The Finnish electricity authority has warned citizens to expect power outages during the coming winter. Meanwhile, Italy may lose half a million jobs due to the energy crisis and the accompanying stagflation.
In other news, a suburban neighborhood in Massachusetts was evacuated after a cleaning crew found a military explosive in a recently sold home.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Steen, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
German Beer and Soda Industries Grow Desperate as Hundreds of Companies Face Bakruptcy Wave
As energy and other input costs sharply rise, Germany’s beverage industry is warning of an imminent wave of bankruptcies in the coming months, with hundreds of firms involved in beer and soda production under severe threat.
“The cost increases for companies have long since reached a level that threatens their existence. This affects crafts and medium-sized businesses as well as the entire industry,” complained five associations in a joint statement.
The main causes are the high energy and raw material prices as well as logistics problems and CO2 shortages. CO2 is a major component in beer and other carbonated beverages. These rising costs now threaten hundreds of companies, many of which have struggled with the threat of bankruptcy years before the coronavirus crisis and the current inflation shock.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy May Lose Half a Million Jobs — Study
Italy is at risk of losing up to 582,000 jobs due to the energy crisis and the resulting economic downturn, national media reported on Sunday, citing a study by the Confindustria Association of Industrialists.
According to the findings, if the gas price stays at its current level (the August average was €235 per megawatt-hour), Italy’s economy will shrink 2.2% next year and the country will lose up to 383,000 jobs in 2022-2023.
However, if the price hits €298 per megawatt-hour, which is the predicted level based on current gas futures, Italy may suffer a 3.2% decline in GDP and lose hundreds of thousands of jobs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Pubs and Brewers Risk Closure — FT
UK brewers are facing tenfold price increases for the CO2 they use to carbonate and package beers, the Financial Times reported on Friday, also citing supply disruptions that could threaten brewing ahead of the Christmas season.
According to the report, the market disruption follows a warning from US fertilizer group CF Industries last month that it would shut down a major UK ammonia plant that makes CO2 as a byproduct. The company said its decision was due to soaring natural gas prices, which have made production unviable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Crisis of Crimes”: New Orleans Becomes Murder Capital of America
Progressives in top city leadership positions have helped transform New Orleans into the murder capital of America.
WSJ reported the Louisiana city on the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico, recorded the highest homicide rate of any major city so far this year, with 41 homicides per 100,000 residents.
Metropolitan Crime Commission Inc., a nonprofit that works on crime-reducing strategies in the city, said the homicide rate is up 141% compared with the same period in 2019. It pointed out carjackings are up 210%, shootings 100%, and armed robberies up 25%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
100 of 102 Illinois State’s Attorneys Oppose Cashless Bail Letting 2nd-Degree Murderers Out of Jail
One hundred of the 102 state’s attorneys in Illinois are opposed to the state’s new cashless bail provisions, which are set to take effect next year for crimes such as second-degree murder.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
33 GOP Senators Seek Hunter Biden Special Counsel
Thirty-three Republican senators on Monday sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking special counsel status for the U.S. attorney investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, the New York Post reports.
The letter, written by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asks Garland to give U.S. Attorney David Weiss the powers of a special counsel, noting “politicization” of the Justice Department, a lack of public trust in the authorities and a whistleblower’s allegations of an FBI coverup of damaging evidence and testimony to President Joe Biden’s son.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Beyond Meat COO Bites Off Tip of Man’s Nose After Road Rage Incident: Police
Beyond Meat COO Doug Ramsey was arrested following an alleged road rage incident that led to him biting the flesh off of the tip of the victim’s nose, according to local news.
Ramsey, 53, was arrested on September 17 and faces charges of terroristic threatening and third-degree battery. The incident took place near the back of Razorback Stadium following the University of Arkansas’ win over Missouri state.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Suggests He May Not Run in 2024
Joe Biden appeared to suggest for the first time that he may not run in 2024, which if true will come as a relief to many top Democrats.
Biden made the comments during an interview with CBS 60 Minutes.
When asked whether he had made a “firm decision” on whether to run for re-election, where he will most likely face off against Donald Trump again, Biden prevaricated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Has Passed 99 Executive Orders That Have Cost Taxpayers $1.5 Trillion Dollars
President Biden has passed 99 executive orders since becoming president and a federal budget expert has estimated that the cost to taxpayers will be upwards of $1.5 trillion, with his recent student loan forgiveness accounting for a huge portion of that amount.
In an interview with Fox, Heritage Foundation’s Matthew Dickerson said, “It could be up to $1.5 trillion in cost to taxpayers just on executive actions, not legislation going through Congress and being signed into law and being debated. It’s just pure executive actions taken by Biden costing taxpayers up to $1.5 trillion.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California’s Newsom Will Run for President if Biden Doesn’t: Report
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is “undeniably, unequivocally” preparing to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024 if President Biden decides not to run for a second term and is poised to take on Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a report on Monday.
Newsom, who recently challenged Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to a debate over his sending 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, plans to make an announcement after the midterm elections once the president relays his intentions, The Wrap reported.
“No ifs, ands or buts. He will run if Biden does not,” a leading California fundraiser told the outlet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cleaning Crew Finds Military Explosive in Newly Sold Mass. Home
A Massachusetts State Police bomb squad was brought in to the home in Essex
Several homes on a Massachusetts street had to be evacuated Monday when a military explosive was found by a cleaning crew, authorities said.
The home where the ordinance was found, on Wood Drive in Essex, had been recently sold, according to the Essex Police Department. A crew was cleaning it when the unknown ordinance was found inside.
