I always say, I'm not afraid of the government, I am afraid of people who are afraid of the government because it is your next door neighbour who turns you in. That, of course, is the point.
I think it was Alexander Solzhenitsyn who said governments throughout history have killed far more of their own citizens than enemy combatants ever did. Governments, tragically, know how to propagandize the public and divide us so that they can conquer us and steal our wealth.
I despair for humanity because just never seem to learn and recognize this with each generation. Because we don't learn our history, we are forever condemned to repeat it.
Maybe we never learn because the history they teach us is a pack of lies, written by the winners? Until we don our "They Live" glasses, we don't see through the propaganda and realize that those who claim to serve and protect really want us dead. To make matters worse, for many that realization is a pill that's too hard to swallow.
Ah, this makes me miss my mother so much. She had the most marvelous sense of humor--one of the funniest people I've ever known. She would tell stories like this with all the details that I have also forgotten. My mother was Always for the underdog. She championed them.
Oh, I would have loved her. My mother was the same. We were blessed to have such wonderful mothers. I’m so glad my parents are not here today to see this world, the way it is now.—The world they once fought and struggled to keep free during WW2. They would not believe it could sink so low with fear. The Bible says over 300 times, “Do not fear”. People keep fearing to the demise of all. It should be Trust God , think of others, and pray for God ‘s guidance and MOST of all only let God fearing people be your leaders…
Yes, my mother was a blessing. She would have been appalled, although, she was already seeing the writing on the walls. I often consider the last 150 years to have been the process of un-mooring people from God. Without God, they are fully immersed in fear and in the pursuit of meaningless pleasure. By erasing God, they have also erased Wonder, beauty and awe and in fact the entire marvel of life--which is one reason they diminish it so. It's quite tragic.
Have you read "The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations: Shaping The Moral, Spiritual, Cultural, And Political. And Economic Decline Of The United States Of America," by John Coleman? One of their primary objectives has been the destruction of religion.
BF, the story is about the people. Not the setting of the war. I have little reason to believe WW2 propaganda. But that wasn't what the post was about.
For me a heartwarming quote from the Stalin era: Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn , The Gulag Archipelago:
“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family?
Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?...
The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt!
If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”!
Oh Jim, we are doing the same today— bowing to tyranny. Fight to the death because death is inevitable anyway. Patrick Henry is one of my favorites with his famous quote, “Give me Liberty or give me death”
Rise up free Americans and defend your free country and neighbors..
I agree, however, when a people have spent generations spoiled, comfortable and complacent, it becomes part of the brain chemistry. It's one thing to say 'kick butt and take names' and quite another to be in the heat of battle and still have that sense of bravado~I don't really know if I will run screaming into the night or rise to the occasion. I know, I read and walk through what the reality might look like with the enemy crawling over our land with weapons we could only wish we had. And then to find a strategic spot to maybe make a last stand. It's not like in the movies. It's simply mind-bending. The military and police train their recruits for these scenarios. So, our best defense is to put ourselves mentally in that reality, train with someone who actually knows what our options are, and as Cynthia tells it, strategy is one of our best defenses. Read about past battles, what worked when armies were outnumbered, sometimes the unexpected play~
Remember God says many times in the Bible, “Do not fear”. The unknown can be very scary. I’m having faith and praying for our struggling disabled country because of Satanic forces. Give your life to God ,and know, if he takes you from Earth —Heaven is paradise being with our Lord. I’m looking forward to Heaven. I am old and I have been so blessed to live in America all of my life. I want my children to have a good life in America ,but it isn’t looking great right now. I pray every day.
Not to nitpick but we had no father, growing up. No way you could know this, as I didn't mention it. My sister and I re-connected with our father as young adults, after a childhood of extreme estrangement and relocation to another country. Our mother was very upset.
Indeed family relationships can be complicated with children often in the eye of the storm. I have intuited from your writing that your father has influenced you in your pursuit of truth and it would seem came into your life at an important juncture. My father was often away but he led by example and I look back in appreciation. Take care. e
Its a wonderful story that might work equally well in reverse. That is, a Greek family pretending to be Estonian and the Estonian patriarch instantly recognizing the crisis at hand. Either way, your Dad was a true humanitarian as is his daughter. Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people".
Recently I broke my femur stem and had a hip replacement. If you walked with a cane doing grocery shopping you’d know the goodness of humanity. People are so wonderful, I ask for no help but they reach on top shelves. They put item on the belts to the cashiers. I often get more help then I need laughing “ no no I am fine.” A man grabbed me when I stopped waiting for a family loading up in a race car buggy. I think is this just the South? I am steady as I can be good balance just an atrophied muscle gluteus medius. After finding a second fracture they made me stay off it too long. Still in therapy growing a nerve that only grows a few millimeters a month….
