Venezuela

If I were a Venezuelan, I would write a Petition to the U.S. to invade and overthrow that idiot Maduro. That is the only way Venezuela gets better, is by U.S. intervention. Those idiots down there screwed up their economy so badly that it is beyond repair. Just destroy the government, destroy the entire system and start over. A government that cannot protect the economy is not a good government. I would like to point out at this time that the Great Recession of 2008 happened right on or after George W. Bush. The Republicans fail by not regulating enough, and Democrats fail by regulating too much. What they need to do is put their heads together and craft good, smart compromises. Instead of playing politics 24/7/365, sit down, hash it out, make things work. That is exactly what did not happen in Venezuela, where one faction just rewrote all the rules based upon ignorance and prejudice, resulting in all the able and competent businessmen either fleeing the country or losing hope and faith altogether. Hence the economic meltdown in Venezuela and a worthless Bolivar.

Republicans say Venezuela's collapse proves socialism is bad. Well, I don't care about socialism. But Venezuela's problem was rooted in two things unrelated to ideology. Ignorance & Stupidity. All these stupid, uneducated poor people came into power all of a sudden and it got to their head. They screwed up worse than the regime that came before. The first thing you need before you form a government is smart folk. Maybe not the best and the brightest. We certainly do not have the best and the brightest up in Washington, D.C. However, we have a good system and a lot of checks and balances on the stupid people, like Trump. Trump is pretty stupid and suffers from chronic foot-in-mouth disease. He needs to stick a plumber's helper on his face, just below his nose. I agree with some of his policies, but my very agreement with him makes me wonder whether I might be wrong, sometimes. However, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Venezuela could actually be a powerhouse of both continents with its proven oil reserves. What it needs is a benevolent dictatorship, ruthless enough to be rid of the Maduro idiots that do nothing but cause trouble. Every one of them need to be rounded up and destroyed, and all their support networks uprooted. The Venezuelan military today is nothing but a mafia extorting money from the poor. They are a cancer in Venezuelan society. That country needs radical chemotherapy to recover from the cancer. Violence would be necessary. Afterward, the economy would turn a new leaf, average incomes would multiply by ten to a hundred-fold, and everyone could get a good education and health care. It would be a good deal. In a better world, the U.S. would simply colonize Venezuela and demonstrate, by example, how to govern the land. The Venezuelans have clearly demonstrated they do not know how to manage their own affairs. But colonialism has a bad rep, and everyone agonizes over things like racism and cultural arrogance and so forth, so meanwhile Venezuelan mothers have to walk ten miles and wait in line for eight hours in order to buy food for their children, if it happens to be in stock at the store--otherwise, come back the next day and repeat. . .

It's About Time

If anyone is wondering what this liberal Democrat thinks about Trump's foreign policy, my thoughts are as follows. It is about time a U.S. President shaked some stick at our foreign "friends" that take so much foreign aid, basically billions of dollars in hand-outs, taking from the American taxpayer, and we get nothing in return. The amount of money, unfair trade and unfair defense that has been going on the last fifty years is over the top, and I am glad that finally someone is up there kicking their behinds.

To Hell with Iran, to Hell with Turkey, to Hell with Europe, and China is the worst of them all. All of these countries need to learn, treat the U.S. unfairly and suffer, not a little bit, but dearly, and watch your economy go up in smoke. Anyone does not like it, they can talk to the vast arsenal that is our U.S. military. The truth is we do not need trade at all. If countries want to take advantage of the U.S. and rob the American worker of his living, those countries do not need to trade at all with the U.S. The day when the U.S. always got the raw end of the bargain is over, hopefully for good.

That said, there's no denying Trump has no gift for writing, no gift for words, no ability at team-making and is probably involved in a lot of low and shady dealings. Sometimes it just takes summoning a demon to get things done. Angels are too up in the clouds with spiritual matters. Demons are down in the material plane counting dollars and cents and know what it is to want to get. Yes, Trump represents the demonic, but he is just the sort of demon that these foreigners brought upon themselves by imposing unilateral tariffs and other trade barriers on the U.S., backstabbing us in other areas of foreign policy and supporting terrorism and other problems in the world. Time to learn a lesson! Maybe next time they get someone nice and sweet like Obama, they won't take advantage of him, because after the Obama comes the Trump!

