salemh

There is quite a good book on the various problems with the US Military, and its hegemony leading to losing the arms race in missiles, and its various industry problems by Andrei Martyanov - naturalized US citizen, former Soviet military officer. Loves America, hates what its turned into, and marvels at the delusion of our military. MIC bloat is discussed here, as well as our fake financialized economy - which is not an indicator of being able to win wars.

I have only read the first book, and it was nice and humbling experience to me as an American.

https://www.amazon.com/Disintegration-Indicators-Coming-Amer...

Blog:

https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/

Review:

https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2022/08/how-russia-views-...

Its just sleight of hand.

Congress quietly moves to integrate US and Israeli militaries

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/israel-us-military/

Netanyahu Pushes Congress to Adopt a New Structure for US Military Aid to Israel

https://truthout.org/articles/netanyahu-pushes-congress-to-a...

The efficacy of anti-depressants has been consistently over-inflated, so generations were poisoned with side-effects: suicidal ideation, homicidal tendencies, etc.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20616621/

Results: Meta-analyses of FDA trials suggest that antidepressants are only marginally efficacious compared to placebos and document profound publication bias that inflates their apparent efficacy. These meta-analyses also document a second form of bias in which researchers fail to report the negative results for the pre-specified primary outcome measure submitted to the FDA, while highlighting in published studies positive results from a secondary or even a new measure as though it was their primary measure of interest. The STARD analysis found that the effectiveness of antidepressant therapies was probably even lower than the modest one reported by the study authors with an apparent progressively increasing dropout rate across each study phase.*

https://blackrockvanguardwatch.com/

"the Big Three do exert the voting rights attached to these shares. Therefore, they have to be perceived as de facto owners by corporate executives. These companies have, in fact, publicly declared that they seek to exert influence. William McNabb, chairman and CEO of Vanguard, said in 2015 that, 'In the past, some have mistakenly assumed that our predominantly passive management style suggests a passive attitude with respect to corporate governance. Nothing could be further from the truth.' When we analysed the voting behaviour of the Big Three, we found that they coordinate it through centralised corporate governance departments. Hence, just three companies wield an enormous potential power over corporate America." (source, also this). In effect Vanguard and Blackrock forgo taking large fees in exchange for having enormous ability to exert power over the economy through influence on corporate boards and leadership. This power that is subject to little public awareness or accountability. This page gives a quick visual overview of it.

https://archive.ph/bFE8h

Larry Fink: "The behavior is going to have to change… this is something we’re asking companies. You have to force behavior. At BlackRock, we are forcing behaviors.”

https://theconversation.com/these-three-firms-own-corporate-...

In a recently published paper, our CORPNET research project comprehensively mapped the ownership of the Big Three. We found that the Big Three, taken together, have become the largest shareholder in 40% of all publicly listed firms in the United States.

"Nietzche read and admired Dostoevsky. In Twilight of the Idols, he calls him "the only psychologist from whom I had something to learn,""

https://old.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/3d1h59/did_n...

Nope, Bill Gates believes we should bury trees instead.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/15/1065016/a-stealt...

Trees are naturally efficient at sucking down vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the air, but they release the carbon again when they die and rot on the ground. Sequestering trees underground could prevent this. If biomass burial works as well as hoped, it may provide a relatively cheap and easy way to pull down some share of the billions of tons of greenhouse gas that studies find may need to be removed to keep global temperatures in check in the coming decades.

4 Reasons We Should Worry About Missing Crime Data https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/07/13/fbi-crime-rate...

Then it all changed in 2021. In an effort to fully modernize the system, the FBI stopped taking data from the old summary system and only accepted data through the new system. Thousands of police agencies fell through the cracks because they didn’t catch up with the changes on time.

More than 6,000 law enforcement agencies were missing from the FBI’s national crime data last year, representing nearly one-third of the nation’s 18,000 police agencies. This means a quarter of the U.S. population wasn't represented in the federal crime data last year, according to The Marshall Project’s analysis.

Of the 19 biggest law enforcement agencies — each of which police more than 1 million people — seven were missing from the FBI’s 2022 crime data. The missing agencies include the LAPD, the NYPD, and police departments in Phoenix, San Jose and New York's Suffolk County.

I wish more in tech would stop pretending pornography is something benign. This isn't the case, though I personally thought the same just a few years ago. There is data, and victims available to see it is not.

