For the next two weeks I will be in the UK working on a film project. But fear not, I have not neglected my duties here at CoJ: two Jobcasts and the last two installments of the “Stories We Tell Ourselves or Stories We are Ourselves” series are now pre-loaded and will appear according to my regular Wed/Sat schedule (SS & God-willing).
This, I trust, will be the Pay-Off that will reward all y/our efforts in taking this perilous journey of zero-merit. As mentioned, the last parts (inc. the appendix) will be freely available to all, thanks to those of you who have been generous enough to become paid subscribers.
In return, I’d like to request that you leave comments, share, and consider upgrading to paid, to let me know you are out there, who you are, and what you think.
“A search for truth is necessarily violent since it may lead to some definite stance regarding what is true and what is false.” ~ Rene Girard
A long-time reader (Cedomir) left a comment yesterday that deftly summed up what I am currently at least trying to do, in a single paragraph:
This is what a rigorous historian does, which is what historians should be doing. Digging through and amassing verifiable facts accessible to all, dissecting and bringing to light commonalities and discrepancies in opposing views and narratives, and who and what agenda they serve, analysing propaganda and culture (narrative) creation by looking at the past to better comprehend the day-to-day power interests, including future intentions. To focus on the minutia which make up the whole, but never losing sight of the nuances which interact to make up the narratives told to us/we tell ourselves. No sacred cow un-turned, no taboo totemised, truth being the only goal... and not jumping to conclusions and when doing so (most importantly) highlighting that to be the case.
More of this please!
As I (and you) might have predicted, I have also heard some grumbles, and even received some (small) pressure to change my evil ways. It has not come from predictable places or personalities, however, and nothing (yet) like what I might have expected when I first realized I was embarking on this journey. But, as I discussed with Kate Ledogar (second half), it has certainly been an effective way to test a truth-seeker’s cojones.
As I responded recently in the comments at CoJ: Them that succumb to social pressure of any sort will never get to the truth. Let the dead bury the dead.
What comes after this remains to be seen.
Below is a conversation I had with Michael Gallagher at his YT channel, “Interviews from Underground.” Michael chose not to focus on any of my books or articles but simply to ask some good (broader) questions. This allowed for a much looser, lighter, and hence more substantial conversation, IMHO. Enjoy!
Also of note, the event in Porto, Portugal, June 1-2, which I will be doing something at. Currently (unfortunately) the event info is only at Facebook, here. But here is the text, for those who wisely stay away from Zuckerborg:
The Commonwealth of Free Spirits (CoFS) is an association of cognitive dissidents from across the political spectrum and beyond. From radicals and revolutionaries to poets and permaculturalists, mystics and musicians to artists and adventurers, we represent an ever widening range of counterpoints to prevailing norms.
As the spiritually bankrupt global technocracy strives to destroy all challengers to its hegemony, we strive to create real and practicable alternatives rooted in reciprocity and non-coercion. Where ideologues and pundits seek division and antagonism, we seek synthesis and balance. Our vision is to grow out from the liminal spaces of our world, like roots beneath paving stones, forming havens of life and freedom in the midst of a decaying and dystopian society.
It is not our intention to prescribe a particular trajectory, but to invite you to participate in forms of human endeavour that stimulate natural creativity, and hence chart more authentic courses through the stormy waters of this age.
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THE COMMONWEALTH OF FREE SPIRITS
1st International Conference
Location: Porto / Date: 1-2 June 2024Day One: Saturday 1st June
10.00 ADAM ORMES
Technocracy, the Inklings and the Spiritual Struggle of Our Time11.15 ARTHUR EDWARDS
The I in Finance: Economics as Revelation12.30 ANDRZEJ WALENKIEWICZ
Old Prussians: Proto-anarchists from the BalticBREAK: 13.45 to 14.45
14.45 LUKE DODSON
Limits to Growth and the End of History: or How Collapse Anxiety Made the Vikings Trans16.00 EMERALD GOULD
Musical Performance based on the work of Fernando PessoaDay Two: Sunday 2nd June
10.00 TROY SOUTHGATE
Anarchy in All But Name: Oscar Wilde's Socialism11.15 ALEXANDRE CASTRO
Looking at the Stars: How Astrology Can Help Us Make Sense of the Current Times12.30 KEITH PRESTON
Anarchist Political Economy and Power Elite Theory: How States, Ruling Classes, and Empires IntersectBREAK: 13.45 to 14.45
14.45 JASUN HORSLEY
Interview + Questions16.00 GENERAL DISCUSSION/CLOSE
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Admission to the event costs just 10 euros for the entire weekend.
The venue/city centre is 15 minutes by metro from Porto airport.
For more information please email commonweathfreespirits@proton.me
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Conference poster PDF: https://mega.nz/file/It8mBCBB.