Tribute to Donald Michael Kraig

I was saddened to read that Donald Michael Kraig passed from this carnation in 2014, according to the bio in his book that I am reading. A check on Wikipedia shows the cause to have been pancreatic cancer. I never heard of the thing until Steve Jobs got it. Don't care about Jobs, do care about Kraig. I like him, based on his writing style and content. He makes magic accessible, without casting down thorns to sting minorities, like some magicians do. Magicians are only human, and of course some succumb to the usual biases and prejudices that plague all of humankind, but Kraig was different in having no real biases about anything, he was the type of guy that would just accept the whole menu as presented by the waiter and of course he had his favorites, but he wouldn't complain about the other selections and put them down. His writing is very good, and he sounded like a fellow one would want to invite to dinner--every night. I may indeed have to collect all his books. I was also saddened to hear that the widow asked for funds back in 2014 to help with medical and funeral expenses. It appears that even a prolific, successful and active person in the creative and performing arts has trouble gathering together enough funds to take care of medical contingencies. Really medical care in this country is a mess, with much waste and much cost, too much cost indeed for the average person to bear when something bad strikes. But such are the times we live in.

I am glad that he took the time to perfect his Great Work, which I think Modern Magick is, by releasing the third edition. It truly is a Great Work, in part because of his affable style and accessibility. He comes across as warm, not cold like some writers. I look forward to reading it many times over through the years. It is almost like he survives in a sense--so many people will be imagining his voice in their minds for generations to come. I think that in time, his book will sell a million, and the 150,000 copies sold figure will be a distant memory. It is ironic, but oftentimes authors achieve their greatest success posthumously. I have long appreciated that writing and other creative arts are a method, accessible by all, to achieve a limited form of immortality. The ego may not survive, but the will does, as do thought-forms, ideas, opinions. All these things persist through writing, and although not physical at all, they can achieve even greater influence than the one that produced them.

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Addendum, 8/28/2018:

To my dismay, I have since learned that Kraig stole an occult skrying technique from learned magus Carroll "Poke" Runyon. Kraig published the technique in his book "Modern Magick," failing to give credit to Runyon as Runyon deserved and, over the years, requested. I think the theft was an unintentional oversight, innocent of malice, in the First Edition, but due to growing animosity between the two men, when the truth became evident, even then Kraig failed to make amends in the Second and Third Editions, which is most regrettable. Now the drama associated with this intellectual property theft is convoluted and would require many pages of text to recount and cost me several hours to unravel, but is also illuminating, because it reveals a human moral failing that jars with the pursuit of White Magic and belies the high moral claims Kraig makes in his book, rather exposing a bit of hypocrisy, and that in his own book and in his own words. A sad footnote to an otherwise great book and great author. I would have advised Kraig to write an entire page in his Third Edition, not to scold Runyon, as Kraig did, but to praise and credit the learned man, who has not enjoyed half the publishing success that Kraig has, for the matter was petty and trivial and likely the result of miscommunication. Yet Kraig chose otherwise.

The choice of pride and arrogance over right is detrimental to Spirit and, along with the general tone of the book, leads one to suspect that the author valued the material over the spiritual. I suppose most of us do. Certainly compromises must be made in order to get ourselves a living. It does not seem practical to apply the highest moral standard to every act, else we would perish or have our lifespan severely reduced. I do not trust in the providence of justice. I think I would be sacrificed in short order. Yet there are some things, I think we can sacrifice for the greater good without undue loss or suffering.

