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S.J. Kerrigan

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Four Wednesdays in January

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: January 29, 2021

In 2012, a man named Peter Turchin predicted that by 2020 the US would reach “peak instability” marked by violent unrest and major social upheaval.

Turchin is one of those “cycle guys.” That means he looks for patterns in history to help predict the future. He’s an ecologist, evolutionary biologist, and mathematician at the University of Connecticut. The technical name for his field of study is “cliodynamics” and although it’s been called pseudoscience, Turchin’s work has been published in Nature, and he insists it is a reliable model for predicting the future.

It is similar to William Strauss and Neil Howe’s Fourth Turning theory developed in the early 1990s, which said that the US would enter a time of intense instability beginning around 2008.

People like this are annoying because they tie everything back into their cyclical theory, but there’s no arguing with results.

I won’t summarize the shit-show that was 2020. We all lived it. But this month alone, we’ve seen Trump supporters raid the Capitol Building resulting in five deaths, the House of Representatives impeach the now former President (again), Joe Biden inaugurated amidst a military backdrop, and most recently, a massive financial scandal involving, of all things, GameStop. Read More »

Posted in News | Tagged Banks, OWS, Regulation, Social Criticism | Leave a comment

Hollywood’s Failed Plan to Conquer Reality

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: September 12, 2019

Remember Archie Bunker from the 1971 TV show All in the Family? In it’s stride, it was a number one show and drew viewers from over 21 million households.

By the Hollywood standards of then and today, Bunker was a authoritarian, racist, sexist, anti-semite, homophobic “Nazi.” He used nearly every religious and ethnic slur you can think of. For example, he noted that black men or “spooks” were natural athletes because, “It’s in their blood… inherited from the time their forefathers were in the jungle running barefoot through all those thorns and thickets with tigers on their butts.”

The show was meant to be a liberal morality tale and condemn Bunker’s backward prejudices. President Richard Nixon described All in the Family as “that show that makes fun of a good man.” Meanwhile, critics argued that it glorified prejudice because the character was well written enough to be relatable. Over time, they feared, the subtlety of the message would be lost.

But Bunker was also pro-union worker living in Queens, NY in the 1970s. By that standard, he would have indisputably been a Democrat. At the time, every real-life working class man of Bunker’s position and temperament was a Democrat.

Why Norman Lear, the show’s producer, wrote Bunker as a Republican is a mystery to me, but I suspect that as a lifelong Democrat, he simply couldn’t stand to criticize his party which was in intense opposition to the hated Nixon. It was absurd to make him a Republican, but it was also prophetic, because in the 50 years since, Bunker has become Hollywood’s preferred image of a white, working-class, middle-age male.

So which came first, the reality or the image? Perhaps they came into being together. Read More »

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Media, Psychology, Social Criticism | Leave a comment

Impossible Justice: Why Congress Has No Moral Authority

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: September 29, 2018

The Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court Senate confirmation hearings reminds me a lot of another congressional hearing in the early 1990s. No, I’m not talking about Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill. I’m thinking of the testimony by the 15-year-old Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ in 1990, just prior to the United States first war in Iraq. To understand this comparison, we need to recall the lead up to it and the many lies that were told to start that war.

Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 after accusing them of stealing their oil. Kuwait had been using advanced horizontal drilling techniques that allowed them to drill billions of dollars’ worth from Iraq’s oil fields near their shared boarder.

At first, the US had no position in the war, as it had no valid reason to protect Kuwait. Really, the US even supported Iraq’s invasion.

President George H.W. Bush wanted higher oil prices because Kuwaiti’s drilling was keeping the price suppressed and devastating profits of the Texas oil companies. At that time, the US even worked to suppress accusations that Iraq was committing atrocities within its country. It flat out encouraged Iraq to invade in its private conversations so that they could stop Kuwait from drilling. After taking supportive queues from the US State Department, Iraq overstepped, seeking to annex the whole country.