The suspicious item was reported to police and firefighters about 10:33, a.m., and a Massachusetts State Police bomb squad was brought in. They ordered the area to be evacuated out of an abundance of caution, including about six homes, police said.
Police didn’t share what the specific kind of ordinance found was.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Danchenko Admits He Was FBI Source Amid Charges He Lied to the Bureau
Embattled businessman Igor Danchenko has admitted he was a confidential source for the FBI in court filings seeking to block the presentation of certain evidence in special counsel John Durham’s prosecution against him for lying to the bureau.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Deputies: Florida Woman Stabbed Roommates, Then Went Shopping
MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A woman was arrested and charged with attempted murder after investigators said she stabbed her two roommates before leaving and going shopping.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that deputies were called Friday morning by a man who said he had been stabbed. When deputies arrived at the home, they found two people had been stabbed, and one of the victims told investigators that Christina Adams had stabbed them before leaving.
Deputies said that they found Adams nearby, and that while she initially denied doing anything, she later admitted that she had been angry after she had been asked to leave the home where she lived with the victims. Adams told detectives she used a large knife to attack the victims, stabbing them multiple times, deputies said.
Adams allegedly told detectives that, believing the victims were dead, she tried to destroy evidence, changed her clothes and then went shopping. It was on her way home from shopping that deputies found her, heading back toward the scene of the crime.
Adams claimed to be a sociopath and told detectives that she has undiagnosed dissociative identity disorder, WPEC reported.
“These senseless acts of violence are shocking to all of us. I’m very proud of my deputies and detectives that worked so quickly to not only provide aid to the victims but, also to capture such an evil person and ensure that our streets are safe,” Marion County Sheriff William Woods said in a statement.
Adams was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, and was ordered to be held in jail without bond.
Both victims are in critical condition, WPEC reported.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Fetterman Voted to Release Man Guilty of Hacking Murder
Pennsylvania Democrat U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman once voted to release a man sentenced to life in prison for killing a man with garden shears in a parking garage.
The convict, Charles “Zeke” Goldblum, also attempted to hire a hitman to kill his accomplice in the brutal murder.
Fetterman, as the Keystone State’s lieutenant governor, voted to release Goldblum in 2019 and said he was “happy” after the killer left prison last year, The Washington Free Beacon reported Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Education Consultants Teach Teens the United States is Systemically Racist
Following the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election, critical race theory (CRT) entered the popular narrative. The idea that America is an irredeemably racist nation is a deeply unpopular one. It is incredibly important for parents to understand the degree to which this ideology has infiltrated the educational system all over America. Here’s just one recent example from Florida’s Sarasota County.
Embracing Our Differences, Inc. appears to be a harmless organization promoting educational initiatives in Florida schools. Their website boasts that Embracing Our Differences reaches nearly 300,000 adults and children annually and that their education initiatives in local schools reached 41,585 students and 1,439 teachers in 2020-2021 alone. For an organization located in a single county in Florida, that’s a lot of visibility.
Most of the lesson plans and student activities provided by Embracing our Differences promote a concept known as “social and emotional learning.” Don’t be fooled by the kind-hearted name; social and emotional learning, or SEL, is little more than a Trojan Horse for the building blocks of CRT.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of Nazi medical experiments.
EXCLUSIVE — A Holocaust survivor who endured Nazi medical experimentation during World War II spoke out against teaching critical race theory in K-12 schools in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“In this country, there is no education. There is indoctrination,” Sami Steigmann, 82, said about CRT, a lens of viewing the world and society’s systems through race in an oppressor versus oppressed narrative. The theory also claims that America is systemically racist, meaning the cards are rigged against people of color in every institution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative U.S. editor and author Rod Dreher is moving to Hungary, with the influential thinker saying he made the move after he “fell in love” with the country last year.
“I fell in love with Hungary in the summer of 2021; I discovered that it really is a great country,” said the American writer and publicist, who made the announcement in an interview with public service Kossuth Radió during the National Conservationism conference in Florida.
In the interview, he emphasized that conservatives must build a “network against globalism.” According to him, a smiling, soft version of totalitarianism is emerging in the United States.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Interview: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on Weaponization of Biden’s DOJ
Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, became the latest target of President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice last week when the FBI hunted him down and seized his phone at a fast-food restaurant in rural Minnesota.
Lindell, who has been a pillar in fighting for election integrity, explained on his podcast that several federal agents approached him in the drive-thru of a Hardee’s in Mankato, Minnesota.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
McDonald’s CEO Not Lovin’ it in Crime Ridden Chicago, Considers Moving HQ
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski was speaking to other business leaders at the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday and expressed concern over the Windy City’s dramatic increase in violent crime and its effect on quality of life.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Kempczinski, a Chicago resident, said, “Everywhere I go, I’m confronted by the same question. ‘What’s going on in Chicago?’ There is a general sense out there that our city is in crisis.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police: 4 Randomly Stabbed in Albuquerque, Suspect Arrested
Victims are being treated at a local hospital
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police have tracked down a suspect that was involved in four stabbings which occurred Sunday afternoon, along Central Ave. SW. The stabbing victims are being treated at a local hospital. One of the victims is listed in critical condition.
An APD spokesman says one of the incidents took place on Central Ave. SW, in the vicinity of 1st St. SW and 3rd St. SW. Another stabbing occurred in the area of Central Ave. SW and 5th St. SW.
Later, another stabbing incident was reported near the Golden Pride restaurant on Central Ave. SW and 53rd St. SW. The final stabbing happened at the Walgreen’s store on Central Ave. SW and Coors Blvd. SW.
Police was able to locate the suspect at that scene, and took him into custody.
