“People who feel little or no control over their lives are more likely to engage in conspiracy thinking. Stress and anxiety are also contributing factors.”
You hit it right on the head there Pen. People without agency are deeply attracted to the idea of having it. They will glom on to an idea in order to feel community with somebody. They will then defend it to the death. It is their badge of entry into an accepting group.
Prevention is so much cheaper and less time-consuming than reprogramming. At its root, this is a “happy family” issue. Children from high stress homes, abusive homes, many single parent homes etc are carrying their own trauma plus their parents.
So much is necessary to restore a society to a general sense of normalcy. The place to start is with new parents. There should be mandatory courses in parenting that give new parents-to-be baseline knowledge on child development. There should be huge amounts of public support for families. A universal income would reduce stress.
Until this demonic cycle is broken, there needs to be a huge focus on helping people and their progeny. That is one reason why the abortion “debate” is such a total waste. It’s beside the point.
Agreed on all points. Not sure how parenting courses could be made mandatory - but it's a solid idea. Too many babies are born to young people who have no idea how to raise healthy kids.
I always come back to the ridiculousness of requiring certification for driving, massaging, doing someone's nails, or cutting hair. Yet anyone can parent because 'god-given' rights? We live in a dystopian culture.
Uh, teaching someone to drive can be hazardous. You want those lessons given by people who know what they are doing. Massaging - the same, you need to know the anatomy of the human body, otherwise you can cause costly damage. Hair-dressers nowadays do more than cut hair, they also dye etc. And do you have any idea about the damage nail-technicians can cause ?
That said, how complicated and expensive is getting the license. If it is another example of back-logged, overly complicated, lengthy-forms-loving bureaucracy, that is the problem. Not making sure services are offered by people competent in their field, to protect consumers/customers.
And yes, anyone can start a family. There is no license required for parenting. That is why good education is so important. Not just the three R's, but also skills & knowledge needed for life in an ever more complicated society.
High school courses are one idea. I taught Parenting for four years back in the day. I think improvement would take a generation or so, but the concept of the importance of family, if made a significant public is sue, would take hold. They’re not completely similar , but anti-smoking campaigns and MADD have had a long term effect. No reason why the same couldn’t happen with parenting.
Financial resources going to single mothers or fathers could work in several ways. Hire people to give exhausted parents a little relief, maybe 2-4 hours a week during which they could catch up on sleep, collect their thoughts, visit somebody. It is exhausting and often dispiriting to raise a child alone. “How-to” drop ins where parents could learn how to soothe a baby, recognize simple illnesses, deal with conflict. Those could be free and take little time.
The goal is to have parents confident and at peace with themselves. Then there will be far more bonding and far less alienation.
This would cost money of course, but the savings at the other end would far outweigh this cost. Look what it costs to incarcerate young people. That is a national disgrace. Invest in family life. Support it in every way possible. Over time families will be closer, children will grow up with far more self-esteem and they will cease to be fodder for those who troll their way through life. Conspiracy theories will have far fewer takers.
But not for a ~decade. Common sense is not common until the results are blindingly obvious. But I agree with the thrust of your comment completely with a single caveat - you need two states, one red, one blue.
This is one of the most wonderful, practical and positive comments I have ever read. It's brilliant and it's common sense. It's about being a real community. It's about bringing support while teaching.
May I steal this and use it in possible future posts or comments? Happy to credit you when I do.
Thank you Bill for your generous comment. I wrote most of it off the top of my head and apologize if it feels disorganized. Part of my concentration was on a word I just could not bring to mind. It was a term to describe a situation where a competent person comes in to relieve a mother (usually) at the end of her tether - a situation where incidents of child abuse are very high. Today I have the word 😄. It is called “respite care”. Colleges could easily set up a program to teach respite care. Maybe two years in length. The respite care specialist would have ti be thoroughly versed in children’s developmental stages, in techniques to restore a child to a peaceful state - one of the most common being simple distraction. And the respite care worker would have to be trained in working with mothers, teaching them without inducing shame.
Your country has lost its collective mind on abortion, so I expect there will be an ungodly and unnecessary number of teenage mothers in the next few years. Those mothers will be, in many cases, children themselves with brains that are not fully formed. The need for respite care will be very high. Perhaps your pro-life crowd could be pushed - hard - to develop programs of all sorts to help young mothers. Perhaps they could fund raise in a big, splashy way to make postnatal care of the family unit secure and successful. After all, these people do not advertise themselves as pro fetus.