Understanding a Context of Risk: Pornography and Child Sexual Abuse https://osf.io/kf4uv/download/?format=pdf One of the most troubling patterns emerging in the research relates to the increasing number of younger children (under the ages of 12-14) involved in perpetrating child sexual assault. Clinical and legal studies are reporting greater numbers of preteen children demonstrating interpersonal problematic sexual behaviors that intrude on the physical space and security of other children (Friedrich et al., 2006; Swisher et al., 2008).

<>

Most relevant to the purpose of this paper is the role of exposure to sexually explicit media as one of the explanatory variables in child sexual abuse. A meta-analysis of 22 studies demonstrates that exposure to pornography, particularly violent pornography, is significantly associated with increased rates of sexual aggression in the general population (Wright et al., 2016). Given that the average age of first exposure to pornography is age 11 (Wolak et al., 2006), it is important to begin to consider what role, if any, pornography may play in child sexual abuse, particular if perpetrated by children. Several studies have included sexually explicit media as a contributing factor for child-perpetrated sexual abuse.

The Association Between Exposure to Violent Pornography and Teen Dating Violence in Grade 10 High School Students https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6751001/ Exposure to pornography in general has been linked with adolescent dating violence and sexual aggression, but less is known about exposure to violent pornography specifically. The current study examined the association of violent pornography exposure with different forms of teen dating violence (TDV) using baseline survey data from a sample of Grade 10 high school students who reported being in a dating relationship in the past year (n = 1694)

A Meta-Analysis of Pornography Consumption and Actual Acts of Sexual Aggression in General Population Studies https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcom.12201 Is pornography consumption correlated with committing actual acts of sexual aggression? 22 studies from 7 different countries were analyzed. Consumption was associated with sexual aggression in the United States and internationally, among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations were stronger for verbal than physical sexual aggression, although both were significant. The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor.

Good! As a former hedonist, I also used to defend pornography with the zealousness of the inquisition - which many of these comments show. Dig beneath the surface, and you'll see the rot. This isn't even speaking of the poor teenagers who have ED in their teen years from destroying their endocrine systems, or being mutiliated by dopamine addiction. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5039517/

Meanwhile, you can read the studies showing upticks of sexual violence among children and TEENAGERS assisted by this "freedom" of pornograpy with no limits.

Understanding a Context of Risk: Pornography and Child Sexual Abuse https://osf.io/kf4uv/download/?format=pdf One of the most troubling patterns emerging in the research relates to the increasing number of younger children (under the ages of 12-14) involved in perpetrating child sexual assault. Clinical and legal studies are reporting greater numbers of preteen children demonstrating interpersonal problematic sexual behaviors that intrude on the physical space and security of other children (Friedrich et al., 2006; Swisher et al., 2008).

<>

Most relevant to the purpose of this paper is the role of exposure to sexually explicit media as one of the explanatory variables in child sexual abuse. A meta-analysis of 22 studies demonstrates that exposure to pornography, particularly violent pornography, is significantly associated with increased rates of sexual aggression in the general population (Wright et al., 2016). Given that the average age of first exposure to pornography is age 11 (Wolak et al., 2006), it is important to begin to consider what role, if any, pornography may play in child sexual abuse, particular if perpetrated by children. Several studies have included sexually explicit media as a contributing factor for child-perpetrated sexual abuse.

The Association Between Exposure to Violent Pornography and Teen Dating Violence in Grade 10 High School Students https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6751001/ Exposure to pornography in general has been linked with adolescent dating violence and sexual aggression, but less is known about exposure to violent pornography specifically. The current study examined the association of violent pornography exposure with different forms of teen dating violence (TDV) using baseline survey data from a sample of Grade 10 high school students who reported being in a dating relationship in the past year (n = 1694)

A Meta-Analysis of Pornography Consumption and Actual Acts of Sexual Aggression in General Population Studies https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcom.12201 Is pornography consumption correlated with committing actual acts of sexual aggression? 22 studies from 7 different countries were analyzed. Consumption was associated with sexual aggression in the United States and internationally, among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations were stronger for verbal than physical sexual aggression, although both were significant. The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor.

Its a bit more global then that, but correct: Natural Asset Corporations which is by the largest mega-corps in the world. https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2021/11/natur... >According to experts, the financial resources needed to protect natural ecosystems face a dramatic shortfall. With the announcement of NACs, the capital markets continue to respond in novel ways, creating financial mechanisms aimed at protecting, restoring and growing natural areas.

