Open Thread 123

This Post about *default, tagged *notag, was written by Anatoly Karlin for Russian Reaction on October 16, 2020

На службе Израиля!

Comments

Anatoly Karlin says

October 16, 2020 at 8:20 am

This is the current Open Thread, where anything goes – within reason.

If you are new to my work, start here.
Gerard1234 says

October 16, 2020 at 8:43 am

I always knew it…………

https://twitter.com/akarlin88/status/1317078221242945538
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 9:12 am

Some right wingers emphasis genetic differences too much. Most human populations of Eurasia are capable of civilization building, as the history has shown again and again. In my opinion differences in success between Eurasian populations are better explained by culture, geopolitics, economics and particular tradition of political decision-making. Chinese were extremely poor in the 70s, but they arent now. Singaporeans do not have any different genes from the Chinese and Malays. Koreans are genetically very homogenous population, but differences between them are stark as day and night. Finns dont differ much genetically from Northern Russians and Estonians, still their quality of life is much better. Indians of the Mughal empire in the 17th Century had 24% share of global production, wages in Northern India were better than in England of those times and the percentage of people working in manufactory and services was much greater than in any European country of period.

http://www.tcd.ie/Economics/staff/orourkek/Istanbul/JGWGEHNIndianDeind.pdf

The Indian economy was large and prosperous under the Mughal Empire.[64] During the Mughal era, the gross domestic product (GDP) of India in 1600 was estimated at about 22% of the world economy, the second largest in the world, behind only Ming China but larger than Europe. By 1700, the GDP of Mughal India had risen to 24% of the world economy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_Empire#ecomony

Of course the true explanation for the differences is Karma, when people are pious, virtuous (Latin. Virtus, Sanskrit. Virya, by the way both words are connected with the word Virility) and humble, they generate Merit, which bears good fruit. The Christians of the past generated huge amounts of merit, but as it always happens, later generations forget the true reasons for their success, which is VIRTUE(Romans, Hellenes, Aryans, ancient Chinese and Persians all agree!!!) and spend all their good Karma away. Then the civilisation starts its long decay, until people once again learn the true sources of happiness. Thus the cycle will continue…

Its my belief that many mistortunes that have plagued the Russian nation, are partly caused or explained by so many abortions. Infanticide is also much practiced by the Indians.
another anon says

October 16, 2020 at 9:16 am

Yay open thread!
I hope we will be able to keep the latest news about some neanderthal tribes bashing their heads with small stones over big pile of stone in the appropriate threads, and concentrate on more important things.

For example, artificial wombs, long recognized as the one of the most important technologies of this millenium by our esteemed host.

https://www.unz.com/akarlin/paper-review-artificial-wombs/

The research proceeds briskly, see the latest news.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X2030076X

The EXTrauterine Environment for Neonatal Development Supports Normal Intestinal Maturation and Development

Even Daily Normie noticed the brisk progress

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8495509/How-long-babies-grown-ziplock-bags.html

How long before babies are grown in ziplock bags? The brave new world of science where doctors are pushing ethical boundaries in a race to transform human reproduction

and feminists noticed too.
Catalyst, premier technofeminist journal calls for discussion about the issue.

https://catalystjournal.org/index.php/catalyst/article/view/33065/26049

In this article, I call for interdisciplinary feminist research to reclaim the subject of artificial womb technology from anti-abortion discourse.

…..

As Cavaliere (2019) has argued, full ectogenesis might be engaged as a feminist political provocation: a demand for a future in which care labor is collectivized, and the health of pregnant people is taken seriously as a worthy social goal. Exploring these aims against the contemporary injustices that make them (productive?) imaginaries requires a refusal both of anti-abortion claims that would negate the use of artificial wombs to benefit pregnant people, and of a feminist engagement that would seek more choice “without the need to rectify social inequalities” (Roberts, 1999, p. 298). Unlike the partial artificial womb, full ectogenesis, as yet, remains speculative. To open it to possible feminist uses, we must disentangle the discourse from the limitations of the world as it is now, and redirect it toward the work to be done in seeking the other worlds that could be.

So, what will the new world brought by the new technology look like?
Great Russian Galactic Empire, Glorious Feminist Collective Utopia or both?
Your ideas?
Blinky Bill says

October 16, 2020 at 9:27 am

It all makes sense now!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQJCwCXEjZc0SwDuuiRnIIsRcnFpsOf0jFEPQ&usqp.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSXMmj_7CpuYTG1GeeaGc0GCJsD08h4v6bnrw&usqp.jpg
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 9:45 am

Re: https://www.rt.com/russia/503675-tikhanovskaya-nato-backed-opposition-figure/

Nothing said of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya’s detained husband who Lukashenko recently met, along with Viktor Babariko.

As for the aforementioned Franak Viacorka, there’s a BBC segment where he spoke negatively of Russia possibly looking to put their guy in place as Belarusian president at some point. I haven’t heard anything from Viacorka regarding an anti-Russian platform which (for seemingly calculated reasons) was suddenly dropped by a site affiliated with S Tikhanovskaya:

https://www.unz.com/akarlin/shadow-zmagarists/
Belarusian Dude says

October 16, 2020 at 9:45 am

All peoples can build nations. But some do it more efficiently, HBD coming in here
Mr. Hack says

October 16, 2020 at 9:45 am

I prefer the image that Karlin has presented to the world in the past, of a real red-blooded Russian man pursuing beautiful Russian women while also upping his caloric intake with a McDonalds quarter pounder and extra large French fries, than that of a macerated Jew (no offense to any Jewish readers). He needs to once and for all figure out his ethnic identity. 🙂

https://www.unz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/russia-mcdonalds-1.jpg

Anatoly, did yo at least get her phone number?
Kent Nationalist says

October 16, 2020 at 9:51 am

The chad burger AK vs the virgin Yeshiva student AK
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 9:54 am

Been quite some time since I saw a US based McDonalds employee as aesthetically appealing.
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 9:55 am

All things to all people.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 9:56 am

I didnt write or claim that all people are capable of building a civilization. Theres a big difference between your words and mine.
Mr. Hack says

October 16, 2020 at 9:56 am

And that smirk on Karlin’s face seems to betray that he’s got her cinched. If only it were true?…
Gerard1234 says

October 16, 2020 at 10:06 am

Yep, average life expectancy versus average age of death of coronavirus victim per country should be the next consideration made by governments
melanf says

October 16, 2020 at 10:21 am

Increase in mortality January-August 2020 ( to January-August 2019 in %)

https://i.redd.it/jnbzamrenvs51.png
A123 says

October 16, 2020 at 10:38 am

Flee! Pumpkin Spice is coming!!!!!!

https://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/023/386/dea.jpg

The Pumpkin Spice Orange Juice is terrifying…
Blinky Bill says

October 16, 2020 at 10:57 am

https://youtu.be/w8oGQRWOiIk
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 11:02 am

AP and Mikhail I will continue here our debate, if thats okay.

Why do we debate on and on about this? Both sides should articulate their beliefs and motivations more clearly. I mean you AP and Mikhail and myself, naturally.

I believe that most Ukrainians were content as members of the Russian empire and loyal subjects of the Czar. As I believe that most Ukrainians of the modern day want to be citizens of an independent country. In my opinion the question regarding Ukrainians loyalty toward the Soviet state and PLC is much more confusing topic. With Soviets there were two extremes, the Donbass and Galicia, or they were like two extremes of a spectrum, and most Ukrainians had opinions that were somewhere in the middle of those extremes. At least during the 70s and 80s.
Regarding the PLC I believe you AP that for some time people of Ukraine were content, but the Polish upper Szlachta was very Catholic minded and had plans of converting the Orthodox population and wouldn’t have stopped before realising their goals. Of course Uniatism was a natural stepping stone towards that. If you claim otherwise then PLC would have been an unnatural Western Christian country. All Catholic and Protestant countries of the early modern era strived towards the homogenization of the faith and language. For me Catholicism was not just modernization, because I have personally studied much of Christian theology and come to conclusion that Orthodox are the true Church of the Christ. Actually your argument was probably employed by Anglo-Irish aristocracy, who thought that Catholicism is backwards and superstitious.
I of course think that Catholicism is much closer to the true Christianity thant the protestants are. These things are not just questions of development and progress, but manifest deeper values and tendencies of the peoples and individuals.

Also AP I believe that those Ukrainians or Malorussians who were actively agitating for the Ukrainian nation or producing separatist literature in the 19th Century Russian empire were a marginal fringe group. Like the funny Reichsburgers of nowadays Germany.
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 11:33 am

Erdogan’s wilding continues:

https://theduran.com/erdogan-opens-cyprus-occupied-town-of-varosha-un-security-council-warns-turkey/

There’s an across the board geopolitical hypocrisy on disputed territories. Turkey’s stance on Nagorno-Karabakh versus northern Cyprus is one of them.
utu says

October 16, 2020 at 11:35 am

Show me one Christian denomination that does not claim that it is the closest to the “True Christianity.” The reason people convert under pressure in Ireland or Ukraine was based on benefits the conversion could bring. The reason that the pressure to convert was created were always political, a desire to assimilate and absorb. Which faith was more true was just a rationalization that people on both sides needed to justify their decisions.
Dmitry says

October 16, 2020 at 11:42 am

AK’s synagogue – Moscow choral synagogue? It is still not clear which mafia subgroup he is part of.

The same building has a Georgian Jews’ congregation:
https://jewish-russia.ru/catalog-ru/listing/obshhina-gruzinskih-evreev/
And a Mountain Jews’ congregation
https://jewish-russia.ru/catalog-ru/listing/obshhina-gorskih-evreev/

But there is no Bukharian Jews’ congregation there, so Karlin is being helpful to help dvach users to exclude that Karlin is a representative of the Bukharian mafia in Moscow.
Dan Hayes says

October 16, 2020 at 12:04 pm

Here Anatoly has earned the unequivocal title of “The Ultimate UR Troll”.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 12:15 pm

Yes most or all Christian Churchs claim to be the original church of the Christ, I didnt claim otherwise.

This will be a very lenghty topic.
Its clear that bishop of the Rome was first among equals in the early church but not preeminent or ruler of a church like he nowadays is in the Catholic Church. All ecumenical Church councils were called by the emperor and not by the pope. Some popes were even declared to be heretics by the councils, and some popes were clearly appointed by the emperor so its easy to argue that early church was led in a conciliatory way by the Christian bishops.
Then there are heretical additions to the faith like the filioque clause, or that the St Mary is the co redemptrix of the people with the Christ. Oh there are so many points. Many Catholic saints have had demonic apparitions or false spiritual experiences, which are called prelest in the Orthodox church. You know like all those stories of Theresa of Avila, were he met angels and stuff. In Orthodox Church they believe that true union with the divine leads to clear and calm mind. Not to hysterical and hyper emotional states of mind. Really there is so much heretical stuff in thr Catholic church, they dont even use original Old Testament of the Christians, called Septuagint, which was written in Greek in the 2rd or 3rd century bc but they use Old Testament translated from the Hebrew texts of the 5th Century.

Also its clear that Devil saw a greater danger in Orthodoxy than in Catholicism and Protestantism, why else he would had attacked and striked Orthodox church in such open way. Orthodox priests of the 20th Century were killed everywhere from Turkey Siberia, put camps and shot, harassed and persecuted. But the Catholics and protestants lived among wealth and riches, they were honored and treated as the prestigious members of their communities. Naturally because the Devil did not see a threat in them. They could be coopted and subjucated, until they lost all the meaning and purpoae in their societies.

One, holy, Apostolic and Orthodox, was the united church of the ecumenical councils as was their definition of the true church. So too is the modern Orthidox Church. They have an apostolic succession, which is lacking among protestants, and they worship in the same way as the Christians of the early middle ages worshipped, for the Catholics have changed very much from those times. Also it was the Roman pope who left the Church and not the Orthodox biahoprics. In ancient times there were five preeminent Patriarchates: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. The so called Pentarchy, Rome left but others stayed. Coptic Patriarchates of Alexandria is debatable, I do believe that Coptic or Oriental Orthodox are also somewhat members of the true church but that is another topic.

Here I just presented couple points in the defence of the Orthodoxy, there are many more.

Theres still one thing left to explain. Why I as a Buddhist write about the Devil? Because we Buddhist do believe in the Devil, there is nothing syncretic in that. Oh another thing, why I am as a Buddhist interested in Christianity so much? Because if we go deeper in Buddhist philosophy, the Christ goes or fits perfectly in Buddhist framework of universe and karma. Although there are two or three views regarding his meaning in (traditional/real) Buddhist circles.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 12:17 pm

Why then in the Roman empire many Christians did not betray their faith even under the threat of the torture and capital punishment? After all reason for conversion is always political or based on the benefits that it could bring. Hahhhahahaa!
Kent Nationalist says

October 16, 2020 at 12:23 pm

Its my belief that many mistortunes that have plagued the Russian nation, are partly caused or explained by so many abortions.

Your theory is interesting. Fortunately we have a natural experiment in the form of China.
Hyperborean says

October 16, 2020 at 12:26 pm

No Corona-boost for China’s international image:

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/PG_2020.10.06_Global-Views-China_0-01.png?w=640

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/PG_2020.10.06_Global-Views-China_0-03.png?w=620

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/PG_2020.10.06_Global-Views-China_0-05.png?w=640

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/PG_2020.10.06_Global-Views-China_0-12.png?w=640

But even while pluralities or majorities in most countries note China’s economic strength relative to the U.S., this opinion does little to color attitude toward China more broadly. In almost every country surveyed, people who name China as the top economic power and people who name the U.S. are equally likely to have unfavorable views of China. People’s own pocketbooks also have little bearing on their views of China. In most countries surveyed, those with higher income levels are equally likely as those with lower levels of income to give the country low marks.

[…]

As has traditionally been the case in Pew Research Center polling, older people tend to have more unfavorable views of China than younger people. For example, in Australia, 68% of those under 30 have an unfavorable view of China, compared with 86% of those ages 50 and older. This also marks the first year in which a majority of younger Australians have an unfavorable view of China; in 2019, 45% of those under 30 reported the same.

In the U.S., too, 2020 is the first year in which more than half of young Americans expressed negative views toward China. The only country surveyed in which younger people hold more unfavorable views of China than their elders is South Korea.

In contrast, education plays little role in people’s assessments of China. Across each of the 14 countries surveyed, those with a postsecondary degree or more are equally likely to have unfavorable views of China as those with less education. Men and women are also equally likely to have unfavorable views of China in nearly all countries surveyed.

In the U.S., Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party hold more unfavorable views of China than Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party. Aside from the U.S. – where conservatives tend to have more unfavorable views of China than liberals – ideology has little or no relationship with views of China in the other countries surveyed.

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/10/06/unfavorable-views-of-china-reach-historic-highs-in-many-countries/

The scores for Japan and South Korea can probably be extrapolated to the more hostile Asian-Pacific nations like Taiwan, Vietnam and India.
Max Payne says

October 16, 2020 at 12:32 pm

It takes more than just a half-bra to get the good deals. But good effort.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 12:33 pm

China suffered much more in the near history than Russia, and nowadays, or past one or two generations, most Chinese are active users of contraception.
another anon says

October 16, 2020 at 1:30 pm

Some more material for your “dumb American” files:

https://twitter.com/Palle_Hoffstein/status/1316613804109766657

Yes, thirty years after the fall of USSR Americans still hadn’t noticed that Soviet Union is gone.
You may wondered why is there so much Russian bashing – because it works.

https://twitter.com/wvjoe911/status/1091707567372410880

The people who are inventing various Russian conspiracy theories and putting up these billboards know their people, know that WROM brain of average American was programmed in childhood to hate Russkie Commie Mongol Horde and the programming will last till death.
AaronB says

October 16, 2020 at 1:32 pm

What if the belief that there is no meaning or purpose in life, and that humans and the world are not important, leads to cheerfulness and liberation.

Cheerful nihilism. What if people are depressed today because they see the world has little importance, but have been taught to think it should.

If the world isn’t important, then nothing really matters. Its like a huge burden has been lifted- it doesn’t matter if you succeed or fail. Nor are you searching for that one thing that will save you. You’re not trying to be saved anymore. Since nothing matters, there is nothing to get seriously anxious or depressed about.

The future loses its importance. The present becomes all that matters. You live because its fun, and you are free to pursue fun rather than work towards the future. Reading a good book is fun, walking in a forest is fun, exploring the world of European stinky cheese is fun, having friends is fun, drinking good wine or whiskey is fun, wandering the mountains is fun, knowing things is fun, being generous is fun, doing something kind is fun, helping someone is fun, educating yourself on a topic is fun.

But none of it is terribly important. You are not really important.

This is the Buddhist Middle Way (some versions of it), with its doctrine that everything is Empty. Since nothing truly exists on its own, no single thing is very important by itself. This is why the Dalai Lama is always laughing and smiling. This is also Taoism (the older version of it).