Albuquerque Police didn’t immediately release the name of the man taken into custody Sunday, but said the suspect was identified by his distinctive pork pie hat.
They said he also was in possession of a kitchen knife with a serrated blade that apparently was used in the four stabbings.
One of the wounded was a 16-year-old boy, but police said all four victims were being treated at hospitals and expected to survive.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Philadelphia on Track for Most Violent Year After Summer Shootings
The city of Philadelphia has been put under a national microscope after a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer indicated that “nearly eight people on average were shot every day” during the 60-plus-day window between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
In the report, the Inquirer wrote: “Last year, more than 560 people were killed in homicides — the overwhelming majority by guns — and another 1,800 were wounded by bullets. It was the city’s most violent year ever. … This year’s pace has been worse.”
For that window between the two holidays, the Inquirer asserted the rate of “nearly eight people” being shot every day is twice the rate of five years ago; and the victim rate for women and children within the city limits has reached all-time highs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rumble, Creating Tech That is Immune to Cancel Culture, Goes Public
At a meeting on September 16, CF Acquisition Corp. VI (CFVI) shareholders approved a merger with Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular among those that support free speech and more freedom for creators. The merged company is now called Rumble Inc., and will trade under the ticker “RUM” from today.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Says FBI ‘Ransacked’ Mar-a-Lago in Raid, Wore Shoes in His Bedroom
Former President Donald Trump said he returned to his Florida home late Sunday to find Mar-a-Lago “ransacked” and accused FBI agents of traipsing through his bedroom without removing their shoes when they raided his ritzy resort home last month.
“Arrived in Florida last night and had a long and detailed chance to check out the scene of yet another government ‘crime,’ the FBI’s Raid and Break-In of my home, Mar-a-Lago. I guess they don’t think there is a Fourth Amendment anymore, and to them, there isn’t,” the 45th president wrote Monday on his Truth Social media platform.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A whistleblower has accused the FBI’s Washington Field Office of using cases related to the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot to “overstate” the threat of “domestic violent extremism” in America, according to Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
The whistleblower alleged the FBI office did not follow standard investigative practices for the January 6 cases when it moved the cases to various local Field Offices around the country based on where the case subjects were from, Jordan revealed in a letter addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gerald Butts Says #TrudeauMustGo Twitter Trend is a Conspiracy
In a desperate attempt to excuse the #TrudeauMustGo viral Twitter trend, Gerald Butts suggested it’s a financed campaign using fake Twitter accounts.
The viral Twitter trend has over half a million tweets from Canadians from all walks of life who Trudeau’s punitive vaccine mandate has harmed.
“The real question is who is paying for this campaign?” Butts tweeted on Friday.
“Sending a ton of [bots] to insist this isn’t a [bot] campaign is not a super strong strategy,” he later added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
[…]
In April 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau was allegedly vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vector viral vaccine. A second dose was administered in July 2021.
Below is the video of Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie receiving their first Covid vaccine jab.
Scroll down to the third video which provides concrete analysis by a Registered Nurse.
Two months later in July 2021, Justin Trudeau takes his second jab, this time it’s the Moderna Inc. vaccine.
It’s the same nurse. The procedure is similar.
Analysis
A Registered Nurse (RN) has carefully reviewed the first video of Prime Minister Trudeau and his wife’s vaccination jab which was broadcast on network TV.
Reporters were present. It was a carefully planned public relations event.
The Registered Nurse (RN) expressed doubts on the authenticity of Trudeau’s vaccination.
Specific and routine procedures pertaining to inoculation including “Landmarking” are normally applied. The inoculation of Trudeau and his wife did not conform to regular procedures.
“Nobody does it that way” with one hand, says the registered nurse…
| — Hat tip: Steen | [Return to headlines] |
Over 40% of Trudeau’s Followers Are Bots
Around 40% of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Twitter followers are bots.
That’s according to SparkToro, a service offering audience research across various social media platforms.
The revelation comes as #TrudeauMustGo has been trending on Twitter for days. According to the left-wing National Observer, “much of the activity surrounding the hashtag was actually driven by accounts tweeting at non-human rates, including about two dozen accounts created in the past 48 hours.”
It’s unclear whether The National Observer knows that almost half of Trudeau’s following are bots boosted by “accounts tweeting at non-human rates.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poilievre’s Conservative Party Leads Liberals by Five Points
Federal Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre would become prime minister if an election were held today, according to a new survey from the left-leaning Abacus Data.
The survey found that 35% of respondents would vote for the Conservative party, helmed by Poilievre. Another 30% opted for the Liberal party, while 17% chose the NDP and 9% said they would back the Bloc Quebecois.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trucker Rebellion: Convoy to Ottawa
After two years of a war on civil liberties of unprecedented magnitudes, last winter’s trucker rebellion marked the beginning of the end of COVID policies across Canada.
In an atmosphere of segregation, where vaccination status would determine if a citizen could fly or receive an organ transplant, the announcement of a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers was the final straw. This sparked peaceful civil disobedience that led to the declaration of the Emergencies Act.
Multiple convoys of semi-trucks and cars were formed all across Canada with Ottawa in their sights, with hundreds of thousands of supporters joining in some form along the way, either directly as part of the convoy or waving flags at overpasses along the route.
Rebel News reporters Mocha Bezirgan and Selene Galas followed the convoy from Calgary to Ottawa to capture this historical uprising.
Their documentary features exclusive footage and interviews with truckers, including one of the organizers, Tamara Lich, who has since been banned from giving future interviews by a court order.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Trudeau Booed While Leaving London
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was at the receiving end of groans and boos as he was escorted to his vehicle in London. Trudeau was in London on a visit to attend the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Trudeau was also caught on camera during his visit singing Bohemian Rhapsody. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson released a statement, saying: “After dinner on Saturday, Prime Minister joined a small gathering with members of the Canadian delegation, who have come together to pay tribute to the life and service of Her Majesty.
