https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/ Politics & Philosophy by Dr. Martin D. Hash, Esq. Podcast Generator 2.5 - http://podcastgen.sourceforge.net Fri, 31 Mar 2023 19:04:53 -0700 en © Martin Hash 2016 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/images/itunes_image.jpg https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/ Politics & Philosophy by Dr. Martin D. Hash, Esq. Dr. Martin Hash Podcast Martin Hash Martin Hash Martin@Hash.com no politics & humor The idea of elected school boards overseeing the administration of public schools sounds reasonable in theory, but in practice it’s simple self-dealing. Like so much of democracy is, the people who are supposedly the oversightees elect the oversightors. Voters don’t know who they’re voting for, most people don’t even know what school district they’re in, so whoever the Teacher’s Union backs, that’s who wins. Unless the candidate has a built-in constituency, a church congregation for example, there’s no way to defeat them. That’s why most school boards are made up of special interest groups intent on indoctrinating students with political & social ideology like Critical Race Theory, or pseudo-religions like Environmentalism. Private schools don’t have school boards so are not exposed to this kind of takeover which is why there is so much resistance towards them. Hiding behind the facade of school boards education remains stuck in the eighteen century; they’re why new learning techniques utilizing new technology are not adopted, and why teachers still control the system, not parents. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-12_1302_school_boards.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-12_1302_school_boards.mp3 2:08 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, school boards no Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor People are irrational: no matter how good we live, if we see someone who we perceive lives better than us, we envy & resent them. Because of human intellect, we will abide some amount of inequality but in the final analysis the dark emotions will manifest in spiteful & vindictive ways. We all experience this personally but it also occurs at a society level, enabled by democracy. Since the Left & Right divide roughly along their attitudes toward achievement & success: one side simmering in self-loathing & malicious intent, while the other is blithely unaware that they are not only struggling against the vagaries of the world but also against their fellow citizens. By-in-large, Lefties are people who are weaklings & cowards. Democracy allows them to be bullies, and their best revenge is to take away what they think their tormentors value, one of which is guns, so whatever other ulterior claims they may make, gungrabbers have two real motivations: (1) to take as much power as possible away from the strong, and (2) to irritate and ankle-bite the people who they hold a grudge against, even though this kind of discourse is divisive, harming both sides. In fact, most political issues have the same perverse motivation, so there's probably some evolutionary theory that can explain it, but you don't need to know why, you only need to be able to predict it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-12_1301_perverse_lefties.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-12_1301_perverse_lefties.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash no Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A narcissism test fails at three levels: first, narcissism is colloquially confused with a strong sense of self-worth; secondly, true narcissists don’t have the self-awareness to answer honestly; and thirdly, narcissism can’t be cured; but for purely entertainment value, here’s a common online test: 1. I have a natural talent for influencing people. (This question exposes a manipulative personality.) 2. I would do almost anything on a dare. (This is exhibitionism.) 3. If I ruled the world, it would be a better place. (This is a sense of superiority.) 4. I don’t like to depend on other people. (This implies lack of accountability.) 5. I can make anybody believe anything I want them to. (This is an oblique way of admitting to lying.) 6. People should notice my abilities. (This signals entitlement.) 7. It’s best when I make the plans. (Which is overconfidence.) 8. People often compliment me. (That’s grandiosity.) 9. People always seem to recognize my authority. (Self-importance.) And the most important sign: 10. People are jealous of my abilities and try to thwart me. (Which is projection.) politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1300_narcissism_test.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1300_narcissism_test.mp3 2:25 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, narcissism no Mon, 27 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor People act out of reasons that are not always clear. The most subtle & common motivator is to reduce the anxiety one feels. One cause of anxiety is guilt, which is often vague, and difficult to identify the cause of because it may be due to a sense of inadequacy, or that one is a fraud; even something as dire & inexplicable as self-loathing is a source of guilt. These are all very personal & difficult to articulate reasons but they still motivate people to reduce them, which naturally leads people wanting control to force the world around them into submission, rather than adjust themselves. Frankly put, people trying to assuage their guilt are doing it for selfish reasons, not for the benefit of others. Wokeness is the most obvious example of this: where a small group of highly-motivated unscrupulous activists, who have no sense of obligation or shared identity with other members of society, have manipulated the guilt of primarily white women, the ones most susceptible to psychiatric maladies, who then demand that all other people share in alleviating their anxiety, and they use whatever control they have, which is cumulatively substantial, to do it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1299_guilt_wants_control.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1299_guilt_wants_control.mp3 2:05 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, guilt, control no Sat, 25 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor If you were to score the accomplishments in your life, how would you do? That’s a tough question because in today’s political & social climate, it’s unclear what even counts or who does the counting? To maintain at least a shred of your self-esteem, it should be you who determines what is important to you, and you should be the one who keeps score. From that point-of-view, how would you do? Would you look in your bank account to see if you were successful or not? How about how many bedrooms your house had or the prestige of your cars? While those things do count somewhat, at least in how they make you feel: satisfied, smug, superior; they’re not accomplishments per se. Focus on values like honesty, integrity, perseverance & ambition. Count the things that caused you to gain wisdom & self-awareness: do you live by a consistent philosophy? Do you set goals for yourself that have a clear path and achievable milestones? Do you do things & go places to never stop accumulating knowledge. For accomplishments, live by the adage of regretting the things you’ve done rather than what you haven’t, and certainly count your spouse, children and the number of your grandkids. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1298_accomplishments.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1298_accomplishments.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, accomplishments no Thu, 23 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Everyone wants to be famous, at least in their head. Not many, but some people actually achieve true fame but it’s not something you can control, unless your intent is to be infamous, for example, aspiring actresses making “stolen” sex videos. Some careers are very popular because they lead to fame, and in the Social Media age, getting a lot of Followers/Subscribers can make you semi-famous, but for the most part, fame is random. If you wish for fame, all you can do is prepare for it’s longevity if you happen to become famous, because the depth of fame is additive: if someone gets famous when a meteor crashes through their roof, and when the news looks into it they find a number of impressive achievements, then the fame is compounded by that number; for example, if that meteor-famous person crosses the Atlantic ocean in a rowboat, their fame increases. Unlike achievements, which can be planned for, fame does not cause resentment in other people because everyone subconsciously recognizes that fame is unobtainable except through luck, hence it causes no sense of inadequacy, inferiority or insecurity; just a wish to congratulate the newly famous person, and perhaps benefit themselves in some way. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1297_fame_is_lucky.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-10_1297_fame_is_lucky.mp3 2:11 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fame, luck no Tue, 21 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review some concepts about the family: 1. Momentum is the secret of surviving marriage. 2. Marriage Compatibility tests are only for amusement. 3. Polygamy & OnlyFans are the solutions to feminist’s high standards & men’s involuntary celibacy. 4. Traditional wives are rarest & most valuable to men. 5. Transgenderism is what happens when all the other ways to rebel are passe’. 6. A Russian bride isn’t better than no bride at all. 7. Sex crimes are the least applicable across different cultures. 8. Boomers were blinded by their luck and their advice falls on the deaf ears of Millennials. 9. There’s now multiple generations of children who don’t go outside. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1296_family_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1296_family_concepts.mp3 2:03 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, family, transgender, feminism no Sun, 19 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Anybody who grew up in a previous generation must be asking themselves: “Where are the young people?” They’re not in places one would traditionally be expected to see them: parks & fairs are mostly empty, and movie theaters, restaurants & music venues are filled with old people, there’s hardly a youngster in sight. Even traveling around, the dearth of children seems almost apocalyptic. Not just kids, but so-called adults, people into their thirties. For a couple decades, the time schedules simply didn’t match: older people were going home for the night just as the young were arriving but even that no longer seems the case. Census figures say people under-30 exist in large numbers so they must be someplace else, but where? Two things coincided that may explain the mystery: first, social media & videogames are becoming more & more popular, especially among the youth, and starting at very young ages. Secondly, the pandemic of fear and associated Lockdowns. Young people in the prime of their developmental life were indoctrinated & enticed to stay indoors. A decade ago we used to joke about the public service announcements on television encouraging parents to make their kids go outside at least 30 minutes a day, and now those kids have grown up, and they’re never leaving their rooms. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1295_where_are_the_young_people.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1295_where_are_the_young_people.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, young people, kids, videogames no Fri, 17 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Each preceding generation imagines they are leading the next generation into success. However, it’s not difficult to predict that the values of the succeeding generations won’t match with their elders, especially when life is mostly a combination of illusion & delusion. For example, like all lucky people, Boomers thought their success was skill, but the reality was that there was a gravy train going by and all they had to do was climb aboard. But Boomers were blind to that, instead offering their children platitudes involving commitment, merit & hard work, not knowing it was more about the connections & opportunity. Also, Boomers could borrow as much as they wanted because the debt was covered by the coming generations. Those were idyllic years, benefiting from unique circumstances such as globalization that will not reoccur, and are petering out. Coming generations, especially Millennials, don’t have an ever-increasing investment portfolio to comfort them. None of the predictions of their elders came true for them so they stopped listening, turning a deaf ear on encouragement & criticism alike. In retrospect, who can blame them? They got to see the promised land through the back window of the car, and turning around is impossible. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1294_blind_leading_the_deaf.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1294_blind_leading_the_deaf.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Boomers, Millennials no Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Values change: 12-years olds used to be adults and what’s a sex crime today was a way to advance yourself a couple centuries ago. We now find that abhorrent but there are still 12-year olds out there who are as physically & mentally mature as many adults ever get. If the goal is to let people make their own choices, those preternaturally adult children may decide that the sex trade is their best opportunity. That seems obscene to those of us who only have contact with people who remain stubbornly juvenile into their twenties but that’s because today’s parenting and societal coddling allows it. Since we’re products of Western conditioning, those who are not robustly traveled would be appalled at what’s acceptable in other parts of the world: children acting in decidedly unchildish ways, and women forced into sex. We are immediately tempted to “save” them but that’s another manifestation of our West-induced Savior complex. We wonder why there aren’t laws to prevent such exploitation, and why the perpetrators aren’t arrested and prosecuted? The fact is, these activities are so widespread, and so prevalent in those societies, that a large portion of the population would be considered criminals. Since sex is a transitory physical act, if the psyche of those involved doesn’t make it psychologically damaging, it isn’t. A sex crime is only a crime if everybody thinks it is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1293_sex_crimes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-08_1293_sex_crimes.mp3 2:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, sex crimes no Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Many American men who desire a traditional family, one with a submissive wife who wants to stay home and raise children, are encouraged to go abroad to find such a woman, particularly to Asia & the Philippines. There they find a pre-Woke culture that produces a female archetype more familiar in the last century in the West. Concernedly, these aspiring husbands are warned not to bring their new wife back home but instead stay in her country where she has family and it’s cheaper to live, plus the danger that she will be negatively influenced by feminist culture in the West, perhaps becoming one herself and ruining the whole strategy. Unfortunately, there is another significant downside if the groom intends to return to the U.S., and most of these “mail order brides” companies require a return, particularly Russian brides. What results is so cynical and exploitative, and so common, that it has become an epidemic: the Russian or Eastern European brides get married to a lonely, socially-awkward American guy, come to the States, have a child, claim domestic violence then use the American legal system to put the man into an economic servitude via alimony & child support. The guys who are the targets of this scam are perfect marks, some of the most pitiful even dream of getting back together with their conniving spouse who’ve already moved on to American men they’re really attracted to. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-06_1292_russian_brides.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-06_1292_russian_brides.mp3 2:35 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, mail order brides, foreign brides, Russian brides no Sat, 11 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor One of the big complaints of Millennial women, the straight ones anyway, is that there aren't any men that are good husband material. The reasons are cultural, Wokeness in particular winnows the dating pool of masculine men, but culture is also a potential solution: transgender men are the perfect match for Woke women. It’s surprising this obvious observation hasn’t entered the mainstream yet, especially considering the fact that 20% of Generation Z report being the wrong sexuality or gender. Unfortunately, the transgender situation also includes the recalcitrant issue of biological men not wanting to have sex with transgender women: no matter how much they’re shamed, they’re just not interested in what is essentially homosexuality. This isn’t as big a problem for young transgenders who date each other so sexuality doesn’t change anything, while also allowing for transitory transgenderism that is simply going through a phase. There’s also the oddity, perhaps intentional, of a female transgender in a “lesbian” relationship. That’s a case where nothing changes: not appearance, not perception, and their sexuality remains the same. This seems the ideal subterfuge to avoid getting drafted. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-06_1291_the_advantage_of_transgenders.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-06_1291_the_advantage_of_transgenders.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, transgender no Thu, 09 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor You guys that got traditional wives, ones that wanted to be your ally & raise your children; you guys are soooo lucky; count your blessings. Consider all the guys out there looking for that but can’t find anything even though they’re willing to commit it all. There just aren’t enough traditional women to go around for the traditional men. Even when a woman is raised traditionally, once they are exposed to feminism, they’re ruined. Feminist women want partners whereas traditional women want leaders & providers in their husbands. Traditional men, which are by far the majority of men, don’t want partners either, they want loyal acolytes & supporters. There’s also the problem of modern divorce. As feminism emerged, so did the idea of no-fault divorce and community property. Even if a woman is what would be considered traditional, in many states the allure of getting half the family assets, monthly alimony & child support, custody & the house, without having to be subject to the husband who provides those things, is simply too much to resist. Now in divorce, the man still has to provide his side but the woman no longer has to live up to her obligations in the marriage. Considering that many, if not most, marriages are ones of convenience & momentum, especially in such a narcissistic society, why would a woman, traditional or not, not get a divorce? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-06_1290_traditional_wives.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-06_1290_traditional_wives.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, traditional wives, marriage no Tue, 07 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The institution of marriage has declined dramatically for socio-economic reasons that can’t be stopped nor the clock turned back. Old ideas and expectations are no longer appropriate so if marriage is going to continue, the implementations around it have to change. First, there has to be a recognition that perhaps half of the population will never get married. In the case of men, the obvious solution is OnlyFans-type situations where dozens of men consider the woman on their computer screen exposing herself and asking for money is their girlfriend. Guys who do this often sponsor more than one “model,” imagining they have a harem. The lack of self-awareness is epic but the relationship seems workable. The flip side of this that appeals to the hypergamous nature of women is allowing nontraditional forms of committed relationships, specifically polygamy. Data shows that 80% of women are only attracted to 5% of so-called “high value males,” and settling for anything less is not an option. If the men in these situations were allowed, even encouraged, to accept multiple wives, it would do a lot to fulfill the demand of uncompromising women. Polygamy has been practiced for thousands of years, it’s still practiced in some societies, so there’s lots of information on how to manage it. Of course, modern divorce laws would also have to be changed. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-04_1289_polygamy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-04_1289_polygamy.mp3 2:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, polygamy, marriage, OnlyFans no Sun, 05 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor To help identify couples who have the best chance of matching due to shared interests, personal views, preferences & philosophy, there’s the Marriage Compatibility test. 1. What is your relationship? Intelligent, Organized, Fun-loving, Passionate. 2. How do you spend your leisure time? We spend that time together, We have both shared and individual interests, We have our individual interests, We spend it with other people. 3. How often do you talk about your future together? Often, A few times; Rarely. 4. Do you agree on family finances? Always, Most of the time, Not so much, We are polar opposites. 5. Do you get along with each other’s friends? Really well, We don’t hang out very much, Not really, Never met. 6. Do you visit family on the holidays? We invite both families over, One in the morning the other in the evening, Our families don’t really get along, We don’t bother visiting either of our families. 7. How do you decide on a restaurant? We love the same restaurants, We pick a restaurant at random, We alternate who gets to choose the restaurant, We eat fast food. 8. Do your religious views come together? Yes, We respect the other’s religion, We practice different religions and often disagree. 9. Do your political views align with those of your partner? Yes, Mostly, No. And the big question: 10. Do you agree on the subject of kids? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-04_1288_marriage_compatibility_test.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-04_1288_marriage_compatibility_test.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, marriage compatibility no Fri, 03 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Marriage is in steep decline in America, and half of those that get married are getting divorced. A lot of this has to do with how late in life people are getting married: rather than young immature couples growing up together and are therefore conforming to each other, now by the time they decide they want to get married, they’ve already developed full personalities & proclivities that usually aren’t going to change. The best strategy in such cases is to do a better job of matching to begin with but even then marriages change over time: what used to align will ebb & flow. The idea of throw-away marriages is abhorrent. As difficult as it was to find a partner the first time, it’s much more difficult as you get older. The chance of finding someone who is both compatible & attractive is very low, and made worse by dating apps that promise endless options but in reality offer few at all, if any. The best advice is to survive the marriage you’re in but it seems a lot of people don’t know that the secret of a successful longterm marriage is to make adjustments and wait it out, which sometimes last for years: the stress children, middle-aged crazies, affair temptations, evolving sex-drive, etc. Let the momentum of your marriage carry you through these times. The only legitimate reason to divorce is if your spouse finds you contemptible or vice versa, other than that, any storm can be weathered. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-04_1287_surviving_marriage.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-04_1287_surviving_marriage.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, marriage no Wed, 01 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review some aspects of psychology: 1. Instincts are something you have to overcome to be a good person. 2. Lazy people are too lazy to take a Laziness Test. 3. A feeling of inadequacy becomes resentment which becomes malevolence which results in perversity. 4. Don’t underestimate good fortune but it’s not something you can control. 5. Mass Formation Psychosis is a new name for mobs. 6. There’s an epidemic of narcissism and nothing can be done about it. 7. Like the printing press, the Internet changed the world. 8. Passivity ultimately causes the downfall of liberty. 9. A society must protect against people who are born feeling superior to others. 10. The question has become: where should children learn socialization? 11. Your personality changes with your circumstances. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-02_1286_psychology_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-02_1286_psychology_concepts.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, psychology no Mon, 27 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor People’s personalities change over time. The most obvious is awkward adolescence: older than a boy but not yet a man; a lack of confidence in social situations apparent to anyone, your maturity still developing. For some people, that stage of their life doesn’t get over with until late into their 20s but then comes another personality change in their 30s. Hopefully, a relationship with a spouse, possibly kids, the recognition that there’s something more important in the world than yourself. The middling maturity of their 30s transitions into Middle-aged crazies; the recognition that you’ll never be a sports star, stellar entrepreneur, nor even admired by other people. If you’re lucky enough to have children, at least there’s someone who looks up to you. In your 50s, the kids are gone, emotionally if not physically. Your wife goes through menopause, causing romance to decline; your own attractiveness needs help from hair dye, strict diet & the gym. Whatever narcissistic traits you still exhibit are forcefully vacated because it’s clear the generation under you has taken over. After your 60s, you find you’re invisible, and people only listen to your opinion out of courtesy. The facade of masculinity is completely dropped: you don’t even compete in the male dominance hierarchy any longer. Along this arduous way, your personality must change from being no one to being someone back to being no one again. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-02_1285_changing_personality.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-02_1285_changing_personality.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, personality, maturity no Sat, 25 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Public schools have failed in every major way except to socialize children, but even that has degraded into creating automatons who can’t think for themselves and don’t comprehend the benefits or responsibilities that come with liberty. Public schools are where the egalitarians indoctrinate children with propaganda and the state-sponsored religion of Climate Alarmism. Public schools are where most children come into contact with people they will never encounter again in real life, many of which are disturbing and psychologically damaging. Public schools are where an activist minority can determine the direction of our culture, customs & traditions. However, if there wasn’t public school, how would children assimilate into society? Without socialization, there would be an epidemic of self-absorbed, narcissists that had no self-awareness, internal nor external. Social media has started to fill that void and perhaps it can completely replace the social skills that are learned ad hoc at public schools. If that’s true, it undermines the last contribution of public schools except as baby-sitters, and they’re not very good at that either. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-02_1284_socialization.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-11-02_1284_socialization.mp3 2:10 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, socialization, public school no Thu, 23 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Your own experience combined with the anecdotal experiences you’ve personally witnessed would make you agree that most everybody thinks they're superior to someone else in some way or another. This would be harmless, and even preferred if it was true, but with an aristocracy, superior-feeling people have the power to act superior. Worse, second generation aristocrats automatically think they're superior to everyone not born into wealth, status & prestige. How can they not, they're surrounded by people who think the same way. With such tremendous amounts of wealth in the U.S., where 10 people have as much money as 100 million, those 10 can do whatever they want; they aren't bound by market forces. If a bunch of ex-wives & widows of billionaires want Marxism, they can have Marxism. Unfortunately, they didn’t gain the wisdom that came from actually earning the money in the first place, only the virtue signaling that excuses their privileged lives. When there’s no connection between merit and power, feeling superior is the natural consequence. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-31_1283_superior.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-31_1283_superior.mp3 2:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, superior no Tue, 21 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Christianity teaches passivity in the face of insult: turn the other cheek, swords into plowshares, the meek shall inherit the earth, etc. The justification for this view of life rests on the concept of fate, that some overwhelming force controls your life, not you, and resistance is futile so don’t even try. The feeling of helplessness & hopelessness these admonitions foster turned out to be very appealing & supportive of kings who wished to retain control of their realms against peasants who could overwhelm & overthrow them if they weren’t passive. The Enlightenment was the rejection of fate: the idea that we control our own destinies, or at least have a rudder against the winds of luck. The Enlightenment, at least in America, is about liberty: individual wants over the needs of the group. Enlightened people aren't expected to turn the other cheek. Unfortunately, passivity is back in a big way, not because people again believe in fate, but because they are complacent & aging; at the end of their privileged lives, just wanting things to stay the same long enough before they die. It’s a short-sighted selfishness, understandable in an age of plenty, especially when everything is so delicately balanced that acting in any way could cause the whole system to come crashing down. Passivity is the natural result of apprehension, acquiescence & fear. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-31_1282_passivity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-31_1282_passivity.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, passivity no Sun, 19 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The exclamation that something “changed the world” is far too commonly used. No matter how revolutionary something is, things don’t change that much generation to generation. Even something as big as electricity or the Bomb didn’t fundamental alter individuals. However, a case could be made that the printing press changed the world because it fostered people's imaginations: they wanted to get the freedom to do all the things they were reading about. That wasn’t a one-time thing; books were the motivating factor that sent many a child out of the orbit of their parents. Newspapers, radio & television are simply an extension of that, not world-changing events. Other than wars which change the world through trauma, there’s not a lot of candidates, but one does stand out: the Internet. At first that wasn’t the case, the Internet was essentially a mobile encyclopedia and postal service, but with the advent of social media, it quickly jumped into first place world changing. Older generations can’t relate to nor even recognize the generations raised under the addictive properties of gender-bending, mind-altering, testosterone-reducing, attention-mongering, society-collapsing Internet. Whereas the printing press inspired personal autonomy, ambition, exploration & quest for freedom, the Internet changed the world because it invoked people's envy, resentment & sense of inadequacy, so they want less of all those things. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-31_1281_changed_the_world.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-31_1281_changed_the_world.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, world changing, internet no Fri, 17 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The colloquial meaning of “narcissist” is someone who’s proud of themselves and heaven forbid, they talk about it, then the envy, resentment & insecurity will manifest against them. However, that’s not the psychiatric definition of “narcissism:” narcissism is a total lack of self-awareness that instead is replaced by self-interest. The formal criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, NPD, is somewhat vague but can be succinctly described as manipulative, controlling & projection. Of all the deficits of human nature, narcissism is the most odious to be around. What’s most troubling is that it seems to be more a result of nurture rather than nature: narcissists are made not born, and it’s happening in alarming proportions, especially among young women. When women got control of society, they made it all about them: equality, #metoo, Believe Women, Girl Power, The Force is Female, It's Our Turn Now, etc., especially on Social Media like Tinder, Instagram, OnlyFans, TikTok, and other look-at-me platforms. This has resulted in the creation of an entire generation of women who have NPD: they are clinically mentally ill. Not only that, their frustration of not being the center of attention leads to depression, which now affects half of some female demographics. That's what the world is dealing with right now, an epidemic of narcissism, and unfortunately, the prognosis of a cure is poor. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-29_1280_epidemic_of_narcissism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-29_1280_epidemic_of_narcissism.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, narcissism, narcissistic personality disorder no Wed, 15 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Mass Formation Psychosis, also know as “madness of crowds,” is a new pop-psychology term that was created to describe what’s happening today as a result of social media saturation, MSM narratives & political maneuvering. It’s not a new phenomenon, there are examples throughout history, but it has become more prevalent and definitely more widespread, spanning nations, continents, and even the world; clear examples being TDS, COVID hysteria & Climate Alarmism. Psychosis is losing contact with reality so mass formation psychosis is when a large part of a society focuses its attention on an issue that defies logical analysis, inspiring cognitive dissonance, resulting in a kind of real hypnosis. The 4 components needed to create mass formation psychosis are: (1) decoupling of societal connections, (2) inaccurate or nonsensical information, (3) anxiety, and (4) psychological discontent. These ingredients combine to create a general sense of uneasiness that is focused on a target specified by the purveyors of the psychosis. Though not yet formally recognized by the psychiatric community, the clinical symptoms are easy to identify, and there’s a strong correlation among the people who exhibit it, justifying pharmaceutical intervention, and a lot of it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-29_1279_mass_formation_psychosis.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-29_1279_mass_formation_psychosis.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Mass Formation Psychosis no Mon, 13 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Congratulations to anyone who has had the good fortune to successfully climb the economic ladder, whether through merit or luck, most often a combination of both. The old adage that “when I got rich, I didn’t change but everyone else did,” seems funny but it’s true. A person who finally looks up from their pursuit of financial freedom will discover they are in a different world: it’s as if all the people they used to know have been taken over. The simple explanation is envy & avarice. People will automatically assume they should share in any good fortune of your life. Worse, if they feel you owe them for even the most trivial matters; this expectation of your largess will quickly turn into resentment when you do not fulfill your side of the obligation. Indeed, you will need to either lavishly share most of what you’ve made with your old relations, or make new friends who are at the same status level as you. Interestingly, the “fortune” half of good fortune is noteworthy because these feelings of greed are not inspired by people who have simply gotten famous without gaining money: just knowing a famous person and being able to brag about it is payment enough. Therefore it’s better to be famous than rich if keeping old relationships is important to you. Good fortune may not be so good after all. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-29_1278_good_fortune.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-29_1278_good_fortune.mp3 2:21 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, good fortune no Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Psychologists have identified several psychological progressions, though they’re obvious to any self-aware person. For example, if something or someone makes a person feel inadequate, they first respond with admiration but that quickly turns to resentment. The resentment simmers to the point where it turns into malevolence, which because most people don’t have an opportunity to be aggressive, women especially, manifests as perversity instead. This is the natural psychological progression for humans in the lower levels of the male dominance hierarchy, and most women. Perversity is the intentional undermining of another individual even at the cost to oneself. Societies, particularly religions, recognized how destructive perversity was so taught children against it, but the opposite reigns now due to democracy, where the majority voters can express their perversity en mass. Another progression is from frustration to depression in women, or in men, the more dangerous, frustration to anger which eventually leads to aggression. The most common example of this is sexual frustration: currently, 30% of males under 30 are celibate, involuntarily so, derided in social vernacular by the term “incel;” and 50% of all men haven’t had sex in a year. This situation is also a culprit of democracy. State repression has kept the lid on this boiling pot for now but for how long? When will all that sexual frustration boil over into anger, and ultimately aggression? Young men will voluntarily go to war for access to women. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-27_1277_psychological_progression.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-27_1277_psychological_progression.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, perversity, psychological progression no Thu, 09 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Laziness is nonproductive, a modern phenomena, because in the past, without productivity, people simply died. Most lazy people don’t consider themselves lazy, so if you’ve ever wondered there’s a test you can take on the Internet with a list of questions & answers: 1. What are you up to now? Working, with friends, on social media, watching TV, or laying on the couch. 2. What do you do when you wake up? Shower, check phone, or go back to sleep. 3. Do you procrastinate? Yes or no. 4. How often do you clean your room? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? Never. 5. Do you play sports? Yes or no. 6. What do you think about lazy people? They’re annoying, they’re boring, or you understand them. 7. How many hours of sleep do you get? Less than 4, 4-6, 6-8, or 8+. 8. Do you exercise? Yes or no. 9. How do you spend your day? Vigorously or calm; and... 10. Has anyone ever said you were lazy? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2023-02-07_1276_laziness_test.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2023-02-07_1276_laziness_test.mp3 2:05 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, laziness, lazy no Tue, 07 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Instincts come from deep inside the psyche, and though we can overcome our base motives with self-awareness & intelligence, in reality we are not able to subsume them all the time, and many people have difficulty controlling their primeval thoughts at all. One thing Catholicism got right is that behind the eyes of the person you're negotiating with are the sins of envy, avarice, lust, vanity, greed & resentment. Every human interaction is tinged with spite, perversity, vindictiveness & passive-aggressiveness; even love is selfish & jealous. All of this is controlled through chemicals in your body: serotonin, norepinephrine, oxytocin, dopamine; to name some of the most well known. The amounts are determined by evolutionary needs, those so-called instincts. However, they change slowly as the needs change; prehistoric instincts certainly aren’t what’s required now, and in fact, are conflicting with modernity. In the past, all those sins helped humans procreate and populate the earth but now Western civilization is in a steep demographic decline, and instincts aren’t helping. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-27_1275_instincts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-27_1275_instincts.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, instincts, sins no Sun, 05 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review how feminism affects men: 1. Women maintain control over society by exploiting the vulnerabilities of men. 2. Any test for masculinity involves violence. 3. Young people are no longer introduced to the world through music. 4. Bullying is the catalyst that turns boys into men. 5. There’s an epidemic of Momma’s boys that nothing but masculine men can fix. 6. The Internet: videogames for boys, social media for girls, has irrevocably changed society. 7. Feminists don’t like men going their own way because then they’re not going women’s way. 8. White women are the enemy of liberty whether they admit it or not. 9. Either women have always been crazy or feminism is causing it. 10. The Temperance Ladies have always been in control. 11. Women don’t realize that respect isn’t optional. 12. College has become something for women not men. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1274_men__feminism_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1274_men__feminism_concepts.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, feminism, men no Fri, 03 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor In 1970, 58% of college students were men, but by 1980 the gender gap in college enrollment favored women. In 2010, it was 57%, and now it’s 60% women to 40% men. And it gets worse: graduation is 50% of the women and 40% of the men, for a total 36 women for every 16 men, a 225% difference. It’s worse for advanced degrees: there are 10 men for every 24 women graduating with a Masters, and the discrepancy is even greater for doctorates. These numbers are only going to deteriorate further as there are 1.5 million fewer students compared with 5 years ago, with men accounting for 71% of the decline. These numbers are both causative & correlative: women have been enticed to go to college as the “strong, independent woman who don’t need no man” narrative. At the same time, men have been demeaned, chastised, called “toxic,” and in general, are unwelcome on campus. Considering that STEM is still vastly male, the kinds of degrees these entitled women are getting is alarming, and the government-backed school loan program is political in nature, not educational, and bailouts are clearly over-benefiting women, the most affluent women at that, especially White women. University has become a sexist scam. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1273_women_vs_men_in_university.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1273_women_vs_men_in_university.mp3 2:35 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, women in college, women in university no Wed, 01 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Life is not fair and it’s not equal: some people simply have significant advantages over other people, and could easily take everything if they didn’t voluntarily share. Unfortunately, egalitarians erroneously think that sharing is inherently human, and those that don’t share are sociopaths, but that’s more religion than fact. Society is primarily people who work with other people for progress & security, and intelligent people share so that they can have an even better life. In reality, people would fully exercise their advantages in some things if not for another party agreeing not to exploit their own advantage in others: that’s a civil society; and it's greased by courtesy & respect for your neighbor's talents & threats. In this important sense, it’s men who make these trade-offs because they’re the ones who traditionally have limited their violence for the good of the tribe. Women were never a party to this agreement: they’re under the impression that courtesy is mandatory and respect is optional. They indoctrinate children with flawed concepts, of which democracy is the most dangerous: two weaklings can’t tell a strong man what to do without his consent, which he certainly won’t give without receiving respect in return. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1272_respect_isnt_optional.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1272_respect_isnt_optional.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, respect, society, sharing no Mon, 30 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There’s no clearer example of the power that women have in America than the “Temperance Ladies,” the ones who championed and pushed through the 18th Amendment, the prohibition against selling alcohol. What makes this so astonishing is that it was a men’s issue that women decided, yet this was even before they could vote, which didn’t come until the 19th Amendment. The Temperance Ladies are unstoppable because who was going to stop them? Certainly not men who are held in their thrall, and have been throughout history. For all the indignant claims of ours being a patriarchal society, men only do what women let them. In fact, from a democratic point of view, it’s a matriarchal society. Women’s issues are society’s issues: security, child rearing, education & conformity primarily benefit women. Work used to be a men’s issue but even that is becoming a women’s issue. Everything except war is a women’s issue now. The Temperance Ladies control men because they control the thing most important to men: sex. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1271_temperance_ladies.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-25_1271_temperance_ladies.mp3 2:05 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Temperance Ladies no Sat, 28 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Mental illness is now the defining aspect of our society: a quarter of all women have taken psych drugs plus the ones that aren’t diagnosed yet, and depression among women is the #1 cause of illness & disability. Either a plurality of women have been mentally ill throughout history or it’s a new phenomenon? If of recent origin, what has changed for women that would drive them nuts? The obvious answer is feminism, that boils down to women wanting to be like men, but that comes with the pressures that men endure, which are considerable. It’s said men lead lives of quiet desperation but they’re prepared for it biologically & socially, women aren’t. Women have always been protected from mental stress by the Patriarchy which feminism has eroded so much that it is no longer a barrier. Unless women want to continue in their mental anguish, they would have to reinvigorate the Patriarchy but they won’t do that: no group ever gives up control voluntarily. Instead, using their democratic majority, they will try to enact laws to relieve the pressures they feel but the world is a hard place, half-measures won’t be enough, the end result will end up being full totalitarianism where women force men to take care of them. It won’t cure the mental illness but it’s where we’re going. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-24_1270_feminism_causes_mental_illness.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-24_1270_feminism_causes_mental_illness.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, mental illness, feminism no Thu, 26 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Liberty is under extreme threat: fingers are pointed everywhere with lots of plausible sounding explanations but the one common factor, obvious if you’re looking for it, is that the forces against us are primarily women, specifically White women, under the guise of feminism, which are a voting majority in much of the country. In the best interpretation of how they’re acting, it’s from naivete and lack of self-awareness, but from the venom of their rhetoric, it’s most probably evil intentioned: women want men to fail, and if society has to go down with them then sobeit. Most men are still traditional, and they do have allies: Asians of both sexes are on their side, Hispanics tend their way, and Black men are indistinguishable from White men when it comes to men's issues. Many Black women viciously claw after what they want but they aren't self-loathing nor perverse like White women. This analysis is racist & sexist & cynical just like the enemy is racist, sexist & cynical… And they’re White women. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-24_1269_white_women_are_the_enemy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-24_1269_white_women_are_the_enemy.mp3 2:06 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, feminism no Tue, 24 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor MGTOW stands for Men Going Their Own Way. It’s an acronym used in the Manosphere, the conglomeration of online men’s self-improvement channels that focus on men’s needs and warn about the pitfalls of relationships with modern women. However, counter to being misogynistic, the Manosphere focuses on how a man can get a woman but with the caveat that many never will so they also offer alternatives, mostly centered around taking care of themselves. This is where MGTOW comes in conflict with feminism. It’s because, other than the misandrous, man-hating feminists, most women do want a man but can’t find one that meets their delusional standards, and the men that do exploit their exalted status or want traditional wives. In fact, a nonfeminist woman doesn’t have much difficulty finding a man to settle down and have a family with. However, rather than change or leave MGTOWs alone, feminists insist men improve themselves and accept feminist values for the good of everyone. Obviously, the problem will solve itself because the population will return back to traditionalists; after all, those are the only ones having children. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-24_1268_feminists_dont_like_mgtow.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-24_1268_feminists_dont_like_mgtow.mp3 2:25 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, MGTOW, feminism no Sun, 22 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Society changed when nobody was looking because they couldn’t see it happening. Children, boys especially, became enamored with online videogames, not only because they’re entertaining, but because they shield them from the difficulties of real life. Online anybody can be anyone anywhere, and change on a whim to go someplace else. Looks aren’t important, neither is physical prowess, communication ability nor social interaction: people can pretend to be whoever they want. Videogames are not a fad but are actually a replacement for real life. Physically exploring the world, meeting up with friends & playing sports, have all declined and been replaced by their virtual equivalents. This change is visibly apparent by just looking around: all the places that used to be full of young people are empty. Old people are everywhere; there are still families, but young singles, even women, have disappeared from public view. Some of the females are also playing videogames, but the popularity of social media and streaming channels filled with content for women indicate they are also spending their time online. It seems so odd that all the things Boomers thought were indicative of a well-rounded life are now inconsequential to the Zoomers: that real-life to them is videogames. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-22_1267_videogames_have_changed_society.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-22_1267_videogames_have_changed_society.mp3 2:20 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, videogames no Fri, 20 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Testosterone production has a strong social component; that’s why Momma’s Boys are usually pussies: no hair on their faces & chests, lack of musculature, and their features remain soft. They don’t take risks nor assume leadership roles, and are subservient, doing what their mommas want like their sisters do. The feminization of boys has always been an issue but with the rise of single-motherhood & gynocentricity, it has reached epidemic levels, partly because women want it that way. The idea of “toxic masculinity,” meaning traditional masculinity, is anathema to maturing men but a major component of Wokeness. In fact, 20% of Gen-Zers think they’re a different biologic sex, and 80% of those are boys that think they’re girls. At puberty boys start producing cortisol when they’re bullied by the Male Dominance Hierarchy. That in combination with adrenaline would normally trigger testosterone production but if their mommas protect them from that stress, they stay boys into their early-20s. They never learn to think for themselves but instead require approval from their mom, and never mature mentally into men that would attract a mate because women don’t want Momma’s Boys. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-22_1266_mommas_boys.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-22_1266_mommas_boys.mp3 2:19 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Momma's Boys, feminization, gynocentric, masculinity no Wed, 18 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Traditional male-style bullying has been demonized, nearly criminalized in the West, by women with no regard to the damage that causes society because they have no idea what it is? Mother’s think their boys are being picked on by the larger kids, and that’s the end of their analysis, but bullying is part of the transition of boys into men: it’s essential for testosterone production, and the masculinity that comes from that. Women don’t understand how lack of bullying at puberty creates wusses. In fact, most people don’t understand the connection because they don’t want to, especially in a gynocentric society. Puberty is the time when boys can physically start creating testosterone but it needs to be triggered by stress. Stress in the medical sense, meaning cortisol production which coincidences with adrenaline production which triggers testosterone production. In the past this stress could come from hunting, and in modern times it can come from physical sports, but for most boys, it comes from bullying, which any man knows is highly stressful: fear & anxiety produce adrenaline. It starts young, shepherding physical maturity until the bullied become the bullies; not the stereotypical comic book ruffian, but the induction into manhood-guidance kind, but the threat does have to be there to induce stress. Worse, without bullying, boys don’t learn how to respond to bullying, which is going to happen eventually, and men bullying men who don’t know how to defend themselves always turns out badly. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-22_1265_bullying.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-22_1265_bullying.mp3 2:38 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, bully, bullying no Mon, 16 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The music of today is for pussies compared to the Rock era. Songs & bands used to be frightening to prepubescent boys, and girls didn’t even listen to them. Musicians had long hair & huge beards; they were unkempt & wore strange clothes. Grunge came along, and it was very dark: many of the lead singers of that era OD’ed or committed suicide. But Hip-hop isn’t scary, not even Rap, and today’s Pop music is inclusive & coddling. Rock-N-Roll died because now kids are too scared to listen to it. But that’s not enough of an explanation because there’s been a decline in music in general. Streaming & Internet piracy can be blamed for some of that but the issue runs even more deeply. In the past, music expanded listeners experiences, as did cars & sports. People went outside and attended events because there was nothing to do at home, and music was a huge part of that. Nowadays, young people, the ones thirsting for companionship & new experiences, have social media & videogaming. The only music they like is the music that’s incorporated into their virtual environment. This is the same reason young people seem to be missing from society at large: it’s because they’re in their own society online. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-20_1264_the_decline_of_music.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-20_1264_the_decline_of_music.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, rock music no Sat, 14 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The stereotype of masculinity is demonstrated by an online self-test of 10 questions, beginning with. “What do you do if you’re punched?” followed by 3 choices: Start crying and run away, turn the other cheek or fight back. The second question is: “Probability of you crying during a movie?” gauged on a 1 to 10 scale. The third is: “You have a girlfriend but a very attractive girl makes a pass?” is answered by clicking among face icons: frown, irritated, ho-hum, oh yeah, ready to get down. “Your house is a mess and friends are coming over, what do you do?” Clean up, pile things in a back room, no big deal. “What do you do after a first date?” Call her back, add her to the rotation, ghost her. “What if you’re drunk & feeling sad?” Do you go to bed, call your ex or get in a fight? “You’re in an auto accident and a musclebound guy gets out of the other car: what do you do?” Lock your doors, laugh nervously, get out & resolve the issue. “What do you do first at the gym?” Work out, sip a smoothie, take a mirror selfie. Then answer “How do you feel after eating 2 Big Macs, large fries & 32 oz. Coke?” with 1 to 5 stars. The last question is to choose among 3 pictures: a beautiful woman, a mountain bike or a masculine-looking male. How would you score? Personally, I think it was more of test for autism. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-20_1263_masculinity_test.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-20_1263_masculinity_test.mp3 2:49 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, masculinity test no Thu, 12 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Women have recognized that they are in control of the world. This has not led to a safer more understanding planet, the opposite instead: run away inflation, homelessness & internal discord. The political process has completely broken down, as has the separation of powers. Crime is no longer under control, education is more indoctrination than training young people how to improve themselves, climate cultism has become the new religion, and there’s even contemplation of a nuclear world war. How did this happen? How did the Matriarchy overcome the Patriarchy? Because of testosterone women cannot compete head-to-head with men so they have to stab through the cracks in men’s armor, which are: (1) democracy, the idea that 2 weak women can tell a strong man what to do; (2) exploit men’s courtesy & natural reticence to conflict with women; and (3) men will submit to women to get sex. All of these vulnerabilities are self-inflicted, and men could get back in control using their testosterone as their superpower, but that’s also been reduced so much that many men think they’re women, expanding their vulnerabilities even more. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-20_1262_mens_vulnerabilities.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-20_1262_mens_vulnerabilities.mp3 2:12 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, men's vulnerabilities no Tue, 10 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review our civics roundup: 1. The elimination of Capital Punishment in a society is the first precursor of its decline. 2. The sides are clear for a new civil war but its not so clear how it ends? 3. Whichever side wins politically, the losing side will start a rebellion. 4. The die has been cast how male Supreme Court nominees will be treated from now on. 5. Nepotism is the end of traditional liberalism. 6. Emigration does more to degrade the world than any other thing. 7. Leaving the U.S. for someplace with more freedom is no longer unimaginable. 8. The best recruits no longer enlist in the military. 9. Genocide works which is why people have to be repelled by the very thought. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1261_civics_roundup_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1261_civics_roundup_concepts.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, civil war, civics no Sun, 08 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The word "genocide” generates a visceral reaction in people. That aversion to the concept is intentionally taught because, frankly, genocide, mass indiscriminate killing, works, and is too easy to implement. Many of history’s most troublesome people problems were solved by simply mass eliminating the people. Occupying armies killed everyone in a village if there was an act of rebellion by even one member. History is full of holdouts, disliked populations, whole regions defying authority, and when enough of them were killed, sometimes all, they gave up. This reluctance to use genocide is a modern day phenomenon, only 70 years ago we did it: 2 nukes to stop imperial Japan, and Germany's civilian population was intentionally fire-bombed. We're too civilized to even consider those measures today so the threat is no longer palpable, but if we banish it from possibility then we give the enemy a big advantage. That’s not acceptable, so the West plays poker with the world after hiding the genocide aces under the table & pretending they don't exist, mostly in secret labs and submarines. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1260_genocide.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1260_genocide.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, genocide no Fri, 06 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor It used to be that along with fireman & police, “soldier” was something children said they wanted to be when they grew up. Toy guns were very popular with boys, and everyone admired the military and those who served in it. When having a strong military was essential for national security, this reverence was required: most parents will only allow their young men to fight & die in wars for hearth & home. Unfortunately, just two generations after America became the undisputed military world leader, no longer under threat from anybody, the military has lost most of its luster, and all of its credibility. Leftists question its existence or even outright condemn it, and their abhorrence of guns is legendary. Today’s military is now about something else entirely, something not even related to the military’s intended purpose which was to protect America from foreign threats. The senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Human Capital said the need for diversity, equity and inclusion is now part of all decisions in the military. Notably, the infamous “My 2 Mommies” army recruitment advertisement is a stunning example of this: a cartoon of a little girl raised by lesbians who cares for the environment & marches for equality. At the same time, the existing army has been purged of many experienced veterans as potential “domestic terrorists.” The result is that the young people the military used to rely on for recruitment, the most capable & patriotic, are now shunning it, such that military enlistment has completely collapsed, and if there’s a draft, unwilling men can evade it by claiming to be transwomen. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1259_military_enlistment.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1259_military_enlistment.mp3 2:59 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, military enlistment no Wed, 04 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There are walled enclaves in Panama and other places filled with American expatriates. Some do it because they can live there for less, others do it to escape American taxes, but more & more are doing it because as hard as it is to believe, a compound in Central America is better than living in the U.S. This is a relatively new phenomena, initiated by the COVID overreaction, but that hysteria has migrated into politics, and morphed into something dystopian that can only lead to some kind of new civil war. Consider the current war on men: not only are they turning boys into girls, they denigrate masculinity and the pride one should feel for one’s accomplishments. The media continually says derogatory things about traditional culture, customs & traditions; and there’s contempt from Millennials towards Boomers, and vice versa. It’s gotten worse & worse as Wokeism consumes every niche of life. Many old white men have to rethink staying in the U.S. to escape how uncomfortable everyday life has become, or possibly even for their very own safety. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1258_leaving_the_us.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-18_1258_leaving_the_us.mp3 2:09 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, emigration from U.S., expatriots no Mon, 02 Jan 2023 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Those who look to eugenics to confirm their world view that some races are inferior, point to the backwards and often failed nations in Africa and the Third World. What they don’t take into account is that these places do indeed produce exceptional people: the distribution may not be as high as in the West but there are certainly enough to drag their nations out of poverty & lawlessness. In fact, there was a time about half-a-century ago, when that was happening. The Third World standard-of-living was substantially increasing because high caliber students from those countries were educated by the West then they went home to act as leaders and organizers, but that was before Globalization, and the idea of open borders it fosters. Now the U.S. and other Western nations take all trained nurses, engineers, entrepreneurs & anyone of high caliber, stripping the emigrating nation of their rawest of raw materials. It may be good for West but it’s terrible for the nation that loses the flower of its people, yet the moralists say nothing because America benefits by degrading the of the rest of the world, as usual. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-16_1257_emigration_degradation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-16_1257_emigration_degradation.mp3 2:03 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, emigration degradation no Sat, 31 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Liberalism was the idea that merit should be the determining factor when selecting from job & college applicants. Before that, the class someone was born into determined those things. Nepotism, familial relationships & fraternal connections, played the biggest part of who got what. Without government holding back the gatekeepers, merit would mean nothing because all the opportunity would be hoarded by nepotistic interests. Until relatively recently, admittance into university required connections & cash, but with government founding of State universities, which admitted based purely on merit and at low cost, enrollment soared. Similarly, previous generations couldn’t get a good job without knowing someone but government espoused the idea of merit to counteract discrimination and big business followed. Even starting a business without nepotism used to be almost impossible but liberalism led to companies using a merit criteria, and supply chains were no longer exclusive to special interests. The influence of nepotism was lessened for a few generations but, unfortunately, with the advent of Affirmative Action, preferential hiring, Wokeism and a dramatic stratification of wealth, the nepotists are back. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-16_1256_nepotism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-16_1256_nepotism.mp3 2:15 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, nepotism, government no Thu, 29 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor When Democrats nominated Ketanji Jackson to become the newest justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, her House hearings & Senate confirmation sailed through without a hitch even though she couldn’t define what a “woman” was. (She said she’s not a biologist.) However, when Republicans nominate a justice, it’s a theater of histrionics & lies. It started 4 decades ago with “Borking,” when Robert Bork was not confirmed because the ruckus was too much for Republicans to endure, but it’s gone way beyond that. For male nominees, Democrats have a "Rapist" folder waiting. They get a woman to make unfounded accusations, as was the case with Clarence Thomas. His accuser, Anita Hill, was turned into a millionaire celebrity. Brent Kavanaugh had to endure the most strident Witch Hunt ever, showing if 1 woman isn’t enough, they’ll get 2, 3, however many it takes to thoroughly destroy a male Republican nominee’s reputation. There won’t be any more male nominees from the Democrats: Biden stated he would only select Black females. For their part, Republicans successfully held up Merrick Garland’s confirmation, thank goodness, because when he was subsequently appointed U.S. Attorney General he showed his partisan spots, including weaponizing the Justice Department, particularly the FBI. The Supreme Court is just politics obscured under black robes. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-16_1255_supreme_court_nominees.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-16_1255_supreme_court_nominees.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, supreme court nominees no Tue, 27 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor America has divided into two very opposing camps, both of which could spark a rebellion. As of now, the Left has been steadily gaining ground for a multitude of reasons, but demographics is the biggest: young people have been co-opted. These youngsters want to establish a new set of values that overshadow liberty & freedom, and if they don’t get their way, as we’ve already seen, they will riot in the streets. Finally, those that value our existing customs, culture & traditions have started to push back, which will cause more riots, and calls for authoritarianism, which will lead to calls for a rebellion from the rest of us. There are 2 possible outcomes: the Patriarchy falls or the Patriarchy dominates, getting back control of education & media to bring young people back to liberty-based thinking. Most likely though, rather than a rebellion, it will be a shambellion that makes money for the elites who are actually in charge, and they will dictate our new lifestyles to benefit themselves. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-14_1254_rebellion.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-14_1254_rebellion.mp3 2:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, freedom, rebellion no Sun, 25 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There’s no doubt the United States is united in name only. We no longer share common values, in fact, we have starkly opposing foundational ideology that cannot be compromised away. Half are Covidians & Climate Alarmists; they don’t think Biden’s election was fraudulent; they faithfully follow the MSM narrative; and they don’t want anyone thinking differently from them. America as we knew it is over; obviously, some kind of new civil war is coming. Most likely, it will be virtual, each side only interacting with themselves both online and IRL. The fact that you can’t be fired for pulling your dick out in a women’s restroom but can for following Trump on social media, and that a white guy in Buffalo Lodge hat, his face painted red, white & blue is an “insurrectionist” while black balaclava-wearing, Molotov cocktail-throwing Millennials are just LARPing, indicates that the other side controls all the levers of power. However, should real fighting actually occur, how would that come out? The military is mostly made of Red State folks, 80% Conservative. The National Guards are controlled by the Conservative States, and Conservatives own the majority of private firearms, 300 million, and most are trained to use them. BLM, Wokesters, environmentalists, anarchists, whoever thinks the Feds are going to be running the show in a revolution are absolutely kidding themselves. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-14_1253_sides_in_the_new_civil_war.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-14_1253_sides_in_the_new_civil_war.mp3 2:46 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, civil war, revolution no Fri, 23 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The American prison system is a sad, ridiculous gulag. The worst part is that it cures nothing: recidivism is expected so its primary purpose is vengance and to keep dangerous people away from the rest of us. Many prisoners who in the past were executed for their heinous acts, are now housed at tremendous expense for the rest of their lives, serving as inspiration & mentors to young inmates. The solution, of course, is to go back to capital punishment, however, the democratic process has made that virtually impossible. Why? Is it because people believe any life is better than the alternative? Human life is not the primary importance: if it was we wouldn't send soldiers to die for political objectives, we wouldn't allow people to smoke for private profit, and we wouldn't allow people to drink alcohol for recreation; even convenience is more important to us than life, as evidenced by letting people drive automobiles. There’s also direct killing such as abortion, ending life support, and assisted suicide, yet none of those people are a threat to the rest of us like hardened psychopaths who are warehoused rather than permanently removed as a threat. Heaven forbid what will happen if civilization completely breaks down and the jail cells are opened. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-14_1252_capital_punishment.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-14_1252_capital_punishment.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, capital punishment, death penalty no Wed, 21 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review how the law affects society: 1. Forensic accounting is for people who want to solve crimes without leaving their desk. 2. Vaccine mandates showed just how fragile the support for liberty is in America. 3. If government can’t get its way, it forms a fascist cabal with business. 4. Patenting DNA is essentially patenting God’s work. 5. The Administrative State is the authoritarian fourth branch of government. 6. Society is so broken there isn’t any way to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. 7. Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps assumes you have some. 8. The Left has co-opted existing institutions rather than making their own. 9. It’s too late for depopulation control because the population control people got there first. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1251_law__society_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1251_law__society_concepts.mp3 2:12 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society no Mon, 19 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Modern secular societies like in the West aren’t sustainable because they simply don’t produce the one thing that every successful society must have: children. Feminism is the culprit but it didn’t become apparent until it was too late: the indoctrination needed to convince young people to marry and have kids had to start 30 years ago. In previous societies of the past, the rulers recognized that women bearing children was more important than them working so they created religions that purported to give justification of this edict from God. Who else could convince a woman to take on such a heavy burden rather than commit infanticide. Given the choice, most women think most men are unattractive as a mate, and for the few men who can attract a mate, modern societies put most of the financial responsibility of marriage on them, so now they hesitate to make that commitment. The result is, in aggregate, modern women don’t have enough children for simple population replacement. There’s also practical limitations: with high-density urbanization, there simply is no physical room for children. Also, Climate Alarmism casts children, especially the offspring of white people, as a negative. But it’s not going to be the environment, or an asteroid, or nuclear war that destroys modernity, it will be empty wombs. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1250_depopulation_control.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1250_depopulation_control.mp3 2:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society, population control no Sat, 17 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The Left is claiming the Right is trying to tear down institutions & overthrow democracy, and the Right thinks it’s the exact opposite, but it’s actually a matter of perspective. From the Right’s point of view, they cherish the institutions as they used to be, but not as they are now. While the traditionalists were not paying attention, the Left subverted everything to support their new value system, and it’s almost a complete takeover, so the Left is correct, it’s the Right who want to break media, education & judiciary’s hold on America. Using democracy, the Left successfully infiltrated all the institutions. It was a loosely coordinated operation that began in the 1960s and finished during Obama’s presidency. It happened because we allowed the narrative to make democracy America's primary imperative rather than liberty. When the Right finally objected, the Left logically see them as trying to subvert democracy. The Right must fight back but understand they’re the bad guys here, and they’re the minority. However, the American revolutionaries were also in a minority when they fought for liberty & freedom. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1249_tearing_down_institutions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1249_tearing_down_institutions.mp3 2:10 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, institutions no Thu, 15 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor When I was young, society formed my expectations, and those things were reasonably achieved. My wife & I, both in our early 20s, got 4-year college degrees while working part-time. We lived on our own with no family help, raised 3 kids, bought a house and a car. We didn’t have much leftover money for entertainment so once a week we went to the cheapo theater and ate at Taco Bell. It was called “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,” which means you can raise yourself without help from anything or anybody. That was certainly MAGA. What the hell happened? If I was 20 now, I'd be pissed too: no spouse, no career, no future; compounded by the fact that people’s expectations far exceed what society can deliver. Nowadays, everyone wants to be rich & famous, and they don’t have the self-awareness to know it’s just wishful thinking. Then after a few years of not achieving their unrealistic goals, they get resentful & perverse, which doesn’t lead to anyplace good, like where we are now. Entire cities are filled with people who don’t even have bootstraps. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1248_bootstraps.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-12_1248_bootstraps.mp3 2:12 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, bootstraps, society no Tue, 13 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor For most of its history, American society preached self-determination & personal autonomy. You don’t consider your fellow society members as partners but you see them as allies. You don't have to like your allies, you don't even have to respect them, you only have to live up to your half of the agreement, and they theirs. This liberty-based ideology results in wildly disparate outcomes because we each benefit from or suffer the consequences of our own actions. Unfortunately, a complete society only works if we all think that way, or at least a majority do. Global connectedness brought along with it a lot perversity: immature people who would sacrifice their own well being as long as those they resent are chasened too. They want successful people to be penalized rather than try to improve their own well-being. Scarily, there’s enough of them, and they are disolute enough, that they riot in the streets if they don’t get their way, and are seemingly above the law. When someone in a black balaclava openly threatens you, that’s the very definition of a broken society. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-10_1247_broken_society.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-10_1247_broken_society.mp3 2:11 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society, broken no Sun, 11 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The Constitution set up 3 branches of government: executive, legislative & judicial; the idea being that they were in an adversarial relationship with each other, meaning each was the other’s watchdog, and all at the mercy of democracy. Authoritarians don’t operate well in plain sight so a forth branch of government was haphazardly created of career bureaucrats & administrators, the so-called “Deep State.” These people have no oversight, can not be fired, and are not subject to election outcomes. They can write regulations under the facade of law, oversee and enforce them, including draconian penalties, and there is no real appeal: the cost of pursuing a judicial remedy is simply too time consuming & expensive. Luckily, a TV host hedge fund manager with an ego to match, George Jarkesy Jr., did pursue an unjust judgment against him through serpentine court hearings, and the 5th Circuit. They found for all three points: the Legislative branch can't transfer their duties, all defendants can demand a jury trial, and the Administrative branch is indeed subject to the Executive branch. The result means the end of the Administrative State and they’ll want their unfettered power back so expect Deep State retaliation. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-10_1246_administrative_state.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-10_1246_administrative_state.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, administrative state no Fri, 09 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Patents, especially where it’s health related, have always been problematic, but in the case of patenting genes it’s obscene. Patents aren’t supposed to be granted to discovery: if something exists in nature, the medicinal properties of a plant for example, maybe the special preparation of the medicine can be patented but not the ingredient derived from the plant. Other people can prepare it in another way. In the case of DNA, however, patents have been allowed for identifying specific genes, essentially prohibiting other business interests that could take advantage of that information for their own products. Consider the gene sequence that’s predictive of breast cancer, BRAC. The researchers who identified the connection were granted a patent on it. How can anybody else work on cures for breast cancer if BRAC belongs to somebody? For example, if a company developed a treatment such as a nanobot gene-splicer that targeted BRAC and repaired it, they would have to pay the patent holder, or even worse, not be allowed to market their solution. Today, thousands of human genes have been patented, including those associated with Alzheimer's disease, colon cancer & asthma. The nightmare scenario is that the people who sequenced someone’s personal human genome get the patent on everyone’s. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-10_1245_patenting_dna.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-10_1245_patenting_dna.mp3 2:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, patenting DNA no Wed, 07 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The sorry state of liberty in America was exhibited by its easy submission to vaccine mandates which showed the stark divide between the authoritarian and liberty factions. Interestingly, the authoritarians included mainstream Republicans as well as all Democrats. It’s not that mandatory vaccinations are necessarily a bad thing but they should be judicially ascertained under Strict Scrutiny because they have a direct impact on liberty so can only be justified by meeting a specific important need: unless the job requires vaccination due to some real and immediate danger, liberty should win out: the forklift operator at a hospital better be doing heart transplants on the side if he must get the injections. Some countries, like Canada, New Zealand & China, don’t emphasize liberty like we do in America, and mandate even visitors to their country get vaxxed, and these restrictions are applauded by their populations. Tyranny of majority easily overwhelms liberty. Considering how overwhelmed libertyists were, it’s remarkable they were able to ultimately prevail against this momentum. Unfortunately, there’s still the public school system which is totally dominated by authoritarians, and at least 2 grade levels of kids who have COVID PTSD that they’ll never get over. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-08_1244_vaccine_mandates.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-08_1244_vaccine_mandates.mp3 2:20 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, COVID, mandates no Mon, 05 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Socialism’s primary fault is that it assumes prescient elites can predict a future that’s best for everyone. This quickly devolves to authoritarianism by whoever is in political power at the moment. A good example is vaxx mandates for public employees. Luckily, the courts took the side of liberty but it only protected public employees. Unfortunately, private businesses were not subject to the court rulings and were able to fire tens of thousands of employees who would not yield their freedom to make choices for themselves. Private employers have carte blanche over their employees except in a few instances; for example, company communes were found to be unduly controlling, labor unions can’t be prohibited, and pregnant women can’t be forced to endanger their fetus. There are also safety regulations and discrimination issues but otherwise a company can be as petty & manipulative as it wants because private employees are hired “at will” so can be fired for any reason at any time. The Constitution protects us from government authoritarianism but it hasn’t been much help limiting government’s fascist cabal with business authoritarianism. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-08_1243_fascist_cabal.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-08_1243_fascist_cabal.mp3 2:08 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty no Sat, 03 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Forensic counting is a combination of auditing & investigating, and entails tracing funds, asset identification & recovery. The specialty was created to put Al Capone in Alcatraz but it has many uses in the world of business both legit & illegal. Uncovering fraud is forensic accounting’s most popular appeal; for example, Ponzi schemes such as Bernie Madoff’s. It’s also used less glamorously by insurance companies to establish damages from claims, and searching for hidden assets in divorce cases. Forensic accountants calculate economic damages from tort actions & breach of contract, post acquisition disputes such as earn-outs or breach of warranty, bankruptcy, reorganization, business evaluation, and in the computer age: e-discovery. There’s securities & tax fraud to find, and money laundering, of course. More esoteric pursuits include investigating construction claims, expropriations, product liability, trademark & patent infringement; even something as mundane as the breach of a nondisclosure or non-compete agreement. Forensic accounting has recently branched into psychology, incentive effects & behavioral characteristics, specifically defining the “fraud triangle,” which classifies the three elements of fraud as opportunity, need & rationalization. They use predictive factors like narcissism and adultery as common traits of fraud perpetrators. First there’s a suspect, usually a tip from disgruntled family member, government or criminal enterprise, then the forensic accountants are let loose. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-08_1242_forensic_accounting.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-08_1242_forensic_accounting.mp3 2:41 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, forensic accounting no Thu, 01 Dec 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review what’s happening in other countries: 1. It’s only a matter of time before there’s another U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela. 2. The tyranny in Canada has reached Soviet Union proportions. 3. Ukraine was partitioned and all the West could offer was hoaxes. 4. If Russia hadn’t have went first, Ukraine would have invaded itself. 5. Russia recovered from its oligarchs but it’s questionable if America will? 6. Russian sanctions were supposed to collapse Russia’s economy but it backfired. 7. Saudi Arabia somehow evades being designated a “terrorist State.” 8. The U.S. occupies Syria just like Russia occupies Ukraine. 9. How would conflicts start without False Flags? You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1241_countries_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1241_countries_concepts.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Syria, Ukraine, Cananda, Saudi Arabia no Tue, 29 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor A false flag is a horrific event covertly staged by one side but attributed to the other to justify some kind of intervention. There have been some famous false flags in American history: the sinking of the Maine that started the Spanish-American war, the Gulf of Tonkin incident that started the Vietnam war, and history has shined a light on dozens of other such events in the Middle East, Central America, and throughout the world. It’s possible that false flags are the primary impetus of many conflicts, and this makes sense. In most situations, one side is confident it will win, and the other is especially careful to keep that from happening, so why would they initiate a provocation? They wouldn’t which is why a false flag event is staged by the true aggressor. For example, how many times does the Poison Gas narrative get used but it’s always questionable where it came from, or even if there is any, and why does the U.S. care about that but not about drones blowing up weddings? The infamous “weapons of mass destruction” didn’t even require any action on Iraq’s part to start a false flag-induced war. After so much experience, you’d think Americans could recognize when they’re being manipulated, and they probably do but we’d rather have the facade of moral justification than simply display our naked power-mongering for what it is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1240_false_flags.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1240_false_flags.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, false flags no Sun, 27 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor U.S. foreign policy is more hypocrisy than logic: at the same time as it condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on territorial grounds, it does exactly the same thing in Syria. Currently, U.S. forces occupy about one-third of the country including most of its oil wealth, and has no intention of returning it. Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has pointed out incontestably that foreign troops are in Syria “without our invitation or consultation or permission.” Operating out of 10 bases in the east, the U.S. intends an indefinite military occupation, including its own soldiers plus an additional number of uncounted Special Operations personnel, as well as troops assigned to classified missions, and they’re establishing local governments to run the occupied territory’s affairs, using Kurdish fighters to handle policing. Bereft of its petroleum resources, and deprived of its best farmland, Syria is having difficulty but when they tried to recuperate a critical gas plant, they were repulsed by a U.S. airstrike. The Syrian government has stated invasion & occupation of eastern Syria is “a blatant interference, a flagrant violation of the UN Charter’s principles and an unjustified aggression on the sovereignty and independence of Syria.” If that sounds familiar, it should, just as Russia is unwelcome in Ukraine, the U.S. invasion and occupation of Syria is illegal, anti-democratic, plunderous, and should be opposed & ended. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1239_syria_occupation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1239_syria_occupation.mp3 2:45 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Syria, occupation no Fri, 25 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Saudi Arabia has only been a nation since 1932, and is the source of Wahhabism, the impetus behind jihadism. They were never held accountable in any way for being the country most responsible for orchestrating & financing 9-11. Why? Because the Saudis have the money to buy the best PR and Bush Jr., the American president at the time, considered the royal family his personal friends. 40% of Saudi Arabia’s inhabitants are migrants who can’t vote. Since 2015, the first time women could vote, there hasn’t been any more elections. Saudi Arabia borders Yemen. In 2014, an ethnic faction, the Houthis, deposed the president. Saudi Arabia got involved even though the conflict was internal to Yemen, and began an air campaign & naval blockade, contributing 100 warplanes and 150,000 soldiers to a war which killed over 130,000 people. In a show of allegiance, the U.S. designated the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization.” This led to Yemen being termed a "humanitarian catastrophe" by Amnesty International. Even with all of this, the Saudi forces were roundly defeated, even including the destruction of 4 Abrams tanks and the abandonment of more, after which in 2022, the Saudis withdrew. Saudi Arabia has recently reaffirmed its commitment to Russia despite the Ukrainian invasion. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1238_saudi_arabia.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-06_1238_saudi_arabia.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Saudi Arabia no Wed, 23 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Russia is Europe’s energy supplier. In a vain & misconceived attempt to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, the EU decided to sanction it economically. In their hubris, they thought the weak Russian economy would crumble in a couple months, and even serve to bring down Vladimir Putin. But rather than that happening, instead the EU itself began suffering the ramifications, especially in the energy sector: no Russian natural gas, no Russian oil & no fertilizer from Belarus, the world’s largest producer. Germany was particularly impacted, losing the source of 80% of their fossil fuel energy. When Europe finally decided to allow this vital resource, Russia required they pay in rubles because the sanctions wouldn’t allow payment in any other currency, essentially giving away the products for free. The outraged Europeans hypocritically claimed the Russians were engaging in economic warfare. If that wasn’t delusional enough, they continued to predict Russian’s capitulation due to the economic warfare against them. The fact is, Russia was totally ready for the Ukrainian invasion, having prepared since 2014 when the duly-elected Russian-friendly president was toppled, instigated by the U.S. In reality, Russia was made a much more dangerous enemy with sanctions: they have no more to lose economically, their people coalesce around the adversity, and they became self-sufficient & immune to Western pressure. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1237_russian_sanctions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1237_russian_sanctions.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Russian sanctions no Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor For 4 decades, the Soviet Union was America’s main rival, so when it collapsed in 1990, rather than help them recover economically like they did for Europe after WW2, the U.N. proposed a plan to give an equal share of Russia’s net worth to everybody who lived there. Sounds egalitarian but practically starving people sold their share to whoever was buying, and organized crime were the only survivors of the collapse: that’s where the oligarchs came from. Afterwards, Russia was much worse off than it was under Communism so a democratically elected strongman like Putin, who promised to reign in the oligarchs, came into power. International relations settled and the world seemed like it was going to be a somewhat peaceful place for awhile. However, Russia never really lost its bogeyman status, and when candidate Trump stated his intention to normalize relations with them, the Deep State went into full panic, even casting president Trump as a Russian agent with completely phony evidence that was promoted by the MSM, DOJ & Democrat-controlled investigations, so-much-so that the majority of Democrats today don’t know that it was all a hoax. Russia went from being America’s erstwhile friend to the New World Order’s most-hated enemy. This was obviously intentional because Russia was not succumbing to the new social order of Wokeness, and everything that goes along with it, not the least of which is the West’s own rising oligarchs. What is truly ironic is that Russia in now more of a defender of traditional American values than America is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1236_russia.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1236_russia.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Russia, oligarchs no Sat, 19 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The West’s media coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was hoaxes from beginning to end. It started with the Snake Island soldiers fighting to the death - not; a beautiful Amazon fighter pic which is a fashion model holding an Airsoft; The “Ghost of Kyiv” fighter Ace was fictional; and the young girl’s note is from 2017 in Israel. The fact that American media repeated all of these hoaxes gleefully without question means we’ve learned nothing from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan & a list of other contrived conflicts. The people who propagate these lies sound stupid, their arguments are stupid, and their outrage is stupid. A voters map of Ukraine shows the reality of public opinion: eastern Ukraine is Russian-speaking Russian ex-pats who were being discriminated against by the Ukrainian government in the East. The obvious solution would have been for Ukraine to negotiate with the separatists, ending up with a West Ukraine and an East Ukraine but closer to each other than the East becoming part of Russia. In fact, Ukraine had negotiated that kind of deal early in the war but NATO wants Russia weakened so that it can be forced into the Globalist world order, so bribed Ukraine to continue the conflict. The fact is, the West, specifically the United States operating through its NATO catspaw, caused Russia to invade Ukraine, and rather than surrender for the sake of everyday Ukrainians, instead insisted on fighting to the bitter end, thereby losing all the most important parts of the country: the wheat harvest, the natural gas fields, the industrial heartland & the seaports, leaving nothing but the hoaxes. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1235_ukraine_hoaxes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1235_ukraine_hoaxes.mp3 2:52 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Ukraine, hoaxes, invasion no Thu, 17 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The U.S. predicted Russia would invade Ukraine but the reason they knew was never explained. Imagine Mexico's democratically-elected president wanted closer ties with America but a Russian-backed faction overthrew him and tried to form closer ties with Russia: how would America respond? Well, that’s how Russia responded in the opposite circumstances. Ukraine’s Russian-sympathizing western provinces didn’t like the coup & tried to break-away. Since 2014 they had been getting shelled daily by Nazi-sympathizing Ukraine forces; over 6 million refugees had already fled the area. In February 2022, the Ukrainian military was massing on the border of the region and was imminently going to go on the offensive against what they considered a rebellion so Russia invaded first to protect what they considered their people, which is opposite the false narrative that the Ukrainians were simply responding to Russian troop movements. Then, as Russian forces occupied a city, militia battalions of technically Ukrainian-nationality but Russian-patriots would quickly assemble and continue the march west. Russia actually became more powerful as the war dragged on. There was simply no hope for Ukraine, and the time for a ceasefire passed. Worse, the extremely biased, censored and completely propagandized war reporting has not relayed any of these stark facts to the world at large. If only words were as effective as artillery? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1234_ukraine_invasion.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-10-04_1234_ukraine_invasion.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Ukraine, Russian invasion no Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor It’s easy to see that Canada is where America is going, politics-wise, economic-wise & else-wise: a cynical dictatorship that relies on the tyranny of democracy to crush liberty. For example, their Bill C-25 imposes “diversity” on all corporations with financial penalties for those that don’t comply, including teams of “inspectors” to surveil them from within. Like the old Soviet Union, they encourage internal spying to report equity, speech & inclusion violations. Paralegal bodies known as “Human Rights Tribunals” are the judges with the power to shut down business, impose prison time, and compel “re-education” of offenders. There’s also Bill S-202 which amends the Criminal Code to outlaw “Conversion Therapy,” criminalizing parents, lawyers, physicians & church leaders who object to state-compelled hormone-drugging & genital mutilation procedures. There’s more: Bill C-76 imposes restrictions on third-party speech during extended election periods, and there’s a proposal requiring all news creators to procure a license for approved content. Canada has no term limit on the office of prime minister so Justin Trudeau may be in power for years to come. The only opposition, The People’s Party of Canada, was wiped out at the polls. How did this happen to our once freedom-loving northern neighbor? Democracy happened: Canada has an even higher plurality of feminists, minorities & weirdos than the U.S., and their media is even more censored; plus emigration from the U.S. by people with the worst of those attributes. However, the bright spot is that Climate Change will be awesome for Canada. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1233_canada_tyranny.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1233_canada_tyranny.mp3 3:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Canada, tyranny no Sun, 13 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There's a Leftist narrative that Venezuela's problems are all caused by the U.S., and there’s some truth to that even though socialism could do the job by itself. In 2020, the U.S. was even accused of plotting a coup against the Maduro government when speedboats carrying 50 mercenaries, some of which were American, were intercepted by the Venezuelan military. Though the U.S. denies it, USAID allocated $42 million to support the competing political party, another $20 million to a “democratic transition” fund, and an addition $2 million in bribes to set up opposition negotiations with the government. The U.S. also placed a $15 million bounty on Maduro, accusing him of narcoterrorism. Russia, for its part, has 400 mercenaries of its own in Venezuela, and there are hundreds of Cuban intelligence officers supporting the government. All of this espionage and intrigue from the major powers for a small country in South America may seem silly until considering the fact that Venezuela’s proven oil reserves are the largest in the world. Though Capitalists would like Venezuela to have a leader more aligned with their interests, the citizens of Venezuela support their government to take care of their needs first, even if it is incompetent & corrupt. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1232_venezuela.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1232_venezuela.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Venezuela no Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review which foreign affairs are happening today: 1. A multipolar world will provide a much needed adversarial relationship. 2. Only Muslims can stop jihadism. 3. China will not collapse quietly. 4. If there’s a best country, you should move there. 5. Afghanistan fell because the young Afghani men were expected to fight for feminism. 6. Today’s energy shortages are intentional towards the goal of changing the world. 7. Six million is as good a number as any because any is too much. 8. The U.S.S. Liberty attack by Israel should be taught in schools alongside Zionism. 9. State-sponsored terrorism is only applicable to other nations. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1231_foreign_affairs_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1231_foreign_affairs_concepts.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, foreign affairs no Wed, 09 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor According to government experts, states can sponsor terrorist groups in several ways, including but not limited to: funding terrorist organizations, providing training, supplying weapons, providing other logistical & intelligence assistance, and hosting groups within their borders. This definition easily describes the United States’ current relationship in Ukraine & Syria, and in the past with Cuba and a host of others before that. Hypocrisy aside, Iran has been deemed to provide state-sponsored terrorism, and now the U.S. also suggests Russia should be labeled as such. Apparently, any nation that engages in covert or overt operations for their own best interests are sponsoring terrorism, except America of course. What’s ironic is that most acts of what normal people consider terrorism, like the 9/11 attacks that changed the world, even though they were financed and planned by Saudi Arabia, it was not considered the sponsoring state. Instead, Iraq & Afghanistan were the nations chosen for that label, neither of which had anything to do with it, and Obama Bin Laden was assassinated while being protected by the Pakistan military. “Terrorism” is one of those words that carry a visceral meaning that people are repelled by, and anyone or any place designated as one are reviled and can be unquestioningly dealt with. That’s what has prompted the overuse of the term to the point of irrelevance, even if it really is state-sponsored. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-25_1230_state-sponsored_terrorism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-25_1230_state-sponsored_terrorism.mp3 2:40 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, terrorism, state-sponsored terrorism no Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Using today’s standards of censorship, obfuscation, and outright misinformation, it’s difficult to tell if history is true, but knowing that the winners write the history, and that narratives must be maintained at all cost, sometimes allows you to discern the truth for yourself. One of the most provocative myths is the Jewish conquest of Palestine, turning it into Israel. It seems any straying from the “facts” leads to being called a “Holocaust denier,” and persecution by the Jewish Defense League. One such story could aptly be called “Liberty denier.” Israel initiated the 1967 War with its Arab neighbors for their own nationalistic reasons. To insure their sneak attack would remain secret, the Israeli air force tried to sink a U.S. navy spy ship in the Mediterranean, the U.S.S. Liberty, that could have given the alarm since the Americans weren’t on-board with the invasion. The first wave of planes tried to take out the ship’s communications and was mostly successful, destroying all but 1 of the antennas, but that was enough for the Liberty to send out a distress call. Therefore, to complete the cover-up, the ship was attacked with the intention of sinking it. Israel's influence on the U.S. was so total that when a U.S. aircraft carrier that heard the SOS went to save the Liberty, the president of Israel called the U.S. president, Lyndon Johnson, and asked him to order back the carrier: amazingly, he did. Luckily, the captain of the ship ignored the order and saved the Liberty so we have the story today. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-25_1229_uss_liberty_attack.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-25_1229_uss_liberty_attack.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, U.S.S. Liberty, Israel no Sat, 05 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Without reservation, people accept there were 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis: why wouldn't they? They were taught that as a child, and teachers only teach things that are true, don't they? As far as "The Holocaust" goes, there's a ton of seeming fabrication used for political motives, mostly as a lever to establish Israel. Congratulations, it worked, and the propaganda was admirably done. However, where did that number come from? The concentration camps only accounted for a small fraction. For example, something over 50,000 prisoners total died at Buchenwald, the largest concentration camp, most from exhaustion, starvation & disease, only a fraction of which were Jewish. Even if multiplying that number by the number of camps, it’s be far short of even a million of anybody, let alone Jews. Turns out, the 6 million is derived from the census of how many Jews there were in Germany before the war vs. the census after the war: 6 million Jews lived in Germany in 1933; none afterwards, as if a post-war Jew would admit they were on a public census. Tenuous proof indeed but justifiable. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-23_1228_6_million_jews.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-23_1228_6_million_jews.mp3 2:10 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, the Holocaust no Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There’s a world energy shortage and its intentional. Climate alarmists want to reduce energy consumption by reducing the supply. They have been brainwashed to prefer the promise of an ecotopia fantasy over continuing progress. They want to limit consumption of oil, natural gas, and even water. If it takes an economic collapse, and dramatic fall in the standard of living to do it, even the cost of millions of human lives, that’s just the price everyone in the world has to pay. They don’t consider that large groups of people don’t share their metaphysical values & beliefs, but remain smug in their hubris and cocoons of imagined virtue. The State religion of environmentalism has convinced generations of youth to consider carbon emissions an existential threat which must be reduced for the good of everybody. Little do they know that their paternalistic efforts will instead result in violence, probably even invasion, from those they oppress through suppression of their energy supplies. Populations that used to have no inclination to go to war, scoffing at the very idea, will mobilize when their children are freezing and there’s little to eat. The honest fact is, there is no world energy shortage, there’s only deluded & self-loathing people who want one, many of which won’t be affected by it because they’re part of the elite. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-23_1227_world_energy_shortage.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-23_1227_world_energy_shortage.mp3 2:25 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, climate alarmism, energy shortage no Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Why any modern country would want to involve itself in nation-building smacks of condescending hubris, but both Russia and the U.S. gave it a try in Afghanistan, both to ignominious failure. It was unclear why the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, and frustratingly incomprehensible to most people why it remained there for two decades? A reason that matches the facts better than any other explanation: it was to spread feminism. Behind the scenes, the West focused on "save the girls:" educated them into strong, independent women who don’t need no man, and that’s why a quarter-million man U.S.-trained & equipped Afghan military folded in the time it took the Taliban to drive across the country. The most important thing to men is sex which is why the Afghani forces capitulated to easily. While the West had occupied Afghanistan, they protected women, and during that time Afghani men had become Incels, involuntarily celibate, just like in the West where 30% of under-30 men are virgins. The Taliban offered a wife to every Iraqi soldier who would join their side and they all did. For the same reason armies of young men have always invaded mud-brick villages & impoverished cities, it isn't about gold, it's for the pussy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-21_1226_failure_in_afghanistan.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-21_1226_failure_in_afghanistan.mp3 2:41 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Afghanistan, feminism no Sun, 30 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A woman who had heard about my world travels asked me which was the best country to retire in, but when I said the U.S., she was incredulous. I asked if she’d ever lived anywhere else: she hadn’t. I told her Americans take the fruits of White Supremacy for granted: they just expect other people to be conscientious, honest, industrious & courteous, but that’s the exception, and why the West is exceptional. Many Americans condemn the Patriarchy yet they would most certainly be appalled if they had to live in countries without it. Americans value punctuality; they expect a good faith estimate, professional decorum, high standards & quality workmanship. They feel secure in their person because they can depend on others being law-abiding. That eliminates most of the world unless they retire to walled expat compounds. If you value your personal independence, specifically liberty, there’s no place else on earth that enshrines that concept in their constitution like the United States. There are lots & lots of socialist-leaning, even Marxist, people who would think some other country would be better to live in than the U.S. The solution is obvious but instead those people insist on changing America rather than moving. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-21_1225_best_country.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-21_1225_best_country.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, patriarchy, white supremacy, no Fri, 28 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s predicted that the world’s next big economic crisis will be China. Their debt is almost four times their gross domestic product, three times more than the equivalent U.S. debt. Their housing sector accounts for a third of their GDP, twice the U.S., and people have quit paying mortgages on houses that haven’t even been built yet. 40% of Chinese real estate investment companies are facing bankruptcy forcing banks to close, and signaling possible bank runs. The government of China is literally driving out foreign companies, even foreign individuals. The once touted centrally-controlled economy is imploding: there really is no compromise between Marxism & Capitalism. But China isn’t going to go down quietly: they’re actually calling the downturn the “New Cultural Revolution.” There are daily Emergency Alert messages on everyone’s phone accusing the West of orchestrating their problems and calling for rearming. Military training is mandatory in schools. They are belligerent to Taiwan and India, and are joining forces with Russia for another Cold War. China’s totalitarian president Xi, like Mao & Stalin before him, are true believers, so if worse comes to worse, they’re going to need a scapegoat, which is why they’ve been prepped, specifically against the U.S. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-19_1224_china_collapsing.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-19_1224_china_collapsing.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, China collapse no Wed, 26 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and it’s estimated that perhaps a half-percent of them are jihadists: in American eyes, that’s 8 million potential terrorists, way more than the amount of Transgenders yet we’re changing our entire social & legal system to accommodate their predilections. No wonder so many Americans are Islamophobic, especially when there are so few positive role models of them in media or in real life. It’s interesting that white Western women are most accepting of mass immigration because Islamic culture is so antithetical to feminism, yet there is cause for such fear. Most people are secretly resentful & perverse, and cheer inwardly when their team makes a big play: 9-11 was a win in the Muslim world; plus the ingredients for extremism are embedded in the Koran. Even if only a quarter of Muslims have hidden sympathies for jihadism, that’s 4 billion people so we have to treat the situation as if they all do. Nazi Germany only had 18 million soldiers total, and only a couple million at the beginning of WW2. With the right circumstances & coaxing, Islam would be on the other side in WW3, and frankly, they’re more committed than us. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1223_islamophobia.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-27_1223_islamophobia.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Islamophobia no Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Since the fall of the Soviet Union three decades ago, the world has been dominated by the West, specifically the United States. It was a unipolar world trending in the direction of globalism. Unfortunately, an adversarial relationship is always required to prevent monopoly and all the problems that come with it. Globalism was a de facto monopoly but it served liberty well until the levers of central power were gradually usurped by socialists, both Communists that represent control by state interests, and Fascists like the World Economic Forum who represent the so-called “stakeholders,” meaning rich private interests. Liberty was slowing being strangled out as these groups inexorably became stronger & stronger via their monopoly powers. That all changed with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the West’s sanctions against it. Several powerful nations had resented the U.S.’s overarching control of all modernity, primarily through military, internet & the banking system, but the cost & impetus to compete with the established framework was too high. However, they had no choice due to sanctions so they took the opportunity that had been in preparation for so long, and combined into a competing world order known as BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but is expanding to include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Argentina & Iran. At first glance, this formidable competition might seem threatening to American hegemony, but if viewed from the perspective of the benefits gained by having market options, a multipolar world is a good thing. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-17_1222_multipolar_world.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-17_1222_multipolar_world.mp3 3:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, unipolar world, multipolar world no Sat, 22 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review what’s happened so far during the revolution: 1. “Insurrection” has been redefined to mean a pushback against what feminists, minorities & weirdos want. 2. The goal of any revolution is to obtain power by the revolutionaries. 3. The list of who’s behind the revolution is long, all with grievance in common. 4. The Matriarchy revolution is self-financed. 5. The U.S. can only stay together if control is again vested in the states as specified in the Constitution. 6. You know the enemy by how they spell “freedumb.” 7. WW3 is happening in the home. 8. What can you do to foment revolution? 9. 5th Columners are enemies who pretend to be on your side. 10. Everyone who’s not a Leftist is being defined a “domestic terrorist.” You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-17_1221_revolution_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-17_1221_revolution_concepts.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, revolution no Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The definition of “terrorism” has been contorted. As of 2021, the Department of Homeland Security considers white supremacists as the top domestic terrorist threat, at the same level as ISIS, explaining that far-right terrorism is motivated by nationalism and anti-government patriot beliefs. Essentially, patriotism is now terrorism. Bizarrely, “fiery but peaceful” Antifa is not on the list, but concerned parents at local school board meetings trying to keep Critical Race Theory out of the classrooms were considered “domestic terrorists.” The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act has proposed legislation that would create offices within the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI to combat far-right violence, though there’s no mention of far-left violence. Apparently, holding traditional American values, the ones currently being denigrated in schools and state as racism, is now terrorism. It’s probable that soon MAGA “extremists” will be labeled as domestic terrorists. There are already calls for the internment of Republicans, and the execution of President Trump. Now that does sound a lot like domestic terrorism. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-17_1220_domestic_terrorist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-17_1220_domestic_terrorist.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, domestic terrorist no Tue, 18 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor 5th Columners are enemies pretending to be friends; secret opposition sympathizers who undermine an ideological group from within. The term comes from real-life examples in war but it has been adopted virtually online. These people join forums on social media under the pretense of sharing common values, ostensibly posting in good faith, but are actually disingenuous to the point of obfuscating the issue entirely, intentionally so. They are most successful at disassembling the group’s objective, clarity & cohesiveness. One type of 5th Column is "glowies,” federal agents instigating false flag operations via dupes, but it’s much larger than that. How many of the people who act irrational, mentally ill even, are pretending to be on a side simply to distract others who are sincere from discussing issues salient to the group’s intention? It seems to be a tactic primarily used against the Right who feel compelled to allow Free Speech whereas the Left will efficiently censor such attempts. It doesn’t take long for a Right-leaning forum to succumb to 5th Column infiltration, causing cynicism and disintegration of any common goal. What makes it so insidious is that it’s the government sponsoring it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-15_1219_5th_columners.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-15_1219_5th_columners.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, 5th Column, glowies no Sun, 16 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The division between the two factions in the United States, traditional Americans vs. the egalitarians, has become frightening. All the values we once had in common are now completely opposing, and it’s common practice to call traditionalists names & openly vilify them, and try subjugate them. To even support MAGA, the idea that America used to be a better place to live, causes suspicion, fear and contempt. The reason for the vituperation is obvious: demonizing the enemy is the first step to destroying them. The question is, what can you do stop it, or at least slow it down? What can you do to foment revolution? The strategy is simple passive aggressiveness; be nonpassive in passive ways, and it only requires fortitude on your part. For example, during mandates, masking or lockdowns: don’t. Don’t use forced pronouns; claim that Biden was fraudulently elected; and Antifa uses terrorism. Insist that the media outright lies, that censorship is a big problem, and point out any other examples of the book “1984” happening today. The boldness of your defiance squelches the subjugators and encourages the resistance. If you get Canceled, take it as an honor. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-15_1218_fomenting_revolution.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-15_1218_fomenting_revolution.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, revolution no Fri, 14 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor WW3 is going on right now: it’s worldwide, it’s for complete dominance, it’s depopulating, and it’s happening inside every society. The combatants are women vs. men. The weapon of women is democracy and the weapon of men is testosterone. The results so far is that 30% of men under 30 are virgins and half of all men haven’t had sexual relations in the past year, marriage is at an all time low, as is childbirth, and educated women instigate 9 out of 10 divorces. Obviously, women are winning and have been for decades, mostly because men still haven’t started fighting back because they haven’t yet been radicalized like women have been. Radicalization is good because it defines the sides: no more complacency & wishful thinking. If only one side is radicalized then it wins without a battle due to lack of battle lines. Hopefully, concepts like MGTOW, Men Going Their Own Way, and Red Pill, the realization that society is gynocentric and actively works against men, continue to gain steam. Fortunately, even if we are outnumbered and far behind, our side can still win because we’re all individual strategists who can work alone behind enemy lines. Unfortunately, that in many cases turns out to be our own homes. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-13_1217_ww3_at_home.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-13_1217_ww3_at_home.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, WW3, feminism no Wed, 12 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Freedom Convoy was Canadian truckers’ attempt to squelch the vaxx mandates. The truckers initially said that was their goal but it wasn’t popular, Canadians overwhelmingly want mandates, so the truckers strategically branded it “freedom” which had broader appeal. and was somewhat successful. But pushback from the elites & media was intense. The CBC said Russia was behind the convoy, and called for “boots on the grounds, guns on the hip.” The police attacked the completely peaceful protesters at night with tear gas & rubber bullets. When that didn’t work, they rode over the crowd with horses, even trampling some. “Freedumb,” spelled d, u, m, b, became the operative pejorative from the establishment, and it was smeared everywhere. What better example proving that it’s freedom itself that these people want extinguished. America tried its own trucker convoy: it was much larger than the Canadian one but was totally blacked out by the mainstream media. It didn’t seem possible the government could get away with that level of suppression but there’s a lot of people out there with their hands over their eyes & ears. Then, too coincidentally, Russia invaded Ukraine on the same day the convoy were entering Washington, D.C., completely neutralizing it. The most important accomplishment of the Freedom Convoy was to show all the people on the verge of resisting that they’re not alone. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-13_1216_freedom_convoy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-13_1216_freedom_convoy.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, freedom convoy, Canadian truckers no Mon, 10 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Social media has allowed groups of people to coalesce en masse so that now even the most fringe opinions have a large impact on the political scene. .01% of 330 million people can still seem like everyone so if that number was 1% or 10%, that’s a cohort that rivals the population size of many nations. If those people are politically active while everyone else remains docile, they’re going to be in control, especially in cities where it only takes small numbers to be a majority. Trying to pushback in such situations hasn’t gotten any better; if anything, it’s worse because they have achieved critical mass. America’s only hope is to do as the Constitution originally intended and send power back to the states rather than an all-powerful federal government controlled by special interests. For example, states recently got back the ability to determine their own abortion laws. States also need to dominate the large corporations as Florida did to Disney, and States must take control of education away from the teacher’s unions. There could still be a United States but federal power would need to be significantly weakened so that feminists, minorities & weirdos couldn’t dictate from D.C. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-11_1215_winning_at_the_state_level.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-11_1215_winning_at_the_state_level.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, federalism, abortion, state's rights no Sat, 08 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Leftist takeover of the U.S. was not accidental: it was great strategy, planning & organization. The biggest question is: where did they get all the money to do it? Some say China, and billionaire elites also get a lot of the blame, but the real answer is that they don’t need much money. Feminists, minorities & weirdos, FMWs, that believe in the cause will do it for free. There are millions of FMWs everywhere holding strategic levers of power all the way up & down the command structure. They make what they want happen, and what they don’t want, not happen; they even control all the oversight so there is no checks & balances. Democracy is their most powerful weapon but the judiciary is their ace in the hole. For example, say a voter fraud case comes up: if it's an FMW judge who gets it, they just throw it out, and if it gets past the first court, they squelch it at a higher one. Places like Washington D.C. are totally compromised: guilty people get let off and innocent people are imprisoned depending on their politics. The most massive display of their power was the fraudulent election of Biden. As demonstrated in the documentary movie “2000 Mules,” unlimited money, man-power & organization passed through multiple levels of oversight both before and during the election, and the clamps are even tighter now after the subterfuge has been exposed. That takes tremendous infiltration: every committee, every elected official, every judge in the path. Apparently, there wasn’t a single person with the ability to stop it and would have at any stage of the process. It’s breathtaking in its completeness, and the FMWs all help pay for it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-11_1214_whos_paying_for_it.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-11_1214_whos_paying_for_it.mp3 3:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Leftism, election fraud, FMW no Thu, 06 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Who is it that is taking over society, demonizing existing precepts, and destroying what used to be considered American values? What group is so prevalent that they are in control of everything? It’s a coalition of those that feel inferior, intimidated & left out by the status quo, primarily feminists, minorities & weirdos; there’s also young people who always tend towards whatever is opposite their elder’s sensibilities & goals; and there’s the environmentalists that want the world to stop; there’s NeoCons who believe might makes right and not taking the opportunity to dominate & subjugate is an opportunity lost; there’s the brainwashed who have no power of critical thinking themselves so imbibe whatever the mainstream media is shilling; and there’s foreign governments who are simply acting in the best interests of their own country. However, the most insidious are the people who simply want to “burn it all down.” How is it that these groups are winning so completely? Because they control the narrative. Why can’t normal people simply ignore them? Because democracy favors them: there are many more losers than winners in a merit-based society; and at the top of every organization are their supporters who would fire or arrest anyone pushing back. They're fighting harder now because men have finally caught on but the feminists, minorities & weirdos haven't lost any ground yet: all those who were in power are still in power, censorship is worse than ever, authoritarianism remains high, and the coming economic difficulty & shortages will only make them stronger because fear favors the despicable. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-09_1213_who_is_it.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-09_1213_who_is_it.mp3 3:04 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, feminists, minorities, weirdos, control no Tue, 04 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There’s an all-out war on the tenets of liberalism in this Information Age: tearing down custom, culture & traditions; attacking liberty & freedom of speech, and canceling of the national identity; it’s truly WW3. Like all wars, it’s the result of long-simmering resentments, wanting to settle old scores, vengeance, and an effort to seize power & control. Their slogan is, “It’s our turn now.” The goal is clear, they mention it all the time: it’s to usurp the privilege that white males possess as a result of whiteness & maleness. That can only be accomplished by condemning those traits, holding them back, discriminating against them in business, government & law, because otherwise men would easily win based on merit. There are also people who through fear, perversity or masochism, want there to be fewer humans consuming less things, and a cap on progress. To subjugate the populations of the world, they create existential threats like climate alarmism, an improbable catastrophe of some sort, or a foreign military invasion, to force their agenda of deconstruction, depopulation & deindustrialization, primarily by the means of reducing the supply of energy. They literally want you dead. It sounds crazy because these people are crazy: over half are diagnosed and take psych meds, and another large portion should be. They aren’t capable of running their own lives and they don’t want you to run yours either. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-09_1212_whats_the_goal.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-09_1212_whats_the_goal.mp3 2:41 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, WW3, white male privilege no Sun, 02 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The U.S. has suffered a weaponization of the legal system, the FBI in particular; from the enduring Russian Collusion Hoax to the obviously fabricated January 6th insurrection narrative with its prime time hearings and complete kangaroo court atmosphere. Many pundits are observing that whatever false accusations against the Right that the Left makes are likely to be what the Left is actually doing so if they are claiming insurrection by their opponents then that’s what they plan themselves. The “fiery but peaceful” riots that killed dozens and destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars of private property are ignored yet January sixth, whose only true casualty was an unarmed woman shot by Capital police, is the focus of attention. Perpetrators of heinous acts during the riots were rarely identified, let alone held responsible, yet January 6th protesters were relentlessly tracked down and held in prison without bail for years. Retired generals say if Republicans take control of congress, there will be an insurrection. It’s the height of fear-mongering & perverse extortion. There will certainly be an insurrection if the Left loses power because, apparently, an “insurrection” is them not being in control. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-07_1211_insurrection.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-07_1211_insurrection.mp3 2:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, insurrection, January 6th no Fri, 30 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review what’s happening during the collapse & virtual civil war: 1. The End of the World isn’t going to be as bad as it sounds. 2. You’re actually prepping for people who want your supplies more than you. 3. What if a crash happens and nobody notices? 4. If there’s a collapse, the National Guard gots this. 5. Any threat to the food supply is intentional. 6. When Communist revolutions are fomenting, all that prevents them is helicopters. 7. The Matriarchy revolution doesn’t need a leader because it’s organic. 8. There’s no winning strategy for the Patriarchy to defend against the Matriarchy. 9. One side is going to have to completely win the next civil war. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-07_1210_collapse__virtual_civil_war_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-07_1210_collapse__virtual_civil_war_concepts.mp3 2:12 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, collapse, virtual civil war, civil war no Wed, 28 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It seems likely the United States will endure a second civil war; in fact, it’s underway right now, a virtual civil war where the two sides don’t share enough values to agree on anything nor even have the ability to communicate. The Patriarchy, so-called “White culture,” is a result of the Enlightenment that occurred in seventeenth century Europe, and subsequently adopted by the fledgling United States, when liberal tenets like innocent until proven guilty, children are not responsible for the actions of their parents, equal protection under the law & Rule of Law were developed. This was a time of Protestant Work Ethic and supposed meritocracy, when people advanced their station in life more through their own actions rather than inheritance. Personal autonomy, the concept of people making decisions for themselves, was also an important ingredient. Now a large portion of the population have denounced Enlightenment values, and have adopted the opposite: Believe Women without evidence, Whites are responsible for the deeds of their ancestors, legal persecution to destroy their enemy, and giving preferential treatment for birth traits. Working is discouraged by proposing a Universal Basic Income. Obviously, with antithetical positions like these, there is no compromising: one side must lose completely and have values forced upon them just as in the first civil war. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-07_1209_whats_after_the_next_civil_war.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-07_1209_whats_after_the_next_civil_war.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, civil war, enlightenment no Mon, 26 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Not just the United States, the whole world is currently in a virtual civil war: not with other nations, though it may turn into World War 3 in real life, but instead ideological conflict between people within their own nations. The two sides are the Patriarchy and the Matriarchy, which makes drawing battle-lines impossible because they’re in the households and bedrooms of families. Men are evolved not to fight with women, so the Patriarchy has no winning strategy, only capitulation, which is what has been happening for the past few decades until now we’re at a tipping point, maybe even over it. Authoritarianism is dominant because old men won’t step up because they want to rest on their laurels, living in an effort-free wonderland contemplating retirement, selfishly defending their personal interests, and accept tyranny to keep their idyllic life-style intact: they even condemn those who do act. The only glimmer of hope is that the older generation will eventually die off, and the younger generations that did have families in this anti-family environment are on the Patriarchy’s side. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-05_1208_no_winning_strategy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-05_1208_no_winning_strategy.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, virtual civil war, patriarchy, matriarchy no Sat, 24 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Patriarchy is surely losing to the Matriarchy but anyone who says so is called a conspiracy theorist, claiming that there’s no organized battle, and never admitting the sublime effort going on everywhere behind the scenes. Over the past few decades, FMWs, feminists, minorities & weirdos got into strategic positions in business & society via Affirmative Action, preferential hiring & “diversity,” and then social media came along which enabled them to coalesce in the background. They’re also very cynical, a side-effect of their special treatment, knowing they didn’t achieve their positions through merit, so they have more allegiance to what got them there than they are to their place of employment, their country, or even their families. FMWs don’t have a central authority: not the Democrat party, not the media, not the court system nor schools, but they control all of those things like cells in a clandestine revolution, each working independently of each other but all recognizing what's happening and pushing towards their goal. It’s an organic conspiracy, a good example of emergent order. The fact that no one is pushing back supports this conclusion because men are accustomed to being subservient to women at home and in society at large. The “privilege” that the Matriarchy claim men have is only one of projection; it’s they who really have most of the privileges, and now they want them all. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-05_1207_organic_conspiracy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-05_1207_organic_conspiracy.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, conspiracy no Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The specter of tossing hooded Communists out of helicopters into the sea is an enduring one. First practiced by France during the Malagasy Uprising, then the “Dirty War” in Argentina, and the Bougainville Civil War in Papua New Guinea. But “death flights” really entered the public consciousness as a staple of the Chilean regime of Augusto Pinochet. Helicopters have been associated with dictators ever since. What’s most notable is that it appears to have been effective. In most cases, Communist take-overs are successful because their most fervent supporters are fully committed to the ideology, and there is an immense army of the disaffected who will join the ranks given the chance. Sometimes the takeovers involve violence but in the modern era, democracy is enough: egalitarians always eventually get a voting majority because the allure of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need,” causes the majority of people to immediately improve their lives even though it’s a totally bankrupt concept in the long run. With that kind of support working against free enterprise, it’s remarkable the U.S. hadn’t turned Communist before. In fact, it was close a couple times but greed won out over resentment. However, the threat of socialism is stronger now: Marxism or Fascism seems to be the world’s future. There are people, mostly Republicans, who still think America can be recovered, but democracy is the culprit not the solution: helicopters is seemingly all that works. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-03_1206_helicopters.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-03_1206_helicopters.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, communists, death flights, helicopters no Tue, 20 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s impossible to know exactly when The Collapse will occur but a decreasing selection of competing products will be the first sign that there's a problem, along with a complete lack of the more exotic ones or specialty items. Interstate transportation will be disrupted: a solo truckdriver going cross country won't be possible, trucks will need to travel in armed convoys, and if law & order cannot be established along the entire route then even that won't be possible. Luckily, many people have already shifted to eating locally grown food but growing things takes time and several seasons to increase the supply of fresh food enough to match the demand. Fresh meat will become especially expensive because it will be in such short supply which the people who caused The Collapse will revel in. There will be plenty of something to eat: dried & canned goods, probably even canned meats. In reality, unless there’s a complete breakdown, which seems highly unlikely, there will be plenty of food of some kind or another at a reasonable price. The old Soviet Union is a good example of a Marxist supply chain: the people didn’t go hungry, they just had to wait for hours in line to buy a small selection of items. Unless the people who caused The Collapse get full control, it won’t be that bad. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-03_1205_food_supply.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-03_1205_food_supply.mp3 2:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, food supply, collapse no Sun, 18 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Rather than civil war caused by differing ideologies, it's more likely the U.S. will collapse due to economics. People have been predicting this will occur for decades now, and the hysteria has really built up since the Lockdown, so it’s fun to speculate what will happen when it does. By looking around the neighborhood and knowing that many of the houses you see have guns, it’s likely the first thing people would do is form little local militias. That will pretty much insure safety in rural areas and the suburbs: families being protected by their family members and neighbors. However, the National Guard will need to be called out for the cities. It will take a while for citizen-soldiers to muster, be equipped and given orders, but within the first month, they’ll be the ones taking over from the militias to protect neighborhoods, mostly from people fleeing the cities, and it will be them that sets up temporary camps for the refugees. The National Guard protects other families like they want their own families to be protected so things will soon become calm & secure, and life will slowly return to normal. After 6 months, the DHS will take over management of the camps and the National Guard will go home, except perhaps from the cities. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-01_1204_national_guard_during_the_collapse.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-01_1204_national_guard_during_the_collapse.mp3 2:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, National Guard, collapse no Fri, 16 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor I got married in 1979 during record inflation. We were both in college working part-time to completely support ourselves since we had no student loans, no scholarships and no help from family. We lived in a cheap apartment and drove an old car, had no loans and paid all our bills, yet we saved up enough to tour Europe for a month before moving out of state for my entry-level job as an engineer. My wife worked part time as a clerk, had a kid with no Family Leave nor any kind of financial help yet we were able to buy a house at 10% down and 22% interest. Two more kids soon followed yet we bought a new car. Nothing going on in the economy made any difference to our quality of life. Same with the 1989 and 2008 crashes. The upcoming crash is set up to be worse but will it affect me or mine? Probably only tangentially. The fact is, I don’t think anyone will be affected in a real way: if you lose a lot of savings, so what, by definition you didn’t need that money anyway. It’s true that the best things in life are free, and kids don’t know that they’re poor. This only applies to people who live conscientious lives: folks out at the extremes may have to reel in their excesses, but even that isn’t clear because the concept of accountability is gone so they’ll probably get to keep their cake and eat it too. With student loan forgiveness, stimulus checks, bankruptcy, eviction prohibition & Basic Income, everybody be chillin’. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-01_1203_chillin_the_crash.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-09-01_1203_chillin_the_crash.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, collapse, crash no Wed, 14 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor “Prepping,” the idea that someone can prepare for coming hard times & lawlessness by stockpiling food & ammunition, comes from the realm of entertainment: books, movies, etc. that idolize those with foresight & self-reliance; not to mention the sense of superiority that comes from thinking they’re going to live while everyone else dies. Some preppers advocate escaping into the mountains with a bug-out bag, but most simply have large pantries and raise gardens. There is a sense of security that comes from these things but in the end, the preparation will be worthless if you consider the likely scenario. It won't take full-blown collapse, just the homeless roaming around would be a threat. They'll walk right into your garden and take what they want, they're used to that already, or they'll knock on your door asking for food; so will some of your neighbors. What are you going to do, shoot them? You're going to have to be secretive about what you have because there will be community meetings where they insist everyone has to share. The equality folks, egalitarians who think their feelings supersede your selfishness, will really be pushing that, and they control most of the levers of power: Blue states will probably even send jackboots to take your stuff for the good of everyone. You’re just prepping for someone else. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-08-30_1202_prepping_is_worthless.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-08-30_1202_prepping_is_worthless.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, prepping, preppers no Mon, 12 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The End of Times is upon us, at least our times. It will take a while before entrepreneurship becomes impossible, forcing more & more people onto Welfare or choosing Basic Income, until finally consumption exceeds production and all of society comes tumbling down. However, many of us were indoctrinated with a belief in liberty & self-reliance so there's at least 20% of the population that aren't complete incompetents, and could possibly bring society back. Plus, all this coming to a boil can actually be a good thing if we can also shuck off the smear merchants, race hustlers & communists. It would also be a good time to reign in predatory businesses like banking, broadband & pharmaceuticals. The change in comfort, convenience & expectations will lead to massive social upheaval, primarily against feminism, which is the ultimate cause of the whole situation since it advocates the dismantling of the Patriarchy, defined as the Western values of integrity, conscientiousness, honesty, meritocracy & work ethic. There will be a return to traditional family values because the opposition will disappear due to a lack of procreation because they think they’re saving the climate. The End of Times will be the beginning of old times. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-08-30_1201_end_of_times.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-08-30_1201_end_of_times.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, end of times, feminism no Sat, 10 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more ideology & revolution concepts: 1. David Hume was in the right place at the right time with the right belief that people are motivated by biology. 2. Nietzsche has so many insightful quotes that it’s probable you haven’t heard them all. 3. It’s much more important that you have a diversity of societies than diversity within a society. 4. God’s Will didn’t go anywhere, just the people who play the part changed. 5. Joseph Smith’s Articles Of Faith include important civil values that make his believers good citizens. 6. The ideology within scripture conflicts with individualism. 7. America failed because its institutions failed. 8. Left vs. Right boils down to egalitarians vs. feudalists. 9. Liberty descends from the Age of Enlightenment. 10. The New Terror makes everywhere a gulag. 11. Malevolence is encouraged by passivity. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1200_ideology__revolution_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1200_ideology__revolution_concepts.mp3 2:48 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, ideology, revolution no Thu, 08 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There's a large portion of the population that hates America for the same reasons people hate anything: envy, resentment & a feeling of inadequacy; and it expresses itself as malevolence. This isn't a new phenomena, it's human nature; the difference now is democracy lets these dangerous individuals act as a group to enact their spite, perversity & sadism. And none of that is surprising either, democracy’s greatest weakness is tyranny of the majority: what’s surprising is the passivity of men in the face of this development. Men, apparently, choose not to believe what's happening, or simply capitulate rather than risk their complacency. Perhaps since women, feminists especially, are by-in-large propagators of the malevolence, consciously or not, and men, by their nature, subjugate themselves to their wives, that’s why there’s been no pushback, or it may even be that most men are content to let it happen because they too harbor envy, resentment & a sense of inadequacy, and want to experience the spite, perversity & sadism for themselves. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1199_malevolence_vs__passivity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1199_malevolence_vs__passivity.mp3 2:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, malevolence, passivity no Tue, 06 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The stereotypical fate of a Communist dissident was to be awakened out of bed at 4 am and hauled away to a re-education camp for decades of hard labor: think Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who famously refused to repeat lies for personal gain or to even save himself from internment. He also wouldn’t allow repetition of propaganda. Those are laudable goals and worth mimicking; however, in an online environment where no one is held accountable for lying, and even if they are proven wrong, won’t rescind their statements but instead constantly repeat misinformation over-and-over, obliterating the truth. There is no defense except to Block them and delete their messages, citing Solzhenitsyn. Unfortunately, others will disagree, and by way of denigrating the intention, instead scoff at the specter of concentration camps and the old days of terror, not recognizing that there’s a new terror: now dissidents get #metooed, Trust Womened, gas-lighted, declared Right Wing, called racist, get discriminated against because they’re male or white; and ultimately, get Cancelled. The penalties may have changed but the intentions of the propagandists has not. Only public gun ownership has prevented the New Terror from morphing into the old Terror. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1198_the_new_terror.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1198_the_new_terror.mp3 2:25 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Solzhenitsyn, terror no Sun, 04 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s hard to believe because Americans take it for granted, but liberty is a relatively recent phenomena; only developed in what’s now called “The Age of Enlightenment,” originating in a single small country, Scotland, by 18 men in the 18th century. It was a flash-point in history like no other and probably won’t be repeated again after liberty is lost because liberty is a fragile thing, only kept alive by nurturing a society’s youth to its ideals, who otherwise default to some form of authoritarian oversight. In his famous 1784 essay “Answering the Question: What Is Enlightenment?” philosopher Immanuel Kant said: “Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed indecision and lack of courage to use one's own mind without another's guidance. ‘Have the courage to use your own understanding,’ is therefore the motto of the enlightenment.” Though Kant didn’t exactly express the American understanding of liberty, reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of your own decisions, he did describe the anti-authoritarianism required to get there. In fact, American-style liberty is even more fragile and is under heavy assault by egalitarianism, seemingly certain to succumb to it, with no other source of liberty in sight. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1197_the_source_of_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1197_the_source_of_liberty.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, Age of Enlightenment no Fri, 02 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor As difficult as predicting when the new American revolution will come is trying to determine exactly what the sides are? Liberty, which is anti-authoritarian, has already been defeated so the question is which of the authoritarian interests will represent the two sides: collectivist or corporations. Simply using the label Left vs. Right doesn’t convey the true intentions of each side, and saying the obvious, that the sides are Marxists vs. Fascists fails because those words have extensive baggage that everyone denies. Therefore, the rhetorical differentiation needs words that have a meaning that matches the ideology but without the negative connotations. Since Marxists show pride in their egalitarian tendencies, the concepts of equality & equity; and Fascists can't deny that there are modern-day feudal lords, The 1% virtually enshrined as an aristocracy who pay less taxes and aren’t for the most part productive, instead depending on hourly workers to actually create things; perhaps a more acceptable delineation is egalitarians vs. feudalists. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1196_egalitarians_vs_feudalists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1196_egalitarians_vs_feudalists.mp3 2:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Feudalism, egalitarians, Fascists, Marxists no Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The U.S. is in an existential crisis, worse even than the Civil War because that wasn’t a complete deconstruction of everything America was built on. You know how bad it is by how many once-trusted institutions have failed us; even work against us. The most glaring example was the fraudulent Biden election, a literal soft coup implemented by a shady cabal of business & politicians of both parties who brag about their success. The FBI, CIA & other 3-letter agencies are completely compromised and no longer serve the public’s best interests. The judiciary can’t be trusted: biased judges & juries who convict police officers but not criminals. There’s constant attacks on gun rights; capriciously enforced laws; discrimination based on skin color or sex; hoaxes & bogus impeachments; not to mention the manipulated Stock Markets complete with insider-trading by elected & appointed officials. Possibly the worst though is the indoctrination of our youth by public education. But those aren’t all we’re talking about, there’s also the prosaic institutions like dictionaries that redefine words so that only whites can be “racists” or that “protests” include violence & destruction; universities that bar conservative speakers; Tech monopolies that censor speech based on political bias; and Lockdowns that bankrupt small businesses & prevent parishioners from attending services. There was no 4th of July celebration in the U.S. Capital, instead people were encouraged to attend BLM rallies which vandalized historic statues and officially-sanctioned painting of “BLM” on public streets. Of course, none of this would be possible without the totally biased, coordinated news media owned by Chinese. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1195_institutions_that_failed_us.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1195_institutions_that_failed_us.mp3 3:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, failed institutions no Mon, 29 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Considering the collectivist ideology expressed in the New Testament, it’s a wonder America became a nation of individualism: “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's.” - Mark 12:17 "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave." - Matthew 20:27 “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." - Luke 18:25 “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” - Acts 2:44-45 “Bear one another's burdens.” - Galatians 6:2 “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” - Galatians 5:13 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” - Matthew 25:40 “They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain.” - Titus 1:11 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” - Matthew 5:5 It’s bad but The Golden Rule still makes sense: Luke 6:31 - "Do to others as you would have them do to you" politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1194_scripture__ideology.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1194_scripture__ideology.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, scripture, ideology no Sat, 27 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Growing up Mormon, as children we memorized “The Articles of Faith” written in 1842 by the religion’s founder, Joseph Smith. Mostly they were just run-of the-mill religious beliefs definitely falling into the “faith” category, however the last 3 articles are secular: 11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. 12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. 