There are forms of Christianity and Judaism and Islam that are like this too.
Blinky Bill says

October 16, 2020 at 1:34 pm

We randomly selected 14 nations* around the world in our poll and found favorable views of the US at virtually zero across the globe.

*Countries are: China, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Bolivia, Pakistan, Russia, Cuba, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Egypt.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 1:52 pm

There are more Karlins under heaven than are dreamt of in your philosophy, my dear Hack.
Thulean Friend says

October 16, 2020 at 2:12 pm

What ‘Russiagate’ taught me is how even seemingly educated people are remarkably stupid in how they absorb the media. Most people basically have zero critical-thinking skills, and I don’t even think it’s an intelligence-related issue.

These polls just show the effects of a massive anti-Chinese media propaganda campaign filtering through to the plebs. Nothing more, nothing less.
The Spirit of Enoch Powell says

October 16, 2020 at 2:14 pm

The people who are inventing various Russian conspiracy theories and putting up these billboards know their people, know that WROM brain of average American was programmed in childhood to hate Russkie Commie Mongol Horde and the programming will last till death.

I think amongst the younger (and more “diverse”) demographic, the Democratic Party pretty much are secure, so all that remains is those pesky boomers.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/1OOnw.png

Hence they play on the Russophobic tendencies of this age bracket, a relic from the understandable tensions of the Cold War in which these people grew up in. I don’t think many younger people get the whole Russia thing, they just hate Trump because he is a “White Supremacist”…
AaronB says

October 16, 2020 at 2:18 pm

If the world isn’t important, then nothing really matters. Its like a huge burden has been lifted- it doesn’t matter if you succeed or fail. Nor are you searching for that one thing that will save you. You’re not trying to be saved anymore. Since nothing matters, there is nothing to get seriously anxious or depressed about

Paradoxically, if it doesn’t really matter if you succeed or fail, you can throw yourself into whatever you are trying to accomplish with gusto.

If it really matters if you fail at something, you will be hesitant and reserved, nervous and blocked. But if it doesn’t really matter, you can abandon yourself to the task.

This is the secret of Japanese success. The Japanese are Buddhists who believe the world is Empty and everything is evanescent. Since it doesn’t really matter if they succeed or fail, they can give it their all. Gambatte!

There is a famous saying in Zen that an archer who actually cares whether he will hit is target will never be a good archer.

The modern West, and the modern world in general, has a “positive” orientation that is the complete opposite of the “negative” orientation I am describing here.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 2:20 pm

Radfems can have such charming madness, reminds me of this gem:

https://www.indymedia.nl/node/22259

First, well intercourse is NEVER sex for women. Only men experience rape as sexual and define it as such. Sex for men is the unilateral penetration of their penis into a woman (or anything else replacing and symbolising the female orifice) whether she thinks she wants it or not – which is the definition of rape: that he will to do it anyway and that he uses her and treats her as a receptacle, in all circumstances – it makes no difference to him experiencing it as sexual. That is, at the very least, men use women as useful objects and instruments for penetration, and women are dehumanised by this act. It is an act of violence.

As FCM pointed out some time ago, intercourse is inherently harmful to women and intentionally so, because it causes pregnancy in women. The purpose of men enforcing intercourse regularly (as in, more than once a month) onto women is because it’s the surest way to cause pregnancy and force childbearing against our will, and thereby gain control over our reproductive powers. There is no way to eliminate the pregnancy risk entirely off PIV and the mitigating and harm-reduction practices such as contraception and abortion are inherently harmful, too

Anyway, despite my BNW comments elsewhere, in all seriousness much like cloning, ultimately artificial wombs will most likely remain a rare boutique item rather than something that is truly societally impactful. The main cost of childbearing for women(and men) is the reduction of freedom and the cost of support for the child, so unless the government replaces that, the artificial womb just shifts around some costs(and the actual costs of the machine may be effectively higher than normal pregnancy costs).

What could be interesting is that the biobag artificial womb is arguably a much better place for a baby, as being inside a biological womb, the child is exposed to all of the usual practices of the mother which could lead to consequences like fetal alcohol exposure or underoptimized nutritional practices. In a biobag, a fetus can develop with constant monitoring; along with embryo selection, this could all be part of a presumably very amazing, selected people who could be developed.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 2:27 pm

https://www.gmfus.org/commentary/germany-chooses-china-over-west

Over U.S. and European Union objections, the German government is poised to put in place newly drafted security requirements that do not set clear limits on the Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE supplying technology for German fifth-generation cellular networks.

Huawei is the top producer of parts required to build cellular networks and is well-positioned to emerge victorious from the worldwide scramble to implement 5G, which promises transformative increases in data speed and low latency. But the company has run afoul of the U.S. government and the EU over concerns that China will use the company to gather intelligence and otherwise impede the integrity of mobile networks around the world.
Kent Nationalist says

October 16, 2020 at 2:38 pm

The mass abortion program followed the period of tribulations in Chinese history and only ended a couple of decades ago.
Kent Nationalist says

October 16, 2020 at 2:39 pm

The answers are not that stupid, much less so than would have been noteworthy.
Kent Nationalist says

October 16, 2020 at 2:40 pm

The insectoid aspect of your mind is coming through in this comment
Hyperborean says

October 16, 2020 at 2:45 pm

The reactions to this show that I seem to have made an impromptu Rorschach’s test.

I originally had a longer post where it was more obvious that I was poking at a bit of fun at Karlin’s little popularity contest earlier this year:

Italian activists have replaced the EU flag with a Chinese one.

Meanwhile, the unbelievers who have insulted and defied Sinotriumph were instead brushed off.

All in all, China is winning the post-Corona world, while all that the MAGA people can do in response is indignantly sputter about their “China Virus” and making the Chicoms “pay.”

https://www.unz.com/akarlin/accelerated-sinotriumph/

However, rather than leaping to your own conclusions maybe it would better to reflect on the wisdom of giving gifts to strangers so as not to repeat the mistakes of past régimes.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 2:51 pm

You forget all possible complications. Baby needs good bacterial flora for gut and immunesystem. There really is still too many unknown factors, thus its too early to say how viable the artificial wombs are. Also most women, at least Asian women are not like the the trash or at least some part of the population of the west who smoke and drink while pregnant. I have never seen even poorest Indians or Chinese indulging in a such behaviour.

From Buddhist point of view its always better to be together, no matter the costs. Compassion and connection is its own reward. A greatest reward there is.
another anon says

October 16, 2020 at 2:57 pm

Anyway, despite my BNW comments elsewhere, in all seriousness much like cloning, ultimately artificial wombs will most likely remain a rare boutique item rather than something that is truly societally impactful.

Is IVF rare and “boutique” treatment?

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262798

By 2016, some 6.5 million babies had been born using in-vitro fertilization (IVF). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1.6 percent of babies born in the United States each year are conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Remember, when “test tube babies” began, the usual suspects screamed “it is unnatural” “it is playing god” “test tube creations will be soulless”.
Now, IVF is mainstream and even most conservative, most pro life Christians see it as normal.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/alabama-abortion-ivf/

I think it’s because IVF is widely used by Christians, and a consistent, logical pro-life position would outlaw it. If life begins at conception, then all those embryonic lives created in the laboratory and later discarded are human beings. This is something many Christians do not want to face.

Rod Dreher, as usual, is rare exception.

Human cloning is not there (at least oficially in the open), because there is not any demand for it – there are few such deranged narcissists who would want their own “mini me”, but animal cloning is routine procedure.

The main cost of childbearing for women(and men) is the reduction of freedom and the cost of support for the child, so unless the government replaces that

This is the whole point. Where are the stormtroopers of Great Russian Galactic Empire supposed to come from? 🙂

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Clone_military_education_complex
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 2:59 pm

Forest Hills, Queens NY has such distinctions.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 3:01 pm

But have Chinese yet achieved happiness of the Europeans of the 50s to 90s? In my opinion they are far from it, also, although I am not sure, but I believe that they never practiced abortions on the same level as the people of the late Soviet Union. Where huge majority of pregnancies was aborted. The Europeans of the 19th Century and early 20th Century probably practiced less infanticide and abortion than the ancient Greeks. But remember that I believe it to be only a one factor among many different factors, which explain the wellbeing and success of the Europeans of the 19th and 20th centuries. Its also my personal belief that Chinese karma is still somewhat dirty, but at least they have not wasted as much their merit as the westerners have.
AP says

October 16, 2020 at 3:10 pm

Catholics and protestants lived among wealth and riches, they were honored and treated as the prestigious members of their communities. Naturally because the Devil did not see a threat in them…. Also its clear that Devil saw a greater danger in Orthodoxy than in Catholicism and Protestantism..

Interesting, I have heard similar arguments from Catholics about Protestants. I.e., notice that Satanists never desecrate Baptist or other Protestant churches, they always go after the Catholic ones. Because Protestants are on the same team.

, why else he would had attacked and striked Orthodox church in such open way. Orthodox priests of the 20th Century were killed everywhere from Turkey Siberia, put camps and shot, harassed and persecuted

Correct. But some Orthodox priests chose not to be martyred and instead came to serve the killers and the killers’ heirs. These servants head the Russian Orthodox Church. I do not condemn them, I have not been in their shoes, but be realistic here.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church OTOH never served the Bolsheviks, it was liquidated by them, many of it’s priests martyred. Some of them were boiled to death, had crosses carved into their chests by Bolsheviks, etc.

https://sspp.ca/our-faith/saints-and-blessed/list-of-martyrs/

You should not accuse such men of serving the Devil whereas the Orthodox who served the Soviet regime were in the other side.

Priest and martyr Father Andrii Ischak was born on September 20, 1887, in Mykolaiv, in the Lviv District. He finished his theological studies at the universities in Lviv and Innsbruck (Austria). In 1914 he received his Ph.D. in theology and was ordained. Beginning in 1928 he taught dogmatic theology and canon law at the Lviv Theological Academy.

He was able to combine his professorial duties with his pastoral work in the village of Sykhiv near Lviv, where he met his death. Even under the threat of great danger he did not leave his parishioners without spiritual guidance. He was faithful to the end. On June 26, 1941, he died a martyr for the faith at the hands of soldiers of the retreating Soviet army.

“As the war began, the priest was taken at Persenkivka, the neighbouring station. Sometime in the afternoon they took him, detained him until the evening, then they let him go. My dad, because they knew each other well, told him: ‘Father, when they let you go, I would advise you to hide for a few days.’ Because it was already clear that the Germans were coming and the Bolsheviks would be fleeing. ‘Hide yourself and we’ll survive.’ But the priest said: ‘Ivan, the shepherd doesn’t abandon his flock. And I can’t leave my parishioners and conceal myself.’ In two days the military came and took him from his home. It was overgrown there with bushes, some distance from the parish, maybe a half-kilometre. They brought him there and killed him. They shot him in the stomach, and it looked like they also stabbed him with a knife.” – From the testimony of Ivan Kulchytskyi.

::::::::::::::::::

Priest and martyr Father Yakym Senkivskyi was born on May 2, 1896, in the village of Hayi Velyki, Ternopil District. After completing his theological studies in Lviv, he was ordained as a priest on December 4, 1921. He received a Ph.D. in theology in Innsbruck (Austria). In 1923 he became a novice in the Basilian order in Krekhiv. After professing his first vows he was assigned to serve in the village of Krasnopuscha, and later in the village of Lavriv, in the area of Starosambir. From 1931 to 1938 at St. Onufry monastery in Lviv he was chaplain of the Marian Society, he ministered to children and youth and organized a Eucharistic Society. In 1939, he was appointed proto-hegumen (abbot) at the monastery in Drohobych.

He was arrested by the Bolsheviks on June 26, 1941. According to the testimony of various prisoners, he was boiled to death in a cauldron in the Drohobych prison on June 29. Because of his righteous life the faithful held him up as a model of service to Church and nation. He died a martyr for the faith.

::::::::::::::::

Priest and martyr Father Zenovii Kovalyk was born on August 18, 1903, in the village of Ivakhiv near Ternopil. He entered the Congregation of the Redemptorists and on August 28, 1926, he made his religious vows. He received his philosophical and theological education in Belgium. He returned to Ukraine and on September 4, 1937, was ordained to the priesthood. He served as a missionary in Volyn.

On December 20, 1940, he was arrested in church while giving a homily. After terrible tortures he was murdered by the Communists in a mock crucifixion against a wall in a prison on Zamarstynivska Street, in Lviv in June 1941. He died a martyr for the faith.

“[His] sermons made an incredible impression on the listeners. But in the prevailing system of denunciations and terror this was very dangerous for a preacher. So I often tried to convince Father Kovalyk … that he needed to be more careful about the content of his sermons, that he shouldn’t provoke the Bolsheviks, because here was a question of his own safety. But it was all in vain. Father Kovalyk only had one answer: ‘If that is God’s will, I will gladly accept death, but as a preacher I will never act against my conscience.’” – From the memories of Yaroslav Levytskyi.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 3:26 pm

Human cloning is not there (at least oficially in the open), because there is not any demand for it – there are few such deranged narcissists who would want their own “mini me”, but animal cloning is routine procedure.

That’s not true, and I doubt it will be due to cost reasons. We kind of just gloss it over, but cloning has a gigantic failure rate:

To clone a dog from the adult cell of an Afghan hound, South Korean researchers worked for nearly three years at 24/7, using 1095 eggs from 122 dogs before finally succeeded. Painstaking creation of over a thousand embryos led to just two cloned puppies, one which died after three weeks.

Back in the 2010s, there was a lot of excitement about cloning beef and there’s still some interest for cows that provide “perfect steaks,” but ultimately it turned into exactly what I mentioned, a boutique cute thing where if you spent a quarter million dollars, you might be able to bring Fluffy back to life to you.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-beef-with-cloned-meat/

The FDA’s expected approval is unlikely to bring cloned meat products to store shelves soon, because cloning is still difficult and, hence, too expensive for routine food production. But ranchers and dairy producers may be willing to pay more than $15,000 for a “rock star” breeding animal with superior genetics.

afaik it never really happened, though you still see hype for it now and then. I feel roughly the same way about IVF, and in fact, am familiar with an extended family member who used IVF – its really a hugely expensive method to have children, on levels of hundreds of times more expensive. The odds of a society that will be fundamentally changed by IVF or cloning are startlingly low.

Consider this about artificial wombs: if it is just to avoid pregnancy, why not just use surrogacy? Wealthy actresses concerned about their bodies are said to do so, and it certainly happens often enough. But will surrogacy become a fundamental change in the world? Its amusing to think of a BNW where surrogacy is a responsibility like drafting was for men, and thus provide us with human factories loyal to the Party, but if even North Korea isn’t doing it, I’m kinda skeptical anyone else will.

Cost really does matter a lot.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 3:27 pm

Machines are always more dependable than people.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 3:29 pm

You may not like it, but this is what peak efficiency looks like.

https://media.wired.com/photos/59ea5ebfce22fd0cca3c52b7/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/paperclip-TA.jpg
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 3:44 pm

You should not accuse such men of serving the Devil whereas the Orthodox who served the Soviet regime were in the other side.

I did not accuse them, just that Devil did not see them as big of a threat or they were inconsequential for the enemy of the soul.

Its my belief that pride and lust of power were the cause of schism of the Catholic Church from the Orthodox Church. There probably were and still are many good and pious Catholics, but their leadership is not anymore in the communion with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 16:18 – And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

You also must remember that from the traditional/Orthodox point of view the church has the truth in all its fullness or totality.

Among all European religions Orthodoxy is only one, which does resemble religions of the orient. Even learned Orthodox Christians agree on this. For they believe that Theosis, union with God is possible in this very life, as we Buddhists, Hindus, Jains etc have a step by step path by which we can achieve the absolute state, so too Orthodox have an ascetic path full of rigours and hardships, which lead to beings perfection.

Still I am not a new age wacko, one should not mix the faiths. One should not disrespect ones tradition and teachers.

https://i.redd.it/6mais98j48qy.jpg
AP says

October 16, 2020 at 3:48 pm

AP and Mikhail I will continue here our debate, if thats okay.

Okay, but I will be visiting friends in another city over the weekend and will mostly pause until Monday, after today.

I believe that most Ukrainians were content as members of the Russian empire and loyal subjects of the Czar

It depends on how you define “contentment.” For most people life was okay under the Czars. They were not desperate. They were not constantly rebelling. One of my grandparents was born to a peasant family under the Czars, in central Ukraine. This person was a small child when the Revolution occurred but told me that according to the parents life had been fine, the governments presence was limited to the tax man coming twice yearly, taxes were modest. People raised families, went to church, went to market, etc. They spoke Ukrainian and weren’t crazy about Moskali but didn’t care enough or hate them enough to want to revolt. Neither did they support the Czars. Great-grandfather on this side of the family, like every other conscript from this village, deserted as soon as he had a chance during World War I. In the 1917 elections, this region like most of the rest of Russian Ukraine voted overwhelmingly for Ukrainian nationalist parties:

http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CA%5CL%5CAll6RussianConstituentAssembly.htm

“In six districts where the bloc of Ukrainian socialist parties (SRs, the Peasant Association, and Social Democrats) presented a single list of candidates, it won a clear majority of the votes: 77 percent in Kyiv gubernia, 71 percent in Volhynia, 60 percent in Chernihiv gubernia, 60 percent in Poltava gubernia, 52 percent in Katerynoslav gubernia, and 33 percent in Tavriia gubernia. In Kharkiv gubernia and Kherson gubernia the Ukrainian and the Russian SRs ran together; therefore the Ukrainian SRs received only 12 percent of the votes in the former and 25 percent in the latter gubernia.”

