When They Tell You Who They Are, Listen.

Dear Friends,

It seems to me, when someone tells you who they are and what they are up to, pretending not to notice isn’t courtesy, it’s stupidity. Therefore, not acting, at least to inform others, is cowardly. The purest example is in the fictitious Sergeant Schultz of Hogan’s Heroes, “I see nothing!” He was a German who didn’t deliberately ignored the Nazi takeover of his country, so he found himself without agency and in constant mortal danger. He and we act the sheep and we will get sheared. Many are afraid of acting in any way, even controlling their very thoughts lest they be found out as racists. This is due to the cultural programming. Bernays must be proud how his swindling tactics are so successful that today many fear their own thoughts. So they pretend not to hear so they don’t have to act.

I was on vacation the last two weeks. While I was away we ate at the Milton Diner. The meal was lovely. It was a beautiful morning so we ate outdoors. A dark haired and bearded fellow came out of the restaurant and danced his baby on one of the tables. He chanted over and over, “Attack, baby, attack! Attack, attack, attack!” He did this for a while then went back in the restaurant. When I went inside to pay the bill he was so loud he could be heard over the din of the diner talk. I thought it odd. Normally one plays object-permanence games with a baby that age, such as Peekaboo. It almost seemed that man was programming his baby below the level of object permanence… to attack. Then again, he could be simply telling us who he is and what he is about.

On a larger scale, there is the mayor of NYC Mamdani. The painted on smarmy grin is appropriate for Satan himself. Meanwhile every policy he backs was tried and failed multiple times in the 1970s. Counting on our short memories and poor educations, he is gaining traction. Rent control insures few rental units will be available and those that are will be slums. Government backed grocery stores will result in bread lines, because free market stores will be driven out then the monopoly government stores will do what they always do… fail. Then there is the brilliance of a wealth tax. This is a tax that only the stupidest or most malevolent would even consider. It’s not eating the seed corn but throwing it to wild hogs. General poverty can only result. This is how he tells us who he is and what he is about.

Internationally, we have the globalist progressives exploiting international norms and treaties to rule against the will and interests of the people. When someone demands farming be shut down so that in a hundred years the seas won’t rise… is telling you who he is and what he is up to. People who jail fathers for complaining that their daughters are being abused, are explaining who they are and what they are about. Moreover, the whole Epstein scandal has been systematically swept under the rug, by the system. Could there ever be a better example of people telling us who they are and what they are up to? Yet we ignore them as they show us we are their enemy. Just as Sergeant Schultz ignored the threat of national socialism… likely to the same result.

I’m not saying the elites are evil. Indeed it’s altogether possible they are simply stupid. Bonhoeffer said stupidity is more dangerous than malevolence… and more prevalent. Even the smartest people can be stupid. In fact, the smarter someone is the easier it is for them to be stupid, because they can rationalize almost any absurdity. So we can use a form of Hanlon’s adage… that stupidity elevated sufficiently is indistinguishable from malice. Nevertheless, stupid or malevolent, when someone tells you who they are and what they are up to, listen. Remember, the stupid are far more dangerous than the evil. This is because the evil are self-interested so are limited. Even as the stupid will destroy their own lives and those of their loved ones… with empty-headed glee.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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The Unexamined Premise of Government

Dear Friends,

It seems to me, the idea of regulation is based on an unspoken and unexamined premise… that government works in the best interest of the nation. This question is never asked but is simply assumed. Do governments indeed act in the best interests of the nation and the people inside them? We assume it does. Indeed, this notion is so ingrained in us that we don’t ask the question let alone examine it. This is critical because granting power to government only makes sense if it will actually act in the interests of the nation and people. If government doesn’t act in the interests of the nation and people then granting it any power whatsoever is self-destructive. So, what do you think at this point? Do governments work in the interests of the nation and people, or itself?