My husband does the grocery shopping in our one-small- grocery-store little town. Since we have no industry here, the youngers leave when they finish school and don't return, thus we have a huge elderly population. Even though my hubs is "aged" himself, he's still 6'3" and is always helping the "shorties" retrieve items from the upper shelves. He doesn't mind at all as I'm a "shorty", too, as was his mom so he's done that just about his whole life. 😍
Thank you. I had the main thought, but your wording kicked the memory back in place and I recognize yours as the one I heard so many years ago, I think in high school.
There was an immigrant man who came to Spain from an African country. Let's say, from Congo (not really.) Let's say his name was Pedro (not really.) He learned Spanish fast, he was a good worker, gave no problem to anyone (all true.)
Years pass by.
One day, they call him because his visa is expired. He has to go to apply for a renewal. He goes to the embassy. He's told "go to this place, and ask to see this person. Talk to no one else about this."
The place was a Social Security agency, usually filled with all sorts of people asking for different things. The person was a specific functionary, let's say her name was Luisa.
After a few hours in line, Luisa receives Pedro. Pedro tells his story and shows her a few documents. Luisa starts using the computer. She uses the keyboard and the mouse for a while. She says, "No, there's an error here. The database query returns that you have Spanish nationality. I cannot complete the form for renewal. You don't need to renew your visa to continue living here."
Pedro is surprised. He never applied for nationality. He didn't meet the requirements.
He says "are you sure?"
Luisa says "go to this place with this temporary document and ask for a Spanish passport. Ask to see Marta. Talk to one else but her about this."
Pedro was then a Spanish citizen, due to a computer "error."
The real version of this story happened around 2005.
What was the origin of the error? Don't know, don't care. Pedro was a good man, better than many natural citizens. I say there was no error.
Thanks Celia, great story—I grew up with many such stories of quick ingenuity & random kindness from my parents & family making their way from Yugoslavia to Italy & elsewhere as refugees during WWII...
It’s heartwarming to hear your stories about your dad and how much you admired him. It seems you have many of his wonderful qualities.
Your last sentence struck a chord in me. I understand it well. Just know one of the reasons I subscribe to you is because of your authenticity. You expose your vulnerability even when it might be perceived as negative, crazy or “dull”. Your content is rich and valuable Celia, no matter your mood of the day. The mood ring just popped into my head! We need to bring it back. Remember? I used to love to wear mine even if it wasn’t accurate. It was, if anything, a great conversation piece.
Thank you Audrey. I miss my father but I missed him since I was 3. It's incredible what happens to every last one of us, yet we're alright. That's why i like humans.
Each day I pray for anyone who was near to or at our nations Kapitol ( this is not a typo ) on J6, each a victim of the entrapment scheme by our own federal government to silence dissent . I compare this to the no action whatsoever against the BLM and Antifa activists called to duty after George Floyd killed himself with a Fentanayl overdose after trying a pass a counterfeit $20.00 bill.
We recognize upside down, complicity, duplicity and obfuscation all supported by the propaganda arm of the progressive Democrats, the mainstream media. There is an effort underway to save America from train platform events but it may be too late. I pray not.
While the fatal cocktail of drugs the tragic hero took was of no consequence. Moreover, Chauvin broke the police code of conduct, right? (Rhetoric question - do not bother replying.)
Oh what a beautiful uplifting story. There are many kind people in this world,but I also feel sad to say there are more narcissists than ever. Many come from uncaring environments, and do not know the kindness that this story expresses. I go out each day trying to be kind and appreciative to all who come across my path. As a teacher of many years, my focus was teaching kindness, being grateful, thoughtful manners and that each one of us is loved tremendously by Almighty God. Not one parent complained. If we could all do that, we can make a positive difference in our world.
“Love thy neighbor”. So many do not love themselves in the appropriate way which then creates narcissist.
What a wonderful story. May it be replicated all over the world.
Totally with you.
I always say, I'm not afraid of the government, I am afraid of people who are afraid of the government because it is your next door neighbour who turns you in. That, of course, is the point.
I think it was Alexander Solzhenitsyn who said governments throughout history have killed far more of their own citizens than enemy combatants ever did. Governments, tragically, know how to propagandize the public and divide us so that they can conquer us and steal our wealth.
I despair for humanity because just never seem to learn and recognize this with each generation. Because we don't learn our history, we are forever condemned to repeat it.
Maybe we never learn because the history they teach us is a pack of lies, written by the winners? Until we don our "They Live" glasses, we don't see through the propaganda and realize that those who claim to serve and protect really want us dead. To make matters worse, for many that realization is a pill that's too hard to swallow.
Exactly how I feel.
Ah, this makes me miss my mother so much. She had the most marvelous sense of humor--one of the funniest people I've ever known. She would tell stories like this with all the details that I have also forgotten. My mother was Always for the underdog. She championed them.