The US quickly took a 180, assuming its typical pro-active propaganda posture, releasing damning information in such a way as to create reinforcing narratives, eventually resulting in an insatiable demand for war.  Read More »

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Imperial Presidency, Justice System, Media, Social Criticism, War | Leave a comment

The Rise of the American Crisis Cult

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: September 12, 2018

Every election cycle, voters hope that a savior or an organized group of righteous elites will come along and reinvigorate the economy, raise wages, restore communities, and reform broken institutions. When these bearers of hope fail to provide even a modest reprieve, the cycle begins anew. They hope that the next Clinton, the next Obama, and now Trump, will finally represent them. Every time the disappointment is greater and the resulting desperation more profound.

People trapped in collapsing societies will latch on to anything that can give them hope. And when leaders betray the people they are supposed to represent over and over again, the people eventually surrender to what anthropologists call crisis cults. Crisis cults form when large numbers of people, desperate for restoration of growth and success, surrender to magical thinking. They believe that an apocalypse will remake the world, punishing evil doers and restoring a moral society. It’s the final stage in the psychology of a society before complete madness and collapse.

The most famous crisis cult in American history is the Ghost Dance of 1890. It was practiced by Native Americans after the US government broke the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Facing starvation after having their lands taken away and the destruction of the buffalo, the Lakota tribe turned to this newly invented ritual that would cause the ghost of their dead ancestors to return and fight the white man.  Read More »

Posted in Opinion | Tagged censorship, Donald Trump, Media, qanon, Social Criticism | Leave a comment

Barron Trump the Synchronicity Kid

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: July 25, 2017

Baron Trump (illustrated left) with Barron Trump

By now, most people reading this will have heard of the Alt-right. Are they really just racist trolls, or are they the right wing version of Occupy Wall Street: young, technologically savvy, and a bit counterculture? Perhaps they are both or neither depending on who you ask, but the Alt-right is defined less by their beliefs (which are varied) and more by how they spread information.

There is a small, but growing segment of the Alt-right which has begun to take black or chaos magick very seriously. Laugh if you must, but these would be techno-warlocks and witches have collectively devoted perhaps hundreds of thousands of hours in the creation and sharing of magickal* sigils with the intention of altering reality. They call them memes, but the effect, they would argue, is essentially the same.

Through “meme magic” and a liberal interpretation of quantum mechanics, the Alt-right believe they are successfully reshaping reality. First, they got a reality TV show host nominated for President and then finally succeeding in getting him elected, placing him at the head of the world’s largest empire. Motivations for getting Trump elected range from legitimately believing he would make a good president to the more nihilistic “doing it for the lulz.” Again, ideology doesn’t define the Alt-right. It’s their methods which set them apart from the traditional right wing.  Read More »

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2016, Media, Mythology, occult, Psychology, Religion, Social Criticism | Leave a comment

American Spirit Radio Interview – July 22, 2017

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: July 22, 2017

Last month I was interviewed on my book, “Bureaucratic Insanity” by Progressive Spirit Radio. It’s now been posted. I’m in segment A.

http://www.prx.org/pieces/210953?m=false

Posted in Interviews | Tagged Bureaucratic Insanity, interview | Leave a comment

Trump’s Targeting by Intelligence Community Rhymes with Nixon’s Outting; Marks Beginning of ‘Cold Civil War’

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: February 23, 2017

It’s now widely recognized that there is a kind of Cold-Civil War going on now within the US government, between President Donald Trump and the intelligence community, which has become increasingly adversarial.

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, an establishment writer who has long defended the CIA, provided the early details of national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn’s phone call with a Russian ambassador. The leaking of this information was certainly illegal and was acquired using warrantless wiretap methods that itself would have been illegal just a few years ago. While it is unlikely that Flynn committed any illegal acts, his failure to be forthcoming about the discussion ultimately resulted in his resignation. It embarrassed the President and further added to the belief that there is unethical, illegal, or even treasonous behavior going on between Trump and Russia.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump during an MSNBC interview last month:

“Let me tell you: You take on the intelligence community — they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.”

This echoes what I’ve been saying for years now; mass surveillance isn’t about terrorism or crime, but about acquiring ammunition for political blackmail. Mass surveillance like the PRISM program hasn’t had a measurable impact on crime or terrorism, but it has allowed the intelligence community to tighten its grip on the country’s politicians.