As I believe that most Ukrainians of the modern day want to be citizens of an independent country

Correct.

With Soviets there were two extremes, the Donbass and Galicia, or they were like two extremes of a spectrum, and most Ukrainians had opinions that were somewhere in the middle of those extremes. At least during the 70s and 80s

Also correct.

Polish upper Szlachta was very Catholic minded and had plans of converting the Orthodox population and wouldn’t have stopped before realising their goals

You again demonstrate some inaccuracies in your knowledge of the PLC. The PLC was not Polish in an ethnic-nationalist sense (particularly the the 16th-17th centuries) but run by magnates. In Ukraine, these magnates were mostly Rus princes. They were much more powerful within Ukraine than were Polish lords, and much stronger in Warsaw than, say, the Irish aristocrats were in London. For example the Rus lords steered the PLC into its massive war against Moscow in c. 1600. Just as their ancestors had decided centuries earlier to convert from backward native paganism to Eastern Christianity, so did many of these Rus lords decide to convert from the relatively backward Orthodoxy of the Balkans and Muscovy, to Western Catholicism. This approach went hand in hand with them also buildings towns, colleges, printing presses, etc. It was not dictated from Warsaw but decisions of local princes for their patrimony. The Rus princes also attempted to centralize power in their own hands at the expense of both the local petty gentry and Warsaw. These efforts were undone and the country wrecked when peasants, petty gentry revolted and brought in Crimean Tatars as allies (funny thing, rebel leader Khmelnytsky was trying to appeal to the Polish king against the Rus magnates).

Also AP I believe that those Ukrainians or Malorussians who were actively agitating for the Ukrainian nation or producing separatist literature in the 19th Century Russian empire were a marginal fringe group

All nationalisms started as a fringe idea. Only a small percentage of people could read and discuss such ideas. But such ideas were rather widespread among the native Cossack elite, teachers, etc. probably a majority of literate folk.
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 4:00 pm

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church OTOH never served the Bolsheviks, it was liquidated by them, many of it’s priests martyred. Some of them were boiled to death, had crosses carved into their chests by Bolsheviks, etc.

To this day, the aforementioned UGCC includes some with a strong pro-Bandera advocacy, sugar coating the violently bigoted legacy of the OUN/UPA.

In contrast, the ROC-MP, has spoken negatively of the Soviet past. During the Soviet period, the ROC-MP was compromised into giving lip service in exchange for existing.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 4:11 pm

Hey AP I have a Belarussian great great grandmother and a Polish ancestor from the late 19th century, by the powers granted by the Ataturk and Erdogan, I too can now larp for the PLC. Those damn Moskals, they ruined everything! Polish Hussars and siege of Vienna 1683! Thats my heritage now! Wodka is btw Polish and not Russian, they just try to steal everything from us!
songbird says

October 16, 2020 at 4:46 pm

It seems hard to reconcile true nihilism with ancestor-worship or animism.

If trees and stones have spirits, and, if a little school boy can be told that “Mr. Broccoli is sad because he has not been eaten”, then that hardly sounds like any Western conception of nihilism. If the Japanese were nihilists, would they have so many temples?
Blinky Bill says

October 16, 2020 at 4:54 pm

Japan not joining U.S. plan to exclude Chinese firms from telecoms networks.

TOKYO, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Japan informed the United States that Tokyo, at the moment, won’t participate in Washington’s plan to exclude Chinese firms from telecommunications networks, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday, citing several sources.

Japan will take its own steps to respond in case there are worries over security issue, while Tokyo will cooperate with the United States, the paper said.

Do you believe?
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 4:56 pm

Ah you silly troll, please explain this stuff to the Holocaust survivors, maybe you could alleviate their suffering.

Perhaps Himmler too had such musings when planning the final solution? No meaning, not at all.

Thank you AaronB.
songbird says

October 16, 2020 at 5:02 pm

In theory, IVF is quite bad because it removes the gauntlet that sperm cells were meant to run, competing with each other, for fitness. That is, it leads to even less selection, and the addition of more mutations, than already happen in our considerably relaxed and dysgenic environment.

To a degree, artificial wombs might be similar. No doubt, they would result in a more controlled environment, with diagnostic sensors, and perhaps surgical interventions to correct developmental issues, as well as the mitigation of parental risk factors. But, perhaps, embryo selection would be enough to correct this.

As to why surrogacy isn’t too common, I would say it is considerations of public perception. Would stars adopt Haitian children, if they could pay Haitians to have their own children and lock them up in a controlled environment, be guaranteed of the ouput, with no no shame attached to it, but with the same virtue-signaling power?
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 5:10 pm

AaronB’s rambles have very little to do with Eastern religion and a lot more to do with LSD. He was doing very well talking to himself.

He’s confusing outcome independence with “not caring.” There’s a certain commonality to various Eastern systems from Hinduism to Zen to not be so invested in the outcome; it is more important to live one’s appropriate role than it is to get the outcome you want. So a samurai’s role may be to obey, even if it was to an unjust rule or that a warrior should fight even if doomed. The ideas of competing roles and the appropriate relationships is a fervent ground for much fiction and speculation in Asia.

So the nihilism is more in its lack of regard to outcome, insofar as the results on an earthly plane matter much less than the spiritual willingness to take action and the right actions.

Of course none of this matters to someone who’s rambling to justify his own incapacity.
AaronB says

October 16, 2020 at 5:11 pm

I am using nihilism here to mean that the world is not as important or valuable as we think, and human beings are not as important as we think.

Its not pessimism. It doesn’t hate or reject the world. It just sees it – and ourselves – as not mattering very much.

That seems compatible with animism and ancestor worship, just as its compatible with still pursuing fun and life. Just not caring so much. Temples are places where one goes to learn Buddhism, which teaches one nihilism, that the world is Empty and evanescent, and not to be made such a big deal of.

The word nihilism is often misused in the West. But the point of view I am presenting here is quite cheerful and liberating, even if it does call into question our enormous self impirtance.
AltanBakshi says

October 16, 2020 at 5:25 pm

Even the most burn out hippies of the Goa I have seen, have not been as lost spiritually.

May he find peace. May all of us find peace and rest.
AaronB says

October 16, 2020 at 5:26 pm

Himmler had very strong beliefs about the purpose and meaning of life. No one would have the energy or motivation to do what he did without that.

In fact, beliefs about life’s purpose are probably responsible for most of history’s atrocities.

This philosophy is too strong for many people, and its particularly unpopular in the modern world, which has a marked positivity bias. But then the modern world does not seem particularly happy. I think older civilizations, which were more nihilistic were happier.

This philosophy evidently outrages and infuriates both you and our good Chieh. I can understand that. In your own ways, you strive for human perfecrability. You want to become Supermen.

But that just means you feel incredibly inadequate now, and are afraid to face that.

Would Holocaust survivors take comfort in this philosophy? It depends on the individual. You have to be born for it. There is no reason anyone needs to adopt this philosophy. None of us have free will in such matters.

I’m just offering it for anyone who finds the positivity bias of modern times uncompelling and might be interested in alternative viewpoints.
Daniel Chieh says

October 16, 2020 at 6:17 pm

Japanese are probably hedging their bets given the importance of the Chinese trade to their economic condition.
Dmitry says

October 16, 2020 at 6:25 pm

“Churki” seem to be almost given their own special territories in the USA.

Armenians’ kingdom is apparently Los Angeles. Los Angeles city hall has even lit into their flag colours this week to show Los Angeles’ support for their side in the recent fighting.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGWdMGhhUDW
AP says

October 16, 2020 at 6:26 pm

Hey AP I have a Belarussian great great grandmother and a Polish ancestor from the late 19th century, by the powers granted by the Ataturk and Erdogan, I too can now larp for the PLC.

Why “too?” Who is LARPing as anything? Try to look at history objectively, not through the eyes of Russian or Ukrainian nationalists (or Soviets, etc.). All of these hated PLC to varying degrees so you get an unrealistic view of what it was about. This reminds me of how both Leftists/Soviet sympathizers and traditional Western Russophobes hated Tsarist Russia, there is a widespread belief that it was hopelessly backward with no future if not for Soviet Revolution.
AP says

October 16, 2020 at 6:33 pm

To this day, the aforementioned UGCC includes some with a strong pro-Bandera advocacy, sugar coating the violently bigoted legacy of the OUN/UPA.

Which pales in comparison to the level of collaboration of the ROC with the Soviet regime. It was an arm of the atheist Soviet state.

Here is head of the UGCC Andrei Sheptytsky writing about the OUN and its terrorism-assassinations, in the 1930s:

“If you are planning to kill treacherously those who are opposed to your misdeeds, you will have to kill all the teachers and professors who are working for the Ukrainian youth, all the fathers and mothers of Ukrainian children…all politicians and civic activists. But first of all you will have to remove through assassination the clergy and the bishops who resist your criminal and foolish actions…We will not cease to declare that whoever demoralizes our youth is a criminal and an enemy of our people.”

OUN was evil but not as evil as Stalin. Plenty of ROC clergy and hierarchs were martyred by Stalin. But survivors served him. The current ROC is of those survivors.

Russia has not opened its Commie-era archives as Poland has. Here is information about Sawa, head of the Polish Orthodox Church under Moscow:

https://www.rp.pl/artykul/247370-Przeszlosc-arcybiskupa-Sawy.html

The head of Polish Orthodoxy from 1965 was a conscious and secret collaborator of the Security Service under the pseudonym Jurek – according to files preserved in the Institute of National Remembrance.

The Security Service conducted the operation against Polish Orthodoxy under the code name “Byzantium”. Her files have been partially preserved.

There is also a work folder of TW “Jurek” with hand-written denunciations and annotations about receiving remuneration from the SB. Although no other folder has survived, the so-called personnel, in which the commitment to cooperate and receipts for the accepted money was kept, the content of the work folder leaves no doubt that the Orthodox Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland was a conscious and secret collaborator of the SB.

The IPN files show that almost all post-war leaders of Polish Orthodoxy and most of today’s archbishops – diocese leaders were secret collaborators of the SB. The Soviet KGB also took part in the development of the Polish Orthodox Church, sending its agents who penetrated the Orthodox community. Information obtained from colleagues from Poland was forwarded to Moscow.

This does not mean, however, that the Orthodox church was completely taken over by SB. In the files of the SO (the so-called object matter) of the “Byzantium”, information has been preserved about those who are rebellious towards the clergy, bishops and secular authorities. One of them was the Archbishop of Lodz and Poznan Jerzy (Aleksy Korenistow) – a Russian aristocrat. Although twice after the death of the Orthodox metropolitans he was the guardian of the metropolitan throne, considered to be the introduction to his appointment as the head of the Church, the Security Service effectively blocked his choice.

The Security Service recruited Archbishop Sawa (secular name Michał Hrycuniak) on May 31, 1965. He was registered under registration number 12348. There was no personal file of TW “Jurek” in which the recruitment process should be described. However, we know from the preserved portfolio that he had contacts with the SB before he was formally recruited. “During the period (to be acquired) 70 meetings were held, which allow us to state that the secret collaborator is loyal, honest and indifferent to the SB authorities,” wrote the first officer leading Colonel Zygmunt Siellaw.

The acquisition was related to Sawa’s assumption of a function at the Metropolitan Chancellery, corresponding to the post of chancellor of the curia. “The purpose of the acquisition was the need for current information on changes taking place in Orthodoxy, with particular emphasis on foreign contacts and negative socio-political phenomena among clergy and followers,” wrote the introductory note to TW’s “Jurek” folder.

TW “Jurek” became one of the most important security agents in the Orthodox Church. Many preserved notes show that he has repeatedly initiated meetings to provide information. He informed the SB both in oral form (so-called dictates) and wrote denunciations with his own hand. He also provided the Church’s internal documents and even letters written to the metropolitan with complaints about individual Orthodox priests. He also reported on Catholics and Protestants.
Ano4 says

October 16, 2020 at 6:55 pm

How do you explain Khmer Kingdom’s fate? Or Central Asian Buddhism fate.
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 7:11 pm

Comparatively speaking, the OUN/UPA didn’t have the overall numbers and muscle. Pound for pound, they were a vicious lot, with their ardent supporters to this day exhibiting such.

More likely in the present to see pro-OUN/UPA sentiment among the UGCC and not so much pro-Soviet among ROC-MP and certainly not among the ROCOR which is now a loose affiliate of the former.
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 7:19 pm

Re: Recent Comments

Distantly related and of possible interest:

https://www.aei.org/op-eds/america-can-no-longer-ignore-israels-support-for-u-s-competitors/

Not that I agree with everything he says.

Armenians have a church in an area near the aforementioned Forest Hills, Queens. You can see it on the LIRR. Come to think of it, the Croats have had some presence in Rego Park.
Not Raul says

October 16, 2020 at 7:58 pm

It appears that, in some countries, attitudes toward China turned more negative in 2018 and/or 2019. Perhaps this is due to Uyghurs getting persecuted.
Ano4 says

October 16, 2020 at 9:36 pm

https://twitter.com/akarlin88/status/1317078221242945538?s=20

You look natural!

As an Arab saying goes: The return to one’s roots is a meritorious act!

Mazel Tov!

I suppose I shouldn’t expect a reply on Saturday…
Ano4 says

October 16, 2020 at 9:57 pm

Thailand’s king, who lives mainly in Germany

TV footage showed protesters shout and give their trademark, anti-military three-finger salute to the royal Rolls Royce

https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/monarchy-in-the-middle-of-thai-emergency-clampdown/
songbird says

October 16, 2020 at 10:37 pm

I’m not sure that now is the best time to submit a screenplay to Hollywood.
RadicalCenter says

October 16, 2020 at 11:26 pm

Please take off the foolish face diaper, Anatoly.

AK: Apart from coming off as an obsessed wacko, you do realize that there are rules in place and I would be asked to leave the premises if I was to pull these idiotic stunts.

https://www.meehanmd.com/blog/2020-10-10-an-evidence-based-scientific-analysis-of-why-masks-are-ineffective-unnecessary-and-harmful/

https://swprs.org/facts-about-covid-19/
RadicalCenter says

October 16, 2020 at 11:37 pm

The ‘news’ source is wrong, of course, about LA having the most armenians of any place outside Armenia.

There are at least two metro areas in Russia with as many Armenians as Los Angeles County, let alone merely the City of LA:
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37455372

In any event, there would be two capital cities of the Armenian diaspora outside Russia: glendale, california and the city of LA itself.
Mikhail says

October 16, 2020 at 11:49 pm

This should be a good one Saturday 10/17 on ESPN @ 7:30 PM EST:

https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/30115450/vasiliy-lomachenko-teofimo-lopez-ringside-seat-fighters-ready-monumental-lightweight-unification-bout

Lomachenko is presently the most entertaining boxer in the ring.
Mikel says

October 16, 2020 at 11:55 pm

Also its clear that Devil saw a greater danger in Orthodoxy than in Catholicism and Protestantism, why else he would had attacked and striked Orthodox church in such open way.

No, Lucifer had nothing to do with it. It was just that the Orthodox believers and priesthood were located in an area more prone to violence and revolutions at that time. Catholic priests and nuns were also killed wholesale in Spain during the Civil War. If anything, one could argue against the truthfulness of a particular Christian orientation through the fact that it was prevalent among people located in backward and violence-prone places.

Besides, why would Satan be allowing the resurgence of Orthodox faith nowadays while Catholic and Protestant adherents decline everywhere?

I see clear gaps in your rationale here.
Mikel says

October 17, 2020 at 12:50 am

Interesting perspective.

I flirted a bit with Taoism during my teenage years, once I had concluded that the Catholic faith I was raised in was basically a load of incoherent nonsense.

But why tie this life perspective in to any religion? When I think of the people I know that approach that kind of lifestyle, they are all are quite indifferent to religion.

Anyway, when you were in the Zion NP area and mentioned your interest in high altitude areas of the Southwest with seasonal climate and nice views, I meant to recommend two places nearby that I have explored but life got in the way (too many projects, I still haven’t managed to lead the lifestyle you advocate) and was unable to.

