April14_2025

Best Minds of USA from year 2013 onward

The best minds with free time and spare time have used their free time to join in the Russian Kremlin simulacra, "War Against Reality".

Several Names:

"Amusing Ourselves to Death" - what Neil Postman described in 1985
"War Against Reality", "Penance of Unreality" - Peter Pomerantsev described in 2014
"Putin Media Invasion", "Surkov Siege", "Operation Matthew 4:19" since November 2012

"Putin Media Invasion" was the ramp-up of the "Internet Research Agency" in March 2013
"Surkov Siege" is another name for "Putin Media Invasion", name inspired by Rick Roderick's 1993 lecture titled "The Self Under Siege"
"Operation Matthew 4:19" is the Kremlin working Donald Trump working with Cambridge Analytica since November 2012 agreement to troll the entire world.

“One characteristic of those who live in a Technopoly is that they are largely unaware of both the origins and the effects of their technologies.” ― Neil Postman, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology, 1992
Marshall McLuhan 1967 emphasis on how people inside new media enviornment can not recognize that the new medium is altering them, as they discuss the old medium. In this case, the pre-Surkov Siege. The Normal USA politics before the November 2012 Trump Twitter domination. Video clip: https://mastodon.social/@RoundSparrow/114060057630873515
Not being able to cite / associate / quote Niel Postman as to the situation.
Not being able to cite / associate / quote Carl Sagan's 1994 and 1995 as to the situation.
Not being able to cite / associate / quote Peter Pomerantsev as to to the situation.
Not being able to discuss Media Ecology (again Neil Postman and Marshall McLuhan) on why this isn't just normal Republican / GOP politics - and in reality induced by media itself (and amplified by Kremlin unreality). Trying to say this is "Southern Strategy" or older techniques that pre-date November 2012 agreement, Cambridge Analytica, Internet Research Agency.
Not being able to cite / associate / quote Adam Curtis about Surkov. Describe Surkov's methods of governing and public relations.

Calling others stupid, idiot, dumb without taking into account the history of what Marshall McLuhan is saying about "the new medium". It is critical to think in terms of: trivializing, complexity, understanding, comprehending. And not just declaring people hopelessly stupid idiots. Abandon insulting, and face up to common ground needs and the huge amount of labor. Think like Malala.
Context Blindness induced by exhaustion, avoidance, one-upmanship, egoism, competition of learning, complexity. Rick Roderick talks about banalization of complexity, dismissal, deflationary. (Defined by Rick Roderick, 1993)

Neil Postman's 1985 "Amusing Ourselves To Death" and how that pre-dates Fox News October 7, 1996 by more than a decade. Postman builds upon McLuhan, knew McLuhan.
Rick Roderick's 1993 "Self Under Siege" lectures, 7 hours, multiple viewings. Validates Neil Postman without reference to Postman or McLuhan.
Peter P's body of work
Adam Curtis on Edward Bernays, Adam Curtis on Surkov (December 31, 2014 "Contradictory Vaudeville" memorized if at all possible)
Power of Myth by George Lucas, Bill Moyers, Joseph Campbell from 1986 and 1987, published in 1988. Great Seal of USA teachings in book. Statements about the 3 major Middle East religions being disqualified for the future.