When I write about journalists who have never questioned the narrative that the flu shots at least produce milder cases of flu, I caught out this sentence for space reasons:
If these journalists (who write these stories) happened to get a bad case of flu after one of their earlier flu shots, I guess this somehow qualified as even more proof that the “vaccines” worked.
Out of curiosity ... if I can get any intelligence from subscribers ... was the "Holiday Gift Subscription" banner from Substack included in this article?
I get emailed copies of my own articles and it wasn't present in the version I got in my email.
This is a smart gesture on the part of Substack to help authors grow their subscriptions right before Christmas. Of course, this helps Substack too - which gets 10 percent of all subscriptions. Stripe gets 3 percent for processing the payments.
Another source of paranoia for me. Some writers are getting these nice and free subscription solicitation banners with every article ... but apparently I'm not one of these authors. Thanks for the feedback. I guess everyone can ignore that note I put at the end of my article.
The phenomenon of people following authority or public opinion without questioning can be explained through various psychological and sociological factors, particularly during crises like COVID-19. One significant factor is fear and uncertainty. In times of unpredictability, individuals often seek guidance from authorities or perceived experts. By trusting these sources, people gain a sense of safety and control. The complexity of a pandemic, characterized by constantly changing information, makes it more convenient for individuals to defer to authority rather than attempting to analyze everything themselves.
Social conformity also plays a crucial role. Humans are inherently social beings, and there is a strong inclination to align with group norms, especially during crises. Going against the group can lead to feelings of social isolation or criticism, prompting individuals to follow the crowd. This behavior is related to herd mentality, where people mimic the actions of others simply because “everyone else is doing it.”
Trust in institutions further complicates this dynamic. Many individuals have a high degree of trust in government, scientists, and media, believing that these entities possess the best intentions. However, when some individuals perceive these institutions to be manipulative or inconsistent, skepticism arises, creating tension between different groups.
The role of media cannot be overlooked either. Throughout the pandemic, powerful and widespread media narratives emphasized unity and compliance with public health measures. The repeated exposure to these messages helped reinforce adherence to guidelines. Additionally, fear-based messaging encouraged compliance with rules like mask mandates, lockdowns, or vaccinations, playing a significant role in shaping public behavior.
Cognitive overload is another contributing factor. The complexities of scientific and medical information during a pandemic can overwhelm individuals, many of whom feel unprepared to fully grasp these complexities. To alleviate the mental burden of deciphering the information, people often rely on what they perceive to be the “correct” actions.
Lastly, the survival instinct often drives obedience to public health measures. Many individuals adopt a “better safe than sorry” mindset, adhering to guidelines even if they do not fully understand or agree with them.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone complies without question. Critical thinking allows some individuals to challenge dominant narratives, as they prioritize independent thought and may distrust authority. Furthermore, misinformation and inconsistencies from authorities can lead others to reject mainstream directives altogether. Thank god I'm one of those critical-thinking people who doesn't follow others and can think for myself such as the readers of Bill Rice Jr. and many other Substack writers who I believe have opened up many readers' eyes and I thank you for that reason.
I'm definitely one of those scalawags who "doesn't follow the herd." I've come to believe this makes me un-hirable for almost all management-level work positions ... which is why it looks like I'm going to have to remain "self employed" for the rest of my life.
Where's the major party political figure like AlGore speaking about the Plandemic betrayal of our country? Calling out those guilty of "playing on our fear?"
As far as I can tell, every big policy is predicated on the "peril narrative." This is why the MSM is so important - these "journalists" either create or reinforce all of the operative fear narratives. They never shoot them down or debunk them.
If you have about 20 minutes please watch this interesting and informative video about Mass Psychosis. Toward the end of the video it discusses ways to counter mass psychosis such as truth, humor, parallel society..
Great comment, Kim! And I agree with all of it. My question these days is: why are the people who behaved as you described for the reasons you described STILL suseptible to falling in line again for the next pandemic after the amount of data that has come out about how wrong "they" were and how epically they failed in their pandemic response and how illegally they controlled the narrative?
Why do they not wake from their slumber NOW? I get that fear and uncertainty made them willing to give up their freedoms once (I was not entirely immune either), but "when you know better, you do better," and frankly, that's not what it's looking like to me.