Oh, I would have loved her. My mother was the same. We were blessed to have such wonderful mothers. I’m so glad my parents are not here today to see this world, the way it is now.—The world they once fought and struggled to keep free during WW2. They would not believe it could sink so low with fear. The Bible says over 300 times, “Do not fear”. People keep fearing to the demise of all. It should be Trust God , think of others, and pray for God ‘s guidance and MOST of all only let God fearing people be your leaders…
Yes, my mother was a blessing. She would have been appalled, although, she was already seeing the writing on the walls. I often consider the last 150 years to have been the process of un-mooring people from God. Without God, they are fully immersed in fear and in the pursuit of meaningless pleasure. By erasing God, they have also erased Wonder, beauty and awe and in fact the entire marvel of life--which is one reason they diminish it so. It's quite tragic.
Have you read "The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations: Shaping The Moral, Spiritual, Cultural, And Political. And Economic Decline Of The United States Of America," by John Coleman? One of their primary objectives has been the destruction of religion.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7863459-the-tavistock-institute-of-human-relations
I have not read this. I have only read a few articles about Tavistock. Thank you for the recommendation.
BF, the story is about the people. Not the setting of the war. I have little reason to believe WW2 propaganda. But that wasn't what the post was about.
For me a heartwarming quote from the Stalin era: Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn , The Gulag Archipelago:
“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family?
Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?...
The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt!
If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”!
Oh Jim, we are doing the same today— bowing to tyranny. Fight to the death because death is inevitable anyway. Patrick Henry is one of my favorites with his famous quote, “Give me Liberty or give me death”
Rise up free Americans and defend your free country and neighbors..
Shout out,
“NEVER AGAIN WILL WE GIVE UP FREEDOM”
I agree, however, when a people have spent generations spoiled, comfortable and complacent, it becomes part of the brain chemistry. It's one thing to say 'kick butt and take names' and quite another to be in the heat of battle and still have that sense of bravado~I don't really know if I will run screaming into the night or rise to the occasion. I know, I read and walk through what the reality might look like with the enemy crawling over our land with weapons we could only wish we had. And then to find a strategic spot to maybe make a last stand. It's not like in the movies. It's simply mind-bending. The military and police train their recruits for these scenarios. So, our best defense is to put ourselves mentally in that reality, train with someone who actually knows what our options are, and as Cynthia tells it, strategy is one of our best defenses. Read about past battles, what worked when armies were outnumbered, sometimes the unexpected play~
Remember God says many times in the Bible, “Do not fear”. The unknown can be very scary. I’m having faith and praying for our struggling disabled country because of Satanic forces. Give your life to God ,and know, if he takes you from Earth —Heaven is paradise being with our Lord. I’m looking forward to Heaven. I am old and I have been so blessed to live in America all of my life. I want my children to have a good life in America ,but it isn’t looking great right now. I pray every day.
@JimB - THIS is why 2A is SO important and why they are pushing so hard to remove a person's right with own firearms.
It is a blessing to have a good father.
Not to nitpick but we had no father, growing up. No way you could know this, as I didn't mention it. My sister and I re-connected with our father as young adults, after a childhood of extreme estrangement and relocation to another country. Our mother was very upset.
Indeed family relationships can be complicated with children often in the eye of the storm. I have intuited from your writing that your father has influenced you in your pursuit of truth and it would seem came into your life at an important juncture. My father was often away but he led by example and I look back in appreciation. Take care. e
And a daughter who treasures his advice.
Its a wonderful story that might work equally well in reverse. That is, a Greek family pretending to be Estonian and the Estonian patriarch instantly recognizing the crisis at hand. Either way, your Dad was a true humanitarian as is his daughter. Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people".
I knew it as "The best people talk about ideas. The stupid people talk about other people. The worst people talk about themselves."
Aliss, you made me laugh out loud.
but in 2024 it would be a UN soldier with a digital spycam and auto-translation. that family would go straight into the cattle car
imagine what stalin, hitler and mao could have done with digital technology
"imagine what stalin, hitler and mao could have done with digital technology"
Almost perfectly introduces an explanation of present world conditions.
Recently I broke my femur stem and had a hip replacement. If you walked with a cane doing grocery shopping you’d know the goodness of humanity. People are so wonderful, I ask for no help but they reach on top shelves. They put item on the belts to the cashiers. I often get more help then I need laughing “ no no I am fine.” A man grabbed me when I stopped waiting for a family loading up in a race car buggy. I think is this just the South? I am steady as I can be good balance just an atrophied muscle gluteus medius. After finding a second fracture they made me stay off it too long. Still in therapy growing a nerve that only grows a few millimeters a month….
