overcoming Adversity

 

Special Thanks to the Stoics, Friederich Nietzsche and several other Western and Judeo-Christian thinkers.

·       Life is tough. This world was not custom designed for any individual specifically. We will all face many obstacles on both the objective and subjective level.

·       Challenges will vary in degree and many will be faced with severe adversity.

·       One needs to accept that life is a struggle but this should not weaken us. In fact we should embrace the downfalls.

·       Human beings can train themselves to face these challenges and overcome adversity. This isn’t easy but our species has been doing exactly this for millennia.

·       Running away and avoiding these obstacles or blaming others for our shortfalls weakens us. The tragedy of the modern human condition is that this has become the preferred route.

·       Alcohol and recreational drugs are means of running away. They are negative drivers. So are support groups that specifically sacrifice individuality for the collective will.

·       In facing adversity head on we grow as human beings. This betters us in the face of future events that will impact us later on in life. We will emerge as a stronger self. Nietzsche sees this as the birth of the Superman.

My Many Interests

 I am very much of a generalist with a strong passion for history, science, philosophy, education, psychology, political science, civuilization decline, education, soccer, comics, motivation strategies plus others. Over the next few weeks I plan to delve further into these areas outlining the specifics of each topic that I have chosen to focus on.

For now here is the list of these personal favourites (not in any order)

1. British History

2. Jewish History

3. American History

4. South African History

5. World War Two

6. The Cold War

7. Ancient History

8. European History

9. Physics Education

10. Understanding the human condition

11. Intelligence Measurement

12. Patterns of Population Movement

13 Jewish Thought

14. Philosophical Debates

15. Dystopias

16. Britsh comics

17. Soccer

18. Political Theory

19. Debunking Conspiracies

20. Parenthood

21. Sporting Feats

Reflections XI - Elitist Malfeasance

A wealth tax is a particular moral evil in that one is further burdening those in the population who are in the best position to create further societal wealth growth.

Most political rhetoric is at most two steps removed from egregious failure for it driven by short terming thinking that stumbles at the earliest roadblock.

It is not difficult to generate bad ideas which, is why they proliferate in the global milieu.

Collectivisms eventual aim is to create an equality of nothings. In this regard it is remarkably effective.

 Western Society is in decline as it undervalued its greatest resource – the sanctity of its own population.

 The elites need an army of foot soldiers to fight against their greatest enemy – the working and middle class. If the numbers are not there they will build the regiments with imports

Excellent video and Commentary on Simcha Jacobovici video

 I saw this on the Simcha Jacobovici video in the comments section. the clip can be found at Facts you need to know.

A crash course on history : 1. Before Israel, there was a British mandate, not a Palestinian state 2. Before the British Mandate, there was the Ottoman Empire, not a Palestinian state. 3. Before the Ottoman Empire, there was the Islamic state of the Mamluks of Egypt, not a Palestinian state. 4. Before the Islamic state of the Mamluks of Egypt, there was the Ayubid Arab-Kurdish Empire, not a Palestinian state. 5. Before the Ayubid Empire, there was the Frankish and Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, not a Palestinian state. 6. Before the Kingdom of Jerusalem, there was the Umayyad and Fatimid empires, not a Palestinian state. 7. Before the Umayyad and Fatimid empires, there was the Byzantine empire, not a Palestinian state. 8. Before the Byzantine Empire, there were the Sassanids, not a Palestinian state. 9. Before the Sassanid Empire, there was the Byzantine Empire, not a Palestinian state. 10. Before the Byzantine Empire, there was the Roman Empire, not a Palestinian state. 11. Before the Roman Empire, there was the Hasmonean state, not a Palestinian state. 12. Before the Hasmonean state, there was the Seleucid, not a Palestinian state. 13. Before the Seleucid empire, there was the empire of Alexander the Great, not a Palestinian state. 14. Before the empire of Alexander the Great, there was the Persian empire, not a Palestinian state. 15. Before the Persian Empire, there was the Babylonian Empire, not a Palestinian state. 16. Before the Babylonian Empire, there were the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, not a Palestinian state. 17. Before the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, there was the Kingdom of Israel, not a Palestinian state. 18. Before the kingdom of Israel, there was the theocracy of the twelve tribes of Israel, not a Palestinian state. 19. Before the theocracy of the twelve tribes of Israel, there was an agglomeration of independent Canaanite city-kingdoms, not a Palestinian state. 20. Actually, in this piece of land there has been everything, EXCEPT A PALESTINIAN STATE.

Reflections X - Careful Ponderings

You hop, skip and jump into totalitarianism by convincing yourself that you are on the right side of history.

