Daily Archives: September 1, 2021

The American empire is ready to end – The Jerusalem Post

Posted: September 1, 2021 at 12:33 am

Empire, American historys most ambitious, contradictory, and costly era, is ready to end.

What began with the conquests of Hawaii and the Philippines more than 120 years ago, and later produced historys most powerful empire, has now become absurd in terms of its size, exorbitant in terms of its costs, and irrelevant in terms of its aims.

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Considering imperial history, international circumstances, and American societys genetic code, global retreat is indeed what Uncle Sam should now do.

The American imperium planted 800 bases worldwide, more than 20 times what the other four superpowers have combined. The number of US troops stationed abroad, 200,000, is equal to the size of the entire standing army of France. Some 150 of the worlds 195 countries host American troops.

Americas annual military spending, more than $770 billion, is larger than the next five military spenders combined. The 11 aircraft carriers with which Uncle Sam navigates the high seas equal the combined total of all other countries carriers.

What is this imperial investments purpose and yield, and how does Americas imperial motivation compare with those of previous empires?

The Athenians wanted the sea. The Romans wanted continents. The Mongols wanted the horizon. The Spaniards wanted booty. The British wanted trade. The Nazis wanted slaves. The Byzantines wanted to make more Christians. The Arabs wanted to make more Muslims, the Soviets wanted to make more communists. What did the Americans want?

Well they wanted different things at different times. The earliest was glory.

The guns of our warships in the tropic seas of the West and the remote East have wakened up to the knowledge of new duties, said Teddy Roosevelt, referring to Americas first military victories overseas (Nathan Miller, Theodor Roosevelt: A Life, p. 319). Duties in this case meant not the needs, but the sway of a superpower. Thats what made him preach the usage of Americas unique location between the worlds two largest oceans in order to create the naval superpower it indeed became.

The same sense of imperial duty is what made Roosevelt mediate between Russia and Japan, an international role the US had never assumed. This imperialism of duty matured when the American militarys arrival in Europe swiftly decided the First World War.

By the end of the next world war, Americas imperial position was transformed: it was no longer a young nation asserting its newfound power, but was now driven by concern for the worlds very survival.

After having defeated bellicose dictatorships that attacked dozens of countries in a quest to seize resources and subdue nations, the American Empire now led the rest of the worlds resistance to the new totalitarian menace, Soviet communism.

That imperial goal was achieved. The Soviet Empire crumbled as swiftly as the fascist empires did before it. Now, with the Cold War won, the American Empire marched to its third phase, the one it would not win: proselytizing.

UNLIKE ROOSEVELTS imperialism, which was about American glory, and unlike Harry Trumans legacy, which was about Western self-defense, American imperialism was now about gospel. Suddenly reinforced by the fallen Warsaw Pacts former members, the American empire was now reprogrammed as a democratizing empires sword and spear.

For the American empire, it was one horizon too many.

Imperial imposition of ideas has failed before Americas Afghan visitation, and will fail after it. Uncle Sams chances of making the world adopt his convictions were no better than those of Paul, Mohammed or Lenins chances of spreading their own faiths to all of mankind. The Afghan misadventure should therefore be Americas last imperial war.

It is one thing to wield power in order to protect an idea, the way America did during the Cold War. It is an entirely different thing to do in order to spread an idea. It doesnt work.

That is the second reason the American Empire is now irrelevant. The first is that todays rival superpowers, unlike the Soviet Union in its time, are not in the business of spreading faith. Russia and China are anti-democratic, but they dont challenge the way the West is run, not in their diplomacy and not in their propaganda.

Why, then, surround the globe with American troops, bases and aircraft carriers? And why spend on defense an annual $770 billion, when every American metropolis festers with sprawling ghettos where millions of undereducated Americans languish in poverty, indignity and despair?

The American imperium has become an absurdity that neglects Americas guts and empties its coffers while fighting for an impossible cause against enemies that no longer exist.

Americas imperial period has been intense and in many ways rewarding, but it wasnt part of the American way. Unlike the British and French, the Americans did not build colonies. Americans remained insular, as if nodding to George Washingtons assertion in his farewell address:

The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is to have with them as little political connection as possible.

Yes, there is now a whole free world that didnt exist in Washingtons time. America is, and should remain, its leader. The rest of the world, however, will remain under despots until their citizens rebel, because empires, even Americas, cant change the world the way only rebels can.

http://www.MiddleIsrael.net

The writers bestselling Mitzad Haivelet Hayehudi (The Jewish March of Folly, Yediot Sefarim, 2019), is a revisionist history of the Jewish peoples leadership from antiquity to modernity

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The American empire is ready to end - The Jerusalem Post

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All eyes on Invest 99L; forecast indicates formation by this afternoon – The Times of Houma/Thibodaux – houmatimes.com

Posted: at 12:33 am

Invest 99L is taking its time getting ready; all indicators point to a tropical depression will forming very soon. Hurricane Hunters are scheduled to fly into the system this afternoon to look for the center and see if it can be classified as a depression or storm. As with every disturbance, it is very difficult to predict when there is no center to track from. What we do know is once the system is in the Gulf of Mexico by Saturday, environment will be favorable for intensification with the warm waters. A named storm seems very likely and a hurricane appears likely as well.

From NHC:

A trough of low pressure is located less than 200 miles south of Jamaica, and the associated shower and thunderstorm activity continues to become better organized. Environmental conditions remain conducive for development, and a tropical depression or storm is expected to form later today or tomorrow. It has a high (90 percent) chance of formation during the next 48 hours and five days.

