Have you noticed how polarized we’ve become (duh!)?
Have you noticed how the collective IQ seems to have plummeted?
Have you noticed how nuance is nearly extinct?
Welcome to the world of black and white, where thinking is limited to one of two positions, to foster false conflict. Stay in your lane. Don’t color outside the lines.
Yawn. Are you tired of this yet? Black and white is boring. It’s like being limited to chocolate or vanilla. What about strawberry or pistachio? What about gelato?
Black, white, and shades of grey. If those are my only choices, the fun lies in the grey. In the grey there is endless possibility and even intrigue. In the grey is a story waiting to be discovered. A story full of twists and turns, doubts and meanderings.
Was the covid saga one of jabbed vs unjabbed? Of protecting grandma vs that of being a selfish menace to society? Of course not! It was, and continues to be, a story about deception and control, about run-away government agencies, big tech, the dismantlement of our Bill of Rights, and of psych-ops on a world wide scale. It’s a story about a broken system driven by fear and greed. It’s a story about global coordination, coercion and the lust for control. How much more intrigue lives in the grey! How much more there is to discover!
Are the Twitter files a story of merely controlling the narrative du jour? Of course not! They’re about the erosion of everything our country once stood for, especially free speech. It’s about the warping of our elections through content destruction and control. It’s about a smart and charismatic billionaire mogul and the games he plays. It’s about the deep state and their shenanigans and the recognition that we have not been that shining light on the hill for many a decade. As Elon Musk noted: “To be totally frank, almost every conspiracy theory that people had about Twitter turned out to be true.”
Is FTX only a crypto Ponzi scheme where investors are taken by the evil charlatan and his well compensated entourage of celebrity influencers who funnel the sheep into financial slaughter? Oh no, there’s so much more! Money laundering, political “donations” and the access that goes with that type of money; the arrogant-if-ignorant-old-boy-venture-capital-network that funded it all (you’ll notice this story is being largely overlooked) and who knows what else? Or who else? This could become interesting, if the full story ever gets out.
Enron, which took down a major accounting firm, was kindergarten stuff compared to this. Might FTX have ramifications for the future of crypto and digital currency (big thumbs down on that!) or will the shadowy powers that be manage to redirect our attention to something more divisive? If As they do, look for a black and white narrative. It’s always a false one, a side show created to distract and obscure the real goings on. It’s meant to keep you in your lane, thinking in black and white.
I could go on. The world has gone utterly mad, but you and I, we need not go along for the ride. Instead, let me leave you with a story.
Many years ago a friend of mine told me to never make a decision if you can only see two alternatives. “That means you’re thinking in black and white,” she explained. “There are always more options. Be patient, be still, and they will appear.”
And they always do. Because black and white is binary. Black and white is boring. Black and white, IMO, is indicative of cognitive decline. Use it or lose it, as they say. Gotta exercise those neuro-pathways to keep them working!
Black and white is a false world, designed to keep you compliant and brain dead. How about some color? To really upset the narrative, how about some gelato?
I leave you with one of my favorite songs that reflects a far better world, with hope for a New Year. While we can’t go back, perhaps we can focus on the human experiences that transcend dogma and time, and make life worth living. Perhaps we could opt for gelato. Honey-lavendar, anyone?
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year, Pat.
Happy New Year from Japan, Pat.
My upbeat song for the year, maybe a Pat Metheny classic ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri8zLrQFuGg