Of course there are social service agencies in every county, so many of the changes would have to be routed through them or done in consultation.
There is also a disgraceful rate of infant mortality in America. Perhaps a “Big Sister” program could be set up and young girls who get pregnant be matched with one.
The root of problems in the Global South is endemic poverty. I would suspect that in many of these countries an objective study might find that family life is more successful there - in matters of the heart.
The more I study and write on Substack on the precipitous decline in the United States (conspiracy theorists being only a tiny part of it!), the more I am coming to the conclusion that Americans are failing their children in such large numbers as to cause a seismic fault to open and a myriad of other problems to emerge. Drug abuse, loneliness, criminal activity, mental health challenges - can be traced back in so many cases to a person coming from a dysfunctional family and the state not being bold enough or creative enough to leap on this problem. Country A has 10-15% dysfunctional families. The ethos of that society still leans in favor of children becoming more successful and self-fulfilled adults. But if Country B has 30-40% broken families there is a gradual but unstoppable drift towards, for lack of a better phrase, semi-controlled chaos.
At some point America’s numbers shifted and now the country is in dire peril as an entity.
Again not so well-organized and probably lots left out. But it’s early here on the Left Coast. 😄
You are welcome to use this in any way you choose. I am delighted my words have struck a chord. My life centered around kids - teaching, parent of 5 ( actually a disciple of my wife :), and now a grandfather of 7. So when kids hurt, I hurt. When they laugh I laugh.
1. Are you Canadian ? Because you describe the USA as "your country".
2. If you state statistics in "Country A has" and "Country B has" that tells me nothing if you do not ID the countries. I like have a further look into given information.
3. I wonder if another layer of "helpers" and "do-gooders" - often leading to added bureaucracy - is an answer. The people involved know what their issues are and what they need. For some it could very well be that they need what you describe.
E.g. children from broken families, abusive parents, etc. often end up in "the system". They are kicked out when they turn 18 - still children. It would already be a valuable improvement if children received gov. help until they turn 25.
4. I agree with you that the current anti-abortion sentiment will result in (too) many situations where a child pays the price.
5. It is in many cases the mother's new boyfriend who, having no connection to the baby/child abuses it, often not because he is a bad person, but out of desperation.
6. Much would be won it we had more, better, affordable, child care.
7. People at the bottom off he food-chain often usually not earn enough, forcing them to work two jobs.
I believe you wrote this to me Antoinette. So I shall reply.
1.
Yes, I am Canadian.
2.
The statistics I used were illustrative only. The point I was making, perhaps unsuccessfully, was that there is a tipping point in many cycles of human behavior. When a smaller group of people act in a certain way, a country will not be affected profoundly. The fever only travels so far. At some point though a tipping point is reached and the behavior or cultural pattern is normalized, perhaps even blessed. It takes time for a country in which this has happened to recognize it, realize the peril and address it thoughtfully and successfully.
3.
Not exactly sure where to step in with Point 3. The working population of America has changed drastically in terms of function in the last 40 years (to the detriment of boys). So has the education system. My idea would be to add to that shift in ways that meet human needs. If America needed vastly fewer prison personnel because it decided it was morally a disgrace to have 5% of the world’s population and 25% of those incarcerated worldwide, then there would be over time a ripple of work deployment. Fewer prison guards by far and more people who aided people who are young parents. By the way, I like your idea of help until 25.
4. We see the same frightening outcome to Dobbs and all the malicious state actors in this vexing topic.
5.
True. But I’d like to see the statistics. I might still put my money on mothers alone 24/7 with crying babies ultimately losing control.
I’m reminded here of an amazing book on generational trauma. If interested take a look at “The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Maté.
6.
A hugely important point.
7.
I agrée with this as well. Late stage unfettered capitalism and its evil spawn, wealth inequality, are a collective blood sucker on the body politic.
Both. I'm Canadian by birth, American by naturalization. I agree with the second part of point 3. Regarding the first part of that point, to my knowledge, the billionaire class isn't voluntarily going to raise the whole of the human condition to a higher standard of living. The "system" is the best option we have, despite all the shortcomings, of which there are many.