If you ever visit that area again, you may like the Central/Pine Valley villages near Saint George, UT or the Mount Charleston town in the Las Vegas ski area of the homonym range. Both have quite spectacular views of the adjoining mountains (perhaps Mount Charleston is a bit more alpine looking than the Pine Valley mountains but the latter are also very scenic when they’re covered in snow, which is usually most of the year) and they are both literally minutes away from the desert and two large cities. People living in these two places looked also like an interesting, eclectic lot to me.

Personally, I am not sold on this type of Southwestern locales though. On the one hand, you may remember my objection to the very high timberline in this region. Mountains begin to lose their alpine character and resemble more forests. It’s not quite the same as the Western Wyoming area that you hiked in, to me at least. On the other hand, in these forested, dry areas wildfires are a danger always present during the warm season. Both Mount Charleston and Pine Valley have been evacuated due to fire at least once in the past. But there go my suggestions.
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 2:18 am
Caucasians seemed to be a little out of control in America.

Armenians block Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

They block Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco

They block Manhattan

Some kind of invasion in Los Angeles

But even Belgium has them
- Meanwhile Caucasian culture was also in Paris: it seems that the Chechen student has beheaded a teacher for displaying cartoons that insulted Muhammed.
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 2:35 am

But even Belgium has them

It’s not secret that Belgium became a little dystopian with its open borders immigration policy, but they have long had Arabs and Africans, but now apparently adding Caucasians into the mix. Caucasians fighting each other in the administrative capital of civilized Europe.
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 2:52 am
Yes, in certain parts of Russia, were a lot of Armenians, and their immigration is increasing in recent years, and the Caucasian culture introduces problems* into a country (while also damaging their own country, by draining its population).

It’s better for all countries, especially Armenia, if there was a repatriation programme, to encourage Armenians to return to Armenia. Of course, with the current open borders government in Russia – it’s just increasing the immigration from Armenia to Russia – there is formal open borders policy (in the sense that in recent years they lifted the border even further open, so that they don’t now need to register for a permit, to live and work in the Russian Federation). There is also an informal open borders policy with many other postsoviet countries.
- i.e.
another anon says

October 17, 2020 at 3:04 am

That’s not true, and I doubt it will be due to cost reasons. We kind of just gloss it over, but cloning has a gigantic failure rate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snuppy

This is from Wikipedia article about first cloned dog. You can as well point at Kitty Hawk and say that airplanes are good for nothing.

Cattle cloning is 20 years old, highly profitable worldwide industry with tens of billions $ spent on R&D. Here is survey of state of the art in 2015.

Intro for normies
https://phys.org/news/2015-07-explores-current-state-domestic-animal.html

Actual paper
https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/112/29/8874.full.pdf

While the concept of artificial cloning evokes images of identical, factory-produced animals, such science fiction ideas are still wildly beyond the means of researchers. Artificial cloning has instead been used to reproduce breeding stock from animals with advantageous genotypes and to produce fertile clones from sterile animals. Keefer points out that in Texas, beef cattle have been “resurrected” based on their carcass traits. But the mass production of domestic animals is inhibited by a number of developmental genetic hurdles, and only an estimated five to 15 percent of transferred embryos actually result in live offspring.

https://i.imgur.com/gmtbsNU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gOLblPM.jpg

Still hard to do, but not “gigantic failure rate”

Cloned cattle are used as breeding stock, not directly for meat, but old and worn out cloned animals end in burgers as any other animal.

Do not worry, FDA declared cloned meat completely safe.
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/animal-cloning-and-food-safety

If you are eating at McDonalds, you probably ate little bit of cloned cow.
Expect your SUPER POWERS to manifest any day now 🙂

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/0/0e/William_Taurens_%28Earth-616%29_from_Howard_the_Duck_Vol_5_3_0001.jpg
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 4:03 am

You dont infuriate me. Its just sad that Dharma seems to have a poisonous effect on you.

It is said by Nagarjuna and masters of Nalanda, that those who have developed a view of Emptiness, are like people who throw fuel on a burning house. Its very dangerous and bears ill fruit. Remember that nihilism or negation of values, are also views, but Sunyata is not a view, its unconditioned, non composite, non dual, not affimative, not negative, not one, not many, its unborn and unceased. Its the very nature of reality. Peaceful, profound and elaboration free.

Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Jewel In The Lotus Hum

Mani or Jewel in the Lotus is the Boddhicitta, the Lotus is the Sunyata, the empty nature or selfless nature of all phenomena. Boddhicitta is the awakening mind, or compassionate mind wich strives towards the enlightenment for the benefit all sentient beings, without seeing difference between ones own nature and others. Understanding truly Sunyata, the empty and selfless nature, is wisdom. There is no wisdom without compassion and there is no compassion without wisdom, like masters of old said, you cant fly with only a one wing.

Here I am just paraphrasing words of the Awakened and Victorious Ones, words of the Arya beings, if I would have some understanding, I would not be here.
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 4:09 am

You misunderstood me completely. I did not mean that you are a larper. The “too” meant the Turkish people of the Turkey.
Meaning if they can larp so can I. Sorry for my bad English then.
Chill out, It was just a friendly joke, still I very possibly have about ~10% of my heritage from the area of former PLC. Its not completely negligible amount, is it?
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 4:15 am

Azerbaijan’s (Bayraktar?) drones seem to be “massacring” Armenia’s soldiers now.

With the mountainous territory, it had been expected to be a very slow fight, which would last weeks for Azerbaijan to make any progress. But with this kind of relative “massacre” (for micro-armies of micro-countries), it’s possible Armenia will have to return to negotiations as soon as possible?
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 4:16 am

All composite things decay, strive with diligence
-Buddha’s last words.
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 4:32 am

Azerbaijan destroyed Armenia’s S-300 missile complex as well, that they had since 2010 at latest. Radar parts of it had been destroyed around 2 weeks ago already if I remember?

Probably this is more symbolic, than anything else, as neither are using a conventional airforce. There was a rivalry last decade between Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of the prestige of having the S-300 complex.

When Azerbaijan purchased S-300 complex in 2010, and was boasting about it – then Armenia’s government was revealed in reply to Azerbaijan that they also had the S-300 complex. So it’s issue also of prestige for Azerbaijan to attack it.
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 5:06 am

Orthodoxy was persecuted in every country where it was a dominant Church, except in Greece, and even Greek church suffered greatly in the hands of the Turks and the Communists during their civil war after ww2. There were couple persecutions of the Catholic Church in the 20th Century, but never was most of the church persecuted or even half of it. Yes in Spain for couple years, same also in Mexico in early 20th Century, in Poland, but even Nazis or Communists never massacred or put almost all Catholic priests or monks to camps.

Also please dont take me too literally, ancient fathers of the Church believed that there are different ways to interprete such things, books and events, and one of them is mystical or anagogical.

About the Devil, yes his power is not permanent, if one perseveres, God will interfere.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life
Revelation 2:10

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
John 5:19

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Peter 5:18

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ephesians 6:10-16

The Devil does not fear Prots or Caths, so he lets them slowly fall into heresy and obscurity. Unlike the persecuted Miaphysite Christians of the Middle east and the Orthodox Church which suffered for a half century in the hands of Communists, and before that centuries under the Turkish yoke, some Patriarchs of Constantinople were hanged in the gates of the Church by the orders of Sultan, when was the last time when Pope was persecuted in such way? Roman Empire?

Ps. These are just my musings, not to be taken seriously…
Blinky Bill says

October 17, 2020 at 5:59 am

2020 GHI SCORES AND PROGRESS SINCE 2000

https://www.globalhungerindex.org/images/2020/results/figure-1-2.png

https://www.globalhungerindex.org/images/2020/results/figure-1-1.png
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 6:35 am

In my understanding those parties were more regionalist, which is totally different thing than demand for an independent nation.

SRs, the Peasant Association, and Social Democrats

Yep, agrarian and/or socialist parties, which just wanted more regional autonomy. I have never heard that the Ukrainian Esers were nationalist in some way? Maybe regionalist. I dont know about the Ukrainian SocDems(Mensheviks or Bolsheviks?) and PA, but I believe they too were mostly regionalist, or localist or federalist etc.
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 6:41 am

Chechen student has beheaded a teacher for displaying cartoons that insulted Muhammed.

If I remember correctly, during the Beslan tragedy le Journal le Monde named the attackers militants instead of terrorists. A lot of crocodile tears have been cried about the fate of the civilians in Grozny in the 90ies, but they had no tears for the children of Beslan. Now they will understand better how it feels being around the Chechen…
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 6:53 am

I know. But they must have accrued a lot of merit in these places. You know that the oldest sutras found in the Indian subcontinent are Gandharan prakrit birch bark texts from what is nowadays Gulgit Baltistan. You know what’s going on in Kandaghar nowadays. So how come their merit did not translate into a higher and stronger form of society?
AltSerrice says

October 17, 2020 at 7:07 am

You know you need to start eating when even Mr Hack is worried for you.
Blinky Bill says

October 17, 2020 at 7:15 am

BARONESS Thatcher will host a dinner for the president of the breakaway republic of Chechnya in London next week. Aslan Maskhadov will have no shortage of big-name supporters during his time in London. Imran Khan is hosting a dinner for the Chechen leader, as is the former chairman of the Conservative Party, Lord Tebbit. Mr Maskhadov’s visit is being hosted by Lord McAlpine, businessman and former Tory treasurer.

Lady Thatcher’s support for Mr Maskhadov is a remarkable turnaround. During the Soviet era, she was the most loyal international supporter of the then Kremlin leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and was notably reluctant to criticise the Soviet use of force against the Baltic states and in the Caucasus. Part of the explanation for her high-profile support for Mr Maskhadov may lie in her warm relationship with Lord MacAlpine, who has become the most vocal supporter in Britain of the Chechen cause. Lord McAlpine’s support for the Chechens is said by his friends to be based on an “instant affinity” and his liking for “a very impressive people”. He visited Chechnya last year, and has played an important role in trying to establish investment funds for Chechnya, where he seems set to become a key regional player.

The Russians have partly renounced their claim to dominate Chechnya, while still refusing to acknowledge Chechnya as an international player.
Owen C. says

October 17, 2020 at 7:29 am

His proper name is Vecherko. Viacorka is the zmagar spelling. Coincidentally, it’s the same root as Tommy Wiseau’s real surname (Wieczorkiewicz).
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 7:41 am

As material particles of our reality are under constant flux and change, so too are the mental aggregates and factors. We are not separate from the external reality, as the external is not separate from out internal reality. But the change is not meaningless or random, but causal, yet we can still change the future. We cant always choose what happens to us, but we can almost always choose how we react upon those changes and even more we can change our perception of phenomena, with this we have a power to change everything. As long as we persevere. One man is beaten down and he gets depression, another man is beaten down and he develops a resolve to be a master of martial arts. Or this is very simple way how I would put it.

Those who were diligent among the Buddhists of Bactria, Gandhara and Altishahr, have now been reborn among the Buddhist peoples of our Saha world or are in the heavens or even better in the Pure Lands of Form Realm.

Although there is still hidden holy land in somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The holy land of Oddiyana, it was still extant in the early 17th Century, for the great Yogi Buddhaguptanatha visited there personally and said that there are strong Dakinis there, holders of secret Mantras…

Everything depends on perception, something that we see as dirty and ravaged, is pleasant and beautiful for the Noble Ones.
AltSerrice says

October 17, 2020 at 7:48 am

https://imgur.com/a/iPXtQkV
Blinky Bill says

October 17, 2020 at 7:57 am

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRRQKNUu3YD4fUky3fNoh5bZJwAWqQj-EST7w&usqp.jpg
Europe Europa says

October 17, 2020 at 8:01 am

I was wondering, is the difference between Russian and Ukrainian comparable to German and Dutch? As in Dutch is reasonably understandable to Germans who speak traditional dialects across the border, even though standard German and Dutch are significantly different.

My understanding is that Ukrainian is reasonably understandable to Southern Russians in the border regions even though standard Russian and Ukrainian are significantly different.

So would it be fair to say that Ukrainian is about as intelligible to the average Muscovite as Dutch is to the average Berliner?
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 8:03 am

Your view is more Gnostic, I think?

But I mean it should not taken so seriously, because I hold Buddhas Dharma as ultimately true, which doesnt mean that I cant try to understand traditional Christian viewpoint and the similarities between our faiths.

The creator of all, is impossibility in Buddhism, as is salvation not through the grace of the Christ in Christianity.

But I do wonder if Christians of the past had a different understanding.

The Word of God became man, that thou mayest learn from man how man may become God.

His is beauty, the true beauty, for it is God; and that man becomes God, since God so wills. Heraclitus, then, rightly said, “Men are gods, and gods are men.” For the Word Himself is the manifest mystery: God in man, and man in God.

-St. Clement

For He was made man that we might be made God

-St Athanasius

Both by the way legit saints of the Orthodox Church there are many other saints of early Church who said similar things.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:7-21

If we would use a mystical or anagogical way to interprete this, that the God is love, then Christianity would not be so far from Buddhism, after all we believe that our innermost nature is loving and compassionate.

Thats why I have high hopes for Christianity, the absolute is not similar to impersonal Zurvan or Brahman, but its possible to manifest that absolute in us. It also should not be forgotten that ancient Christians used Greek term Agape for love, which means pure unconditional love, which is different from Philia or Eros. Really our modern languages seen so poor compared to the ancient Greek and Sanskrit. Just I like you or I love you and not like a dozen different terms for that stuff.
The Spirit of Enoch Powell says

October 17, 2020 at 8:16 am

It seems the attacker in the recent attack in France took a picture of his handiwork and posted it on his Twitter account. Very grisly. I doubt much will change due to this though.

Police detain nine people over beheading of French teacher in Paris suburb

The grisly murder was an attack on the French nation as a whole, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Twitter.

Yeah, maybe the time has come to start building internment camps, where the internees will be housed temporarily before deportation? Of course that wouldn’t be very liberal

WE CAN’T LET THEM DIVIDE US! NOT ALL MUSLIM! #JESUISPROF…

https://dailystormer.su/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WhatsApp-Image-2020-10-16-at-19.30.57.jpeg

https://dailystormer.su/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/9B5B8951-E58D-4497-A586-C53D03DF08D0.jpg
Blinky Bill says

October 17, 2020 at 9:03 am

Please a warning next time for what’s under the more tab.
Mr. Hack says

October 17, 2020 at 9:27 am

My “philosophy” about Karlin?

I’m surprised that you, a regular follower of this blog, has somehow failed to read several comments of mine where I point out that Karlin has this uncanny ability to change his appearance, especially when being photographed. Take for instance the photo that he’s posted along with this open thread where he looks like, as one reader here has characterized, as a “virgin Yasheva student”, and compare it with the popular photo of him wielding a long sword, where re resembles a ninja warrior. Can this possibly be the same person in both photos? Now, look at the photo of him where he’s sportin around town with the very attractive “McDonald’s worker” lady. and compare it including his facial features with the one I’m including here, and voila you have Peter Seller’s twin brother (the long nose, intelligent looking eyes, even the smirking grin), albeit with less hair on top. Woody Allen made a film about a similar guy “Zelig” who had these same strange abilities. There are indeed a million Karlins out there!

https://www.c21media.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/peter-sellers.jpg

Have you seen this face somewhere before?. 🙂
Mikhail says

October 17, 2020 at 9:37 am
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 9:38 am

Indeed. I hope that that all Vainakh people will one day become the subjects of Her Gracious Majesty and move to UK. It is my dearest dream to see them all live somewhere far from Russia.
AP says

October 17, 2020 at 9:42 am

Sorry, you are right.
Mr. Hack says

October 17, 2020 at 9:44 am

Ha, ha, ha, ha! 🙂 Kudos!

https://i.imgur.com/LGAvQfK.png

What have I started?

Anatoly – we all really dig you!
Kent Nationalist says

October 17, 2020 at 9:46 am

I cannot wait to taste Vanakh cuisine
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 9:52 am

I am not Gnostic, although they have certainly had a very interesting take on many spiritual matters. I have more of a Cittamatra perspective. Although non- reified spiritual entities are useful for representing the possible evolution of the mind-streams. You know Dharmakirti type of thing. Use attractors to describe the information flow is organized to yield an entity and you get the picture.

Did you have a chance to read (what is left of) the Apocryphal Gospel of Mary Magdalene?
Blinky Bill says

October 17, 2020 at 9:55 am

Who is this man? Unrecognizable!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTCUwtCndfq-UmNFeq36qGgA-C1i8gGN1jikg&usqp.jpg
AP says

October 17, 2020 at 9:58 am

Yep, agrarian and/or socialist parties, which just wanted more regional autonomy.

This was the first step on the path towards independence and the same group later advocated for independence.

I have never heard that the Ukrainian Esers were nationalist in some way?

Nationalist historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky and chairman of the Central Rada was a Ukrainian SR and the party’s most renowned member. It was precisely Ukrainian nationalism that differentiated Ukrainian SRs from Russian SRs.

I dont know about the Ukrainian SocDems(Mensheviks or Bolsheviks?)