That's my question too, Laura. It's a disturbing question.
My supposition is that if all - or at least a few - of the biggest whoppers were conclusively shown to be brazen lies - then people would have license to admit they were duped ... and would belatedly become angry about this - and start demanding real change and consequences for the liars/criminals.
But for this scenario to happen, we'd have to have a few members of the "Trusted News Initiative" making these points. If the leaders of "Pack Journalism" all agreed that crimes and big lies happened, even the politicians and prosecutors would take action (as they respond to public sentiment).
All of these lies HAVE been exposed, endlessly, on Substack and a few other alternative media platforms. However, these dispatches don't count or resonate with the masses (as we are all extremist kooks, conspiracy theorists and dangerous disinformation spreaders).
As long as the big media organizations continue to conceal the truth, nothing is probably going to change. Which explains why the "capture" of Big Media is the "key to the operation" for the world's real rulers.
To tackle the challenges of compliance and control, there are several friendly and effective approaches we can consider. First off, promoting critical thinking is key! By teaching people to question the stories they hear and evaluate the evidence, we empower them to move beyond just trusting authority figures.
Encouraging the use of alternative media platforms can also make a big difference. When people explore independent sources of information that offer different viewpoints, they can gain a broader perspective and develop a more nuanced understanding of important issues.
Another important strategy is to engage in compassionate dialogue. When discussions become aggressive, it often leads to people holding onto their beliefs even more strongly. However, if we approach conversations with empathy and share evidence calmly, we can create a welcoming space for reflection and growth.
Helping individuals feel a sense of autonomy is crucial, too. By encouraging them to make their own decisions instead of always relying on experts, we can help reduce their vulnerability to manipulation in the future.
While it’s true that change can take time and not everyone will adopt new perspectives at the same rate, creating environments that celebrate and encourage independent thought is essential for building a more informed and open-minded society.
I believe skepticism frequently emerges when individuals notice discrepancies between what is promised and what is actually delivered. This doubt can be fueled by the allure of more convincing alternative sources of information or experiences that shake their confidence in the institutions or individuals they once trusted. The concept of trust is inherently complex and it's shaped by a tapestry of personal values, beliefs, and unique life experiences that influence how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
And once you slip down the skeptic rabbit hole, you start doubting or questioning just about everything you've ever been told. One debunked narrative leads to the possibility that 100 other "authorized narratives" are probably bogus too.
... Being a contrarian or a skeptic ain't for sissies.
Christmas vacation, 2020, the high school janitors busied themselves moving the student desks around to provide 6' distance, in all directions, between desks. I then placed an L of masking tape on the floor to indicate the position of the left front chair leg. All the while, since the previous spring, knowing that this was all hokum, and being deeply offended by the $$$$ of taxpayer money being thrown about--one thinks of spaghetti and the wall. And thinking about how many hours the janitors had had to spend on this ridiculous chair arrangement when normally over a 10-day recess they would have been cleaning and polishing floors. I left at the end of the next month, having given my resignation letter with exactly two months--to the very day--notice. No one was questioning any of these actions. No one. From childhood I had thought that public school personnel did not represent the brightest among us. Position substantiated.
What a great anecdote. One of my sad take-aways is all the teachers and principals (and college professors) who are in charge of teaching "critical thinking skills" to our students must be rock dumb. It's the dumb producing future dumb.
And (almost) every faculty member is terrified of going against the herd. This fear is probably well-placed as this attitude or questioning bent of mind can get you fired or make your working and social life very unpleasant.
It would seem that psychology and sociology teachers would understand all this.
Not totally true about the educators. Look at the schools involved with the IB programmes.
It took me a few decades to figure this out.
As a Canadian I see a large system which assesses and promotes hockey players up the steps to NHL status. You mentioned US college football which does much the same; basketball has a similar pathway. In most other countries it is the soccer (football) system which assesses, supports, and promotes the talent.
In the US you have Yale for government/CIA selection and Harvard for elite law and finance promotion.
Now look at the next level. Worldwide, the globalists have "World Colleges" with IB programmes which can assess and recruit 18 and 19 year old talent for support and promotion. Check the business and political trajectories of their attendees vs your local community college.
So your assessment of what we get as proles is true, but there is an alternative path which avoids this.