Point 5, yes, and that trauma is often inter-generational. Breaking cycles of abuse and poverty is incredibly tough without external resources and help. Points 6 & 7 - universal health care, universal basic income, universal social safety nets to help those who need additional resources. All of that would be simple if it wasn't for the billionaire class and the corrupt politicians who exist off tribalism and fear.
My current essay in progress is about mental heuristics and cognitive "blind spots" that allow human tribes to harm other human tribes while irrationally justifying why that's just fine. Specifically, I'm discussing the idea of manifest destiny. Thanks for reading Mark.
I had to look up "mental heuristics" and it certainly seems to be a relevant topic. I've often thought it seems so unnatural for people to kill each other, but I guess that's what dehumanizing is all about.
Your sources are predictable. The USA Today and the CFR? I once read the USA Today, it was delivered to my hotels and available for free. CNN was available at the airports. I will never look at either again. They are propaganda, MK Ultra style mind control outlets. Naturally you can rebut all my claims. The Jewish controlled media always rebuts truth that is inconvenient for Jews. Jews own the media, they own Hollywood, and they occupy many positions of power. But considering those in power likely hold the Talmud as their holy book, they have no moral reason not to lie to gentiles do they?
This is where the goyim get it wrong. They expect the Jews to live by the same moral code that non-Jews live by. They can't conceive that Jews would lie, cheat and steal from them so easily. But, goyim haven't read the Talmud. If they did, they would kick Jews out just like so many have done in the past.
I hope you climb out of your cognitive errors some day. The only global conspiracy I care about is wealth inequality. Your anti-Semitism is unpalatable. I don't know why you are so biased against Jews, but its a fake problem. There is not any credible evidence that Jews have a secret cabal controlling the flow of global information.
This obsession is a distraction. There are millions of moral codes to choose from. It's not a binary Jewish code versus Gentile code.
Idi Amin was a despot and a cannibal. One of the most brutal murderers in modern times. The fact that you cited him talking about Jews shows what you value, and it's gross. Jews are not the problem. People like you are. Stumbling blind through the world because you allowed your brain to be poisoned.
I don't wish to give my audience exposure to the vitriol you spew. Find somewhere else to soapbox. Seek mental health counseling. The holocaust happened because people like you will buy any sort of hate narrative to feel better about yourself.
What a load of horse-shit. Now I know what is behind your reply to my comment; you said Dr. Shiva is a con-man cult leader. He is anti-Zionist, that is obviously good enough for you to not like him and give him a label.
Most things labeled "conspiracy theories" have foundations in truth. And there are truths regarding these "conspiracy theories" that some want hidden. That is why the term "conspiracy theory" was invented by the CIA. To label something a "conspiracy theory" is a way to stifle conversation about a topic. If something is labeled a "conspiracy theory," there is no need for the ignorant to investigate further. Someone of "authority" has already told them what to think. I have seen it work in practice.
Take 9 eleven for instance. A critical thinker knows "perfectly symmetrical collapse cannot be caused by asymmetrical damage." And then there is building seven. Reported collapsed in the UK before it even fell. Am I a conspiracy theorist for investigating 9 eleven?
If something is labeled a "conspiracy theory," you can bet someone in "authority" does not want it investigated.
Take the Holocaust for example. The revisionists might be labeled conspiracy theorists. But, when one looks into the issue, he will find that there is zero forensic evidence for the Holocaust narrative. Many books have been written on the topic. Some by so-called Holocaust survivors. But how can the narrative be true if there is no supporting forensic evidence? Do the Holocaust movies make it true? Do the Holocaust museums make it true? Or do they create a belief system? Who benefits from this?
If the Holocaust was a real event as it has been reported, why is it illegal in 19 countries to simply question it? Is it because of the billions of dollars in reparations being paid to the so-called Holocaust survivors? If the Holocaust is not true, should those monies be paid back?
Truth does not fear investigation.
If something is declared a "conspiracy theory," you can bet there is truth someone wants hidden.
“People who feel little or no control over their lives are more likely to engage in conspiracy thinking. Stress and anxiety are also contributing factors.”
You hit it right on the head there Pen. People without agency are deeply attracted to the idea of having it. They will glom on to an idea in order to feel community with somebody. They will then defend it to the death. It is their badge of entry into an accepting group.