We have reached a point in the west where those with a self constructed sense of guilt are doing what the winners once did, in rewriting history. Their approach is no less dishonest.

The sad reality of war is that it is sometimes the only mechanism to purge society of really destructive ideas.

Unearned wealth is easy to squander which implies that a great deal of priority must be given to new and sustainable avenues of wealth creation.

The great economic lie sold to the populace is that wealth creation and distribution are synonymous.

Reflections IX - On World History

The British Empire was destined for an eventual fission. The island core was enveloped by too many shells that reached maturation quickly. Although the layers were sloughed off in various degrees they could never truly divorce themselves from their source origin.

Most of Rome’s military failures were reminders that it needed to accept its boundaries. Neither the Goths in the North (and East) and the Persians in Asia had any attention of acquiescing to Roman suzerainty. Since they were not a cavalry power (unlike the Mongols) or a sea empire (like the British) their boundaries had natural limitations which deterred expansion.

The history of Rome after the fall of Caesar is an ongoing saga of the debasement of the concept of citizenship. Citizenship is what held the Republic together. It withered to oblivion during the Empire until it had lost all meaning.

Next to its education and judiciary system, cricket must rank as Britain’s greatest export to its Empire (to the world it is football). Many an Indian, Pakistani or Sri Lankan will agree with this assessment as they sport has so thoroughly enveloped the sub-continent.

Reflections VIII - Human pitfalls

Communists have always hated humour. Their poor understanding of human nature opens up the barbs of the satire so that any reasonable person can see that what they are seriously selling is a parody of itself.

Too many people deny themselves real knowledge by imprisoning themselves in a pre-established narrative.

Being open minded does not necessitate the dropping of critical thought. There is no limit to the amount of stupidity that needs to be filtered out.

Not all opinions are created equal. Most (although by no means all) will in due course be damned by the brutal reality of time. Unfortunately the selection process does not necessarily bias itself in favour of the good.

In a battle of reason and emotion most people will opt for the latter.

Reflections VII - Much needed cynicism

Any radical ideology will in time purge itself based on the notion of doctrinal purity.

Almost as predictable as death and taxes is the certainty of self serving action for human beings.

We have come to a time where the leadership is destroying democracy while at the same time claiming to save it. You can indeed vote yourself into slavery.

No field perhaps has a proportion of snake oil salesmen than that of education which has littering it one failed policy after another, with each one having the distinction at the time of being vaunted as a pedagogical panacea.

Reflections VI - More from the Abyss

If highly motivated one can even rationalize away the very evidence before our eyes.

One needs to ponder as to why so many powerful deities lack the foresight to avoid contradicting themselves in their revealed texts.

Bad ideas need not have to work that only have to create the appearance of working which is why they are often taken up by the masses.

 Prosperous societies with an inordinate amount of spare time on hand will use that time to find new innovate ways of destroying themselves.

 The myth propounded is that the majority of humanity resents totalitarianism. The reality is that they embrace it as it makes decision making so much easier.

 The greatest impediment to any would be politician is a conscious

Reflection V - Human Foibles

One only realizes how timid humanity is when you choose to take a singular stand against a universally acknowledged but popular bad idea.

Toleration in and of itself is not a virtue. In fact it can often be a vice. The distinction is highly context dependent. The worship of toleration in and of itself is an error both philosophically and ultimately morally.

 History cannot be reduced to a series of equations for it is the story of humanity, whose actions are often unpredictable and illogical.

 There is a natural tendency for humans to minimize their work and thought load which is why complex concepts are likely to be oversimplified to the point of being unintelligible.

 To a fool, everything they don’t want to believe in is a lie for a fool is one hundred percent committed to their own truth.

 It astounds me as to how many people feel that they know how G-d works when in reality they are just hedging their bets on different guesses.

 

Reflections IV - Disturbing Observations

 I am not sure if there is any other creature on this planet who can rationalize evil into good.

 At any time one should be aware of a single daunting caveat – that it is entirely possible that you could be wrong.

 Wake me up when those in the scientific elite stop acting like priests and more like objective investigators of natural phenomena.

 There is no more ill defined political term than democracy. People seem to make of it what they want.

 

Reflections III - Bad Ideas

Bad ideas can only be enforced in the long term by tyranny. Therefore at the center of every tyranny is an idealism that is inherently rancid.

 An Ivy League education at its heart offers its recipient the ability to put forward a stupid idea with an air of superiority.

There is no greater marketing device than the notion of fear. It goes straight to our emotional brain while bypassing all critical thought.

 I have yet to encounter a greater leap of faith than the argument put forth by many that something can come from nothing.