We assume government acts in the interest of the nation and people because it seems self-evident. We assume that to act in any other way would be self-destructive for government. In fact many won’t even read past the initial question since they are so convinced government always acts in the best interests of the nation. This assumes that the interests of the nation and the government always align. What a magnetic argument. We want government to work in the best interests of the nation and people. This biases us. It’s easy to convince someone that something they want to be true actually is, even if it isn’t. Moreover it’s difficult to convince someone that a fact they don’t want to be true, is. So a wise person will ask themselves, is there more to this than it appears?

A more nuanced way to look at it is, does government always act in the best interests of the nation? This is the right question to ask because even the most ethical, wise, and selfless government will make mistakes. Government is made up of human beings. Heaven knows we are fallible. So it’s not even possible for government to always work in the best interests of the nation and people. This is because government is a group of human beings who are fallible. Therefore, government is fallible. A fallible entity must on occasion fail. This is even true of an omniscient government, since it is still a crowd of human beings. So government can’t always act in the best interests of the nation and people, even if only occasionally, and by mistake.

Then some may argue that, since nothing is perfect, the free market made up of human beings left to act in their own interests will make far more mistakes. So why not give power to fallible government since it will try to act in the best interests of the nation and people, instead of every man for himself? Freedom, they argue, is every man for himself. Central planning is supposedly every man for every man. On the face of it this is a valid argument. If human beings are fallible, then why let them have agency? They will just fail… but on a small scale. Moreover, an individual’s failure is paid for by the individual. This is a teaching tool. When power is centralized, failures become extreme. Millions of people die in famines, wars, and purges. The difference is in magnitude.

Then there is the question of whether government’s interests do indeed align with the nation and people. The same argument against allowing the hoi polloi agency is damning to those in government. If people can’t be trusted with minimal power, how can they be trusted with great power? If a small amount of wealth is corrupting, how much more untold wealth? This suggests that government rarely acts in the interests of the nation and people… but of itself. Those in power will naturally extract the wealth of the nation because it is in their self-interest. To claim only saints seek power is absurd. If the common run of man is corruptible then those in power are corruptible. This means that government seldom acts in the interests of the nation and people. The opposite of our presumption.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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Limericks – Absurdity Cannot Long Persist

Dear Friends,

In a nation with a camera on every street,
Is a panopticon exposing us before the elite,
Nothing is hidden,
Unless it’s forbidden,
Setting a double standard making it complete.

Immigrants are hitting the ground like sleet,
Abetted by the stupid bleeding heart elite,
Who disparage the system,
They hate capitalism,
While rational people are voting with their feet.

Grifters play on our emotional reaction,
And con us by levering us into action,
Always an excuse,
Don’t be obtuse,
Because the point is mere extraction.

There once was a government without ethics,
It was extractive and so focused on the optics,
Narrative control,
Censorship patrol,
And the elites soon became unemployed relics.

A nation that needs surveillance to _____,
Is run by traitors and we better not _______,
That dog’s not lame,
It’s a con _____,
And once exposed it cannot long persist.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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The Socialist Swindle

Dear Friends,

It seems to me, the socialist swindle is that there can be a tyranny of the people by anyone other than an appointed few. One cannot tyrannize himself or herself. A masochist might but they enjoy it so it’s not tyranny, it’s something else. Therefore someone has to be appointed to do the tyrannizing. So when a socialist claims to be a populist they are manipulating us. This is because if everyone is allowed to go about their business capitalism arises naturally, the only way to have socialism is by force. Some have to lower their standard of living so others can raise theirs. This violates the principle of self-interest. The more it violates self-interest the more force is necessary. This becomes a feedback loop until despotism is reached. Socialism then is rightly an elitist philosophy and system that leads to tyranny.