This system is forecast to move northwestward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea near the Cayman Islands tonight, near Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Friday, and into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. Given the recent developmental trends, Tropical Storm Warnings for the Cayman Islands and Tropical Storm Watches for western Cuba could be required later today.

Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall and flooding will be possible over portions of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands today and tonight, and will likely spread across Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday. In addition, this system could bring dangerous impacts from storm surge, wind, and heavy rainfall to portions of the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas late this weekend and early next week.

However, uncertainty remains large since the system has yet to form. Interests in these areas should closely monitor the progress of this system and ensure they have their hurricane plan in place. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system later today, if necessary. Additional information on this system, including gale warnings, can be found in High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service.

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All eyes on Invest 99L; forecast indicates formation by this afternoon - The Times of Houma/Thibodaux - houmatimes.com

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"Be Humble, Be Real": Gauahar Khan’s Guide To Living A Positive Life – NDTV Movies

Posted: at 12:33 am

Gauahar Khan shared this photo. (Image courtesy: gauaharkhan)

Actress Gauahar Khan, who was vacationing with husband Zaid Darbar in the Maldives till this weekend, urged her fans and followers to always "stay humble" in her latest post on Instagram. Gauahar shared a few photos of herself from her holiday and accompanied it with a thought-provoking note that read: "The ocean makes you feel so small, imagine how small a part you are in this entire universe created by the Almighty! Yet we keep pride and arrogance for our existence! #BeHumble #BeReal #spreadlove #Musafir #Alhamdulillah #maldives." In the pictures, Gauahar Khan can be seen sporting a grey dress and having a good time on a boat.

See the actress' post here:

Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar returned to Mumbai from the Maldives on Sunday. The couple were spotted at the Mumbai airport.

The actress has already filled her Instagram diaries with stunning pictures and videos of herself from the beach destination. "High seas, Choppy water, Treaded it with my moves. Heheheh #maldives," she captioned one of the posts while sharing another, Gauahar Khan wrote: "Have arrived! Alhamdulillah. #Maldives. A place I always only wanted to visit when I'm married."

Meanwhile, also check out more glimpses of Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar's Maldives vacation:

Gauahar Khan was last seen in Netflix's film 14 Phere. Before that, she featured in Amazon Prime Video's web-series Tandav, starring Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Tigmanshu Dhulia. Gauahar, a former model, has worked in numerous movies like Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, Game, Ishaqzaade, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Begum Jaan.

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"Be Humble, Be Real": Gauahar Khan's Guide To Living A Positive Life - NDTV Movies

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Hurricane Idas remnants to bring torrential rain and possible flash flooding to Massachusetts, Thursday morning commute not looking too good – Boston…

Posted: at 12:33 am

Buckle up for yet another round of heavy rainfall and flooding.

Hurricane Idas remnants will be sweeping through Massachusetts late Wednesday into Thursday, bringing torrential rain and the potential for very significant flash flooding to the Bay State.

The entire state is now under a flash flood watch, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 6 inches of rain is possible.

The bulk of heavy rain should occur Wednesday night into Thursday morning, and theres a high confidence for 3 to 4 inches of rain around the Boston area with isolated higher amounts possible, said Frank Nocera, meteorologist at the National Weather Services Boston office.

There could definitely be some street and highway flooding, and small rivers and streams could overflow, he added. Stream levels are already high because of how wet its been this summer.

The heavy rainfall should still be around Thursday morning during rush hour. Some road closures are possible, Nocera said.

The Thursday morning commute is not looking too good, he added, saying that hydroplaning is a concern. It would definitely be a good day to telework.

The rain should move offshore around noon on Thursday, and the afternoon looks dry.

Along the coast, a gale watch is in effect from late Wednesday night through Thursday evening. Three- to five-foot seas are possible in Massachusetts coastal waters, the Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay.

Strong winds can cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility, the watch reads.

Mariners should consider altering plans to avoid possible hazardous conditions, the alert states. Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for severe wind and seas.

A fall-like air mass is expected following the remnants of Ida, bringing cooler than normal temps. Thursday night temps could drop into the 50s.

Both Friday and Saturday should be in the low 70s, followed by mid 70s on Sunday, and then up to 80 on Labor Day. The holiday weekend looks to be dry and pleasant.

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Hurricane Idas remnants to bring torrential rain and possible flash flooding to Massachusetts, Thursday morning commute not looking too good - Boston...

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Best Cruise Ships In The World: 11 Reasons Oasis-Class Ships Are Our Tops in Sailing – Cruzely.com

Posted: at 12:32 am

Ever wonder what is the best cruise ship in the world? Everyone will have their own opinion, and whats best for one person may not be best for another. But while we have yet to sail every single ship out there, in our book nothing tops Royal Caribbeans Oasis-class cruise ships at least for now.

First introduced in 2009 with Oasis of the Seas, the cruise line is still building this family of vessels, with Wonder of the Seas in 2022.

In total there are just five of these ships in the world:

So what makes them so special? In a word: Size.

Despite being introduced more than a decade ago, Oasis-class vessels are still the largest cruise ships on the planet. For some people, bigger ships are a drawback. But because of that size, Royal Caribbean is able to do things that are simply unimaginable on a smaller vessel. The result is that your experience on the ship can be completely different than sailing a typical cruise, and in so many ways, we believe it is better.

To give you an idea of exactly why, here are what we think are the major reasons Oasis-class ships beat anything else sailing today.

You may not realize how much larger Oasis ships are compared to other big ships from other lines.

For an idea, these ships come in around 225,000+ gross tons. The next largest group of ships, such as Carnivals Mardi Gras and Costa Smeralda, are about 185,000 gross tons. So the Oasis ships are about 20% larger. But its not just the tonnage.