Prevention is so much cheaper and less time-consuming than reprogramming. At its root, this is a “happy family” issue. Children from high stress homes, abusive homes, many single parent homes etc are carrying their own trauma plus their parents.
So much is necessary to restore a society to a general sense of normalcy. The place to start is with new parents. There should be mandatory courses in parenting that give new parents-to-be baseline knowledge on child development. There should be huge amounts of public support for families. A universal income would reduce stress.
Until this demonic cycle is broken, there needs to be a huge focus on helping people and their progeny. That is one reason why the abortion “debate” is such a total waste. It’s beside the point.
Agreed on all points. Not sure how parenting courses could be made mandatory - but it's a solid idea. Too many babies are born to young people who have no idea how to raise healthy kids.
I always come back to the ridiculousness of requiring certification for driving, massaging, doing someone's nails, or cutting hair. Yet anyone can parent because 'god-given' rights? We live in a dystopian culture.
Uh, teaching someone to drive can be hazardous. You want those lessons given by people who know what they are doing. Massaging - the same, you need to know the anatomy of the human body, otherwise you can cause costly damage. Hair-dressers nowadays do more than cut hair, they also dye etc. And do you have any idea about the damage nail-technicians can cause ?
That said, how complicated and expensive is getting the license. If it is another example of back-logged, overly complicated, lengthy-forms-loving bureaucracy, that is the problem. Not making sure services are offered by people competent in their field, to protect consumers/customers.
And yes, anyone can start a family. There is no license required for parenting. That is why good education is so important. Not just the three R's, but also skills & knowledge needed for life in an ever more complicated society.
High school courses are one idea. I taught Parenting for four years back in the day. I think improvement would take a generation or so, but the concept of the importance of family, if made a significant public is sue, would take hold. They’re not completely similar , but anti-smoking campaigns and MADD have had a long term effect. No reason why the same couldn’t happen with parenting.
Financial resources going to single mothers or fathers could work in several ways. Hire people to give exhausted parents a little relief, maybe 2-4 hours a week during which they could catch up on sleep, collect their thoughts, visit somebody. It is exhausting and often dispiriting to raise a child alone. “How-to” drop ins where parents could learn how to soothe a baby, recognize simple illnesses, deal with conflict. Those could be free and take little time.
The goal is to have parents confident and at peace with themselves. Then there will be far more bonding and far less alienation.
This would cost money of course, but the savings at the other end would far outweigh this cost. Look what it costs to incarcerate young people. That is a national disgrace. Invest in family life. Support it in every way possible. Over time families will be closer, children will grow up with far more self-esteem and they will cease to be fodder for those who troll their way through life. Conspiracy theories will have far fewer takers.
If you could get one state to legislate these ideas, they would catch on.
But not for a ~decade. Common sense is not common until the results are blindingly obvious. But I agree with the thrust of your comment completely with a single caveat - you need two states, one red, one blue.
Eric,
This is one of the most wonderful, practical and positive comments I have ever read. It's brilliant and it's common sense. It's about being a real community. It's about bringing support while teaching.
May I steal this and use it in possible future posts or comments? Happy to credit you when I do.
Thank you Bill for your generous comment. I wrote most of it off the top of my head and apologize if it feels disorganized. Part of my concentration was on a word I just could not bring to mind. It was a term to describe a situation where a competent person comes in to relieve a mother (usually) at the end of her tether - a situation where incidents of child abuse are very high. Today I have the word 😄. It is called “respite care”. Colleges could easily set up a program to teach respite care. Maybe two years in length. The respite care specialist would have ti be thoroughly versed in children’s developmental stages, in techniques to restore a child to a peaceful state - one of the most common being simple distraction. And the respite care worker would have to be trained in working with mothers, teaching them without inducing shame.
Your country has lost its collective mind on abortion, so I expect there will be an ungodly and unnecessary number of teenage mothers in the next few years. Those mothers will be, in many cases, children themselves with brains that are not fully formed. The need for respite care will be very high. Perhaps your pro-life crowd could be pushed - hard - to develop programs of all sorts to help young mothers. Perhaps they could fund raise in a big, splashy way to make postnatal care of the family unit secure and successful. After all, these people do not advertise themselves as pro fetus.
