Technology and the Loss of Freedom

The march of technology has, for the most part, introduced an entirely new range of threats to the many societies across the planet. Yeah, I get it…the tremendous improvements in every day life over the last 60 years or so is directly attributable to technology. Folk are living longer, better, and are more informed than ever before. Now it’s time to pay the piper.

They are dancing to the music in China. My guess is that the EU will soon follow the same path.

The digitization of information and the ability not only control access to it, but to also manipulate that information is so powerful that it can enslave entire nations and become a easily used utility in the hands of those that desire power above all else. Consider China. with a population of 1.3 billion souls and a government hell bent exercising power and authority over the population.

Imagine calling a friend. Only instead of hearing a ring tone you hear a police siren, and then a voice warning you not to deal with this person. That might put a real kink in your relationship. That folks is the whole idea.

In China you can arrive at the airport with the intent catch a flight and the clerk at the ticket counter turns you away. Not only are you publicly humiliated, you are forced to take a train or bus (if they will let you travel at all). The government knows all, sees all, and controls almost all of your life. In the opinion (if they could have an opinion) of some algorithm you are unworthy. You could be punished for any offense: a defaulted loan , criticizing some government figure or policy, spending too much time playing video games, having the wrong friends. The list is endless.

Technology in China is both the carrot and stick to brainwash and manipulate their population. Perhaps the all powerful algorithm decides to install embarrassing messages a ring tone on your phone to shame you every time you get a call or message. If you do not tow the line you are excluded from well-paid jobs, making it impossible to get a house or car loan or even book a hotel room. You’ll have your internet slowed, your children banned from attending good schools and could even have your personal information and profile posted on a public blacklist for all to see.

There are reports that those whose social credit score falls too low are preemptively arrested and sent to re-education camps. Not because they have actually committed a crime, but because they are likely to. The government claims that its purpose is to enhance trust and social stability by creating a “culture of sincerity” that will “restore social trust.” What it will actually create, of course, is a culture of fear and and ensure the compliance of the slaves population. Not to worry though, you can always improve your social credit score by reporting the misdeeds of your neighbor.

Driving the Narrative | Selling the Sickness

The editors and producers of today’s ‘news’ are not only willing to sell their own soul to make a buck or advance their own ‘woke’ image, they are also perfectly willing to irreparably damage our children and our society in the name of this ‘wokeness’. It’s an evil and a sickness they are pressing on an unknowing and ignorant population. When you run God out of your society this is what follows.

Man Made

Eye of Photography has a 10 photo exhibition of Stel that really captures the texture and feel of abandoned structures. Here is how they categorize his work:

Jan Stel explores and photographs desolate places of our time. A forgotten world from which the human presence has disappeared. Over the past twenty years he has photographed numerous locations at home and abroad, including an old gas tank, steel plant, cooling tower, power station, large winery, casino and stately mansions. The ten cabinets and period rooms of the monumental museum form an ideal décor for the exhibition.

The artist has a great fascination for the aesthetics of past glory. It is the essence of his photographic work. The history of precious, authentic buildings, the absence of people and lost craftsmanship play a prominent role. The past left behind is photographed with pure, natural light, without flash or studio lights.

Ireland Will Ban Private Cars and Put 3rd World Migration in Overdrive

Breitbart has an article on how screwed the Irish will be as that nation begins transforming itself.  Drivers are to be forced off the roads and the population packed into “higher density” cities under a long-awaited climate plan which will ‘revolutionize’ people’s lifestyle and behaviors.

Brainiacs in Ireland are developing “Nudge” policies such as huge tax hikes, bans, penalties, and red tape.  Good news, your betters will pave the way to a “vibrant” Ireland of zero carbon emissions by 2050.  To help along with this insanity the government plans to boost the country’s 4.7 million-strong population by another million with mass migration.  They are gonna brown up that whiter-than-white population and cram them into urban areas.  This aught to work out well.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-125.png

In order to avert a “climate apocalypse”, the government plans to force people “out of private cars because they are the biggest offenders for emissions” and ban fossil fuel vehicles from towns and cities nationwide.  The plan is intentionally cripple ordinary motorists.

