14 Thoughts on the Charlie Kirk Assassination

1. Nobody should be violently attacked let alone killed for exercising their right to freedom of expression. If you want to defeat a person you dislike then do so with rational argument.

2. People celebrating or justifying such violent action need to check their moral compass. I have unfortunately seen this with people I know personally.

3. Advocating tit-for-tat violence in response to such an attack or killing is deplorable as well.

4. Unless you are advocating violence I don’t believe a person should be canceled from their job even if their opinions are tasteless. Those using their platforms however to spread hate on this issue to a captive audience (school children) need to face the consequence of their actions as per the mandate of the specific institution that employs them.

5. Now to the specifics....Charlie Kirk was not a saint and he had, like all of us, his faults. However I do believe that he was a good man with great qualities who was making an honest attempt to change the dialogue on campus which unfortunately been compromised by wokeness, cancel culture and divisive identity politics.

6. Kirk was not an ethnic identitarian which is why both the Far Left and Far Right (check out the Groypers) didn’t like him. Nick Fuentes was a persistent critic and I don’t believe his crocodile tears for a second.

7. He was an unapologetic Christian and was consistent in his Christian belief. He was not however a Christian Nationalist and supported the model of the Republic consistent with the US Constitution.

8. Youth outreach was his bread and butter and his energy, verbal fluency and positive demeanor were well served.

9. I agreed for the most part with Charlie Kirk in his opposition to illegal immigration, support of free debate and meritocracy. He was correct in calling out various failures in our modern cultural world and was on target when taking on DEI and other bad ideas which have become part and parcel of the intellectual and sociological milieu.

10. I disagreed with him on his strong stance on abortion as I don’t believe that life begins with conception and I think that his take on gun rights were too dismissive of background checks. However I respect the consistency of his stance. His platforming of Tucker Carlson on TPUSA was a mistake. However he did pride himself on not promoting a one thought bubble. So such an invitation ought to be viewed within this framework.

11. On foreign policy he was usually on the ball despite the best efforts of American Isolationists to push him into their camp. Having said that I think he would admit that foreign policy was not his strongest area.

12. Kirk was a huge fan of the Jews and a great ally of Israel. There are clips going around criticizing him from either side on this issue but almost always these are fully de-contextualized for click bait purposes.

13. I wish his family all the best and hope that others will take on the mantra where he left off. He seems to be a man of character who had friends on all sides of the spectrum. He was not racist or homophobic but like all public figures was often straw manned as such.

14. In short I see Kirk as a Classic Liberal albeit as one schooled in the Burkean Conservative mode. The problem is that the overton window (range of ‘allowable’ opinions) especially on universities has shifted so far to the left that for many people such a take is seen as extreme when they are really just mainstream conservative takes for the general public.

Reflections XXVI - Sunday Thoughts

The United Nations is a toothless beast that became irrelevant less than a decade of its founding. If it weren’t for a global longing of what it ought to be (but won’t) then it should have been euthanized some time ago. Today it is a country club catering to the worst of humanity.

Extremists have a tendency to oscillate from one polarity to another for they have a mindset drawn to bad ideas regardless of where they reside on any political spectrum. Mussolini for one went from Socialism to Fascism while Peron in Argentina entertained all sorts of bad ideas.

Sometimes I think that the story of history is a tale of recovery from bad ideas implemented.

Every leader given enough time will come crashing down from their pedestal.

The function of bureaucracy in the modern state is to protect the power structure from radical change and circumvent reform. Democracy is the illusion sold to the public that the change is possible.

Reflections - XXV - Necessary Reflections

The modern world has been built on the notion that materialism is realism. This has had the consequence of imprisoning us in a convenient thought cage.

Media News is designed to elicit emotion. Transmission of Information is at best an afterthought. Nuanced accounting is never desirable.

An act of unapologetic evil is easily identified. This is not the case with those who produce harm through supposed good intention which makes the latter all the more dangerous in the long run.

Once you have accepted the fact that your control is limited then life’s jigsaw starts to make more sense.

You can sell any lie by addressing it in enough pomp. This is the business model for large swathes of organized religion.

Reflections XXIV - As Summer enters the twilight

 Surviving a genocide does not necessarily make that individual a good person in and of itself. Plenty of morally questionable were the victims of awful people.

If hell did it exist it should have a floor reserved for those who take the political opinions of celebrities as gospel.

Anti-Semitism has a unique characteristic to mutate and morph into a different form. In an echo of McLuhan’s message it can readapt to the medium of transmission which is why it has become go to clickbait for any half-baked you-tuber and podcaster out there.

Its really tragic to see how some great science fiction universes with dynamic power structures have been mauled by the poor story and plot lines that were set around them. Star Wars is of course being the most obvious example. Star Trek in its rebirth was not far behind.

There is no more assured way of destroying a superhero character then by granting them too much power and apparent invincibility. This was Superman’s problem from the start. The miracle of the series was how he has been kept going as a cultural icon with such an obvious flaw.

Reflections XXIII - August Insights

Russian history would be dull if it weren't for the national culture of paranoia - both justifued and unjustified.

The unspoken gift of globalization is that it globalizes problems.....makes them universal tradgedy when they could be local.

A crime against all future generations is the deliberate distortion of the actual truth. It is also a crime that largely goes un punished.

The party wanted us to believe the narrative not the facts.

Faith in humanity is the short road to disappointment.

Juan Peron's Argentinian regime demonstrated with action how fascism and comminism could exist similuateneously under the banner of statism.

No people have a greater admitation for human competency and efficacy of  outcome than conspiracy theorists

What books would you recommend for those interested in reading more on the topic of Physics in general?