This isn’t the first time Trudeau’s received a harsh reaction in London. Protestors appeared outside 10 Downing Street in London in March, where they could be heard chanting “f*ck Trudeau.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Why Are Freedom Rallies Still Taking Place? Calgary Protesters Respond
On September 17, 2022 the World Wide Freedom rally took place in various large cities stretching across the globe.
Freedom fighters gathered in Calgary, Alberta protesting in front of Calgary’s very own city hall to continue showing up as a united front to take a stand against the remainder of the COVID-19 restrictions still affecting travel, personal finances, work, and other issues.
In addition to these restrictions, I also asked folks questions relating to our current United Conservative Party leadership race which will determine who will replace Jason Kenney, Alberta’s current premier in the election to come.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a post on Instagram, the Swedish artist Jason Diakité, known for his stage name Timbuktu, posted a message to “all black and brown people in Sweden” claiming that “demography is on our side,” following the Swedish election on Sept. 11.
The message was posted on Sept. 12 following what appeared to be the election victory of right-wing parties, although votes were still being tallied at the time. Since then, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has conceded and a four-party center-right coalition has taken form.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europeans Booking Turkish Hotels for Winter to Survive Energy Crisis
European citizens appear seeking hideout from the winter heating crisis in Turkish hotels as the number of reservations for November has already increased 1.5 times year-on-year, Turkish media reported on Monday.
The start of hostilities in Ukraine in February exacerbated the energy crisis unfolding in Europe over the past year. Disruptions in logistical and financial operations due to the crisis and Western sanctions against Russia have undermined supply chains and led to a spike in energy prices worldwide, pushing many European governments to resort to contingency measures.
Europeans, whose bills have increased ten-fold and who have been urged “to shower together” amid the gas crisis, are expected to flock to Turkish hotels to spend the winter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finns Should be Prepared for Power Outages This Winter, Grid Operator Warns
COPENHAGEN, Sept 19 (Reuters) — Finns should be prepared for power outages caused by possible electricity shortage in the coming winter.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
France: Migrant Holds Toddler at Knifepoint, Demands Mother’s Valuables During Violent Rampage
An illegal migrant from Africa was convicted in a terrifying robbery during which he grabbed a toddler from her mother and held the child at knifepoint on a street in France last week, according to reports.
The harrowing incident unfolded on September 14 in Ris-Orangis, a commune in the Paris suburbs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
G2 Esports Founder Carlos to Take Leave of Absence After Being Seen With Andrew Tate in Video
Over the weekend, G2 Esports founder and CEO Carlos Rodriguez (aka G2 Carlos) posted a video on Twitter of himself partying with influencer Andrew Tate, who was banned from Big Tech platforms after a media campaign about his past comments. They were celebrating G2 qualifying for the 2022 League of Legends Worlds.
In the age of online outrage, the video sparked a backlash from some online, with many criticizing G2 Carlos for hanging out with Tate, who was recently banned from all major social media platformsi
A few hours after posting the video, Carlos defended himself, saying “nobody will ever be able to police my friendships,” and he can “party with whoever the “ he wants.
That post sparked even more outrage from some who believe he shouldn’t be seen with Tate at all.
On Sunday evening, G2 Esports posted a statement apologizing for Carlos’s behavior and saying that he would take eight weeks of unpaid leave.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Arrests as Climate Protests Disrupt Coal Power Plant, Berlin Traffic
Police have cleared activists from a coal power plant and the rail lines leading to it, detaining several people. The protest impacted power output. Meanwhile, in Berlin, another group blocked busy intersections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Works to Comply With EU Demands to Prevent Funding Cuts Worth Billions of Euros
Hungary has until Nov. 19 to make the legal changes required by the European Commission in order to release 65 percent of a total €7.5 billion in EU funding to the country, said Minister for Regional Development and EU Funding Tibor Navracsics on Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that while in its decision the EU commission proposed “severe financial penalties” for Hungary, should the Hungarian government implement the changes required by the commission, the sanctions can be avoided.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Election Explained: Why Now? Who is Running? How Does it Work? Who is Likely to Win?
Italy is readying itself for a snap general election on Sunday, 25 September.
Here we explain how Italian elections work, who are the main parties and candidates and what the likely outcome will be.
Why is Italy holding a snap election?
Italy’s upcoming set of general elections was originally slated for next spring. So why have politicians been battling this summer’s torrid temperatures to campaign for votes?
It was sparked by the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi on 21 July and the collapse of his big-tent coalition government, which included leftist, right-wing and centrist parties.
Draghi came to power after another coalition — headed by the lawyer Giuseppe Conte — collapsed in January 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Magnus Carlsen’s apparent feud with Hans Niemann was reignited on Monday after the Norwegian chess grandmaster resigned from their online match.
Carlsen was in control of the black pieces in the Julius Baer Generation Cup and made his opening move after Niemann made his. After Niemann made his second move with the white pieces, Carlsen resigned.
A broadcast of the match was being streamed on Chess24.com, and the commentators were in shock by what transpired.
“Magnus Carlsen just resigned. Got up and left,” said Tania Schdev, a chess grandmaster and Chess24 broadcaster. “Switched off his camera, and that’s all we know right now. We’re going to try to get an update on this.”
Carlsen would return to draw 17-year-old Indian chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. Both players were tied for second place even after Carlsen’s resignation against Niemann.