I live in the wonderful, kind, caring south; although, we are being invaded. We love our church and helping others🇺🇸🙏❣️
So sweet to read Lynn. People’s kindness helps speed up the healing process.
Unfortunately people are not like that up here in the Northeast. It is very much a mind your own business kind of culture.
My husband does the grocery shopping in our one-small- grocery-store little town. Since we have no industry here, the youngers leave when they finish school and don't return, thus we have a huge elderly population. Even though my hubs is "aged" himself, he's still 6'3" and is always helping the "shorties" retrieve items from the upper shelves. He doesn't mind at all as I'm a "shorty", too, as was his mom so he's done that just about his whole life. 😍
Great minds talk about ideas.
Average minds talk about things.
Small minds talk about people.
That's the version I remember.
By Elenor Roosevelt
Thank you
Thank you. I had the main thought, but your wording kicked the memory back in place and I recognize yours as the one I heard so many years ago, I think in high school.
That's the one I remember
I know a story about humanity's goodness.
This story will offend some people.
It's a bit old. Part of it is true.
There was an immigrant man who came to Spain from an African country. Let's say, from Congo (not really.) Let's say his name was Pedro (not really.) He learned Spanish fast, he was a good worker, gave no problem to anyone (all true.)
Years pass by.
One day, they call him because his visa is expired. He has to go to apply for a renewal. He goes to the embassy. He's told "go to this place, and ask to see this person. Talk to no one else about this."
The place was a Social Security agency, usually filled with all sorts of people asking for different things. The person was a specific functionary, let's say her name was Luisa.
After a few hours in line, Luisa receives Pedro. Pedro tells his story and shows her a few documents. Luisa starts using the computer. She uses the keyboard and the mouse for a while. She says, "No, there's an error here. The database query returns that you have Spanish nationality. I cannot complete the form for renewal. You don't need to renew your visa to continue living here."
Pedro is surprised. He never applied for nationality. He didn't meet the requirements.
He says "are you sure?"
Luisa says "go to this place with this temporary document and ask for a Spanish passport. Ask to see Marta. Talk to one else but her about this."
Pedro was then a Spanish citizen, due to a computer "error."
The real version of this story happened around 2005.
What was the origin of the error? Don't know, don't care. Pedro was a good man, better than many natural citizens. I say there was no error.
Thanks Celia, great story—I grew up with many such stories of quick ingenuity & random kindness from my parents & family making their way from Yugoslavia to Italy & elsewhere as refugees during WWII...
It’s heartwarming to hear your stories about your dad and how much you admired him. It seems you have many of his wonderful qualities.
Your last sentence struck a chord in me. I understand it well. Just know one of the reasons I subscribe to you is because of your authenticity. You expose your vulnerability even when it might be perceived as negative, crazy or “dull”. Your content is rich and valuable Celia, no matter your mood of the day. The mood ring just popped into my head! We need to bring it back. Remember? I used to love to wear mine even if it wasn’t accurate. It was, if anything, a great conversation piece.
Thank you Audrey. I miss my father but I missed him since I was 3. It's incredible what happens to every last one of us, yet we're alright. That's why i like humans.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt.
oh boy. It was Eleanor Roosevelt?
according to my google search it was. A good one, no less.
Each day I pray for anyone who was near to or at our nations Kapitol ( this is not a typo ) on J6, each a victim of the entrapment scheme by our own federal government to silence dissent . I compare this to the no action whatsoever against the BLM and Antifa activists called to duty after George Floyd killed himself with a Fentanayl overdose after trying a pass a counterfeit $20.00 bill.
We recognize upside down, complicity, duplicity and obfuscation all supported by the propaganda arm of the progressive Democrats, the mainstream media. There is an effort underway to save America from train platform events but it may be too late. I pray not.
you may benefit from reading Radley Balko's substack, the Watch, regarding Floyd's murder
here are the links
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/the-retconning-of-george-floyd
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/the-retconning-of-george-floyd-part
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/the-retconning-of-george-floyd-part-382
Floyd died because Chauvin would not let him breathe well enough to survive.
While the fatal cocktail of drugs the tragic hero took was of no consequence. Moreover, Chauvin broke the police code of conduct, right? (Rhetoric question - do not bother replying.)
@Castigator
Thank you for your rhetorical question
bye
Oh what a beautiful uplifting story. There are many kind people in this world,but I also feel sad to say there are more narcissists than ever. Many come from uncaring environments, and do not know the kindness that this story expresses. I go out each day trying to be kind and appreciative to all who come across my path. As a teacher of many years, my focus was teaching kindness, being grateful, thoughtful manners and that each one of us is loved tremendously by Almighty God. Not one parent complained. If we could all do that, we can make a positive difference in our world.
“Love thy neighbor”. So many do not love themselves in the appropriate way which then creates narcissist.