 This would be my top fifteen:

1.The Elegant Universe – Brian Greene – an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of Modern Physics.

2. Hyperspace – Michio Kaku - wonderful take on extra dimensions by a strong narrator.

3. The Ideas of Physics – Ernest Hutten - an oldie but a goldie – discusses key ideas that shaped the discipline.

4. Fearful Symmetry – A. Zee - Looks at the Beauty in Physics.

5. Physics of Immortality – Frank Tipler - a bit over the top but highly entertaining, nevertheless.

6. Theories of Everything – John Barrow - Low key but well written.

7. Feynman Lecture Series – Richard Feynman - A struggle for the layperson, but if you can get through a third of it, your effort will be rewarded.

8. The Trouble with Physics – Lee Smolin - an important critique of the groupthink that has worked its way into particle physics.

9. Physics – Douglas Giancoli - Doesn’t matter what the edition is; its treatment of classical physics is splendid.

10. The Flying circus of Physics – Jearl Walker – Challenging problems that force one to really think deeply about everyday physics.

11. Relativity Simply Explained – Martin Gardiner – Its title says it all.

12. The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe – Steven Weinberg- Still one of the best treatments of the Big Bang.

13. The Constants of Nature – John Barrow – Delves into the details of these definitive constants that so encapsulate our universe.

14. Thirty Years that Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory – Gamow is a great storyteller, and he didn’t disappoint with this useful read.

15. Fifty Physics Ideas – Joanne Baker – Lots of fun and really easy to navigate

Overriding learning philosophy from my book Navigating the Chaos

It isn't easy to make sense of the chaos that is modern-day reality. Transformational change, information deluge, and a preponderance of bad ideas often leave us feeling isolated in a world that seems to be edging closer to an expedited collapse.

Post-truth has made itself heard across virtually every intellectual discipline, leaving one navigating a turbulent pathway to a workable clarity.

It is my experience that if you wish to live a life of meaning that you also have to adhere to beliefs that are well thought out, clear, and based on sound reasoning and logic.

I would say that my eventual goal is making sense of the universe. A cynic would claim that such a task is futile, fraught with obstacles, and ultimately a bridge to eventual disappointment. Perhaps this is true, but I would not renege on the journey, its path may be convoluted, but the serendipity that it invites is overwhelmingly rewarding.

Navigating the chaos is a formed-in-the-fire product of me wrestling with a multiplicity of understandings that I have come across in my stay on the planet so far. It is a consequence of both my practical experience and independent inquiry that reflects issues as diverse as the nature of science, the ebbs and flow of history, and the trajectory of our future.

Much of what I write here is based on my judgment that I have endeavored to substantiate with evidence and reasonable speculation. I will admit when I am at a loss and most certainly welcome the reader to challenge my conclusions.

Over the years, I have learned that all issues are not as clear-cut as their champions make them out to be, and in virtually every case, one's personal position is a derivative of the net information available. While it is necessary to have principles, it is equally important to listen to contradictory standpoints, which is why the exchange of ideas is so critical to any debate.

The State of the World at Present - Part 1 - The US

 The United States

1. The United States is a deeply divided country but still remains as the best hope for the West

2. Both the Republican and Democratic Parties are bleeding support from their traditional center to the Populit voices at the extremes. MAGA dominates the former and the far left is increasingly calling the shots with the latter. In each case the normative center is being squeezed.

3. Globalist forces  have less of a stranglehold in the United States than they do in Western Europe but the country is being pulled strongly in two opposing directions. It remains to be seen if the center will hold. 

4. Large Urban centers are facing a rot bought about by the Fentanyl Epidemic, poor city governance, corruption, white flight, a drop in law and order and illegal immigration that has run rampant. The Far Left dominates most of the power structures in the immediate center with corporate investment moving outward.

5. Gen Z is being radicalized by both the far left (socialism, Communism etc) and radical right (fascism). Identity politics of both an ethnic and religious type have infused both sides.Radicals are driven by romantic ideals that are dismissive of the necessary complement of empricism and racism that has historically definted the classical liberal and Burkean conservative heritage of the nation.

6. The trajecctory has a negative prognosis unless cooler and more calculating heads can prevail. There is an urgent need for an emergent and non-compromised centrism.

7. Donald Trump is a divisive President but so were Messrs Bush II, Obama and Biden. However Trunp's policies on reinforcing border control, rolling back DEI and flexing US muscle against his BRICS adversaries is most welcome. Whether these policies hold for the reamainder of his term or are reversed by a future Democratic Party leadership remains to be seen.

8. Without a strong US on the global front international politics will be dominated by China, Russia and the various Middle Eastern powers. This will likely lead to more turmoil. US hegemony is not a perfect solution (far from it) but it is a better option than the alternatives of America rebranding itself as a European analogue (viz. Germany, France or Britain) or even worse still adopting an American First policy that will needlessly empower authoritarian forces across the globe.

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10 Quick Facts about the New Testament

 

1.       It contains 27 books that are divided into four categories: Gospels, Acts, Epistles and Revelations. Number of books in each category are four, one, twenty one and one respectively.

2.       It contains over 180,000 words, 7959 verses and 260 Chapters.  It makes up 75% of the Christian bible. The other 75% is the Old Testament.

3.       There are four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Luke is the longest of the four (19,482 words) and Mark the shortest (11,304 Marks).

4.       Although Matthew appears first in the New Testament. It is believed that Mark was written first. Some scholars disagree though with this mainstream assertion and believe that both Luke and Matthew preceded Mark and are derived from a lost Q source..