Carlsen and Niemann’s feud dates back to earlier this month. Carlsen lost to Niemann in a match at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis and Carlsen decided to withdraw from the tournament.
Niemann, 19, immediately faced accusations of cheating — from anything to wireless vibrating anal beads to a vibrating shoe, according to multiple reports. Tesla CEO Elon Musk even added to the controversy with a tweet of his own, suggesting something was in Niemann’s butt during the match. A professional gamer also suggested something like that as well.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Marine Le Pen Blasts Sanctions Against Russia
Marine Le Pen, the chairwoman of the RN group in the National Assembly blasted “a European Union hysterical about the war in Ukraine calling inappropriate and ill-considered sanctions” against Russia.
On international issues, Marine Le Pen also denounced a “hallucinating speech of Mrs. Von der Leyen”, the president of the European Commission, about the conflict in Ukraine and Russia, reproaching her “dangerous bellicose postures”.
Le Pen celebrated the “patriotic wave” in Europe, in Sweden or “tomorrow” in Italy and “the day after tomorrow” in the Netherlands, also promising France a “great political shift”, in Agde (Hérault) during the Summer University of the National Rally (RN) on September 18.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Will Oppose EU Plan to Cut €7.5 Billion in Funds to Hungary, Says Polish PM
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has declared that Poland will oppose any unlawful attempts by EU institutions to stop EU funding for any member state, including Hungary.
Speaking while touring southern Poland, Morawiecki declared his solidarity with Hungary with regard to the issue of EU funding. According to the Polish head of government, the Hungarian government has prepared details of an agreement between it and the European Commission, which has been presented to the EU commission.
The European Commission on Sunday proposed that the European Council should approve the activation of the conditionality mechanism to suspend around €7.5 billion in EU budget funding over what the commission claims are corruption and the rule of law concerns in Hungary.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Support for Scotland leaving the United Kingdom has fallen significantly in the wake of the Queen’s death, with overall support for the monarchy rising in other parts of the British Commonwealth.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has seen support for Scotland separating from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland drop significantly, with polling indicating that anti-Britain sentiments in the country have dropped by as much as six points since June.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden’s Right-Wing Parties Get Formal Go-Ahead to Start Coalition Talks
The leader of Sweden’s third largest party — the center-right Moderates — was was formally asked to try and form a new government on Monday by the speaker of parliament.
That new government will likely include the far-right anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats either as a formal coalition partner, or providing support to the the government in a so-called ‘confidence and supply’ agreement.
In Sweden’s 11 September elections, the country’s right-wing parties secured 176 seats in the Riksdag; while left-wing parties combined only got 173 seats in a closely-fought election.
Now, the speaker of parliament has charged Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson to try and form a coalition government, without setting a deadline to do it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swiss Woman Convicted of Terrorism After Lugano Stabbing in 2020
A young woman in Switzerland has been convicted on terror charges after stabbing two people in Lugano in 2020.
The 29-year-old — who was known to the police and suffers from mental health issues — was found guilty of committing a “terrorist act” and “repeated attempts to murder”.
She was sentenced to nine years in prison and will also have to undergo medical treatment.
Prosecutors say that the woman “intentionally” tried to slit the throats of two women in a department store in the city.
During the attack, she is accused of shouting “Allahu Akbar” and proclaiming her support for the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thoughts on the Impeachment of a French President
“Resistance!” A new demonstration held by the Patriotes party in Paris against the EU, NATO and Macron on Saturday, was evidently a great success: French media ignored it.
At the call of the leader of the Patriotes, Florian Philippot, a rally was held in Paris on 17 September to protest against Emmanuel Macron’s policy of rationing and to demand his dismissal, and more broadly against NATO and the EU.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Breastfeeding Clothing Company Loses Revenue After Sudden Facebook Ban
Bshirt, a company that sells clothes that make breastfeeding easier, lost thousands in sales after Facebook permanently banned its adverts for violating the non-nudity policy. The ads did not contain anything explicit.
Like most small businesses, Bshirt depends on the exposure afforded by social media. However, last month, it had about half of its revenue cut off when Facebook banned its ads account. Bshirt’s co-founder Lisa Lessware told The Daily Mail the ban cost the company £15,000 ($17000) in sales.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Pictures: Queen Elizabeth II’s Final Journey as World Leaders Attend State Funeral
The late Queen Elizabeth II was borne on the 120-year-old state gun carriage from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, drawn by a team of Royal Navy Sailors, for the state funeral before final interment in Windsor.
The processions follows a tradition created in 1901 at the state funeral of Queen Victoria, when the teams of army horses pulling the ceremonial gun carriage — fitted with a special catafalque platform above the barrel of the gun to carry a coffin — were spooked during the procession and threatened to throw the carriage over. A team of Royal Navy sailors rushed to fill the gap and pulled the Queen by hand, an act which has been repeated at all state funerals since.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Queen Elizabeth Laid to Rest Alongside Her Husband and Parents at Windsor Castle
On Monday evening she was laid to rest alongside her late husband Prince Philip, and her parents, in a private family ceremony away from the public glare of cameras and a global viewing audience.
Her state funeral service, which took place at Westminster Abbey, drew presidents, kings, queens and prime ministers from across the world. After, her cortege took the coffin to Windsor Castle west of London for a ceremony at St George’s Chapel, her final resting place.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mobs of Muslim and Hindu men fought violent running street battles in Leicester, with one former Labour MP reacting by celebrating the city’s “diversity” and its “vibrant exchange of cultures.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelenskyy, Ukrainians, And Assange Among Nominees for 2022 Sakharov Prize
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the people of Ukraine, Julian Assange, Sonia Guajajara, and the Colombian Comision de Verdad are among the nominees for the 2022 Sakharov prize, an EU award dedicated to individuals, groups or organisations that contribute to protecting freedom of thought.