Some will say this is a 'conspiracy' site despite all the sourced connecting quotes, and legal outcomes, related to these vehicles. https://unlimitedhangout.com/2021/10/investigative-reports/w...

Even if the adults are not able to restrict themselves, they are still responsible for the well being of the children who don't know better, at least until they are past the point of reducing cognitive, critical thinking and reading comprehension. A four year old doesn't know better.

Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Neurodevelopment, Learning, Memory, Mental Health, and Neurodegeneration: a Scoping Review https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-019-00182-2 Evidence suggests that chronic sensory stimulation via excessive exposure to screen time may affect brain development in negative ways. Excessive smartphone use may increase the risk of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders in adolescents and young adults that also has the potential to increase the risk of early onset dementia in late adulthood.

https://healthmatters.nyp.org/what-does-too-much-screen-time... Early data from a landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018 indicates that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.

Sure, they won't call it 'brain damage' - just reduced cognitive reasoning and critical thinking.

Is regulatory capture not a thing anymore? Why do you trust this company?

https://corporatewatch.org/pfizer-six-scandals-to-remember/

1986: Pfizer had to withdraw an artificial heart valve from the market after defects led to it being implicated in over 300 deaths. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew its approval for the product in 1986 and Pfizer agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation after multiple lawsuits were brought against it.

2003: Pfizer has long been condemned for profiteering from AIDS drugs. In 2003 for example, it walked away from a licencing deal for its Rescriptor drug that would have made it cheaper for poorer countries.

2011: Pfizer was forced to pay compensation to families of children killed in the controversial Trovan drug trial. During the worst meningitis epidemic seen in Africa, in 1996, Pfizer ran a trial in Nigeria their new drug Trovan. Five of the 100 children who took Trovan died and it caused liver damage, while it caused lifelong disabilities in those who survived. But another group of 100 children were given the conventional “gold standard” meningitis antibiotic as a “control” group for comparison. Six of them also tragically died because, the families said, Pfizer had given them less than the recommended level of the conventional antibiotic in order to make Trovan look more effective.

2012: Pfizer had to pay around $1billion to settle lawsuits claiming its Prempro drug caused breast cancer. Prempro was used in hormone replacement therapy, usually for women going through the menopause. The settlements came after six years of trials and hardship for the women affected.

2013: Pfizer paid out $273 million to settle over 2,000 cases in the US that accused its smoking treatment drug Chantix of provoking suicidal and homicidal thoughts, self harm and severe psychological disorders. Pfizer was also accused of improperly excluding patients with a history of depression or other mental disturbances from trials for the drug. Later, in 2017, a coroner in Australia ruled that the drug had contributed to a man’s suicide. The man’s mother campaigned to change the label on the drug.

2020: Pfizer reached an agreement with thousands of customers of its depo-testosterone drug in 2018 after they sued it for increasing the likelihood of numerous issues, including heart attacks.

Why do you trust this company?

https://corporatewatch.org/pfizer-six-scandals-to-remember/

1986: Pfizer had to withdraw an artificial heart valve from the market after defects led to it being implicated in over 300 deaths. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew its approval for the product in 1986 and Pfizer agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation after multiple lawsuits were brought against it.

2003: Pfizer has long been condemned for profiteering from AIDS drugs. In 2003 for example, it walked away from a licencing deal for its Rescriptor drug that would have made it cheaper for poorer countries.

2011: Pfizer was forced to pay compensation to families of children killed in the controversial Trovan drug trial. During the worst meningitis epidemic seen in Africa, in 1996, Pfizer ran a trial in Nigeria their new drug Trovan. Five of the 100 children who took Trovan died and it caused liver damage, while it caused lifelong disabilities in those who survived. But another group of 100 children were given the conventional “gold standard” meningitis antibiotic as a “control” group for comparison. Six of them also tragically died because, the families said, Pfizer had given them less than the recommended level of the conventional antibiotic in order to make Trovan look more effective.

2012: Pfizer had to pay around $1billion to settle lawsuits claiming its Prempro drug caused breast cancer. Prempro was used in hormone replacement therapy, usually for women going through the menopause. The settlements came after six years of trials and hardship for the women affected.