13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. While the faith parts faded away as I matured, the secular admonitions have stayed with me and most present & past Mormons, which is why they make good citizens and employees. Other religions taught similar things in Sunday school but civil discourse in public schooling has disintegrated to the point where they are no longer able of instilling these important values, so as religion decreases, and more-and-more children are not raised with these guiding principles, the future of civil responsibility is in dire question. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1193_articles_of_faith.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1193_articles_of_faith.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Mormons, Articles of Faith, civil responsibility no Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor “God’s will” was certainly a convenient explanation for the arbitrary nature of life: Zeus himself was subject to fate. Fate is the belief that luck is controlled by an outside force. Fate was the accepted explanation for the vagaries of existence until The Enlightenment and the Modern concept of free agency & personal autonomy, which requires that people feel their decisions are their own and not preordained, nor a matter of otherworldly intervention. The ultimate maturation of this line of thinking, that everyone should control their own lives, was in the United States where individuals reaped the rewards or suffered the consequences of their own actions, and it was wildly successful for all as compared to anytime before such thinking, though not equally so. Unfortunately, Post Modern thought is that equality is the true goal, and predestination is back. However, instead of fate being the operative force, it’s a totalitarian state commanding outcomes, whose narcissistic elites act in the role of God’s will. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1192_gods_will.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1192_gods_will.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fate, God's will, self determination no Tue, 23 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor How diverse can a society be? Can it simultaneously contain completely abhorrent fundamental beliefs and remain intact? If half the members of society believe in slavery and the other half doesn’t, can that society remain cohesive? Can democracy solve the problem? What if the majority want slavery? Or to prohibit religious worship? Or randomly kill its citizens? Rome was a society based on slavery and it lasted a thousand years. The Soviet Union was forcibly secular. The mesoamerican societies were based on blood sacrifice. So yes. But can a society serve opposing ideologies? For example, can it put the needs of the group over the wants of individuals yet still allow personal autonomy? Obviously, yes, as demonstrated by the various levels of socialism in countries all around the world, but there is a point where the individual is completely subsumed into the group as with Marxism, where equality is the goal, which is at complete odds with liberty: individuals reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of their own actions, because that causes inequality. So no, opposite ideologies cannot exist in a single society but it can someplace else, so it’s not diversity within a society that’s good, it’s a diversity of societies, then you can get out of the blood sacrifice one and go someplace else. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1191_society_diversity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1191_society_diversity.mp3 2:48 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society diversity no Sun, 21 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The tortured soul that Friedrich Nietzsche was, never-the-less showed instances of great insight. Of the many quotes he’s famous for, here are some less renown: • A matter that becomes clear ceases to concern us. • A politician divides mankind into two classes: tools and enemies. • A thought comes when it will, not when I will. • He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. • In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. • Everything the State says is a lie, and everything it has it has stolen. • People are always angry at anyone who chooses very individual standards for his life; because of the extraordinary treatment which that man grants to himself, they feel degraded, like ordinary beings. • To sin against the earth is now the most dreadful thing. And we cannot leave out Nietzsche’s famous prediction that human’s will evolve into something much better: • What is the ape to man? A laughingstock or a painful embarrassment. And man shall be just that for the overman: a laughingstock or a painful embarrassment. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1190_other_nietzsche_quotes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1190_other_nietzsche_quotes.mp3 2:52 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Friedrich Nietzsche no Fri, 19 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Of the 18 key figures that created The Enlightenment, the ideology that underpins Western society, David Hume, who explained that passion rather than reason governs human behavior, is the most insightful. Obviously, wise thinkers throughout history had recognized this most basic fact of psychology but it was Hume’s placement in Scotland during the 18th century that made him stand out. Modern science has supported his hypothesis with the discovery of chemicals in the brain that are the source of motivation: dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline, etc. This was a highly controversial position at the time; even now because it’s counter to altruistic or theological explanations, and puts homo sapiens on the same level with all living creatures. Hume’s ideas also put him at odds with other prominent figures like Voltaire & Rousseau, who thought that knowledge could be derived by reason alone without experiment or experience. However, Hume did find common cause with John Locke, another towering Enlightenment contributor, and others. What makes this ironic is that Hume made his scientific observations without the tools of science because it was The Enlightenment that developed science. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1189_david_hume.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-26_1189_david_hume.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, David Hume no Wed, 17 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more politics & guns concepts: 1. Candidates get voluntarily conned. 2. Biden’s election made democracy illegitimate. 3. Teddy Roosevelt was one of history’s megastars. 4. Republicans let themselves be cucked for low taxes. 5. JFK would be run out of today's Democrat Party. 6. Ranked-Choice Voting is a long-needed fix to 2-party democracy. 7. The only logic in gun restrictions is illogic. 8. Gun confiscation has been the prelude to 50 million murders. 9. Banning guns for safety is unsafe. 10. Background checks create more crime than they prevent. 11. Just wearing a Guy Fawkes mask can make you a criminal. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1188_politics__guns_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1188_politics__guns_concepts.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, politics, guns no Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Famous revolutionaries from other countries include Che, who is the most famous, but Lenin is a close second. However, Great Britain gives celebrity to Guy Fawkes, famous for the “Gunpowder Plot” to blow up the British House of Lords in 1605. Adding to the legend, after he was sentenced to being hanged, drawn & quartered, just before his execution, he fell off the scaffold and died from a broken neck. There's even a Guy Fawkes day in Great Britain, November 5th, Bonfire Night, where in the past, children would make effigies of Guy Fawkes and roll them around in wheelbarrows asking neighbors: “penny for the guy,” then buy fireworks and throw the effigies on a bonfire. In 1982, the graphic novel "V is for Vendetta" by Alan Moore popularized the Guy Fawkes mask: the iconic smiling mustache & goatee. In the book and subsequent movie, the mask was dawned by the populace as part of their rebellion against tyranny. The mask was also adopted by the famously anti-authoritarian hacker group, Anonymous. From there it naturally became the de rigueur costume of anti-state repression demonstrators in Canada, so-much-so that in 2013 the Canadian parliament passed Bill C-309 which specifically made wearing the mask in such a setting a criminal offense: the same Canada that makes wearing a COVID mask mandatory: you can smell the irony from Guy Fawkes’ grave. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1187_guy_fawkes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1187_guy_fawkes.mp3 2:52 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Guy Fawkes no Sat, 13 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The national instant background check system, NICS, conducts background checks on people who want to buy a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee, like Walmart. So far in its history, the NICS has examined 40 million transactions: out of that there were 300,000 people who were prevented from buying a firearm. Out of those there were 2 thousand prosecutions. Out of that there were 44 convictions. That means 299,956 honest citizens were falsely accused. It’s obvious that criminals don’t buy their guns at Walmart: only honest people buy them there, and then wait 10 days. Criminals don’t wait, nor are they limited to one gun a month. Who exactly is the NICS affecting? And how detrimental to society is that compared to so many false accusations? Background checks are obviously a bad law because they can’t be justified by the results, are invasive to privacy, and have no value other than political grandstanding. Why is there still a NICS? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1186_background_checks.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1186_background_checks.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, NICS, background checks no Thu, 11 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Nothing identifies The Left like being anti-gun. It’s never clear what the anti-gunners argument is: something to do with safety. However, a firearm is only used by violent criminals about 8% of the time, yet it’s estimated that honest citizens use a firearm for self-defense over a half-million times a year, with over 70,000 prevented sexual assaults. People are thousands of times more likely to use a firearm in self-defense than to be a victim of a violent criminal who uses a gun. If safety is indeed the issue, it’s probably more productive for all those safety-first people to get on the banning Driver’s licenses bandwagon. Even though they personally might be good drivers, they’ll ostensibly get the bad driver’s as well. However, there’s 11 million people that drive without a license now, so as usual, only the law-abiding will suffer under the banning Driver's licenses strategy. This is obviously why banning Driver’s licenses is not a credible idea for saving lives. I wonder why The Left doesn’t think the same logic applies to guns? It must be something else they’re really after besides safety. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1185_banning_guns_for_safety.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1185_banning_guns_for_safety.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gun restrictions, gun-grabbers no Tue, 09 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In 1911, Turkey confiscated guns, and 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated. In 1929, the Soviet Union confiscated guns, and 20 million dissidents were exterminated. 1935: China confiscated guns. 20 million “enemies” were exterminated. 1938: Germany confiscated guns. 13 million “undesirables” were exterminated. 1959: Cuba confiscated guns. 11,000 “opposition” were exterminated. 1956: Cambodia confiscated guns. 1 million “educated” were exterminated. 1964: Guatemala confiscated guns. 100,000 Mayan Indians were exterminated. 1970: Uganda confiscated guns. 300,000 Christians were exterminated. The conventional excuse for gun confiscation is “don’t worry, the government will protect you.” Unfortunately, over 50 million defenseless people didn’t get the message. And waiting for the other shoe to drop: 1996 Australia, 2013 Venezuela & 2021 Afghanistan confiscated guns. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1184_gun_confiscation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1184_gun_confiscation.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gun confiscation no Sun, 07 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the more insidious strategies of gun-grabbers is to force gun owners to buy gun insurance. The first question is: how would insurance reduce whatever it is the gun-grabbers want to reduce? It doesn’t, of course, it just discourages gun ownership, or more likely, makes the vast majority of gun owners into criminals who can be prosecuted arbitrarily. Then there’s gun purchase age requirements: why 21? Why not 25 or even 100? What if there were a law that prevented Freedom of Speech until 21? Or 25? Or 100? Gun-grabbers point to cigarette age restrictions but smoking isn’t a constitutionally guaranteed right, and kids still smoke & drink anyway. Then there’s the gun-grabbing strategy of making guns a public health issue under the control of the CDC? Should the CDC be dictating the rules for guns? Or automobiles? Or sports? Or bathtubs? A strategy against proposed gun-grabber legislation would be to take the text of their new law, change only enough wording to turn the penalties & responsibilities back onto them, then introduce it simultaneously. For example, isn’t a gun already insurance? Shouldn’t people who don’t own guns have to buy cash insurance to match it? And with age requirements: if someone isn’t mature enough to own a gun until they’re 21, shouldn’t they be prohibited from joining the military or voting until that age? Gun restrictions are simply to get people used to the idea of gun confiscation. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1183_gun_restrictions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-25_1183_gun_restrictions.mp3 3:00 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gun restrictions, gun-grabbers no Fri, 05 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor People are starting to accept the fact that strict majority-outcome democracy has some major flaws, particularly in the situation where the vote is split among conservative candidates but not for the liberal candidate so that even though the district is majority conservative, the liberal wins; or vice versa. One possible solution that is actually being implemented in some places is Ranked-Choice Voting, or RCV. The idea is that voters pick a second choice candidate too and the votes are calculated at least twice to see who wins. The biggest advantage of RCV is that it would allow Third Parties to actually compete. For example, a liberal-leaning voter could give their first vote to the candidate they liked the best, and the second vote to the establishment party: people would be unafraid of wasting their vote and candidates could be a much better fit for the jurisdiction. Unfortunately, like the Electoral College, RCV could have multiple winners, and it’s complicated by the different implementations, sometimes even multiple rounds of voting: that wouldn’t go over well. And does RCV really solve anything when one person is supposed to represent millions? Democracy has probably reached its expiration date regardless of how it’s done. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1182_ranked-choice_voting.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1182_ranked-choice_voting.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Ranked-Choice Voting, RCV no Wed, 03 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor John F. Kennedy, JFK, was considered the ideal president in the last century. He was the youngest president too, and photogenic, which contributed to the fairytale quality of his administration, so-much-so that it was called “Camelot.” But he was also at the center of the Cuban Missile Crisis, 13 days in 1962: if that Russian submarine commander with the nuclear missile onboard had contacted his chain-of-command instead of surfacing, it could have been the end of everything. Then there was JFK’s Russian-sympathizer assassin, possibly orchestrated by the mob. All of that is certainly noteworthy enough to secure JFK’s place in history, but not his place in the Democrat party. Consider the time: JFK was liberty-centric & anti-Communist. The 4 collectivist programs he supported: military, judiciary, Welfare & Social security, was as far left as the old Dems used to go. Compared to Republicans and most Democrats of the time, he was downright revolutionary but today he would be considered a RINO. JFK wouldn’t be accepted by today’s Cultural Marxists. In fact, he almost blew the world up to stop the Commies, who the Democrats now aspire to be. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1181_jfk.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1181_jfk.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, JFK no Mon, 01 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Republicans have no ideology, nor anyone to promote it. No taxes; no abortion; is the only thing that separates them from Democrats. They don't have a plan to fight back against the encroachment of egalitarianism, nor do they even seem to be looking for one. The Republican party apparatus has a heavy NeoCon component that prefers authoritarianism, even Fascism; it needs to realign to support MAGA. Republicans also have no civilian organizations acting in their behalf, neither overtly nor covertly. Where’s their Antifa or BLM or Davos or SPLC or “fact checkers” or anything? They’ve completely lost the media, even letting Fox News go over to the other side. The election was a fraud yet where were the majority of Republicans in those States calling it out? Republicans lost the Senate because they drove off the Trumpers. At least half of Republicans are Covidians. There’s no charitable way to say this: Republicans are cucks. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1180_republican_cucks.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1180_republican_cucks.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Republicans no Sat, 30 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor President Theodore Roosevelt is my personal role model but he could never have been elected today. It's hard to go back 100 years and figure out the wisdom of Americans: read Teddy Roosevelt's biography, it's like something alien. At the time he was the most famous man in the world: riding up San Juan Hill with a troop he assembled and led in the only successful cavalry charge in history against an entrenched position with guns, his horse was shot out from under him, and both men to either side were killed. TR lost and buried his son while in Ecuador searching for the source of the Amazon, and ultimately died of the Yellow Fever he contracted there. Teddy’s progressive 10-point political platform from his Bull Moose days has since been fully adopted in the U.S. His hunting collection was the start of the Museum of Natural History. He established, organized, and funded the Conservation movement. His face is on Mt. Rushmore. What more proof do you need? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1179_teddy_roosevelt.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1179_teddy_roosevelt.mp3 2:11 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Teddy Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt no Thu, 28 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Joe Biden is not a legitimate president because his election was illegitimate. Trump lost by election fraud supported by constant MSM propaganda causing TDS in the majority of the population so that they chose to look the other way while the Never-Trumpers, Tech & The Swamp ignored the evidence. They only needed to target 4 counties to get the Electoral College, 4 States that Trump WON the 1st time. It’s pretty clear now that was the intent of “mail in” votes; they need votes, mail them in. Just look at the votes mysteriously dropped in the wee hours of the morning: Trump was ahead by 800K, 300K & 100K, and coincidentally, in each State Biden got just the number he needed. In fact, it was close to 100% votes for Biden; not even any write-ins candidates got votes, which is impossible. And GA had 40K ballots by 16-year olds, and another 160K by felons, 100-year olds, PO boxes, late registration & out-of-State votes. Amazingly, after the successful soft coup Time magazine admitted there was “a vast, cross-partisan campaign to protect the election - an extraordinary shadow effort [that] touched every aspect of the election. They got states to change voting systems and laws and helped secure hundreds of millions in public and private funding. They fended off lawsuits, recruited armies of poll workers and got millions of people to vote by mail for the first time.” Trump got more votes than any sitting president in history yet we are to believe that a demented old fool with his hand in the cookie jar with empty rallies and an inability to speak got 10 million more than that? Credit to the CIA, or whoever rigged this thing: well done. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1178_biden_illegitimate.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1178_biden_illegitimate.mp3 3:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, election fraud, illegitimate, Biden no Tue, 26 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Elections are won by whoever has the largest constituency: their experience & resume is immaterial. The candidate has to belong to a large church, ethnic group, or some other dependable voting block. That’s the obvious side of elections but the underbelly is that the candidate’s primary role is to raise money for the party: no one ever asks, or even wants to know, what their position is on anything. Whether they win is not the most important thing. Political parties have a lot of expenses and make most of the cost to cover theses things by exploiting money out of naive, narcissistic, first-time candidates, going so far as to pressure them to borrow from their family & friends. The parties then attach huge costs to the campaign which the candidate is expected to pay for: managers, voting software, organization efforts, offices, the list is long. It’s a fortune even before promotional costs. The dismal fact is that nobody wins the first time they run, so the system embarrasses & bankrupts an endless stream of hopeful but futile once-and-outers. The corruption is so insidious that only former candidates know about it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1177_getting_elected.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1177_getting_elected.mp3 2:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, candidates no Sun, 24 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review some social justice concepts: 1. Honesty in news reporting was lost when the Fairness Doctrine was abandoned. 2. Communists in pre-war Germany would have instantly recognized Wokeness as Marxism. 3. Black Nationalism is no better nor worse than White Nationalism. 4. Being “black” or “white” is no longer an issue of race. 5. Anti-anti doesn’t make a positive. 6. Men don’t want to be at war with women so they surrendered. 7. Women no longer understand subservience but men still do. 8. Bezmenov predicted everything that’s happening in America today because he helped light the fuse. 9. Joseph Stalin was a sincere sociopath with unlimited power: the worst kind. 10. The Left intends to flip everything on its head. 11. Democrat OWGs must want to be dupes. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1176_social_justice_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1176_social_justice_concepts.mp3 2:41 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, social justice no Fri, 22 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Left has no use for old white guys, OWGs, except to use them as dupes, especially when it comes to obfuscating the true intentions of Leftism: for example, Gun Control is an obvious cover for gun confiscation but the OWGs in the Democrat party continually deny it. Another example: feminists are pretty honest about their intentions to assume superiority but for tactical reasons they let their OWGs be duplicitous about equality. Same thing with Critical Race Theory, Marxism, and hoaxes like Climate Alarmism & Lockdowns: it's always the Democrat OWGs running interference. Maybe it’s because they don’t want to admit to themselves what Leftism’s true intentions are? Or perhaps they’re motivated by mischief, malevolence, or even masochism? Do they know that if they win, OWGs are going to be the losers no matter what their past actions were: toadies will be shackled right along with everyone else. It’s been pointed out to them time-and-again that they’re dupes but they must like it that way? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1175_owg_dupes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1175_owg_dupes.mp3 2:19 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, OWG, old white guys no Wed, 20 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Though both the Left and the Right are authoritarian, they are generally distinguishable as the losers or the winners in society: the status quo vs. those who want to be. The Right is normally in control because feudalism works; however, when inequality gets bad enough, resentment & despair will swell the ranks of the Left until they threaten the established order, eventually toppling it, but only lasting until the fundamental weakness of their egalitarian ideology causes an inevitable disintegration of society, which is then again picked back up by the Right. In the meantime, while the Left is making their play for power, all values are turned upside-down. It’s the Left vs. the Constitution: constrained speech; the Left vs. medicine: sex is a social construct; the Left vs. merit: diversity hiring; the Left vs. Science: censor conflicting facts; the Left vs. progress: environmental alarmism; the Left vs. math: 2 + 2 = 5; the Left vs. personal responsibility: the state provides; the Left vs. men: toxic masculinity; the Left vs. religion: denigrate morals. Basically, it’s the Left vs. everything. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1174_the_left_vs_everything.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-24_1174_the_left_vs_everything.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, the left no Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Joseph Stalin led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He rose to power by ruthlessly exploiting his bureaucratic role as secretary of the Bolshevik party, where he was in charge of record keeping & correspondence. He used that power to control the party and eliminate his competition. Stalin was of average intelligence, and had the sociopathy of an Asperger’s. He was certainly a force to be reckoned with: tough-minded, combative & sly. What made him particularly effective was that he truly believed in Marxist ideology, and did not embrace the comfortable advantages of his position: dressing in the rough-woven clothes and eating the gruel of the average peasant; living in a single room with only a wooden fireplace that he stoked himself. Stalin converted the Soviet Union from agrarianism into an industrial power using forced labor camps. The transition resulted in famines that killed 10 million people, some intentionally because they resisted his changes. He had millions more who did not fully embrace communism, so-called “enemies of the Soviet Union,” executed, exiled, or imprisoned during the Great Purge. However, Stalin wasn’t evil, he simply pursued egalitarianism, with the perverse, vindictive & deadly behavior it inspires. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1173_joseph_stalin.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1173_joseph_stalin.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Joseph Stalin no Sat, 16 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Yuri Bezmenov was a former Soviet KGB informant who defected to Canada in the 1970s. He was one of the world’s outstanding experts on the subject of Soviet propaganda, disinformation & active measures to subvert western culture. In 1984, in his book, “Love Letter to the West,” he laid out the four steps necessary to create a Marxist police state in America without firing a shot; they were: Demoralization: religion is commercialized; education is made relative; media is monopolized & manipulated to create an uninformed myopia in the populace; a culture of false heroes & role models; manipulation of media & academia to brainwash young people. Destabilization: mistrust justice; lack of individual responsibility; a sense of defenselessness; disunity internally & isolation abroad; loyalty to state over family; enfeebled masses; racial division; urbanization; victimhood; bribe the populace with benefits; massive government. Crisis: revolutionary change of power, and: Normalization: which is the populace acquiesces. Bezmenov’s final statement was, “There is no other place on this planet to defect to.” He would be very disappointed if he were alive today. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1172_bezmenov.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1172_bezmenov.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Bezmenov, Marxism no Thu, 14 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor We all live in a delusion fostered by the stories we’re told and the entertainment we consume: we think the good guy wins out and merit begets success, but the stark fact is, almost everyone is a failure at almost everything they do because they are at the mercy of someone. Who & what you end up to be is mostly the result of who pulls your strings: your family, your work, your church, and to a lesser extent, government. We are all subservient to the powers-that-be but men have the advantage of being raised in a Male Dominance Hierarchy, so males know who their betters are, and more importantly, who they are better than; but women and boys who were protected from bullying & failure are psychologically unprepared for subservience, and so take men’s stoicism as smug self-assurance & entitlement, when in reality it’s the quiet desperation of knowing one’s place. Women are under the misimpression that they’re the ones who are subservient but if they knew what that actually entailed, they wouldn’t want to reverse roles. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1171_subservience.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1171_subservience.mp3 2:05 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, subservience no Tue, 12 Jul 2022 06:00:00 -0700 politics & humor America is not ready for the men vs. women debate; in fact, it’s a no-go topic which is why men are losing, but the fact remains that the problems occurring in the U.S. aren’t the result of some other fault-line: it’s NOT Democrats vs. Republicans; it’s NOT Liberals vs. Conservatives; it’s NOT Fascists vs. Communists; but it IS men vs. women. Men had control until the 1960s then more and more women started voting for what they wanted, and eventually they got control; that’s why they have a democracy fetish; that’s why all out-groups seem fixated on democracy. The reason is simple: who wants to be second best? Few women can compete with testosterone so almost all women are egalitarians at heart because it benefits them most while blunting the testosterone advantage of men. There isn't any logic or rationality behind most of their complaints, it’s just camouflage for women taking charge, and being able to say anything they want because parents aren’t willing to disagree with their daughters, and men aren’t willing to argue with their wives. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1170_men_vs_women.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1170_men_vs_women.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, men, women, control no Sun, 10 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the most important weapons in psychological war is to distort the language by changing the definition of words: for example, “racism” is now defined as any inequality between races rather than discrimination against a race. Another tactic is to create new slogans from existing words that suggest a meaning that is completely opposite: for example, cultural values like conscientiousness, punctuality, courtesy, integrity & ambition are called “white supremacy,” while “patriarchy” is now defined as liberty, meritocracy & patriotism. Words have even reversed meanings, for example: anti-fascism is fascism, anti-racism is racism, anti-bullying is bullying, science is anti-science, news in anti-news, and speech is anti-speech. Most people have no idea what the new meanings are and simply presume the old meanings. All of this is to make it so that things that were once considered good are now presented as bad, and if it goes on long enough, they will be. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1169_anti-anti.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1169_anti-anti.mp3 2:09 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, racism, patriarchy, white supremacy no Fri, 08 Jul 2022 06:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The huge problem people have when discussing race is that don’t agree on what it is: old-timers think race means skin color but in the modern age, race is only a social construct independent of color: people with light-colored skin can be Black, and as the president of the United States publicly stated, dark-skinned people who don’t agree with the BLM agenda aren’t Black. That brings up the question of what is Black? Here’s what the Smithsonian, the premiere intellectual institution in the U.S., said was White: politeness, hard work, self-reliance, logic, planning & family cohesion, so-called “White Supremacy.” If BLM is against White Supremacy then presumably Black is: impolite, lazy, dependent, illogical, chaotic & immoral. If people must choose sides, as the agitators demand, then every American has to make the choice: do they want to be “White” or “Black”? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1168_race.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-23_1168_race.mp3 2:06 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, race no Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Nationalism and patriotism often get intertwined: patriotism is a sense of attachment to country and an alliance with other citizens to protect that sense of camaraderie, while nationalism is the belief that a particular culture constitutes a distinct people deserving of political self-determination. American Blacks are torn between the two: on the one hand, patriotism is colorblind and Blacks have lots of allies against the rest of the world who want forced sharing. However, there are plenty of Black Nationalists who want a nation of their own, and little pushback against this narrative. In fact, the call for reparations could be seen as a first step towards that goal. It’s blatant hypocrisy that Whites who want the same thing, even including parting with a lot their wealth, are vilified. Both patriotism and nationalism are compatible with liberty, but neither are acceptable to egalitarians who want every nation operating collectively and ruled by a central government; where there is neither patriotism nor nationalism, and everybody, no matter their color, is given reparations until all are equal. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-22_1167_black_nationalism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-22_1167_black_nationalism.mp3 2:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Nationalism, Black Nationalism no Mon, 04 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor “Fascist” is a common epithet in American discourse: it means anybody who doesn’t agree with egalitarianism, the quest for all things being equal. In historical context, between WWI and WWII Germany was ruled by the democratically-elected Weimar Republic: famous for rampant inflation, weak control of security & deconstruction of social norms: the wokeness of the time. In the streets, the Fascists fought the Communists for control. Both sides thought authoritarian elites should tell everyone else what to do, the difference being Fascists thought those elites should be corporations, and the Communists thinking it should be the State. Repeating history, America has entered the Wokemar Republic stage: Neocons, the globalist component of the Republican party, Fascists, are on one side. They are evenly matched with Democrat egalitarians, Commies, also with global ambitions. Assuming the same thing that happened in Germany happens here since the situations are so similar, those two groups are going to conflict but either side winning will still result in authoritarianism, private or public, in control, which means proponents of liberty, which is anti-authoritarian at its core, aren't going to survive. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-22_1166_wokemar_republic.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-22_1166_wokemar_republic.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Fascist, Communists, Weimar no Sat, 02 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The greatest weakness of Capitalism is that everything is for sale, including our news. This has always been a problem but the vibrancy of market economics naturally inspired multiple newspapers in every town with opposing views to somewhat equally represent the political space. Unfortunately, another weakness of Capitalism, the concentration of wealth & power, inevitably allowed single organizations to dominate the narrative by buying all news outlets; not just newspapers, but radio & television too. To combat that, laws were passed, the so-called Fairness Doctrine, that prevented such blanket ownership, and when there was an inadvertent monopoly in a particular market, it required opposing arguments to be given somewhat equal coverage. This lead to the golden age of journalism, where the public trusted & respected the media. Regrettably, those few decades of Edwin R. Murrow-style honesty were a fluke, only possible because of government regulation. When the media was deregulated due to political machinations, the excesses of Capitalism were again unleashed, and the media became not only a laughingstock, but intensely dangerous. The Fairness Doctrine was not only fair, it was safe. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-22_1165_fairness_doctrine.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-22_1165_fairness_doctrine.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fairness doctrine no Thu, 30 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more law & society concepts: 1. Extreme penalties are political ploys to cultivate suburban votes. 2. Bad laws are worse than no laws at all. 3. Civil Asset Forfeiture violates the tenet of due process of law. 4. The State has a monopoly on violence because it’s better than Free Market violence. 5. Incarceration is the equivalent of a college education in some communities. 6. Drugs don’t have to be legalized, just not illegal. 7. There’s not a lot of stories about Americans emigrating someplace else. 8. Without California farming, the whole world would suffer. 9. The Sharing Economy should include sharing childcare. 10. It’s up to the husband to keep a marriage together. 11. Millennials hate what their Boomer parents loved. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-21_1164_law__society_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-21_1164_law__society_concepts.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, law, society no Tue, 28 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Boomers are the people who grew up during the 60s/70s and Millennials are their kids who grew up in the 80s/90s. Like every parents/children generation before them, animosity develops: mostly out of resentment from the younger generation of being subservient to & overshadowed by the older; while the older are jealous to be young & relevant again. Boomers are being pushed out by Millennials: out of their jobs, out of their influence, out of power; otherwise society would remain the same, which it certainly hasn’t, now more than ever. What you see happening in this decaying and divided nation is the incoming Millennials with new priorities: it’s not Boomers changing their minds late in life, but it’s partially their fault: Boomers are responsible for raising their Millennial children to be pretentious, entitled, self-centered & foolish. It was a way Boomer women gained status. Boomer men can be blamed for a similar level of selfishness by encouraging wealth concentration & conspicuous consumption, but that’s where Boomer guilt ends. In a democracy, simply majorities determine politics, and feminists, minorities & weirdos have the numbers; and social media provided the mechanism to making this changeover complete, and Millennials just happened to be there for the ride. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-21_1163_boomers_vs_millennials.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-21_1163_boomers_vs_millennials.mp3 2:38 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Millennials, Boomers no Sun, 26 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor YouTube is full of channels of men giving other men dating advice, an increasing so-called Manosphere where the attributes of masculinity are encouraged and the scourge of feminism derided. Many of these aspiring mentors have been married previously but they are single now and all have an excuse why. After almost a half-century of successful marriage to a woman I met when I was 18, I have some advice so that you don’t have to join the Manosphere: stay married. Outside of downright contempt, where your wife is worse than an enemy, most marriages can continue indefinitely, no-matter-what, if the husband is flexible. First, if your wife’s overweight, encourage her to lose weight: why? Sex. Women don’t care after menopause but men have sex drive all of their lives, and it’s the main reason they got married in the first place. Everything else: companionship, children & convenience are just additional benefits. Second, please the wife. That’s actually pretty easy even though it’s vague: if you’re overweight, lose weight too, then plan interactions: I thought my wife didn't want to go out until I actually took her dancing. Thirdly, compliment your wife’s appearance and insist she wear her attractive clothes & jewelry. These are all simple things that are up to you to initiate because the old adage is indeed true: a happy wife is a happy life. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-21_1162_pleasing_the_wife.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-21_1162_pleasing_the_wife.mp3 2:46 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, manosphere, wife no Fri, 24 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor America has huge pent up capacity for sharing because we have so much of everything: products, places, time, grandparents. There are Sharing Economy apps to utilize underused assets, like cars, sports equipment, odd jobs, home exchanges, most anything you can imagine. Most of these will fail because they aren’t commercial or just can't get enough folks to sign up but the concept is good. At the same time, childcare expenses have become insurmountable for most families, and it’s per child. Communal child-rearing is how children were raised for millennia, and it used to be grandparents would watch the kids, but America is very mobile, and many families don’t have that option. However, there are still lots of grandparents around that can be shared using an app: available & willing grandparents could tend someone else’s grandkids, trading their time for their own grandkids somewhere else. The vetting process would be thorough but not onerous, and government would have to remove any restrictions, then other institutions would jump on the bandwagon. Sharing childcare is just the kind of thing technology can solve. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-20_1161_childcare_sharing_economy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-20_1161_childcare_sharing_economy.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, childcare, sharing economy no Wed, 22 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor California, because of the weather, is a beautiful place to live and farm. In fact, at about $50 billion annually, farming would be of tremendous economic importance to any other state but it’s only 2% of California’s GDP. California farms grow a significant portion of fruits, vegetables & nuts: for example, 88% of the nation’s strawberries. There’s 77,000 farms on 25 million acres of land, 9 million of which are irrigated with no riparian, water, rights. Agriculture approaches 70% of total water consumption in California while urban use: drinking, lawns, parks, golf courses, etc.; account for only 10%. With numbers like that, even if every lawn in California was dead due to lack of watering, it wouldn’t make much of a dent in consumption, but there is always intense drought alarmism: California declared drought from 2011–2019, yet farm production was unaffected. Also, because of the farming, California attracts huge numbers of both legal & illegal immigrates, over a million a year, and the farm economy rests on exploitation of this cheap labor which is the primary reason America’s southern border is ignored. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-20_1160_california_farming.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-20_1160_california_farming.mp3 2:44 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, California farming no Mon, 20 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There’s lots of talk about immigration, spelled with an “i,” with millions of migrants wanting to come into the U.S. yearly, but there’s also emigration, spelled with an “e,” from the U.S., where people go to live in some other country, usually because it’s less expensive, but also to escape something: politics, legal entanglements, family. The number is not very large, only 3-5 million total American expatriates, and many of those are only temporary: less than 5,000 former Americans a year actually renounce their citizenship, usually for tax reasons. Retirees are the biggest emigrant cohort with many choosing Central American countries as their final destination, often settling in some walled-in White community living off their savings. Unfortunately, most Americans take for granted a Protestant work ethic and the integrity & punctuality that comes with it, so are surprised when they find out the rest of the world does not share those values. The whole concept of so-called “White Supremacy:” conscientiousness, courtesy, ambition; is not a part of other cultures; it’s an American privilege. Many an aspiring U.S. emigrant, spelled with an “e,” soon learns why there are so many aspiring U.S., spelled with an “i,” immigrants. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-20_1159_emigrating.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-20_1159_emigrating.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, emigration, immigration no Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Most people don’t understand why so many choose to use drugs. Who but a drug user would be able to answer? Maybe someone who tried drugs, had a fabulous experience but decided not to do it again because they didn’t have the willpower to stop; they would know people use drugs because of the euphoria it gives them. For all the hand-wringing about the importance of “happiness,” drug users have it, at least while they’re high. Everyone else should be happy that they’re happy. There’s a twilight area where drug use & sales could be a misdemeanor at the court’s discretion: that keeps them from being commercialized, gives people a reason not to use them, and leaves little room for extortion & crime because so what if the police know. If drugs are only pseudolegal, there would be no big business, no creating a customer base, no advertising, no online campaigns run by algorithms to get people to take more. Folks growing dope & poppies in their backyard is a whole lot different than corporate controlled marijuana farms and mass-manufactured food items containing it. The argument against legalizing drugs is that society pays, but society pays one-way-or-the-other. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-19_1158_legalize_drugs.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-19_1158_legalize_drugs.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, legalize drugs no Thu, 16 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Societies require punishment because sociopaths, 4% of any population, will act against other people’s interests unless the risk is greater than the reward; and psychopaths, 1% of the population, are criminals because they enjoy it. Incarceration, a liberal concept, is the ultimate threat since executions are negligible, and obviously it’s exercised a lot if the amount of prisoners in America is the measure: over 2 million; the highest per capita in the world; yet it’s hard to get a prosecutor to take a case unless it’s a slam dunk because they don’t want to lower their conviction rate, and attorneys aren’t interested in convicting innocent people, no matter how much they’re paid. The simple reason America has more prisoners is because we prosecute more guilty people; the side-effect of an effective judiciary. Unfortunately, overall, it’s unclear that warehousing criminals is beneficial to society: prisons & jails are overflowing, and over a third of all prisoners are Black. Serving time has even become a symbol of legitimacy & honor for some segments of the population, making prisons the equivalent to a university education. The impact this has locally is devastating because few of their youth escape the lifestyle. The destruction of some communities is so complete, their citizens would rather have no police at all rather than continue incarcerating so many of their own. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-19_1157_incarceration.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-19_1157_incarceration.mp3 2:43 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, incarceration no Tue, 14 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The only thing keeping someone from taking your stuff, raping your wife & killing you is someone else stronger. You by yourself cannot compete with psychopaths and their lusty cousins from committing harm. Even if you band together with your neighbors into a militia, there’s always a bigger one, and that’s assuming you can trust your militia not exploit their power against you. This situation can only be solved via a monopoly on violence: where one enforcement entity, presumably trustworthy & equal-handed, is the only one that can act with deadly force. This is the genesis of the state whose primary purpose has always been security & protection. Nations with weak governments that allow private militias are the most ineffective at protecting their citizens. Arguably, if the state enforcement entities are biased or untrustworthy, it’s worse than anarchy, but better one enemy than many. Unfortunately, the institutions we’ve depended on have compromised themselves for political reasons, and the citizenry may be forced to rescind the monopoly on violence. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-19_1156_monopoly_on_violence.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-19_1156_monopoly_on_violence.mp3 2:15 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, monopoly on violence no Sun, 12 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Criminal Asset Forfeiture requires someone to be convicted of a crime before government authorities can seize their assets but Civil Asset Forfeiture is when government seizes assets before there is even a charge, and the victim can only get the assets back by suing the government in Civil court at their own expense, and rarely win if they do. There are many cases of people not accused of a crime having their cash taken from them with no explanation given: it’s never even recorded: the story is that it’s split among the officers in the police department. Civil Asset Forfeiture makes police into little more than state-sponsored highwaymen: legalized thievery at the point of a gun. According to the DOJ, the justification for civil forfeiture is “revenue for law enforcement.” How this doesn’t violate the Forth & Eight Amendments of The Constitution, which protect against government seizures, can only be explained by the U.S. Supreme Court since 84% of Americans oppose Civil Asset Forfeiture. Since the Supreme Court won’t act, 3 states have abolished it and 35 have reformed it, which still leaves 12 states that continue this unpopular & unethical practice, that for some strange, inexplicable reason, is legal? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-18_1155_civil_asset_forfeiture.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-18_1155_civil_asset_forfeiture.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, civil asset forfeiture no Fri, 10 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Bad laws are laws that breed contempt for all laws. These are the unenforced laws, selectively enforced laws, and laws that simply can’t be enforced. People are also suspicious of all the new laws every year: how come? Society did just fine with last year’s laws, same for laws a decade ago; there’s even a compelling argument that laws made a century ago are better than today’s laws. Everyone knows there’s so many laws nobody even keeps track of them so the whole system has been gamed by lobbyists for laws written just for them: those are truly bad laws. Worst are the laws that turn a large portion of the population into de facto lawbreakers: drug laws top that list. Drug use can’t be prevented without making a huge portion of the population into criminals, especially with such arbitrary rules where a state can decriminalize marijuana but the Feds can still prosecute. Gun laws are another example: our society is based on guns so stop making law-abiding citizens unlaw-abiding. Then, of course, there’s tax laws: most people pay none, both rich & poor, leaving everyone else to be a law-breaker any chance they get. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-18_1154_bad_laws.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-18_1154_bad_laws.