Lastly, I dare you to read three days of sociology and psych articles and confirm that the professors have any useful insight. (cf Jordan Peterson.)
I agree fully with your first paragraph: my elementary school was the teacher training "laboratory" for the state teachers' college which later employed Robin di Angelo. As a fourth grader I took issue, privately, with the student teacher telling us that the word "poem" was accented on the first syllable. And the same year, with the student teacher who was amazed that I knew of, and referred to plankton. "Wow! That's college word!". Well, it was also a word in the Little Golden Book about sea creatures that Daddy was reading to my four-year-old brother. Similarly, with the third or fourth grade student teacher telling us that "You'll be taking Sunday afternoon trips to the moon when you grow up".
I now take issue with John Droz' insistence that critical thinking skills be "taught" in public school. And have written to explain my reasoning (part of which you have just read).
Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that your second paragraph is equally true.
This smart-aleck contrarian unmasked and never afraid of a pandemic, exploited her own 3 yo grandson's companionship one day weekly, to promote both of our natural immune systems. 😊
LOL Once I grokked what a sham this all was, all the lockdowns, testing and quarantining, masks, one way only in the grocery store, plexiglas, blah blah blah, I gave my immune system a much needed workout by going to stand, just stand there in the crowds at the bus station. And breathe normally!!! Large crowd at the time I went, everyone masked. LOL masks don't work. Double LOL. I am hard to kill.
At my Troy Citizen Substack, I found a column by my late mother, which I published in my weekly newspaper in 2001. Mom wrote that her three sons all had fantastic immune systems, probably because all three of us "were exposed to every germ known to mankind" when she used to take us to the "Baby Pool" at a popular local park.
FWIW, during COVID I found the book CommunicatingUncertainty, written by three university professors who outline the inability of the press to convey scientific discoveries/advancements in the proper context.
I emailed the authors [university profs emails are easy to find] in 2020, outlining many of the concerns we're now seeing-decline in trust of public institutions as well as the ideals institutions are built on such as science, democracy, education-and was directed to a white paper on misinformation by the one professorwho responded.
Narrative permanence is a refuge of cowards and a shield for influence...but they are fun to watch.
We can give up on anyone teaching "critical thinking" in high school or college. The professors don't apply the lessons from their own areas of academic expertise.
I've called out the statistics and probability professors on this phenomena.
It's more entertaining when those who have abandoned/lack critical thinking wax philosophically on issues they haven't fully perceived or questioned-I doubt there is a university course [IgnorantInsights1A?] to achieve influence that becomes authority, but I hope I'm wrong as the courseware/curriculum would be fun to see.
Bill - I did not see a holiday gift subscription banner. Which brings me to my comments. A huge thank you to your on point articles. They never cease to either bring a smile to my face - or - a "Yes! You've got that right!" thought.
Comment on those that continue to be pro mrna jabs along with Trump Derangment Syndrome:
I work for a company filled to the brim with the Woke mob. Aside from feeling estranged from family members and former friends, it doesn't let up during my online job. These people have to have a kind of specialized degree for this job - a linguistics degree. That's fine, but you can picture what I am dealing with. I had taught for years for our district before getting that degree so I didn't fit the "mold" of these people: pompous individuals from all over the country.
The company is now going to OUTSOURCE our jobs to people in India and we have to train them knowing our days are numbered. The company is paying them $2.21USD/hour. Right away one of my coworkers felt badly for them. I told her that is the average pay in India. We are the pawns on the chessboard here. Soon we will have no pay. I found a link where you can write to Trump and I did. We will see if he even gets wind of it.
She went on to say how many universities are advising their students to come back early as they think Trump will have a travel ban on them! I said the reason he did that before was due to covid.
These people are not thinking clearly anymore. They think the shots at least kept them from getting too sick and outsourcing is fine - even if they lose their jobs! If I had to look for another job now, I would be subjected to the prejudice against AGISM. Sigh.
I'm pretty sure I'm now un-hirable at any management level job ... simply because I'm too well known as a contrarian who might rock the boat if I was hired. I certainly can't get a job as a journalist at a corporate news organization - and I've been a journalist for 30-plus years with a record of producing thousands of stories readers have enjoyed.