5.       The Gospels tell the story of Christ – his life  and ministering, death and resurrection.

6.       The first three Gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke – have a similar style and appear to come from the same or a related source. They are known as the synoptic gospels. Best approximate dates for writing Mark - 70CE, Matthew and Luke – 80CE, John – 100CE.

7.       Most scholars believe the gospels were a product of a school of thought rather than a single character.

8.       All the Gospels were written in Koine Greek although there may be an Aramaic source behind this.

9.       Matthew appears to be written to a Jewish audience while Luke focuses on a Gentile readership.

10.   The Pauline Epistles are actually older than the Gospels. There are 13 books here of which the Letter to Galatians ad Second Thessalonians are the oldest (49-51 CE).

Structured Learning Program

 I have day-to-day responsibilities as a father and husband that I take very seiously but I also personally commited to enhancing my knowledge of the world with an eye towards elucidating truths. The following is a list of topics that I have been looking at of late (ie, over the last month).

1. The Origin of the Tanakh

2. The evolution of Jewish philosophy

3. The development of the New Testament

4. Schisms in Judaism and Christianity

5. The origins and Expansion of Islam

An overriding understanding of the origins and historical development of anti-semitism is a primary interest of mine.

After Death Possiblities

What happens to us after we die?

I have absolutely no idea. Although I figure it will be one of these ten situations.

1.      We cease to exist completely in all dimensions.

2.      We are recycled and reborn as humans somewhere else on Earth.

3.      We join with a singularity so that our consciousness becomes one with the new medium.

4.      We are reborn as a life form somewhere else in the universe.

5.      We are reborn as a non-human life forms on Earth.

6.      We join with another consciousness and are reborn in some form or another.

7.      We move into another dimension that our living consciousness here on Earth cannot comprehend.

8.      We ascend to the paradise described in traditional views of heaven. Never to be reborn again.

9.      We are reborn in another world but keep our knowledge gained from the previous life.

10   We (or at least some of us) become 'angels' or messengers. Building new worlds across the universe that will themselves be populated by life

Scientific materialism would suggest the first option.  I am personally hoping for the singularity.

Personal Tastes

 Areas of the book store I gravitate to

1. History - I am especially interested in books on British, Jewish,  Ancient, Cold War and WWII history.

2. Science Section - Physics, Evolutionary Theory and the debunking of Junk Sciences(Misconceptions) are areas of focus. 

3. Current Events - The geopolitical lanscape is fascinating but I am selective as there is a great deal of populist trash from all sides of the political spectrum that has polluted this area.

4. Philosophy - Consciousness, Political Philosophy (including the history of Philosophy) and the nature of G-d are the troika here that I most enjoy.

5. Sports - Football (Soccer), Track and field and tennis are my typical go to topics.

6. Social Science - Economic Theories, civilizational decline, the future of society and psychometrics are at the top of my list.

Personal Distastes

I love reading but generally avoid these sections of the library or bookstore

1. Self Help Section - I used to indulge in this section during my younger days but have given up on the topic as it lacks substance.

2. New Age - I don't trust any of the knowledge available here. Almost all of it is unsubstantiated. Lots of Junk Science.

3. Fantasy Fiction - I am just not a fan. I do like hardcore science fiction though.

4. Cooking - Whatever recipes I need I can get online

5. Think and grow rich books - These books are overhyped and don't say much. The grow rich portion comes from those buying these books.

6. Modern Detective Fiction - My father likes these but I have never warmed up to them. Don't mind the odd Tv show though and I do like Agatha Cristie.

7. Books on Cars - I can see the appeal for some but it just doesn't work for me. Again, anything I want to see can be looked at on line.

8.  Crafts - Maybe if it were my hobby but since it isn't I really don't care that much. I do have a fondness for the history of art.

9. Celebrity Biographies - A celebrity really has to be special before I would consider reading their biography. 99%+ is self indulgent drek. I couldn't care less about most pop culture.

10. Travel books - Again these are outdated as soon as they are written. The better material is on line.

15 Well Established Organizations that have been corrupted by ideological rot

 (Will add to this later)

1. United Nations and its sister organizations

 2. WHO

3. CDC - can hopefully be turned around under Trump although I doubt it

4. BBC, ABC (Australia), CBC (Canada).

5. New York Times

6. Harvard and Colombia University

7. The US Democratic Party

8. The British Labour Party

9. The British Conservative Party

10. British Policing Infrastructure

11. Harvard and Colombia Universities

12. CNN

13.The Canadian Liberal Party

14. ICJ

15. The Australian Labour Party

16 Pro-Russian Information sources in the Western Media

All of these individuals consistently mouth pro-Putin talking points in the media. All of them need to be viewed through this lens. While they may have moments of insight elsewhere they are mot to be trusted within the Russian/Ukranian or Middle East context.

1. Tucker Carlson 

2. Glenn Greenwald

3. Julian Assange

4. Jeffrey Sachs

5. Dave Smith

6. Max Blumenthal

7. Scott Ritter

8. Abby Martin

9. Kim Iverson

10. Jack Posobiec

11. George Galloway

12. Jackson Hinckle

13 Douglas Macgregor

14. Breaking Point Team

15. Aaron Mate

16. Katie Helper

On the Iran/Israel situation

 This I know to be true

1.      1. Iran is an oil rich nation that does not require nuclear energy to meet domestic energy demand It has developed a  nuclear program that is clearly not intended for peaceful purposes.   We know this as it locates its facilities deep underground. No country with a peaceful nuclear program acts in such a manner. Iran is clearly trying to protect its program from a directed bomb strike. Only a fool would argue otherwise.

