It’s really very simple — we’ve become deranged sheep. Look into the mirror, see ourselves through the eyes of Fred Reed: Mowing the Sward of Damocles, 14 June 2009.
There is not much more to be said beyond what Fred says. For details, below the fold you will see links to the FM posts about the OODA loop and how to reform America. These are just details, what to do next once you have experienced the key enlightenment about our situation.
Afterword
Please share your comments by posting below. Per the FM site’s Comment Policy, please make them brief (250 words max), civil, and relevant to this post. Or email me at fabmaximus at hotmail dot com (note the spam-protected spelling).
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For more information from the FM site
To read other articles about these things, see the FM reference page on the right side menu bar. Of esp interest are:
Posts about America’s broken OODA loop:
- News from the Front: America’s military has mastered 4GW!, 2 September 2007
- The two tracks of discussion about the Iraq War, never intersecting, 10 November 2007
- Diagnosing the eagle, chapter I — the housing bust, 6 December 2007
- Another cycle down the Defense Death Spiral, 30 January 2008
- Quote of the day: this is America’s geopolitical strategy in action, 26 February 2008
- What do blogs do for America?, 26 February 2008
- Everything written about the economic crisis overlooks its true nature, 24 February 2009
- The housing crisis allows America to look in the mirror. What do we see?, 9 March 2009
- Globalization and free trade – wonders of a past era, now enemies of America, 16 March 2009
- A note on the green religion, one of the growth industries in America, 17 March 2009
- Poor peak oil research, more evidence of a serious problem with America’s vision, 5 May 2009
- We’re ignorant about the world because we rely on our media for information, 3 June 2009
- Obama knows how to lead America by exploiting our fears, 5 June 2009
- Does America have clear vision? Here’s an “eye chart” for our minds., 15 June 2009
“Government by looters”. Totally true. What I can’t understand is why hapless Americans can’t wrap their fear of government, fear of taxes little head around this simple fact. If for instance, the federal government were to add a 50% tax on gasoline people would scream bloody big brother fascism – but should the government, through their failure to regulate hedge fund markets, and allow rampant speculation to produce exactly the same 50% rise in the price of gasoline, well…. that seems to be, well…. ok. A rational person can only conclude that people would rather be fleeced by anonymous and unaccountable authority than those they elected to serve their interests.
Fortunately all the unsustainable insanity Fred describe will come crashing to a grinding screeching halt, like the world’s biggest train running off the tracks. Don’t know when, don’t know how bad it’ll get, but one thing I can guarantee: it will end.
How do we know? Where’s the evidence to support that claim?
In Yekaterinberg today China and Russia are meeting with various other nations to move international finance off the dollar as world reserve currency and, in the process, end U.S. financial and military hegemony (because the entire U.S. military budget gets financed by foreign banks loaning us money. When the loans stop, America’s military machine grinds to a halt). Details in De-dollarization: Dismantling America’s Military-Financial Empire.
A more pointed version of the same thing in “The American Empire is bankrupt.”
Looks like all of America will turn into Detroit. “U.S. Cities May Have To Be Bulldozed To Survive.” Don’t know how long it’ll take. Don’t know how bad it’ll get. On the other hand, America is now a place where pastor gets beaten and tasered because he refuses to allow police a warrantless search of his car with no probable cause. America is now a place where a kid with a broken back gets tasered 19 times for refusing to stand up and the police review board finds it’s a “justified use of force.”
When stuff like this routinely goes on, you start to ask…who cares? So America collapses. Okay — let it burn. When insanity like this goes on every day (and now it truly is every day), obliteration seems just.
Shorter Fred:
“A fool and his money are soon parted.”
“deranged sheep”
I think you mean abused sheep, deranged leaders. Except the leaders are not deranged. They’re doing it on purpose. Fred pokes fun at the inconsistent, hypocritical, simplistic and exaggerated images of the world coming out of Washington and the American media. But this is a waste of time, like Plato poking fun at the sensational, unbelievable shadow figures on the wall of the cave.
It’s worth exposing mythological thinking; someday we could all become sentient beings and play a role in governing. Also, writers like Fred may help derail insane policies, although the last eight years are not encouraging in that respect. Is FM claiming that Americans are MORE sheeplike than comparably educated citizens of other countries? I doubt it. Sheepism seems to be an attribute of large centrally governed states — the only kind we know, currently.
In the USSR, non-conformists could make fun of the system, secretly, in code language. Here, we can do it in the open. The fall of the USSR had nothing to do with perestroika, though, as here it will have nothing to do with Fred.
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Fabius Maximus replies: I meant “deranged sheep.” Our leaders are hardly deranged, as they have a fine herd of sheep to profit from. What’s not to like about this, from their perspective?
Perhaps its only fair to criticise , if you can also come up with alternative plans .
This is where there is a gaping hole .
If we were trying to get ‘ there ‘ no doubt we shouldnt be starting from ‘here ‘ , but we are . ‘ Here ‘is going to keep changing over the years as stuff happens .
If ‘ there ‘ is the world as it was 3 years ago – but more so – the West richer , more in control , more medicalised , fatter , more leisured – then our Govs are proably steering the best course .
AM: not sure quite what you’re saying. Did you mean, what’s the point of criticizing if you can’t come up with alternative plans? I believe FM does have an alternative plan, or vision of how our democracy could function, and against that vision, much of what we see and hear today does look insane.
Senecal asked: “Is FM claiming that Americans are MORE sheeplike than comparably educated citizens of other countries? I doubt it.”
Compare Iranian presidential election 2009 with American presidential election 2000.
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FM reply: Q.E.D.
re ( 6 ) . I suppose I look at this from my narrow field . If I am brought a dog with a shattered leg , I have to fix the situation now . A quick review of damage ,options , mental models of good/bad possible outcomes and costs , a plan agreed , get started. Not easy .
Discussion of how to fix the garden gate and slow down passing traffic , is easy . Hindsight !
If FM has shared a plan of what he’d do tomorrow ,if he woke up as President of USA , or US Warrior Chief in Iraq or Afgh , maybe I havnt been paying attention …
“If FM has shared a plan of what he’d do tomorrow ,if he woke up as President of USA , or US Warrior Chief in Iraq or Afgh , maybe I havnt been paying attention” (# 8)
Absolutely! FM accuses us of being sheep, urges us to get out and vote, etc, but never talks about final goals. Personally, I’m only motivated by definite final goals. Being a better citizen is too vague for me.
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Fabius Maximus replies: If you need me to provide you with “final goals” you are indeed a sheep. From reading senecal’s comments on this site, I do not believe this is the case. Hence this is just a cheap rhetorical shot. Or, perhaps senecal really does not understand the concept of citizenship (I don’t believe this, either), in which case senecal is a fine example of the primary problem facing the Republic.
Re ( 9) I’ve always thought it worth joining a good protest march , and got a day off to go to the G8 in London. My problem was what to put on my placard ? Hadnt a clue . A protester needs a specific goal – Yanks Out Of Vietnam , Free Nelson Mandela , Cancel Third Runway .
Ended up carrying Free Gaza yet again ( which isnt a solution to Palestine or the financial mess ).