Your out-sourcing anecdote is sad but important so I appreciate you sharing it.
Also, thanks for confirming Substack is not running any "Holiday Gift" banners at my site. However, the company is doing this for many other Substack authors. I don't know why I'm not receiving this excellent marketing opportunity.
And thanks for the nice comments on my articles. I sometimes write these pieces just to make myself smile. It's gratifying to hear a few other people smile when reading the same lines!
Bill, Reading the Australian Newspaper has ceased to be a pleasure. It's now a mouthpiece for the US state department and the Democratic Party, Big Pharma, the corrupt medical establishment and the Israeli government. It's not possible to disapprove of what Israel is doing without being accused of antisemitism. Keep up the great work. Stripes processing fee is theft. There is too much of that going on.
I don't know how any of these major newspapers - in Australia or America - are actually surviving. They've all run off 50 percent of their potential customer base. I guess they are kept open by billionaire and millionaire owners who don't mind losing millions of dollars from these side businesses. They are doing their part to support all the Bogus Narratives.
I know this: The subsidy levels are going to have to increase many fold in coming years.
Well I have lost all respect I once had for journalists, apart from a few exceptions such as yourself. I used to respect the fact that someone worked at some major paper like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. No more. I don't read them, not anymore. Now if I happen to meet one in person (and I do, on occasion), I just think, huh, wonder how much they're shedding on me.
I made a comment below, somewhat laughingly, but true, that I went to stand in a bus station to give my immune system a workout, after I realized it was probably being handicapped by all the lockdowns and quarantining. (This was before most people started getting jabbed.) I would add that now, to protect myself against shedding I employ:
Facebook et al. are obscene. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_standards Since they don't bother to define the term, and never canvassed me, its definition defaults to Roth v. United States.
Thanks for the link and the feedback on the holiday banner that's not posted at my Substack (but it as most Substack sites). I guess I'll never know if I might have generated a few "gift subscriptions" from this solicitation. I could have used a couple.
Are you old enough to remember Smokey the Bear's motto?
The word "wildfire" has been used to enhance a fear response in the reader. Consider the proportion of the population who live in cities. The worst we get is a week of smoke from distant forest fires, the occasional railroad conflagration of toxic chemicals or Bakken oil, or incompetent management of aging powerline infrastructure. The urban clearance of Lahaina is a special case.
The NIL in college athletics does look like it will eventually ruin for-profit college athletics. But it was the correct court decision, the NCAA was and is a cartel, and the best college athletes were underpaid due to collusion. So, yeah, college sports were more fun to root for 40 years ago, but inherently unfair to athletes. Maybe we just need to be OK with billion-dollar "amateur athletics" being a relic of the past. It will take a while to die anyway. Probably not until 15 years from now when NFL says "okee dokee, we have Saturday all year now, thanks."
The premise is that all athletes have to or need to be paid. What about the star high school athletes who pack the gyms or the football stadiums? Should they be paid as well? Aren't they also being exploited?
If we pay the star quarterback, do we also need to pay the third-team offensive guard or the standout on the girls' cross country team? She works just as hard as the football and basketball players.
But, you're right. The Genie is now out of the bottle. IMO these compassionate reforms will end up harming far more student athletes than are helped.
I do think the NCAA has lost all relevance. In the future, we'll have maybe 60 "Big Boy" athletic programs that get all their games televised by ESPN, which is who really controls all of college sports now. Football provides the revenue for 90 percent of these programs athletic budges and most of this money comes from TV contracts paid for by ESPN/Disney (and Fox).
Cutting room floor text ...
When I write about journalists who have never questioned the narrative that the flu shots at least produce milder cases of flu, I caught out this sentence for space reasons:
If these journalists (who write these stories) happened to get a bad case of flu after one of their earlier flu shots, I guess this somehow qualified as even more proof that the “vaccines” worked.
Avoid line from Jesse Welles' song, Payola: "Well I've never been viral but I've had the flu; It was hard to monetise but I made it through..."
A* not avoid. Haha.
Out of curiosity ... if I can get any intelligence from subscribers ... was the "Holiday Gift Subscription" banner from Substack included in this article?
I get emailed copies of my own articles and it wasn't present in the version I got in my email.