Any philosophy that advocates for tyrannical rule by a few is elitist. Claiming that a faction is the only rightful representative of the people so is populist, is spurious. No matter how such rule is rationalized, it is still rule by an elite. The same is true of aristocratic systems. The idea that the rest of us must be ruled by an appointed elite is the definition of elitism. What socialism is then, is an elitist system that justifies despotism by claiming to do it in the name of those they tyrannize. The tyranny of the masses is more apt than they might have intended. More often than not the despots are self-appointed as well. Then again, isn’t that what all elitist philosophies do? They self-justify their self-appointment and unlimited power. They do it in the name of God, the King, or sometimes the masses.

Under communism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, and all other modern centrally planned systems the justification is to defend and elevate the downtrodden. Sometimes they are workers, the volk, other times they are minorities, and lately they are the deranged. Central planners need a victim to justify their power. They always choose a politically favored group to represent, and a politically disfavored group to destroy. Lenin chose the Kulaks to liquidate. Then he exterminated them with blood curdling efficiency. The tyranny was done by an elite but was called the tyranny of the masses. The claim is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. So the many turn on the few, until they have become a mortal Ouboros. A selfish self-appointed, self-consuming rapacious beast.

Socialists like to claim that real socialism has never been tried. This is because they see socialism as structured anarchy. Marx said communism would be the tyranny of the masses, all means of production would be jointly owned, and human nature would evolve to suit the new paradigm. The only problem is, how? How do you allow anarchy yet control it? How do you jointly own the means of production without a core of professional elites to run it? Moreover, how do you get human nature itself to become more ant like and less human? These are intractable problems for socialism. What the socialism deniers are saying is not that real socialism has never been tried, but that real socialism can never be tried. Only unlimited power given to a few can achieve the goals they set.

Socialism, fascism, communism and indeed all forms of central planning then are elitist systems that call themselves populist. I ask you, is a wolf wearing a sheepskin a sheep or a wolf? Does calling itself a sheep make it one? No, a wolf is a wolf whether it wears a sheepskin or not. It may baa like a sheep and it may assert is is a sheep… but it is a wolf. Central planning is not and never can be a populist system. Populism, or devolving power to the people, is the antithesis of central planning. So when a central planner in whatever flavor, socialist, communist, fascist, Marxist, globalist, etc., claims to be a populist… know they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and they mean you no good.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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Limericks – A Smile And Smirk

Dear Friends,

Socialism’s central planning has great potential,
Its advocates claim it’s critical and existential,
I smell a wet rat,
Could it be that,
It’s a parasite convincing the host it’s essential.

He is called the doctor of common sense,
The man spouts truth from across the fence,
A strong mind,
A great find,
As he points out stupidity in elitist arguments.

Behold these new laws and regulations sleek,
Bound to make the economy operate at peak,
But results belie,
Bound to ask why,
Because law serves the powerful not the weak.

Women today seek attention of the other,
Consuming it and then they need another,
A stranger’s flattery,
Is ethereal nattery,
It cant be the perfect affection for a mother.

A swindle needs several elements to ____,
It doesn’t need the truth told by some ____,
Extraction fails,
Thumb on ______,
And ruining lives with a smile and smirk.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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The Jobs Program For The Stupid

Dear Friends,

It seems to me, if not for unaccountable positions, the stupid (ie. Bonhoeffer’s definition) would have zero job opportunities. A stupid janitor would be fired on his or her first day for some stupid act. Like knocking over a server rack to mop behind it. A janitor is held accountable and there are consequences for their actions. It’s only where a person is unaccountable and faces no consequences that the stupid can have career opportunities. That’s why wherever there is a position insulated from reality you will find a concentration of stupid people in it. Jobs that are above the law are ideal in this respect. Careers like bureaucrat, politician, and political commissar (a modern NGO). This is because these are ideal career opportunities for the stupid. Insulation selects for stupidity.

