On writers, writing and the collapse of Western Civilization

The drowning of history and humanity for the sake of endless wars and barbarous capitalism

When the oars are out of the water nobody goes anywhere and the boat is swamped. Socialism is an ideology but it is also the linchpin holding societies together. We are by definition social beings and our societies have been hijacked by war mongering psychopaths and greedy oligarchs

Canada holds beauty, but it harbours moral rot just as much as the neighbour it claims to rise above. Myth-making can’t save us. If we want to hold onto our sovereignty in this moment, maybe it’s time we stop lying like them – to others, and most of all, to ourselves.— From the Guardian, by Noel Ransome, a Toronto-based freelance writer.

My latter years have allowed me the time and opportunity to indulge my interest in history and the quest to better understand the world we live in. The quest is perpetual as the more we know the more there is to understand. For me it is working the grand jigsaw puzzle where there are new pieces constantly demanding to be fitted in. These are very tough times for history and its truths as the barbarians are within the gates determined to slander it out of existence.

My reading of history tells me some very harsh truths, and how we are so determined to ignore them. It also tells me of the alchemy turning of real “gold” into fool’s gold as the Philistines have been so busy chasing obscene wealth. The fool’s and their gold rule the roost as they devour themselves and inflict sociocide on everybody else. They are the Mad Hatters gone totally bonkers in their commidified sociopathic pursuits.

Writing in these times becomes an essential survival skill and an anger management program. We are faced with getting out the guns or sitting at the keyboard. The keyboard is a way of counting to ten and getting to know ourselves and others better. It is an attempt at rationality in a world gone mad. It is a symbolic slaying of the Mad Hatters who should be in strait jackets. Writing is revenge through careful contemplation where better ideas are more likely to occur. Writing is solidarity with one’s own soul and hopefully, effectively reaching out to others.

The purist gold for me is to come across a book, a writer, scholar, or historic reference that provides greater understanding and insight of our times. For what has become so obvious is that we do not understand, when ultimately understanding and adapting are the most fundamental survival skills, as we shun and marginalize the wisdom of wise men, women and shamans.

While the prestitutes fill our ears with banal lies and endless propaganda the true prophets struggle to be heard while the false prophets destroy us. Everything sacred becomes profane. Everything just is crushed and criminalized for the greater glory of fetid Yahoos building their houses of straw.

It is a dimwitted civilization that sets its foundations in the quick sand of wars, racism, class warfare, and the pathos of blaming foreign powers for its own abject failures. After all the pheasants and cordon bleu a diet of eating crow is bleak. Scapegoating is the game of children and verbally incontinent old goat-senators. Empires are birthed in arrogant greed. Contaminated with the virus of human folly, they die their pathetic death.

But my good friends, there is hope. For I have just come across an article by Noel Ransome, as quoted above. The title of the article is: Canada has long been seen as the cool cousin next door. Here’s the truth. His article challenges us at a time we need to be challenged. The next few years will take full measure of who we are and for what we stand : “times are spooky for the average Canadian forced to define and defend Canada’s sovereignty.”

“All that to say: times are spooky for the average Canadian forced to define and defend Canada’s sovereignty. Spooky in ways that can cause one to reflexively feed into a myth, rather than confront the truth of who we are. The gap between our negotiated past and our branded present has never been more plain. Our current leaders are no exception.”— Noel Ransome

Sixty five years ago George Grant wrote his book Lament for a nation, He predicted this day would come where we have to face the choice between formal union, continue as a floundering colony or make the “thrust of intention” essential to true nationhood. In other words, Ransome poses the same question,”are we going to reflexively feed into the myth rather than confront the truth of who we are…” . Grant’s “thrust of intention,” is now defined, as, “The gap between our negotiated past and our branded present has never been more plain.”

Five years before Grant wrote his book eminent Canadian journalist James M. Minifie wrote his book Peacemaker or Powder Monkey. History has since told us we flirted with the idea of being a peacemaker, and then reverted to being the empire’s powder monkey for its forever wars. As Minifie noted in his book:

“In the preservation of independence there is no alternative to vigilance. Independence is indivisible. You cannot have it intact here and in tatters there. It is as absolute as pregnancy. If a nation is not independent it is dependent, and other appellations fit equally well—satellite, fellow traveller or even lackey, as Churchill once called Mussolini.”

Social connection is the heart of functioning societies, yet socialism as an ideology has been systematically dismantled by war-mongers, fascists, and empire builders. When societies become fragmented, people are disenfranchised, alienated, and fearful. Tribalism takes root and internecine conflicts become the norm. Without strong social bonds, collective well-being erodes, threatening the stability and survival of communities.Tyrants must fracture societies to empower themselves.

“Carney is no antidote – just a bandage. Cutting ministries for gender equality and disability rights isn’t healing; it’s harm. His economic nationalism is safer than the far-right’s bluster, but it’s closer to US centrism than a remedy”— Noel Ransome

As Ransome states above Carney is no antidote- just a bandage . As Carney is just a bandage,Trump is the Republic’s ball and chain being dragged under by his hopeless attempts to resurrect the failed empire. Both are leading countries that face huge challenges after decades of political sloth and corruption that are not going be reconciled any time soon.

Reconciliation will be years in the making. It can only start when there is a new equilibrium. This will only happen when Washington quits using Russia and China as its scapegoats, repudiates its imperialist ambitions, and serial wars. Until this happens the oars will be out of the water and the crisis only deepens and becomes more intractable.

As I read Ransome’s article it was so Canadian that his article was published by the Guardian… was it too hot to print in one of Canada’s daily papers as subsidized by the federal government?

Next week Mr. Carney goes to Washington. It will be very interesting to see what comes from his meeting with the school boy dictator. Each leader is in crisis management mode.

Trump is trying to save a failed empire when he should be focused on saving the American Republic. He is vainly trying to be emperor of the world when his actual role is President of the Republic.

Carney is the “bandage” voters slapped on a waning colonial dependency, that is deeply embedded and the integration so complete there may be no alternative. To give up independence in favor of a slap-dash colonialism, comes, over time a one way street.

Grant and Minifie are writers from the past. Ransome is from the present, and all have important messages for Canadians. Too much in our times is left unsaid and unwritten as empires collapse. Writers continue to write and politicians are Minifie’s powder monkeys.

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