2013: Pfizer paid out $273 million to settle over 2,000 cases in the US that accused its smoking treatment drug Chantix of provoking suicidal and homicidal thoughts, self harm and severe psychological disorders. Pfizer was also accused of improperly excluding patients with a history of depression or other mental disturbances from trials for the drug. Later, in 2017, a coroner in Australia ruled that the drug had contributed to a man’s suicide. The man’s mother campaigned to change the label on the drug.

2020: Pfizer reached an agreement with thousands of customers of its depo-testosterone drug in 2018 after they sued it for increasing the likelihood of numerous issues, including heart attacks.

Your children do not need it - perhaps you should evaluate whether they are in an 'at risk' category like the Nordics

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01897-w In the US, 340 children under 17 have died from Covid. Total. During the same period, 187 have died from the flu, and over 51,000 children have died from all causes:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Se...

Sweden halts Moderna: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-vaccine-moderna-sweden-ha... The reason the vaccines aren't being approved for children is that there is compelling evidence that children are at greater risk from the vaccines than the virus. This is why (for example) approval for vaccination of children and teenagers is split across Europe, and the UK has restricted access to only children with known vulnerabilities:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-19/u-k-to-gi...

Children aren't at risk from Covid at all. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01897-w In the US, 340 children under 17 have died from Covid. Total. During the same period, 187 have died from the flu, and over 51,000 children have died from all causes:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Se...

They are more likely to be injured by these vaccines and neurotic parents stuffing them into masks for hours at a time.

Sweden halts Moderna: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-vaccine-moderna-sweden-ha...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-08/iceland-j...

117 children murdered for profit. https://stevekirsch.substack.com/p/we-will-kill-117-kids-to-...

Commentary by the church - the Eastern Orthodox Church, which canonized the bible - is the only coherent ideology which hasn't innovated in dogmas and reconciles all the 'hard' scriptures Old and New.

Individual interpretations outside of a conciliar approach to Christianity (which started in the Book of Acts with the Counsel of Jerusalem, and continued into the Ecumenical Councils) has never resulted in anything but sectarianism and confusion.

At least from a perspective of consistency, readers may be interested in the perspective of conciliar, dogmatic foundations which cannot be changed in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

As regards for Mark 11: https://catenabible.com/mk/11 This website provides a range of commentaries which one can choose the earliest Church Fathers. However, blessed Theophylact is the most accessible commentary, largely based on St John Chrysostom, which is a harder read due to depth and language.

Cyril of Jerusalem AD 386 Remember at the time of the sin of Adam and Eve they clothed themselves—with what? Fig leaves. That was their first act after the fall. So now Jesus is making the same figure of the fig tree the very last of his wondrous signs. Just as he was headed toward the cross, he cursed the fig tree—not every fig tree, but that one alone for its symbolic significance—saying: “May no one ever eat fruit of you again.” In this way the curse laid upon Adam and Eve was being reversed. For they had clothed themselves with fig leaves.

St John Chrysostom: https://catenabible.com/com/5735de63ec4bd7c9723b9c17

Eastern Orthodox history of the canonization of scripture: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/ntcanon_emergence.aspx

In the Soviet period, punitive psychiatry was so widespread that one fourth of the dissidents accused of political crimes were declared "mentally ill." Even more widespread was the practice of compulsory hospitalization without court order, done simply on the orders of the KGB. Each year the highest authorities in Moscow sent up to 1,000 people to psychiatric hospitals. These were people who had come to capital to fight for justice denied in their hometowns. The same situation could be observed in the provinces. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2013/10/13/soviet-psychiatry-...

Since 1921, the Soviet authorities began to gradually use psychiatry to combat dissidents and human rights defenders. They abused their powers, falsifying diagnoses of unwanted people and sending them to hospitals for an indefinite period. This practice has become known as "punitive psychiatry", becoming one of the most famous and brutal examples of repression in the USSR. Over the years, Joseph Brodsky and Yegor Letov became its victims, and the practice stopped only under the decline of the USSR, when up to two million people passed through it. https://tjournal.ru/stories/153921-karatelnoe-lechenie-inako... That is just Google translated above

never that successful at embracing atheism The USSR certainly tried however, to tune of millions dead and created its own religion with the veneration of Lenin and Stalin as cults of personality.