2.       Furthermore Iran has enriched its uranium fuel to the 60% level which is far above the peaceful use threshold. Left alone Iran will reach 90% enrichment and have the capacity to build as many as ten bombs. For a small country like Israel this could easily precipitate a national Armageddon should Iran follow through on her anti-Israel rhetoric with such a strike option.

3.       It has been working on this program for several decades and would likely have reached bomb producing capacity if it were not for Israeli executions of several key nuclear scientists and the debilitating impact of the Stuxnet computer virus that deliberately targeted its centrifuges. Israel though is running out of options.

4.       Iran has likely acquired assistance in its nuclear program development from Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan. The world is a wicked place. Tehran has threatened on numerous occasions to wipe Israel off the face of the map. It sees Israel as the Little Satan and the US as the greater Satan. In this regard it has been consistent.

5.       Iran has been waging wars against Israel and for that matter the West through its proxy forces – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the Assad regime. However these forces have suffered severe defeats over the last two years.

6.       At present Israel has air supremacy over Iran and can set back  the program several years but it will likely require US assistance with stealth bunker bombs to negate the underground facilities

7.       Israel is targeting Iran’s nuclear and military sites. It has already caused a great deal of damage with these strikes and has taken out many of the leading Iranian military and scientific players in its state nuclear apparatus.

8.       There is a concerted effort by Western intelligence to drive a people’s revolution on the ground but the state authorities in Tehran are controlling the message in the country. The lack of an independent media in Iran implies that such dissent is likely being underreported.

9.       Iranian strikes against Israel have caused damage in civilian rich areas despite the fact that the vast majority of incoming missiles have been stopped by Israel’s Iron Dome and its sister technologies.

10.   The likelihood of Israeli ground troops going into Iran is very low. American boots on the ground deployment here look to be a slim as well.

1.      11. Pro-Iranian sources and their fellow travelers in the Russian and Chinese propaganda machine have ramped up the non-zero probability as a way of arousing sentiment in the West against a US assisted strike on Iran. The propaganda virus has successfully impacted much of the Left and a great deal of the MAGA Right. The majority of the American public though (whether Democratic, Republican or Independent) still sees Iran as a global menace that should not have access to nuclear weapons.

12.       Extremists on all sides have predictably stoked anti-Semitic flames to rally their bases. Google algorithms have not helped. Why is Al Jazeera (the voice of Qatar) so highly touted as an information source by Google search?

13.       President Trump’s two week pause on an American decision will likely buy Israel more time to further damage Iran’s military capabilities. Israel is also focusing on Iranian launch sites to decrease counterattacks on Israel.

14.       Attempts at a mediated ceasefire by the European nations will likely not achieve much unless it is bolstered by the United States, The jury is still out on how American diplomacy will figure in this regard. So far Iran has turned down all American attempts to force Iran to shut down its bomb making initiatives. The Mullah’s likely see the nuclear option as powerful card should the West force regime change as they did in Libya and Iraq before hand.

Opinions on Israel

Having navigated the internet for sometime now it is clear that the voices that abound on Israel can be divided into five groups:

This is by no means complete.

Pro-Israel: Bill Maher, Douglas Murray, Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro, Andrew Klavan, Bari Weiss, Conrad Black, Victor Davis Hanson, Commentary Magazine, Most of National Review, Frontpage Magazine, History Debunked, Officer Tatum, Charlie Kirk, Destiny, PJ Media, Rebel News, travelingIsrael, David Wood, Tousi Tv, Son of Hamas, Thomas Sowell, Other Barak, Charlie Veitch, Megyn Kelly, Erin Molan, Michael Knowles, The Israel Guys, J-TV, Fox News, Alan Dershowitz, American Thinker, Jerusalem Post/YNET, Sky News Australia, Trevor Loudon, TBN, New York Post, Niall Ferguson, Debbie Schlussel, Israel Advocacy Movement and Lara Logan.

Pro-Israel in general: Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, GB News, Talk TV, Breitbart, Peter Hitchens, Bret Stephens, Telegraph (UK), Tim Pool (mostly), Washington Times.

Middle of the Road: CNN, Most of the mainstream Legacy Media in the US, CBC, Sky News International, Globe and Mail, Washington Post, the Hill,  ABC Australia.

Anti-Israel  in general : BBC, ITV, Most of the Continental European Media, Toronto Star, Global News, New York Times Editorial, Cristiane Amanpour, Associated Press, Tucker Carlson, Breaking Point, Joe Rogan, First Post, India News, LBC, Russel Brand, Sargon of Akkad, Wion, TLDR. Paul Joseph Watson.

Extremely Anti-Israel: Candace Owens, Intercept, Grayzone (Max Blumenthal), Jacobin, Macintosh team, Glenn Greenwald, Taki, Patrick Buchanan, Norman Finkelstein, Jackson Hinkle, Gabor and Aaron Mate, Richard Falk, Andrew Tate, Chris Hedges, Owen Jones, Middle East Eye, Novara, Mondoweiss, The Nation, Mohammad Hijab, Vaush, The Young Turks, Hodge Twins, Russia Today, Abby Martin, Kim Iverson, Secular Talk, Dave Smith, Vox, Jimmy Dore, any CCP affiliated media or influences, Jeffrey Sachs. TRT (Turkish media), Al Jazeera, Most of the Guardian and Independent (UK), George Galloway, Gary Linker, Breezy Politics, Black Pigeon Speaks, CJ Werleman.

I asked Grok who I am.

The response was to the point and remarkably accurate.