Lowering of the Bar

Surveying the public's idols, one thing is clear, the bar is low, and one needs more luck than talent, or talent is a small part of the overall package, at any rate. Geniuses don't dominate the top, but fill the middle. Over on the right, I look at big-time celebrities like Trump, Kanye West and the like and wonder what on earth people are thinking, if they are thinking. Let us set Trump's policies aside for one moment and just look at behavior. Trump just flaunts corruption and deception left and right, he is not even good at hiding it, and the Christian Right eats his words up with a spoon. They have no qualms whatsoever supporting an obvious liar and a cheater. Trump has been called out on so many lies, it is ridiculous. He could at least try once in a while to tell the truth, just for the sake of the country. So all the noise they generated against the Clintons and all the other so-called liberals back in the day is exposed as mere hypocrisy. As for Kanye, he would say anything for his two goals, attention and money, the one supporting the other. He has no real opinions or ideas, just wants money and influence, like Trump. I suppose the main thing is that people don't want to feel threatened on an intellectual level, so they scorn the best and the brightest and select the not-so-bright, deemed more palatable and accessible. I can think of plenty better representatives of right-wing philosophy than Trump, so why didn't they get nominated?

I think Christianity for a lot of people has not so much to do with religion or belief. I think it is a tribal identity. People identify strongly with their own tribe, their family and friends. They will support whatever the tribe wants. Loyalty is the main thing. It is like the mafia. As for the religion, it is just a bunch of words reinforcing the tribe and its agenda. It is a suitable dress for the public to observe. Look at us, we're pious, you cannot impeach our piety, the Lord is on our side. Yeah, right.

I Quit Reddit

I quit Reddit today. Attention addiction is just another addiction and just as harmful and soul-diminishing as alcohol. Attention whores are as common as drunks nowadays. Best to nip it in the bud. I gained little from exposure to internet personalities but cold comfort.

N.R.A., Guns, and Gun Laws

I am not passionate about guns, but live in a country that is. In the U.S., gun deaths are an epidemic. Every few days, some man gets mad, takes out a gun and wastes a bunch of civilians. Could be me next, could be you.

Now, the threat is the angry man with the gun. Trying to find him before he strikes is like whack-a-mole. Too many of these nutcases. What do we do about that. Liberals say, it is easy, ban the gun. Conservatives say, no one is taking my gun. I say, stop the shooting.

The liberals have data on their side. Gun deaths are less in countries with strong gun laws. Conservatives have history on their side. The U.S. has had guns for so long, and has so many, they are practically a part of our DNA. I don't know how anyone would go about getting rid of all the guns. There are just too many. Everyone and their brother has one. Nowadays you can download a gun over the Internet and print it out on a 3-D printer. We live in a crazy world of violent morons.

In the end, the mad nincompoops win. Can't have a public anymore. No more school, no more workplace, no more tavern. Everyone is going to have to stay at home, behind bullet-proof walls. They work at their computer station. That is the only way to be safe.

That, of course, is not a palatable solution. There is another one, which no one wants to hear.

All the mad idiots, we have to abort their fetuses. No more uncontrolled reproduction. All these crazy ones being born and wasting resources and then killing people when they grow up--nip them in the bud. That is the ultimate answer to the world's problems, all of them, staring us in the face right now, but no one really wants to stare back and acknowledge the horrible truth, that in the end, the fault lies within us, we just need to stop reproducing like rabbits. Produce only good ones. The bad ones, don't even germinate in the first place. As you have quality control for manufacturing, so too we have a dire need for it in the human race.

Until such time as Joe Q. Public is willing to acknowledge and accept the one feasible solution to all society's ills, KABLOWEY! Read about the next blast-off, blow-up, brains splattered everywhere because some idiot got upset in the news media.