This is a smart gesture on the part of Substack to help authors grow their subscriptions right before Christmas. Of course, this helps Substack too - which gets 10 percent of all subscriptions. Stripe gets 3 percent for processing the payments.
I did not see the banner, but I did see the text.
No banner or box at the top of the story asking you to give a gift subscription to a friend or family member?
Nope. I saw one over at Steve Kirsch's blog the other day, so I know what they look like. Maybe another glitch in the substack software.
Another source of paranoia for me. Some writers are getting these nice and free subscription solicitation banners with every article ... but apparently I'm not one of these authors. Thanks for the feedback. I guess everyone can ignore that note I put at the end of my article.
The phenomenon of people following authority or public opinion without questioning can be explained through various psychological and sociological factors, particularly during crises like COVID-19. One significant factor is fear and uncertainty. In times of unpredictability, individuals often seek guidance from authorities or perceived experts. By trusting these sources, people gain a sense of safety and control. The complexity of a pandemic, characterized by constantly changing information, makes it more convenient for individuals to defer to authority rather than attempting to analyze everything themselves.
Social conformity also plays a crucial role. Humans are inherently social beings, and there is a strong inclination to align with group norms, especially during crises. Going against the group can lead to feelings of social isolation or criticism, prompting individuals to follow the crowd. This behavior is related to herd mentality, where people mimic the actions of others simply because “everyone else is doing it.”
Trust in institutions further complicates this dynamic. Many individuals have a high degree of trust in government, scientists, and media, believing that these entities possess the best intentions. However, when some individuals perceive these institutions to be manipulative or inconsistent, skepticism arises, creating tension between different groups.
The role of media cannot be overlooked either. Throughout the pandemic, powerful and widespread media narratives emphasized unity and compliance with public health measures. The repeated exposure to these messages helped reinforce adherence to guidelines. Additionally, fear-based messaging encouraged compliance with rules like mask mandates, lockdowns, or vaccinations, playing a significant role in shaping public behavior.
Cognitive overload is another contributing factor. The complexities of scientific and medical information during a pandemic can overwhelm individuals, many of whom feel unprepared to fully grasp these complexities. To alleviate the mental burden of deciphering the information, people often rely on what they perceive to be the “correct” actions.
Lastly, the survival instinct often drives obedience to public health measures. Many individuals adopt a “better safe than sorry” mindset, adhering to guidelines even if they do not fully understand or agree with them.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone complies without question. Critical thinking allows some individuals to challenge dominant narratives, as they prioritize independent thought and may distrust authority. Furthermore, misinformation and inconsistencies from authorities can lead others to reject mainstream directives altogether. Thank god I'm one of those critical-thinking people who doesn't follow others and can think for myself such as the readers of Bill Rice Jr. and many other Substack writers who I believe have opened up many readers' eyes and I thank you for that reason.
Wow. That's a scholarly explanation of all these dynamics. Thanks for writing this and sharing it with my readers, Kim.
It would seem, by now, more people would listen to the skeptics who don't back down.
Why are the "trusted" government officials and mainstream journalists STILL trusted?
Stockholm Syndrome, though far more ancient than that. If you didn't follow the tribe's dictates, they expelled you, and you likely soon died.
I'm definitely one of those scalawags who "doesn't follow the herd." I've come to believe this makes me un-hirable for almost all management-level work positions ... which is why it looks like I'm going to have to remain "self employed" for the rest of my life.
That time AlGore was right...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxGC8JaijI0
Re: Iraq War, 2004
"They played on our fears!"
Where's the major party political figure like AlGore speaking about the Plandemic betrayal of our country? Calling out those guilty of "playing on our fear?"
As far as I can tell, every big policy is predicated on the "peril narrative." This is why the MSM is so important - these "journalists" either create or reinforce all of the operative fear narratives. They never shoot them down or debunk them.
If you have about 20 minutes please watch this interesting and informative video about Mass Psychosis. Toward the end of the video it discusses ways to counter mass psychosis such as truth, humor, parallel society..
Mass psychosis
https://youtu.be/09maaUaRT4M
Great comment, Kim! And I agree with all of it. My question these days is: why are the people who behaved as you described for the reasons you described STILL suseptible to falling in line again for the next pandemic after the amount of data that has come out about how wrong "they" were and how epically they failed in their pandemic response and how illegally they controlled the narrative?
