Don’t look for logic in a global mental hospital

Pro-Palestinian protests on American campuses haven’t turned into fully-fledged riots yet, but such a possibility can’t be ruled out. While it’s everyone’s right to express their opinion, no matter how detestable that opinion may be, it’s also the right of others to counter vitriolic nonsense with logic and reason. Then, the question arises: when is one calling for genocide? How do law enforcement agencies draw the line between free speech and incitement to genocide?

The issue isn’t as simple and as clear-cut as it seems. There are many smart ”activists” out there, paid – or just deluded – agent provocateurs who know how to send the message of hate while doing it in such a way that they can’t be accused of spreading hate.

Some call propagandists, be it Russian or from any country for that matter, morons. That dismissive attitude is wrong and dangerous. Propagandists aren’t stupid. They are often really smart and know how to manipulate others to do their bidding. Propagandists want others to be puppets who only think the way that propagandists want them to think. For all intents and purposes, propagandists want to live in your mind, rent-free. And they’re damn good at making it happen. Even when you laugh at propaganda, how cartoonish, clownish, it is, it takes a really strong mind to fully resist propaganda to the point where your mind isn’t affected at all.

The only way to counter these propagandists is having an astute mind capable of cutting through the nonsense with laser-like precision. You need a filter capable of withstanding the flood of caustic garbage. You need to know how propaganda works, you need to know all the tricks. You need a malleable mind. Sadly, in 2024, most people aren’t capable of such discernment, making it oh-so-easy for all sorts of Svengalis to use them as puppets. Yes, that includes you. And me. We tend to think of ourselves as propaganda-proof. Others, sure, their minds are easily poisoned. But not me, I’m smarter than that! Well, nobody is immune to propaganda. I don’t care how smart you think you are or if you’re an expert CIA interrogator.

I always say that three forces shape our world – geniuses, psychopaths and black swan events. Society, it seems, is just along for the ride in the world created by these three forces. I know. We say every person matters, every person can change the world. Is it true, though? If we honestly look at world history? You be the judge.

Just talk to people who don’t recognize their children or parents anymore.

”My mom isn’t the same anymore since she’s started watching channel X!”

”My Russian dad calls me a traitor and a Nazi because I support Ukraine. I’m dead to him.”

And on and on it goes. I’m sure you know such cases. That’s even more tragic than death, you might say. Being alive, yet being dead to people you thought were always going to be on your side. There’s no guarantee they are ever going to see the light. It’s like posession, except instead of an exorcist, you need a damn good deprogrammer.

I sometimes come across people who – rightly so – are outraged at the state of the world. How twisted it all is, how devoid of logic it all is. Yes, but the only way to stay sane in this world is to stop looking for logic and embrace the madness. By embracing your inner madness, my dear reader, you’re – paradoxically – going to stay sane. Just don’t embrace your madness too much or you’re going to end up like some comic book villain with a clownish smile.