Gavin Kanowitz is a secondary school physics teacher in Toronto, Canada, originally from Pretoria, South Africa. He holds degrees in biophysics, chemical engineering, and education. Kanowitz is also an author, with notable works including Navigating the Chaos: Clarity and Belief in a World of Persistent Deceit (2023), A History of the Future (2006), and Take the History Challenge (2002). 

His writings focus on topics like civilization decline, education, political ideology, and the intersection of science and society. He contributes to The Bipartisan Press and maintains a blog (worldohistory.blogspot.com) and a website (gavinkanowitz.com). Kanowitz is known for his engaging teaching style, incorporating hands-on projects like building rollercoasters and pinball machines to teach physics concepts. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children and is a passionate Liverpool FC supporter.

Cipolla's five fundamental laws of stupidity:

1. Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.

2.The probability that a certain person (will) be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.

3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.

4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular, non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places, and under any circumstances, to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.

5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.

My thoughts on Joe Rogan

For those who unaware of Joe Rogan, he is a former reality tv host,  MMA color commentator and comedian who is the principal figure behind the very successful - Joe Rogan Experience podcast. He is well known for engaging in extended discussions with guests that average around two and a half hours.  Much of his material has been well received and he now boasts a viewership that routinely dwarfs that of the mainstream media.

I have for the most part had a favourable disposition to Rogan.  Most admirably he served as a pertient avenue for freedom of speech during the Covid lockdowns, when various state actors were using the pandemic as an excuse to suppress necessary discussion on health policy. Rogan took issue with this stance providing a forum for both dissenting and established opinion.Elucidating the truth was his raison d'etre. Something I could only respect.

Rogan also helped boost the profile of Jordan Peterson and Gad Saad especially when the former was attacked by the opinion police here in Canada. Rogan's opposition to Wokeism has been relentless. The way I see it,  is that he likely peaked in 2022 (at the time of the Trucker protest in Canada) when the excesses of the global political landscape had reached peak stupidity (or so it seemed).

However soon afterward I started to notice that Rogan was shifting in focus. He was becoming more conspiratorial in nature. Sub plots around complex phenomena were highlighted with greater regularity and more time was being allotted to those voices who emphasized opaque double play invisible to us regular mortals.. 

While he still was far from the loony world of Alex Jones, Rogan seemed far less discerning with maintaining intellectual balance on his show. Outlier voices were granted more air time as Rogan pushed forward with what appeared to be his personal fight with the establishment. 

Rogan clearly relished the opportunity of taking down accepted views with hostile unsubstantiated narratives an observation that was highlighted recently  during his interview with historical podcaster and WWII revisionist Darryl Cooper.

Just as he did on the Tucker Carlson, Cooper reiterated his extreme view, based on selective fact mining and a loose interpretation of events. His central point is Winston Churchill was the war’s baddie and that Hitler has been misunderstood (a common far right position). The research and finely reviewed studies that have filled academia to the contrary be damned. Cooper had it figured out and Rogan was giving him the chance to shine.

Lacking in topic knowledge Rogan was limited in his push back, nor did he appear to want to do so. There was no need to counterbalance the Cooper take with that of a mainstream historian such Victor Davis Hanson or an Andrew Roberts. Why bother?

What mattered to Rogan and I have noticed this in his stance since then is that Cooper had stuck his finger in the eye of the MAN and that is what really mattered. For him it was good enough.

 This is where Rogan is as a person right now and Cooper had delivered.  As for the truth it can take a back seat. The medium had delivered the message.

Thoughts on History

A deference to credentialism is never a viable approach to reinforce one's argument. Nevertheless this still doesn't imply that all opinions are equally valid. They simply are not. When analyzing an event and its repercussions a theoretical interpretation must still ride on the evidence presented and the plausibility of the thinking advanced to buttress it. Primary sources count more than their secondary sources. They are less clouded by a degree of removal from the event.

While originality of thought and dissenting view should be welcomed the originality counts for nothing if it fails to adhere to the factual constraints. There is no substitution for a thoroughness of investigation. The problem with many amateurs dabbling in history is that they often fail to recognize these truisms.

 

Ten concerns that I have with the overly slick Mark Carney

1.    He has very little political experience and appears to have been vaunted into his prime minister role by a great deal of non-transparent back dealing.

2.   He is very well connected to the WEF and the Davos crowd which means that he will likely continue Trudeau’s globalist outlook. He appears to be cut from the same cloth as Macron, Starmer and Merkel.

3.   He has surrounded himself with the same incompetent politicians Joly, Friedland etc that characterized the Trudeau administration.

4.     He has a personal vision, as outlined in his book ,that is strongly rooted in with the Net Zero Environmental philosophy. When actioned such policies have been disastrous in Germany and other parts of Europe.

5.       He seems as based on his rhetoric so far that he does not personally have solid grasp of the nuances of the Arab-Israel crisis.

6.       He says almost nothing about his plans for dealing with the broken judicial and criminal enforcement system in the country.

7.       He will likely not do away with the DEI encroachment in federal government.

8.    His new found nationalism is not  believable. The Liberal party mishandled immigration and  lampooned Canadian essentialism  under Justin Trudeau. Fast forward to now and  Carney now wants us accept that his anti-Trump stance is grounded in an intrinsic pro-Canadian mantra.

9.       His supporters make him out to be an economic whiz kid even though his record at the Bank of England was sketchy at best.

10   The backtrack on the Carbon tax seems to be an election ploy. Expect this lost revenue to surface elsewhere in a tax as Carney prioritizes his Net zero vision.