Why do they not wake from their slumber NOW? I get that fear and uncertainty made them willing to give up their freedoms once (I was not entirely immune either), but "when you know better, you do better," and frankly, that's not what it's looking like to me.
That's my question too, Laura. It's a disturbing question.
My supposition is that if all - or at least a few - of the biggest whoppers were conclusively shown to be brazen lies - then people would have license to admit they were duped ... and would belatedly become angry about this - and start demanding real change and consequences for the liars/criminals.
But for this scenario to happen, we'd have to have a few members of the "Trusted News Initiative" making these points. If the leaders of "Pack Journalism" all agreed that crimes and big lies happened, even the politicians and prosecutors would take action (as they respond to public sentiment).
All of these lies HAVE been exposed, endlessly, on Substack and a few other alternative media platforms. However, these dispatches don't count or resonate with the masses (as we are all extremist kooks, conspiracy theorists and dangerous disinformation spreaders).
As long as the big media organizations continue to conceal the truth, nothing is probably going to change. Which explains why the "capture" of Big Media is the "key to the operation" for the world's real rulers.
To tackle the challenges of compliance and control, there are several friendly and effective approaches we can consider. First off, promoting critical thinking is key! By teaching people to question the stories they hear and evaluate the evidence, we empower them to move beyond just trusting authority figures.
Encouraging the use of alternative media platforms can also make a big difference. When people explore independent sources of information that offer different viewpoints, they can gain a broader perspective and develop a more nuanced understanding of important issues.
Another important strategy is to engage in compassionate dialogue. When discussions become aggressive, it often leads to people holding onto their beliefs even more strongly. However, if we approach conversations with empathy and share evidence calmly, we can create a welcoming space for reflection and growth.
Helping individuals feel a sense of autonomy is crucial, too. By encouraging them to make their own decisions instead of always relying on experts, we can help reduce their vulnerability to manipulation in the future.
While it’s true that change can take time and not everyone will adopt new perspectives at the same rate, creating environments that celebrate and encourage independent thought is essential for building a more informed and open-minded society.
I believe skepticism frequently emerges when individuals notice discrepancies between what is promised and what is actually delivered. This doubt can be fueled by the allure of more convincing alternative sources of information or experiences that shake their confidence in the institutions or individuals they once trusted. The concept of trust is inherently complex and it's shaped by a tapestry of personal values, beliefs, and unique life experiences that influence how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
And once you slip down the skeptic rabbit hole, you start doubting or questioning just about everything you've ever been told. One debunked narrative leads to the possibility that 100 other "authorized narratives" are probably bogus too.
... Being a contrarian or a skeptic ain't for sissies.
Christmas vacation, 2020, the high school janitors busied themselves moving the student desks around to provide 6' distance, in all directions, between desks. I then placed an L of masking tape on the floor to indicate the position of the left front chair leg. All the while, since the previous spring, knowing that this was all hokum, and being deeply offended by the $$$$ of taxpayer money being thrown about--one thinks of spaghetti and the wall. And thinking about how many hours the janitors had had to spend on this ridiculous chair arrangement when normally over a 10-day recess they would have been cleaning and polishing floors. I left at the end of the next month, having given my resignation letter with exactly two months--to the very day--notice. No one was questioning any of these actions. No one. From childhood I had thought that public school personnel did not represent the brightest among us. Position substantiated.
What a great anecdote. One of my sad take-aways is all the teachers and principals (and college professors) who are in charge of teaching "critical thinking skills" to our students must be rock dumb. It's the dumb producing future dumb.
And (almost) every faculty member is terrified of going against the herd. This fear is probably well-placed as this attitude or questioning bent of mind can get you fired or make your working and social life very unpleasant.
It would seem that psychology and sociology teachers would understand all this.
Not totally true about the educators. Look at the schools involved with the IB programmes.
It took me a few decades to figure this out.
As a Canadian I see a large system which assesses and promotes hockey players up the steps to NHL status. You mentioned US college football which does much the same; basketball has a similar pathway. In most other countries it is the soccer (football) system which assesses, supports, and promotes the talent.
In the US you have Yale for government/CIA selection and Harvard for elite law and finance promotion.