Of course there are social service agencies in every county, so many of the changes would have to be routed through them or done in consultation.
There is also a disgraceful rate of infant mortality in America. Perhaps a “Big Sister” program could be set up and young girls who get pregnant be matched with one.
The root of problems in the Global South is endemic poverty. I would suspect that in many of these countries an objective study might find that family life is more successful there - in matters of the heart.
The more I study and write on Substack on the precipitous decline in the United States (conspiracy theorists being only a tiny part of it!), the more I am coming to the conclusion that Americans are failing their children in such large numbers as to cause a seismic fault to open and a myriad of other problems to emerge. Drug abuse, loneliness, criminal activity, mental health challenges - can be traced back in so many cases to a person coming from a dysfunctional family and the state not being bold enough or creative enough to leap on this problem. Country A has 10-15% dysfunctional families. The ethos of that society still leans in favor of children becoming more successful and self-fulfilled adults. But if Country B has 30-40% broken families there is a gradual but unstoppable drift towards, for lack of a better phrase, semi-controlled chaos.
At some point America’s numbers shifted and now the country is in dire peril as an entity.
Again not so well-organized and probably lots left out. But it’s early here on the Left Coast. 😄
You are welcome to use this in any way you choose. I am delighted my words have struck a chord. My life centered around kids - teaching, parent of 5 ( actually a disciple of my wife :), and now a grandfather of 7. So when kids hurt, I hurt. When they laugh I laugh.
1. Are you Canadian ? Because you describe the USA as "your country".
2. If you state statistics in "Country A has" and "Country B has" that tells me nothing if you do not ID the countries. I like have a further look into given information.
3. I wonder if another layer of "helpers" and "do-gooders" - often leading to added bureaucracy - is an answer. The people involved know what their issues are and what they need. For some it could very well be that they need what you describe.
E.g. children from broken families, abusive parents, etc. often end up in "the system". They are kicked out when they turn 18 - still children. It would already be a valuable improvement if children received gov. help until they turn 25.
4. I agree with you that the current anti-abortion sentiment will result in (too) many situations where a child pays the price.
5. It is in many cases the mother's new boyfriend who, having no connection to the baby/child abuses it, often not because he is a bad person, but out of desperation.
6. Much would be won it we had more, better, affordable, child care.
7. People at the bottom off he food-chain often usually not earn enough, forcing them to work two jobs.
I believe you wrote this to me Antoinette. So I shall reply.
1.
Yes, I am Canadian.
2.
The statistics I used were illustrative only. The point I was making, perhaps unsuccessfully, was that there is a tipping point in many cycles of human behavior. When a smaller group of people act in a certain way, a country will not be affected profoundly. The fever only travels so far. At some point though a tipping point is reached and the behavior or cultural pattern is normalized, perhaps even blessed. It takes time for a country in which this has happened to recognize it, realize the peril and address it thoughtfully and successfully.
3.
Not exactly sure where to step in with Point 3. The working population of America has changed drastically in terms of function in the last 40 years (to the detriment of boys). So has the education system. My idea would be to add to that shift in ways that meet human needs. If America needed vastly fewer prison personnel because it decided it was morally a disgrace to have 5% of the world’s population and 25% of those incarcerated worldwide, then there would be over time a ripple of work deployment. Fewer prison guards by far and more people who aided people who are young parents. By the way, I like your idea of help until 25.
4. We see the same frightening outcome to Dobbs and all the malicious state actors in this vexing topic.
5.
True. But I’d like to see the statistics. I might still put my money on mothers alone 24/7 with crying babies ultimately losing control.
I’m reminded here of an amazing book on generational trauma. If interested take a look at “The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Maté.
6.
A hugely important point.
7.
I agrée with this as well. Late stage unfettered capitalism and its evil spawn, wealth inequality, are a collective blood sucker on the body politic.
Both. I'm Canadian by birth, American by naturalization. I agree with the second part of point 3. Regarding the first part of that point, to my knowledge, the billionaire class isn't voluntarily going to raise the whole of the human condition to a higher standard of living. The "system" is the best option we have, despite all the shortcomings, of which there are many.
Point 5, yes, and that trauma is often inter-generational. Breaking cycles of abuse and poverty is incredibly tough without external resources and help. Points 6 & 7 - universal health care, universal basic income, universal social safety nets to help those who need additional resources. All of that would be simple if it wasn't for the billionaire class and the corrupt politicians who exist off tribalism and fear.