Two Months in - The pros and Cons of Trump 2.0

These are the Positives of Trump 2.0:

• Taking a broad stroke to DEI  by removing these programs from the federal government and related institution. People should not be judged, promoted or hired on any other category than individual merit.
• Securing the border, stamping down on illegal immigration and deporting violent aliens.
• Ending student visas for external political troublemakers and rabble rousers on University campuses.
• Forcing universities through the withholding on funds to deal actively with anti-Semitism on campus. Next stop anti-White racism.
• Auditing of Federal government budgeting (through DOGE) to reduce gross waste and the mismanagement of funds. Closing down of inefficient federal branches.
• Issuing a federal ban for men competing in women’s sports
• Changing the leadership in the FBI to enhance a global cleanup of that organization.
• Setting in motion a process for ending the ineffective Department of Education.
• Pushing Europe to increase their individual nation funding of their own defence.
• Using pressure on Panama to end their deal with Chinese related groups regarding control of both ends of the canal.
• Dealing a blow to the Houthis for their attack on shipping in the Red Sea.
• Forcing Hamas to release hostages taken on October 7^th. Trump has shown strong support for Israel.
• Removing aid to the South African government for their racist policies.
• Restabilising a necessary cooperation between Space X and NASA as seen by the rescue of the stranded astronauts.
• Beginning the process for the recognition of the Lumbee tribe in North Carolina.
• Replacing Steve Bannon with Elon Musk as a key advisor. Bannon is a walking media disaster and a fraud.

Here though are the Negatives

• Raising Tariffs – While it is likely part of the ‘art of the deal’ this is a terrible way to negotiate with countries especially if they are traditional allies as Canada is with the US. Flip flopping with respect to tariff start dates is also adding much uncertainty to the global and US economy.
• Focusing on Trade deficits as economic polic.One cannot look at trade deficits with another country and necessarily see it as a bad idea without looking at the sum total of trade with all nations. The United States runs a trade deficit with Canada as it is heavily reliant on Canada’s natural resources to drive its industrial machine. Trump is veering into the Mercantilist trap if he sees this as an ongoing economic policy.
• Childish name calling – While Justin Trudeau was a poor Canadian prime minister and should never have mocked Trump behind his back (as he foolishly did) – Trump needs to do better than his 51^st state or Governor Trudeau jibe. Two wrongs don’t make a right. He has also re-energized the moribund Canadian Liberal Party in a way that could well salvage election victory, from a once likely defeat.
• Threatening to annex Greenland is another ill-timed approach that is damaging relations with another ally (this time Denmark)
• Removing security clearances from Mike Pompeo and John Bolton indicates a pettiness that further augments the notion that Trump doesn’t tolerate dissent or difference of opinion. Not only is the optics terrible but both men (who are well established American patriots) don’t deserve such treatment.
• Some of Trump’s selections for top positions in government are somewhat dubious. Both Tulsi Gabbard (a far leftist who was somewhat of a Bernie bro) and RFK Jr (who has a tendency to sink into conspiracy theory) spring to mind. Steve Witkoff, the Middle East, who has controiversial close ties with terror supporting Qatar still has the jury open on him.
• Trump should never have allowed his differences with the Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelenskyy to spill out on stage as they did in the White House Meeting. The meeting should have been held behind close doors. The events that unfolded painted a picture of the POTUS as not being an honest broker between Russia and the Ukraine. If anything it appeared to greatly embolden Vladimir Putin who is the actual aggressor in this war.
• Trump needs to tone down his uncontrolled deference to exaggerating numbers and statistics. Superlatives are useful for salesmen not as an instrumernt for winning the public trust as leader of the free world.

Quick Questions I have answered on Quora

Why has Europe failed to match the power of the USA?

The two world wars greatly weakened Europe. It also fostered a mindset that encouraged self flagellation and a national drop off in the will to power. Add to that a declining birth rate, the adoption of cradle-to-grave socialism and a reluctance to spend on its own defense and the reasons for the decline become obvious. In many ways the individual European countries have lost their identity. Poorly crafted immigration policies have not helped. For the record, until recently (although the jury is still out) the US was not far behind.

Is Turkey's relationship with its allies being affected by Erdogan's actions?

Yes. Erdogan’s shift toward a type of Islamic nationalism runs contrary to NATO’s western liberal ideals. Turkey’s presence in NATO is equivalent to having a fox in the hen house. It needs to restore Ataturk type secularism in its national outlook or leave.

Why are more and more people now believing in conspiracy theories compared to, let's say, 10 years ago?

The proliferation of various news sources and the failure of the legacy media to report objectively on key issues. This is further compounded by the drop off in trust regarding key institutions. Some of it is unfortunately warranted.

Which religion do you think will still be in existence in 20 years time?

All of the major religions will be around. All boast adherents in the millions (albeit to different orders of magnitude) and twenty years is not a long time in religious history.

Why did the Roman Empire choose Christianity over Islam?

Islam was not around in 313 AD when religious tolerance was granted via the Edict of Milan. Nor did it it exist in 380 AD when the Edict of Thessalonica made Christianity the official religion. Muhammad, the founder of Islam lived between 570 and 632 AD.

Stoicism

I have been reading considerably on the philosophy of Stoicism, whose central tenet is the concept of virtue. In its essence Stoicism isn't so much a philosophy but a way of life. It is rooted in a pragmatism that can be applied to our experiential existence. 

Here are some key points about Stoicism:

1. Its origin goes back to the time of Ancient Greece and the thinking of Zeno of Citium who agued that 'The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.'