Now look at the next level. Worldwide, the globalists have "World Colleges" with IB programmes which can assess and recruit 18 and 19 year old talent for support and promotion. Check the business and political trajectories of their attendees vs your local community college.
So your assessment of what we get as proles is true, but there is an alternative path which avoids this.
Lastly, I dare you to read three days of sociology and psych articles and confirm that the professors have any useful insight. (cf Jordan Peterson.)
I agree fully with your first paragraph: my elementary school was the teacher training "laboratory" for the state teachers' college which later employed Robin di Angelo. As a fourth grader I took issue, privately, with the student teacher telling us that the word "poem" was accented on the first syllable. And the same year, with the student teacher who was amazed that I knew of, and referred to plankton. "Wow! That's college word!". Well, it was also a word in the Little Golden Book about sea creatures that Daddy was reading to my four-year-old brother. Similarly, with the third or fourth grade student teacher telling us that "You'll be taking Sunday afternoon trips to the moon when you grow up".
I now take issue with John Droz' insistence that critical thinking skills be "taught" in public school. And have written to explain my reasoning (part of which you have just read).
Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that your second paragraph is equally true.
This smart-aleck contrarian unmasked and never afraid of a pandemic, exploited her own 3 yo grandson's companionship one day weekly, to promote both of our natural immune systems. 😊
LOL Once I grokked what a sham this all was, all the lockdowns, testing and quarantining, masks, one way only in the grocery store, plexiglas, blah blah blah, I gave my immune system a much needed workout by going to stand, just stand there in the crowds at the bus station. And breathe normally!!! Large crowd at the time I went, everyone masked. LOL masks don't work. Double LOL. I am hard to kill.
At my Troy Citizen Substack, I found a column by my late mother, which I published in my weekly newspaper in 2001. Mom wrote that her three sons all had fantastic immune systems, probably because all three of us "were exposed to every germ known to mankind" when she used to take us to the "Baby Pool" at a popular local park.
Mom made a good point.
Direct hit.
I do not believe "6 feet" apart was randomly chosen. It was part of the psychop.
You need to keep 6 feet apart or you'll end up 6 feet under.
FWIW, during COVID I found the book CommunicatingUncertainty, written by three university professors who outline the inability of the press to convey scientific discoveries/advancements in the proper context.
I emailed the authors [university profs emails are easy to find] in 2020, outlining many of the concerns we're now seeing-decline in trust of public institutions as well as the ideals institutions are built on such as science, democracy, education-and was directed to a white paper on misinformation by the one professorwho responded.
Narrative permanence is a refuge of cowards and a shield for influence...but they are fun to watch.
We can give up on anyone teaching "critical thinking" in high school or college. The professors don't apply the lessons from their own areas of academic expertise.
I've called out the statistics and probability professors on this phenomena.
It's more entertaining when those who have abandoned/lack critical thinking wax philosophically on issues they haven't fully perceived or questioned-I doubt there is a university course [IgnorantInsights1A?] to achieve influence that becomes authority, but I hope I'm wrong as the courseware/curriculum would be fun to see.
Another great read!
Bill - I did not see a holiday gift subscription banner. Which brings me to my comments. A huge thank you to your on point articles. They never cease to either bring a smile to my face - or - a "Yes! You've got that right!" thought.
Comment on those that continue to be pro mrna jabs along with Trump Derangment Syndrome:
I work for a company filled to the brim with the Woke mob. Aside from feeling estranged from family members and former friends, it doesn't let up during my online job. These people have to have a kind of specialized degree for this job - a linguistics degree. That's fine, but you can picture what I am dealing with. I had taught for years for our district before getting that degree so I didn't fit the "mold" of these people: pompous individuals from all over the country.
The company is now going to OUTSOURCE our jobs to people in India and we have to train them knowing our days are numbered. The company is paying them $2.21USD/hour. Right away one of my coworkers felt badly for them. I told her that is the average pay in India. We are the pawns on the chessboard here. Soon we will have no pay. I found a link where you can write to Trump and I did. We will see if he even gets wind of it.
She went on to say how many universities are advising their students to come back early as they think Trump will have a travel ban on them! I said the reason he did that before was due to covid.