Higher Intelligence

There is a certain higher intelligence, a maturity, attainable only in sobriety, and only when desired above all else. Look down, as though from above, at this world with all its people, including yourself, and understand you are players, representations of the spirits, tiny little beings in the greater Cosmos. What is so important you must cry? Can it be anything really of weight, beside the galaxies moving through space? So, what little human being, let us call him or her X or Y or Z, what this little speck of dust, doomed to die in the blink of the eye of the Buddha, what it does or says is quite beside the point. I am saying listen to the roar of the Cosmos, and then you will view the squeak of the human beings in their proper perspective. Dust, gone and forgotten, is the fate of all, even the one that props himself up on a pedestal and croaks his silly boasts before the world of men, though he has decayed to an ugly frog in his advanced age.

You can control what you do or say. And that is all you need to do! What a relief! No need to control others or even to be concerned about them at all. Let people be people. What is wrong with that? People want to be themselves. Of course, people make mistakes, so let people make those mistakes, and if there are consequences, well then, that is a problem they will have to work out, isn't it?

There are not any things which "must not be done" by others. Others make mistakes, sometimes, terrible foolishness, but that is on them, isn't it? It is not a burden one must share or accept. I am not saying, do nothing all the time. Fight when necessary, avoid when possible, is my advice, because contemplation and work is preferable to pointless nonproductive fighting, which accomplishes little. What scientific discoveries did the Vikings ever make? Oh, do tell me about the longboat. For a thousand years, it is not much. Where is their literature, and how does it compare to our Canon? So fighting is necessary sometimes but is to be avoided, as the main glory is to be had by careful toil. I have always preferred to let the Vikings deal with the Vikings, because they will tend to devise effective solutions for one another.

I despise drinking, not for the reason of health, although that is a valid reason and supported by science, but for this other reason. Intoxication inhibits the higher intelligence, blinds us to the greater awareness, chains us to this material plane, imprisons us within our animal nature, so we do not know what it is we do or say. There is no getting around that it is evil. As to why it is popular and so common throughout all of history and civilization, there is a side of us that wants the Night. So the animal nature is definitely a powerful factor within us, and evolution's a work in progress, and it is known that monkeys, too, are fond of fermented fruit and will seek it out in the jungle. The question put before each human being is whether to indulge the base animal with its low instincts or to reach for the higher stage, for what will come next, if the species is to progress.

Brain-Dead Academia

I think certain librarians need to have their salaries halved, because clearly they have nothing better to do with their time but denigrate the canon of American literature, such as Laura Ingalls Wilder. Picking on the dead is always fashionable. They can't respond on Twitter, you see. Such idiocy! What's next, kick Shakespeare off the shelf, because of sexism?

French Law is Soft

French law is soft, because the French are stupid. That is why they lost WW2 and got taken over, until the United States came to their rescue. That is also why a notorious gangster escaped by helicopter from prison. If the French had any brains in their vacant skulls, they would have punished the criminal in the correct manner after he killed a policewoman. They would have poked a stick through each of his eyeballs and scraped out his brains. Then, no escape in 2018. There is no known escape from the crypt. In a way, the French deserve what happens to them. The gravest crime in the Universe is stupidity. The punishment is severe and often comes quickly. The French really have been stupid for hundreds of years. It was pretty obvious after Napoleon invaded Russia, but even before that, the excesses of the French Kings, driving their country into debt for the sake of stupid and pointless wars pointed to lack of intellectual prowess.

To Know that there is No Hope

To know that there is no hope seems like a doom. It is not. When savored fully, the revelation is a liberation. From futile, needless wants. The knowledge is a mighty gift, scorned by the foolish, esteemed by the Wise, sent by those who Watch and Listen.

Generation after Generation

We read in the media about cases of child abuse that are sickening and just indicative of the low level of maturity and low level of intelligence that some adults possess. There are a number of sadistic bullies out there with no morals, acting as Mother or Father. In cases of severe child abuse or neglect, where grievous harm has been committed, in addition to whatever prison sentence is determined by the courts, the parent(s) should be surgically sterilized, to prevent further costly problems that the rest of the society has to deal with. There are a lot of people that really have no business having kids. They are not mature, not intelligent enough to navigate today's society, and hardly capable of taking care of themselves, let alone a future generation. These types need help, and in exchange for that help, they can pay a visit to the local surgeon, who will remove the problem-causing organ from their body.