People are attracted to jobs that suit their skills. Those without skill then seek positions of power. These are jobs where skill is irrelevant. This is why there is a Pareto Distribution of managers that create negative value for the companies they work for. A lack of skill is one thing, but outright stupidity is another. There is an old saying, those who can, do; and those who can’t, teach. So those who can’t, we can presume also become regulation inspectors. A politician need have no skills whatsoever other than charisma. Then again, charisma is a quality or attribute not a skill. The thing about skill is that it comes with a presumed level of accountability and consequences in the event of failure. A plumber who breaks something is obligated to fix it for free. A bureaucrat, not so much.

The stupid are ill suited for any position that requires accountability or consequences, because their actions would get them fired. In government, where there are no consequences or accountability even for killing millions of people in a blunder (as Fauci did), stupidity can rise to the greatest elevation. This is because there is no ceiling to it. Moreover, in an echo chamber, only the stupid are allowed to speak. The wise are threatened with violence, and so, as Confucius said, a fool takes a dangerous path when a safe one is available. So the wise eschew the echo chambers of stupidity. This leaves them to the stupid. What material is better suited to make an echo chamber than ivory? An ivory tower is not only made of the ideal stuff it is the ideal shape to amplify the stupidity.

If stupid people face accountability or consequences they would learn not to be stupid. That means that for a person to remain stupid they must be insulated from the results of their actions. Upon leaving the ivory tower, George McGovern lamented, “I wish someone had explained the real meaning of the payroll tax…” Something may sound great in an ivory tower but absurd in reality. This means that when someone continually contacts reality they must lose the sharp edges of stupidity. Those edges are worn down. A stupid person gets in accidents teaching him or her not to act stupidly. They create problems for themselves and everyone around them so they learn not to act that way. Moreover, ridicule of stupidity is a strong motivator not to be stupid.

You have to feel sorry for the stupid. We were all stupid once, and we are all stupid on occasion, but the deeply stupid are a sorry lot. John Wayne once said, “Life is hard. It’s harder when your stupid.” So we shouldn’t be surprised that bureaucrats, politicians, and commissars are largely made up of stupid people. There is no reason for them not to be… and strong incentive for them to be. The thing is, government isn’t a jobs program for the stupid. It has become that, but government has a real purpose, that being a jobs program undermines. So while I feel sorry for the stupid, I believe we need to put consequences and accountability into government careers, just like any other career. That alone would disqualify 80% of those in government today. The dole can support the stupid.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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Limericks – Staffed By The Toxic

Dear Friends,

The idols of the elite are self-serving,
The wants of the people unnerving,
But here’s the rub,
It’s a sinking sub,
Rationalized by logic that’s curving.

Leftists dawdle watching tic tok,
Accepting their opinions ad hoc,
An arrogant mess,
No self-awareness,
Now they’ve become a laughing stock.

Institutions often have some charm,
Inculcating rote like a schoolmarm,
A political link,
Making us think,
Medicine is now a propaganda arm.

There once was a prosecutor named Jack,
He’s a political pit bull ever on the attack,
A real nit wit,
Total hypocrite,
And when he points a finger three point back.

Idols of the tribe have no _____,
As absurdity makes itself _____,
Institutions __________,
History re-edited,
And staffed by people toxic.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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Limericks – You’re Already Defeated

Dear Friends,

Once trust is lost it’s not quickly re-earned,
Actions of the state leave the people burned,
Claiming to be woke,
They’ve made a joke,
Out of the idea of consent of the governed.

Very soon no one will be alive,
Population collapse news at 5,
It’s been done before,
The arrogant adore,
Now we have entered Universe 25.

Scientists are singing a lilting song,
After taking a hit from a glass bong,
A soulless cut,
It’s inhuman but,
There’s no way it could go horribly wrong.

Appeal to authority is really swell,
Invincible armor a security shell,
Authorities are few,
Censorship for you,
And no independent thinking as well.