Oasis-class ships are roughly 200 feet wide at their widest point. Most of the other large ships from other lines are about 140 feet wide. That means Oasis provides so much more space especially in the width of the ship to pack more in.

The result is that due to the size, Oasis ships have more things to do, meaning there is something for everyone. Whether you want a quiet spot to relax and eat a great meal or you want thrill rides, its all available.

With all that space, you might think that the cruise ship can pack on more people. Youd be absolutely right, but there is a caveat to know.

At double capacity, Royal Caribbeans Oasis-class ships hold about 5,500 passengers. That number can reach upwards of 6,700 people at maximum capacity (meaning more than two passengers to some cabins).

But despite being the largest ships in the world by a substantial margin, that passenger figure isnt much higher than some smaller ships. Mardi Gras, the largest ship in Carnivals fleet, holds nearly 5,300 passengers at double occupancy and about 6,500 at maximum capacity. Thats nearly the same as Oasis-class ships.

In other words, the Oasis ships may have more passengers, but they also have more space for everyone.

Sailing with a balcony on your cruise is one of the luxuries of sailing. You get your own private space with a million-dollar view. But on most ships these balconies are very small. They provide a space thats just enough for a couple of chairs and a small table, and not much more.

With the luxury of size (specifically the extra width of the ship), Oasis ships offer about twice as much space on a typical balcony. Theres plenty of room for people to sit, stand, and stretch out, without having to bump into railings or patio furniture. In fact, if you wanted to do so, theres even enough room for you to lay out to get some sun.

One of our favorite spots on Oasis ships is without a doubt is Central Park. Its like nothing else youve seen at sea.

The design of the vessels features a large divide down the middle of the ship. Within this divide, Royal Caribbean has installed a legit park for passengers to enjoy. It features shrubbery and trees, winding paths through, and is lined with restaurants and shops. There is even the sound of birds chirping piped in to add to the atmosphere.

Either side of the park is walled in with cabins that look down into the park, giving the feel of being in an oasis in the middle of a city. If the hustle and bustle of everything to do on the cruise gets you feeling a bit worn out, there is no better place to relax quietly on the ship in our opinion.

One other idea? Wake up early to enjoy a quiet breakfast at one of the many spots to sit in the park.

Another difference that youll find is the Aqua Theater, located on the back of ships in this class. On most Royal Caribbean vessels, the back of the ship is fairly quiet. In this case, the area is an outdoor theater thats like nothing else at sea.

Theres wraparound seating that all faces a pool thats an engineering marvel. The pool deck moves up and down, so it can be completely full of water, or allow performers to dance on top of the pool in a matter of seconds. There are also wires that allow the cast of the aqua shows to fly over the audience and diving platforms for them to jump from during the program.

There are plenty of shows at sea, but the performances at the Aqua Theater are like nothing else youve seen on any other ship. The space at the back of the ship is something you cant miss.

The Aqua Theater sits at the end of another unique space on Oasis-class ships: the Boardwalk. Similar to Central Park, the area is part of a lower deck thats in the middle of the ship, between two soaring stacks of cabins on either side.

This open-air area has a carnival theme with a full-sized carousel you can ride, arcade games, and a number of restaurants and shops. For instance, on Oasis of the Seas there is a large open-air Playmakers sports bar with dozens of TVs, Sugar Beach (candy store), and Johnny Rockets.

As an outdoor area that is also protected from the wind and sun, its a great place to be outside on the ship without having to fight the heat and sun you might find on the pool deck. Other ships just dont have this sort of area.

If youre out on the Boardwalk, then youll likely notice two purple slides that wind down from way above your head. These two slides are the Ultimate Abyss. They actually begin 10 decks above, on Deck 16.

The large angler fish at the top of the ship serves as the launching point. You walk up into its mouth, sit on the specially-made mat, lay back, and hold on tight. The slide drops you down as you spin around. In total the ride only takes about 10-15 seconds but its a big thrill.

This sort of slide would be a major attraction on land, much less a cruise ship. Theres simply nothing else like it at sea and if you (or your kids) love excitement, then its another reason Oasis-class ships are tops.

Want something more refined than 10-story slides? Oasis ships have you covered as well.

On Royal Caribbean ships, many have the Solarium an adults-only pool area thats calmer and more relaxing than just hanging out on the pool deck. In fact, many other cruise lines also have adult-only areas. They are definitely not unique to Oasis-class ships.

What is unique is how Royal Caribbean has built the Solarium on Oasis cruise ships as a focal point. The area is at the front of the ship, offering sweeping views across the horizon. The colors are subdued instead of bright. Theres no loud music like you might find at the mail pools. In fact, the only sound you hear is the pool fountain running.

But perhaps the biggest design feature are the windbreaks that provide an outdoor spot without dealing with the constant breeze as the ship is underway. There are also spots that are more shaded thanks to the tinted glass canopies, but also areas where you can lay out in direct sun.

In short, if you want a quiet, relaxed place to enjoy being outside, then it is perfection.

Every ship you sail will have suite options. But its doubtful they will have anything thats like what you will find on Oasis-class vessels.

Due to the size of the ship, Royal Caribbean is able to do some creative things when it comes to special suites. Think about two-story options, or those that are simply bigger than whats found on other ships. There are also unique spots like Aqua Theater suites that have wraparound balconies overlooking the theater at the back of the ship.

One more unique spot being introduced is the Ultimate Panoramic Suite, which is directly above the ships bridge and offers a bedroom with 180-degree windows, jutting out over the side of the ship.