For those interested, here is a timeline of that period compiled by the Russia Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (those fleeing persecution).

https://www.rocorstudies.org/2019/10/25/timeline-of-the-orth... In 1917, there were 51,450 Orthodox Churches. 20 years later, only 500 were left. In 1917, one month after taking power, the Bolsheviks: declared all land to be controlled by their committees, including church property, all education institutions were handed to the state, all financial aid severed to religious institutions was severed, and separation of school and church and state and church was declared. * 100's of thousands mass executed during the Red Terror

A former student of Alan Watts, then a Taoist monk, found Orthodox Christianity after his searching, and has become a revered Priestmonk across the Orthodox world - he offers his own journey and offers the Eastern Orthodox Christian perspective of seeking God and His revelation. https://orthochristian.com/81732.html

https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/father_... >The impersonal concept of deity was actually an experience of the non-being from which we have come [already], and that the true understanding of God - the highest, fullest understanding of God is God as person, as I AM - He has revealed Himself as I AM. Archimandrive Sophrony, from His Life is Mine

Small short booklet Fr Seraphim Rose wrote: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Revelation-Human-Heart-Seraphim/...

In my own journey out of buddhism, taoism, stoicism, psychadelics, Fr Seraphims writings helped clarify why their was still a hole in my soul, and why western Christianity made no sense to me.

In the Orthodox Christian perspective, they are the Church that followed the Council of Jerusalem (the Book of Acts), the earliest writings of the Church (St Ignatius, the Didache, etc.) then all the councils which codified the canon of scripture, the Ecumenical Councils, etc. Every council must affirm previous dogma; believed everywhere, by all (Orthodox Christians), and at all times - so the below article on the Essence and Energy distinction of God, by St Gregory Palamas, affirms the early writings of St Basil and the Cappadocian Fathers of the Church who were fighting heretical notions of what God is - the Church defined what He is not. The Cappadocian Church fathers affirm the Apostles and scriptures, etc. http://orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/florov_palamas.aspx

This is a nice comparison video of Tabernacle and Jewish Temple worship, and its continuation in the Orthodox Christian temples. The western church in Rome was of the same One Mind of Christ in worship, Creed and sacrament until 1054, and then subsequently the Protestant revolted against their dogmatic innovations, and yet now are splintered into thousands on thousands of beliefs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkmh68urI6A

WHAT IS THE NOUS AND HOW IS IT DISTINCT FROM THE SOUL? https://orthochristian.com/79038.html

second dose There has been some discussion on that:

Delaying a Covid vaccine’s second dose boosts immune response https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27156859

Long-term side effects of drugs, and lack of accountability of these companies is certainly an issue and sometimes takes decades to come out.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/benzodiazepine-use-may-r... 2014 - People who had taken a benzodiazepine for three months or less had about the same dementia risk as those who had never taken one. Taking the drug for three to six months raised the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 32%, and taking it for more than six months boosted the risk by 84%.

https://www.aarp.org/health/dementia/info-2019/dementia-slee... 2019 - The study, released today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2019, included a racially diverse group of 3,068 people, ages 70 to 79, who were cognitively healthy when the study began. Researchers questioned the participants about their use of sleeping pills and culled information about them from medical records and tests of brain function over a 15-year period.

Put in a different way, if you were born in 1760 and lived to 1840 (80 years), you'd experience a "societal collapse" (to describe with a hyperbole) in which any and all "old" ways that governed life were overthrown and replaced by an entirely new way of organizing society. This is not hyperbole, Napoleon promptly took over France as Emperor due to the power vacuum and plunged the entirety of Europe into what is now termed "total war." Millions and millions and millions dead, and not everyone wanted a "Republic" or "freedom" driven at the point of the sword from the French.

There are millions dead in between the "ideals" of the Revolution and the later Republics you skipped over.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars

Historians have explored how the Napoleonic wars became total wars. Most historians argue that the escalation in size and scope came from two sources. First was the ideological clash between revolutionary/egalitarian and conservative/hierarchical belief systems. Second was the emergence of nationalism in France, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere that made these "people's wars" instead of contests between monarchs.[138] Bell has argued that even more important than ideology and nationalism were the intellectual transformations in the culture of war that came about through the Enlightenment.[139] One factor, he says, is that war was no longer a routine event but a transforming experience for societies—a total experience.

Similar to how some companies are intent on speaking about themselves and employees as "family," you may be having the same reaction from the word usage of "obsessed."

Of course, most companies say you must now be "obsessed" with customers, or quality, or some such things.