Welfare and food stamps, too, should be conditional upon permanent, surgical sterilization. If someone wants to keep having babies, then they can get their own food, or else go without. It is not the responsibility of the taxpayer to enable some low-life to keep pumping out babies, which they then mistreat and neglect. This is a symptom of the degeneration of the human race, when we are in a situation where the worst, the most horrible people reproduce and have kids. Not because they planned it, not because they are ready financially, mentally or spiritually, but because of sex and they do not understand how to use a condom or "it just don't feel the same."

Those that want to pay extra taxes to support generation after generation of welfare recipients and low-life criminals can pay extra on their tax bill to do so, but it should be a voluntary thing. I'd rather my tax-money go to other things, or better yet I'll just keep my money and choose where to spend it myself.

Silence is Underrated

Silence is really underrated. Half people's problems could be cut out, if they would zip it. That advice certainly applies to our inept President, who suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. Quiet efficiency is really what is desired, not petty drama, airing of petty grievances and vendetta, or even ill-advised and bumbling attempts at small talk.

The best conversations I have had have been one-sided monologues, that is to say, reading books, such as, recently, books by esteemed author, Donald Tyson, who specializes in an unpopular subject in which he has achieved status as a scholar. In the final analysis, it is not necessary to know a mind on a personal level, and is often more of a distraction full of baggage than anything useful. Ideas are best transmitted cold, using a cold medium, such as a book. I wrote Tyson once, but he never replied, and although at first I felt the dismay of rejection, upon reflection I find it matters not at all, and may be the best outcome, the right one. One sends probes in many directions during life, and odds are, most will be rebuffed. In the end, the world of the intellect is where minds can truly meet.

To Be Underestimated

To be underestimated is a gift of immeasureable value, pearl of Great Price given freely, for the silence & shadow of no-awareness is Loki's garden.

Withdraw, withdraw

All we have to do, in the U.S., is announce immediate withdrawal from NATO and all European military bases by 2019, and the E.U. will back down, in 24 hours, if demanded, and exact a 10% tax, from all countries in Europe, to be paid to the U.S.

Europe has been freeloading off the blood, sweat, and tears of the United States since 1942. Reckoning time.

No More Asylum Cases

The number of asylum seekers that should be admitted into the U.S. is zero. They should be sent to a country more in line with where they came from, like Syria or El Savador. The United States is not the welfare charity for the entire world. People need to think about seeking asylum next door, not moving into the richest country and then asking for welfare for the next fifty years. It is clear that people are flying, sailing, driving or walking thousands of miles, in some cases many thousands, to bypass all these other countries and make a beeline for the U.S. simply because they want some of our money. The amount of money we have for them is zero, but we should take some money from them in the form of organ donations. They can donate their bodily organs to pay for a one-way ticket back home. The U.S. taxpayer cannot pay for the airfare, but what is in their body can pay for it, and the organ can help a needy person on a waiting list. If they don't want to donate an organ, then they can work in a prison factory for a couple years, earning the going rate for inmates, about .75 per hour. Once word gets out about the new change in policy, the number of asylum seekers flooding the immigration courts will drop precipitously, thus saving the taxpayer money.

Trump the Grump

Every time I start thinking positive about Trump, he pulls a petty, underhanded stunt that makes me think he's evil. This thing with Trudeau, the bickering and sniping, reflects back upon Trump twenty-fold. Old man, withered, vindictive, angry, petty. Cannot in any circumstance be expansive, big, compassionate, understanding. Not at all like Reagan. Trump is an infernal spirit, there is no getting around that, and the alliance the fundamentalist Christians forged with him smells sulfurous and reflects back upon them, as well.