 If the internet has taught me anything it is that bad ideas grow exponentially while those in the good are constrained to the linear.

Reflections II - American History

 Bill Clinton was the last genuine liberal Democratic Party President of the United. He balanced fiscal conservatism, with a pragmatic social liberalism that was described as the Third Way. In doing so held back the radicalism of the progressives delaying it by a full decade until the Obama Presidency. This was his greatest achievement that supersedes the multiple flaws in his personal character.

If Al Gore would have talked to the people instead of down to them he would have been the 43^rd President in the United States. Unfortunately for him it wasn’t in his DNA and no matter how much he tried the more so it became apparent. Gore felt that the country needed a philosopher king forgetting that the nation was built on a disdain of any type of monarchy.

Clinton lived a charmed life in that he was destined to lead the nation during a time of relative political solitude. This afforded him the luxury of underestimating both the demise of the Soviet Union and its Russian offspring as well as the rise of Islamism.

Every US Administration since Richard Nixon (with the possible exception of Donald Trump) has worked tirelessly with short-sighted traded policies to transform China into an economic superpower.

The tragedy of the United States is that the very elements of tolerance and respect for freedom of thought and action will eventually be used to destroy it.

I have never understood why Americans from both sides require inspiration from so obvious a tainted figure as a politician. The absurdity of elevating these debauched souls to spiritual or emotional heights of standing can only lead to eventual disappointment as it frequently does.

Both George Washington and John Adams demonstrated great characters traits by their personal actions. Washington saw to it that the Presidency didn’t evolve into a monarchy while Adams, in his defence of the soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, made the pertinent case that the accused deserves the best defence possible regardless of public opinion. In doing so they alternatively laid the bedrock for the executive and the judiciary.

Reflections I - Politics

Some thoughts...

When key institutions become compromised so that nepotism and favoritism dominates over competency then the onset for civilization decline  and possible collapse follow shortly. No system no matter how strong its original foundations are can survive continuous governance by those who are inept and malevolent.

The communist seeks to restructure society on the backbone of ignorance. However this is a particular kind of stupidity - One that brings together an untried idealism with an inability to questions starting assumptions. Self Reflection is eschewed as a toxicity.

The strategy of any political campaign is to capture the vote by emphasizing the insignificant.  Complexity of policy is anathema to any campaign which is why it is rarely addressed by the candidates.

 There are only half truths and lies in political rhetoric. The challenge of a voter is to separate the one from the other.

 The primary function of the state is to grow itself. This is often at odds with the need to enact meaningful policy that will address an issue. An extended bureaucracy serves the former while creating an illusion of necessary progress.

 Within time every government moves towards fascism for all are controlled by elites who survive off either private or public corporations.

Answering more Questions on Quora

Can you provide examples of Napoleon using a blitzkrieg strategy in his conquests, similar to Germany during World War II?

Napoleon didn’t use a blitzkrieg strategy as mechanized forces weren’t a factor in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. There were no planes, tanks or automobiles. He did however make effective use of his artillery (his personal bastion of strength…..Boney was a gunner), cavalry and infantry to pick off his allied opponents one at a time. Napoleon was also adept at selecting the time and place for a fight and greatly rewarded meritocracy and loyalty in his ranks thereby ensuring that his troops were suffused with the necessary morale.

Is Russia still considered a major power or is it now more accurately described as an important regional power?

It is a regional power with significant global meddling capabilities that it exercises particularly in the Middle East through its Iranian and Syrian allies. It also has a propaganda apparatus that serves to shape public opinion in the West, courtesy of its relentless disinformation campaigns and infiltration of various institutions. If you thought this all ended with the finality of the Cold War you are mistaken. Old habits die hard.

Why is Russia such a violent and destructive nation?

Russia (in its various forms) has a leadership history consisting of a lineage of strongmen who measure their success by their ability to grow their territory. Putin is just one more character in a legacy that predates Peter the Great. This translates into a history of aggression. Much of the policy sale to the population is driven by a sense of perceived victimhood.

Do any modern conservatives identify as "classical" liberals?

I personally do as I wish to conserve the very successful authentic liberal tradition in the West against the forces of fascism, dialectical materialism, islamism and progressive statism. Each of which threatens the pillars of freedom viz. speech, worship, thought and property that is central to liberal thinking.