They were left-wing socialist nationalists. The Ukrainian President Vynnychenko was one of them:

http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CV%5CY%5CVynnychenkoVolodymyr.htm
Mr. Hack says

October 17, 2020 at 10:07 am

Please don’t hide this remarkable photo of this super-cool pop star icon! You’ve got to love the full complement of reddish carpet on the top.

I don’t know, who could it be, not Mr. Chameleon?
The Spirit of Enoch Powell says

October 17, 2020 at 10:08 am

Apologies for any shock caused. The high-resolution nature of the image almost makes it look fake and less shocking. I think this is due to people being so accustomed to Hollywood violence, I’ve personally always found the grainy potato camera execution videos (like that of Daniel Pearl) to be much more disturbing.
Blinky Bill says

October 17, 2020 at 10:22 am

White Cliffs of Dover in the year 2092.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Caucasus%2C_Ingushetia%2C_Ингушские_боевые_и_смотровые_башни%2C_горы_Кавказа.jpg

North Downs
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 10:33 am

Does Karma work on the national level? I always thought that a virtuous individual will be reborn in a good position. So presumably the people in England during a good period, will be reborn souls from all over the world.

I suppose if an entire generation of English people were virtuous, they might all be reborn in a more prosperous England, but is there any guarantee of that?

I think national karma comes from the Bible.

I was always puzzled by the notion of karma, back when I was into religious Buddhism. From a spiritual perspective, being wealthy and powerful is either a detriment or irrelevant. So how can that be a reward for a virtuous, spiritual person?

On the one hand we’re being told the spiritual life means giving up wealth and power, and that these have little value. Then we are told our reward for this in the next life will be wealth and power.
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 10:55 am

Now Azerbaijan uploaded another two videos of Armenian forces destroyed by drones and guided artillery shells.

Perhaps, the advantage of guided artillery and drones, can be more obviously apparent when both opponents are conventional forces like in this war (Armenian soldiers have visible assets and sit in trenches), than in asymmetric conflicts against partisans (Afghanistan, Syria) we saw mainly them used in before?
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 11:06 am

Well the poor man ain’t gonna teach anything anymore.

I guess he didn’t visit the Chechen Truth website around end of 90ies – beginning of 00ies. Otherwise he would have known that some of the people that he tried to enlighten are not ready to be taught anything rational.

When one deals with demonic people one needs caution.

I dedicate the merit of posting the following video to the poor naive fellow who died this terrible death to which nothing prepared him in his sheltered Western existence.

https://youtu.be/P2D8epuXla8

May his mind-stream know a less painful rebirth.

Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, Bodhi svaha!
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 11:08 am

Well, religions say that neither mankind nor this world are very important, which is a perspective that keeps humans sane and healthy, and is objectively accurate.

On the other hand, religions say that there is another world and life which is very important, or that man can perfect himself and become extremely important through spiritual practice, which goes against this pjilosophy.

The weird thing, every religion has a version where they don’t take that extra step, and its often at the heart of the religion. Some bold spirit cuts through all the bullshit and expresses plainly the heart of the matter, and then a swarm of lesser minds spend the rest of their lives doing somersaults to explain why he couldn’t possibly have meant what he said.

Mankind has a positivity bias and a fear of the negative, but this may be a mistake. Lao Tzu already understood the value of the negative, the Empty, the Nothing. Our modern world is more unaqcuainted with the value of the negative than any previous society, and is less sane for that, so I am trying to reintroduce it to anyone who isn’t satisfied with the myths of growth and progress. But for anyone who doesn’t like this perspective, there is no reason to adopt.

Thanks for the recommendations! I will definitely check out those places. I plan on being back in the region in December.

You make a good point about the timber line. The problem with places that have classic Alpine scenery is the long and snowy winter, which limits camping outside. Plus, as a compensation, the Southwest has those mysterious red rock areas, which ranks up there with Alpine scenery. The high elevation makes it cool, and you are not too far from the High Sierras in the summer for that Alpine fix.

Ultimately, I think the greater amount of time you can spend outdoors is the clincher for me, but i may change my mind.
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 11:15 am

A truly fascinating perspective. OTOH we’re told that the origin of the Arthurian legend might be somewhat connected to Alan cataphracts. So it may still be all good in the end…

https://www.rbth.com/history/329562-king-arthur-alan-ancient-kingdom

One has to find positive aspects to everything these days….
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 11:15 am

But that stuff about Demiurge and Archons was very Gnostic.

As I have stated before, my knowledge of Yogachara/Cittamatra is quite limited.
Dharmakirti is of course a great master, his Pramanavartika is studied widely among the Tibetan monks.

I have not read the Gospel of Magdalene.
Its seems that there are only few genuine Christians here on Karlins blog. Mr Hack is only one, maybe AP, but I believe that their faith is strong enough to survive if I write couple criticisms about the scriptures of Christianity.
Their books can be pleasant, but their teachings are almost wholly non systematized and categorized, and they contain very little of analysis.
anonymous coward says

October 17, 2020 at 11:20 am

The baby can hear and feel while in the womb. Depriving them of it will lead to stunted and underdeveloped babies.
Anatoly Karlin says

October 17, 2020 at 11:29 am

https://twitter.com/akarlin88/status/1129135520322326533
Anatoly Karlin says

October 17, 2020 at 11:31 am

Yes, I was wrong on Corona improving China’s image relative to the US, propaganda + white people gotta cope I guess.

(Propaganda necessary component because there has been no such decline in Russian views of China).
RadicalCenter says

October 17, 2020 at 11:32 am

And the usa and europe as well, right?

US Citizens have “legally” murdered tens of millions of their own innocent, helpless babies by paying “doctors” to chop them into pieces and vacuum up the pieces like debris on the floor.
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 11:34 am

Well, I don’t say the world or humans have no value, I merely say that neither have the tremendous importance conventional people think it has. But obviously fun and beauty and good times have some value. Just they don’t matter that much, and to make a big deal out of humans and the world may be silly.

To someone who bitterly rejects the world, like Schopenhauer, I would say he is taking life and himself way too seriously and there is no reason he shouldn’t enjoy lifes pleasures. I would point out the positive.

Its the Middle Way. Remember, the Buddha only achieved Enlightenment after giving up his ascetic practices, and sat under the fig tree, no longer struggling to achieve anything. He became Enlightened after giving up his quest for self-perfection. He was mocked for this by the other ascetics who had previously admired him for being the biggest ascetic of them all. He knew that in a world dominated by the desire to become perfect, no one would understand his message that this is folly, and almost did not go out to teach. Yet somehow, the very beginning of Buddhism got reinterpreted to be about achieving self-perfection, the original spirit only being recovered in the Mahayana.

Society tells you that if you work hard and make money, and get better and better, at some future point you will be fulfilled. I have found this not true. Then religions tell you if work hard to improve yourself, you will in the future be happy. I’ve tried this, and found it not true. Chogyam Trungpa, called this kind of religion “spiritual materialism” . It is amother form of materialism because it aims for human improvement in space and time.

In both systems, the idea is that you need improving. I have decided to question this premise. Instead of future fulfillment, I want to see if life can be considered fulfilled each moment. Instead of becoming a Superman, I want to see if I can be happy accepting that I am merely human, and imperfect and frail. Instead of thinking I must overcome my lack of value, I want to see if I can be cheerful accepting I am of little importance. Maybe there is nothing to fear after all, and the conventional belief that we cannot accept our human imperfection and lack of value, is actually the problem.
AP says

October 17, 2020 at 11:57 am

This seems to be largely accurate.
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 12:28 pm

Will matter then be destroyed or not?

22) The Savior said, All nature, all formations, all creatures exist in and with one another, and they will be resolved again into their own roots.

http://gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm
another anon says

October 17, 2020 at 12:39 pm

Do not be all so negative, today is special day.

Why? Because today, JFK Jr. is going to announce that he is not dead and will be Trump’s running mate! This is going to be true plot twist!

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlotTwist

Trust the plan!

https://twitter.com/travis_view/status/1317474081034301443
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 12:40 pm

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Old_Green_Tara.JPG/855px-Old_Green_Tara.JPG

Arya Green Tara

Good question! There are ways to live which will ensure ones wealth and prosperity in next lives, but do not lead to liberation from the cycle/Samsara. Individuals who have seeds of self interest in their mindstream before or later will fall again. After all selfishness will produce bad fruit in some way or another, but Karmic fruition can take centuries or millenias.

Buddha himself taught that by just living ascetically one ensures of ones rebirth in heavens of desire realm, but its not a worthy goal for Buddhists. For someday mind will grow tired once again to immense pleasures. Also causes and conditions which have made possible such existence, will inevitably decay. After such life beings often fall into non pleasant states of existence.

Next question: national Karma. Excellent question by the way! Beings have their own karma, but all beings exist co dependently and in relation with others. Lets take Jews as example, if you do often Jewish rituals, feel strong affinity with a Jewish nation, marry a Jew, hang out with Jews, and have a good enough a merit to be born as a human, then its quite likely that one will be born again as a Jew. No one exists in vacuum! You can replace Jew with Indian, Russian or Japanese etc…

On the one hand we’re being told the spiritual life means giving up wealth and power, and that these have little value. Then we are told our reward for this in the next life will be wealth and power

Yes quite contradictory!
Its good Karma to be born rich, but its better to develop causes and conditions for a mind that is not dependent on riches.
In Buddhism we speak about different types of wisdom, its wise or smart to strive for riches, but its wisdom that surpasses wisdom, a wisdom that does cut the root of the problem itself. Also there is nothing bad in wealth itself. All that depends how one uses ones riches. Attachment is the problem, not the wealth.

Jnana which is just knowledge, cognate of Russian знание by the way.
Prajna a wisdom regarding the impermanent nature of reality
And then there is the ultimate wisdom the Prajna-Paramita, perfection of Wisdom, which has been gained by the Buddhas.

Remember AaronB that Sunyata, Emptiness is not a concept, its more like a technical term for description of reality. Your thoights, your self, your sensations, all lack their own existence, even all that stuff that you wrote about nihilism was empty of self nature or independent existence, likewise this stuff that I write is empty of its own self nature. You wrote something and I reacted, there is external causes for your writing as there are external causes for my writing, but if we try to find the original cause, its not findable anywhere, but in that, that we and all beings reflect each other, as we reflect our past deeds and experiences in a constant unending, unceasing process.

But also the meaning of these terms depends on the context, there are different types of Jnanas in a Buddhist literature, but just Jnana is the common knowledge, then there are Five Wisdom Buddhas, which again is related but a complex topic.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Ashtamahabhaya_Tara%2C_late_12th_century%2C_The_Walters_Art_Museum%2C_Baltimore.jpg

Arya Green Tara in ancient Bengali style

Tara is a moniker for enlightened Female Buddhas. It means star in Sanskrit, and is etymologically connected to ancient Astarte, Esther and Star of the English language. As some of you have possibly noticed, we still keep all that stuff in Dharma that was forgotten by others.
There are many Taras as there are many Buddhas.

In Buddhism its thought that human life js the best life, its not as happy as gods, but their life is too enjoyable, so they have no motivation for gaining merit or introspection. No wonder, for it is said that our women look like she monkeys charred in a forest fire in comparison to the goddesses of desire heavens. And its not as painful as that of the demons and hell beings, who feel too much pain or other afflictions all the time, so its hard to think clearly in such state.
Animals on the other hand are too ignorant to understand causality and reasons for their problems.
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 1:00 pm

You gotta do you! But why in the hell you need somekind of Buddhist validation for your beliefs? I thought for a long time that cultural appropriation is just a stupid SJW meme, but now I dont know… Mostly of course but maybe not always…
Anatoly Karlin says

October 17, 2020 at 1:06 pm

Probably the best meme about me so far. Thanks!
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 1:18 pm

Oh well, I have insulted you so many times, so its very understandable. Sorry for that.

By the power of Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren, I am now a person of a Polish descent!

https://teologiapolityczna.pl/assets/cms/ContentImage/2018/Jan-Matejko-Bitwa-pod-Grunwaldem.jpg
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 1:24 pm

Thanks for answering, Altan.

So for Buddhists, wealth is recognized as a form of good. A higher level of good is to be indifferent to wealth. So a slightly virtuous man might find being reborn as wealthy appealing. But a very virtuous man would’ve indifferent to that. It seems the more virtuous you are, the more indifferent you are to the rewards of Karma, and less motivated by it. Karma seems to provide motivation for ordinary virtue.

Thanks for explaining about Karma and nations. So Karma encompasses ones whole life situation, not just ones individual behavior. Everything in your life situation has an influence on your next birth. That’s interesting. I guess that doesn’t preclude being born in very distant places for some people.

Yes, Emptiness means nothing has an independent existence. We can perhaps imagine cosmos as one big field of energy, with humans as just particular patterns in portions of this field. When a human dies, the energy pattern changes, but nothing actually went out of existence.

In this system there are no units. The only unit might be said to be the whole cosmos.

Does this not mean that no single “thing” within the cosmos has special significance? The only thing that has significance in this system would be the entire cosmos. How can anything matter more than anything else, since everything depends on each other. Mr Smith may be a genius and I a dolt, but his existemce depends on me.

If there is no separate self, does this not deflate my sense of my own importance? I am accustomed to think of myself as an independent unit. I exist on my own and do not depend on anyone. Do I not now have a lesser sense of self importance? And so too, for every so called object in this world.

Emptiness also means lacking substance. The Buddhists use the analogy of the dream. The dream appears as an image, but lacks substance. It exists, but it isn’t solid.Emptiness means the world is only a set of images. To use the scientific analogy again, the world is an energy field, but energy is insubstantial. More, if you dig deeper into energy, you reach a level where there is literally nothing. The world seems to be generated out of nothing.

So, conventionally, we are accustomed to see ourselves as independent, and the world as having substance. To be real, not just an image. But if we have no selves, and the world has no substance, then surely we and the world re less important than we thought.

The only question is, is this a cheerful view, or a depressing one? Conventional mass man has always answered that it is a depressing view. Sages have always said it is a liberating view.
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 1:32 pm

Well, its interesting if other people thought this way, if entire civilizations were based on this thinking, etc. Has the experiment of living by this ohilosophy been tried, and what were the results?

As much as we like to say we’re independent, we do need to feel that humans have thought like us 🙂

So its significant for me that this philosophy has been thought of by many others. And its important for me yo see what were the effects on cultures that were even slightly influenced by these ideas.

Although ultimately, I have to judge by how these perspectives alter my own mental state. If I live better by them, that’s all that matters.

But I would never say that this is the Buddhism for everyone. Maybe most Buddhists are like you.
another anon says

October 17, 2020 at 1:33 pm

You gotta do you! But why in the hell you need somekind of Buddhist validation for your beliefs? I thought for a long time that cultural appropriation is just a stupid SJW meme, but now I dont know… Mostly of course but maybe not always…

Cultural appropriation is very real thing.
It does not mean using things form another culture – it means taking sacred things from another culture and making them into clown costume for your masquerade party.
What hippies did to Hinduism, Buddhism and Native traditions.
What todays online alt-right animesexuals do to Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, and online alt-left LGBTQ furries do to Communism and Soviet Union.

Unlike sixties, we can be fortunate that these freaks are exclusively online and can be rid of with one click 🙂
Mr. Hack says

October 17, 2020 at 2:10 pm

Any predictions?

“Nostradamus” predicts that his son will take the bout in no more that 6 rounds?….
Max Payne says

October 17, 2020 at 2:17 pm

It’s called not being a retard and leaving forces out in the open like it’s 1912. It’s also called electronic warfare (or lack thereof). How do these drones find their target? What is the electronic optical sensor that is attached? How does it distinguish terrain and target? How are fire orders executed on the firing platform?

Look what a 50 cent mylar thermal blanket can do (from your local Chinese dollar store):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rUhXKn6bh_w/X4spaC71ODI/AAAAAAAAG-A/6NuvgZR7Cpc8mlQ612Hy6bqDgFOj_vyRQCLcBGAsYHQ/thermal.png

Add some quality (ie don’t be a cheap Chinese shit and put the MINIMUM amount of effort and material) and it can COMPLETELY block out thermals (an important part of target acquisition). Welcome to 2004.

Standard operating procedure:

All commanders are required to set up decoys, fake trenches, and automated radio transmitters to produce an illusion of real military targets. To waste enemy initiative as well as precious ammunition. If a drone wastes its time reconnoitering a hot air balloon and encrypted fake radio chatter it’s not reconnoitering REAL forces. Doubleplusgood if it wastes missiles on a $7.95 hot air balloon (tax not included). Even if the decoy is literally just 500 meters from your actual position.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KczysyBjwF8/VNRZvoiaPsI/AAAAAAAAEr4/PKFkmDDkkyI/s1600/Dummy_S-300_vehicles.jpg

In the event of a drone attack local commanders will immediately jam all communications, enter hardened posture, and commence anti-UAV operations. This involves deploying dazzlers, PKMs, and Iglas/Strelas/MANPADS (which I can’t believe is not standard issue on the platoon level unless Armenia is REALLY retarded). Drone missiles are not so good against hardened targets (bunkers, etc).