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, bad laws no Wed, 08 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the concepts ushered in by The Enlightenment was penal reform. Before that penalties were harsh: torture and execution were the primary sentences because there weren’t prisons simply because they weren’t practical, except debtors’ prisons where people who owed money worked off their debt. The idea of rehabilitation wasn’t even considered. Liberalism changed all that but extreme penalties still persist: 3 Strikes, mandatory sentencing & civil forfeiture are examples; there are even prominent people calling for the execution of Fentynl-maker CEOs. Other examples: they execute drug traffickers in several nations and there are no drugs there; and there are nations where women are stoned if they have premarital sex, and there's not a lot of premarital sex there; there’s even a nation that imprisons people for chewing gum, and you know there's no gum chewing there. There are some very concerning trends: in one year, 10,000 more arrest warrants were given out in Ferguson, MO, a Black community, than there were people, and prisoners are being made to pay the cost of their incarceration. This may be why so many imprisonable offenses make no sense: drug use? Driving violations? White collar crime? Instead penalties could be house arrest, fines or suspend driver’s licenses. Unfortunately, staying home & fines don’t change people’s behavior, and what to do with people who don’t pay the fine? A quarter of all drivers drive without licenses now. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-18_1153_extreme_penalties.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-18_1153_extreme_penalties.mp3 2:51 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, penalties no Mon, 06 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more economic & retirement concepts: 1. Boiled down to fundamentals, all economics is a Ponzi scheme. 2. Slavery has always been and will always be, though the definition may change. 3. American manufacturing capacity can usually stretch to the situation. 4. No Fault insurance is unpopular among lawyers who make money from finding fault. 5. Capitalists swim in a cesspool of bribes & extortion. 6. There’s no such thing as Social Security Reserves. 7. They never say it but the Fed’s primary job is to protect pensions. 8. Ridiculous government pensions undermine faith in government. 9. Even people without much money can still stack silver. 10. Implicit trade barriers are much harder to remove than explicit ones. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1152_economics__retirement_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1152_economics__retirement_concepts.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, economics, retirement no Sat, 04 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor American’s shop for value: the most bang for the most buck. There are people who buy for status, and people who only buy the very best, but traditionally American product designers aim for a high feature/cost ratio, so-much-so that we take this strategy for granted. However, Americans who have lived overseas, especially in Europe, are surprised to find that’s not the case around the world, where the choice is usually only between the cheapest and the best. That’s because socialist nations are not used to buying for value, and are subsequently overcharged for everything, at least from our perspective. Unfortunately, in the rest of the world, the value found in American-made goods is dismissed as shoddiness. It creates a kind of implicit trade barrier that nobody ever talks about: consumers in other countries: Germans, French, Asians, will not buy American products; it's unfashionable, and American goods are considered inferior. American car-makers have really suffered from this: ask any foreigner and they'll say American cars are poorly made. Same with electronics. Definitely with food items, which are considered “junk food” or even unsafe. No amount of reducing explicit trade barriers will overcome this implicit one. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1151_implicit_trade_barriers.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1151_implicit_trade_barriers.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, trade barriers, value no Thu, 02 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There’s 166,500 tons of gold in the world, all together it would fit into an olympic-sized swimming pool. In contrast, there’s about 100,000,000 tons of silver in circulation, so about 550 times more silver than gold. The value of everything in the world is estimated at $100 trillion, so if currency were tied to silver, silver would be $100,000 per ounce and gold would be around a billion dollars an ounce. Obviously, there’s no connection between the price of gold or silver with currency or each other, but the allure remains and people still like to “stack silver.” Stacking silver literally means what is says: the satisfaction that comes from the tactile feel when stacking silver coins. It could be as a hedge against inflation, perhaps useful if the government-backed medium of exchange breaks down, maybe even an investment. However, there’s not many instances of any of those reasons so we have to consider that the security factor of actual possession of vintage & new silver coins minted in the U.S., called Constitutional silver, is why people stack. To be pedantic about it: when those coins were minted, the amount of silver at the time only equaled 73.5% of the face value with 90% purity, so about 66 cents of silver in a dollar back then; of course, the silver is worth much more now but a nickel is still worth a nickel’s worth of nickel. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1150_stacking_silver.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1150_stacking_silver.mp3 2:48 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, silver no Tue, 31 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Social Security & Medicare obligations are staggeringly underfunded, $100 trillion at least, and that’s not even including government pension obligations, which are truly obscene. Consider that the average Social Security per person is under $2K/month: compare that to state government pension benefits of NY firemen of $20K/month, and CA’s ex-Treasurer gets $50K/month: there’s even an OR health official that gets $76K/month! The pension crisis is real, unsustainable, and the funds are going to crash no-matter-what. For private pensions, the PGBC will take over and turn them into something more like Social Security levels, but the real problem is State pensions because they have State Violence to ensure that $76K/month. Let that sink in... Now ask yourself how that happened? Anybody can be replaced by 10,000 other people: how did someone get a $76K/month pension? Or even $76K/year for that matter working for the government producing nothing. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1149_ridiculous_government_pensions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1149_ridiculous_government_pensions.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, government, pensions no Sun, 29 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Supposedly there's $24 trillion of retirement funds in the Stock Market but even that only represents about half of what is owed to retirees. Retirement is a Ponzi scheme where new workers pay in but it's not enough to make payments to retired workers. Therefore the Market has to increase by at least 5% yearly to keep retirees from freaking out, especially voters, but the Market doesn't have any low risk investments of that magnitude except for the indexes which are dominated by the so-called FAANG stocks: keep those 5 companies up for the Market index to go up. The Fed uses interest rates and Open Market Operations to maintain a minimum yearly growth. Low interest rates allow companies to borrow money to buy back their own stock: the loans just keep getting rolled, and as long as they're interest free, it can go on forever. This elevates the share price which pleases the shareholders, triggers huge bonuses for management and keeps pension fund managers happy. Unfortunately, that means the price of those stocks is not tied to any fundamental underlying value of the companies, and the bubble has become so large that when it finally pops, retirees are going to be left with nothing. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1148_the_fed_vs__pensions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-17_1148_the_fed_vs__pensions.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, retirement no Fri, 27 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A common misconception is that government can save money, specially Social Security, and that there is a cache of money called the Social Security Reserve that is going to run out. That’s an intentional fabrication perpetrated by political demagogues because the constraint is only a legal one: the original Social Security legislation wanted to prevent any money for Social Security coming from general tax revenues, it was the political compromise at the time, so the law says that only money collected specifically as Social Security can be paid out as Social Security. If Social Security needed more money, that clause could be struck from the original law by the very same demagogues. America has come a long way in its spending habits since those halcyon days of old-school accounting & balanced budgets. The whole idea of fiscal responsibility has been abandoned: government now prints as much money as it wants whenever it wants so government would simply act unilateral to fund whatever Social Security needed regardless of so-called reserves. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-16_1147_social_security_reserves.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-16_1147_social_security_reserves.mp3 2:15 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, social security no Wed, 25 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Capitalism is based on avarice so strong it overcomes even fear, anger & lust which would otherwise shape society, so as bad as greed may be, it’s better than the alternative. Unfortunately, in a Capitalist society everything is for sale: loyalty, trust, integrity. It’s not surprising that an economic theory with such compromised roots would have such critical weaknesses. Government’s virtuous intent is to keep Capitalism’s vices in check but as government becomes more authoritarian, Capitalism exploits it by subverting a critical civil servant in the chain of command either through bribes, politicians are the prime example: successful candidates are de facto corrupt; they had to be to get elected; or extortion: every man has sexual peccadilloes they would be embarrassed to be made public: infidelity, porn addictions, chargeable sex offenses from their past; threatening exposure is enough to turn them into puppets. It’s so bad that in the cesspool of Capitalism, people who won’t compromise themselves are considered abnormal. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-16_1146_capitalist_cesspool.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-16_1146_capitalist_cesspool.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Capitalism, government, authoritarian no Mon, 23 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The odd thing about insurance is that nobody ever wants to collect, they just want to have it. Unfortunately, there’s the moral hazard of insurance where people act irresponsible because they are insured, or even cause intentionally damage so they collect on the insurance. There’s also the perverse incentive of fault-based insurance, somebody else can trigger your insurance to pay them: intentionally harming themselves or pretending since pain is subjective. This is the way people without insurance get rich from your insurance. That’s why a dozen states have No Fault insurance, which means if someone else hits you with their car, it doesn't matter, your insurance covers you and their insurance covers them: no lawsuits, no Civil court, no worrying if they’re insured, no paying for Uninsured motorist. The only lawyers will be Criminal lawyers determining whether laws were broken. However, insurance only really works if everybody is insured. If half the drivers drive without insurance, even if they suffer the consequences financially, they aren’t included in the insurance pool so your premiums will have to be increased to cover the additional risk. Combine that with all the hanger-on industries that exploit insurance, and soon, like medical insurance, it becomes unreasonably priced for the amount of security it provides. Insurance deserves the poor reputation it has, no fault of your own. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-16_1145_no_fault_insurance.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-16_1145_no_fault_insurance.mp3 2:35 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, no fault insurance, insurance no Sat, 21 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the stunning things that Lockdowns showed us was that the U.S. manufacturing capability & supply chain is very robust. Even with most of the nation not working, there was still enough excess capacity in reserve to quickly expand to fill the need, minimizing the time of shortages, real or manufactured, to at most a couple of months. However, we don’t have infinite flexibility, if people want to slide into even less productivity, America’s capacity can eventually be overwhelmed. Inflation occurs when production is less than consumption. Limiting consumption to production is difficult without keeping score, which is what money does but the unending stream of newly-printed money has removed that feedback mechanism, so something else less controllable will have to limit inflation: price controls don’t work, having been tried multiple times; in fact, any kind of gate-keeping causes more harm than good, otherwise command economies like Communist nations use would be the ideal. With 100 million Americans not working because they’re retired, and another 100 million who don’t want to work, there’s an obvious solution to increasing capacity, but laziness is a toughie to overcome, and incompetence is impossible. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-15_1144_capacity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-15_1144_capacity.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, capacity, productivity, consumption no Thu, 19 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The infamous NYT 1619 Project postulates that America’s success is the result of using slavery. They point to Rome and ask when was there societal advancement without slaves? How many wars of the past were fought just to get slaves for the conquerors? Slaves laid the foundation of everything, they say. However, change the definition of “slave” only a tiny bit, and many people today live the lives of slaves: Minimum Wage jobs; prostitution; family obligations. Most people are constantly at the beck & call of someone: we’re all slaves in some way or another. But actually, America’s success was due to liberty, not slavery, otherwise South America would have been successful too since they imported 10x more slaves. If serfs & peons are the equivalent of slaves then all of the Middle East, Russia & China would have been successful long ago, not to mention Africa itself; and liberty is the result of ideology and happenstance. America obtained success despite slavery, not because of it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-15_1143_slavery.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-15_1143_slavery.mp3 2:21 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, slavery no Tue, 17 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor With more people and more productivity there needs to be more money. Back in the days of gold backing money, 3% more gold a year was mined to approximately match this growth. Even when money was decoupled from gold, the money supply was targeted to grow at 3% a year. In an ideal world, one that existed for decades, things ran relatively smoothly because the math added up but then politicians took the reigns from the economists, and government started printing money connected to no reality. People started getting worried that money wouldn’t be worth anything because the supply was unlimited, hence, Bitcoin appeared. When Bitcoin first came out, there was Bitcoin mining where people could supposedly "mine" Bitcoins by solving mathematical problems on their computers that were designed to increase the number of Bitcoins by 3% a year. With the wimpy computers of the time that worked out but soon people were mining way too many Bitcoins with next-generation hardware, and the mathematical problems had to get ever more complex to limit the growth. Finally, they gave up and arbitrarily said there was enough Bitcoin already to represent all the value in the world and there would be no more unless the value of the world increased. This makes some sense until you consider that there are hundreds of digital currencies like Bitcoin who claim the same thing, none of them back up by anything. People buy Bitcoin to get rich, and if people quit buying it, it would be worthless: a Ponzi scheme so blatant that only time will recognize it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-15_1142_ponzi_economics.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-15_1142_ponzi_economics.mp3 2:46 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Bitcoin, economics no Sun, 15 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more Internet & debate concepts: 1. The vast majority of Internet traffic is bots. 2. A VPN is snake oil. 3. Public Internet became a reality despite public institutions working against it. 4. Wikipedia went from untrusted to trusted back to untrusted. 5. Yelp reviews are the easiest way to assassinate a business. 6. People with a fragile ego shouldn’t debate online. 7. Sometimes it takes a troll to tell the truth. 8. Warring links will destroy any debate. 9. A hypothesis becomes a fact if it’s never proved wrong. 10. The tactics of Oral Illusionists are effective because language is a powerful weapon. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1141_internet__debate_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1141_internet__debate_concepts.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Internet, debate no Fri, 13 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor You must be able to identify your problems & your enemies succinctly with words, which is why torturing the language & redefining words is such an effective tactic, it’s an Oral Illusion that distracts you from what’s happening. The technique works because it takes time for new words with the old definitions to emerge, and during that time activists can exploit people’s preconceptions and inferred knowledge: for example, they say only white people can be racist, so all previously written books, plays, movies, and public discourse that use the word “racist” are henceforth only talking about white people; and since black people have no word for those same actions, they must not be doing them. Consider the Western culture concepts of conscientiousness, punctuality, courtesy, integrity & ambition which provide its citizens a better life than other societies: that’s White Supremacy. Another tactic is to change goals: for example, we are a liberty society where people reap the rewards of their own actions and become unequal because of it, but the goal of egalitarianism is for people to be equal in all things, so if a particular race does not have the same percentage of dog ownership, then owning a dog is racist. Oral Illusion tactics have obviously been very successful. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1140_oral_illusion_tactics.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1140_oral_illusion_tactics.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, racism, oral illusion no Wed, 11 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Enlightenment that produced so many liberal concepts, like liberty & free speech, also ushered in the age of science. A scientist starts with an idea, a hypothesis, that might explain an observable phenomena, then determines an experiment that would test that assumption, and if the results match the prediction, the hypothesis is a proven theory and becomes accepted science. A hypothesis doesn’t use the word “probably:” science is a statement of fact not conjecture. However, if an outcome occurs that goes contrary to the theory, even if it is only a 1-in-1000 event, the hypothesis must be edited to include the aberration and tested again, or it becomes invalid: this is the basis of the old misquoted adage “the exception disproves the rule.” But debate is not science, and a statement can be assumed true even if there are examples counter to a generalized hypothesis. This distinction is subtle so it’s often exploited to discredit the generalization: an opponent will cite a single exception to insist the whole concept is false. It’s difficult to tell if those people are being intentionally obstinate, or simply stupid, but they can stymie any further conversation of important social hypotheses. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1139_hypothesis.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1139_hypothesis.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, hypothesis no Mon, 09 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s difficult to have any kind of discussion online without getting into a link war, where both sides post links to supposedly authoritative sources that support their position then counter-post additional links from other expert articles, thinking that the most links, or most famous source of a link, wins. The thread usually includes images from the link so that any hand-written message is overshadowed & ignored. It doesn’t take many of these exchanges to determine that link wars are a distraction from the debate and a waste of time. If you're an expert, speak up, but don't stand behind a link and claim you're right because the link says so. People want to hear what you have to say, they want to question your discernment of the issue, not someone they don’t know, and since every article & source is now suspect due to the political bias that has consumed the world, you can only rely on your own ability to identify people who you deem trustworthy though interaction with them alone, free of links: in the end it's their judgment vs. yours anyway. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1138_link_wars.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1138_link_wars.mp3 2:03 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, link no Sat, 07 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Trolling online is very entertaining if done correctly, and it can also be used to impart information without being condescending or obsequious. If truth is the basis of a troll, readers come away with new insights while being amused in the process. It’s the kind of thing where you say, “I’m joking” at the end but you’re not really, you just say that to relieve interpersonal tensions. Nobody likes to be told what to do, and most people are embarrassed by compliments, so making conversation online in the form of a troll works to alleviate both. For example, if someone is good at something, it’s uncouth to be viewed as a toady, so compliments are turned into a troll that on the surface seems insulting; i.e. calling them a crude name, but it’s easily discerned as the opposite. Similarly, making a statement that appears to agree with the opposition but is so obviously false that it instead exposes the ridiculousness or hypocrisy; i.e. “Sweden, Norway & Denmark lifted all COVID restrictions because they want to kill people,” or “Unvaxxed doctors & nurses are stupid.” Troll truth is the best truth. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1137_truth__troll.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-14_1137_truth__troll.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, trolling no Thu, 05 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Everybody has a fragile ego, some more than others. It comes from people’s natural inferiority complex: the subliminal sense that they are frauds and that the real achievers can tell. Often their fear is justified in reality which creates extremely fragile egos. However, the real difference is between those who have healthy self-awareness vs. the narcissists who think everything is about them and want control. Healthy people can accept their shortcomings and work to avoid or improve them, but mentally ill people, an ever-growing cohort in these social media times, always focus on anyone & anything but themselves. People who criticize is also a sign of a fragile ego, and of course those same people don’t like to be criticized. To test if you have a fragile ego, consider how you respond when you’re insulted: do you ignore it or do you get baited away from the point under discussion. People who project like to claim I have a fragile ego but I’ve been blocked more, shut down more threads, driven more people off the Internet than anyone I know of: proof that least fragile ego wins. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1136_fragile_ego.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1136_fragile_ego.mp3 2:21 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fragile ego, narcissist no Tue, 03 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor I ignore Yelp: in fact, I fastidiously avoid it and its cohorts. I hate the whole idea behind user feedback apps: it gives inordinate power to narcissists & exploiters. I come by this revulsion through personal experience: I have been negatively impacted by reviewer’s comments to such an extent that I could not move forward with what I was trying to do. These people were intent on hurting me for ideological reasons, and that was before Cancel culture: it’s got to be 10X worse now. Yelp also highlights the human weakness for spoilers: 1 bad review out of 3 good ones gets all the credibility, and haters know that. For reasons of evil intent or simply economic advantage, unscrupulous people will sabotage their enemies & competitors. Several cases have actually gone to Civil court because of this exact thing, and the culprits found accountable for their intentional malevolent behavior, but those are very, very few: most review-bombers never suffer one iota of regret for their actions. Not to mention the elephant in that room that people like different things, or take benign issues personally. What does democracy even have to do with restaurant & bar reviews anyway? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1135_yelp.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1135_yelp.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Yelp no Sun, 01 May 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The idea of Wikipedia was a great one: a free online encyclopedia where experts on a topic could explain it and other experts could add to or correct until the description was perfect. It got so good that Wiki links could be cited in professional journals, or at least the references from the Wiki page. The first decade of Wikipedia was indicative of the benefits of worldwide interconnectivity & information sharing: a shining light on a hill. Alas, the days of trusting Wikipedia are gone: it’s now as politically compromised as all media & institutional authorities. One only need read entries on “Proud Boys” or “Donald Trump” to see political biases that cancel any redeeming informational value. Wiki’s excuse for this exploitation is that “anybody can make edits,” as if there were an army on both sides changing and re-changing erroneous entries. The fact is that online resources are predominately Left, and that includes the Wiki moderators. In fact, the co-founder of Wikipedia, Larry Sanger, has publicly stated that he’s embarrassed at the politicization of his brainchild, saying it “has abandoned the neutral point-of-view, and ruining what it was meant to be,” and everybody agrees except the Left. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1134_wikipedia_compromised.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1134_wikipedia_compromised.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Wikipedia no Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Many communities were finagled into giving cable companies monopolies, to the point of denying new competing technologies from entering the market. The cable giants like to exercise their monopoly power by jacking prices and there’s no place for customers to go. The solution is to break those monopolistic deals; let WiFi towers come in and get some competition going. Elon Musk’s Starlink will certainly break open the market. But even without that, users themselves are circumventing the prohibition by setting their personal Internet service so that it can be shared by anyone around, called “hotspots,” and products are emerging that automatically connect across them as people travel: it’s essentially free public Internet with no government intervention. Cities certainly must recognize that connectedness has become an important societal goal: they’ve got to quit being lobbied into inaction because they’ll just be left behind. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1133_public_internet.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1133_public_internet.mp3 2:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, public Internet no Wed, 27 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Many YouTube channels rely on advertisers who invoke fear to sell their products: food storage, survival gear, gold, and worst of all: VPNs, Virtual Private Network software that claims to keep your time on the internet anonymos. At least the others sell you something tangible but the VPN folks prey on ignorance. Unless everyone is on a VPN, it’s a farce: your Internet provider can recognize a VPN, and an AI can easily compute the odds of who is using it. They don't have to crack your encrypted data to know what it is; they just have to know it exists and watch where the traffic goes: after a while, an AI will find all your previous history, identify all the people using a VPN at a particular time, and match up to you. It used to be you could use a TOR browser which had anonymous IPs and hide among all the pirate traffic & porn, but government forcing sites to register their IP has really made staying anonymous difficult for average people. When I was in China traveling across country in a truck, nobody knew I existed but every time I fired up a VPN on my laptop, a message popped up on my screen: the Chinese interpreter with us said it warned I would be arrested, and the message included the current location of my truck to prove they meant it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1132_vpn.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1132_vpn.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, VPN no Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor I’ve ran several Internet forums over the past 3 decades, starting with a mailing list back in the Stone Ages. While almost all other Old School forums have switched over to social media platforms, I still fully control my own with a remote server & storage company that I change as prices change or security issues emerge. I don’t even know where the site is currently hosted, but parts of it are in my attic. Over the years my site has been DDOS attacked a number of times, and it’s constantly the target of webcrawlers, a half-dozen or more at any one time: occasionally it gets swarmed by 1000s of crawlers indexing for some new search engine. These are all benign activities that are of little concern but bots actually cause me to close down new sign-ups because I was spending so much time deleting them. There are many, many attempted sign-ups that the CAPTCHA, question, and other techniques keep out but there are a dozen a day that get through: their username is not a construct, they're not blacklisted, the email addresses are not throw-aways, and the IPs are not in known bot territory but I if send email to their addresses asking them to respond they never do. Many sign-ups have Anonymous IPs which I just ignore; the others mostly come from Russia & Ukraine, but also China, Amsterdam, Poland & even a handful coming from the States. These are very well-camouflaged bots, and make me think it’s people who sign-up so that bots can later post ads and run prepared scripts: that’s not why I host a forum. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1131_forum_bots.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-13_1131_forum_bots.mp3 2:38 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, forum, bots no Sat, 23 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more foreign & military concepts: 1. What happens in foreign countries stays in foreign countries. 2. Brexit isn’t that much different politically than Brentry. 3. Taiwan is on their own if China decides to annex them. 4. The South China Sea isn’t named that by coincidence. 5. Iran is the scapegoat for all problems in the Middle East. 6. Look to Japan to see where the world is headed. 7. The American hegemony was fun while it lasted. 8. Wars may not use bullets but they still use soldiers. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-12_1130_foreign__military_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-12_1130_foreign__military_concepts.mp3 2:10 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, foreign affairs, military no Thu, 21 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor War is not an economic decision: America did not invade Iraq & Afghanistan to save money; Russia did not support its citizens in East Ukraine to increase its wealth; China is not taking the South China Sea because of monetary concerns, and money is certainly not radical Islam's motivation. No, War is caused by escalating tensions that are more emotional than rational, more ideological than pragmatic, and more varied than just national interest. We always focus on the implements of violence, namely men, but how many wars have been won by clever manipulation? By assassination, by alliances, by genocide, by paying of tribute, by sheer oratory. One man has often defeated armies, and just as often, so has the mob. The sword is the last device available to the less intellectually capable. Even the definition of “war” is undergoing a re-imagining: Cyber War, Economic War & Culture Wars are real things; more impactful than any shooting war since WW2. In that since, we’re all soldiers in an all-consuming, never-ending war. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-12_1129_war.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-12_1129_war.mp3 2:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, war no Tue, 19 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Hegemony in trade, law, economy, military, technology, culture, media & globalization is where elite nations make rules that all other countries must follow to avoid political & economic isolation. History has seen some spectacular hegemonic empires: Mesopotamia, Mongol, Roman, British, and as of now, America. American hegemony was literally the last man standing, militarily-wise, after WW2. The sure sign of a hegemony is control of the world’s reserve currency which translates to what is essentially America's tax on the World via our immense National Debt which never has to be paid off: buy our debt or the World burns either from military threat or economic collapse. Since America is the only world power that holds liberty as the primary imperative, the democratic aspect of world organizations like the WHO & UN are constantly in conflict with America’s preferences: they use their equal voting power to demand the U.S. share its bounty among them, often hidden in supposedly humanitarian efforts but actually just self-interest cloaked in sanctimony, but since America is a hegemony, it gets to have its cake & eat it too. Devilish bargain because absolute hegemony corrupts absolutely. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-12_1128_american_hegemony.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-12_1128_american_hegemony.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, hegemony no Sun, 17 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Most Americans don’t know much about other countries but they know Japan, even some of it’s history & culture. For whatever reason, Japan has been world-leading is several areas; most famously its products. This is doubly amazing since Japan’s economy has been flat for decades, and its population is aging and in steep decline. Other countries would allow immigrants from developing nations to fill the labor gap but Japan is too xenophobic so they’re developing robot-replacement workers instead even though it's much more expensive at first. However, with robots there's none of social problems immigrants bring. Japan will probably even allow genetic manipulation and AIs. Japan does have the specter of an all powerful China looming on their doorstep, a country that resents their past humiliating abuse at the hands of Japan. The immediate threat is China’s attempt to annex the South China Sea which is of paramount importance to Japan. China must be very wary of going too far and actually inciting a forceful response from Japan because who knows what futuristic things & beings they’ll be up against? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1127_japan.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1127_japan.mp3 2:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Japan no Fri, 15 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Iran wants to develop nuclear power: why should they even have to ask us? They don't owe us anything: we didn't defeat them in war, and they didn't fly airplanes into buildings, Saudi Arabia did that. Other, worse nations like Pakistan, who harbored Bin Laden, and N. Korea already have The Bomb. The U.S., who invaded & destroyed Iraq for similar made-up reasons, is an unprovoked bully towards Iran: casting them as the instigating villain behind every “terrorist” incident in the Middle East, even the world. The deep-seated hatred of the U.S. towards Iran came about in the late 1970s; before that Iran was America’s puppet-nation in the Middle East, but when they cast off the strings, America never forgot. It’s not even that Iran changed sides, they just became about themselves. However, lingering embarrassments are not enough to explain America’s constant antagonism, which is certainly at the behest of Israel. Why? Is only speculation, especially in this era when America doesn’t even have a coherent foreign policy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1126_iran.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1126_iran.mp3 2:20 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Iran no Wed, 13 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The South China Sea is 1.4 million square miles of ocean bounded in the west by Vietnam, the east by Taiwan & Philippines, and in the south by Borneo & Sumatra; most importantly, as its name implies, it is also bounded in the north by China. All of those nations have important interests in the area: fishing, oil & gas exploration, and of benefit to the whole world, a third of all shipping passes through the area. Obviously, that also makes the South China Sea of strategic importance to the U.S., commercial & militarily. The question has become: who is the South China Sea more important to, and what to lengths will they go to procure or defend it? Apparently, that would be China: they are not intimidated by any nation or group of nations, and since their intent is to claim the South China Sea as their own, they simply built artificial islands and armed them, creating an unmoving aircraft carrier: landing strip, submarine base & patrol boat HQ. No amount of complaining on the part of the U.S. is going to convince them to tear down those platforms on their own, and we can't make them. China’s intent is to de facto own the South China Sea by simply waiting until the U.S. is tired of pushing back. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1125_south_china_sea.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1125_south_china_sea.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, South China Sea no Mon, 11 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor China had a civil war in the middle of the last century: the Communists won and the Capitalists fled to an island off the coast they called Taiwan. Unlike the American civil war where the winning side occupied the territory of the losers, China didn’t do that 70 years ago because the Capitalist West supported Taiwan. However, in the 1970s president Nixon disavowed Taiwan as a separate nation in exchange for China’s trade. Since then the question of whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan has kept China from invading so China hoped interfering with Taiwan’s elections would cause a reunion without triggering American retaliation, but that hasn’t happened, and China is getting impatient. America’s lack of military resolve over the past few decades combined with a weak American president should be enough for China to act, and they have: occupying the South China Sea; repeatedly invading Taiwan’s airspace with military planes, including bombers; and threatening Taiwan’s political leaders who don’t support reunification. Taiwan is most notable for its microchip manufacturing whose value is almost incalculable, plenty of reason to expect China to implement their ambitions soon, and if they do invade, it’s probable they would be immediately successful. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1124_taiwan.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1124_taiwan.mp3 2:35 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Taiwan no Sat, 09 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Great Britain was one of the founding members of the European Union and provided a lot of the money to run it. It went on for decades but eventually a slim majority of their people had decided they’d rather have complete sovereignty and the term “Brexit” emerged to identify that feeling. The dividing line between those who wanted to stay or leave was ostensibly autonomy vs. collectivism, the same great schism that divides the political ideals all around the world. This irreconcilability was evidenced by the fact they could come up with no “deal” to separate: there was simply not a way to compromise between these opposing ideologies. But egalitarianism, exemplified by Marxism, is tenacious in its goal that everyone be a Marxist, and continue to push for another Brexit referendum even though 90% of Brexiters are still certain of their choice. However, as these Brexit voters pass on, newly-eligible voters who’ve been steeped in progressive ideals in public school, will become the majority and Brentry will be the next new term. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1123_brexit.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1123_brexit.mp3 2:19 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Brexit no Thu, 07 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Contrary to what most Americans conceive, impactful things happen in other countries too, but Americans can be forgiven their ignorance because of the small, barely noticeable affect of those happenings on our everyday lives. Simple observation suggests that foreign affairs are immaterial: maybe because their management has been impeccable but it’s more likely that anything could happen and it wouldn’t make any difference for very long before the slack is taken up. For example, I know almost nothing of what's happening in China, even while I was visiting there. China’s a big powerful country; we’re told it verges on being the world’s most influential but there’s no evidence of that happening yet? There’s got to be world-changing events going on in China but somehow they don't change my world, at least so far as I notice. It’s a universal observation: for a decade I was basically a recluse traveling, and when I re-emerged it was as if the world had been in a time-warp, nothing happened: the news was the same, just the names were different. It's as if I don't know about something, it didn't occur. Apparently trees that fall in the woods really don't make a sound? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1122_foreign_affairs_are_immaterial.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-11_1122_foreign_affairs_are_immaterial.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, foreign affairs no Tue, 05 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more healthcare & diet concepts: 1. The actuarial evaluation of COVID is equivalent to the Common Cold. 2. People were prepped for decades to fear The Virus. 3. A cancer cure is finally here. 4. Namibia needs to keep its doctors. 5. Healthcare professionals lost their credibility when they politicized. 6. The High Cholesterol industry is proven quack medicine. 7. Any diet that causes weight loss requires ketosis. 8. What’s natural isn’t necessarily good for you, and vice versa. 9. Foods are processed for cleanliness, safety, convenience & to make them taste better. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-10_1121_healthcare__diet_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-10_1121_healthcare__diet_concepts.mp3 2:19 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, healthcare, diet no Sun, 03 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor If natural foods are unprocessed, that begs the definition of “processed.”According to the USDA, processing food is defined as washing, cleaning, milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing & packaging. That pretty much includes everything but picking it and eating it raw out of your hand. It seems obvious that all foods are processed for good reason: washing & cleaning are simply obvious; mixing foods evenly combine multiple ingredients, and makes them taste better because it changes the molecular arrangement of fatty acids to better fit into the taste receptors on your tongue and the olfactory receptors in your nose; cooking breaks down protein bonds which also makes food taste better, plus easier to chew & digest; milling turns wheat into flour; pasteurizing kills bacteria in milk for safety; drying, canning & freezing allow people to store food; and to not use packaging would defy logic. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-10_1120_processed_foods.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-10_1120_processed_foods.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, processed food no Fri, 01 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The word “natural” is both mystical and oppositional: that natural foods are better, and that some foods aren’t natural, both of which are categorically false. Contrary to “organic food” which has a legal definition, people can imagine natural food any way they want, though unprocessed, another ambiguous word, is assumed. The simple fact is all food is broken down into sugars, proteins & fats: it’s the sugars, most deriving from carbohydrates, that are the problem, natural or not. Interestingly, table sugar, which is on the natural/unnatural border, is better for you than the sugar in fruit. In fact, squeezed fruit juice is so bad that doctors vehemently recommend not giving it to children, and adults should stay away too. Eating raw fruit, especially berries, is okay in moderation, and even an occasional apple: both of which sound incredibly natural, but natural milk products cause gas & discomfort in a large portion of the population, as does the gluten in wheat. No one would consider a Pop Tart to be natural but it’s not really unhealthy, not like high fructose corn syrup which is natural. And natural has nothing to do with the real problem, which is obesity. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-10_1119_natural_foods.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-10_1119_natural_foods.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, natural food no Wed, 30 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Your body uses 3 energy sources: the primary & most important is glucose, a kind of sugar; it’s so important your body is always making it. Alcohol can also be an energy source and you’ve certainly seen people who survive on it. However, the source of energy people are trying to invoke to lose weight comes from you adipose tissue, your fat. If you’re not getting a lot of glucose in your diet, your body resorts to getting it from your fat, called ketosis, which is where keto diets get their name. Besides losing weight, ketosis has the added benefit of not needing much insulin because insulin is produced by your pancreas to match the amount of glucose in your blood. The side effects of insulin are all bad so the less the better. Careful though because there’s a fine line between losing weight and full ketosis: so much that your breath smells sweet & your urine becomes discolored. If your diet is so strict that all the glucose your body needs has to be internally manufactured, it uses the protein from your muscles to do it. Not only that, all the little stores of glucose in your muscles that give you strength are depleted. Even worse, your brain can’t use any source of energy but glucose, so too low amounts make you lethargic & stupid. That’s why dieting is a science. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1118_keto.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1118_keto.mp3 2:38 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, ketosis, keto no Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor 78 million people are eligible for daily cholesterol-lowering medication and half are taking it. Depending on when & where you went to Medical school, this is a good or bad thing. From being the savior of heart disease in the 70s & 80s, the cholesterol schtick has been exposed this century but like so much quack medicine, it continues on. Here are the facts: • For elderly men and for women of all ages, high cholesterol is associated with a longer lifespan. • As Americans have cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol-rich foods, rates of heart disease have gone up. • In the two most recent trials, involving over 10,000 subjects, cholesterol-lowering did not result in any improvement in outcome. Yet on the flip side, numerous studies have linked low cholesterol with depression, and rates of heart failure have doubled since the advent of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. Worse, almost a third of statin users experience weakness, muscle wasting, polyneuropathy, cognitive impairment & cancer. Americans are right to mistrust pharmaceutical-driven medicine. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1117_high_cholesterol.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1117_high_cholesterol.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, cholesterol no Sat, 26 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Doctors used to be one of the most respected professions in America: when a doctor or other medical professional said it, people listened; but that credibility has been severely undermined by the Shamdemic. Luckily, most local doctors have stayed out of the fray but the public figures have been so bad and so despicably evoking sanctimony & fear that the whole field of healthcare has been tainted. The segregation of people into “vaxxed” & “unvaxxed,” the ignoring & dismissing what healthcare officials in other countries are doing, the mass firings, the scapegoating, and the blatant politicization that is tearing the nation apart. Factor in the Marxist-lead international health organizations and the egalitarianism of our domestic institutions, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anywhere to go to get unbiased & unadulterated information. There is no longer a wise & trusted organization people can feel comfortable was looking out for their best interests. Healthcare had already descended into a pit of suspicion & complaint but now it’s entered the realm of conspiracy theories & authoritarianism with no foreseeable way out? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1116_healthcare_confidence_crisis.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1116_healthcare_confidence_crisis.mp3 2:21 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, healthcare no Thu, 24 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Nationalism and Globalism have conflicting priorities but none is more fraught with ideological hubris than healthcare. Nationalism means you look out for your own nation first but Globalism is the free flow of capital among nations, including intellectual capital like doctors. Unfettered emigration leads to poorer nations remaining poor while the rich nations keep their costs down: for example, if Britain needs doctors, they’ve been giving them special enticements to leave their own country and immigrate to Britain instead. Medicine is one of those few professions where the quality is not subject to the nation’s GNP: Namibian doctors are just as smart and just as trained as Western doctors, maybe more so since they can’t rely on expensive medications & equipment. They are exactly the kind of doctors those nations need and should not be lured away by getting “rich.” If Britain needs doctors, they should train them domestically, not cannibalize Namibia’s. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1115_namibian_doctors.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1115_namibian_doctors.mp3 2:08 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, emigration, immigration, doctors no Tue, 22 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Cancer is when a single cell mutates and no longer kills itself. (That's how cells renew, they split then the old one turns off.) As time goes by and this one cell splits but doesn’t go away, then splits again, and again, all creating new immortal cells. Eventually the mass (cancer) destroys everything around it. When one of them gets into your bloodstream, it's all over because those immortal cells will be spread all over your body to create many ever-growing masses. Chemotherapy is a cocktail of drugs that kills all “new” cells but that means noncancerous new cells too: your hair, the cells in your mouth & intestines, your immune system. No wonder people get so sick on Chemo. However, there is a new cancer treatment that is much more strategic: it uses the patient’s own immune system to seek-and-destroy the immortal cells. Doctors biopsy a mutant cancer cell from the patient then use gene-splicing to specifically identify the mutants and only the mutants for destruction. Right now the costs are too high so it’s only used on children but it will be available to everyone in the future. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1114_curing_cancer.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1114_curing_cancer.