Protecting Western Civilization

 

1. It is incumbent on us all to protect the numerous advances made by Western Civilization over the last three and a half thousand years.
2. These advances include: the foundation and synthesis of reason and logic, open debate and freedom of speech, the rule of law, private ownership of property, democratic government, efficient utilization of the benefits of science and technology and an appreciation for the history and thought that underpins the civilization. These will henceforth be known as the Advancements.
3. Inherent in these ideals is a common good that respects and rejoices in the preservation of human life and seeks to maximize our species’ potential within the respective context.
4. Much of the greatness of Western Civilization has been cultivated from within. This is to be celebrated not chided.
5. It is critical to the overall well being of the world that the leaders of the West do not abdicate their roles as defenders of the Advancements.
6. The history of Western Civilization plays out in the context of a survival against the face of threats both internal and external. Driven by powerful impetus toward betterment the West has emerged as an active agent in the dynamic framework of human history and in so doing tells a story replete with characters, institutions, agents and states all acting against the back drop of the broadest of flourishing landscapes.
7.      The Western World will not die in one instant of explosive output but will wither into oblivion. This decline was set in motion as a consequence of the Great War and the subsequent malevolence of our hubris and  has gained more momentum with each succeeding decade.
8.  The outcome of this slide into a historical abyss will have negative repercussions for all of humanity. Each moment of decay draws us closer to a coming dark age. Despair will engulf most but that need not be all
9.   While it is true that the West has built on some ideas that may have had their genesis in the monoliths of China, India and the Near East – it is western ingenuity that has provided the wherewithal to advance these initiatives forward and so improve the human condition. Suffice it to say the West serves as the guardian of these great ideas whose preservation is essential to the maintenance of global civilization.

10 Take aways from the Trump Assassination Attempt

1. Donald Trump was extremely lucky. A few centimeters left and it could have been game over for the former President.

2. Two big questions need to be answered: a) How was the gunman able to position himself so close to Trump? b) Why did the police drones not pick him up?

3. Even more important....A  'few centimeters' is what saved not only Trump but the nation from a full on violent flare up.

4. Trump showed tremenendous Bravado. The picture of him, with fist in the air, rising from the ground will become an iconic image in American history.

5. The extreme rhetoric generated by Trump haters in the media and elsewhere likely motivated the gunman to act. For now his full motive remains unclear.

6. Trump will receive a natural boost in the polls but I am not so sure this will continue until November. The Dem aligned media will do their best to shift focus elsewhere...likely to the strawman Project 2025 issue.

7. The 'staged' conspiracy theory breaks down rather rapidly under any modicum of critical thought. The same is true of the 'CIA did it' notion.

8. Security protection around both Messrs Trump and RFK Jr needs to be upped.

9. Joe Biden, to his credit, looked somewhat presidential in renouncing the violence.

10. Trump needs to continue building on his momentum. The dismissal of the stored reccords case in Florida will help as was his popular pick for VP (J D Vance)

Who is gaining the upper hand in world politics - the US or Russia?

 My answer on Quora.

The US has the upper hand for now. How long this will continue is uncertain. It has a substantially larger economy than Russia and a greater global presence on a military level (750 bases plus in 80 countries or so). In addition the US dollar still remains as the predominant world currency (buoyed for now by petrodollars).

Russia on the other hand has been hit hard by sanctions, is navigating an extremely costly war with the Ukraine and is in an uncertain population decline. It has its allies within the BRICS grouping to fall back onto but even in this regard it is playing second fiddle to both China and an emerging India (who took Russia to the cleaners for cheap oil following the Ukrainian invasion).

Did France lose every war they fought over the last hundred years?

(My answer in Quora)

No, the Free French with immense Allied support emerged on the victorious side of WWII. France give or take some hair raising moments was also on the right side of the winning divide during the Cold War. Having said that the French were humiliated in the 1950s in its struggle to maintain control of French Indochina (check out the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954) and suffered defeat (somewhat self-inflicted) in the Algerian War (1954–1962). 

Nevertheless France did secure victory for Chadian forces in its war against Libya (1978–1987) and helped defeat Islamist insurgents in Mali (2013–2014) during Operation Serval. France in Alliance with Britain and Israel defeated the Egyptians tactically in the Suez Canal War (1956) but like its Allies was lulled into a strategic ‘defeated’ by the US who feared the broader ramifications of a direct war with the Soviet Union at the time.

Is Jill Biden another Edith Wilson?

 My answer on Quora

No. I think that she has less influence than many people give her credit for. Joe Biden, although suffering from obvious cerebral decline, clearly wants to stay in power himself. I am not convinced at all that he has lost agency in this regard. Edith Wilson played a large role in the day-to-day management of the country as her husband ailed. For Biden this role is largely being carried out by the team around him, many of whom are Barack Obama loyalists.

Thoughts on the British Election

 1. The vote was more of a referendum vote against the Tories as opposed to an endorsement of the Labour Party.

 2. Since they failed on several fronts including a strong stance dealing with the migration crisis, the fate of the Conservatives was essentially sealed and well deserved. 