Shut Down the Bases

I read this morning that the EU is planning to retaliate against the U.S. for the new tariffs. Trump would be justified in initiating a withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment from all military bases in Europe. Let the Europeans pay for 'em. The cost-savings can be used to compensate any American businesses hurt by the European tariffs. It is likely that the cost-savings would greatly exceed whatever is lost on Europe's new tariffs. If the U.S. did not get itself involved in so many overseas conflicts, conflicts that do not really involve us, we could save hundreds of billions of dollars every year. Maybe Europe can start paying for their own defense, as they should have been doing all along, instead of leeching off of the American taxpayer.

China and Europe

All those U.S. companies that invested billions, not in America, their homeland, but in China, a communist dictatorship--they deserve to lose their investment. A trade war with China would be just the thing to bring justice to their share price. Apple could lose half its value overnight. Steve Jobs, the one with the misnomer for a last name, hated America with an unholy passion, and he was the one that sent all the jobs overseas. If China is so great, then these CEOs need to move over there, and live in Beijing and see what that is like. I bet after a couple decades actually living in China, they may come around to seeing why America is a good place to live.

As for Europe, it may be that their leaders don't want to negotiate an end to the high tariffs their countries impose on American products. It may be that they match Trump tit-for-tat in a trade war. If so, the U.S. should withdraw all American troops and shut down all the military bases in Europe, and see if they still feel it is wise to go their own way. Perhaps they can start trading with Russia, exporting 10% of their citizens for slave labor in Siberia in exchange for not getting invaded. Biting the hand that feeds you is never a good idea.

Europe's been euraping the U.S. for far too long on trade. Too many tariffs on American products, too many other barriers. They need to encourage American imports, not discourage them. Europe should be paying the U.S. trillions in protection money, to compensate the U.S. for the high cost of our military. We never did receive reparations for WW2, which was all Europe's fault. Europe is just a big whining baby, with greedy hands always grasping for more money. The Europeans need to apologize for their poor behavior at the G7 Summit, and develop a plan to make reparations to the U.S. for their decades-long unfair trade practices. Otherwise, U.S. markets should be closed to European products.

The U.S. has always been self-sufficient. There is nothing that the Old World has that the New World doesn't. I have always been puzzled by this tendency to look far overseas for goods and services, when there are so many natural resources and labor here in North America and also South America. The rest of the world can really carry on by themselves. The rest of the world is nothing but warfare, bickering, dictatorships, warfare, terrorism and stupidity. It is only in North and South America that one finds moderation and conditions amenable to business and long-term investment. This will become more evident over time, as those that invested in China discover the folly of their way.

Truth Gift-Wrapped with a Silken Ribbon and Bow

Truth is freely given, left upon a street corner, gift-wrapped with a silken ribbon and bow, free for the taking, but the World passes by, many a fool pausing only to spit upon the precious Pearl of Great Price, and cars meantime running over the priceless jewel and destroying all evidence of its existence.

This is why those who know remain silent and keep their knowledge close, even to the grave, because to reveal is to invite criticism. No one really wants to know. Knowledge shatters illusion, which is all that keeps some people going. Do not underestimate the importance and the precedence of lies and falseness in daily life. They are essential and as necessary as vitamins and daily minerals. Without them, many would wither and perish. Truth is potent, like fire, and destructive.

Tariffs

I don't believe all the crap I read in the news media about the tariffs and the trade war. Truth is, the media and the elite hit the snooze button while America burned. Factories closed, cities fell into ruin and decay, and nowadays, many millions of American working people juggle multiple part-time gigs just to get by, never mind saving for retirement or having any medical insurance. The elite could give a crap about workers. Sure, they are against any trade war, against any tariff that may impact their stock investments. To hell with all of them, they deserve the ruin they wrought upon others.

The United States requires zero trade with other countries. No trade is not such a bad scenario for us. These United States have sufficient natural resources. No goods need be imported, ever again. The other countries can bicker and squabble among themselves, and China can continue employing their slave labor and polluting their cities. Everything that is needed can be produced here in the U.S. of A. If other countries want to get in to this lucrative, wealthy market, well then, perhaps they can just hurry their behind over to the bargaining table.