Each year, European Parliament’s political groups present their candidates in September. Eligible candidates need to gather the signatures of at least 40 EU lawmakers.
The deadline for presenting the candidacies was on Thursday (15 September).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Missile Strikes Ukraine’s Second-Largest Nuclear Power Plant
Ukraine’s Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant has been damaged by a Russian missile attack, Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency has said.
Security camera video shared by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on Monday showed a large explosion close to the plant, which is the second largest in the country.
Energoatom said the blast shattered windows and damaged buildings at the facility in the southern Mykolaiv region.
The site’s three reactors were operating as normal after the missile impacted about 300 metres away, leaving a crater two metres deep, the agency said.
In a message posted on his Telegram channel, President Zelensky said: “Russia endangers the whole world. We have to stop it before it’s too late”.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine War: Kyiv Claims Control of Oskil River and Russia Denies Izium Accusations
1. Ukrainian forces claim control of the Oskil river near the Russian border
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said there would be no let-up in the counteroffensive that has reclaimed northeastern towns and cities.
On Monday, Kyiv said that its troops had secured the eastern bank of the Oskil River and were preparing for an assault on Russia’s forces in the Donbas region.
The river, which flows south from Russia into Ukraine, had been a natural break in the newly emerged front lines.
In recent days, the pace of the Ukrainian advance has again slowed, but Zelenskyy said this was only because the forces were consolidating and preparing for further offensives.
“Maybe now it seems to some of you that after a series of victories we have a certain lull,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Sunday.
“But this is not a lull. This is preparation for the next series… Because Ukraine must be free — all of it.”
In his Monday night address, Zelenskyy also stated that the situation in the northeastern part of the country was “stabilising.”
Russia has also accused Ukraine of killing 13 civilians in artillery shelling on Monday in the separatist-held city of Donetsk.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Taliban Set to Ban TikTok and Video Game PUBG
In the next three months, the Taliban will ban TikTok and the video game PUBG, the telecommunications department announced.
Since the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan in August 2021, it has cracked down on internet speech, banning millions of websites for “immorality.”
PUBG and TikTok are popular in Afghanistan, considering Afghans do not have much entertainment after the Taliban banned movies, music, and TV soaps. The ban of the two apps follows a ban of over 23 million websites that the Taliban said displayed “immoral content.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cardinal Joseph Zen Begins Trial in Hong Kong Without Vatican Support
ROME — Trial opened Monday for the redoubtable Cardinal Joseph Zen, charged under Hong Kong’s draconian national security law for his support of pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Along with five others, Cardinal Zen was arrested in May 2022 for allegedly colluding with foreign forces and later charged with failing to register the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Fund, which provided financial and legal aid to pro-democracy protesters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australian Fuel Prices Set to Soar as Excise Cut Ends
The price of fuel is set to rise by 22 cents a litre when the temporary fuel excise cut ends at the end of this month.
The price per litre will be closer to 25 cents once the add GST is included.
The national average price for unleaded fuel last week was 163.5 cents a litre, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum.
Fuel prices in Sydney and Melbourne were more than $2 a litre when the fuel excise was cut six months ago to provide relief for motorists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dan Andrews Keeps Controversial Public Transport Mask Mandates
On the same day NSW announced an end to public transport mask mandates it was revealed that the Victorian government has issued more than 100 fines in a mask compliance crackdown.
The Daily Mail reported on Monday that more than 100 Victorians had been fined — and another 181,000 issued warnings — for not wearing masks on public transport.
Victoria’s pandemic rules require people on public transport to wear a fitted face mask unless they have a valid exemption.
Premier Dan Andrews on Tuesday confirmed there will be no change to public transport mask mandates in Victoria, despite increasing pressure to scrap the unpopular rule.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australians are dying in abnormally high numbers, which is creating a boom for undertakers but leaving doctors puzzled as to what is behind the ‘worrying’ trend, which mirrors what is happening overseas.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Some of Germany’s top news networks were bamboozled over claims that a Zimbabwean inventor made a green energy invention that could power other devices without electrical cables, and could even turn a television into a “microsonic” device that could generate electricity solely from radio waves. Despite the technology not existing, the journalist repeated the claim from the inventor that “racism” was the reason the fictitious green energy solution had not spread to Europe yet.
The report, which some critics have labeled as “fake news,” was first published on ARD’s Tagesschau news service, which is the flagship of the public broadcaster. On Friday, the outlet ran what seemed to be a sensational story claiming that Zimbabwean Maxwell Chikumbutso had produced an invention that was truly groundbreaking and could be one “solution” to Germany’s current energy crisis.
The news article, from ARD correspondent in South Africa Jana Genth, was full of holes from the beginning. She claimed in her report that even though the inventor’s television could be turned off, it could still power other devices through “radio waves.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s Border Crisis Breaks Another Annual Record — With a Month to Spare!
Two MILLION migrants arrested at the Mexico border in one year for the first time in history
More than two million migrants have been arrested at the Mexico border in a year for the first time in history.
The record, revealed in Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border, comes amid a continued flow of migrants in Texas, Arizona, and California.
The figures show a spike this spring, with 241,000 law enforcement encounters, with numbers staying above 200,000 each month since even after a drop.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After causing a ‘humanitarian crisis’ and being shipped from the elite enclave of Martha’s Vineyard to Joint Base Cape Cod, the 50 mostly-Venezuelan migrants who made headlines last week after arriving at the Massachusetts island are comfortably bunking dorm-style at the nearby army base.