 3. The splitting of the right of center vote between the Conservative and Reform Parties essentially amplified Labour's seat numbers. The latter earned well over half the seats in the Parliament (63.3%)  having only earned 33.7% of the vote.

4. The Reform party earned 13-14% of the popular vote but picked up only five seats (out of 650). If ever the parliamentary system is in need of some major work, now is the time.

Why couldn't Charles X remain as king of France?

 My answer on Quora.

He was too much of an absolutist in his thinking and was strongly opposed to constitutional monarchy. Charles was a reactionary throwback to the Ancien Regime who sought to turn back the clock to the pre-Revolution period. He fell afoul of the dominant force of Liberalism and was eventually overthrown in the July Revolution of 1830 that saw Louis Philippe (the Citizen King) come to power. Charles does have the distinction of being the last member of the senior Bourbons to hold sway in France. Louis Philippe was associated with the Bourbon-Orléanist line and would reign until 1848

When did Russia become more powerful than the other European countries?

 (Asked on Quora)

Russia was never the most powerful European country prior to 1945. In the post World War II era the Soviet Union was stronger militarily than any other European country. This was a consequence of its gains territorial gains during World War Two, its armed forces expenditure and its Nuclear Program. Contemporary Russia still enjoys the nuclear advantage, but is in obvious decline economically and judging by the performance of its forces in the Ukraine the same can be said of its military prowess.

Why hasn't the US won a war since WWII?

 (Asked on Quora)

 War is not a sporting event counted in simple wins and losses. The Korean War may have ended in a stalemate on a territorial level but the US (as the main force in the UN alliance) did prevent South Korea from going Communist and becoming an extension of the North.

It also drove the Iraqis from Kuwait (1990–1991) and overthrew Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. While much of this came at a cost I would argue that there were substantial wins here. One could add the Cold War as a US led win for economic and personal freedom over a dire ideological alternative.

Not all wins come wrapped up in a bow tie with a ticker tape parade.

Can Science explain everything?

 The various versions of the scientific method are the best tools that we have in understanding how the material world works. In its ideal practice it combines rational thought with the necessity of acquiring empirical evidence. This underpins a self corrective methodology that is evidence driven.

Since we are part of the material world its utility in helping us navigate the challenges of our world provides for explanations that are beneficial and pragmatic on a go forward basis.

The second question has more to do with the level of uncertainty we as individuals are willing to live with. This varies subjectively.

Do Classic Liberal support Laissez Faire Capitalism?

 Classical or Authentic liberals value the market as a dynamic tool that provides informative and timely feedback on supply and demand forces. This is conveyed through the very efficient pricing mechanism. They see the voice of the market which aggregates action/choice as being critical to the overall functioning of the economy. A support for Free Enterprise is a natural consequence of this line of thinking.

Government intervention all too often negatively impacts this feedback mechanism introducing barriers and obstacles that produce unnecessary turbulence that disrupts the self correcting mechanism.

Having said this most authentic liberals do see a role for government in protecting individual rights and safeguarding private property. Opinions differ with the respect to the extent of the government role with those taking the most minimalist position generally falling under the anarcho-capitalist label.

The German Blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union. Was it successful?

(Answered my me on Quora)

Initially it was very successful. However as 1941 progressed it spread itself too thin and could not reach Moscow in a timely manner when faced with a restocked Red Army and a bitter winter. In terms of territory though the Germans in 1941 captured more ground than they did in Poland in 1939 or France in 1940. However the Soviet Union was a different beast. They had ample territory to play the low black and were well aware of the stretched capability of the German’s supply runs.

Having said that several figures in the German elite (including Hitler) did underestimate the Soviets likening their enemies fighting ability to a house of ill construction that would cave in with limited thrust. History would torch this belief.

The Mathematical model for Special Relativity in a nutshell

 Special Relativity is predicated on two postulates.

1. All uniform motion is relative and the laws of physics apply equally to all frames of reference.
2. The speed of light is c in a vacuum across all frames of reference.

The necessity of these two paradigms forces a relaxation of absolute time, space, momentum, kinetic energy and simultaneity.

Time Dilation can be understood by a pythagorean analysis of vectors that produces a relation whereby proper time is a multiplied by the Lorentz Factor to obtain relativistic time.

The former is determined by an observer who is at rest relative to the event. The latter sees the event occurring in different places in space.

Relativistic time will always be greater than or equal to measured times with the discrepancy between the two becoming more extreme as velocity tends to c (speed of light).

Broad interests

I have a broad assortment of topics that peronally intrgue me even though I consider myself to be at heart a generalist.