This kind of conflict between the executive branch and the intelligence community isn’t unprecedented. Some of what is happening is reminiscent of the Nixon era. President Nixon was also at odds with what he called the “the east coast liberals”, which includes not only newspapers and television, but also Wall Street and the intelligence community. Originally from California, Nixon hated them, but recognized and feared their power, and their potential for violence.

Read More »

Posted in News | Tagged Cold Civil War, Donald Trump | Leave a comment

An American Color Revolution?

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: November 13, 2016

It is wildly ineffective to try and convince people that Trump is dangerous if protesters carry Mexican flags while burning US flags, smash storefronts, and are photographed acting in an even mildly threatening demeanor. Effective protest have to work just like political campaigns. They have to be unoffensive, measured, and carry a ‘common-man’ sensibility. Based on what I’ve seen, these protests (and most protests of the modern era) fail to meet these standards. It only takes a few knuckleheads with a “Rape Melania” sign to undermine thousands of simultaneous protests around the country.

But convincing Americans that Trump is bad is not the intention of these protests. Rather the tactics being deployed here are similar to the ones used in the so called “color revolutions.” These acts are meant to provide cover for more official action by connected elites still reeling from their loss last Tuesday.

In Michael Moore’s words, the protesters are attempting to push Trump out of the White House. One plan being floated is to pressure the Electoral College to vote against voter’s wishes in favor of electing the war criminal and Wall Street lackey Hillary Clinton. If we assume that these protest are not protests against any particular policy, but instead are part of a larger plan to cause government officials to invalidate the US election, then the tactics being used make more sense. The intent isn’t to convince anyone of anything, but rather to provide cover for the system to act.  Read More »

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2016, Media, Social Criticism | Leave a comment

Anarchy in the USA

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: November 9, 2016

The biggest winner of the 2016 election is the anarchist. Despite what you think of Trump, there can be no doubt: globalism is dead. The anarchist’s centuries long battle against the centralization of power has finally turned in his favor. The power elite may never recover from this defeat.

However crude his presidency may turn out to be, Donald Trump’s election stopped trade deals like the TPP and shattered any hope of a global government in the near future. Very likely, we will soon end Obamacare and its mandate for people to buy a criminally overpriced product. Massachusetts, Nevada, and California legalized marijuana for recreational sale and use and it’s likely to spread further. In every respect, the enemies of government have won.

It is not an exaggeration to suggest that this election may signal a new political and economic paradigm for the entire human race. If you think this is a shocking overstatement, hear me out.  Read More »

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Donald Trump, Economic Theory, Election 2016, Financial Crisis, History, Preperation, Social Criticism | 1 Response

Bureaucratic Insanity Now Available on Kindle

By S.J. Kerrigan | Published: October 25, 2016

My book is now available on Amazon Kindle for $3.99. In addition, the price for the print version has been lowered to $12. Also, check out my latest article here at Dmitry Orlov’s site where I discuss the current state of Bureaucratic Insanity.

(Please note that these links go to my Amazon Associate page, and allow me to collect an additional commission from the sale at no cost to you.)

Posted in News | 1 Response
« Older posts
  •  Recent Posts

    • Four Wednesdays in January January 29, 2021
    • Hollywood’s Failed Plan to Conquer Reality September 12, 2019
    • Impossible Justice: Why Congress Has No Moral Authority September 29, 2018
    • The Rise of the American Crisis Cult September 12, 2018
    • Barron Trump the Synchronicity Kid July 25, 2017
    • American Spirit Radio Interview – July 22, 2017 July 22, 2017
    • Trump’s Targeting by Intelligence Community Rhymes with Nixon’s Outting; Marks Beginning of ‘Cold Civil War’ February 23, 2017
    • An American Color Revolution? November 13, 2016
    • Anarchy in the USA November 9, 2016
    • Bureaucratic Insanity Now Available on Kindle October 25, 2016
    • The Social Scientists Were Right; Trump and the Image-Based Society October 17, 2016
    • Summarizing The DNC Meeting To Replace Hillary Clinton September 18, 2016
    • John C. Lilly and the Solid State Entity – A Video Documentary September 3, 2016
    • John C. Lilly and the Solid State Entity July 30, 2016
    • Liminalist Podcast #69.5: The Soft Machine of Society June 15, 2016
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