Even asshole Syrians have dazzlers:
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iKlhfPIB5wY/VudOjXlaGQI/AAAAAAAAFyM/NYPBmgjN4N0EIT9Fxi6-j-jQ3UmshxKaA/s1600/CaekOY0XEAAyiBa.jpg

Do not group up. Do not cluster. Do not place assets too close to one another. Use thermal blankets. Use camouflage netting. Hide entrances to bunkers by having non-direct entry. Do not draw attention to important weapon systems (durr I’m gonna put this heavy weapon system on the TOP of the hill, I’m so smart!). Enforce light discipline. Enforce noise discipline. Enforce emission reduction. Enforce posture discipline.

You are literally witnessing military incompetence. Each Youtube video shows glaring discipline and training issues. Karlin may say “this is how modern armies fight”. He forgets to add the words ‘incompetent’ before ‘armies’.

An air-lingering version of the Bulgarian Starshel artillery round would be a GREAT and CHEAP piece of technology they can R&D. An artillery-fired jamming device but instead of immediately making landfall it lingers in the air (for 1-2 to minutes through air-retardation/parachute) allowing forces to react and get into hardened positions. Good cost-benefit, spam those in the air during a drone raid and you can blanket a whole area at different altitudes (like EW flak, but sexier).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starshel

Cheaper yet is smoke rounds… train spotters and mortar crews for special drone raid procedure. OMG! DRONE RAID! FIRE SMOKE! DISPERSE DISPERSE DISPERSE. If budget permits purchase smoke dispensers that have aluminum aerosol for that extra EW chaff goodness.

But I guess that requires training, discipline, military logic, common sense, the will to survive, the will to attain victory…..

In short Armenia is not doing ANYTHING to solve its technological gap issues. Like Azeribajan, they couldn’t be bother to come up with novel tactics or technology but instead rely on catalogs and what the market has. Gay and boring.

One area that no one really explores that has potential for anti-UAV operations (especially the third world). Turboprop planes. Yeah, the old ass ones. Comes in a kit. Keep it in the back of a humvee or a BRDM (whatever gay communist shit these fags use), and assemble it in the AO, find a field for a runway. Take off its wings and hide it in a forest or a cave.

Flies way too low/small to be a target for radar-assisted anti-air but in terms of hunting down UAVs… lands on fucking fields, plateaus and roads. No airport required. Cheap ass fuel to operate. Cheap Chinese assembled kits. Open market computer, sensors, and targeting systems with a few of .50cal and you have a cheap UAV hunter. Losing a $20,000 turboprop kit plane is not a huge loss.

Shit some of these drones are as big as turboprop planes…. if their cross section is too small for AA radars to pick up even in high altitudes why not this thing :

https://www.legendaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/N750GE-1.png

This turk drone has an operational altitude of 18,000 feet. Yet they say anti-air has trouble shooting targets that high…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayraktar_TB2#/media/File:Bayraktar_TB2_Runway.jpg

Of course for Russia and USA that’s crazy talk but I mean smaller poorer nations that need a quick stop measure but can’t afford catalog drone programs. Turboprop planes are cheap, low maintenance, can be used purely for close-air support and anti-drone op flying at low altitudes (no higher than 1000 ft altitude) giving it cover against anti-air missiles. Less expensive and longer range than helicopters.

Train pilots to use thermals and NVGs and optics to spot drones (and also not emit electronic emissions such as radar to avoid being targeted). Also give pilots in small national militaries a chance to fly something as opposed to being on a waiting list for one of the three Mig-29s.

Its so simple even Tamils can do it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Tigers

Also helps if they bought some of these or equivalent from Russia:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxV-4kTIIt0/VvI1jo4u9JI/AAAAAAAAF1g/yV0lvFQZY6U3Qf3dkylg9cZSBvX5TFaNw/s1600/ciwsontruck.jpg

And this classic PKM (with decent optics) has been proven to be great against tactical UAVs (small local observation drones).

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bD_iF9xvnw8/VvI_he23rOI/AAAAAAAAF3c/zRvHYeU6TZQAoqMZBEmTjo_yMcrGa4_-w/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG

DAKA DAKA

Does this war come in Mens?
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 2:44 pm

Does this not mean that no single “thing” within the cosmos has special significance? The only thing that has significance in this system would be the entire cosmos. How can anything matter more than anything else, since everything depends on each other. Mr Smith may be a genius and I a dolt, but his existemce depends on me.

If there is no separate self, does this not deflate my sense of my own importance? I am accustomed to think of myself as an independent unit. I exist on my own and do not depend on anyone. Do I not now have a lesser sense of self importance? And so too, for every so called object in this world.

We do exist conventionally, we eat, dream love, et cetera, but there is nothing constant in us, no essence of us, nothing that makes us to be us. We often cling to some ideas that we are something, but because everything is empty all our fears, all our faults are impermanent and often caused by believing them to be ultimately real, having their own nature, truly existing. As long as we believe so, we will karmically create our problems again and again.

Everything exists in relation, things like significance, quantity, size, beauty etc all exist in relation something, they too do not have an independent existence, they are just minds projection to the film screen of reality.

If we change ourselves, we will then change the nature of reality, remember as we dont have our own nature, so too the cosmos doesnt have its own. AaronB all the Buddhas have taught that you will be a one day a Buddha, and you shall shine the light of Dharma for all bewildered in miserys gloom. Then yes your life will matter more than any of us, then you will the teacher, guide, liberator, helper of countless beings, but if someone lives for just oneself, then naturally life does not feel very significant. At least for a smart being.
Mikhail says

October 17, 2020 at 2:59 pm

Conventional wisdom says that if Lopez wins, he has to do it within 6 rounds, with some power punch/punches. After 6 rounds is more favorable to Loma, who has an insanely unique training regimen.

Great idea for boxing to air it live without pay per view.
Mikhail says

October 17, 2020 at 3:04 pm

To some degree, the Russian government seems to be taking the stance that the ball is in Turkey’s court:

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/10/17/why-conflict-in-caucasus-erdogan-revenge-for-syria/

https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/10/16/russian-fm-we-never-considered-turkey-our-strategic-ally/

https://theduran.com/russian-brokered-nagorno-karabakh-ceasefire-in-trouble/
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 3:06 pm

I always chant Tadyatha Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha. Tadyatha is pronounced like teyata.

HHDL seems to chant without Om.

If you like the Heart Sutra, then I would recommend the Vajra Cutter Sutra to you. Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita sutra, its the basis for Tantric knowledge. In the west its known by the false name of the Diamond Sutra.
Hyperborean says

October 17, 2020 at 3:43 pm

What ‘Russiagate’ taught me is how even seemingly educated people are remarkably stupid in how they absorb the media. Most people basically have zero critical-thinking skills, and I don’t even think it’s an intelligence-related issue.

These polls just show the effects of a massive anti-Chinese media propaganda campaign filtering through to the plebs. Nothing more, nothing less.

Of course, propaganda and lies are part of geopolitics. Were you born yesterday?

https://www.unz.com/akarlin/open-thread-117/#comment-4145349
Ano4 says

October 17, 2020 at 3:48 pm

Diamond Sutra.

Of course.

I like Srimaladevi Simhanada Sutra. And the Platform Sutra of Hui Neng.
Priss Factor says

October 17, 2020 at 3:48 pm

Corona.

It’s about pretending there is a pandemic to shut down rising nationalism-populism.

How can anyone not see this?

It’s the globalist elites and their brainwashed minions who believe in ‘nazis everywhere’ who pushed this.

Come on people.
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 4:03 pm

Thanks, that is a good summary of orthodox Mahayana Buddhism. As its first step, Buddhism denies that there exists anything independent in the world.

Here is a my question –

If everything exists in relation to something else, then you can’t change the world without destroying it. If things are interdependent, if your existence depends on my existence, then you cant destroy me without destroying yourself. You say the Buddha brings light, but light can only exist in relation to darkness, so if the Buddha dispels darkness, he destroys light.

So wouldn’t an interdependent world be one in which the eradication of evil was impossible without the eradication of good, and thus lasting, fundamental world altering change impossible, and only cyclical change possible?
Kent Nationalist says

October 17, 2020 at 5:46 pm

Please, for the sake of your wellbeing, stop attempting to communicate with demons
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 6:06 pm

Actually I linked accidentally totally wrong chanting. Mantras should not be spoken in that way, like someone singing a song. Somewhat disrespectful behaviour.

Here is what I meant:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LvaFdYSD4C0
AltanBakshi says

October 17, 2020 at 6:32 pm

First step of Buddhism is understanding that our reality is more or less shitty place. That there is no inherent and independent existence, is maybe a third step.

If everything exists in relation to something else, then you can’t change the world without destroying it. If things are interdependent, if your existence depends on my existence, then you cant destroy me without destroying yourself.

Buddhism denies annihilationism as much as it denies the permanence of the phenomena, everything changes, but nothing disappears, nothing ever disappears. Buuut actually there can be permanent things, but those things are always non composite, like space, loka in sanskrit, there are couple others depending on the school of Abhidharma, but thats beyond my knowledge. Abhidharma is very, very deep and complex part of Buddhist literature and philosophy, but my knowledge of it is very limited.

You say the Buddha brings light, but light can only exist in relation to darkness, so if the Buddha dispels darkness, he destroys light.

I wrote about the light of the Dharma, you took me too literally. Its by teaching of Dharma that Buddha liberates beings from Samsara, like its said that “the Buddha does not was our negativities, but its by teaching of the nature of our reality that he liberates beings,” by our own diligence we become pure and liberated.

So wouldn’t an interdependent world be one in which the eradication of evil was impossible without the eradication of good, and thus lasting, fundamental world altering change impossible, and only cyclical change possible?

But in the mind of the Buddha there is no evil, he just sees ignorant and lost beings, who have just one wish, a wish to be happy, but dont know real causes of happiness and are lost in the illusions, and in the process hurt themselves and others. Just ignorant, limited, conditioned and conditionalized(am I using the right word?) beings gone mad in the eternal cycle.

The fundamental change is possible, there is Nirvana and then there is even greater state of the Fully Awakened Buddha.
Europe Europa says

October 17, 2020 at 6:44 pm

On the subject of Jews, the British “Supreme Court” (annoying Americanised name) has just ruled that Jews are legally allowed to discriminate in favour of their own. A woman in London took a Jewish housing association to court over their refusal to rent to non-Jews, and the court ruled that they are legally allowed to discriminate because Jews are supposedly a “disadvantaged” group.

If a British company only rented to native British people, that would be absolutely illegal under the law and severely prosecuted on racism grounds, yet the highest British court has just ruled that it’s perfectly legal for Jews to discriminate. This country is unbelievable.

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/503764-jewish-only-housing-court-london/
Philip Owen says

October 17, 2020 at 7:43 pm

https://twitter.com/boriquagato/status/1310595825865756673?s=20
AaronB says

October 17, 2020 at 8:11 pm

Thanks for explaining that. Mainstream orthodox Mahayana Buddhism is a beautiful religion and I hope you derive much support from it. I am still nostalgic for when I used to read the the Prajnaparamita Sutras and engage with the religion. I hope you achieve Nirvana or become a Fully Awakened Buddha or Boddhisattva. Cheers.
Dmitry says

October 17, 2020 at 9:12 pm
Yes, but Armenia seems to have unusually unintelligent leaders.

For example, Pashinyan (Prime Minister of Armenia) was boasting about how they had shot some number of “Azerbaijani planes”.

Later, Armenia post that these “Azerbaijani planes” were the actually “An-2”: pilotless agricultural bi-planes that Azerbaijan had converted use as decoys to reveal positions of Armenian radar and air-defense. Azerbaijan flies them over Armenian territory, to trick Armenia to shoot at them, and reveal the position of their air-defense.

Azerbaijan converted agricultural bi-planes to decoys, to send over Armenia air defense areas. Decoys are used to reveal positions of Armenian air-defense, turn on heir radars and SAMs – reveal their positions, and therefore be locatable for Azerbaijan to attack the Armenian air-defenses. Azerbaijan has apparently now destroyed the Armenian air-defenses, and the decoys may have provided part of their information.

If Armenia didn’t shoot these down, then they could cause diplomatic problems for Azerbaijan, as they would fly into neighbouring countries. So Armenia is not just falling into a trap, but also helping Azerbaijan to avoid diplomatic problems.

Despite being Prime Minister- Pashinyan doesn’t seem to understand this, and they were boasting on television about shooting down the An-2s as if this was an achievement, when it was falling into SEAD trap (of revealing the position of the defenses by shooting down decoys).
- Armenia’s military was even posting on their YouTube, about falling into the trap of shooting Azerbaijan’s pilotless bi-plane decoy, as if it was an achievement.
Azerbaijan had prepared at the start of this conflict 50 of these An-2s decoys to reveal the positions of Armenian air-defense.

https://i.imgur.com/2EJxUB9.jpg
Daniel Chieh says

October 17, 2020 at 10:17 pm

You wound me with your misjudgment. I am in complete agreement that your life has no purpose and have repeatedly encouraged that you donate all of your worldly possessions to Mr. Karlin and have provided an easy link for you to do so(as I will again):

https://www.patreon.com/akarlin/

In the even that your raging anti-semitism forbids you from doing so, please just make a note to have him send over everything to me instead, and all will be well.

I wish you every luck in your negativity bias(whatever that means). May your lack of free will hurry up with the financial and concrete result of it!
Belarusian Dude says

October 17, 2020 at 10:32 pm

Yes I never claimed to concur with you. All nations can build civilizations, without exception. The issue is how well they do it.
Mikel says

October 18, 2020 at 1:36 am

The problem with places that have classic Alpine scenery is the long and snowy winter, which limits camping outside.

It depends on how high the mountains are and what the altitude difference with the valley is. And this is where the southern part of the Eastern Sierras in California reign supreme. You have the best of all worlds, including Death Valley and adjacent desert areas, except for the comfort of a nearby large city.

But from Mexico to Canada you have all kinds of intermediate choices in the West where you can find your personal goldilocks place. And, even if you don’t ever find the Perfect Place, you might agree with me that the simple act of exploring and enjoying all these magnificent landscapes in search of the best one is in itself a lot of fun, worth the pursuit regardless of the final outcome.

In fact, I am now in a situation where I could probably sell my assets and retire early to enjoy doing only what I please at every moment. But, being a somewhat vane and imperfect human being, and given the material quality of life I consider adequate for me and my dependents, I would have to move to some country with a low cost of life for that and I am too hooked to the US West. I prefer to wait a little more, suffer a little and retire here in the West. The US definitely got the best piece of real estate in the world.

The problem with places that have classic Alpine scenery is the long and snowy winter, which limits camping outside.

Not necessarily. I don’t like long winters either but in the West winter is a marvelous season to enjoy the outdoors and to feel the humbling experience of Nature exposing us as frail beings at its mercy. Winter climbs, snowshoeing, hiking with skins, skiing,… As a matter of fact, I’ve actually leant to enjoy camping up in the mountains when they’re covered in snow and enduring blizzards inside my small tent and sleeping bag. I did have to follow the “buy once, cry once” motto and get a good -40 sleeping bag (which will just barely prevent hypothermia at that temperature, I still needed plenty of layers inside the bag to be minimally comfortable at -15F but somehow I loved the experience).
Mikel says

October 18, 2020 at 1:58 am

About the Devil, yes his power is not permanent, if one perseveres, God will interfere.

No, sorry. It’s been several centuries of Enlightenment and scientific progress and we now know that a theory that explains everything, even contradictory facts, does not really explain anything.

The Greek Orthodox Church exception (and I believe there are several others) falsifies your hypothesis, which to begin with presupposes the existence of a supernatural being for which no formal empirical evidence has ever been recorded, so you need to abandon that hypothesis and try to find another one that does match all observations.

On the other hand, it is true that I am not taking you very seriously on this matter, which paradoxically is what you are asking me yourself to do, so perhaps we are in agreement but things get confusing and nonsensical at this point for my simple, rational-oriented mind.
Thulean Friend says

October 18, 2020 at 2:05 am

Just a heads up. The 2017-2020 wave results of the World Values Survey are out. Lots of things to dig into. It also does confirm prior findings.

https://i.imgur.com/6YMrSEc.png

Interestingly, in the data, a lot of this religiosity is coming from the old in Russia. Essentially, there is a ‘reconnect’ among the boomers. The young are significantly more secular. Huge majority of Russians claim they belong to a church. Yet ask how often they visit regularly, and the figure plummets. Orthodoxy thus seems to play a national cultural role like in Serbia, which isn’t always mapping closely to how people actually live their day-to-day lives.
Thulean Friend says

October 18, 2020 at 2:12 am

https://unherd.com/2020/10/why-young-asians-are-now-woke/

The sociologists Jennifer Lee and Van C. Tran have found in their research that “Asian immigrants are least likely to support affirmative action. By contrast, Asians born in the US with parents who were also born here — the so-called later generation — are most likely to do so.” These younger Americans have learned that social mobility involves an additional ingredient: adopting the social mores of the upper class.