Areas of specific interest:

History

European Revolutions in the 19th and 20th centuries, World War II the North Africa Theatre, Battle of Stalingrad, D-Day, Second Anglo-Boer War, English Monarchy, History of Antisemitism, History of Modern Physics, The French Revolution, The Cold War and the History of Israel

Science

Evolutionary Theory, Mechanics, Galactic Cosmology, Science around Intelligence, Physics Education and Critical Thinking.

Sports

Mens Tennis 1970-1995, Heavyweight Boxing Division, Liverpool Football Club, The World Cup, Olympic Games, Chess rivalries  and the Evolution of Track and Field records.

Politics

The study of civilizational decline, the evolution of political ideology and the study of extremes,

Movies Genres/Directors

Post-Apocalyptic, Second World War, Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Time Travel, Coen Brothers, Connery and Moore Era James Bond and the Carry On Series.

Other Areas

Future History Speculation, Deism and Judaism.

Seven types of Anti-Semitism

This comes from my answer on Quora.  The Seven Types of Anti-Semitism

I have qualified these seven types in my study of Jewish History. While they may not be independent from one another in the strict sense, they provide a useful methodology for understanding the historical hatred of the Jews.

1. Hatred of the Jews as Christ Killers - A very old form of Anti-Semitism which has existed since the early days of the Christian Church. The Jews were blamed for choosing Jesus Christ to ‘die’ on the cross. The New Testament Gospels emphasize this point in their writings and it has served as dogma for both the Catholic and many non-Catholic churches over the centuries. Argument is illogical though, for if the Jews had not selected Christ to be sacrificed on the cross then he could not have died for the sins of mankind. Where would humanity then be?

2. Hatred of the Jews as Outsiders - The rejection of Jesus as the messiah, Jewish religious belief, Jewish emphasis on marrying fellow Jews, as well as the concept of the Jews as the Chosen People all smack of exclusivity.
Why?, asks the anti-Semite do the Jews think that they are better than us ? Could it be that they eventually want to subjugate us? Hence the blood libels, pogroms and the impetus to scapegoat the Jews as the cause for all that goes wrong in society.

3. The Jew as the Evil Capitalist - The Church authority forced Jews to be money lenders as Christians were prevented from charging interest. As money lending grew into the banking profession, Jews became more influential as players driving the wheels of the largely capitalist based economy. Those individuals jealous of Jewish success as well as the later opponents of capitalism were quick to throw force this charge.

4. The Jew as the Diabolical Communist - Karl Marx’s Jewish ancestry, Jewish influence in the Social Democracy Movements in Europe (Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Luxembourg, Martov were all Jews) was enough of a linkage in the minds of many anti-Semites to associate the ‘specter of Communism haunting Europe’ as a Jewish plot for world domination. Idea is non-sensical. Granted at one stage there were many Jews involved in the movements of social-democracy but that is largely as a result of the fact that Communism preached an ‘equality of all’ that other political ideologies appeared to shun. However after the true face of the of the leftist movements were revealed in the Stalinist purges, Jews starting deserting Marxism in droves. It is also important to note

5. Hatred of Jewish thought - Jewish thought has traditionally been more liberal and open to debate than that of Christianity. Jews have been on the fore front of new ideas (Marxism, Relativity, psychoanalysis, and American liberalism) which have shaken the bedrock of traditional views. A phenomenon that breeds fear and consequently anti-Semitism. Also Jewish success in business, the arts and the sciences has in the mind of many anti-Semites created a belief that the Jews are privy to knowledge which they are not willing to share. This of course is ridiculous as are all charges of an international Jewish conspiracy.

​6. Anti-Zionist/Anti-Semitism - Not all anti-Zionists are anti-Semites. Agreed. However the line is in many cases very thin. Many Arab countries make little distinction (e.g. the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is required reading in many school programs). Also for those seeking a convenient cover for their anti-Semitic views where better to hide then amongst the so-called ‘progressive’ anti-Zionists.

7. Hatred of Jews for their role in Judeo-Christian philosophy - Western Philosophy and Judeo-Christian philosophy is evil. So this reason goes. Jews are to blame for all of it as the mother religion of the tradition. Therefore Jews are bad. Simplistic but nevertheless the view of those seeking to destroy the foundations of Western civilization. Stream of thought is popular amongst anarchists and some New Age Religious believers. Nazism was such a belief.

15 Ways that Media corrupts distorts public perception and shackles the truth - Decline #2

1. It sentationalizes events that have gut appeal to the population. Outrage is cultivated.

2.  The Narrative is favoured over the facts. Media blurs the distinction between the two in favour of the former.

3. It reports on partisan lines with deliberate recourse to confirmation bias. Inconvenient details and context are downplayed.