2. However it was the Romans especially Seneca the Younger (and his notion of time management), Epictetus (on Resilience) and the philosopher Emperor Marcus Aurelius (most famous for the wisdom outlined in his work Meditations) that developed the framework for Stoicism.

3. Stoicism divides the realm that personally impacts an individual into aspects that one can control (internals) and those that are beyond our control (externals). It is the former that it focuses on. In this regard it asks us as an individual to harness our perceptions, decisions and attitudes towards a 'Call to Action'.

4. One's work, fitness and personal relationships are aspects we can manage as well as the challenge of facing our death.

5. Virtue is key to Stoicism . It through virtue that we can navigate the struggles and turbulence of life. Four factors define virtue viz. wisdom, courage, justice and temperance.

6. Wisdom extends beyond knowledge. It urges us to understand the world and seek out truths. Courage requires that we use rationality and strength to face adversity and avoid choosing paths of ease that do not permit us the opportunity to grow.

7. Justice requires that we balance kindness and fairness in making decisions and finally temperance challenges us to control our emotions and desires.

8. It is through a focus on virtue that we cultivate character. and gravitate towards Eudaimonia which is the stoic goal of happiness and flourishing.

9. Virtue requires perspective and an understanding of the impression (initial perceptions) and assent (processing of said perceptions) to regulate our beliefs. A view from above is necessary to transcend our material existence. This will allow us to motion towards tranquility and an embrace of Amor Fati (loving one's fate).

Reflections XXII - It needs to be said

Wisdom is rarely achieved by rapidly mastering a task with speed. It is process that combines failure, questioning and then smaller increments of success.

 The problem with socialism is that it divides wealth instead of multiplying it.

 Nobody has a clue of what the afterlife brings which may be G-d’s finest ever move.

 Cultural supremacy should be celebrated by a society not scorned. For once it is internally negated then decline is not far behind.

 No leader epitomized the decline that is Britain than Keir Starmer – the very essence of a global fraud masquerading as a national leader. His role is to manage Britain’s downfall.

 If you tolerate evil on the grounds of cultural relativism then you burn into a society’s fabric an inevitable pattern of regression to full on failure. This is the European curse.

Reflections XXI - Racing through my mind

Every society requires a reboot. This is especially true if its fundamentals have been eroded beyond recognition. The United States in 2025 was primed for such energy. Contemporary Europe was still debating whether it had any life to reboot at all.

 Academia is in a constant battle between the majority who play loosely with the facts and those brave souls who prioritize the truth above all else.

 The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a chance for Moscow to play her final hand and prove to the world that she was still a master of the war of attrition. Sunken costs rarely bothered the Kremlin.

There are givers and takers in geopolitics and no taker has grasped the opportunity so well as did the Chinese with its much favoured nation status. The US was completely outmaneuvered.

Reflections XX - Making sense of some observations

 Intelligent people can be closed minded as intelligence is no guarantor of wisdom.

 No science has been more powerful than physics in understanding the universe, as its principles underpin so many phenomena that cut across other disciplines.

 The Irish have a great affinity for the Palestinians as they too have a national spirit that tends to unfortunately marinate in victimhood.

 It still astounds me as to how the European elite are content in allowing their continent to burn while they fiddle with unearned smugness.

 What made Mohammad Ali great was that he was capable of beating any type of fighter from brawler to hard hitter. He simply had the skillset and quickness of feet to adapt to differing opponents.

Reflections XIX - Obsevational Realities

The United States would be better served if it stopped viewing politics as a team sport that requires consistent and unnecessary nourishment and over stimulation.

 The Covid-19 disaster outlined two important facts about humanity viz. there is no shortage of bullies willing to abuse the rights of the other nor is there a deficiency of the weak minded who will voluntarily give up their freedoms.

 The tragedy of the liberation movement in South Africa is that it sacrificed its long term future for gains in the present by promoting liberation before education.

 Robert Mugabe continued the powerful post-colonial tradition in Africa of turning his country (Zimbabwe) into an economic disaster by wrecking its agricultural self-sufficiency.

 In regularly voting into power the ANC the South African electorate shows once again that democracy is no guarantor that the incompetent and the corrupt will be replaced.

In the News - January 2025

DeepSeek shatters AI market. The US needs to wake up. AI is turning into a battleground. My prediction is that they will however until then one can expect more short term jitter (and itchy bums) for investors. Great boost though for high tech STEM jobs in the West. Also gives another significant direction indication of the importance of the H1-B visa argument. I am with Elon Musk over Steve Bannon on this one.India is a natural ally of the West and their technical expertise cannot hurt.

War in the Congo DR- Access to Mineral resources (including many used in the computing industry) is the big factor here. Rwanda is a key ally of the West and the small nation is backing the M-23 rebels in the East (who have likely taken the city of Goma). However there is strong poterntial that the conflict will spill over into the rest of the country and indeed the continent. Expect the war here to dominate news cycle for the next few months. Once again the United Nations looks ineffective. US and China (possibly) will have to act before this becomes another proxy front in a war between these powers.

Land Expropriation in South Africa without compensation - I saw this happening as early as 1994. It wasn't difficult. This is straight out of the Marxist playbook. A concerted effort by the West is needed to force South Africa to reverse such a policy. It still astounds me as to how the ANC has managed to outplay the free market DA in South Africa. If the latter represents the voice of reason in the country then the nation is in a worse state than I could have imagined.

Good News for Trump - The cabinet nominees are falling into place. Trump has promised a lot and looks to be delivering in the immediate. Most important is that his administration stays the course with respect to the deportation of illegal aliens.

Relections XVIII - Historical Observations

There is no more profound characteristic of the Russian people than to internalize its own misery. It is so prevalent that one can think of it as a survival technique.