Language control in this respect seems a bit easier to understand with the phrase that became very popular for companies to try and model Apples consumers during the iPod revolution (at least how I remember it while studying a bit of Industrial psychology and Marketing / Cognitive Neuromarketing (that fad died out thankfully))

I'm sure its been around for a while, but its been more "we need brand evangelist fanatic zealots" for the last 10-20 years.

"Obsessed, evangelist, brand fanatic, turn your customers into zealots," etc is also used heavily in internal company "values."

*Guy Kawasaki at least helped promote the idea for other companies after he left Apple: https://hbr.org/2015/05/the-art-of-evangelism

You mean West Romes fall. The Eastern Roman empire lasted until the 15th century. Eastern Rome was sacked in 1204 which was the actual blow that jump stated the Western Enlightenment after plundering Eastern Rome for 50 years. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1188/1204-the-sack-of-constan... https://www.britannica.com/place/Byzantine-Empire/Byzantine-... https://historyofislam.com/contents/the-classical-period/con...

The Ottomans did not take over East Rome until the 15th century, where much of the plunder was already gone to the West. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/ancient-history/fallconstan...

While the West would term the East Romans as "Byzantines" in the 15th Century, this isn't correct to say they were not in Roman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium

As a counter point, why give them screens so young at all?

I am someone without children, so my point is much less valuable then the others already below. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/23/screen-ti...

https://www.businessinsider.com/screen-time-limits-bill-gate...

A blog post with your experience -even heavily redacted- would be interesting on the black-hat PR/public opinion swaying as a separate topic if you ever feel inclined.

As someone who has come back to faith in God, what helped me greatly is finding the eastern Orthodox Church (which is much different then fire and damnation of the Baptist sort (not to paint too broad of a brush)). The ethos is continually following - as much as we can - the teachings of Christ for reconciliation to God - we judge ourselves, foremost, for Christ did not condemn us.

This means condemnation of others and their salvation is up to God, and we are to help others come back to His eternal love.

Many will try everything but the love of Christ (speaking of self again) in existential dread with psychedelics, the temptations of the world (which never seem to fill - whether money, material things, power, or partners), self-actualization, yoga, ego-death as nirvana, gnosticism, energy work - but are drawn away from a 2,000 year history of the teachings from Christ to Apostle to the modern Orthodox Church, based on a previous 5,000+ year history of law which was fulfilled in Christ.

The west (speaking for myself) tends to only be exposed to Protestant and Roman Catholic doctrine, and offshoots of Protestant such as puritanism, Jehova's Witness, LDS/Mormons, etc.

Short video on ethos https://youtu.be/ySgNWCuxjNQ?t=118

This means being humble, no ego of self, thankfulness in all things, charity and honoring thy neighbor, giving to others selflessly (for life is a give from God), and noting continually ones shortcoming, and thus not condemning others their own that we tell ourselves we perceive.

https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/spiritualit... "Every act of a Christian must be a spiritual act. Every thought must be spiritual, every word, every deed, every activity of the body, every action of the person. This means that all that a person thinks, says and does must be inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit so that the will of God the Father might be accomplished as revealed and taught by Jesus Christ the Son of God."

How does a single rep coordinate the mass amount of posts across verified (and non verified?) accounts? That is an insane amount of access for 'a rep'. They can just copy and paste the same message across that level of accounts?

I don't know what the parent is referring to recently, but years ago Wikileaks had a Stratfor memo during the violence of the Zetas which gave 'tacit' approval to Sinoloa. https://www.businessinsider.com/stratfor-the-us-works-with-c...

https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/17/1747720_re-fwd-re-fw-f...

I would disagree to a point on ecigs on health benefits - they seem to be very useful on decreasing overall tobacco use.

However, Juul has specifically targeted teens with targeted ads, influencers and 'education' on underage teens - purposefully [see FDA link].

In addition, Juul heavily promoted 'salted' nicotine, where many ecig enthusiasts or those who quit only use 3 mg to 6mg nicotine levels in their ejuice, Juuls salted nicotine push can get up to 60mg.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-vaping-juul-idUSKB... >Between 2018 and 2019, use of JUUL vaping devices doubled among U.S. young people aged 18 to 20 and more than tripled among those aged 21 to 24, a new study finds.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warn... >he agency also sent a letter to the company expressing concern, and requesting more information, about several issues raised in a recent Congressional hearing regarding JUUL’s outreach and marketing practices, including those targeted at students, tribes, health insurers and employers.