4. It misleads the reader with headings that don't reflect the essence of the story. Many people very rarely read past the headings so that obfuscation predominates.

5. It uses visual imagery (decontextualized) selectively. This resonates with many people.A picture is worth a 1000 words or so they say.

6. In a rush to publish first inaccuracy is sacrificed to swifness of scoop. Apologies for errors arrive much later after the damage has been done.

7. It plays loosely with the term 'expert' to give credence to its intended narrative.This creates the necessary Echo Chamber.

8. Statistics presented often lack nuance and the assumptions that they are predicated on are conveniently sidelined.

9. It grants far too much air time to celebrity opinion that is not relevant to the issue at hand but drives up clicks and likes.

10. It promotes logical fallacies eg. If x people agree on a point compared to y people and x is greater than y than x must be correct. The Truth is not a popularity contest.

11. It creates false dichotomies of victim v victimizer as this has a visceral impact for so many.

12. Much media reporting reporting is not original but is based on rechurned reports. This inevitably distorts the details. 

13. Social media algorithms and search engine priorities favours certain media outlets over others. Thereby biasing the feed stream. Shadow banning and full on cancellation further augments perceptions.

14. Media embedded in nations that have limited freedom of speech often self censure their reports. Thereby weakening our understanding of what really is happening.

15. Media News rooms have an overhelming partisan bias. In the West this largely leans toward the globalist left and drives the narrative.

13 Ways that Modern Education is failing in the West - Decline #1

 1. Decline of rigour in favour of 'kindness' driven education. You need both but the balance has shifted away from the former. Students should not be pushed through a course to make them feel better or improve school statistics.

2. Destreaming of subjects. This results in an overall lowering of standards. Excellence at the high end is being shortshifted.

3. Political Ideology finding its way in the classroom. Most of this is of the Green/Red/Wokeist type. However any ideology (regardless of Axis position) should not be promoted to a captive audience.

4. Grade Inflation.

5. An increasing emphasis on project based assignments that can be easily compromised using plagarism and artificial intelligence adjuncts.

6. Teachers Union protecting teachers whose job performamce is far from optimum.

7. Growing administration budgets at the school boards that create endless micro-managing and wasteful interference.

8. Lack of consistent standards by schools in the absence of standardized testing.

9. Political initiatives that treat students differently based on their ethnicity. This is anti-Liberal and fosters resentment.

10. A declining numbers of  male teachers and role models in the school system. Boys are ideed falling behind.

11. Down grading of the history of Western Civilization (plus the classics) in school curricula. This results in a lack of awareness of the giants who shoulders we stand on.

12. Too much emphasis on technology as a fix-it-all for various problems.

13. Lack of discipline and consequence for bad behavior.

The West is in obvious decline.

 This off the top of my head...

These are either the symptoms or drivers (or both) for the decline.

1. Fall in Education standards

2. Extreme Media Bias, Frivolity and Twisted Narratives

3. Scientific Fraud

4. Post Truth in Academia

5. Historical rewriting

6. DEI obsession/Critical Race Theory

7. Decline of the Arts

8. Threats to open debate/Cancel culture

9. Cults of Victimhood, Self Flagellation, Entitlement and unearned respect

10. Deteriorating values

11. Cultural Relativism. Erosion of the concept of common values.

12. Institutional Corruption/Poor Leadership, Owned Leadership and Grifting

13. Aggression of Islamism

14. Illegal Immigration

15. Corporate hijack of Grassroots Capitalism

16. Overzealous state intrusion, Selective Policing

17. Growing Cycles of Debt (Personal and Private)

18. Gender Identity Post-structuralism

19. Expansion of the State enterprise

20. Middle Class Alienation and the heavy tax burden

21. Collapse of the family and the social hierachy.

22. The demise of Christianity.

Sabine Hossenfelder looks at the fraud that is driving a retraction crisis in the science. She points a finger at the 'Special Issues' craze that has allowed the literature to become littered with published papers that are fundamentally flawed (deliberately or not). AI is partly to blame but like most critiques she avoids going deeper into a proposed solution. 

In addition she carefully avoids the politically motivated topic of Anthropegenic Climate Change that has for all intent of purpose become the poster child for groupthink, scientism and shoddy science. 

 Publish or Perish and competitive grant money have not helped the process but if science cannot extricate itself from the politics that skews its bias it runs the risk of crashing in on itself. Nobody will benefit from that. The success of Western Civilization is grounded in a solid science. This involves a science that incorporates rationalism and empiricism and places the truth at the apex of all investigation quests. 