Leader Leo Varadkar outlined his vision for an Ireland of ‘higher density’ cities consisting of populations whose lifestyles and behaviors have been totally transformed by ‘carrot and stick’ policies outlined in the climate plan.  “Our approach will be to nudge people and businesses to change behavior and adapt new technologies through incentives, disincentives, regulations and information.”

The Irish are so screwed.

The Privacy of Your Bedroom My Ass

The head of the Swedish gay pride movement was caught sending sexually explicit messages to the social media account of what he thought was a 14-year-old boy.   The account actually belonged to two undercover Swedish journalists.

The journalists posed as a 14-year-old named David on the gay hookup app Grindr along with the web forum Qruiser. Despite stating the age of ‘David’, more than a hundred men continued to pursue him for sex. 

Several of the men in contact with ‘David’ agreed to meet the boy for sex, including the Pride Movement head who had previously asked for explicit images and videos of the boy. When confronted, the man admitted to sending the messages but claimed he had never met an underage boy for sex in the past.

So, the Stockholm Pride organization said:  “Should it prove to be a person working within our organization, we will take powerful action immediately. We are now investigating the issue further internally (I really don’t know what they meant by ‘internally’).

Great track record from this group by the way; In December of 2017 another leading member of Stockholm Pride was fired after being involved with the rape of a 13-year-old boy.  Just two years ago a manager was caught trying to buy the virginity of a 14-year-old girl (who also turned out to be a journalist).

These people would like nothing more than to corrupt the innocence of children.  You can’t tell me this isn’t both a sickness and proof that evil walks in our world.

Stay Safe George

I’m concerned that George is become too vocal for the deep state to tolerate for much longer. His posts are enlightening and I hope they continue……but there are powerful forces out there that would rather he remain silent.

Whole Again: It Only Seems Right

For quite literally hundreds of thousands of Americans whose lives have been ruined by errors made in youth, or in moments of passion, these efforts are a real chance at a new life. This appropriately named ‘Second Chance’ should be a national effort at reincorporating the once wayward back into a society. Let these Americans live a long, full life without the lifelong burden and stigma of a ancient errant act.

Breaking It Down for the Brothers

Memphis is lighting up over the death of one of its responsible citizens. Twitter is all lit up about how he is a ‘good daddy’, had planned to go to college, and was just a child. There is the usual whining about 20 bullet holes and how the body was left in the street.

A couple of brothers are trying to set the story straight in the video below. Despite their attempts my money in on weekend riots in 3……2…….1…….

Watch both the Drumbeat and the Drummer

Let’s all be careful not to get so wrapped up in showing support for our folk in blue (or the military for that matter) that we allow our God given freedoms to erode. A steady ebbing of our rights may go unnoticed, much like the rising heat for the frog in the pot, until tyranny’s march becomes irreversible.

I See their Point, But…..

I appreciate Amazon spanking Joe Joe so cleanly and crisply. I do note that the Trumpster has said much the same thing of them and all they did was hunker down.

The problem with Amazon is not the taxes they pay (or don’t) it’s that they have become so efficient in their sourcing and distribution networks that thousands of small business have been put out of business. Beyond those business that have been shuttered perhaps a few thousands more that could have incorporated have chosen not to because they couldn’t possibly compete. So instead of multiple thousands of CEO’s, CFO’s, and other ‘C’ s that could have existed and thrived and contributed to the American mosaic, Amazon has given us ware-housemen and stevedores.

Thoughts on a Compilation (or Two)

The ‘Eye of the Photographer’ is showcasing some of the work produced by Michael Ackerman today. Two of works they’ve posted caught my eye. Not so much for any single item in the photo, but rather for the way they were patched together to produce a feeling or mood that any one of them could not evoke standing on their own. In the one above I particularly like the way that he both blurred the subjects (if they could be called that) and darkened around the edges. Both techniques, combined with the way they are organized, is compelling.

In the set below, he used some of the same techniques, but the added both the motion evident in each individual photo along and with a seaming random edging. I can almost see the composition below in the waiting room or board room of a professional office.

Black and white photography continues to be the most challenging and rewarding way to capture images. Michael’s work can be found here