Following the media and community uproar that was the result of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s (R) move to transport 50 illegal migrants from Texas to the coastal vacation destination, Martha’s Vineyard and the greater Massachusetts political class has been scrambling to figure out what to do with the migrants.
Now the group has been taken to Joint Base Cape Cod, where 125 members of the state’s National Guard have been dispatched and the state’s Emergency Management Agency has been activated to help the men, women and children who have become national emblems for the illegal immigration issue facing the US.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York City’s Mayor has now declared a ‘humanitarian crisis’ in his city after 2,500 migrants were bussed into the Big Apple and floods of people pour into Texas every day.
Eric Adams revealed that migrants arriving in New York could be housed on Norwegian cruise ships while he considers taking legal action against Governor Greg Abbott amid the country’s spiraling migrant issue.
He is also looking into lodging a lawsuit against the Lone Star State’s governor as immigrants in the thousands continue to be shipped across the country — in many cases, without prior warning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Romania Sends Reinforcement to Hungarian Border as Illegal Migration Surges
The Romanian border police decided to strengthen the operational units tasked with monitoring and protecting the Hungarian-Romanian border in order to curb illegal migration, authorities announced in Bucharest.
Joint patrols with the Hungarian side are being coordinated on the Romanian-Hungarian border section in Romania’s western Arad, Bihar and Szatmar counties, which are adjacent to Hungary. The law enforcement units will be deployed gradually depending on the operational situation. From now on, units with police dogs will also participate in stopping and sometimes searching vehicles looking to exit at road border-crossings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Gov. reignites 2024 rumors by smashing state fundraising record with $177 MILLION in donations
Ron DeSantis received a standing ovation during a speech in Kansas City after mentioning the stunt where he sent two plane-loads of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
The Florida governor was roundly applauded on Sunday for sending 50 people up to the island off Massachusetts last week.
He also branded the influx of migrants into the US a ‘crisis’ but said it was ‘now getting a little bit more attention’.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Swedish influencer visited a crime-ridden migrant suburb to prove that the area was safe, and ended up getting robbed on the street.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Sheriff Opens Criminal Probe Into DeSantis Operation to Fly Migrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Authorities in Texas are investigating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over an operation to fly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts last week, a move that has infuriated many Democrats and angered locals on the island.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, said he was opening up a criminal investigation into migrants that were “lured” from the Migrant Resource Center under “false pretenses” and flown to Florida, where they were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Martha’s Vineyard, he said in a video message to announce the probe.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Gov. Abbott Says NYC Mayor Adams ‘Flat Out Lying’ About Migrant Busing
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott accused New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams of “flat out lying” about the state’s busing of migrants to the Big Apple.
Adams “knows these migrants willingly chose to go to New York City, since his staff saw firsthand on their secret trip to Texas as migrants raised their hands to go on buses to his sanctuary city,” Abbott press secretary Renae Eze told Fox News. “And they were processed and released by the federal government, who dumped them in small Texas border towns.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Judge Declines to Reinstate Prosecutor Fired by DeSantis for Failing to Do His Job
US District Judge Robert L. Hinkle ruled on Monday not to strike down Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ decision to suspend a state attorney who vowed to not prosecute crimes related to abortion or medicalized gender transition, reports Forbes.
For the time being, the Soros-backed Andrew Warren will not be reinstated while the prosecutor’s case challenging DeSantis’ firing continues onward.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-trans extremists became aggressive at a “Let Women Speak” event in Brighton, UK on Sunday, where a top staffer to a Member of the Parliament (MP) was seen confronting a man and his baby, hurling accusations of “fascism” at the father and cursing at them.
A militant group of trans protestors largely part of “Reclaim Pride Brighton,” many of who concealed their identities with Antifa-style black masks, interrupted a public gathering of women’s rights activists from the Let Women Speak group. The women argue that women are adult human females, and that lesbians both can’t be male and aren’t attracted to males, according to reporter Andy Ngo.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GUNNAR SANDELIN:
Massformation
https://detgodasamhallet.com/2022/09/14/gunnar-sandelin-massformation/
(from Swedish)
One of the most inspiring but frightening online features I’ve ever seen was recently presented on the conservative US channel Fox by its anchor Tucker Carlson.
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6311668288112#sp=show-clips
In a good hour-long interview, which I have watched several times because I discover something new each time, he allows Belgian psychology professor Mattias Desmet to speak freely about his newly published book The Psychology of Totalitarianism.
*********************************
The Psychology of Totalitarianism
by Mattias Desmet
BINDEN English, 2022-06-16 Kr 253 $18.83 $28.00$28.00
https://www.bokus.com/bok/9781645021728/the-psychology-of-totalitarianism/
*********************************
Tucker Carlson himself repeatedly stresses that this is one of the most amazing interviews he has done in his 30 years as a journalist. Feel free to listen to the full conversation. There is also a trailer here. I summarize below the points that touched me the most:
Mass formation can also be described as mass indoctrination, group hypnosis, mass psychosis or brainwashing.
It is a timely topic based on the question of why the population of the post-modern Western world so largely follows a narrative that leads them to their own demise.
A few years ago, the British journalist and commentator Douglas Murray published a book on a similar theme, The Madness of Crowds, which focused on the woke and political correctness in the areas of gender, race and identity.
But I don’t think anyone in our time has done such a hard-hitting academic examination of the psychological aspects of totalitarianism as Mattias Desmet. It should be noted, then, that he follows a long tradition, dating back to the social psychologist Gustave le Bon’s pioneering work The Psychology of the Masses in 1896, before the two world wars and the breakthrough of communism and Nazism had taken place.