When it comes to suites, what youll find on Oasis ships is just a step above what youll find on other vessels, even in Royal Caribbeans fleet.

When youre on a ship for a week, its nice to have a lot of dining choices. Nobody wants to eat at the same spot over and over again, or have every meal come from the buffet. The good news is that cruise lines put lots of places to eat on every ship, covering a wide range of cuisines. The difference is with the size of Oasis ships, there is simply more space for more options. You can stay on the ship a week and still not try every single spot.

For instance, on Oasis of the Seas there are 20 different places to grab a bite to eat or a snack, ranging from fine dining to grabbing a hot dog to-go. Compare that to Liberty of the Seas a smaller Freedom-class vessel in the Royal Caribbean fleet. That ship only has 11 different restaurants.

With the weight of water and the fact that pools have to go high on the top of the ship to get the sun, there are lots of limits on whats feasible. Thats why you normally find only one or maybe two different pools on most ships, and they are usually small.

But create a ship the size of Royal Caribbeans largest ones, and you can have so many more options. In total, Oasis-class ships have four different pools, including three in the main pool area, and one in the Solarium. Then there are the whirlpool hot tubs, Splashaway Bay, and Perfect Storm water slides.

In short, there is no shortage of options to take a dip or get wet, whether you just want to swim in a traditional pool, soak in a hot tub, or have a kid that wants to play.

In addition to everything weve mentioned, there are also other perks that you might find on a few other ships, but they are part of Oasis vessels as well.

One item is the zipline that crosses the back of the ship, soaring over the Boardwalk decks below. Another are twin Flowrider standing waves. While the Flowrider is a staple on Royal Caribbean, Oasis-class ships boasts two of them.

Then there are some unique bar features like Bionic Bar, which has two robots that mix and serve drinks. Its on a handful of Royal Caribbean ships, including their largest vessels. And theres also the Rising Tide bar. This spot features a moving bar that slowly rises and lowers in the middle of the ship so you can enjoy your beverage.

Bottom line is that the Oasis ships are unlike anything else in Royal Caribbeans fleet and unlike anything else in the world (at least right now).

We know that some people arent always fans of the biggest ships. But in our opinion, that size is a huge advantage that provides so many more options for things to see, eat, and do. Thats what makes these ships the best in our opinion. If you havent sailed them yet, then theres a lot for you to experience.

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Best Cruise Ships In The World: 11 Reasons Oasis-Class Ships Are Our Tops in Sailing - Cruzely.com

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The British Establishment Is Losing Its Mind Over Afghanistan – Jacobin magazine

Posted: at 12:32 am

Its pretty straightforward, this one. If you think about the arguments that were made for the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, they were straightforwardly liberal. I realize there is an aspect of this thats neoconservative. But, if you look closely at neoconservative arguments, they are an interesting and contradictory fusion of Burkean conservative ideas and classically liberal ideas, and its the classical liberalism that Im getting at here. So, of course theres a tradition of liberalism thats property-based you can go back to Grotius and Locke and their justifications for colonialism and slavery. Grotiuss road to justification for colonialism was based upon the right to property, and even a justification for piracy based upon the right to property and the limits to where property could apply (so piracy on the high seas was no problem because ultimately no one could have property on the high seas!). It was perfectly permissible, provided you were punishing somebody who had done something wrong to you.

Locke argued that slavery was justified as a continuation of perpetuation of conquest. Essentially, theyre your captives and you deal with them how you like. Its a right of war. Obviously, he favored the appropriation of territorial property on quasi-religious grounds (Gods command is that we improve the goods of the earth and make proper use of them, and if there are these tribes in North America who arent properly using them and bear in mind he was a profiteer on this front then we have every right to take that land and put it to good use).

I could go on, but I think its important to say this tradition opens up into warring camps, if you like. Although there is a critique of the racist, imperialist, and patriarchal aspects of enlightenment, its important to say that people like Kant argued against empire on fairly cosmopolitan and universalist grounds. Jeremy Bentham also argued against empire, as did Diderot. There was a strong anti-imperialist and universalist tradition within liberalism and thats something to value. But, by and large, by the time of the 19th century, when empire is becoming its most bloody, you have people like John Stuart Mill and Charles Dickens both sentimental liberal, moral reformers as far as the UK is concerned (perhaps thats unfair to Mill, who I think was brilliant) but when it came to the international order . . . I think Id better read some quotes from him, because this is what he said: Despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians, provided the end be their improvement and the means justified by actually affecting that end. . . . Until such time as theyre improved, he went on, to implicit obedience to an Akhbar or Charlemagne was their lot.

In A Few Words on Non-Intervention, he argued for a strict dichotomy between the legal and political standards that you would apply to natives versus those that would apply to domestic citizens, and so on. Its not based on biological racism, but its a strain of cultural chauvinism that should be reminiscent of the kind we saw in the war on terror, where theres the constant argument around questions like Is it fair to argue that the West is superior? and a lot of muscular liberals saying Of course its superior. You cant say its all relative, and essentially using that to justify Islamophobia.

You can find that in that tradition in Mill, Tocqueville, Roosevelt, Wilson (well, Woodrow Wilson was an out-and-out white supremacist, but he fused race thinking and blood thinking with some quite interesting liberal ideas about self-government). You can find it on the Left too: you can find it with the Fourierists, and to some extent in early Marx and Engels (where there are some quite brutal statements about the conquest of Algeria and the war on Mexico by the United States). You can find it particularly pungently in the Fabians who argued that essentially again, Im going to quote from them because its useful sometimes when people come out in such explicit terms but essentially their argument was that Britain had an obligation to what they called the non-adult races. That was a term that they inserted into the Labours manifesto in 1919, which was otherwise a very radical manifesto.

