Tereza, subject Russian crude oil: Western European refineries are designed to process Russia's Ural crude, beginning 1963 former USSR. Refineries cannot be reconfigured because fracking towers etc were designed specifically for Russian Ural crude feedstocks. LNG is transferred ship- to - ship because the US connector fittings won't connect to the floating terminals connections. All western European countries are evading sanctions and paying rumbles or their supplies are now cut off by Russia. France's natural gas was shut off yesterday. LNG is not a direct replacement for 'natural gas' due to different energy volumes, i.e. industries' end use equipment must be modified. Western Europe is using reserves 'now' at the start of summer (50% used up) instead of November, i.e. January 2023 will be cold, dark and hungry for the populist.
Lots of information via Telegram channels like Eurasia & Multipolary, MoD Russia, Military Summary.
During the height of the pandemic, I was very disappointed with Chomsky when he said those who refuse vaccination should isolate themselves (https://youtu.be/7RPt7hRfr8I). In that instance at least, he proved that even the most famous “leftist anarchist” on the planet could be swayed by fear (and perhaps also too much faith that germ theory is settled science). I still respect his views and his past contributions, but there is much to learn about mass formation in his ideological inconsistency on, at least, this one point.
When I first heard him make this statement, after I got over my shock I had an internal dialog about how much we can realistically ever agree with another human being, and I decided, in keeping with Pareto’s rule, 80% is probably the threshold sufficient for bonds like long-term friendship, tribe, and community. However, some statements carry much more weight than others and some can tell us everything we need to know about a person’s true nature. I was very tempted to take this as one of those really telling statements and to write him off completely. But he’s just been too right too many times to do that. I wish I could have been so right about so many things. And due to his age he did have some additional rational fear of any illness. So I’ve decided he’s still in my imaginary tribe.
I decided to cut Chomsky some slack because, it seems to me, we must recognize that any of us can be mistaken and unintentionally inconsistent due to things like unconscious bias, and that given enough time (and age) any of us might put our foot in our mouth. Also, as you’ve discussed, mistakes are opportunities for learning, and even Chomsky has some things left to learn—right? I am also trying to avoid my own participation in the narcissism of small differences, and my larger goal is to ditch ideological mental constructs that have become unconsciously algorithmic in my own head. So I'm trying to hone my personal tolerance standards toward acceptance rather than agreement.
One of the things that is most offensive to me about woke/cancel culture is that no one is allowed to misspeak, which is an unattainable human standard. Instead, all communication becomes a purity test and no dissidence (or dissonance) is tolerated, which is as good a definition of totalitarianism as I need, and which is also the central symptom of mass formation.
In case you can’t tell, I’m working through Matias Desmet’s book, The Psychology of Totalitarianism. (While I think the book is important, I believe I detect some editorial interference. Or maybe that's my own paranoia. If this book ever makes your reading list, I'd be very interested in your take.)
Mar 3, 2023·edited Mar 3, 2023Liked by Tereza Coraggio
As soon as Chomsky went on that tirade against the unjabbed, I knew right then and there that he was not all he was cracked up to be.
I don't in principle oppose his idea of a "needs based economic system", as I am not an anarchist myself (though I used to be one when I was much younger), but it is obvious now that Chomsky is certainly no anarchist or anything even remotely close to one.
Tereza, subject Russian crude oil: Western European refineries are designed to process Russia's Ural crude, beginning 1963 former USSR. Refineries cannot be reconfigured because fracking towers etc were designed specifically for Russian Ural crude feedstocks. LNG is transferred ship- to - ship because the US connector fittings won't connect to the floating terminals connections. All western European countries are evading sanctions and paying rumbles or their supplies are now cut off by Russia. France's natural gas was shut off yesterday. LNG is not a direct replacement for 'natural gas' due to different energy volumes, i.e. industries' end use equipment must be modified. Western Europe is using reserves 'now' at the start of summer (50% used up) instead of November, i.e. January 2023 will be cold, dark and hungry for the populist.
Lots of information via Telegram channels like Eurasia & Multipolary, MoD Russia, Military Summary.
During the height of the pandemic, I was very disappointed with Chomsky when he said those who refuse vaccination should isolate themselves (https://youtu.be/7RPt7hRfr8I). In that instance at least, he proved that even the most famous “leftist anarchist” on the planet could be swayed by fear (and perhaps also too much faith that germ theory is settled science). I still respect his views and his past contributions, but there is much to learn about mass formation in his ideological inconsistency on, at least, this one point.
When I first heard him make this statement, after I got over my shock I had an internal dialog about how much we can realistically ever agree with another human being, and I decided, in keeping with Pareto’s rule, 80% is probably the threshold sufficient for bonds like long-term friendship, tribe, and community. However, some statements carry much more weight than others and some can tell us everything we need to know about a person’s true nature. I was very tempted to take this as one of those really telling statements and to write him off completely. But he’s just been too right too many times to do that. I wish I could have been so right about so many things. And due to his age he did have some additional rational fear of any illness. So I’ve decided he’s still in my imaginary tribe.
I decided to cut Chomsky some slack because, it seems to me, we must recognize that any of us can be mistaken and unintentionally inconsistent due to things like unconscious bias, and that given enough time (and age) any of us might put our foot in our mouth. Also, as you’ve discussed, mistakes are opportunities for learning, and even Chomsky has some things left to learn—right? I am also trying to avoid my own participation in the narcissism of small differences, and my larger goal is to ditch ideological mental constructs that have become unconsciously algorithmic in my own head. So I'm trying to hone my personal tolerance standards toward acceptance rather than agreement.
One of the things that is most offensive to me about woke/cancel culture is that no one is allowed to misspeak, which is an unattainable human standard. Instead, all communication becomes a purity test and no dissidence (or dissonance) is tolerated, which is as good a definition of totalitarianism as I need, and which is also the central symptom of mass formation.
In case you can’t tell, I’m working through Matias Desmet’s book, The Psychology of Totalitarianism. (While I think the book is important, I believe I detect some editorial interference. Or maybe that's my own paranoia. If this book ever makes your reading list, I'd be very interested in your take.)
As soon as Chomsky went on that tirade against the unjabbed, I knew right then and there that he was not all he was cracked up to be.
I don't in principle oppose his idea of a "needs based economic system", as I am not an anarchist myself (though I used to be one when I was much younger), but it is obvious now that Chomsky is certainly no anarchist or anything even remotely close to one.
What are your thoughts on Howard Zinn?