It has been over a month since I wrote about the death of Charlie Kirk, and I’ve been able to think more about what that event really did in the big picture. I compared him to other figures, including those here in the Philippines, and thought of what it all really meant in the grand scheme of things. It was both significant and irrelevant at the same time. It should’ve been more obvious from the start that just like many popular social commentators, all he peddled was slop. (more…)
As a lot of people like to say these days, ‘free speech’ does not mean ‘free from consequences’. However, I don’t think getting killed should be one of those consequences. While I’m of the opinion that these people who like to challenge their detractors to debates are doing it more as a performance and less as serious discourse, there’s no just reason for Charlie Kirk and his family to have suffered the fate that he did. (more…)
This is not something I usually write about, but I’ve been reading a particular set of books that had me thinking about what may happen in the future. Being able to project what may happen in 5 to 10 years can be useful in planning ahead for one’s life. Whether you care about politics or not, it’s worth looking into models that can help make that process more comprehensible and perhaps even more precise. After all, it’s still worth a few brain cells to have some awareness of current events — thinking you’re not affected by them is foolish at best. (more…)
With everything happening around the world as of 2025 — especially in society, politics, and economics — we may ask ourselves every so often how all of this ended up this way. Whether you now doubt the power of democracy or knew all along what it entailed in a society with lowering education quality, increasing cost of living, and worsening partisanship, you must be wary of the mass manipulation that sways our judgment through mass media and the Internet. Whether it’s traditional media or social media, all of them try to tell you what to think and believe — on who to believe in and who to hate. Perhaps the way is not to look for what to believe, but think for oneself and come to that conclusion on your own. However, they don’t want that. (more…)
In 1984, filmmaker G. Edward Griffin interviewed former Soviet journalist and KGB agent Yuri Bezmenov in a video that would be titled Soviet Subversion of the Free World Press. Bezmenov laid down the four stages of ideological subversion — how the KGB planned to gradually subvert the political system of the United States. The Cold War was still very much on, the Chernobyl disaster was still a couple of years away, and the world didn’t know yet that the Soviet Union would collapse seven years later. But even almost forty years after the interview, his message continues to intrigue everyone interested in the mechanisms of power. (more…)
While rewatching a MandaloreGaming video on Tyranny, a role-playing game on being a bad guy in a fantasy Iron Age world, he mentioned a concept in political science called the Faces of Power, also known as the Dimensions of Power. It’s an academic theory put forth by Steven Lukes, a British political and social theorist currently based in New York University, which looks into how it is to rule over other people’s lives and influence their actions — something that politicians also do in this day and age in the real world. (more…)
After getting word of videos about Eric Weinstein’s interpretation of kayfabe on Twitter, I found Frame Problems after a brief search and gave these three videos a watch. I found them interesting as they stretched the application of kayfabe to politics, economics, and mainstream media as far as they possibly can. I had always been interested in Eric Weinstein’s opinion of kayfabe being a crucial component of the cognitive toolbox. As a part of the pro wrestling industry, I wanted to take a closer look at this take on kayfabe and how understanding it can enhance how one interprets mainstream media and public consciousness. (more…)
Recent events, including the pandemic and the presidential election, had me thinking about the insufficiencies of government, people’s unwillingness to cooperate, and all the obstacles in enforcing law during national and global crises. As this trend continues, I’m seeing the rise of our machine overlords. As artificial intelligence improves, the world will likely be predominantly ruled by AI by the 22nd century. I wish for things to speed up so we get to our destination sooner, but these things take time. I’ll regret not being able to live long enough to see that. (more…)
While watching a YouTube video on South Africa, discussing how it’s on the cusp of a civil war due to its geography and demographics throughout history, I looked at the YouTube comments and related Reddit thread. I saw how the South African viewers didn’t like how the video avoided the elephant in the room, which was corruption. I then saw that it’s the common theme in the comments of that video series in that channel. While many countries seem to have all the geographical and historical odds stacked against them, what really holds them back is persistent corruption in their governments and societies. (more…)