I wouldn’t bet on affirmative action being abolished any time soon.
AltanBakshi says

October 18, 2020 at 2:14 am

Nation building and building a civilization are two different things. I dont believe that every people or a nation is capable of building a civilization. Nation building is easy, you just need to get independent, like East-Timor or South Sudan, but once again its totally different thing to be successful in nation building than just build a nation by establishing your independence.
AltanBakshi says

October 18, 2020 at 2:57 am

You are free to think as you like, no one says that one should take people on internet seriously.

But if you want to understand my line of thought, its based on a different narrative of reality than yours. Mind is for as Buddhists as much part of reality as matter is, all things are felt and sensed, they have no independent existence from our mind as our mind does not have independent existence from the matter and only exists by sensing something. When you walk and see there is external stimuli, when you think or dream there is simulated stimuli, when you remember something, there is faint recordings of the stimuli. We in Buddhism actually dont believe in Devil, we believe that there are many devils, they exist like us inter dependently with the reality, they are beings whose mindstream has been conditioned by long stream of negative afflictions and experiences.
Yes we think that mental aggregates never disappear, in a similar way there is law or two laws of physics that all matter and energy is conserved(in a closed system) . They just change position, configuration or form. So when a being dies in a very negative way, like when aborted from her mothers womb, then that being will be very lost and confused. Think how that being would with all his crude cognition feel the warmth and safety of her mothers womb, but then one day he would be torn out and killed. Such being would feel extremely negative, incapable of understanding the reasons for its fate, such being would easily fall into negative states of existence, like becoming a malevolent spirit.

I dont claim any scientific support for our world view, but I also claim that science does not deny explicitly our world view.
There is a science as an excellent tool or instrument for explaining phenomena of our reality and then there is a scientism, which is faith that our realitys nature is purely material, measurable and/or quantitative.

Also the materialist view that there is purely objective material reality, which in correct configuration is a basis for our subjective reality with its qualities, seems for me quite odd and irrationally dualistic. On the other hand you got the perfectly objective material external reality, but then same time you have this emotional, irrational, subjective and frail empirical reality, very bipolar stuff I would say.

Freeman Dyson btw also believed that reality cant be explained purely materially, but mind is natural part of it.
AltanBakshi says

October 18, 2020 at 3:16 am

That citation is very Advanta Vedanta like. There are excellent Hindu schools of philosophy like Kashmiri Shaivism, but Vedantins are…. oh lets just say that I am not a great fan. But then maybe I dont know enough about them.
Dmitry says

October 18, 2020 at 4:53 am

Azerbaijan is moving fast now along the flat lands in the Southern strip of Nagorno Karabakh, cutting it from Iran.

https://i.imgur.com/KUvtSSK.jpg

Video from Iran had found Azebaijan’s army are already at the Khoda Afarin

They are at Khoda Afarin Dam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoda_Afarin_Dam

https://twitter.com/cavidaga/status/1317528202529656832

This dam China was investing in.
https://ifpnews.com/mp-china-planning-finance-completion-khoda-afarin-dam-northwestern-iran
Ano4 says

October 18, 2020 at 7:41 am

This is from what is left of a Gnostic codex of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Around 2/3 of the text are unfortunately unreadable, but what could be read is somewhat related to Dharmic doctrines of that era.

The latter part of the manuscript deals with the postmortem experience of the soul which is going through Toll Houses in its ascent to the Place of Rest. The ascension is much more psychological than the latter representation of this postmortem phenomenon in the Orthodox faith. The negative states of mind are described as powers (Fear, Anger etc.) they are not however described as entities as in the later aerial Toll Houses doctrine. Again, this might be read as one reads Bardo Thodol, an essentially Dharmic document.

Also remember that Mary Magdalene was the first to learn of the resurrection of Christ. That might be the reason why this Gnostic apocryphon is linked with her name.
Anatoly Karlin says

October 18, 2020 at 8:25 am

I was happy to finally see the question “How many children would you like to have” being asked again after a long period but then came the zrada as the only countries asked that question were Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
AaronB says

October 18, 2020 at 8:31 am

It depends on how high the mountains are and what the altitude difference with the valley is. And this is where the southern part of the Eastern Sierras in California reign supreme. You have the best of all worlds, including Death Valley and adjacent desert areas, except for the comfort of a nearby large city.

Yes, it really is an exceptional area, with fascinating extremes. I have been watching videos of backpacking the high routes of the Sierras, and they are stunning. Not quite classic alpine, but very classic mountain scenery in its own right.

This area is definitely a competitor to the Southwest, and you’re right, may be preferable.

But from Mexico to Canada you have all kinds of intermediate choices in the West where you can find your personal goldilocks place

.

This is so true! I forgot about the incredible diversity of “micro climates” all over the West. When I was in Wyoming, a few hours south of Pinedale from where you access the Alpine areas, there were red rock desert areas! Quite remarkable for a “northern” state.

The West isnt like Northern Europe, which is much more uniform and monolithic in landscape.

And, even if you don’t ever find the Perfect Place, you might agree with me that the simple act of exploring and enjoying all these magnificent landscapes in search of the best one is in itself a lot of fun, worth the pursuit regardless of the final outcome.

Absolutely! Great point. In fact, if you don’t have to stay stable for work, this may be the ideal life, a nomadic existence, savoring different scenery and weather, as the mood hits. Mankind were nomads longer than we were settled.

You can get an amazing set up in one of those nice camper vans I’ve seen, and just set off. It would be so much fun.

I prefer to wait a little more, suffer a little and retire here in the West. The US definitely got the best piece of real estate in the world

No, thats the smart thing to do, you have the right idea. We are exceptionally fortunate in our landscape. Europe may have more charming cities, and Asia more exciting, but we have the coolest landscspes that uou can wander around endlessly like a Nomad in the West, and all so open and sparsely populated. I also love how there is do much BLM land you can just drive down on dirrs roads and camp anywhere, in the most amazing areas – gives me such a sense of nomafic freedom!

My sister recently drove around the West in an RV with her family, and told me she was stunned by the landscape. She thought that kind of thing only existed in wild parts of Asia or Africa.

Not necessarily. I don’t like long winters either but in the West winter is a marvelous season to enjoy the outdoors and to feel the humbling experience of Nature exposing us as frail beings at its mercy. Winter climbs, snowshoeing, hiking with skins, skiing,… As a matter of fact, I’ve actually leant to enjoy camping up in the mountains when they’re covered in snow and enduring blizzards inside my small tent and sleeping bag. I did have to follow the “buy once, cry once” motto and get a good -40 sleeping bag (which will just barely prevent hypothermia at that temperature, I still needed plenty of layers inside the bag to be minimally comfortable at -15F but somehow I loved the experience).

Ok, now you’ve got me excited! I will have to try this now this winter. Was going to stay mostly in Arizona and Utah, but I’ll make a trip to the San Juans in Colorado.

I can totally imagine how being up in the mountains in a blizzard in a tent can be an especially delicious thrill and an exciting adventure.

Its probably worth investing in good winter camping gear, sleeping bag, tents, and clothing and boots. Expensive, but I imagine very durable.
Ano4 says

October 18, 2020 at 8:42 am

India using its Tibet card?

https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/india-holds-a-secret-tibet-card-on-china/
Ano4 says

October 18, 2020 at 9:12 am

https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2020/10/17/to-defend-freedom-of-expression-unity-is-essential_6056437_3232.html

The French national newspaper of reference has published an editorial about the freedom of speech. It had decried the ghastly murder of the French history teacher by his Chechen refugee pupil. The teacher was using Charlie Hebdo cartoons about the prophet Muhammad to learn his students about separation of religion from the state. The young Vainakh separated teacher’s head from his body.

It is significant that as Le Monde (which I call the Pravda parisienne) decries the Islamist attacks against freedom of speech, it chooses to avoid the topic of Judaic attacks against freedom of speech. Such attacks are mainstream in France, as demonstrated by the fate of all those who for many years attempted to somewhat mitigate the power of the Juiverie Française. Whether publicists, such as Alain Soral or stand-up comics such as Dieudonné, both have been heavily fined and censored for essentially requesting the right to freely criticize and ridicule the likes of Bernard Henry Lévy and André Glucksmann.

I am pretty sure no one will manifest holding a “Je suis Alain et Dieudonné ” slogan in Paris any time soon. OTOH Alain Soral and Dieudonné have not been beheaded, which shows that Abrahamic religions do mellow out with time. So there’s hope, maybe some 2000 years in the future, the Muslims will simply fine the Islamophobes to death, instead of stoning them or cutting their heads off…
songbird says

October 18, 2020 at 10:09 am

I tried tent-camping once in late October in Northern New England. My tent was humorously branded “Gobi Dry” or something, but unless it was a very windy night, the dew was like having a bucket of water (5 gallon) thrown on you each night. Pretty unpleasant if you are stuck in some cloudy weather, and, if the lows are below freezing.

Had to throw out my wallet because it got moldy.
AltanBakshi says

October 18, 2020 at 10:26 am

Most common Bardo Thodol translation in the west is a shitty translation by some Theosophist guy from the 1920s. I read that translation in my early teens, I faintly recall it being quite cringey. Anyway the real Bardo Thodol is part of the Nyingma schools canon and not part of our Mahasamghika/Sarma/Gelug canon.

Different Buddhist schools have various opinions regarding the rebirth or the re-becoming. Of course all Tibetan schools believe that there is an intermediary state, between death and birth, but I dont know how similar the depictions of it are. Better not to mix traditions.
The Spirit of Enoch Powell says

October 18, 2020 at 10:30 am

Why China Should Not Fear India’s Tibet Card: India’s options when it comes to Tibet are limited.

On a side note, from the article

India accepted Tibet as part of China through a 2003 agreement that saw a quid pro quo recognition by China of the Himalayan region of Sikkim as Indian territory.

Considering how India and China were at least somewhat comparable in 2003 in terms of economic strength, this deal seems very bad – recognising Tibet as part of China while only getting Chinese recognition of tiny Sikkim in return.
Ano4 says

October 18, 2020 at 12:05 pm

Better not to mix traditions.

Every tradition is a result of a lenghty evolution.

What I was hinting at, is that through the Gnostic scriptures we could have a glimpse of some of the metaphysical and spiritual trends that were probably present among the Hellenistic communities along the Silk Road in the first century AD. Between Bactrian Alexandria and Egyptian Alexandria people traded not only goods, but also ideas.

Did you know that the oldest stupa in Shri Lanka was built under the leadership of a Ionian Greek Buddhist bhikku from Alexandria (probably the Bactrian one)?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhist_monasticism
Ano4 says

October 18, 2020 at 12:07 pm

I do not think that either of both parties will respect previously reached agreements. A future conflict in the Himalayas is probably inevitable.
Ano4 says

October 18, 2020 at 12:17 pm

Seen in Minsk today.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EknkSU0W0AIBsfx?format=jpg&

Belarusian Antifa against Lukashenko.

This is all I needed to know to confirm who is behind the current unrest in Belarus. Although I don’t really like Lukashenko, I certainly dislike the Antifa Sorosoid scum way more.
The Spirit of Enoch Powell says

October 18, 2020 at 12:21 pm

Fortune favours China.
AltanBakshi says

October 18, 2020 at 12:54 pm

Ionian, or Yona was the name for all Greeks in Sanskrit, like its in Persian and Arabic, or so do I remember. For the Ionians were the easternmost tribe of Greeks. Same stuff with Allemagne, there was tribe of Alemans near Gaul. So that Ionian Greek monk, was probably just Greek or Hellenized local from Bactria.

Did you know that the oldest stupa in Shri Lanka was built under the leadership of a Ionian Greek Buddhist bhikku from Alexandria (probably the Bactrian one)?

I think I have heard, there were many Greeks especially in Gujarat in Ancient times, there is even one city named by them, Junagadh. Nice place, especially the Gir mountain. I walked two times to the top of mountain, many ancient temples there and during the walk I saw so many wild peacocks. But the temples there were Jain and Hindu. There is many old Buddhist places too in Gujarat, but mostly old caves, nothing as magnificent as Ajanta. Btw its near the area where last Asiatic lions live.

There is archeological evidence of Indian merchant and artisan community living in Roman empires red sea ports in the province of Egypt. Still too far fetched to connect them with the Gnostics, ancient people were not as syncretic as some think, or they were quite conscious of syncretism, so they just created new cults or religions, like Manicheans, who are extremely syncretic, almost like fanfic of religion. Its one think to bring cult of some particular god to a new place, and another thing to mix established religio-philosophical systems. Or maybe I use wrong words. In religions there are some absolute dogmas, if they change, the religion itself is lost, like that Jesus is God and son of the God, but stuff which is not explicitly stated can sometimes change. Therefore there are hard limits for syncretism, but again it also depends on religion, they do not always follow similar trajectories.

Every tradition is a result of a lenghty evolution.

Some are, some are not
dfordoom says

October 18, 2020 at 9:59 pm

Corona.

It’s about pretending there is a pandemic to shut down rising nationalism-populism.

How can anyone not see this?

It’s the globalist elites and their brainwashed minions who believe in ‘nazis everywhere’ who pushed this.

The Corona thing has been a gigantic setback for globalism. Why in the name of God would globalists have cooked up a conspiracy to damage globalism?
Europe Europa says

October 19, 2020 at 7:30 am

I think it’s done more damage to nationalism actually. People now see their own countrymen as the biggest threat to them. In the UK at least the media has strongly pushed the narrative that the virus is spread by selfish, arrogant white people and most believe it despite it starting in China and many non-whites, especially blacks and Muslims, clearly observing the rules less than native British people.

They are now also doing “local lock downs”, which divides people even more and is currently causing a lot of resentment between different areas of the UK. The pandemic has caused people to have less faith in the ability of their own governments/people to solve these problems independently, global cooperation is now the expected norm, which is obviously precisely what the globalists want.
Mr. Hack says

October 19, 2020 at 9:32 am

The Gir mountain sounds like a fascinating place, wild peacocks and lions and all, a center for a variety of Asian religions to be found. Please tell us a little bit more about how you happened to find yourself there.

In religions there are some absolute dogmas, if they change, the religion itself is lost, like that Jesus is God and son of the God,

How very true. Christ was never very unclear about his mission and who exactly he was, and would not allow anybody to think of him as just another doorway to Truth, another vessel of syncretism:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14.6

I’m trying to discern the slight difference in meaning of the words “syncratism” and “pantheism” and was wondering if you could help me?
songbird says

October 19, 2020 at 12:11 pm

I’d like to see the money which is now wasted on migrants spent on better things like the conquest of space and of disease and the de-extinction and rewildering of Europe’s more charismatic megafauna.

I figure woolies and sabers are aspirational, at this point, but aurochsen ought to be more approachable. Some efforts are underway now, but they should be accelerated and funded to the hilt. “Aurochsen on Mars!” should become the riposte of right-thinking identitarians, when they are called the R-word.
AltanBakshi says

October 19, 2020 at 12:28 pm

I have been many times in India. My main interest there are Buddhist holy places and seeing my Tibetan friends and teachers. So one could say that I like to go on a pilgrimage! Once I was travelling back from south and I read about the remote ancient Buddhist places in Gujarat, also there is Dwarka one the most holiest place in Hinduism, so I decided to go there and visited quite many places in Gujarat, interesting state, not so popular with tourists, quite clean and modest, also people there are religious, even on Indian standards, its the home region of Gandhi ji himself. But there are practically no Buddhists there in recent times, just ruins. Although its probably biggest concentration of Jains in whole India and a dry state, so alcohol is illegal there. I enjoyed my stay, but not Dwarka, because of its holy status you couldnt find any non veg food there, not even eggs. Fried eggs would have been enough for me.. There were no lions on mountain itself but nearby in some nature reserve that I did not visit, but many, many monkeys, although monkeys are everywhere in India.

Syncretism and pantheism? They are totally different things, one is mixing of philosophies, faiths or traditions, or just being influenced by other tradition, not necessarily mixing them but taking something from them. I was too rigid with my statement, in Shamanism or in classical Polytheism syncretism is very natural, or with people who have just converted to new religion. Ano4 also was possibly righy that in Gnostic writings there was some ideas that travelled wide and far. Sadly Zoroastriam high priesthood blocked the spread of Buddhism in the Iranian plateau, so well established monastic Buddhism didnt spread west of Merv-Balochistan line, beyond Turkmenistan and and border areas of modern day Eastern Iran. Or so archeological evidence tells us. Although Il Khans of 13th Century converted to the Karma Kagyu school of Buddhism, and there were for a short time Buddhist temples in Iran.