Anyway, in response to the Boer War, in which there was quite a strong antiwar opinion in Britain it was minoritarian but it existed they argued that parliamentary institutions for native races was a dream that had been disposed of by the American experiments after the Civil War. In other words: letting black people rule themselves hadnt worked. They were also impracticable in India, they said, and therefore the best that the natives could hope for was grandmotherly tyranny. So theres an idea of racial uplift built into this strain of liberalism. Its a paternalistic, benevolent kind of liberalism, which also turned out to be extremely bloody.

You have to understand that, at the time that these things were being said (for example, in relation to the Boer War) its a situation of concentration camps and mass murder. In relation to the Indian uprising and Mills justification for British power, it was massacres. At the time of the Indian uprising, Charles Dickens who in other respects we think of as a conscientious liberal wrote to his friend: I wish I were commander in chief over there. I would address that Oriental character, which must be powerfully spoken to in something like the following placard: I, the inimitable, holding this office of mine, have the honor to inform you Hindu entry that it is my intention with all possible avoidance of unnecessary cruelty, and with all merciful swiftness of execution, to exterminate the race from the face of the earth, which disfigured the earth with abominable atrocities. Thats an open call for genocide there.

In the context of the war on terror and liberal arguments being advanced, they began with, Were going to liberate these people, were going to emancipate these people from the twin despotism of Saddam and sanctions. Were going to make their lives better. Were going to bring them food. This was Bushs speech: Were going to bring them food, were going to bring the medicine, their lives are going to get better. And then it becomes Were at war with Islamic fascism. And then it becomes Christopher Hitchens saying, Cluster bombs are pretty good, actually, because itll go straight through them and out the other side. And then it becomes Sam Harris arguing that the people who speak most sensitively about Islam are actually fascists. You can see how quickly the fundamentally liberal argument for domination a temporary domination, if you like girded by the nineties revival of paternal imperialism under the rubric of humanitarian intervention, becomes vengeance. It becomes Were losing not because of anything weve done wrong, but because the enemy is barbaric, because the enemy is Al-Qaeda, because our enemies are psychopaths and murderers and rapists.

As Hitchens said, We cant live on the same planet as them, and Im glad because I dont want to. In other words: elimination, extermination. Theres always a danger in human tragedy of confusing the pleasures of aggression with virtue, and that has never been more pungently and obviously the case in my lifetime than during the period of triumphalist, chauvinist, browbeating, bullying, bloodthirsty, liberal imperialism in that era. And Blair was the most fervent advocate and champion of that era. So disaster liberalism, I would say, is putting it somewhat mildly.

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The British Establishment Is Losing Its Mind Over Afghanistan - Jacobin magazine

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Is Sea Of Thieves Splitscreen? – We Got This Covered

Posted: at 12:32 am

Sea of Thieves first set sail in March 2018, and within two years it had amassed over 15 million players. Rare and Microsofts open-world game was an instant commercial success, and its continued popularity shows theres a healthy appetite for shared adventure pirate games.

In Sea of Thieves, players raise sails and take to the high seas, collaborating or competing to complete quests across seasonal events. From sea monsters to ghost ships, Rare has developed and fine-tuned downloadable content to build a loyal fanbase. It looks like the studio is on track to support the game for at least ten years.

Like many multiplayer games, Sea of Thieves audience grew during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, and it consistently makes Steams top 100. The majority of its audience comes from the United States and Germany, with players keen to share their content online. Rare cultivated a game thats almost as good to watch as to play. In spring 2021, Twitch reported that 4.52 million hours of Sea of Thieves gameplay had been viewed.

Published by Microsoft Studios, Sea of Thieves is a flagship game for its cross-platform ambitions. Players can interact seamlessly across Xbox and PC.

But while multiplayer is a huge part of the Sea of Thieves experience, friends can only join each other through online co-op. Neither the PC nor Xbox versions of the game support split-screen multiplayer. So if you want a pirate mate to join your crew, youll need to make sure you both own a copy.

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Is Sea Of Thieves Splitscreen? - We Got This Covered

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Nihilism (#1) – amerika.org

Posted: at 12:30 am

Nihilism confuses its audience because it takes the form of an anti-ideology to most people: a belief in nothing. Then again, belief in nothing is not just an ideology in itself, but something we all affirm.

These seem universal, among other human mental tics and traits, because for us to process thoughts we need ones and zeroes just like a computer, but they take the form of extremes: nothingness, infinity; goodness, and badness that we must destroy.

To get to the root of nihilism we have to look at its most basic definition:

Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.

In this context, we have to assume that this means universal values, knowledge, and communication, since the individual has some form of those at least within his or her own noggin.

When we say all values are baseless, we are saying that all values are human choices, more aesthetics than objective science. Most of life is a mystery; at some level, one must simply choose based on heuristics and then refine that knowledge later.

This nihilism rejects dualism, or the idea that there is a world of pure answers and absolutely correct truth, values, and communication that applies universally, or to all equally. Dualism reflects a belief in equality, which in turn reflects an ignorance of the specializations of others, which implies a fundamental solipsism.

Without dualism, we can also do away with pluralism, or the idea that many different ideas can be simultaneously correct; we have tossed out correct, and replaced it with the notion that some things work for some people at some times, and these people may have no idea what those things are. In fact, that type of mental disconnect is the norm.

With pluralism gone, we no longer need egalitarianism, or the notion of equality. Instead we merely have a landscape of conflict in which ideas and people struggle for supremacy.

