You might think, while reading Henry VI Part 2, that Shakespeare was writing about recent events, the writer merely masking them in archaic historical dress. Okay, even if you have read some of the Bard’s plays, the three Henry VI plays probably aren’t among the ones you read in university
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Writings of J. Todd Ring: The Collapse Of The West: Chapter One: The Global Tectonic Shift
By J. Todd Ring Preface: I wrote this essay in January of 2020, then the covid crisis hit, and it was shelved for over a year. The macro-scale patterns have not changed fundamentally since then, although the slow-motion collapse of the US, and the West more broadly, has accelerated. I
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: They Want It All
“You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy.” So says Davos founder and oligarch-in-chief, what’s his name….Vlad the Impaler? No, wait…Klaus Schwabb. In any event, you’ll own nothing, while the billionaires own everything – including the governments, the economy, the media, the communications systems, all the major resources, and all the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Nightmare Almost Too Horrible to Imagine
Could Donald Trump stage a constitutional coup and derail what remains of America’s democracy? That’s an idea that’s been floated from time to time by many in informal discussions – an idea, just a random thought, a remote possibility, but still… That discussion has moved up a notch with Yale
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Against Tyranny – Timothy Snyder
Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so. Here are 20 lessons from across the fearful 20th century, adapted to the circumstances of
Continue readingThings Are Good: Effective Nonviolent Resistance Against Tyranny
Using violence to fight violence isn’t the best approach, instead nonviolent resistance can be used effectively (and less ironically). In this TED talk Jamila Raqib explores what are the best forms of resistance to oppressive entities through nonviolence and how to think about nonviolent resistance. She uses her life experience
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: What is happening in Venezuela? It’s certainly not what the mainstream media is telling you
“Much of the reporting by the mass media gives the impression that Venezuela faces a national rebellion. The reality, says Miguel Tinker Salas, is that the protests have been restricted to mostly middle and upper middle class neighborhoods, not entire cities.” – Truthout, What is happening in Venezuela?(Many, many
Continue readingPop The Stack: Tyranny of the Majority
Ok, some somebody doesn’t know what Tyranny means or actually, what democracy means. That somebody today is Scott Armstrong. Here’s the quote from the Globe and Mail article regarding this week’s committee about obtaining government estimates of spending: Fellow Tory Scott Armstrong suggested opposition parties are abusing their dominant position in
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