 Two aspects define societal decline – the collapse of moral clarity and the demise of reason. One sees this in the contemporary west.

 Beware of credentials that are not backed up by experience for it is the latter that is the great teacher.

No institution can remain in workable equilibrium forever as the urge to make bad decisions is so great.

 The most obvious mistake by globalists is that it erroneously reached the conclusion that it was at the endpoint of the Hegelian march of history. It never was and perhaps will never be.

Quick Answers to Quora Questions

 My answers on Quora

How did Nazi Germany react to Japan's attack on Southeast Asia instead of the USSR?

It was not what Nazi Germany wanted. However from Japan’s perspective it made complete sense as the country is resource poor. South East Asian was too great a target. The Germans did declare war on the US very soon after Pearl Harbor with the hope (it is believed) of encouraging Japan to assist them in the USSR. However after Japanese setbacks in the fight against the Soviets at Khalkhin Gol (1939) and further struggles against China on the mainland such an approach was unlikely to come to fruition.

Why do wealthy individuals fund far left revolutionary causes?

I suspect that many of said individuals are either motivated by guilt and/or more importantly see themselves as buying dominance in the new ruling vanguard that will hold power should the revolution succeed.

Should Trump go after those lying sycophants in the press who oppose him?

No. They are doing well destroying their credibility on their own. Trump should focus rather on the issues that matter - border control, the economy and fixing the broken state apparatus that is urgent need of repair.

From the Archives V - Camping

 Written in 2015.

Every year Dina , the kids and myself embark on our long weekend camping venture. This past weekend represented this year’s instalment. Not being the greatest outdoorsman camping challenges me on many different levels. It is not so much the pure vacation aspect but the feat of moving outside my zone of comfort that I most appreciate. Watching the kids have fun (and they always do) is even more of a reward. Our site this year was the Bon Echo Park (located off Highway Seven going east from Toronto toward Kingston). Like most provincial parks in Southern Ontario it is well delineated, clean and densely populated with humid continental deciduous forest-like vegetation.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon (a bit later than expected courtesy of the traffic exiting the city) and set up shop as soon as possible. Our friends had reached the destination beforehand and assisted us with the tent assembly and site preparation.

Despite the user-friendly nature of the modern tent there are still one or two rods that are remarkably similar and have the tendency to torpedo a well thought out assembly strategy. Ever the theorist the lesson in practicality drawn from this experience is most humbling.

That night we barbecued the required Hamburgers (which I like) and Hot Dogs (which I don’t) as the kids took off with their respective friends – riding bikes, playing on the grounds and taking full advantage of what can only be described as leisure heaven (for them anyway).

Sunday was the day at the beach and boy did we enjoy ourselves. Seven hours or so in the water – canoeing, paddle boating, building sand castles and swimming. Armed with water pistols, the kids sprayed one another (and their father) during a frenzy period of activity uninterrupted by time’s stingy hand. I loved it and so did they. It reminded me of my fortunate childhood vacationing in Durban, Umhlanga Rocks, Cape Town, Muisenberg and George with not a care in the world. We celebrated the air, the water and the blissful feeling of freedom - a life with no worries. This is what I wanted for my own kids and right here on an isolated beach somewhere on Turtle Island they were enjoying the same experience.

The evening events took a bit of a turn for the worse as the storm that was threatening unleashed its torrent of rain that continued throughout the night. Out came the rain ponchos as we huddled under tarps hoping for an end to the onslaught that only came in the wee hours of the morning. However its moments like this that build strength (at least this is what I kept telling myself) and our team of campers held firm against an onslaught of lightning and thunder that at times seemed relentless. The tent leaked a bit but we managed to contain it and although our sleep was not restful we emerged the next morning bedraggled, unkempt and tired but with our spirits still up.

Onward to Monday and of course the clean-up. The kids enjoyed their last moments at the site and I pattered myself on the back knowing that I had once again overcome my own personal OCD demons around dirt and chaos. Despite the weather we had a great time and would do it again in a second for at the end we were together as a family. This is what matters. Dina and I couldn’t have asked for more.

Physics Reading List

Books I recommend

1. The Elegant Universe – Brian Greene - excellent introduction into the fundamentals of Modern Physics.

2. Hyperspace – Michio Kaku - wonderful take on extra-dimensions by a strong narrator.
3. The Ideas of Physics – Ernest Hutten - an oldie but a goldie – discusses key ideas that shaped the discipline.
4. Fearful Symmetry – A. Zee - Looks at the Beauty in Physics.
5. Physics of Immortality – Frank Tipler - a bit over the top but highly entertaining nevertheless.
6. Theories of Everything – John Barrow - Low key but well written.
7. Feynman Lecture Series – Richard Feynman - A struggle for the lay person but if you can get through a third of it your effort will be rewarded.
8. The Trouble with Physics – Lee Smolin - an important critique of the group think that has encroached on the discipline.
9. Physics – Douglas Giancoli - Doesn’t matter what the edition is its treatment of classical physics is praiseworthy.
10. The Flying circus of Physics – Jearl Walker – Challenging problems that force one to really think deep.
11. Relativity Simply Explained – Martin Gardiner – Its title says it all.
12. The First Three Minutes – Steven Weinberg- Still one of the best treatments of the Big Bang.
13. The Constants of Nature – John Barrow – Delves into the details of these definitive constants that so encapsulate our universe.
14. Thirty Years that Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory – Gamow is a great storyteller and he didn’t disappoint with this useful read.
15. 50 Physics Ideas – Joanne Baker – Lots of fun and really easy to read.