This in turn abolishes the symbolic nature of ideology itself, since we now see symbols as weapons, not truth-objects in themselves. This in turn reveals to us the nature of Leftism.

Conservatives attempt to treat Leftism as if it were a serious argument when they need to view it as (a) a pathology and (b) a behavior based in justifications, meaning that its secret is that it has no goal except the method of seizing power.

Leftism is a pathology because it exploits the sunk-cost fallacy and displacement of the ensuing problems. A Leftist, typically, is an inflexible person who cannot change his own behavior, therefore finds himself ill-adapted to his environment and things go wrong. At this point, he could change but he sees how important his identity is to him socially, and repudiating that makes him look weak, so he doubles down. Since he cannot blame himself, the list of things to possibly blame includes everything but himself, and from it he selects a scapegoat usually the rich, the powerful, the alien, or the odd and attacks them.

People think of ideologies as arguments, or collections of reasons that point to a certain conclusion, instead of pathologies. We assume rationality on the part of those making the argument, instead of looking at what they might be deflecting from, hiding, and re-framing so that defeats appear as victories. Ideologies hide the ball by concealing human psychological trauma and lashing out as some kind of altruistic or at least future-oriented belief system, when in fact they are designed to conceal the actual belief system, which is not formed of rational notions, but consists of defending their current behavior against accusations of being anti-social.

We call this hiding the ball because the name of the game is to keep you looking at fireworks of the verbal kind while the real action goes on behind the scenes. A nihilist rejects the idea of universal communication or truths, which gives us an insight into ideology: it works not by communicating what it is, or a truth shared between people, but produces an image in the mind of those listening which is useful because it is vague.

The best advertisement makes no promise that can be disproved, but instead conveys the basic idea that this product will complete your life and bring happiness. Instead of doing the hard work of figuring out what you need, and then seeking something out there which fills that role, products offer a solution to a problem that you did not know you had, in the assumption that since we are all equal! whatever works for someone else will work for you, without context or recognition of your unique needs.

This tells us something disturbingly important: almost all ideology takes the form of a mild psychosis, accelerating over time. Ideology represents a disconnect between actual thinking and image, using the latter to obstruct and eliminate the former. In this way, ideology replaces concerns about reality and thinking in a logical sense (most say rational but this is inexact). It separates the individual from thinking about cause and effect in reality, and instead directs them into a social pose which rationalizes (justifies, excuses, explains) their behavior as good.

In a game theory sense, ideology functions in three roles:

In short, ideology serves as an argument only in the reactive sense of giving people reasons why they should misbehave and not be punished for it. Not surprisingly, most ideologies involve taking what others have and redistributing it for the good of humanity.

With this transfer of the question from honest leadership, or looking toward what we as a civilization and species need to do to survive well in the long term, to a little fake reality comprised of symbols for emotional needs, we move from a reality-based society to a socially-controlled one.

This is primarily what ideology does. It transforms a civilization oriented toward understanding its world into a utilitarian one, where whatever most people seem to approve of becomes the new Official Truth, whatever symbols and words seem to offend no one become the Official Language, and whatever allows temporary coexistence and keeping the system afloat conserving the immediate status quo, ignoring continuity of origins to future becomes the Official Values, a standard which quickly resembles denialism, narcissism, and radical seeking of personal wealth, power, and status at the expense of others, nature, and God/gods.

If we were thinking clearly, the primary questions of civilization would be Are you sane? and What is real?

We are a new species, all things told, and barely into the process of understanding how we must look at our world. Monarchy worked, and tradition worked, but few could see the benefits conveyed to them by living in stable and healthy civilizations. Like all things modern, the transition involved liberalizing rules and making the process of society cheaper through externalized cost, but now we see how those externalized costs including the vast waste pool of bad genetics produced will overwhelm civilization itself.

Our religions tell us to look for evil rising from the depths in fire like a symbol come to life, but in reality, evil means the cascade of bungles that happen with error. We err; we go into denial; we conceal the error; then, to justify our current position, we become dedicated to error and concealment, and obscure reality. That makes us agents against all good.

It turns out that human downfall comes from the mundane and not the exotic. Yes, we face threats from invading Muslims and Mongols, but those problems are easy to figure out: fight back (then, the only question is the method of our resistance and counter-attack). But what about everyday insanity, especially that which becomes accepted?

When we adopt insanity by becoming an ideological society, or one dedicated to a symbolic goal, all of our efforts become designed to externalize our problems, both passing the mess on to others, and finding some external force to blame. That way, we as individuals face no need to change, or alter our solipsistic thinking in order to accept reality as it is instead of simply asserting what we want it to be.

As part of this externalization, we demand equality: that society do for us what we cannot do for ourselves without some work, namely become content with who we are; egalitarianism validates everyone, and in doing so, destroys the value of that validation, but this never occurs to those who thirst for it. To them, it simply means that they can do what they want, and never be ranked lower for having been in denial of reality, despite acceptance of reality being central to our collective and individual survival both.

This however creates a comfortable mental environment, which makes sense when we consider ideology a pathology and not a logical argument. It gives people something to blame for their failings (inequality) and something to strive for that will make everything better (equality). It also gives their lives meaning, since they finally have a goal, and so in a society made empty by the death of culture, they feel that they have a place.

Ideology confuses method and goal as part of its one-dimensional symbolic and categorical approach. This means that only method remains: work toward equality, since equality is the goal, and the quest never stops. The circularity of this approach makes egalitarianism simple and addictive, since it is never enough and the only solution is to find more.

This may be its greatest evil. Instead of having a goal, we replace the notion of a goal with circular repetition, causing us to stop striving toward civilization and instead to drop out of reality into this little navel-gazing loop.