Your consent is simply not ______,
Your posterity you will be _______,
We’re lab rats,
To red ____,
So shut up your already defeated.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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Consensus is Opinion Management

Dear Friends,

It seems to me, manufacturing consensus is just another way of telling us what to think. Who has the hubris to tell another what to think? Someone who considers themselves superior. An inferior never presumes to tell a superior what to think. So those who manufacture consensus consider themselves to be our superiors, not only in political power, but intellectual, spiritual, and moral. This is the definition of pride, considered by sages to be the “root of all sin.” Moreover, just because someone considers themselves to be superior, that doesn’t make them superior. That’s the fallacy of the rights of kings. Station doesn’t denote superiority as a human being, human heartedness and pragmatic outcomes do. Superior people improve the lot of everyone. Inferior people lower everyone’s lot.

Those who speak nasally through their lower teeth while pointing at us with beak hands, are constantly calling for “consensus.” Such people epitomize entitlement as an attitude. Entitlement entails pride, envy, greed, and sloth, the fantastic four sins. Only an extremely entitled person would expect to get victims to agree to being victimized, to benefit the entitled. They must consider themselves above the normal run of man. Anything anyone else has, must also be theirs. Such people extract from the nations they rule until there is nothing left to extract. Then they enact a wealth tax to clean up the remaining crumbs. Moreover, entitled people shouldn’t have to toil in mundane tasks. There are other people more suited to such work. The mindset of the arrogant is in stark contrast to that of the humble.

Human hearted people are the mirror image of arrogant people. They lead by example. They don’t demand from others, they step up and do what needs to be done, while making room behind them for helpers. Humility is obviously the opposite of pride. A humble person thanks even the chickens for their eggs. A kind person is happy at the gains of others, for the increase in the stock of mankind’s wealth. Human hearted people are happy with what they have and so are rich. Moreover, the diligent work for what they have, and so never feel they are parasites who must hate their host… along with the resulting cognitive dissonance. Human hearted people then never seek consensus. They diligently lead by example, and make room for help.

Telling others what to think is the role of a parent not a political leader. A representative of the people is a representative, not a ruler. The problem is that any time there is power at play, the arrogant will push to the head of the line. Meanwhile, the human hearted have no inner desire to rule. So power devolves to the arrogant who then create the acme of Aristotle’s wrong government. Where the rulers serve their own interests at the cost of the people and the State itself. As the fortunes of the nation decline due to being run by the arrogant, they need ever more “consensus,” to enact ever more despotic laws. Such rulers would argue the car is in the ditch not because the driver put it there, but because the guy sleeping in the backseat snored. So they need even more power… to stop the snoring.

So when any political leader laments a lack of consensus to empower himself or herself, know they epitomize arrogance. They are openly telling you what to think. If you don’t warp your view to match the narcissistic ruler’s views, they will attack you as a hater, racist, or of promoting misinformation. Power attracts the arrogant like a chest of drawers does moths. Human hearted people do instead of tell, and so are the best suited for power, but they eschew it. Power must be thrust into the hands of the human hearted, while the arrogant seek it with gusto. The examples of Solon, Numa Pompilius, and George Washington show that human hearted people serve their nations. Listen to your politicians. Do they seek consensus or do they lead by example? Once those are answered, vote accordingly.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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Limericks – Make Them A Memory

Dear Friends,

The deep state is power root and stem,
Utterly lacking any semblance of wisdom,
Zagged and zigged,
The thing is rigged,
And ruination is built into the system.

The deep state is truly a bog and a fen,
Perverting law making a filthy pig pen,
Corrupt you see,
The dirty laundry,
And no consequences so it’ll happen again.

Taxes are the government’s feed,
It’s filled with avarice and greed,
No matter how fat,
Remember that,
Smart farmers don’t eat their seed.

Liars lose power if we don’t believe,
That’s when they cry fret and grieve,
It’s how they feel,
Here’s the deal,
It’s past time to give them the heave.

The deep state is its own worst ______,
Above the law are they without _______,
The golden goose they killed,
A black hole can’t be ______,
So the wise would make them a memory.

Sincerely,
John Pepin

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