These people are not thinking clearly anymore. They think the shots at least kept them from getting too sick and outsourcing is fine - even if they lose their jobs! If I had to look for another job now, I would be subjected to the prejudice against AGISM. Sigh.
I'm pretty sure I'm now un-hirable at any management level job ... simply because I'm too well known as a contrarian who might rock the boat if I was hired. I certainly can't get a job as a journalist at a corporate news organization - and I've been a journalist for 30-plus years with a record of producing thousands of stories readers have enjoyed.
Your out-sourcing anecdote is sad but important so I appreciate you sharing it.
Also, thanks for confirming Substack is not running any "Holiday Gift" banners at my site. However, the company is doing this for many other Substack authors. I don't know why I'm not receiving this excellent marketing opportunity.
And thanks for the nice comments on my articles. I sometimes write these pieces just to make myself smile. It's gratifying to hear a few other people smile when reading the same lines!
Bill, Reading the Australian Newspaper has ceased to be a pleasure. It's now a mouthpiece for the US state department and the Democratic Party, Big Pharma, the corrupt medical establishment and the Israeli government. It's not possible to disapprove of what Israel is doing without being accused of antisemitism. Keep up the great work. Stripes processing fee is theft. There is too much of that going on.
I don't know how any of these major newspapers - in Australia or America - are actually surviving. They've all run off 50 percent of their potential customer base. I guess they are kept open by billionaire and millionaire owners who don't mind losing millions of dollars from these side businesses. They are doing their part to support all the Bogus Narratives.
I know this: The subsidy levels are going to have to increase many fold in coming years.
Hang tough, Down Under!
Well I have lost all respect I once had for journalists, apart from a few exceptions such as yourself. I used to respect the fact that someone worked at some major paper like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. No more. I don't read them, not anymore. Now if I happen to meet one in person (and I do, on occasion), I just think, huh, wonder how much they're shedding on me.
I made a comment below, somewhat laughingly, but true, that I went to stand in a bus station to give my immune system a workout, after I realized it was probably being handicapped by all the lockdowns and quarantining. (This was before most people started getting jabbed.) I would add that now, to protect myself against shedding I employ:
Number 1: sense of humor
Number 2: nattokinaise and pine needle tea
I often wonder how these self-identifying fearless "watchdog" journalists look at themselves in the mirror every morning.
Me 2
Facebook et al. are obscene. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_standards Since they don't bother to define the term, and never canvassed me, its definition defaults to Roth v. United States.
Holiday Gift Subscription was not included.
Thanks for the link and the feedback on the holiday banner that's not posted at my Substack (but it as most Substack sites). I guess I'll never know if I might have generated a few "gift subscriptions" from this solicitation. I could have used a couple.
You mention "wildfires."
Are you old enough to remember Smokey the Bear's motto?
The word "wildfire" has been used to enhance a fear response in the reader. Consider the proportion of the population who live in cities. The worst we get is a week of smoke from distant forest fires, the occasional railroad conflagration of toxic chemicals or Bakken oil, or incompetent management of aging powerline infrastructure. The urban clearance of Lahaina is a special case.
The NIL in college athletics does look like it will eventually ruin for-profit college athletics. But it was the correct court decision, the NCAA was and is a cartel, and the best college athletes were underpaid due to collusion. So, yeah, college sports were more fun to root for 40 years ago, but inherently unfair to athletes. Maybe we just need to be OK with billion-dollar "amateur athletics" being a relic of the past. It will take a while to die anyway. Probably not until 15 years from now when NFL says "okee dokee, we have Saturday all year now, thanks."
The premise is that all athletes have to or need to be paid. What about the star high school athletes who pack the gyms or the football stadiums? Should they be paid as well? Aren't they also being exploited?
If we pay the star quarterback, do we also need to pay the third-team offensive guard or the standout on the girls' cross country team? She works just as hard as the football and basketball players.
But, you're right. The Genie is now out of the bottle. IMO these compassionate reforms will end up harming far more student athletes than are helped.
I do think the NCAA has lost all relevance. In the future, we'll have maybe 60 "Big Boy" athletic programs that get all their games televised by ESPN, which is who really controls all of college sports now. Football provides the revenue for 90 percent of these programs athletic budges and most of this money comes from TV contracts paid for by ESPN/Disney (and Fox).