Pantheism means that everything is god or part of god, or all the diffrent gods, etc are manifestation of the highest god. There is also Spinozan pantheism, but I have near Spinoza, so I cant say much about his philosphy, then there is Panentheism, that all is part of god, but god is even more than the sum of the parts. Or something dude…
AltanBakshi says

October 19, 2020 at 1:00 pm

I have never read Spinoza. I should have written.
Mikel says

October 19, 2020 at 2:53 pm

Very glad to have provided some inspiration for your future adventures.

Good mountain gear can be quite expensive but if you choose right, it might also be a lifetime investment. Mountain Hardware is one of the most reliable brands but some middle of the road alternatives exist, such as Black Diamond or even North Face, which has lately become more of a fashion brand but still produces some quality products at reasonable prices.

In my experience, the most difficult part of camping in very cold weather, provided you have a good sleeping bag and a decent tent, is mounting and unmouting the tent. You can do it with your gloves on (much more difficult with mittens) but I always lose my patience and end up doing the task quicker with bare fingers, that then get numb. Recovering blood circulation in your fingers can be painful, especially at high altitude, where blood gets thicker.

So basically, you want a lightweight, easy to mount, tent. Bivy tents are ideal for this but they offer little protection from the elements and no room for cooking inside, which is a big drawback if you’re going to spend a couple of days weathering a blizzard.
Mikel says

October 19, 2020 at 2:59 pm

Northern New England in late October must compete with the tropics in humidity, although I imagine that part of that moisture was condensation from inside the tent. It sounds like your tent was not very watertight so probably not breathable either. In that kind of weather you need a Gore-Tex or similar product. Waking up in a swimming pool is a very unpleasant experience indeed, and can also damage a down sleeping bag.
Mr. Hack says

October 19, 2020 at 4:13 pm

As a teenager, I used to read some of the books written by Joseph Campbell, a famous ethnologist/anthropologist. His works were noted for establishing some sort of a pantheistic paradigm for the whole human race. He often incorporated similar themes from all of the major world religions into his canon, and therefore I often get the two ideas mixed up.
Ano4 says

October 19, 2020 at 8:03 pm

Meanwhile in US of A:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdgm4/new-yorker-suspends-jeffrey-toobin-for-zoom-dick-incident

Election simulation is causing some arousal in certain MSM commenters…
AP says

October 19, 2020 at 9:55 pm

Looks like Ukraine is the most solidly Orthodox, Canada the purest examplar of Anglo values, and Sweden the purest Protestant country:

http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/images/Culture_Map_2017_conclusive.png
216 says

October 19, 2020 at 11:14 pm

https://twitter.com/micahcohen/status/1318270205689200642
AltanBakshi says

October 20, 2020 at 2:43 am

I have not heard of Joseph Campbell, but there is also perennialism or so called perennial tradition, which believes that all human religions manifest same primordial truth or truths.

Very interesting school of thought. In some things they are correct, but often not.
Europe Europa says

October 20, 2020 at 7:07 am

Pure “Anglos” are almost always Atheist and have a sneering contempt of religion/superstition. Someone like Richard Dawkins sums up the purest sort of Anglo character in my opinion.
Europe Europa says

October 20, 2020 at 9:35 am

Something I’ve noticed, at least in the UK, is that white people seem to be associated most of all with coronavirus. If there’s a report about someone disobeying the rules or having a public meltdown about the rules, if it’s a white person, especially a white man, even most anti-maskers will suddenly become pro-mask and say the white man is a super-spreader and is selfish, arrogant, etc, for not wearing a mask.

The rules seem to be optional for ethnic minorities, I’ve never seen anyone make much of a thing about them disobeying the rules, in fact if they vocally oppose the rules I find people are a lot more likely to support them and say that it is their choice and right to not wear a mask if they don’t want to, but whites choosing not to do so are super-spreaders and selfish.
Blinky Bill says

October 20, 2020 at 10:11 am

https://www.reddit.com/r/Sino/comments/jed6sz/the_chinese_are_very_clever/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb
Priss Factor says

October 20, 2020 at 11:07 am

I think it’s done more damage to nationalism actually.

Yep. Jews see Trump as the main threat. As EU and much of the world are vassals of the US, what happens in the US encourages similar trends throughout the empire. So, if Trump approves of nationalism, it spreads to other areas and encourages populist-nationalism(even though Trump is far from a true nationalist and sucks up to Jewish Power). Covid ended Trump’s presidency. It empowered the bureaucratic state.

Sure, globalism took some hits too, but it’s been a huge gambit as even more damage was done to hopes of nationalism.
Kent Nationalist says

October 20, 2020 at 11:20 am

Not true, still plenty of Anglicans
Belarusian Dude says

October 20, 2020 at 11:22 am

Success is a very ill defined thing, if you set the right parameters for it you can narrow “successful nations” to basically just Israel
Kent Nationalist says

October 20, 2020 at 11:27 am

The clip is funny, but that is an extremely gay subreddit.
Europe Europa says

October 20, 2020 at 11:27 am

Church of England is an odd one, seems to appeal almost exclusively to “well to do ” types, very upper middle class. Almost a social club for that sort of person.

I always get the impression that a lot of C of E attendees are not religious at all, but that to a certain type of person being involved with church organised events and on first name terms with the local vicar is all part of being a local mover and shaker.

The church seems to be more a part of the local government in rural areas than something genuinely religious.
AaronB says

October 20, 2020 at 12:04 pm

Yeah, I think a good set of winter equipment runs several thousand dollars. Winter bags seem to start st like $800 for bottom end. But if it all lasts several years its a totally worthwhile investment.

Thanks for the tip on the tent. I’m thinking lightweight thin gloves may be an intermediate solution that will offer some protection. 3 season tents can be set up in under a minute, but im guessing winter tents take longer.

A few days weathering a blizzard in a tent on a mountain- maybe I’m crazy but that sounds utterly seductive lol. I guess one half of humanity finds the pleasures of the other half utterly incomprehensible, and thats the source of our silly political problems.

Anyways thanks for the advice ahd the discussion!
The Spirit of Enoch Powell says

October 20, 2020 at 12:41 pm

All subs are gay because Reddit as a website is completely gay and is one of the more potent psyop tools as far as social media goes.

It was good a few years back, before Trump was elected, things really started going downhill when they took down r/CoonTown
NoobSpyBot says

October 20, 2020 at 2:23 pm

So after more than ten years away, I’ve started to listen to Coast to Coast AM with George (S)Noory again. Not much has changed in terms of content, except that nearly all of the featured guests, no matter the topic, are intensely critical or hostile to the government in China. Last night’s guest – an Iranian “expert” on artificial intelligence, rattled off all the slurs of the Chinese elite directed at other races. Noory had to warn the guest about his inflammatory comments. Nevertheless, the beat goes on all the time on this show: China is the cause of all things bad in the world today. Just an observation.
RadicalCenter says

October 20, 2020 at 6:21 pm

Yes, of course. We wear the medically unnecessary masks as needed to avoid legal problems, board a plane or train or bus (but then take them off whenever possible), or avoid histrionics, especially from younger women.

But a fair number of smaller businesses in parts of the usa (though not a majority by any means) do not much enforce the mask and distancing “mandates”, especially if they know the customers in the store at the moment and nobody hysterically objects, as indeed they should not. My family respects and appreciates this and patronizes such establishments more.

Wearing the face diaper is what makes one look like a wacko (with the possible exception of people already suffering from some serious respiratory condition, compromised immune system, or simply greatly advanced age).

The supposed covid-19 death statistics are badly and deliberately exaggerated, as these doctors explain:

http://Www.sprs.org

People have been counted as deaths caused by this virus when they were never even tested for it.

People have been said to have died “from” the virus, rather than merely “with” the virus, when they apparently did not even contract it until they entered a hospital (or commonly, nursing home) with a severe life-threatening condition, up to and including late-stage cancer.

Doctors have admitted being pressured and incentivized to ascribe deaths to the virus dishonestly or misleadingly in order to obtain additional funding for their facilities. One MD from Minnesota blew the whistle on this unscientific lying and exaggeration:

https://www.foxnews.com/media/physician-blasts-cdc-coronavirus-death-count-guidelines

Relatively few people without major comorbidities have died even allegedly from this virus, and the age profile of the deaths does not suggest a particularly great danger to people who are not elderly or already in very poor health.

Take off the face diaper when you can do so without repercussions, and regain your usual rational and evidence-based approach to issues.
Philip Owen says

October 20, 2020 at 6:28 pm

Richard Dawkins is culturally as Church of England as can be imagined. His aetheism is a front. He even admits it. His target is God the Father on a White Cloud Christians. He has considerable respect for more liberal, less theistic schools of Christian thought.
Philip Owen says

October 20, 2020 at 6:32 pm

You have a point but in smaller towns in rural areas outside the South East of England which is just one huge London exurb and ex mining areas, particularly Durham the church is more working class and male.
Philip Owen says

October 20, 2020 at 6:39 pm

Deaths in Sweden are zero and not rising significantly although being in the North it is already darker than most of Europe. Rest of Europe, deaths are rising, although nothing like as fast as tested infections of school pupils and students.

However, the Swedes have lost their nerve and are about to implement a harder lockdown.

Russian Sputnik V protects young healthy people but not the old, alcoholic, stressed or immunocompromised. nothing mentioned about the Obese.
Priss Factor says

October 20, 2020 at 10:33 pm

What is more crucial to national greatness?

National character or liberal democracy?

A people with national character but no liberal democracy will surely do better than a people with liberal democracy but low national character.

Germany up to WWI was an autocracy but was on the up and up. It had national character. Japan made great advances in the same period.

But many Latin American democracies never went anywhere due to low national character.

Perhaps, national character AND democracy is better than national character AND no democracy, but for sure, national character and no democracy beats democracy and low national character.

PS. Could liberal democracy actually erode national character? Maybe. We are seeing it in the West today. Of course, modern democracy is not rule by the people but rule by the rich and their puppet politicians voted by fool masses.

Japan and Germany’s rise after WWI has been credited to democracy, but they would likely have done just as well under autocracies. If democracy is formula for success, it would have succeeded in all democracies. Not so.

Also, are autocracies necessarily more corrupt? Prussia was an autocracy but had one of the best and least corrupt bureaucracies in Europe. Greece is a democracy and totally corrupt.
Singapore is an autocracy, Mexico is a democracy, but former is cleaner than the latter.
Dmitry says

October 21, 2020 at 2:15 am

Is everyone bored of talking about coronavirus pandemic? (I guess that also our sensei Karlin is not interested in posting about this topic anymore, perhaps one reason is because he was vaccinated; safety from a danger can often contribute to disinterest in it.)

This pandemic is very seasonal and responsive to climate/weather (or weather induced changes of peoples’ behaviour), and we have a real second wave across much of Europe this autumn.
Anatoly Karlin says

October 21, 2020 at 5:47 am

What is there to add? I have been vindicated on practically all my predictions. We have established that whites are subhumans. And I have established that there are many subhumans surrounding me personally – that is useful to know. I am not very interested in the health or welfare of subhumans.

https://twitter.com/akarlin88/status/1317227563157250048
Kent Nationalist says

October 21, 2020 at 6:56 am

We have established that whites are subhumans

Don’t cut yourself on that edge
Europe Europa says

October 21, 2020 at 8:08 am

“Covid” now seems to be seen predominantly as a white plague. Only whites are expected to comply with the rules. I’ve never seen anyone make much of a thing about non-whites disobeying the rules because I think people don’t even associate it with non-whites to be honest.

In most peoples’ minds the typical “Covid superspreader” is absolutely a white man.
Daniel Chieh says

October 21, 2020 at 9:14 am

Christianity without Christ. Charming!
Ano4 says

October 21, 2020 at 10:53 am

Antichristianity.
Daniel Chieh says

October 21, 2020 at 12:02 pm

I think you are an unironic Q-tard.
EldnahYm says

October 21, 2020 at 12:50 pm

Justice is coming for the SJW Globalist DNC. They seem quite unprepared to accept the consequences for their actions.

I doubt it. The chances are good that nothing will happen to the Bidens.

The casual corruption of the Biden family should be discrediting to them. But that is not the case in modern American society. The descendants of Ellis Islanders have never had problems voting for corrupt politicians.
Daniel Chieh says

October 21, 2020 at 1:17 pm

Ah, my observation was accurate after all.
Daniel Chieh says

October 21, 2020 at 1:19 pm

If Hunter Biden was found eating the livers of freshman girls, I still doubt it’ll matter to the orange man bad crowd. And from a strategic level, it is consistent that they just need to be rid of Trump.
songbird says

October 21, 2020 at 1:36 pm

If only they were all like men of the Old Country. Then they would elect incorruptible statesmen like Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Why, now that I think of it, that “Diversity Built Britain” coin which they just minted must be tongue-in-cheek. Surely, they did it to generate memes and tweak the nobs of Indians. I mean, there’s no way that the Tories, the opposition party, would have sold out to foreigners like Priti Patel, and formed a coalition government with them. Not Enoch Powell’s party!
EldnahYm says

October 21, 2020 at 1:52 pm

I could name older American presidents/presidential administrations who were also corrupt(Ulysses Grant’s administration is a famous example). I would not claim that older America never had corrupt Presidents(I take it for granted that most politicians are scum). I do claim however that the corruption is more out in the open, and that more people simply do not care about it anymore. Tony Blair is a boldfaced liar, but he was not so openly decadent as Bill Clinton was. Not even close. Tony Blair was like a sneakier, softer version of JFK minus the family mafia connection(!). Many British working class were taken in by him. (working class politics in the U.K. is a can of worms I don’t want to open anyhow, since the situation is rather different to the U.S.’)

I won’t run through the history of Chicago politics because it’s boring, but I wouldn’t be going out on a limb to suggest certain ethnicities were primarily responsible.

Whether people like hearing it or not, the racial minority vote has always been small until recent years. If you want to explain how creatures like Kennedy or Clinton became elected(or were even electable in the first place), the primary culprits are white Ellis Islanders. These are the people who voted for these creatures. The idea of a respectable, “politically correct,” educated class of “WASPs” voting for individuals like this is a recent phenomenon. In the past, this left-wing upper class WASP vote would have been a tiny minority.
songbird says

October 21, 2020 at 2:13 pm

I’ve wondered if there might be some trick to picking the terrain. Like, I don’t know, maybe it is worse to set your tent up in meadow, if you’re expecting fog at night.

During one really wet night, I got up and by the moonlight saw all these really impressive eddies of mist, many vaguely shaped like ghosts. Very cinematic, would have been good in a horror movie, or an adaptation of Rob Roy.
songbird says

October 21, 2020 at 2:25 pm

Water-damaged? Surely, he spilled booze on it.
EldnahYm says

October 21, 2020 at 3:50 pm

Kamala Harris is a real novelty in American history. We’ve never had a whore vice president. It used to be the case that sleeping your way to the top was seen as a bad thing. But no one seems to care much nowadays. Establishment conservatives are too cowardly to even suggest Willie Brown’s mistress is unfit for vice president. I can’t blame Ellis Islanders for this one. Harris is a newer type of swamp creature.
Corvinus says

October 21, 2020 at 6:34 pm

“Yes, of course. We wear the medically unnecessary masks…”

Actually, health experts say the evidence is clear that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 compared to not wearing masks, and that the more people wearing masks reduces the likelihood of transmission.

“But a fair number of smaller businesses in parts of the usa (though not a majority by any means) do not much enforce the mask and distancing “mandates”…”

Right, and that is why a number of places in our great land have seen a rapid increase in Covid 19 cases.

“especially if they know the customers in the store at the moment and nobody hysterically objects, as indeed they should not.”

Actually, one ought to object, and it is not hysterical to. Now, I thought white people had higher time preferences and more of a willingness to adhere to rules, even if they disagree with those rules.

“The supposed covid-19 death statistics are badly and deliberately exaggerated, as these doctors explain http://Www.sprs.org”

The site cannot be reached.

People have been counted as deaths caused by this virus when they were never even tested for it.

“Doctors have admitted being pressured and incentivized to ascribe deaths to the virus dishonestly or misleadingly in order to obtain additional funding for their facilities”.

In some cases, absolutely.

“and the age profile of the deaths does not suggest a particularly great danger to people who are not elderly or already in very poor health.”

It’s not necessarily about deaths, it’s more about transmission and who is spreading it faster.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6939e4.htm

“and regain your usual rational and evidence-based approach to issues.”

The reality is that the medical and scientific community has employed that approach to Covid-19, and you choose to not believe them, at the peril of your fellow whites. How selfish!
another anon says

October 21, 2020 at 9:36 pm

October is coming to end, it is time for real October surprise.

Back in 2016 it was Pizzagate, what it will be now?

Is this lame thing supposed to be bigger than Biden’s laptop?

https://twitter.com/NPR/status/1319071378415431681

Or will it be some complete wild card, like hurricane hitting New York? 🙂

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Epsilon