Your comments about the Dunning-Kruger effect really resonated with me as a physician assistant. Patients don't know what they don't know.
My current essay in progress is about mental heuristics and cognitive "blind spots" that allow human tribes to harm other human tribes while irrationally justifying why that's just fine. Specifically, I'm discussing the idea of manifest destiny. Thanks for reading Mark.
I had to look up "mental heuristics" and it certainly seems to be a relevant topic. I've often thought it seems so unnatural for people to kill each other, but I guess that's what dehumanizing is all about.
Your sources are predictable. The USA Today and the CFR? I once read the USA Today, it was delivered to my hotels and available for free. CNN was available at the airports. I will never look at either again. They are propaganda, MK Ultra style mind control outlets. Naturally you can rebut all my claims. The Jewish controlled media always rebuts truth that is inconvenient for Jews. Jews own the media, they own Hollywood, and they occupy many positions of power. But considering those in power likely hold the Talmud as their holy book, they have no moral reason not to lie to gentiles do they?
This is where the goyim get it wrong. They expect the Jews to live by the same moral code that non-Jews live by. They can't conceive that Jews would lie, cheat and steal from them so easily. But, goyim haven't read the Talmud. If they did, they would kick Jews out just like so many have done in the past.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/DcwtLxMAKGup/
I hope you climb out of your cognitive errors some day. The only global conspiracy I care about is wealth inequality. Your anti-Semitism is unpalatable. I don't know why you are so biased against Jews, but its a fake problem. There is not any credible evidence that Jews have a secret cabal controlling the flow of global information.
This obsession is a distraction. There are millions of moral codes to choose from. It's not a binary Jewish code versus Gentile code.
Idi Amin was a despot and a cannibal. One of the most brutal murderers in modern times. The fact that you cited him talking about Jews shows what you value, and it's gross. Jews are not the problem. People like you are. Stumbling blind through the world because you allowed your brain to be poisoned.
I don't wish to give my audience exposure to the vitriol you spew. Find somewhere else to soapbox. Seek mental health counseling. The holocaust happened because people like you will buy any sort of hate narrative to feel better about yourself.
Go away and peddle your garbage to someone receptive.
What a load of horse-shit. Now I know what is behind your reply to my comment; you said Dr. Shiva is a con-man cult leader. He is anti-Zionist, that is obviously good enough for you to not like him and give him a label.
Most things labeled "conspiracy theories" have foundations in truth. And there are truths regarding these "conspiracy theories" that some want hidden. That is why the term "conspiracy theory" was invented by the CIA. To label something a "conspiracy theory" is a way to stifle conversation about a topic. If something is labeled a "conspiracy theory," there is no need for the ignorant to investigate further. Someone of "authority" has already told them what to think. I have seen it work in practice.
Take 9 eleven for instance. A critical thinker knows "perfectly symmetrical collapse cannot be caused by asymmetrical damage." And then there is building seven. Reported collapsed in the UK before it even fell. Am I a conspiracy theorist for investigating 9 eleven?
If something is labeled a "conspiracy theory," you can bet someone in "authority" does not want it investigated.
Take the Holocaust for example. The revisionists might be labeled conspiracy theorists. But, when one looks into the issue, he will find that there is zero forensic evidence for the Holocaust narrative. Many books have been written on the topic. Some by so-called Holocaust survivors. But how can the narrative be true if there is no supporting forensic evidence? Do the Holocaust movies make it true? Do the Holocaust museums make it true? Or do they create a belief system? Who benefits from this?
If the Holocaust was a real event as it has been reported, why is it illegal in 19 countries to simply question it? Is it because of the billions of dollars in reparations being paid to the so-called Holocaust survivors? If the Holocaust is not true, should those monies be paid back?
Truth does not fear investigation.
If something is declared a "conspiracy theory," you can bet there is truth someone wants hidden.
Right, it's all the CIA. Come back when you've joined reality. You're too deep in cognitive dissonance at the moment to be worth my mental energy.
I can easily rebut every claim you make. You're too far gone to hear or see though.
https://www.cfr.org/blog/seven-resources-debunking-911-conspiracy-theories