Was talking with my wife this morning about an old film on the JFK assassination we watched last night and of course the subject of the government came up. I don't have a theory on what happened or who was behind it but I can tell you one thing. The government was not interested in the public knowing the truth. What they were interested in was the public believing their story. The State can be called many things. A false god, an oppressor, the holder of the monopoly on violence but my lovely wife came up with one I hadn't heard before. It is also a narcissist. It must be the center of your life. It must be believed. It seeks only to continue to maintain control. Its goal is for you to believe in it. For you to believe it is necessary. For you to believe it is all powerful. If you don't trust it. If you don't believe in it. There is something wrong with you. You are the problem. You are the extremist. You are the crazy person. She went on to say that when the state starts to lose control it has to show its true colors. It begins to lash out. When people stop believing it panics. This is true of narcissists. I've never heard this perspective on the state. Its a good frame to use.
In democracies or relatively free nations the State depends on manipulation. When you look at more totalitarian states you are witnessing a State that is closer to failure. They have given up on manipulation and are forced to show their true colors. They are forced to use violence instead of just the threat of violence.
Often people confuse governance with the State. Governance can be good but it needs to be voluntary. Governance is good but it should not hold a monopoly. Governance is good but it should not have a separate set of morals and rules that allow it to commit acts an individual cannot do. The State is a controlling narcissist that will kill you if you push it far enough. The question is, what do you do with this knowledge.
I reject this narcissist. I reject this false god that would put itself in the place of the true God. I reject the framing created by the State.
Well said. I think can be summed up nicely by "the state is a false god".
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Thanks. She's a keeper. So thankful to have her as my partner in this life.
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I remember where I was when that became clear to me. And then it became clear to me that many Christians put more faith in this idol than God. Its sad. Politics is often above the teachings of Jesus for Christians in the US. I can't speak to other religions or nations. My sense is that this is the case for those as well though. I could write an article on this subject but it would take a lot of time for me to get it right.
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This hits home. I got up with my kids and left a Presbyterian dedication for summer camp last year when they starting preaching on Ukraine and how evil Russia was. Regardless what you think about the war, that type of speech has no place in a church. A whole country is not evil. I know many great Russians. WWJD?
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Yeah, the programming is deep. It goes both ways too. Conservative and progressive Christians often allow politics (the world) to influence their views more that Jesus.
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Practically
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Very true. Healing starts with knowing. As with narcissistic relationships between people, the victim is often unaware of the situation. The narcissist penetrates the victim with gaslighting. Understanding the situation is the beginning of recovery.
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That framing fits nicely with a point Lew Rockwell has made about effective resistance. Lew has often brought up how much the regime hates being made fun of. Humor (at their expense) cannot be tolerated by narcissists.
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Yes, I have heard that from Rockwell but forgot about it.
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Great observation!
The best thing to do with a narcissist is ignore it. If it won't let you ignore it then its "Give me Liberty or give me Death!"
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It literally gives you but it takes more from you
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What they were interested in was the public believing their story.
THIS
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Many people that get into conspiracy theories miss the point. They think it is important to figure it all out. The point is that the state is evil and can't be trusted with power. Many will say they don't believe what the state says because their story has holes in it. Then they swear up and down they believe an alternative story that also has holes in it. The state doesn't care as long as you focus on this pointless exercise. Trying to figure out their pile of lies. The state has been very effective at distracting the masses and discrediting critics.
The only way to win is to not play their game. Make your own game. Bitcoin is a perfect example of the way to fight this sort of evil. Make something better that obsoletes them. Force them to play a new game. Get ahead of them.
Many have lost hope. This mostly because they have believed the lie that the state is some all powerful force that can't be stopped. That's what they want you believe. They are happy with you either believing they are good or they are unstoppable. What they can't tolerate is believing they aren't needed and can be replaced.
The way you defeat the state is by making them irrelevant.
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The state has been very effective at distracting the masses and discrediting critics.
very well said... thanks you sir!
The way you defeat the state is by making them irrelevant.
🎯🎯🎯
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Thank you dark lord.
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Yep, another great description.
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