Generally, ideology consists of justifying the costs imposed upon us by civilization so that we rationalize those costs as good by pretending that we get some benefit from them beyond the real. When, for example, a passing car drops a stone that nicks our windshield, we are trained to think, Oh well, just the cost of living in a free society, I guess. The same same soon applies to criminality, homelessness, vandalism, corruption, promiscuity, crass commercialism, and loss of culture. We write it all off as a sunk cost.

When a civilization is health, it has purpose. When it does not, the headless method carries on until it takes over everything, administered by a committee because no single person any longer has the authority to make the aesthetically-based and semi-arbitrary decisions required for leadership. Method dominates first as a way of perpetuating the good fortune of the past, and later from the assumption that nothing will change, it becomes a pathology of putting out fires, avoiding risks, and taking care of the wounded. From that comes egalitarianism.

All of this arises from the fundamental solipsism of the human mind. We conjure a sort of dualism, where what goes on in the realist sphere is not good but something like evil, however what we intend goodwill toward others, social feelings like approval, and universal benevolence is good therefore cannot be rejected. For this reason, we encode it into a method, and it becomes an equally headless ideology, expanding for its own conquest and dominating, any conjectured benefits long forgotten.

Tags: dualism, egalitarianism, ideology, nihilism

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Nihilism (#1) - amerika.org

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Nietzsche didn’t consider himself a nihilist and other things you should know about nihilism – ABC News

Posted: at 12:30 am

Nihilism doesn't have a great reputation.

It's associated with existential dread, immorality and Nazis.

But writer and journalist Wendy Syfret says the philosophy can also lead to a happy, positive, fulfilling life.

Syfret says nihilism's basic message is that "life is meaningless".

"Anything around you that is trying to give you any kind of direction whether that is politics, religion or your understanding of love is kind of just made up," she tells ABC RN's Life Matters.

Supplied/photo by Ben Thomson

Nihilism says that, in the scheme of things, everything we do is pointless and everything we experience is irrelevant.

It can be.

In her new book The Sunny Nihilist, Syfret gives some examples of nihilism-gone-wrong, including being used by the aforementioned Nazis to justify their atrocities and by Russian anarchists to justify a political assassination.

Life Matters is here to help you get a handle on all the important stuff: love, sex, health, fitness, parenting, career, finances and family.

Today we see nihilism espoused by alt-right influencers and "black pill" incel groups.

Syfret says if you come to nihilism looking for something destructive, you will find it.

"Like all philosophies, you get out what you put in in many ways, it is a void," Syfret says.

And as a famous nihilist philosopher said:"If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

Well spotted.

Syfret describes FriedrichNietzsche as "the poster boy of nihilism".

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"He didn't invent it but he very much brought it to the forefront," Syfret says.

But, she says, Nietzsche didn't consider himself as a nihilist.

"He didn't say nihilism is this endpoint where you reject all meaning and then you just sit in a dark room," Syfret says.

"He was more saying, use nihilism as a way to look at the people who are telling you what to value and to ask, 'What are these people getting out of this? And how are they trying to control me?'"

Nietzsche was wary of systems of power religion, nationalism or any other system that claimed to offer easy answers to life's big questions.

Once we reject the morals and values promoted by existing systems of power, Nietzsche argued, we are free to explore for ourselves what we truly believe.

His rejection of the status quo can be seen in how, in 19th century Germany, he fiercely opposed anti-Semitism.

So while Nietzsche wasn't the cheeriest guy in the world, Syfret says, he was not an inherently bad person.

His sister on the other hand

Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth was a Nazi when she died in 1935, Hitler attended her funeral.

In 1943, a letter to a journal named Angry Penguins marked the beginning of one of the most sensational hoaxes in Australian history.

In 1887, she and her husband attempted to found a colony of 'racially pure' Germans in Paraguay.

It failed spectacularly. The couple returned home and her husband killed himself.

By this time, FriedrichNietzsche had experienced a mental breakdownand in the years following he suffered multiple strokes.

This was when Elisabeth took control of her brother's archive and used it to further her own racist agenda.

She took bits and pieces of his writing and spliced them together into a manufactured book called Will to Power, which was published under Nietzsche's name soon after his death.

More than 120 years, yes. But Syfret says nihilism is now embedded in internet culture.

She gives the example of young pop music fans posting about their idols murdering them, or the gleeful memes shared at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when a Japanese theme park banned screaming, instead asking ride-goers to 'scream inside your heart'.

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Young people, Syfret says, have witnessed the decay of the structures that were supposed to bind society together: religion, government, the media.

At the same time, she says, those in power are failing to make choices that allow young people to have a steady job, own their own home or live on a planet that isn't wracked by fossil-fuel-induced climate change.

The uncertainty of the pandemic has many of embracing stoic and existentialist ideas, even if we don't know it.

Now, employers try to convince workers to find meaning in their jobs (Syfret devotes a chapter of her book to showing how destructive this can be) and advertisers pretend meaning can be found through the consumption of products.

In her book, Syfrettells of a meeting she witnessed where copywriters were desperately trying to imbuea popular brand of ice cream with meaning.

"It's exhausting when every single interaction you have with your day is trying to tell you that it's some meaningful, life-altering event," Syfret says.

"Sometimes you just want an ice cream."

So do I. But ultimately, millennia from now, neither younor Inor that ice cream will exist.

Pexels: Kindel Media

"Whether you have a great day at work, whether you absolutely nail your presentation, whether you're super charming on the zoom date you have tonight in the scope of human history, of the history of the planet, the reality is these things don't really matter," Syfret says.