Tucker Carlson’s approach to the interview is to try to put into words what is happening to the mass formation that took place in American society after the death of George Floyd in the spring of 2020. (Where militant groups demanded the dismantling of the police, acted out their rage against their own nation’s history, tore down statues and in self-loathing, up to the highest level of politics, knelt before the racist BLM, etc., my note).
How could certain segments of the population let go of all inhibitions, and act as a unified force, imposing their extreme worldview on large parts of the country?
Mattias Desmet’s answer is that mass formation can push people as far as they want. He cites the 1979 revolution in Iran, where people gathered in the streets at the full moon because they believed they could see Ayatollah Khomeini’s face carved on the surface of the moon.
He also tells the story of a mother who, in the final stages of the mass formation, handily assisted in the execution of her own son, whom she perceived as disloyal to the regime.
Iran was a civilised country before the mullahs took over, but that is of no importance, nor is education or IQ when it comes to mass formation. Quite the contrary, Desmet stresses.
The more educated people are, the more susceptible they are to such influence. The more absurd and coercive the narrative becomes, the more people submit to it as a cleansing rite to show that the collective is more important than the self.
Mass-formation has existed throughout human history, some examples being the Crusades, the witch hunts, the French Revolution, Communism and Nazism. The problem, however, is that with modern society’s opportunities for mass communication, mass-formation has taken an increasingly strong hold on the masses in recent centuries.
Desmet points out that the totalitarian states that have emerged during this time always began as a “diabolical pact between the masses and their leaders”. This then leads to the emergence of an entirely new state compared to the “classical dictatorship”, where instead a brutal and threatening group leader takes power and frightens the people into submission.
When totalitarian states gain the support of about 30% of the population, propaganda takes over, making the majority (about two thirds) of the population compliant. This flock of fish follows those who most vocally advocate the ruling narrative, because they want to be comfortable and do not want to take the risk of dissenting.
(Does the pattern recognize itself when it comes to bowing down to the propaganda about multiculturalism and mass immigration in today’s Sweden?) Up to 95% of the population follows the dominant narrative while 5% become dissidents.
(part two will follow)
What about the Roman Catholic Inquisitions?
Got rid of the muslims in Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal, you are welcome.
part 2
The key to stopping the drift towards rampant totalitarianism is for dissidents not to be silenced but to resist openly. In this way they can throw a spanner in the works so that the hypnosis of the masses does not become too deep. If they do not, they are doomed.
Mattias Desmet argues that the reason for the terror of communism in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany was that the opposition decided at a certain point to go underground and stop acting in the public sphere. A few months later, the terror exploded. It is because the mass formation that is unleashed makes people totally blind to anything other than the group’s goals.
They lose all will to protect their own interests, are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices, become completely intolerant of dissenting voices, and eventually see it as their ethical duty to crush the opponents of the narrative.
A basic precondition for mass formation to take place is that a particular psychological breeding ground prevails, where many people in a society feel disconnected from their natural ties to the environment, such as the corona. In the resulting vacuum, people search for meaning in life.
For example, Desmet argues, the majority of people in the world find their jobs meaningless (“bull**** jobs”). When people feel free-floating anxiety, frustration and aggression that they don’t understand, we are in a truly dangerous position, because this energy is looking for an outlet somewhere.
If then a narrative is distributed through the media that you can come to terms with your loneliness and what ails you, it can take hold “however absurd it is”. Then people feel that they are getting back into a meaningful context; the collective is cohesive and full of solidarity.
The elite, on the other hand, don’t necessarily believe the narrative; they use it in their propaganda, but what really drives them is the ideology behind it.
(In our time, this may manifest itself in the ideological pursuit of globalism and supranationalism using the narrative of “equal value for all”, my note.)
But mass formation is an illusion because it means that people do not relate to each other on a personal level and therefore are not in solidarity with each other. Instead, the demands increase over time for them to sacrifice everything for the collective.
Mass formation is an extreme collectivism that sucks out all the energy and love between individuals and injects it into the collective. It is an extreme but timeless human mechanism that we must learn to recognise and fight,” argues Mattias Desmet.
So how do we stop the deadly effects of mass formation on both individuals and society? Mattias Desmet answers that it is a hypnotic process. Since the object focuses on only one aspect (witches, Jews, deviants, etc.), it is difficult to disrupt.
So strong is the power that people can be hypnotised into undergoing surgery without feeling pain or even being aware of what is happening when their chests are sawn open. The same mechanisms apply to indoctrination and propaganda.
Therefore, the courage of the dissident is the key. Speaking out interferes with the self-destruction of the masses. The main strategy and leading ethical principle when human beings are dehumanised will be to hold on to human dignity, as Alexandr Solzhenitsyn did in the Gulag or Viktor Frankl in the Nazi concentration camps.
“Then you quickly undergo a process of mental evolution and become more and more determined to stand up for the ethical values that are our innermost guide,” says Mattias Desmet, before launching into a deep discussion on why rational knowledge is an illusion that cannot reach the innermost core of existence. But that’s another story.
Gunnar Sandelin
part 3
Mattias Desmet about Mass Formation and modern society
(PhD Psychology, university of Ghent), on Tucker Carlson Today show.
25 384 views 5 sep. 2022 An unique interview with Mattias Desmet,
https://youtu.be/ZltdPfal5x0
In the UK it will become very interesting once the Islamists and trannies go at it.
Lol! The poor old Muslim getting the
merde beaten out of him.
A very unlikely alliance!
And the explosive device was left by the sellers who didn’t get their listing price but were forced to accept a selling price that reflected a significant discount so they hoped that they could make the deal blow up in the buyer’s face.
Unreasonable supposition