An update

Since my book Navigating the Chaos was published in March of last year I have been somewhat lax in my personal writing. While I have answered questions on Quora I  have largerly resisted the urge to write more on a substantive level. 

The decay all around me has moved me in the direction of a negativity that I have found to be stifling of personal aspiration. I need to push on in my marketing of the book but I can't help but ponder the futility of all that there is.

The attack on Israel cut me to the soul and the rapid rise of obvious antisemitism has not helped with this onset of such an existential angst. It truly is frightening. 

However I am not one to marinate in self pity. I need to move on with my writing and this includes a motivated intent to outline, analyze and dissect the decline. This will now serve as the purpose of this blog.

It is my recourse to a continued sanity and I will follow through with it.

More Answers to Quick Quora Questions II

Did Britain refuse to support Anti-Bolshevik forces in the Russia before World War II?

No. In fact between 1918 and 1920 The British together with France, the United States, Japan and Czechoslovakia actively backed the anti-Bolshevik White Movement in the Russian Civil War. Almost a thousand Brits died in this conflict.

Check out: Kinvig, Clifford (2006). Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia 1918–1920. London

Can totalitarianism exist in a liberal form?

No. The key unit in Liberalism is the individual with the prime focus being its sovereignty. Any totalitarian system biases the collective over the individual and therefore ceases to be liberal. Progressivism is not liberal.    

Can Nuclear fusion be stopped or reversed if accidently started?

I assume you mean in a lab or power planet. The answer is yes. Nuclear Fission Processes are shutdown using the SCRAM procedure (safety control rod axe man - the term was coined by Enrico Fermi). In light reactors (water cooled) this done by inserting a control rod that absorbs neutrons. For CANDU reactors a neutron poison is injected via the EPIS system (Emergency Poison Injection system).

In Nuclear Fusion the process is stopped by releasing the pressure on the plasma/fuel mix. Worth thinking about is that a fusion reaction is easier to control as it is not a chain reaction.

When did the meaning of Liberalism change from its classical roots?

It didn’t. Liberalism is the authentic classic version. In the United States Progressive groups co-opted the name in the early to mid 20th century as a way of polishing their progressive image which had become increasingly tarnished over time. The re-brand unfortunately stuck with the details lost to history. In Europe and Australia, Liberal Party Parties are closer to the original definition in political philosophy (although not always in action) than those who go by the same mantra in North America.

Why did Germany betray Austria and not provide assistance during World War I?

The Germans were fighting the French/British Empires on one front and the Russians on the other. The fight against the Russians relieved some of the pressure on the Austrian/Hungarian forces who could concentrate more of their efforts against the Italians and the Serbs. Anymore German assistance was unlikely as the nations was under naval blockade and was stretched to the limits on both the Western and Eastern Fronts for most of the war. While there was some relief to Germany when Russia pulled out of the war this did not last long as the Allied forces were bolstered on the West by the entry of the United States.

When did the Canadian Liberal Party become left wing?

 My answer in Quora.

The shift started with the outsize influence of Pierre Trudeau (Prime Minister from 1968–1979 then 1980 to 1984) and his strong pro-labor, Federalist and social democratic stance. Trudeau enjoyed close ties with the CCF (the forerunner of the left wing New Democratic Party) and was essentially a man of the left for most of his life. Big government economists Joseph Schumpeter and Kenneth Galbraith both influenced his economic outlook.

He was actually was a latecomer to Liberal politics only joining the party in 1965 (well into his 40s) and was described by a former Cabinet Minister, Judy LaMarsh, as not being ‘a liberal’. She was correct. Trudeau never left his social democratic roots.

In office Trudeau greatly expanded Canada’s social welfare system, ran large budget deficits throughout his term in first rem in office (with the slight exception of 1969), implemented wage and price controls, forced the Western Canadian provinces to freeze oil prices and eventually created a nationalized oil company.

He was also a strong friend of Fidel Castro, an opponent of gun ownership, a champion of high capital gains taxes, and a Federalist whose top down approach alienated both Western Canada and Quebec,

Supporters credit him though with Canada’s policy of official bilingualism, the abolition of the death penalty, multiculturalism, expansion of unemployment insurance, the Criminal Law Amendment Act and the Patriation of the Constitution. The latter led to the Constitution Act of 1982 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Some Positive News

1. Democratic Progressive Party win Taiwanese election defeating pro-Beijing KMT.

2. Conservatives in Canada open up a 17 point lead over the Liberals. Lets hope this holds over time.

3. US and UK take necessary action against Houthis who are threatening the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint between the Arabian peninsula and the Horm of Africa. It took a while but this proxy force of Iran cannot be allowed to threaten such a key area.