"That can be a liberating way to step back from your life a little bit [and] not focus on the incredibly stressful things that we tell ourselves are the centre of the whole universe."

Hopefully, Syfret says, being confronted with how insignificant your life ultimately is also causes you to examine what is truly of value to you.

For some, she says, that might be art, music or social justice. For Syfret, knowledge that the planet will continue long after she's ceased to exist has led to her involvement in climate activism.

"As the idea of the self dissolves, it can also be a way to feel more connected to a larger community, or a sense of the health of the planet."

And, Syfret argues, by acknowledging that nothing you do ultimately matters, you're more likely to take time to enjoy the simple things whether that's patting a dog, breathing fresh air or eating an ice cream.

Enjoy it!

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Nietzsche didn't consider himself a nihilist and other things you should know about nihilism - ABC News

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‘Rick and Morty’s Staff is Slowly Taking Over Television – Decider

Posted: at 12:30 am

There are some shows that act as springboards. The Office led to Michael Schur and Mindy Kalings empires. Nip/Tuck marked the beginning of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuks seemingly limitless partnership. The Simpsons has launched more careers than anyone can count. And theres another show that has been not-so-secretly lifting up the next round of TV mega creators. Rick and Mortys producers, writers, and directors have been slowly overtaking television, and chances are theyre not going to stop any time soon.

Adult Swim has proven that Rick and Morty is absurd profitable on multiple occasions. Back in 2018, the series was renewed for a staggering 70 episodes, and earlier this summer, it was announced that the sci-fi animated comedy would be getting a spinoff series that revolved around The Vindicators. Thats nothing to say of the major projects coming up for series co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. Roiland launched Hulus Solar Opposites back in 2020 alongside former Rick and Morty producer Mike McMahan. He also set up his own video game studio known as Squanch Games in 2016, which has produced the positively reviewed VR games Job Simulator and Trover Saves the Universe.And if you like Dan Harmons optimistic brand of nihilism, get ready to see a lot more of it soon. The creator is attached to Krapopolis, an animated comedy about fighting Greek gods for Fox; Strange Planet, based on Nathan Pyles comic of the same name for Apple TV+; and Sirens of Titan, a long-discussed adaptation of Kurt Vonneguts novel.

Thats an impressive and exciting list for any creative team. Its also only the beginning.

Speaking of Mike McMahan, the Solar Opposites co-creator and former Rick and Morty executive producer is also the creator of Paramount+s currently running Star Trek: Lower Decks. McMahans success with Lower Decks even led to him signing two-year deal with CBS Studios

Another former Rick and Morty writer and producer was responsible for one of the biggest TV events of the year. But before he created Loki, showrunner Michael Waldron was perfecting his multiverse skills with this grandfather and grandson pair. Waldron is also the creator of STARZs critically praised Heels and will be dominating the film industry soon. He and Jade Bartlett are the co-writers of Marvels upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And after hes done broadening the MCU, hes going to try his hand at Star Wars with a currently untitled project with Kevin Feige.

Then theres Jessica Gao. The writer of Pickle Rick will serve as the creator of Disney+s upcoming She-Hulk. She also received a pilot order from ABC about a comedy centered around a Chinese-American family and is set to executive produce Amazons upcoming The Undesirables. And Waldron isnt the only one heading for the big screen. Gao will be executive producing Jo Koys Easter Sunday and co-writing the Ice Cube-starring Oh Hell No.

Also that Vindicators show? That will be executive produced by Rick and Morty alum Erica Rosbe and Sarah Carbiener in addition to Harmon and Roiland. Both Rosbe and Carbiener worked as writers and producers on Youre the Worst, FXs critically-acclaimed romantic comedy, as well as writers and supervising producers on Amazons psychological thriller Homecoming.

The list doesnt end there. After working on Rick and Morty, Jane Becker worked on Hulus Future Man, the twisted animated series Harley Quinn, and one of the greatest comedies of our time, Ted Lasso. James Fino and Kenny Micka went on to be producers for HBOs bizarre cult hit Animals. Director Stephen Sandoval has worked on Gravity Falls and The Owl House. And Jeff Loveness, the writer of some of your favorite Season 4 episodes including The Vat of Acid Episode, will be the second Rick and Morty writer to jump to the MCUs big screen. Loveness is the writer of the upcomingAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

It would be insane to suggest that all of these new projects are only happening because of Rick and Morty. No show has that much power, not even one with Rick Sanchez as its lead. But there is something about this aggressively wild cartoon that attracts talent. Shows like Loki, Solar Opposites, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and even Youre the Worst do the same thing as Rick and Morty, time and time again taking an established premise and flipping it on its head. That flip can be something as simple as writing a rom-com with hatable characters or as complex as dissecting the entire universe of Star Trek. Its not entirely surprising that highly creative people who would thrive writing about multiverses and pocket dimensions would bring that thinking-beyond-the-stars mentality to every project they touch.

Whether this is actually the case or not, Rick and Morty is starting to feel like a paid boot camp for some of TVs most narratively ambitious creators. It feels like a place where they can stretch the limits of their imaginations in Harmon and Roilands world before settling into other projects. Before it was ever an Adult Swim show, that show that would become Rick and Morty was a short in Harmon and Rob Schrabs film festival Channel 101. The entire point of Channel 101 was to give budding creators a platform to show the world what they could do and let the people decide what stayed. More than The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti,this contest is starting to feel more like Rick and Mortys predecessor. Pay attention to those names in the credits. Theres a good chance that with each passing episode, youre being introduced to Hollywoods future.

Where to stream Rick and Morty

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'Rick and Morty's Staff is Slowly Taking Over Television - Decider

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