Tag Archives: 2018

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post, Patreon Content

The Honor Box

Gallery

The Honor Box

By

Cognitive Dissonance

 

It is commonly said the fish rots from the head down, meaning leadership is the root cause of the failure and demise of any organization, regardless of whether we are speaking of a country, culture or company. I’m not so sure this is true, at least not in all cases.

For this common belief to be correct, those further down the food chain must (essentially) be subservient to those at the top, unable to control or even influence leadership to shape up or ship out. The saying implies we are little more than passive passengers, our fate sealed by those piloting the plane up front.

If this is the case, then the form of government practiced in the US, a representative republic (and NOT a democracy) where those at the top, our elected leaders, are elevated into leadership roles with our consent and support, and can be deposed/removed the same way, does not in actual practice exist.

Either we are victims or we are not. Either we have free choice or we have not. Either they make us do it or they do not. Either we rule “our” leadership or we do not. Continue reading The Honor Box →

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post

Animal Spirits and Over Extended Markets

Gallery

Animal Spirits and Over Extended Markets

By

Cognitive Dissonance

 

 

Animal spirits is the term John Maynard Keynes used in his 1936 book “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money” to describe the instincts, proclivities and emotions that ostensibly influence and guide human behavior, and which can be measured in terms of, for example, consumer confidence. It has since been argued that trust is also included in or produced by "animal spirits". – Wikipedia

 

Voltaire is alleged to have said "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." Those are wise words indeed and the subject of a future article. For now, though, I wish to modify Voltaire slightly to express my own point of view.

“To learn what controls us, simply find out what we don’t wish to discuss…at least not directly.” – Cognitive Dissonance

I attempt to view us silly humans as would a space alien orbiting Earth in order to observe our terminal insanity from a safe distance. While I freely admit disassociating myself from everyone else is nearly impossible (I can’t just flip a switch and stop thinking like a deeply conditioned and biased human) I still give it the old college try. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Or to quote Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

I just love that one. Continue reading Animal Spirits and Over Extended Markets →

Another Point of View

Hold The Front Page: The Reporters Are Missing And Journalism Is Dead

Gallery

 

(Edit: I've tried to write on this subject for a while now and failed, realizing I would not, probably could not, do it justice. So when I came across this article by John Pilger I quickly decided to re-post it. Please excuse the British theme. The music may be different, but the theme (regardless of your political, religious or social affiliation) remains the same here in the US. 

This is not about suppressing conservative or liberal voices. This is about suppressing dissent of any kind that does not follow or support the official narrative. - Cognitive Dissonance)

 

by John Pilger via ConsortiumNews.com

 

So much of mainstream journalism has descended to the level of a cult-like formula of bias, hearsay and omission. Subjectivism is all; slogans and outrage are proof enough. What matters is “perception,” says John Pilger.

By John Pilger
Special to Consortium News

The death of Robert Parry earlier this year felt like a farewell to the age of the reporter. Parry was “a trailblazer for independent journalism”, wrote Seymour Hersh, with whom he shared much in common.

Hersh revealed the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the secret bombing of Cambodia, Parry exposed Iran-Contra, a drugs and gun-running conspiracy that led to the White House. In 2016, they separately produced compelling evidence that the Assad government in Syria had not used chemical weapons. They were not forgiven.

Driven from the “mainstream”, Hersh must publish his work outside the United States. Parry set up his own independent news website Consortium News, where, in a final piece following a stroke, he referred to journalism’s veneration of “approved opinions” while “unapproved evidence is brushed aside or disparaged regardless of its quality.” Continue reading Hold The Front Page: The Reporters Are Missing And Journalism Is Dead →