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, cancer no Sun, 20 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The developed world was ready for The Virus: we’ve had a decade of popular movies & TV shows fantasizing how special people would live because they protected themselves and the profligate would all receive what they deserved. This death cult fantasy fosters extreme authoritarianism, another favorite of the special people, who also seem universally sanctimonious with a complete lack of self-awareness. This constellation of traits can be exploited by those of us with a sense of humor: for example, I told a (former) friend of mine that they can’t visit because I don’t let anyone who’s been vaccinated into our house because the vaccinated can still be carriers; I figured it was a humorous but totally reasonable symmetrical response. With no recognition of the irony, this person made claims about stopping the spread of The Virus by vaccinating people. It gets better: I reminded him that I was a doctor, and if he would submit to an anal swab test at the door, he could come in. Who said The Virus was all bad? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1113_the_virus.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-09_1113_the_virus.mp3 2:11 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, virus, COVID no Fri, 18 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In 2020, deaths from cold viruses, normally 50-80K people, were less than 1% of that. The obvious reason death from colds was almost zero is because they were all being attributed to COVID, but of course, Covidians said it's because the lockdowns worked? A bizarre logic that implies they worked almost 100% for regular colds & flus, just not on COVID, because those cases supposedly continued to skyrocket. When Sweden, Norway & Denmark removed all COVID restrictions, saying it had no more effect than normal flu, the Covidians claimed they were willing to kill their citizens for commerce. Then when the actuaries started saying that all the deaths attributed to COVID suspiciously coincided with the drop in all other deaths, and that the projected mortality of 2020/21 had not changed due to COVID: in fact it was only the 3rd worst year in the past decade, the die-hard maskers simply claimed it was false information. Covidians also suggest that Asians have a “natural resistance” to COVID to explain why those counties that never locked down showed no ill effects, but didn’t explain why Asians living in the West didn’t have the immunity. It all shows how effective brainwashing is, and how little difference demonstrable facts make. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-08_1112_covid_vs_the_common_cold.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-08_1112_covid_vs_the_common_cold.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, COVID, Common Cold no Wed, 16 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review more psychology & morals concepts: 1. Cortisol is the silent killer no one talks about. 2. Adrenaline is the spice of life. 3. Extortion runs the world: stop paying and find out yourself. 4. Life has become kayfabe and no one seems to know. 5. Wisdom lets you recognize how foolish your life has been. 6. The religion of diversity has inserted itself into professional ethics. 7. Morals are subjective so morality can’t be objectively compared. 8. Most people value their life over your liberty. 9. Value 0 is the one value that rules them all. 10. There is nothing more pitiful than an intelligent person making stupid excuses. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-08_1111_psychology__morals_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-08_1111_psychology__morals_concepts.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, psychology, morals no Mon, 14 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Everyone is the center of the universe so, of course, their life takes precedence in most situations, to themselves anyway. Mature members of society make allowances for each other, however, in the case of narcissists, no exception is given for what anybody else thinks, and there’s no doubt that social media is an incubator for narcissism. As justification for this preoccupation with lifex, they insist that it’s mentioned first in “life, liberty & property,” the things The Constitution was written to protect. Since it’s easy to conflate their life with life in general, the misunderstanding gives rise to all kinds of distortions: abortion, war, animal rights, and a host of “safety” issues; and once the argument becomes about “life,” sanctimony smothers the debate. There is no argument that convinces the “my life over your liberty” people. In fact, if you reply that indeed your liberty is more valuable than their life, they are offended beyond any continued discussion, not that it would make a difference anyway. The problems are solved if liberty trumps life because liberty allows for someone to make their own life their top priority; they just can’t extend that preoccupation to imposing restrictions on others: forced vaccinations, for example. Restating the situation: the battle’s not really life vs. liberty in most people’s eyes, it’s their life vs. your liberty. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-03-12_1108_life_vs_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2022-03-12_1108_life_vs_liberty.mp3 2:57 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, life no Sat, 12 Mar 2022 17:40:21 -0800 politics & humor Incompetent people have excuses for everything, but the most annoying are competent people who make excuses so that they don’t have to take a stand, the ones who crave acceptance and are afraid of confrontation. A good example is intelligent commentators who won’t come down on one side or the other about things like Climate Alarmism or the Shamdemic: the excuse they make is that after ascending the ladder of pros & cons, they get to the point where the particularities are above their head, so no judgment is possible, but these are the same people that often pontificate outside their area of expertise by claiming some kind of inherent ability to discern the truth, except on the issues the require them to take uncomfortable positions and make a stand. Essentially, they’re lying cowards, which is inexcusable. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-08_1110_excuses.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-08_1110_excuses.mp3 2:02 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, excuses no Sat, 12 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Values seem like they would be subjective but in an attempt to make them objective, what if they were ranked? Suppose Value 6 is less important than Value 5. A Value hierarchy is obviously fraught with ambiguity: for example, what’s the order of life, liberty & property? Reading the Preamble of the Constitution, in America as it was established, all values are subservient to a fundamental value: liberty, which would be Value 0. Still, our liberty is bounded by responsibility and the liberty of others, so we give up some of our personal liberty in exchange for others giving up some of theirs for us. Unfortunately, the Lockdowns proved that many of America's leaders do not have liberty as Value 0: they seem to be using the socialist ideal of the Greater Good? How did Greater Good become Value 0 for so many people? It’s not in legal doctrine, we had religion for centuries and liberty was still Value 0, so that only leaves public education: socialist indoctrination of a new Value 0 came from the State. And how did that happen? How did politicians swap out Value 0, especially when the judiciary was supposed to be keeping watch on our liberty? Because liberty allows people to choose something else as Value 0 if they want, and democracy made it happen, so democracy has become the real Value 0 and it’s not even mentioned in The Constitution. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-07_1109_value_0.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-07_1109_value_0.mp3 2:53 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, values, democracy no Thu, 10 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Politics is, in essence, others imposing their morality onto you. Liberty, personal autonomy, making decisions for yourself, was supposed to protect us from that exact thing but as more-and-more people actually want to be told what to do, democracy has eroded the liberty paradigm until now publicly-imposed morals are becoming the norm instead. This leads to the question that always haunts collectivism: whose morals? And how do they compare to mine? Is life part of morality? I’m willing to kill to protect my liberty: is that moral? How about truth? Respect? The Ten Commandments? Violence? Masculinity? If someone claims something to be “moral” but another person disagrees, that’s subjective, which is why morals have to come from the ultimate authority: God. This is essentially why morals are limited to religion. The current diversity & inclusion morals are religious, but if they don’t come from God, that leaves only government institutions. Syllogism suggests there is no longer a distinction between Church & State: if morals come from God but morals are coming from the state then that means the state is God. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-07_1107_comparing_morality.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-07_1107_comparing_morality.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, morality no Sun, 06 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Religion was the place so-called “values” came from: presumably God came up with them. They included the Ten Commandments, though those are pretty much ignored in recent times; and there were the Rights enshrined in The Constitution but those are also under intense attack: for example, Free Speech is essential gone. Instead there are new commandments coming from somewhere but certainly not God: now we must pledge to diversity & inclusion, and if we don’t, there goes your professional license. Where did the idea of “diversity” even come from? When did the purview of licensing organizations expand to include religious dogma? Professionals can be censored from practice unless they swear to abide by a subjective standard interpreted by someone else? They also get to tell you how to address them. Notice how what that someone else thinks is abusive behavior has precedence; they get to determine what you say and do, a reversal of responsibility & control, from you to them. You would think lawyers would be the ones confronting this attack on liberty but they were the first to demand allegiance to diversity as part of their Ethics requirements. Instead of God telling us how we should act, a shadowy force in the ethics departments of professional organizations is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-06_1106_professional_ethics.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-06_1106_professional_ethics.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, professional ethics, diversity no Fri, 04 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor After a lifetime of objectively pursuing wisdom: creating a list of knowledge & experience and achieving everything on it; I now feel satisfied that I am indeed wise. However, one of the bad things wisdom brings, which I should have expected but I didn’t yet have enough wisdom to know, is that the person I was before, and all of my past actions, seem embarrassing in retrospect: a hindsight of foolishness. In fact, my memories make me physically cringe; rather than taking pride in my accomplishments, I feel chagrin & shame of the ridiculous & naive antics I participated in, which overshadows my laudable goals: showing that negative feelings & memories are more powerful than positive ones. I would liked to have gained that important bit of wisdom at the beginning of my search rather than at the end so that I could have made the choice to continue or not? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-06_1105_the_dark_side_of_wisdom.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-06_1105_the_dark_side_of_wisdom.mp3 2:09 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wisdom no Wed, 02 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The word “kayfabe” describes the choreographed showmanship of professional wresting, where the winners are picked beforehand, each contact is scripted & the blood is fake. Kayfabe extends beyond the match itself: the pre & post confrontations, the interviews & even the girlfriends. Fans accept the fakeness of what they’re watching, purposely suspending their disbelief to be entertained: it’s all in fun. Unfortunately, kayfabe has become sinister in another realm; the concept is a very apropos way to describe modern politics: that everything we’re watching is prearranged, every contact is scripted & voting is meaningless. In fact, it’s spread throughout all of society: nothing is real, everything is an illusion: news, medicine, even science. However there is one big difference: the audience isn’t aware it’s kayfabe. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-06_1104_kayfabe.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-06_1104_kayfabe.mp3 2:00 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, kayfabe no Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Extortion is a legal term but colloquially it’s the best word to define what occurs in an authoritarian environment. Extortion is the manifestation of control, and it’s everywhere: family, friends, religion, society. You alone are nothing but sport to bullies so you agree to be extorted in exchange for protection from those stronger than you. However, the people who protect you want something in return and you don’t set their payment, they do. Sometimes it’s a benign government or benevolent business owner whose demands on you are not onerous, but most often both public & private interests extort the public to satisfy greed or grasp for even more control: if you don’t pay you’re taxes, you go to jail; if you don’t sign an ethics pledge, you lose your license; if you don’t get vaccinated, you can’t work here. Extortion is what makes society functional, or more likely, makes it dysfunctional. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-05_1103_extortion.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-05_1103_extortion.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, extortion no Sat, 26 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Adrenaline, a hormone created by your aptly-named adrenal glands, makes you smart, creative & energetic. Thrill-seekers risk life & limb just for the adrenaline hit it brings. It’s truly the spice of existence: without adrenaline, life would be boring indeed. We also feel the affects of adrenaline every time our car swerves too much, a dog barks, or an unknown group of people is coming over the horizon: it’s part of our Fight or Flight response that kept the human species alive and engaged. Unfortunately, the advantages of adrenaline are counter-balanced by negative manifestations: people who have too much adrenaline exhibit characteristics and medical conditions that are life-threatening, like anger & alcoholism, and the more insidious ADHD which is the inability to concentrate. There’s also high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease. Adrenaline may invigorate you or save your life this instant but increased amounts, especially in the long-term, can blunt your success. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-05_1102_adrenaline.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-05_1102_adrenaline.mp3 2:05 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, adrenaiine no Thu, 24 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Most people are barely aware of the internal chemicals that their bodies use to subconsciously mediate their mood & responses to life’s situations, both positive & negative: the most detrimental being cortisol. Cortisol is part of the Fight or Flight response that allowed humanity to survive in dire situations, and operates admirably in short bursts, but unfortunately the challenges of modern life trigger its production almost continuously. When someone is stressed, their adrenal glands release cortisol into the blood stream where it travels to all parts of the body, over time causing indigestion, weight gain, sugar cravings, acne, restlessness, poor sleep, thirst & decreased immunity; that last being a literal killer. Negative emotions also release cortisol: envy certainly, as do jealously & resentment, and reducing those negative emotions is what motivates people to persistently seek control. Having control over your life is the single most important factor in dampening cortisol production: people become more healthy physically & mentally. Industrialization & urbanization have both increased people’s negative emotions and reduced their control. Online social media & constant news exacerbate the feeling of helplessness even more. Evolution never intended humans to produce so much cortisol. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-05_1101_cortisol.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-11-05_1101_cortisol.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, cortisol no Tue, 22 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor We don’t want to review the SHTF concepts but we probably should: 1. Eventually there’ll be so much knowledge that everyone will have to be a scientist. 2. The single most important ingredient for change is complacency. 3. Part of suffering is suffering fools. 4. What you know can corrode your soul. 5. I’m not impressed with anyone but then who is? 6. The only thing worse than working for somebody is working for somebody for free. 7. Masculinity determines the fate of empires. 8. Nobody wants to tell you to grab what you can get but sometimes that’s the best advice. 9. Let the world burn; you can’t do anything to stop it. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1100_shtf_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1100_shtf_concepts.mp3 2:08 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, SHTF no Sun, 20 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Everyone knows that frequent forest fires are healthy because they keep the dead wood from building up, but politics are such that firefighters prevent them anyway. The analogy applies to almost everything: animal populations, cancer, and certainly economics; if every so often there isn’t a clear out, when the reckoning finally does come, it’s too big & destructive to even do anything about. How can anyone plan anything knowing that at anytime everything they build will go up in flames? That’s the state of the world and everybody’s simply waiting for a spark. Many people have switched from optimism to permission; particularly people who used to believe in America’s customs, cultures & traditions. They witnessed during a fraudulent election and puppet president just how bad the dead wood had gotten. At first, they were numb from disbelief but now they’ll cheer the coming economic collapse & societal destruction. When elites take over to benefit themselves, everything is a lie, there’s so much diversity that there’s no longer any societal cohesion, and both halves of the population thinks the other half is stupid & evil, it’s time to let the world burn. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1099_let_the_world_burn.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1099_let_the_world_burn.mp3 2:18 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, world burn no Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor It’s difficult to play by the rules if everyone else cheats. If you’ve been indoctrinated since youth to truth, justice & the American way, when the opposite is the prevailing game, what do you do? In that environment, honesty is detrimental to your success. Even though it’s difficult because it’s against your nature, you’ve got to grab what you can get because everybody else is. Money is being given away to people who don’t want to work; your vote’s canceled by a nincompoop’s vote and you don’t even know if it’s real? You’re lied to by so-called news, scientists, doctors and government; your kids go to schools where they’re taught exactly the opposite values that you hold; wars are fabricated for the benefit of elites; you are discriminated against because of your race, sex & sexual orientation, and liberty is gone. This isn’t your country any longer: whatever allegiance used to keep you conscientious & trustworthy is excused; it’s time for you to get on the gravy train too, for as long as it lasts anyway. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1098_grab_what_you_can_get.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1098_grab_what_you_can_get.mp3 2:01 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gravy train no Wed, 16 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The common theory of empires is that they have a 250 year life-cycle: pioneers, conquest, commerce, affluence, intellect, and decline due to decadence, defined as a rejection of their traditional values. Though the theory makes for interesting reading, it misses the real reason all societies eventually fail: the weak gain control. Currently, democracy is the culprit: there is simply more weak than strong and they vote, but it’s always the case that the empire declines when masculinity declines: loss of ambition, greed & aggression; all aspects of testosterone. When testosterone can't function because of a weakened male dominance hierarchy, boys are never triggered into puberty; they grow up to be man-boys without the evolutionary features of males; they can't find mates or even sex partners; they’re disrespected; they become disgruntled, pessimistic & perverse; their numbers grow and eventually society becomes weak & unproductive. Ultimately the males rebel or more likely the empire is consumed by a rising empire that has not yet deprived their males of masculinity. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1097_fate_of_empires.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1097_fate_of_empires.mp3 2:16 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, empire, fate of empires, masculinity no Mon, 14 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor You shouldn’t volunteer, especially if you don’t want to, which you probably don’t. People who volunteer voluntarily do it for the dopamine from altruism, serotonin from subservience, or the adrenaline from masochism. It’s even insulting to be asked to volunteer for something because it’s quintessential passive aggression: “Your skills aren’t good enough for financial reward but maybe somebody will take them for free.” Worse, the asker gets to bask in their own virtue for asking. There’s also the egalitarian sanctimony aspect: “You should feel guilty for your success, you owe penance.” Additional insult comes from the fact that, like everything else, to get a volunteer job, you've got to know someone, and if you’re denied, you’ve belittled yourself for nothing. Even if you’re selected, it always ends up with a request for money; "Do you want to be on our Board?" Ultimately, odds are you’re more competent than the people you’ve agreed to take orders from, so you’re enabling bad decisions. Volunteerism is simply another way of handing control of your life over to someone else less qualified. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1096_volunteering.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1096_volunteering.mp3 2:11 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, volunteer, volunteerism no Sat, 12 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor I know lawyers and I'm not impressed: what’s worse is that lawyers become judges. I know doctors and I'm not impressed: doctors become sanctimonious elitists. I know scientists and I'm not impressed; most are neither creative nor intuitive. Though I know accountants, I don’t know any economists but I don’t know any witches either. From my intimate experience with so many respected professions that turn out to be less than impressive, I suspect all professions are that way because people aren’t very impressive either. On-the-other-hand, why are all the characters in books, television & movies so impressive? The protagonists are more intelligent, charming & handsome than anyone I personally know, and the villains are stupendously cultured, clever & persistent. It’s as if the only impressive people are imaginary, created by writers, but I know writers and I’m not impressed. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1095_im_not_impressed.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1095_im_not_impressed.mp3 2:02 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, impressive, professions no Thu, 10 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor It’s an age-old question: is it better not to know? Would your relationship be better, would your job be more fulfilling, would your life have more meaning if you knew everything concerning them? The answer is a resounding no! Some things you don’t need and don’t want to hear. Knowing too much about some things is corrosive, so why would knowing too much about things that don’t directly affect you be any different? Most news has no impact on your life: if you didn’t know, it wouldn’t make any difference. The news intends to rile people up and make them angry; newscasters wouldn’t do it that way if their audience didn’t get a perverse pleasure out of it, but perversity is destructive & counterproductive, and you should avoid it at all costs. Conversely, additional knowledge is often extremely enlightening & useful; some things we do want to hear about because they brighten our soul. You’ll know the difference because knowledge worth gaining doesn’t leave corrosion on your soul. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1094_corrosion_on_your_soul.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1094_corrosion_on_your_soul.mp3 2:03 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, news, soul no Tue, 08 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor I have been a political candidate for various offices, placing as high as 2nd for state House and 3rd for U.S. House. There’s little chance I’ll ever win but I’m tired of suffering the fools who can. It’s not just politicians, fools are everywhere, and they’re always in the way of competent people. Sometimes they get there through nepotism, sometimes it’s affirmative action, often it’s momentum, but mostly it’s just because everyone else is a fool from everyone else’s perspective; it’s foolish to think otherwise. Knowing that virtually everyone you deal with is a fool, you’ve got to suspect that you too are a fool, and you wouldn’t be wrong. You can only make decisions from the limited amount of knowledge & experience you possess, and through the lens of your own immaturity; how can that possibly turn out well for the average individual? There are people you read about that don’t seem foolish: Elon Musk for example; until you think about it: that guy wants to change how cars are defined, dig a tunnel from San Francisco to L.A., and land on Mars. What a lot of foolishness... politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1093_suffering_fools.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1093_suffering_fools.mp3 2:03 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fools no Sun, 06 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor One of the insidious problems with everyone being the center-of-the-universe is a distorted sense of self-satisfaction that leads to complacency. Martin Luther King said, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter” but it assumes things matter. In reality, almost nothing in the world affects you, and people eventual realize that expending emotional energy worrying about issues outside their own universe is wasted. Unfortunately, there are people who can hurt you and they know you’re not paying attention. Activists can only be successful in getting things their way if everyone else doesn’t care enough to stop them. Some of this non-reaction is out of courtesy, and some is out of an aversion to violence, and some is out of intimidation, but most of it is simple complacency. No response is the overwhelming default, especially if things are spinning along nicely otherwise. History chronicles this fact over-and-over: for example, the U.S. is being torn apart and most people are too complacent to do anything about it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1092_complacency.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1092_complacency.mp3 2:14 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, complacency no Fri, 04 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Scientometrics is the measuring & analyzing of science. Since 1947 it’s estimated that knowledge has been steadily growing at 5% a year since the 17th century, meaning scientific data is doubling every 15 years. Obviously, this exponential growth can’t continue forever simply because to continue, everyone on the planet would have to be a scientist to handle their little piece. There’s an ever increasing amount of knowledge, and somebody has to know it. Unfortunately, the number of scientists doesn’t double every 15 years so what will happen? Either people have to get smarter or Artificial Intelligence, A.I., is developed to take up the slack. The border between science and society is becoming increasingly blurred as people ask their gadgets for help & information. The the brain-computer interface will eventually disappear altogether and everyone will have to become cyborgs just to function in everyday life, or the A.I.s take over. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1091_everyone_has_to_be_a_scientist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-31_1091_everyone_has_to_be_a_scientist.mp3 2:00 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, science, scientometrics, A.I. no Wed, 02 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Finance can never get enough review: 1. A psychiatrist could explain economics better than an economist. 2. Imaginary money allows investing for retirement, which is also imaginary. 3. There is so much wealth that it distorts what used to be controlled by markets. 4. Lockdowns don’t affect productivity because those people weren’t productive anyway. 5. Income inequality is good for liberty but wealth inequality is not. 6. When everything is for sale, eventually nothing is. 7. Where does money go when there’s way too much of it? 8. Crypto signals the end of an empire. 9. It’s easy to give financial advice: everybody does it. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1090_financial_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1090_financial_concepts.mp3 2:11 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, finance no Mon, 31 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Though it seems reasonable that financial advice is focused on investing money, if you consider the reasons someone wants the advice, the emphasis on money doesn’t make sense. Money is only a means to achieve the things you want to do but you can do those things now with the money you’re told to invest. The simple reason not to postpone your satisfaction & enjoyment to some future date is because that’s predicting the future; one that’s looking more-and-more like an oncoming trainwreck. The best financial advice is to turn imaginary money into something real as soon as possible: remodel your house, start microfarming, gain new experiences, or collect things that please you and will also hold their value. Another good thing to do with money is invest in yourself: get educated, learn a trade, start a business. This spend-now advice is so good that it’s tempting to suggest borrowing money to do it, especially since the coming volatility may make debt a moot obligation, but that’s predicting the future too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1089_financial_advice.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1089_financial_advice.mp3 2:02 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, investing, financial advice no Sat, 29 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor When vast amounts of money are swirling around, people get so frantic, they become irrational: Tulip mania in the 17th century collapsed the Dutch empire, or France’s Mississippi Land Scheme in the 18th century that crashed the French empire. The phenomenon this time around is crypto. Crypto perfectly fits the Ponzi scheme mold, except in its case there's no product: nobody is offering a good or service, and investors are totally dependent on a private entity to deliver on a too-good-to-be-true promise. Plus, it’s easy to deduce that crypto prices fall if there isn't a constant stream of new rubes getting in; and the fact that there are so many fly-by-night crypto providers is also an easy tell; not to mention there’s no where to use it. However, because crypto is supposedly anonymous, it does have some value to contract killers, drug cartels, child traffickers, blood diamonds, and the ever-cryptic tax evasion. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1088_crypto.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1088_crypto.mp3 2:06 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, crypto, Ponzi scheme no Thu, 27 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The fact that money is imaginary is a hard point to get across because people exchange money every day and it seems real; but anything that appears out of thin air is imaginary: for example, anytime government needs more money to temporarily mask real societal problems, it just imagines it. Every so often, politicians will imagine more money than has ever been imagined before: like now. The question is: where will all that money go? There’s way more money than there are things to buy so bubbles form: for example, the stock market long ago entered an unprecedented upward spiral because retirement funds must show a return to remain solvent, even if it’s imaginary. That’s why most money will simply evaporate, return to imaginary moneyland: a derivative purchased for $1 that went up to $100 goes back to $1. It’s when that money starts consuming tangible things in an attempt to make it real that inflation starts; perhaps hyper-inflation, until the imaginary prices of real things to buy add up to how much imaginary money there is to buy them. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1087_where_will_money_go.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1087_where_will_money_go.mp3 2:07 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, money, inflation no Tue, 25 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Even fervent Marxists will agree that in most environments, Capitalism is unequaled in its ability to stimulate economic growth and the social benefits that come from it. The argument socialists have with Capitalism is that it inevitably stratifies & concentrates wealth, but that’s not the most dangerous side-effect... The fatal problem with unregulated Capitalism is that everything is for sale: natural resources, harvests, ports, technology, business, real estate, even military contracts; nothing is off-limits. Communist China exploited this fundamental flaw through the power of "Free" Trade which resulted in them receiving $trillions so they were able to buy up America’s media, entertainment & news, the education system, Venture Capital, and most egregiously, it’s government. Then China decided that America needs to be Communist, and Capitalism was willing to sell liberty too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1086_everything_is_for_sale.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1086_everything_is_for_sale.mp3 2:07 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Capitalism, failure, for sale no Sun, 23 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The reason the egalitarians are always prattling on about “income inequality” rather that “wealth inequality” is that the poster-child income inequality nations, such as Sweden and the Netherlands with high taxation on income, have higher wealth inequality than the U.S. In fact, the Netherlands, normally associated with extensive socialism, is the nation with the most wealth inequality. Interestingly, the Netherlands also pioneered Capitalism 4-centuries ago with the Dutch East India Trading company: stock market, limited-liability corporations & insurance; so Capitalism is mature there. How this disparity happened is that the Netherlands is aristocratic, including low inheritance taxes, and dynastic-type estates where only one heir takes all the family fortune into the next generation. Exacerbating the situation, many people have negative equity in their homes because of intentional underwater mortgages to escape the high income taxes. If there was a choice between the two, wealth inequality is arguably worse than income inequality because it inhibits liberty which is based on meritocracy, the opposite of aristocracy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1085_income_inequality_vs_wealth_inequality.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1085_income_inequality_vs_wealth_inequality.mp3 2:23 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wealth inequality, income inequality no Fri, 21 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The world, America specifically, learned that many workers don’t do anything productive enough that it affects the whole economy, especially if the buying power of those people is not diminished. Apparently, millions of restaurant workers don’t provide anything that doing without has the same affect: no servers, no entertainers, no bartenders required, and only enough cooks to meet the diminished demand. Same result for almost all low-tier jobs: no janitors, no attendants, no groomers; though yard maintenance seemed unaffected. The biggest tell is the lack of need for almost all public service workers. Whatever it was they did, which was difficult to discern even before the lockdowns, has been totally exposed as redundant, or possibly even counter-productive. Lockdowns made bare the unpleasant fact that America pays a lot to instill work ethic into its population; tens-of-millions of worthless jobs that might be better left undone except for the social value they bring. All can easily be supplanted by simply handing over free money. This brings up the question of how many workers actually do something? And how many of them can be expected to support everybody else? Is it one-in-ten? One-in-hundred? What percentage of America’s citizens, and non-citizens alike, can stay at home to watch television, play videogames, and sit in their dark bedrooms pretending to be somebody on social media without affecting productivity, as long as the check’s in the mail. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1084_lockdowns_dont_affect_productivity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1084_lockdowns_dont_affect_productivity.mp3 2:37 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, lockdowns, economy, work ethic no Wed, 19 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Modern Monetary Theory is the idea that there can be an unlimited supply of imaginary money, so if the stock market needs money, or businesses, or even everybody, then the government can just print it. This concept solves several problems, one of which is wealth redistribution, at least on the surface: if everyone were given a million dollars, average income would increase. But the nature of Capitalism is that wealth concentrates, so all those million dollar checks would eventually end up in the hands of the most wealthy people; trillionaires in the making but nobody’s hurt by wealth inequality in a financial sense if money falls out of the trees. However, there is one distortion of this endless supply of imaginary money that is fatal: when only a few people have so much money that losing hundreds of billions means nothing to them, then Market Forces no longer work. A trillionaire can buy every news organization, every movie studio, support every university endowment, finance every candidate, and do with them as they please because why not? When something imaginary has control over reality, it becomes religion, and whoever speaks to God can tell everyone else what to do. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1083_wealth_distortion.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-30_1083_wealth_distortion.mp3 2:17 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wealth distortion no Mon, 17 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Capitalism has a little discussed side effect, which is the promotion of the illusion of retirees, supported by their “investments” instead of work, with no contemporary productivity. People’s expectations are that they can live the rest of their lives carefree, producing nothing, in a lifestyle they could only dream about when they were working, and expecting everyone else to fill in on their behalf. Retirement literally relies on the old exploiting the young, and that’s considered okay into today's society. This is a new phenomenon, not even a century old; maybe it has been tried before but there aren’t any civilizations that did left to tell. This time, however, it might work if technology keeps ahead of consumption? Maybe with enough investment, everyone can retire? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1082_investing_for_retirement.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1082_investing_for_retirement.mp3 1:47 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, investing, retirement no Sat, 15 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Most of the world is productive, the U.S. exceedingly so; we produce far more than we need, we have for at least a century, and it's increasing. Even if only 10% of the population worked, we could continue along as we are indefinitely. This success is the direct result of Capitalism, but that also leads to individuals accumulating way, way more than they could ever need under any circumstances: what can a billionaire possible do with another billion dollars to improve their quality of life? Inevitably, extremely wealthy dynasties begin catering to their vanity, using their power in sociopathic ways: manipulating elections, subserviating others, and establishing a new world order with them deciding what that is. However, why would 10% of the population work if they didn't have to? How long before the resentment of them working while no one else was cause them to either consider themselves elite or exploited? Without ambition, envy & greed, why would anyone do anything difficult or with a low likelihood of success? And even if no one had to work because of Star Trek-level replicators, transporters & AIs; how long before idleness simply turned into perversity? Idle hands have destructive tendencies. Economics is not a science but psychiatry is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1081_economics_is_psychiatry.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1081_economics_is_psychiatry.mp3 2:34 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, economics, Capitalism, sociopath no Thu, 13 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Feminism is a tough review but let’s try anyway: 1. Wokeness is to the U.S. as Christianity was to Rome. 2. Those who are not yet Woke are the Walking Woke. 3. The thing Critical Race Theory lacks is critical thinking. 4. Systemic Racism is racists who don't like the system. 5. Equity takes equality to the logical next level of egalitarianism. 6. Feminism doesn’t care if it ends up emasculating boys. 7. Women are authoritarians because they’re raised that way. 8. The future is female because the males aren’t doing anything about it. 9. Incels won’t stay that way forever... 10. The U.S. is only a failed state from a male pov. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1080_feminist_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1080_feminist_concepts.mp3 2:14 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, feminism no Tue, 11 Jan 2022 01:00:00 -0800 politics & humor From a male pov, America has become a failed state: government is ineffectual, Capitalism has betrayed them, and the dominance hierarchy is broken. What’s left of their culture, customs & traditions is under attack, and there’s no way to fight back because all the levers of power have been lost. The so-called Patriarchy: liberty, meritocracy & patriotism, are all in steep decline. and the nation seems to be rapidly descending into chaos. However, from the perspective of feminists, minorities & weirdos, America is heading in the right direction because the egalitarian authoritarianism of Communism benefits them. If you’ve been on the losing side then The Enlightenment doesn’t seem so enlightened. Plus, to altruists, a society that focuses on the weak & ineffectual is more satisfying because it takes the pressure off to succeed themselves. This divide between viewing the U.S. as a failed state vs. an imagined utopia will continue until either males rebel, which history shows is unlikely, it’s the women who rebel and men just carry the pitchforks; or utopia is actually reached, at least from a female pov; or chaos. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1079_failed_state.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1079_failed_state.mp3 2:18 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, failed state, utopia, feminism no Sun, 09 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Due to hookup apps like Tinder, society is back to the top 20% of the guys getting all the girls multiple times, and the rest getting nothing. Because of this, an alarming number of young men, 28% of ages 18-30, are involuntarily celibate, so-called “incels.” It’s not difficult to see why, the majority of males are immature pre-adolescents even into their late teens: their balls never dropped; they have no testosterone; they are essentially girls physically. Being an incel isn’t the male’s fault, it’s been a problem in other societies, and why Mongol hoards rode across the Steppes to conquer mud-hut villages: so they could rape the women. To prevent that, societies enforced monogamy, adopted arranged marriages, discouraged sex before marriage, and there was religious indoctrination to get married. But it’s a female world now and they don’t want to go back to any of that male-dominance stuff. In their world, should they want a baby, there’s lots of test tubes and a catalog of sperm in the freezer. And should by unfortunate chance they have a male baby, they’ll raise that child as an incel too. Unfortunately, in another generation, America will not be able to defend itself against Mongols. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1078_incels.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1078_incels.mp3 2:20 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, incels no Fri, 07 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor If society continues going like it’s going, women will completely dominate, just as men did a century ago. During the 50-year transition, men were indoctrinated into believing that what women wanted was equality but women achieved parity with men decades ago, have surpassed them by most metrics, and have no intention of stopping. Women are well past equal in law, medicine, management, entertainment, education, politics, and just about every other status-oriented field. Democrat leadership is dominated by women, and Republicans increasingly so. Republican women side with Democrats on “women’s issues.” Wives will vote for women's interests over their husband's. Feminist slogans should be enough evidence of their intentions: “It’s our turn now,” “Girl power,” “The future is female.” Feminism’s most successful tactic is to constantly reiterate their victim status even with overwhelming evidence of their superiority, the excuse being that making up for the past is one of the goals of equality today. There’s nothing that can stop women’s successful quest for dominance except men who don’t even seem worthy to do so any longer; just ask a woman. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1077_the_future_is_female.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-29_1077_the_future_is_female.mp3 2:20 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, feminism, women no Wed, 05 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Women see the world through an authoritarian lens where elites know best and expect their subordinates to respond without question. This is because girls are acclimated to authoritarianism from a young age: as children, they are subject to their parents, then they are overshadowed by the physical & leadership superiority of boys in school, then husband; and certainly, women who raise children are authoritarian. It explains why fields that are dominated by women are so authoritarian: education being the prime example, but also medicine, entertainment, and Tech. Plus, women also benefit from the authoritarianism of the state: security, hiring preferences, and special women’s rights. With all of this authoritarian nurturing, women would have to be specifically indoctrinated not to be. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1076_women_are_authoritarians.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1076_women_are_authoritarians.mp3 1:49 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, women, authoritarian, authoritarianism no Mon, 03 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The question of why to remake a famous male-centric movie with female leads is confusing? The prepared answer from the Media is that it makes money but there are so many examples where the result is actually a commercial embarrassment; why not just make original female-centric movies? Because there’s a more sinister reason for the “Jane Wick” movies, at least as viewed from a masculine perspective, the cultural terrorists want to replace male stereotypes and role-models with female ones; they aren’t interested in simply creating their own. It’s an insidious emasculation of boys financed by Communists and the ex-wives of billionaires. The Harvard Business Review frankly states “Women now drive the world economy,” and they are using their power to even the playing field, which essentially means blunting the competitive advantage boys have due to testosterone. Feminists intend to stunt the maturity of boys, leaving them in a perpetual state of puberty before the male dominance hierarchy turns them into men. That means getting rid of masculinity triggers, entertainment being the most visible, but also in school & sports. This plan has already been underway for a generation: one need only compare 18-year boy-men with 18-year old men of past generations. Unless something happens to stop the emasculation, boys will be girls. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1075_emasculation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1075_emasculation.mp3 2:29 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, emasculation, culture, feminism no Sat, 01 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Equity, also known as equal-pay-for-equal work, hides in the sheep’s clothing of same-pay-for-same-work but is decidedly more insidious and certainly more hypocritical. Equity is the idea that nurses are equal to engineers and should be paid the same. It falls under the egalitarian umbrella: that effort, not outcome, should dictate reward; and that fairness requires giving special consideration to the unfortunate. You can tell how hypocritical these people are because they never argue that pizza delivery drivers: who work just as long as nurses, try just as hard as nurses, and certainly have been unfortunate considering what they do for a living; are equal to nurses and should get paid the same. Apparently, equity only works in the up direction. People who espouse egalitarian ideas, the basis of Marxism, for their own selfish interests don’t even understand their ideology, or perhaps their envy & greed overwhelms their logic because there are no some-people-are-worth-more-than-others in an egalitarian society. To remain consistent with egalitarian ideals where everything is equal, everyone’s pay should be equal, even those who don’t work, and certainly pizza delivery drivers. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1074_equity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1074_equity.mp3 2:22 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, equity no Thu, 30 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The agitators against Systemic Racism have no interest in ending racism; in fact, they’ve said racism is an unsolvable problem, and by their definition, in every practical way, it is. So-called “Systemic Racism” is Western culture: one based on self-determination, work ethic & conscientious behavior. Without these things, society would fall apart, which leads to a second question: what are they trying to accomplish? Claims of racism, systemic or otherwise, is one of the psyops used by feminists, minorities & weirdos to seize control from people who believe in the values of the west; the so-called “Patriarchy:” defined as liberty, meritocracy & patriotism. How long can any society exist that lets its core tenets be denigrated and called names? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1073_systemic_racism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1073_systemic_racism.mp3 1:51 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, racism, systemic racism no Tue, 28 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor When those that believe government is responsible for you are critiquing those who believe you are responsible for yourself, they use a line of attack called “Critical Theory,” a debate strategy developed in Germany in the 1930s drawing on the ideas of Karl Marx. CRT claims that white supremacy and racial power are maintained primarily via the law, and propose to change the law, including The Constitution, to reflect their equality-based value system. Any complaint about anything perceived as inequitable is attributed to racism. This claim has confused Americans who thought race was essentially skin-color, but the definition of “racism” has been expanded to include any situation, person, or thing that generates an inequality. The CRT solution is to use the law to enforce equality, which can be achieved by giving to the “oppressed” race, or by taking from the “privileged” race. Of course this runs smack into the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which specifically prohibits discrimination based on race, but the majority don’t seem to care, and America does uses voting to decide these things. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1072_critical_race_theory.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1072_critical_race_theory.mp3 2:22 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, CRT, critical race theory no Sun, 26 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The Covid hysteria took over so completely because there was a generation of Walking Dead TV show watchers primed for it. In the show, zombies who are infected are called the Undead, but the equivalent in real-life are the unWoke. People are infected by hearing Wokeness, which invades their envy, resentment & sanctimony systems, overriding logical thought. The Woke then wander the earth destroying statues that spark their ire and Cancelling any of the unWoke they sniff out and chase down. We who are not infected are the Wokeing Dead, or more aptly, The Walking Woke. Undead characters in the show could hide by wrapping themselves in the entrails of the dead: the equivalent for the unWoke is to wrap ourselves in the platitudes of Wokeness: “White people are racist,” “Systemic Racism,” “White Supremacy,” “Safe Spaces,” and the biggest lie of all: “Diversity.” Though Wokeistanies and Covidians overlap, they’re not the same thing: Covidians are simply frightened weaklings who were cynically herded along by the Wokers. As a fervent watcher of the first 5 seasons of TWD, I know we can’t beat the zombies, we can only wall ourselves off in sanctuaries, and smear ourselves in their offal when we go out among them. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1071_the_walking_woke.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-28_1071_the_walking_woke.mp3 2:31 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, woke, wokeness no Fri, 24 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Wokeness is a secular religion: rioting in the streets in like attending service, cancelling is hunting witches, and their scripture is the demonization of Western culture. Nietzsche's concept of Slave morality, where the losers in the population adopt values opposite of the winners, is the reason why Christianity overtook the Roman empire; there were simply too many people who considered themselves losers, overwhelming the status quo. Rome found itself in the position of either accepting the new Christian values and lasting another Century before the Goths got them after becoming weak from the inevitable decay that comes from advocating egalitarianism over merit, or going down immediately in righteous Christian wrath. The Reagan revolution, with its emphasis on concentrating wealth, and the NeoCon/Libertarian preferences for a de facto aristocracy, have put the U.S. in the same situation as Rome, with the same outcome: a new faith arose among the lower classes, which creeped upwards into all parts of society because who can resist the unrelenting pressures exerted by the sanctimonious; it's probably evolutionary, and there’s no way to prevent that kind of thinking in a democracy. Just like Christianity, Wokeness is inevitable, and it will last as long as it takes for a new aristocracy to arise. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1070_wokeness_is_the_new_christianity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1070_wokeness_is_the_new_christianity.mp3 2:26 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Woke, Wokeness, Christianity, Christian no Wed, 22 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Advice needs no review buts let’s review anyway: 1. “Empathy” is a codeword for egalitarianism. 2. The 7 advantages of fame cannot be overstated. 3. Censorship indicates the lack of a logical counter-argument. 4. Gaslighting starts with narrative that someone’s ideas are crazy. 5. Careers are more luck than anything else. 6. You can recognize wisdom by someone’s accomplishments, not their wealth or fame. 7. The Star Trek Enterprise strategy for living is to treat every encounter as if visiting aliens. 8. Most so-called “art” is disliked by the majority of people so don’t be discouraged if people don’t like yours. 9. What makes me unique may seem mundane to you. 10. The goal of your life is to make it better. 11. Just assume that everything you know could be wrong, and you’ll be right. 12. Knowing what other people think of you is external self-awareness. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1069_advice_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1069_advice_concepts.mp3 2:37 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, advice no Mon, 20 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Self-awareness is understanding you, and external self-awareness is understanding how other people think of you. One way to envision it is to think of one of those pictures of a famous person’s face that when you look closely, it’s actually made up of thousands of different little pictures of that person. The impression someone has of you is formed by which of the little pictures they’ve seen. Unfortunately, the pictures are only 2-dimensional, and they are a snapshot of the past. Also, because of the competitive & egocentric nature of people, others tend to see the least flattering pictures in your collage while you, with the same egotistical bias, see the most: no wonder that how you imagine yourself is not the same as everyone else, and self-awareness is knowing that. The question is, even if you’re externally self-aware enough to know what other people think of you, can you do anything about it? Even if you can, then you’re putting them in control your life. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1068_external_self-awareness.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1068_external_self-awareness.mp3 2:07 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash no Sat, 18 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Science author Jonathan Huie speculated: “Half of everything you were ever taught is wrong; the question is which half.” It’s not a stretch to believe that lots of the things you’ve learned so far, especially decades ago, is wrong. It’s more problematic to put a number on it, certainly something as provocative as “half,” however, there is a convincing theory that almost all knowledge we think we know will be proved wrong in the future; there’s even a calculation that the half-life of truth is 45 years. Among other examples, review showed that only 6 of 53 landmark papers on cancer are reproducible. Add to that confirmation bias: people only listening to facts that support their preexisting notions, and we confront a future of wrongness. Think of it this way: there’s some amount of things you think you know but are outright wrong: whatever the amount, it is not inconsiderable, and unfortunately, you don’t know which is what? Yet people don’t seem to hesitate when they get a chance to pontificate on a subject, usually when they consider themselves an expert in the field. It would probably be better to hold back on certainty if you know you’re going to be wrong so much. There’s so much bad information that falsity is as common as truth, perhaps more-so when intentional lies are added in, which is becoming more-and-more prevalent. What makes it even more confusing is that there’s a 50% chance this whole premise is wrong too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1067_what_you_know_is_wrong.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1067_what_you_know_is_wrong.mp3 2:44 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wrong, knowledge no Thu, 16 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Make Your Life Better My life is very full; I have no time for people or things dragging me down. Why spend even 1 second on a cretin when you could give that second to someone you like? This leads to a slew of similar advice: first-and-foremost, don't pursue anything that makes your life worse; don't engage in any discussion, don't have any friends, don't do any job that doesn't make your life better, or at least breaks even. When I was younger, I would allow more break even situations. In fact, most of my interactions were of the more-good-than-bad variety, and if the good was good enough, I'd endure a lot of bad; but now, I don't allow much bad, hardly any. Depending where you are in your life, you may be willing to absorb quite a bit of bad, but make sure it doesn't make your life worse. The ultimate rule is: does this make my life better? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1066_make_your_life_better.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1066_make_your_life_better.mp3 1:58 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, life, advice no Tue, 14 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor I’ve determined I have a different value system than other people: I think being the only-ever simultaneously licensed doctor, lawyer, accountant & engineer is the most impressive thing in the world; more than entertainers, more than athletes, more than billionaires (though Elon Musk comes close). I wonder which of the things I do are unique enough to skew my outlook? First there’s the things I don’t: • I don’t watch sports • I don’t read fiction • I don’t play games • I don’t gamble • I don’t belong to clubs • I don’t want to have the best • I don’t lie Then there’s the things I do: • I like to decorate my life with whimsical things • I like to do everything myself • I want to try everything • I’ll work on something whether anybody else likes it or not • I talk, dress & dance eccentrically, and • I think being a Renaissance Myn is the ultimate achievement politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1065_whats_unique.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-27_1065_whats_unique.mp3 1:52 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, unique, Renaissance no Sun, 12 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Why is the Mona Lisa considered one of the best paintings in the world? You’ve seen it: unattractive portrait with no expression in muted colors. It didn’t used to be considered exceptional, what happened? Turns out, at the beginning of the 20th Century, when newspapers were just getting color, it and some other undisplayed paintings were stolen. It was the only one that had features large enough for the low-resolution and limited palette, so it was printed over-and-over on the front pages of newspapers for multiple years, including when it was recovered. The Mono Lisa isn’t good, it’s famous, and fame is almost always confused for accomplished. Similarly for a melody you’ve heard a thousand times; it’s familiar, and it or another melody that subconsciously reminds you of it, seems good to you. In the art world, it’s better to be famous than good. The so-called Art critics know this better than anyone, and they decide what’s “good” art. Sometimes, they play with their power, promoting objectively bad art into stardom. In a manipulative world, success has little or no reflection of the artist’s true talent & skill. Art is the very definition of subjective, making the concept personal: for example, I dislike 99% of all books, music & movies, so reversing that, I would expect only 1 in 100 people to like what I create but it’s still good to me. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1064_what_is_good_art.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1064_what_is_good_art.mp3 2:30 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, art, good art, fame, Mono Lisa no Fri, 10 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Star Trek started as a show with the theme: “To seek out new life, and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.” A handful of reoccurring crew members of the Star Ship Enterprise would travel the universe, going from galaxy to galaxy, experiencing strange new things every week, then wrap it up in an hour, and good luck next episode: no baggage, no continuing storylines, nor troublesome ancillary characters. Places also disappeared when no longer needed as a plot device. Remarkably, in a microcosm, you can use this same strategy for your own life. World, continent, state, community, even a Walmart, has become the equivalent of the universe for the Star Trek Enterprise strategy. Most people out there are aliens: they dress differently, have different values, even different logic; you can’t really interact with someone in a mask who thinks magically, and has goals that often perversely interfere with your own. Just listen to the conversations around you: half the time it’s in a different language, and if you can recognize English, nobody is saying anything you even begin to comprehend. Instead, you should view a shopping experience as beaming down. For example, humans will totally ignore you during a single visit to a restaurant, but if you begin to frequent the place, you risk becoming entangled. This strategy extends to all life’s experiences: you plan your arrival to be as unobtrusive as possible, accomplish the task you had in mind while avoiding local interaction then escape back to the Enterprise to prepare for next week’s mission; and certainly don’t bring any aliens back with you. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1063_star_trek_enterprise_strategy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1063_star_trek_enterprise_strategy.mp3 2:50 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, star trek, strategy, life no Wed, 08 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Advice & recommendations come from all directions by people claiming to be experts. There is so much of it, and it’s so often conflicting, that people don’t know who to believe. It would be better if there was some way to tell if a person giving you advice was truly competent & qualified. Wealth is not an accurate measure of wisdom because it basically falls from trees, so you must use other indicators of good judgment. Assume the person follows their own advice, and see how it turned out for them: goals achieved, things accomplished, places gone. The old biblical observation, “by their fruits ye shall know them.” Ignore anyone’s advice or opinion who’s own life leaves something to be desired, whose homes are a mess, have done nothing and been nowhere. Of course, as logical as that seems, most people instead still use wealth & fame as the measure of validity; so-much-so that fame-worship consumes all the credibility, leaving little room for truth; the opposite actually because famous-wealthy people have an inflated sense of their own importance after being treated as elites for so long. That’s why it’s better to keep your own counsel in most occasions. However, should you come across a highly accomplished & experienced individual who’s life is totally in order, they probably have some wisdom. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1062_recognizing_wisdom.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1062_recognizing_wisdom.mp3 2:31 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wisdom, advice no Mon, 06 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Life isn’t fate, and it isn’t merit, it’s primarily luck: the odds against you even being here far outweigh the number of atoms in the universe. Your life is similarly long odds if you consider how many events had to occur for you to be the person you are today. The myth that you can plan what you’re going to do in the future is a delusion, akin to thinking you’ll be able to pay your rent every month with lottery ticket winnings. The most familiar example of how luck dictates your life is your career: either 10,000 people could do the same job but only 1 gets it, a situation many of us are familiar with; or only 1 person could do the job but it took 10,000 lucky breaks for that to happen; examples are Teddy Roosevelt, Steve Jobs & Elon Musk. The most bizarre aspect of jobs is that many are actually counter-productive: it would be better if no one did them; how lucky is that? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1061_lucky_careers.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1061_lucky_careers.mp3 1:57 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, luck, career no Sat, 04 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Logic is the most powerful debating tool. Unfortunately, many people can’t recognize an illogical argument unless it’s pointed out to them so the logical thing to do for people proposing illogical arguments is to silence logic. Worse, many people are forced to be illogical because logic would frustrate their goals: for example, if logic dictates that someone else should be in charge, or the facts logically support another position; illogic will have to be deployed. Here’s a contemporary example of the tactic: social justice, as defined by American moral & political philosopher, John Rawls, can be rationally derived, making the concept of social justice logical. But logic does not support the ulterior motives of social justice advocates so they developed “critical” social justice, which has the same rhetoric as social justice but cannot be rationally derived, and is therefore illogical. When illogic gets the desired result, logic has to be censored. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1060_why_do_they_censor.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1060_why_do_they_censor.mp3 2:07 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, censor, censorship, illogic, logic no Thu, 02 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor A term that has come out of obscurity but works well to precisely define a debating fallacy is “gaslighting.” Gaslighting’s most common display is when somebody starts a sentence with “you’re crazy…” In that exact sense, gaslighting is an attempt to cast someone else as mentally impaired so that their desires & opinions mean nothing because their judgment is suspect and can be dismissed out of hand. However, gaslighting’s definition has expanded to include any assumption of false fact, a kind of straw-manning but it doesn’t require any prep: “you’re a conspirator,” “you’re being paranoid,” “you always scream at me.” Gaslighting is another name-calling tactic used by the Left to undermine & debase people rather than arguments: “you’re racist,” “you’re a misogynist” or “you’re transphobic.” Getting gaslighted effectively frames the debate against you, if you let it: once you go on the defensive, you’ve lost. Your response shouldn’t be denial or defense, it’s to counter-attack: “stop gaslighting!” Reverse -gaslighting works just as well. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1059_gaslighting.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-26_1059_gaslighting.mp3 2:13 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gaslighting no Tue, 30 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Everybody wants to be famous, or they should because fame brings benefits like nothing else does: 1. Opportunity: famous people are offered things that no one else is, especially privilege. 2. Credibility: when a famous person talks, whether or not they’re experts, people listen. 3. Sincerity: money doesn’t underlie the relationships famous people have; being associated with a famous person is enough for their friends & confederates. 4. Platform: fame brings an audience to hear whatever it is they have to say about food, politics, sex, etc. 5. Legitimacy: once a person achieves fame, whatever else they’ve done in their lives is also canonized. 6. Admiration: people look up to the famous, including bragging rights for family, and 7. Election: famous people can gain public office because name recognition in king in politics. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1058_the_7_advantages_of_fame.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1058_the_7_advantages_of_fame.mp3 2:04 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fame, famous no Sun, 28 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review some of the concepts surrounding philosophy & psychology: 1. “Narcissist” is what a loser calls a winner. 2. Everyone has an inferiority complex because everyone suspects they’re a fraud. 3. Skeptics can never be convinced, and cynics don’t much like people. 4. The philosophies of Existentialism, Absurdism & Nihilism are measurements of optimism. 5. Reductionism underlies liberty. 6. Populism is the rejection of elites. 7. The science of The Bell Curve is undeniable but it politically radioactive. 8. Irreducible Complexity proves evolution is as mystical as creationism. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1056_philosophy_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1056_philosophy_concepts.mp3 2:15 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, philosophy no Fri, 26 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Egalitarians have goals almost entirely opposite the pursuit of liberty: equality vs. merit, responsibility for others vs. being responsible for yourself, and decisions are made by elites vs. making your own. They also have an opposite value set, which can be easily identified by words like “happiness,” “equity” & “empathy:” feelings over facts. Empathy is by far the worst because it reverses responsibility: it’s up to you to show more empathy and only others can tell you if it’s enough; as compared to sympathy, where you make the determination whether or not you want to be sympathetic. Similarly, being compassionate is deciding to help but it’s still up to you, whereas empathy has an expectation that you must help: from each according to their ability, to each according to their need. The egalitarians have been very successful in pushing the empathy narrative: it’s the focus of healthcare, social services and now politics: a president can be despised, given no respect, treated as an enemy, if he doesn’t show the proper amount of empathy, as determined by the hive-mind. Police are even expected to show empathy: putting criminals in charge. Empathy is a brutal club used to beat conscientious, non-confrontational, liberty-minded people into submission; it works because it’s an ugly distortion of traditional religious teachings. It’s not a coincidence that the word “empathy” was coined around the same time as Communism started to take hold of the world. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1057_empathy_last.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1057_empathy_last.mp3 2:50 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, empathy no Wed, 24 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Evolution has become a religion ensconced in the trappings of science. Even though there are glaring inconsistencies, it’s adherents vociferously defend every hill and dismiss anyone who dares question the orthodoxy as a heretic. One need not be a theist to reject some of the tenets of evolution, but those who believe in God did provide the concept of Irreducible Complexity that pushes back against the established narrative taught uncritically in public schools. Irreducible Complexity is the idea that some things in nature are too complex to have evolved because no less complex system would function. It’s not a new concept: the Watchmakers allegory was used for centuries to prove God’s existence, citing the eye as an example of Irreducible Complexity; with modern cites of the Bombardier beetle’s defense mechanism, cilium motion, flagella, the immune system, and blood-clotting cascade. Unfortunately this strategy to disembowel evolution has been undermined by lack of mathematical certainty. Evolution proponents claim computer simulations show that evolution is possible no matter how complex, then they cross their arms and consider the issue closed. However, that same smug computer simulation example is easily turned against them: due to the von Neumann architecture inherent in ribosomes, the cell’s protein manufacturing organelle, it can be easily calculated that the odds of hemoglobin existing, though theoretically possible, is more than 20 to the 146th power, meaning the odds against it evolving is significantly greater than the number of atoms in the universe: essentially a kill-shot on evolution. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1055_irreducible_complexity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1055_irreducible_complexity.mp3 2:52 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Irreducible Complexity no Mon, 22 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Egalitarianism, the idea that all people are equal, appeals to those who are measurably not equal, and in a society that rewards inequality, that makes the stakes the highest possible, meaning any science that supports inequality must be demonized. This is what happened to the notorious 1994 book “The Bell Curve” which argues using irrefutable data & scientific analysis that intelligence is the best predictor of outcome; essential it proves nature, not nurture, is the true source of social division in the U.S. The book establishes the following facts: 1. Human beings have different cognitive abilities. 2. Cognitive ability is substantially inherited: (40-80%). 3. IQ tests are an accurate way to measure cognitive ability. 4. IQ scores are relatively stable throughout life. 5. IQ tests are not biased against social, economic, ethnic, or racial groups. The specious argument against The Bell Curve concept is to conflate individuals with groups. Bell Curve data requires huge numbers to be predictive, and doesn’t apply to individuals. On a racially-segregate IQ Bell Curve, the average white is higher than the average black, and the average Asian is higher than the average white, but all of those people, white or black or anything else, match up IQ-wise everywhere along the curve except at the very tail ends. If society would simply address those outliers, the other 95% of people could move along as intellectual equals, but apparently everyone worries they are an outlier because feeling inferior is also a basic human trait. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1054_the_bell_curve.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1054_the_bell_curve.mp3 2:57 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, the bell curve, IQ no Sat, 20 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Populism is anti-elitism, and it’s trending around the world. Populism, by its very nature, lies outside of politics and is antithetical towards democracy, though it also relies on numbers. Populists think a group of people who consider themselves special, and run everything for their own benefit, must be overthrown. Populists accuse the political, economic, cultural, and media establishment of placing their own interests, and the interests of large corporations, foreign countries & immigrants, above the interests of "the people.” Because populism rejects the idea of someone telling them what to do, it’s compatible with liberty, which makes the two groups allies on that point. For their part, elites apply the term “populism” to any movement outside the political mainstream, and try to discredit populism by conflating it with demagoguery, particularly Fascism, but also describing populism as “far left,” “far right,” or “extremist.” Since most politicians, scholars & intellectuals consider themselves elites, they want the term “populism” to be abandoned, stop being used in public discourse, but ignoring them won’t make the elite-hating masses go away. In fact, the 2017 Cambridge Dictionary declared “populism” Word of the Year. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1053_populism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1053_populism.mp3 2:24 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, populism no Thu, 18 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Reductionism is the idea that complex things can be described in terms of simpler parts; mathematics is the premiere example; all math reduces down to the simplest concepts that can describe immense complexity. Science also attempts to reduce explanations to the smallest possible entities: forces, molecules, cells, and the even more reduced components of those. Computer science is wholly based on Reductionism because of its precise & unambiguous mathematical formalizations: Theory Reductionism, Computability Theory, and Turing Reduction. If you believe that computers will one day be indistinguishable from humans then you have tacitly agreed to Reductionism’s premise. Even behavioral sciences, notorious for fuzzy, unproven logic, could become genuine science if based on Reductionist biology like brain chemistry to explain human emotions. The Enlightenment was a result of Reductionism, culminating in the concept of personal liberty, where individuals make decisions for themselves without regard to fate or supreme beings. The idea was so revolutionary that many of the philosophers of that age tried to deny it because God, morals, and all the other hand-waving metaphysics still predominated at the time. They also found it difficult to jettison the Aristotelian belief that “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Unfortunately, Socialism also relies on a reductionist philosophy of "most good to the most people,” and egalitarianism too: “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” Once a philosophy is grounded in Reductionism, if the fundamental premise can be supported, so can everything else. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1052_reductionism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1052_reductionism.mp3 2:52 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Reductionism no Tue, 16 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Most philosophies have little bearing on life, more sophistry than useful, while others don’t even try but simply state life has no meaning: Existentialism, Absurdism & Nihilism being the most well known of those. Existentialists, of which there were many proponents in the 20th century like Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger & Jean-Paul Sartre, suggest people can construct their own meanings through self-awareness, responsibility & free will, all rhetorical concepts. Absurdists, like Albert Camus, don’t want people to try and find meaning but instead simply embrace it; and Nihilists argue that it’s pointless to even do that because life is meaningless: that’s from Friedrich Nietzsche. The problem with existentialism is that it’s very subjective, and tends to devolve into dogma where everyone must have the same values. Absurdism is basically fate except it’s not God’s will but chaos that determines outcomes, which relieves feelings of guilt or failure for people wallowing in either; acceptance would indeed be the better alternative. There’s no place to go from Nihilism since there’s no room for optimism or hope; it seems like it would have few adherents because anyone adopting it wouldn’t be around long enough to propagate. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1051_existentialism__absurdism__nihilism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1051_existentialism__absurdism__nihilism.mp3 2:28 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Existentialism, Absurdism, Nihilism no Sun, 14 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor It’s curious that so many interesting philosophies originated with the Greeks: Socrates, Plato & Aristotle being the most notable, but just as important are the Skeptics & Cynics. Skepticism began with Xenophanes in the 6th Century BC, who asserted that no truth is knowable, but of course it is. Skeptics argue that the scientific method is not trustworthy because the number of cases tested is always limited and based on the perceptions of the experimenter, but that’s addressed in the scientific method. Cynicism appeared in the 4th Century BC. Cynics rejected traditional social & political views. They espoused a cosmopolitan utopia where the purpose of life is to live naturally, gaining happiness through austerity, rigorous training and rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, fame & possessions. Diogenes, its best known adherent: living as a pauper: sleeping on the ground, begging for food, and outspoken that everyone should adopt his way of life. By those definitions, a skeptic is a person who endlessly demands evidence that a claim is true while never accepting it as proof enough; while a cynic believes that human motivation is selfish in nature, and that people’s actions are solely predicated on personal gain. Neither of these two philosophies appeal to modern sensibilities which explains their lack of notoriety, but the Greeks got it right: skepticism & cynicism fully explain people's frustration, disillusionment, and distrust of organizations, institutions & authority. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1050_skepticism__cynicism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1050_skepticism__cynicism.mp3 2:30 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Skepticism, Cynicism no Fri, 12 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Because the world is connected, everyone compares themselves to the very best, so it seems like lots of people are superior to you at everything. People have internalized that they are losers, and social media has greatly amplified that feeling, resulting in a deeply-felt sense of self-doubt. Even exceptional people aren’t winners in their own minds, nor do they think they ever can be because deep down, individuals know that there are many other people who could be them except for chance. Entertainers especially understand how much luck played a part in what they are and what they have, so they give each other made-up awards as a means of reassurance. Even though people who earned their rewards through accomplishment & conscientious behavior are less susceptible, everyone suspects they are inferior; it’s a drag on their self-esteem, and an open wound to poke sticks into. A very successful debate tactic against people whose arguments depend on personal credibility is to imply they are frauds: that anything they’ve achieved was luck, and that their expertise is illusionary. It’s the one accusation that will undermine the confidence of anyone, no matter how famous and successful they are, because it triggers their inferiority complex. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1049_inferiority_complex.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1049_inferiority_complex.mp3 2:13 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, inferiority complex no Wed, 10 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor “Narcissism” is one of those words thrown around by envious people to insult high self-esteem people. Unfortunately, even though there’s a psychiatric definition, it’s so vague that it could be interpreted to classify anyone into Narcissistic Personality Disorder: • Grandiose self-importance. • Fantasies of infinite success, control, brilliance, beauty, or idyllic love. • Thoughts of being extraordinary & exceptional. • A desire for admiration. Those are symptoms of euphoria which everybody does and should experience occasionally. Criteria as general as those are useless. People who actually have lived around a narcissist are the best diagnosticians, and their list of symptoms is much more specific: • Feel superior & entitled. • Exaggerated need for attention & validation. • Perfectionism. • Great need for control. • Lack of responsibility: blaming & deflecting. • Lack of boundaries: cajoling, demanding, rejecting & pouting to get what they want. • Emotional reasoning that places their desires first. • Take credit for the good and blame the bad on others. The most concerning thing about true narcissists is that they are incapable of changing. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1048_narcissistic_personality_disorder.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-25_1048_narcissistic_personality_disorder.mp3 2:20 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, narcissism, narcissistic personality disorder no Mon, 08 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let’s review the differences between liberty & Fascism: 1. Most people don’t know that liberty was a result of The Enlightenment in the 18th century. 2. When we lost liberty, we lost what it meant to be an American. 3. Liberty was defeated by democracy; specifically women. 4. Letting go of liberty will only be difficult for the people who remember it. 5. Post liberty is authoritarianism. 6. Democracy was always liberty’s greatest threat. 7. American “liberty” differs from European “liberty” because people are responsible for their actions. 8. Without propaganda & indoctrination, liberty can’t exist. 9. It used to be liberty was protected in the courts by “strict scrutiny.” 10. Neocons are Fascists because it’s comprised of authoritarian private elites. 11. Anarchists are Fascists because the strongest wins out. 12. Fascists patiently bided their time just like the Communists for the Cold War to end. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1047_liberty_vs_fascism_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-24_1047_liberty_vs_fascism_concepts.mp3 2:40 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, Fascism no Sat, 06 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s become recognized that after the fall of the Soviet Union, Marxism in America was given free reign because it was no longer suppressed by State propaganda. What isn’t as well known is: so was Fascism. America has always had a high percentage of pre-Enlightenment thinking; never more than half of Americans truly believed in liberty, or even knew what it was, and that was with indoctrination in public institutions like schools, government & churches. Many people simply prefer to be told what to do by elites; they revel in authoritarianism, the hallmark of Fascism. Before WWII, when Fascism was in full bloom in Europe, it also found quite a following in America: William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Kennedy (JFK's father), Charles Lindbergh, John Rockefeller, Andrew Mellon (Secretary of Treasury), DuPont, General Motors, Standard Oil, Ford, ITT, Allen Dulles (head of the CIA), Prescott Bush (the Bush clan patriarch who made his fortune via oil contracts with the Nazis which financed two Bush presidencies), National City Bank, J.P. Morgan, Coca-Cola, IBM, Singer, Goodrich, Gillette, General Electric, and many ordinary Americans were fervent Fascists, some even Nazis. It’s difficult to find out just how prevalent Fascism was in America because its supporters always claimed to be anti-Communist, and that was enough for the time. Fascism was not seen to be a threat and it’s bigger than ever, just as Marxism is bigger than ever; and liberty, the foundation of U.S. Constitutional government, where people make decisions for themselves, the opposite of authoritarianism; liberty doesn’t seem to have many followers. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1046_patient_fascists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1046_patient_fascists.mp3 2:58 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Fascism no Thu, 04 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The whole idea of anarchy is fundamentally flawed because those on the anarchy side believe they live in a fantasy world that can ignore bad people. As the drift towards Communism has gotten more pronounced, the backlash has emboldened the anarchists, and some, like Michael Malice, are starting to get famous but they never get past that basic flaw; they must have holes in their brain where logic used to be: they don’t seem concerned that the first time the lights go out and the cops stop showing up, some guy and his well-armed cousins are going to show up at Michael’s house to kill him, rape his wife & eat his kids. It took some circular debate but I finally understand why anarchists aren’t concerned about their safety: it’s not all authority they reject, just government authority: they’re fine with private elites using their power to protect him. It’s apparently the way other anarchists feel: they don’t have a problem with aristocracy nor concentration of wealth or power; they if a company makes demands on employees that infringe their liberty, anarchists say the employee can quit; and anarchists certainly aren’t fans of democracy. In essence, calling yourself an anarchist is just a sneaky way of saying you’re a Fascist. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1045_anarchists_are_fascists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1045_anarchists_are_fascists.mp3 2:12 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, anarchy, anarchists, Fascists, Fascism no Tue, 02 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Socialism perforce requires authoritarianism to tell people what to do. Because of this, Fascism, which also requires authoritarianism, is often compared to socialism, but there is a distinctive difference: socialism is public elites, the State, doing the telling; while Fascism is private elites, corporations, in charge, so private elites telling you what to do is the simplest definition of Fascism. An examination of the Republican party’s ideology of Capitalism, anti-taxes, especially inheritance taxes, and enforced morals dictated by church or business, points at their Fascist tendencies, however most Conservatives are live-and-let-live at heart, the liberty ideal, which opposes authoritarianism. Unfortunately, NeoCons, or new Conservatives, are definitely Fascists: crony-Capitalists with global ambitions and dreams of a reborn aristocracy. NeoCons are so steeped in elitism, they can’t even have a debate because they consider their opinions superior to everyone else’s. This is common among ideologues but NeoCons have the self-assuredness that comes from going to the right schools, belonging to the right clubs, and knowing the right people: they are the elite of the elites, the Fascyist of the Fascists. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1044_neocons_are_fascists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1044_neocons_are_fascists.mp3 2:25 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, NeoCons, Fascists. Fascism no Sun, 31 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor When a federal judge considers an issue that infringes liberty, they categorize the impact as either “rational basis,” “intermediate scrutiny,” or “strict scrutiny.” The law or policy must be necessary to achieve a "compelling state interest" and "narrowly tailored" to achieve the “compelling purpose,” and uses the "least restrictive means” to achieve the purpose. At the rational review level, this hurdle is relatively easily met and upheld in the liberty vs. socialism sacrifice. However, as the impact on liberty increases, the bar increases, and at the extremes, severe restraints on personal liberty must pass strict scrutiny. Unfortunately, as America has become more socialistic and authoritarian, personal liberty has rapidly degraded by lawmakers & courts ignoring the strict scrutiny rule: lockdowns, national guard in the Capitol, censorship, etc. Liberty should only be circumscribed after rigorous consideration, and be periodically reviewed to see if the infringement should be removed. No other country is based on liberty so they didn't even question this most important aspect of the lockdowns, but the U.S. was supposed to have liberty as its #1 concern. Whether people die of Covid is not the issue, the issue is proscribed liberty: unable to pursue their careers, travel prohibited, forced to wear masks. We are being asked to sacrifice our liberty for undoubtedly questionable motives. Maybe at first, especially with wildly over-exaggerated claims, authorities were granted lots of leeway, but that was quickly over: ultimately, the Shamdemic was mostly lies for ulterior machinations we can only guess at: political power-mongering, Climate Alarmists taking the opportunity to shutdown progress, negative Chinese intentions, or simply plain incompetence. The reason makes no difference, without strict scrutiny, now Americans are conditioned to sacrifice their liberty anytime elites tell them too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1043_strict_scrutiny.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1043_strict_scrutiny.mp3 3:27 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, strict scrutiny no Fri, 29 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Just a couple of generations ago, all school children, no matter their age, put their hand over their heart, faced the American flag and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, which guarantees “liberty for all,” every morning. Back then, all teenagers had to memorize the preamble of the Constitution in their Civics class, ending in the goal to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” which establishes liberty as America’s foundation. Students were also taught about personal responsibility, an integral component of American liberty. in their homes, school & church. As a nation, we established these customs because liberty is not the natural human condition while authoritarianism is. Liberty expects people to make decisions for themselves, not wait for elites to tell them what to do, which is rare in human history; possibly only America ever experienced it. Without propaganda; without indoctrination of children, without knowing the Pledge & Preamble to instill it in our youth, liberty cannot continue or even exist; which if you look at today’s education curriculum, explains its demise. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1042_instilling_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1042_instilling_liberty.mp3 2:19 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty no Wed, 27 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The word “liberty” get bandied about a lot with different definitions: some cynical, many distorted, but most are confused, particularly the distinction between the American and European concepts of the word. American liberty differs from European liberty in four major repects: • First, American liberty defaults to the individual over the group, but European liberty is the needs of the group supersede the wants of the individual. • Second, in America, Rights are negative, meaning some things like Speech and guns, can’t be taken away, but with European liberty, Rights are positive, meaning people are owed: inclusiveness, welfare, “happiness.” • Thirdly, American liberty also includes the idea of personal responsibility: reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of your actions; while European liberty is egalitarian: from each according to their ability, to each according to their need. • Lastly, European liberty requires authoritarianism to ensure equality, but American liberty is anti-authoritarian. Unfortunately, American liberty is being lost because European liberty is what’s now taught in public schools. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1041_american_vs_european_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-23_1041_american_vs_european_liberty.mp3 2:29 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, American liberty, European liberty no Mon, 25 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In the history of American democracy; first, it was only men with property who could vote, and that worked out for liberty. Then there was a popular uprising in the early nineteenth century and voting was expanded to all free men, and that worked for liberty too, for awhile until there was a civil war, after which all men were enfranchised, and that kept working. In fact, liberty thrived in America, and though opportunity was unequally distributed, it was nonetheless successful for those who got some. Liberty was even buoyed after suffrage, and was still healthy with an Amendment to the Constitution in the second half of the twentieth century lowered the voting age to 18. From then until the end of the millennium is considered by many to be MAGA. Liberty took a heavy blow on September 11, 2001 when the Fascists and the Communists leveraged those events into power. Eventually, liberty fought back through democracy and a president was elected by the populous against the elite’s wishes. It looked like liberty had a chance, but it was always on the defensive, and in the next election there was a buildup of fear, resentment & perversity by the Fascists & Communists: that was the moment when democracy failed liberty. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1040_when_democracy_failed_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1040_when_democracy_failed_liberty.mp3 2:31 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, democracy no Sat, 23 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Liberty has been lost though most people haven’t noticed, and apparently don’t care. If you asked a random person on the street what liberty was, they couldn’t tell you: reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of your own decisions. Given that there’s at least two generations who have no concept of personal responsibility, liberty doesn’t fit anymore anyway. It will take decades for the loss of liberty to be felt, primarily as a declining standard of living because liberty was the most effective method of advancing knowledge, science & commerce. What’s left after liberty is authoritarianism: Marxists, as exemplified by Democrats, are authoritarians with public Elites in charge; Fascists, NeoCons, are authoritarians with private Elites in charge; and Theists are authoritarians with God in charge. The grasping of power by feminists, minorities & weirdos, a majority of the voting population, facilitated by propaganda media; the perverse incentives of the Welfare State, and the emasculation of men, define Post Liberty times. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1039_post_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1039_post_liberty.mp3 2:12 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, post liberty no Thu, 21 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s pretty clear that most people don't even know what liberty is; they take it for granted, and no one has ever even taught them its logic, how they benefit from it, and why the benefits are worth the cost. It requires education because for most people, especially employees, liberty doesn't directly do them any good: they could easily sacrifice it for a UBI, free healthcare, free college, paid family leave, shorter hours, longer vacations, higher minimum wage & preferential hiring. There's also the perversity side: if someone else's accomplishments diminish their own self-image then stop all accomplishment. In that light, there’s no need to quixotically try and retain the liberty we had in the past when the people you're fighting for don't care, and probably don't even want it. It will take a future generation after the gynocentric-privileged-transgender-grievance crowd has played out. Unfortunately, liberty probably can't come back once it's gone, and we won't be around to see anyway. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1038_letting_go_of_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1038_letting_go_of_liberty.mp3 2:14 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty no Tue, 19 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor None of us in The Patriarchy: defined as liberty, meritocracy & patriotism; thought liberty would be defeated. We assumed a silent majority would rise up and defend it. Unfortunately, a majority did rise up, and though your wife & daughter may not have been among their ranks, everyone else's was: 87% of young women voters, and 60+ percent of all women, plus their allied minorities & weirdos; and liberty was lost. It wasn’t a surprise in hindsight: egalitarians already had media, education, entertainment, Big Tech & all branches of government, including the judiciary just waiting to collude. Combine that with the unprecedented Shamdemic lockdowns whose whole purpose seemed to be to defeat one man; and when that wasn’t enough, a soft coup via a fraudulent election and iron-fisted censorship; and you can see the extent of their power, both breath & depth. It finally dawned on us that liberty was only a concept, not a guaranteed right, and though it manifested in little ways that we all enjoyed: being in control of your own life has mental health benefits; it wasn't really a tangible thing, so it's loss is more of an existential crisis, the darkening of enlightenment. At least the feminists, minorities & weirdos' mental health will be improved by them being in control and lessening their resentment & envy towards those with testosterone. We can hide in our online communities, stop discussing politics in public, and live our lives in the shadows… Until they come for us anyway. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1037_liberty_was_defeated.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1037_liberty_was_defeated.mp3 2:52 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, lost no Sun, 17 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s over, we’ve lost. We lost the institutions: media, education, entertainment & Tech; we’ve lost control of the definition of words; we’ve lost our history; we’re censored; we’re forced to wear masks; we can’t travel; we have to carry papers; we can be cancelled; we can be forced to call a he, “she”; we are indoctrinated everywhere, even science is propaganda; there are words we can’t say, the Thought Police are real; we can’t defend ourselves; we can’t be masculine; we can’t speak frankly, our neighbors & family members will turn us in; we have to hide in our homes evading questions about being vaccinated; we lost our privacy; we can’t discipline our children; we can't trust the courts; we can’t trust election results; we are discriminated against due to the color of our skin & sex; and we can’t mention any of this without being called crazy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1036_we_lost.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1036_we_lost.mp3 2:02 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, we lost no Fri, 15 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Enlightenment occurred in the 18th century: it was the idea of personal autonomy, something few people could understand, let alone take advantage of because all of history was brutal authoritarianism imposed by an elite ruling class. Slavery, either explicit or implicit, was a way of life not an aberration: to think one could reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of their actions was unimaginable: soon the king’s guard, or roving bandits, would come take whatever they wanted at any time. With semi-honest government that recognized the constraints of aristocracy, The Enlightenment was able to foster the beginnings of what we now call liberty. At the time, the focus wasn't individual autonomy so much as the idea of democracy. The French revolution stopped with that, leaving the State in charge, because even philosophers then were still too deeply ingrained in God & scripture to accept personal liberty, which they considered selfishness. Americans, however, went the whole way, providing liberty to the individual, so each person could make decisions from themselves rather than having elites making decisions for them. This is all against a backdrop of kings & priests controlling society, with all decision-making power vested in them, and ruling classes don’t give up power voluntarily, so liberty can be considered a miracle. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1035_liberty_came_from_the_enlightenment.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-17_1035_liberty_came_from_the_enlightenment.mp3 2:31 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, The Enlightenment no Wed, 13 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review the tactics of the Communists: 1. A society is defined by its indoctrination. 2. Truth is whatever the propaganda says it is. 3. Brainwashing causes people to stop thinking for themselves. 4. The Commies now have their hands on the levers of power. 5. Women spread egalitarianism. 6. Authoritarianism is the opposite of liberty so when one increases the other decreases. 7. The Green New Deal is the harbinger of Communism. 8. Communism works until they can’t bake enough bread. 9. Socialism appeals to artists because it forces others to recognize their superiority. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1034_commie_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1034_commie_concepts.mp3 2:15 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, communists, commies, communism, commie no Mon, 11 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Socialism can mean anything from a benign dictator to Communism but its overriding principle is authoritarian public elites telling the unwashed masses what to do. Socialism is popular among those who abhor personal responsibility, would benefit from forced sharing, and whose careers are held in lower esteem than they think they deserve. One group that fits all those motivations is artists. Since art has no real productivity benefit, there isn’t a lot of demand for it in a market-driven society, so the vast majority of so-called “artists” garner neither money nor respect, and they are notorious for bad personal life choices. Though artist are not held in as high regard, they desperately want to be, and in a socialist society can override market pressures by making themselves important through democracy: state-recognized esteem that also provides money, and absorbs personal responsibility. In fact, artists benefit most from the equality end of socialism: if you want to know who the egalitarians are, start with artists. Like most proponents of equality, artists don’t actually want equality because they think they’re superior: just ask one, they call themselves “creatives;” and since art is in the eye of the beholder, with socialism at their backs, artists can vote others into treating them with the dignity they deserve. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1033_artists_and_socialism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1033_artists_and_socialism.mp3 2:38 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, artists, socialism no Sat, 09 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Communism, the concept of basing a society on equality in all things, requires authoritarianism because no matter how intense the propaganda & brainwashing, it can never be 100%, which is one of the reasons Communist regimes need gulags, Russian for “Re-education camps,” as a place to put the malcontents. The other reason is that Communists require the gulags as a source of forced labor for their society because left to natural human motivations, Communists can’t bake enough bread. In an equal society where those in need can place demands on those more talented & hardworking, it’s a race-to-the-bottom to be the neediest because if it’s a choice between working and slacking, almost everyone, especially young people, will choose to smoke dope, play videogames & masturbate all day rather than the mundanity of work. Everyone secretly knows this is the case, especially the elites who enforce equality, but as part of the intense propaganda trying to make people go against their nature, anyone who openly admits any doubt is immediately identified as not properly brainwashed and sent to the gulag where their labor is desperately needed for baking. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1032_communists_cant_bake_enough_bread.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1032_communists_cant_bake_enough_bread.mp3 2:24 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gulag, gulags, Communism, Communists no Thu, 07 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor After decades of environmentalism, it’s totally predictable that something like the Green New Deal (GND) would be seriously considered as the law of the land. The GND calls for public policy to address climate change by: • Elimination of all fossil fuels. • Eliminating all nuclear power. • Replace every combustion-engine. • Retrofit every building in America to be energy efficient. • Use highspeed rail to replace air travel. • And the only way to get rid of farting cows is to get rid of meat. More insidiously, the GND is a Trojan horse for much more expansive social changes, like reducing economic inequality with: • Free college. • Every job provides “family-sustaining wage, family & medical leave, vacations, and a pension.” • Government-provided “healthy food.” • Government-provided “safe, affordable, adequate housing.” • Government-provided “economic security” for all who are “unable or unwilling” to work. The GND uses the word “massive” 13 times, and of course would necessitate communism to institute. Nothing’s bigger or scarier than the end of the world, and there’s an army of brainwashed youth who don’t want to die, so if the GND doesn’t happen now then soon. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1031_green_new_deal.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1031_green_new_deal.mp3 2:53 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Green New Deal no Tue, 05 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There are really only 2 states of society: liberty or authoritarian. Liberty is a relatively new concept in history; it’s personal autonomy: people making decisions for themselves and reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of their actions. Authoritarianism has existed since the beginning: he with the biggest stick wins. Because of that, subservience to authorities is probably encoded in our DNA; most people would rather be told what to do & think; that’s why liberty is such a novel & delicate thing. Authoritarianism comes down to those that are told and those that do the telling. In a Capitalist democracy, this eventually ends up with those who have the most money are the biggest authorities; not in an intellectual or competence sense, but in the practical fact that they can buy the people who are: media, education, politics, entertainment, Tech; and censor any other voices that might disagree. Even with all that influence & power, the authoritarians would be ineffectual if people valued their liberty over their comfort but they don’t: almost everyone lives to be happy, and comfort equals happiness. Authoritarians can deliver comfort, as long as they get to define what “comfort” is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1030_authoritarians.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1030_authoritarians.mp3 2:23 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, authoritarian, authoritarians no Sun, 03 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The age-old haves vs. have-nots battle plays out differently in America than it does in the rest of the world because egalitarian authoritarianism was held in check here by liberty. For centuries in America, though there were challenges from both the aristocracy and the egalitarians, liberty remained dominate, but now the authoritarians have ganged up and put liberty on the defensive. What they have in common is women, and women finally got into positions of power to make a deal to pursue equality. Men let it happen, not because they were fooled or intimidated, but because they didn’t want to argue with their daughters, or have conflict with their wives. Slowly all institutions were compromised: Media, Education, Entertainment, Tech, and the entire Democrat party. At first only the coastal cities succumbed but the egalitarian infection expanded from there when liberty-minded men moved to the interior and took their wives & daughters with them. Without newly indoctrinated libertyists, as the men age out, everyplace will be the same, but certainly not equal: that’s the excruciating irony. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1029_spread_of_egalitarianism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-16_1029_spread_of_egalitarianism.mp3 2:22 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, egalitarianism, women no Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor America is hip deep in a Communist takeover; almost everyone on the Left Coast is already captured, and they don’t even acknowledge it. I called what used to be a normal guy, a “Commie sympathizer” and he denied America was going that way. I said, “Dude, you're wearing a mask in your car, you can't travel, you can't leave the country, there's a $28 trillion debt, people can't work, if you do work you can be Cancelled, you get turned in by your neighbors, children are told to snitch on their family, and government has new "domestic terrorism" powers to lock people up who say anything about it: what do you call ‘Communist?’" I keep hearing this Communist uprising compared to those of the past, most of which eventually succeeded. Pro-Commie commentators use that track record to ask why prolong the inevitable, though they never mention that those uprisings were all against unarmed populaces. The attack on the 2nd Amendment by the Left was always about gun confiscation but they couldn’t say it, so they kept repeating silly & illogical arguments instead. But guns won’t be enough, not to stop the Communist takeover because the stream of Commie sympathizers would have to be quelled, but with our education system churning them out, the supply isn’t going to dissipate. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1028_commie_takeover.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1028_commie_takeover.mp3 2:20 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, commies, takeover no Wed, 29 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It’s amazing how completely America’s been taken over; it’s an incredible victory on their part; by whoever it was? The naked power they exhibited without fear of reprisal is astounding; all stories, regardless of network, use the same narrative, obvious collusion, including severe censorship of any competing narratives; and it was totally effective: the level of brainwashing among the general population is stunning; so much in fact that it makes me question my own brainwashing; I might just be a dinosaur from another brainwashing age? Maybe liberty isn’t such a big deal, and maybe we should judge people by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character? Maybe the stock market will go up forever and there are UFOs & ghosts! How would I know? Where would I go not to be brainwashed? I was aware we were under an insidious & intent psychological attack, sham after sham after sham, but I wasn’t aware how far down the rabbit hole we’d gone. The response to the so-called “pandemic” is a perfect example: we don’t even know if there really was a pandemic, or if it was intentional; it seems likely it was an orchestrated mass psychosis for exactly the goals it achieved: a soft coup against a popular and effective president, and the destruction of traditional American values. What’s even more surprising is the lack pushback; apparently, once someone’s been brainwashed, the odds are they never come back to reality. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1027_brainwashing.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1027_brainwashing.mp3 2:29 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, brainwashing no Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor I was always under the impression that propaganda was what despicable Communist & Fascist countries did so either I was wrong, or America is now Communist or Fascist or both. Everybody thinks everybody else believes propaganda but what they believe is true. This self-centered delusion is so ubiquitous that even repeating it here is trite, especially as it applies to me: I also think everyone else has been fooled and I know the truth; or at least I know that most everything is propaganda: I don’t know what the truth is; how could I, where would I get unpropagandized information? People are more susceptible to the propaganda if their own legitimacy is at stake; they don’t even want access to other ideas and points-of-view. The sad fact is, the vast majority of people want to live in the Matrix; and reject the Red Pill. I didn't realize how bad it was before: I like to think that it just got like this during the past decade or so because I'd be embarrassed to find out I’d been living in the delusion too, unaware that everything I heard about liberty, 9/11, and America’s exceptionalism was propaganda. But that was then and this is now, so it's important for me to find how to operate inside what is essentially the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany or both. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1026_ubiquitous_propaganda.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1026_ubiquitous_propaganda.mp3 2:30 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, propaganda no Sat, 25 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor If you hear something presented as the truth enough times, you begin to believe it, no matter how ludicrous: a man rose from the dead; climate is an existential threat; there was no election fraud. Worse, once people have invested time and energy into learning something, they don’t want to lose it, or admit they were duped, or re-examine everything affected by the change. Plus, the first person who tells you something is subjectively more of an authority than anyone who comes afterwards by far, especially after repeated hearings; that’s why indoctrinating children is so effective. Indoctrination from a young age demonstrably works: you can see the indoctrination of kids to be so-called environmentalists today. My parents were conditioned to hate Commies, and my generation, late-Baby Boomers, were prohibited from seeing race; it simply doesn’t register. I was also indoctrinated to work even though I hate it; I was indoctrinated to have a family even though it doesn’t make personal or financial sense; I was indoctrinated with values that allowed society to function. The same thing has happened in all previous generations but the indoctrination has changed: it’s now almost the complete opposite of what I was indoctrinated with; it makes me wonder if that’s how all civilizations rise & fall. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1025_indoctrination_works.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1025_indoctrination_works.mp3 2:33 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, indoctrination no Thu, 23 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review what it’s going to take for a revolt to happen: 1. MAGA took 200 years to get to then it lasted 20 years and now it’s gone. 2. Fighting back may make monsters of us all. 3. Any revolt will have to operate from the shadows. 4. It’s more than coincidental that how to save America uses the same tactics as how it was lost. 5. America has the Balkans as an example of what the future holds. 6. The Communists won because there was no strategy to counteract them. 7. Rebel leadership depends on billionaires. 8. If there’s nothing else you can do to resist, at least don’t propagate the lies. 9. If anybody needs a buffalo-lodge hat to become an insurrectionist, I’ve got one. 10. Self-secession is the reverse of secession because the people leave the land. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1024_revolt_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1024_revolt_concepts.mp3 2:22 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, revolt no Tue, 21 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There’s been several attempts, some still on-going, of small areas in the U.S. symbolically seceding from local control. They never turn out well, anarchy usually doesn’t, but they do serve as an example for communities that want to secede for real. Considering CHAZ seceded from Seattle then why not Spokane from Washington? Unfortunately, the old Civil War method of secession didn’t work the first time, and it’s certainly not going to work now, but the idea of self-secession is catching on, or at least that’s what it seems like from the endless anecdotal stories of someone who knows someone who moved to Idaho, and the perennial news of the lack of moving vans to get out of California. Now that the Wokeness of the coasts can’t be ignored: tent cities, unrestrained illegal immigration, discrimination against whites, riots & lockdowns; Conservatives are said to be moving to the interior states but it’s not clear how many people are practicing self-secession? If it’s a lot, they’re going to run smack into the giant swaths of public & private protected land right in the places where they’re fleeing to; and if newcomers start to squat in those “wilderness” areas, you can bet stopping white men from entering paradise will be a top priority of Democrat administrations, triggering even more self-secession. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1023_self-secession.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-15_1023_self-secession.mp3 2:22 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, self-secession, secession no Sun, 19 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Democrat party is a hotbed of misandry, the loathing of men. A poll at the beginning of the Biden presidency showed that Democrats were most concerned about Trump supporters (82%), white nationalism (79%), systemic racism (77%), and domestic terrorism (73%); all dog-whistles for white men. But what happens when people are not allowed to work, not allowed to run a business, must carry papers, have their telescreen on watching Big Brother all day, locked in their homes frightened, and at the mercy of fraudulent elections? Then they’re force-fed a narrative of "insurrection" by a guy in a Buffalo Lodge hat and leather pants, standing next to another guy who looks like he just ate a bugger. Six months later these dorks were still in solitary confinement, and the National Guard is still “protecting” the Capitol. There’s a lot of evidence, video & otherwise, that the whole thing was coordinated and lead by False flag operatives. The news coverage talked about police officers being killed but those all turned out to be lies: the only person killed was an unarmed woman. This was after a 100-straight nights of riots and multiple attempts to burn down the federal building in Portland, Oregon which the media called “fiery but peaceful demonstrations;” all forgiven because it’s their side of the insurrection. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1022_insurrection.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1022_insurrection.mp3 2:34 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, insurrection no Fri, 17 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a famous Soviet dissident, suggested a strategy for dealing with the constant stream of propaganda & indoctrination like America is now facing; he said, an honest man: • Will not write, sign, nor publish in any way, a single line distorting the truth; • Will not utter such a line in private or in public conversation, nor read it from a crib sheet, nor speak it in the role of educator, canvasser, teacher, actor; • Will not in painting, sculpture, photograph, technology, or music depict, support, or broadcast a single false thought, a single distortion of the truth; • Will not cite in writing or in speech a single “guiding” quote for gratification, insurance, or for his success at work; • Will not be forced to a demonstration or a rally if it runs counter to his desire and his will; • will not take up and raise a banner or slogan in which he does not fully believe; • Will not raise a hand in vote for a proposal which he does not sincerely support; • Will not vote openly or in secret ballot for a candidate whom he deems dubious or unworthy; • Will not be impelled to a meeting where a forced and distorted discussion is expected to take place; • Will at once walk out from a session, meeting, lecture, play, or film as soon as he hears the speaker utter a lie, ideological drivel, or shameless propaganda; • Will not subscribe to, nor buy in retail, a newspaper or journal that distorts or hides the underlying facts. Said simply: don’t propagate lies. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1021_dont_propagate_lies.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1021_dont_propagate_lies.mp3 2:37 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, propagate lies, Solzhenitsyn no Wed, 15 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor People who believe in liberty are not a silent majority: if questioned closely, most are either egalitarians or aristocrats. Standing on freeway overpasses waving American flags may let others know they are not alone but it isn’t actually doing anything to change the momentum towards authoritarianism. Liberty has essentially lost; it’s return would be the equivalent to a rebellion, and it’s very difficult to see where the rebel leadership would come from? The two political parties are controlled by Marxists or Fascists, neither of which are conducive to liberty, and democracy prevents any kind of grassroots endeavor. That leaves only the ultra-wealthy as liberty’s saviors, and the vast majority of them have already picked an anti-liberty side, or simply choose to remain aloof because their lives won’t be affected no matter who wins. However, if there was a billionaire out there who was willing to risk their wealth & reputation fighting for liberty, Elon Musk for example, there are the tactics he could pursue. Elon would need to find other exorbitantly wealthy liberty people who could be converted to the cause then with their combined mega-wealth, because they would be competing with mega-wealth that defeated liberty, they could create a hedge fund to purchase a majority ownership in the media, news & entertainment then green-light movies, actors & talk shows that espouse liberty ideology to the masses. Secondly, they would have to finance an intense propaganda campaign for school vouchers. All along the way they’d have to finance Libertyist candidates, even though at first none would win, just so the voters start hearing about it again. This is essentially the same plan The Left executed so well except it’s not China doing the financing. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1020_rebel_leadership.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1020_rebel_leadership.mp3 2:52 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, rebel leadership no Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The quest for equality is egalitarian, which is the basis of Marxism. Egalitarians may not be complete Marxists yet but they inevitably end up Communists as the only way to ensure equality. Here are some things we can do to slow down the Communist juggernaut until we are as organized as they are: • Don't debate with Communists. • Don’t help Communists. • Suspect all news. • Don’t give Communist companies money. • Ignore Communists media & entertainment. • Charge Communists more. • Don’t use Twitter. • Don’t use Google’s search engine. • Unfollow Communists on Facebook. • Leave race & gender information on forms blank. • Act dumb around Communists. Hint: most women and young people are Communists so treat them as such unless they let you know they’re with us. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1019_strategy_against_communists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1019_strategy_against_communists.mp3 2:04 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, communists no Sat, 11 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor “Balkanize” is one of those highbrow words most people aren’t quite sure what it means but they know it when they see it. If you think Seattle is some foreign country with culture, customs & traditions that hold little or no relationship to your own, and which you even suspect to be hostile, then that’s about as Balkan as it gets. California has achieved that status, and the old industrial cities in the East, along with NYC. The people who live in those places, and seem to embrace that lifestyle, have their own costumes, sexual preferences, and odd religions. They appear vaguely familiar, like characters out of movies and television, but you can’t imagine what you’d have in common to talk about if you met one; you’re not even curious. A lot of them are hiding in their houses, afraid of everything, wearing facemasks for no reason, and insisting everyone everywhere get mandatory vaccinations against rumors. They watch Fake News, and listen to people who are obviously lying, yet don’t seem to notice. Luckily, you think, they live someplace far away, and you’re pretty sure you never want to go there; like the Balkans. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1018_america_has_balkanized.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1018_america_has_balkanized.mp3 2:08 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, Balkanize no Thu, 09 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Liberty was lost because it was taken for granted; it wasn’t nourished like the delicate flower it really is, and so was trampled by envious & resentful egalitarians exploiting social pressure. They did it because they wanted to be in charge, and liberty gets back in charge the same way: by exploiting the weakness of Capitalism, the fact that everything is for sale, including liberty. Libertyists must buy back the MSM, fund Entertainment, fund Tech, fund Higher Ed, and take back the schools. These aren’t investments because most of the money will be lost; instead the intent is to use money to take over the narrative: first, recall partisan judges & authoritarian governors; second, use federal power to encourage school vouchers; third, have a Cold War with China; forth, reign in the Tech monopolies with anti-monopoly & tax laws; fifth, remove Social Media’s editorial protection from lawsuits; sixth, enforce the MSM’s impartiality similar to the old Fairness doctrine; and seventh, purge social justice nonsense from the military, and any other public institutions. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1017_how_to_save_america.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-14_1017_how_to_save_america.mp3 2:27 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty no Tue, 07 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Irish Democracy is passive resistance to government rules, a perfect tactic to express distaste & disgust with what America has become, but liberty will never be regained by doing nothing. A better approach would be to have a Shadow Revolt. As its name implies, it’s a revolution operating in the shadows: say nothing that gives yourself away, and only mention your intentions to trusted friends; don’t talk about Fake news to the feeble-minded, and walk away if they start to; and support the people who are trying to break through the lies: with votes, with money, or simply defending their good name against vile insult & innuendo. Know that you’re not the only one; there are many of us in the shadows, 75 million at least. Our enemies are the authoritarians: fascists on the right and the egalitarians on the left; who differ only by who they think should be in charge: private elites or public elites: liberty sanctions no elites. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1016_shadow_revolt.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1016_shadow_revolt.mp3 2:05 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, shadow revolt no Sun, 05 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The enemies of liberty have become overwhelming. For a long time, many of us thought we were only under attack by a small, motivated enemy, but after the Shamdemic, fraudulent presidential election & complete takeover of the media, it's clear we've lost. The only positive news is, at least we know the direness of the situation, and that creates the stark choice rather to fight back or not: for some people no, and for some people yes; it’s time to take sides. For the fighters, we need an evolved strategy, one that adopts some of the winning tactics of our competitors: deplatforming comes immediately to mind; and lying about everything is also easy to get started with; we need a tactical plan. Hundreds of billions of dollars was spent on the takeover: assume everywhere that funding went is infected, and anybody who took some is contagious. Also, if they can lock the world down under manufactured pretenses, we can create some pretense of our own to root out Commies and replace them with Libertyists, just like they’ve been doing to us. Regaining liberty will also take an immense amount of money: unfortunately, most exorbitantly wealthy people follow the "most liberty to the king" model, so that needs to change, probably via confiscatory inheritance taxes. All this brings up Friedrich Nietzsche’s refrain: “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.” politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1015_fighting_back.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1015_fighting_back.mp3 2:32 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, fighting back no Fri, 03 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor “Make America Great Again” has become the most divisive slogan in history because more than half the nation doesn’t think America was ever great, specifically feminists, minorities & weirdos. From their pov, liberty, meritocracy & patriotism are evil goals, signs of The Patriarchy; and they can’t imagine when a country with those ideals could ever have been great. As an OWG who experienced America’s greatness, I can definitively identify when it occurred: from January 20, 1981, president Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, until September 11, 2001, when America went to war with “terrorism;” barely 20 years, but that was built on a 2-century foundation of getting ready to be great; the components were all there, and the timing was crucial. Firstly, America was still heterogeneous, the scourge of “diversity” hadn't yet collapsed its customs, culture & traditions; higher education still catered primarily to creating productive members of society: engineers, scientists, doctors; egalitarians were kept in check by lingering Cold War propaganda; and optimism about America and future possibilities were at an all-time high. The pendulum was at the peak of the arc, just starting to swing in the direction of anti-Americans; their insidious control was barely perceptible. However, by the turn of the Millennium, the Good Ol’ Days were over but men didn’t know it yet; now they know. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1014_maga.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1014_maga.mp3 2:45 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, MAGA no Wed, 01 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let’s review what happened during the revolution: 1. The revolution already happened and we lost. 2. The Communists won another revolution. 3. Modernity was lost when the post-Modernists captured education. 4. Who was behind the takeover of America? 5. Agitators know what they’re doing; it’s the rest of us who don’t. 6. If I wasn’t a conspiracy theorist, I wouldn’t be any kind of theorist at all. 7. If you want to know the Elites controlling the world, just look at the guest list at Davos. 8. The Shamdemic was WW3 and America was overrun. 9. A soft coup still destroys integrity & trust just as completely. 10. Lockdowns were America’s final capitulation. 11. A fraudulent election is worse than no election at all. 12. Whoever holds the microphone tells everyone else what to do. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1013_revolution_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-13_1013_revolution_concepts.mp3 2:30 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, revolution concepts no Mon, 30 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Mainstream media loses money, especially print, like newspapers & magazines: the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, Politico, Huffington Post, and countless other examples. Investors who want profits get out of the MSM; that's why The Right is so behind in the narrative-setting business, they are too financially conscientious to buy into bankrupt enterprises. It's the folks who have an agenda who buy up news & media properties, but as political mouthpieces, not investments. The Left understands the power of propaganda and how to distribute it, and they don't see the red on the balance sheet, instead they recognize who holds the microphone controls what happens, and those that without a microphone don’t. It’s not paranoia to think that there’s a cabal who own the media, and use it for their own nefarious purposes; the only question is who? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1012_hold_the_microphone.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1012_hold_the_microphone.mp3 2:01 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, media no Sat, 28 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Elections are about numbers: Communist dictator, Josef Stalin, famously said, "Those who cast the votes decide nothing; those who count them decide everything.” America had a record high 67% voter turnout in 2020, remarkably during a pandemic. Supposedly, 17 million more people voted than the previous election even though registered voters were only up 2%. Trump received more votes than any sitting president ever, 10 million more than Hillary Clinton in the previous election, and Trump attracted huge rallies, some of the largest in American history, while the Biden campaign often canceled theirs for lack of participation, yet Biden still “won” by over 10 million votes. Also, during the run-up to the election, suspect polling consistently had Biden ahead of Trump by 12 points, which would have been the biggest landslide since FDR won his 3rd term, yet the few polls that were accurate in the 2016 election showed Trump winning again. In the end, Trump also won virtually every bell-weather county yet in the 5 so-called battleground states that Trump won in 2016, key precincts had unverified mail-in ballots swinging 99:1 for Biden: specifically, there were 600,000 votes for Biden and only 3000 for Trump, which is statistically implausible, an overwhelming indication of fraud, yet no courts would even investigate. This was the genesis of Trump’s defeat, something that Stalin knew intimately well. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1011_fraudulent_election.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1011_fraudulent_election.mp3 2:40 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, fraudulent election no Thu, 26 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor When it looked like Trump was going to win despite the intense barrage of hate being leveled against him by the swamp, they triggered the weapon of last resort: Lockdowns. Not just keeping people ensconced in their homes, but the forced closures of businesses deemed “nonessential,” so that entrepreneurs couldn't even ply their trade over the Internet. Lockdowns had a majority cross-appeal among the Green New Dealers, the sensationalist media, the sanctimonious, the authoritarians, and the self-centered Boomers. In retrospect, it was all so transparent: the release from an American-money sponsored Chinese lab, the fear-mongering, and of course, mail-in ballots. The Lockdowns only seemed marginally reasonable for the 2 weeks they were supposedly going to "flatten the curve" so as not to overwhelm hospitals but as that stretched into a year, hospitals began actually closing because they had no business. Several Republican states didn’t Lockdown at all, and many lifted the Lockdowns as soon as the blatant political nature of the situation clearly manifest itself. The obvious logic that so many states suffered no ill effects ignoring the federal recommendations, Florida and Texas among them, were unconvincing to Democrats and their allies. The fact that so many people immediately capitulated, and refuse to admit their gullibility even now, while those who resist the narrative are still condemned, is a bad sign for America's continued existence. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1010_weaponized_lockdowns.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1010_weaponized_lockdowns.mp3 2:37 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, lockdowns no Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor President Trump’s enemies were legion: collusion of both established political parties, media, entertainment & foreign governments. All he had on his side was his immediate family and 75 million Americans, powerless to assist against what could only be called a soft coup. First there was the Russia hoax, then the “Fine People” hoax, the Drink Bleach hoax, Lafayette Square hoax, Kids in Cages hoax, the “Losers” hoax, Russian Bounty hoax, and the Ukraine hoax which ended in a hoax impeachment. Ultimately, when none of that worked, the Shamdemic. The coup was coordinated, and extremely well planned & financed: the Widows and ex-wifes of billionaires supplied obscene amounts of cash, and all of the media, especially Hollywood, poured on an equal value of invective. Voting laws were changed without approval, courts refused to hear cases; at every step, every lever of power had been co-opted and anyone who said otherwise was insulted, intimidated & marginalized. Trump did have a chance but he had the naivete of a non-politician so either allowed or was forced to surround himself with untrustworthy underlings. He thought people would act out of loyalty, to him personally, or the country in general, but instead they were all swamp creatures, deeply beholden to the Special Interests that got them where they were; Elites who all think they’re brilliant through self-congratulations and nepotism. Trump could not be controlled by the establishment so they ganged up to get rid of him using any means necessary. Lucky it was a soft coup because the hard coup was next. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1009_soft_coup.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-12_1009_soft_coup.mp3 2:46 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, coup, Trump no Sun, 22 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The 21st century has already experienced a world war: in the most literal sense, the entire world was engulfed by the Shamdemic. It involved death in relatively small numbers but enough to invoke full-blown politically capitulation, and it collapsed national economies, not so much their destruction, but instead their takeover by elites. The timing was perfect: it’s not a coincidence that populists were poised to win around the world, only to be stymied at the last moment by the sanctimony of medicine. The Shamdemic’s biggest victim was trust: every bit of information about it is shrouded in intentional uncertainty, and anybody who questions the official narrative is dismissed, insulted & censored. Just look at the aftermath: it crippled already fearful personalities, enabled authoritarianism, undermined experts, discredited science, fomented civil war, exposed the judiciary as feckless, emboldened our enemies, and alienated half the population. A decade from now, America will either be embarrassed by our reaction or we’ll be totally converted by it but we’ll never recover. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1008_shamdemic.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1008_shamdemic.mp3 2:15 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, shamdemic, pandemic no Fri, 20 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Every January the World Economic Forum (WEF), known as Davos after the host city, is where the world’s most influential people fly in their private jets to meet personally together. Attendance is invitation only, and WEF yearly membership fees ranges from $60K to $600K depending on their billionaire level, with attendees such as Bill Gates, Prince William, Marc Benioff, George Soros, Jamie Dimon, Jack Ma, singer Shakira, and actors Forest Whitaker & Matt Damon. One year, Facebook threw an infamous party where specially made stuffed animals illuminated dancers with lasers shot from their eyes as John Legend performed. WEF’s stated goal is: "engage the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas." The 2021 theme was "Great Reset;" it’s easy to tell just from the title that liberty, and specifically the American way of life, is these people’s intended target, so if you’re looking for the where, when & of how the elites get together to control the world, and what they’re plans are, just watch Davos. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1007_davos.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1007_davos.mp3 2:32 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, Davos no Wed, 18 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor I might as well accept it: I’m a conspiracy theorist. Not of the “jet fuel doesn’t melt steel,” antivaxx, nor “moon landing was a hoax” contingent; but definitely in the world Communist cabal, “Epstein didn’t kill himself,” climate denier camp. In my conspiracy theory, there is indeed a swamp and it’s full of people who think they know better-n-me; the news media is little more than propaganda; science is more politics than facts; and women truly believe “it’s their turn now.” For harboring these beliefs I get to be called names by people on psyche medication and no education beyond useless undergraduate degrees, whose careers are actually anti-productive. Unfortunately, these folks also significantly outnumber me which in a democracy makes them right and me wrong. I can only hope that someday somewhere the actual truth will come out that supports my so-called radical beliefs, but since the winners write the history, that seems a remote chance indeed. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1006_conspiracy_theorist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1006_conspiracy_theorist.mp3 2:04 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, conspiracy theorist no Mon, 16 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Until recently liberty prevailed in America even though it was defeated in most of the world by egalitarianism, which is authoritarian-enforced equality, particularly as manifested in the mid-20th Century Communist states. During Marx’s time, though he thought it was inevitable, egalitarianism did not sweep the political landscape. Marx thought the reason why was that people were insufficiently Woke so he encouraged class warfare between oppressors vs. victims and those who thought to save themselves by becoming allies of the victims. This strategy was successful to incite the Russian revolution: the poor peasants, the so-called proletariat; against the Middle class peasants, the kulaks. Because of the classless nature of liberty, previous attempts at dividing Americans with this tactic hadn’t reached the 51% threshold needed in a democratic nation to overturn the status quo so agitators switched from class to race, and took the tactic one step further, exacerbating the pressure by utilizing one of Saul Alinsky’s most notorious rules for radicals: “rub raw the resentments of the people of the community; fan the latent hostilities to the point of overt expression; stir up dissatisfaction and discontent; and provide a channel into which people can angrily pour their frustrations to the point of conflict;” combined with a if-you’re-not-with-us-you’re-against-us” attitude. Also, elites likewise see social contentment as an impediment to their power, so the agitators are supported by both ends of the political spectrum, leaving the Middle Class, typically consisting of conservative white men, as the kulaks. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1005_agitators.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-11_1005_agitators.mp3 2:54 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, agitators, kulaks no Sat, 14 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There’s no question that there’s an attack on American values: liberty, meritocracy & patriotism; but who’s behind it? There are players with agendas we can only guess at by watching their actions; for example, all the media companies are spinning the same issues the same way; and all the tech companies coordinating against and for the same people & ideologies. It’s also a question of how did the political process and even the judiciary get captured? And the intelligence agencies seemed to be involved too. There’s some kind of worldwide conspiracy: it could be Marxist ideologists, or perhaps China, or maybe aliens? Whoever is holding the levers of power, do they do it directly: putting their people into key corporate positions, and paying social media & entertainment opinion-makers to say what they want; or do they do it surreptitiously by financing organizations that were already attacking America’s customs, culture & traditions? If raw Capitalism is the method, then Conservatives can fight back by also using money, but if it’s the result of voting majorities: the combination of feminists, minorities & weirdos, then America will remain in the hands of the mysterious cohort for the foreseeable future. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1004_whos_behind_it.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1004_whos_behind_it.mp3 2:17 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, conspiracy no Thu, 12 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Enlightenment, the concept of self-determination rather than fate; and democracy rather than aristocratic or Ecclesiastic rulers; evolved in 18th century, and was implemented in the 19th, starting with the United States, but eventually all of the West. America took it one step further however, all the way to personal autonomy, where individuals reaped the rewards of their own decisions, calling it “liberty.” However, liberty requires opportunity, and opportunity equals wealth, so the wealthy had most of the liberty; and the flip side of liberty is that individuals also suffer the consequences of their own actions, which most people don’t like. The inevitable backlash, was called Post Modern, usually associated with Communism. Envy & resentment having the power they do, Communism swept the world, controlling half of it during the middle of the 20th century, but it was held in check by the Cold War. When the Cold War ended because of the productivity superiority of liberty, Post Modernism again burst forth. Put another way, the fall of the Soviet Union signaled the start of a new revolution, though few recognized it at the time; it was a Cold Revolution, and it slowing began gaining social & political victories, mostly in the cities and on the coasts, until the tipping point was reached, as proven by the 2020 presidential election: America is now Post Modern. The question is will it stay that way? One possibility is that America become like Europe; another is that it collapses completely; whatever the final outcome, The Enlightenment is over. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1003_post_modern_revolution.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1003_post_modern_revolution.mp3 2:47 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, post modernism no Tue, 10 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Communists aren't anonymous anymore; most don’t say they’re Communists but when you ask them what they want, it’s Communism: “I just want everything to be equal,” they’ll say without a hint of self-awareness; and many do proudly proclaim they are in actual fact, Communists. Communists in America didn't go away when the Soviet Union fell, they just got more tactical and way more effective. The Communist revolution strategy is well-known: they intend to unmoor a Capitalist society from its history, denigrate its culture, customs & traditions, undermined authority & finish it off with debasement of the currency. Many people are relying on their guns to save them when the Communists show up on their doorstep, seemingly unaware that the Deep State and all the levers of power are controlled by the enemy. Through years of Affirmative Action & White guilt, every pubic institution has been compromised. Combine that with the natural fecklessness of Republicans, and the authoritarian bent of NeoCons, when the rioters get to your neighborhood, there will be no police or the police will be on the wrong side. This is how Communist revolutions are usually successful. You can either capitulate, which most already have; or hide in your home, but there’s plenty of history that indicates how that turns out. Or you could treat the occupation passive-aggressively, and just not do as they say, which is probably the only option. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1002_communist_revolution.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1002_communist_revolution.mp3 2:35 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, Communists, revolution no Sun, 08 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Often people talk about a new revolution in America; most pundits poo-poo the idea, claiming it’s paranoia, and respond mockingly, but the fact is, the revolution already happened; sometime during the Trump presidency, after which he was deposed through a soft coup of propaganda, fraud & deep state collusion. The revolution was complete, with a takeover of politics, courts, Speech, military, education, society & Tech. It was a total victory: virtually everything has crossed over from liberty, people reaping the rewards of their own actions, to egalitarianism, equality in all things. Righty pundits talk as if this is just a minor setback; not realizing what’s already occurred, and none of the rest of us seemed to be aware of it either. America’s not going back… Ever. It’ll probably continue on this trajectory to at least socialism, and ultimately Communism because what’s going to stop it? The revolution happened without a shot fired or a debate had because husbands don’t want to argue with their wife & daughters, and Libertyists avoid conflict, preferring to live-and-let-live. Unfortunately, that was exactly the wrong strategy if you’re outnumbered by the revolutionaries. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1001_the_revolution_already_happened.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-10_1001_the_revolution_already_happened.mp3 2:12 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, revolution no Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor This is the 1000th episode of PRay TeLL Dr. Hash, so I thought I'd wrap it up with a little ditty having the same flavor of wisdom, guidance & advice, mixed with humor, humanity & hubris, I’ve been come to be know for. I’m the world’s only-ever simultaneously licensed doctor, lawyer, accountant & engineer; Now you... I’m the world’s only-ever doctorates in medicine, law & computer science; Now you... I’m the world’s only-ever Complete Homo Universalis Renaissance Myn; Now you... I'm the only 100-country travel writer with pictures, videos & fly-thrus; And I'm the only aspiring House candidate with a steam train, hedge maze & bronze zoo; I'm the only one who did all of that, some for me, but mostly for you. I hope all this braggadocio has done some good, making you a more confident, competent & conscientious person because this game’s getting pretty old if only one of us can play. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-09_1000_now_you.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2021-07-09_1000_now_you.mp3 2:04 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics no Wed, 04 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor This may get a little personal, but let’s review anyway: Few people are actually self-aware, though everyone thinks they are. It takes wisdom to know what wisdom is. We're all the Center-of-the-Universe but that doesn't seem to keep it from spinning. You can’t plan your own life, and certainly no one else can plan it for you. Statistics predict that your life is within 4 standard deviations of everyone else's life. Everything's simple, but you can make it complicated if that helps. If there's something more important than your health, the end is closer than you think. Men date to get laid, women date to get paid. The differing reasons men and women divorce is proof that the genders are not the same. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_999_personal_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_999_personal_concepts.mp3 2:09 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, personal no Mon, 02 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Marriage has always benefited men more than women; traditionally men got a domestic servant, nanny, and most importantly, a nightly sex partner, while women used to get protection & security, but in a civil society, both of those qualities have been supplanted by The State, so there’s nothing evolutionarily appealing about monogamy, while hypergamy, the search for ever better mates, is in their genome. That’s why laws and religious condemnation against divorce used to be so strict, because most women would seek to escape the servitude of marriage, and unfettered by those restrictions, it's almost always the woman, 80% of the time, who initiates divorce now. The reasons for divorce differ between the sexes; for the wife, the top causes are: Lack of emotional support. Lack of reassurance. Finances. Expectations not met. Infidelity. Lack of romance. Abuse. The top reasons men get divorced are quite different: Loss of sexual attraction. Denial of sex. Infidelity. Disrespect. Feels neglected. No longer idealized. Finances. The reasons only partially overlap; women are looking for sympathy, men are expecting sex.The mundane difficulties of a marriage; the daily drama, unruly children & lack of commonality, only contribute to its demise. Once contempt sets in, the marriage is over. With differences like these, it's remarkable anybody stays married. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_998_reasons_for_divorce.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_998_reasons_for_divorce.mp3 2:51 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, divorce no Sat, 31 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Dating is an anachronism; few younger people date anymore, many because they don't know how, but most because they can't, the quarry has become prohibitively particular & elusive. Brides used to have little say about who the groom would be: old, fat, ugly, stupid, dull, abusive; but now it's the complete opposite: they have unrealistic Disney princess standards. Plus, dating was for finding a mate but society essentially discourages longterm pairing because of the cost of a breakup to men, and children are considered a threat to the environment; not to mention the brainwashing of young Western women into thinking they are racist bigots who should be filled with self-loathing for their white privilege. Since in-person dating became impossible because of the fear of encountering an SJW, Online dating, such as eharmony, Match & EliteSingles, came into vogue for awhile, but it didn't work out for men or women; barely better than no dating at all due to the damage to the self-esteem of everyone involved. At the extreme end was Tinder, a phenom that purported to conveniently provide men access to no strings attached sex with willing partners. It was so successful at capturing the public's consciousness that “swipe right,” for being interested, entered the Pop culture vernacular. There are rumors that a very few men did, indeed, live the life of a sultan with a harem, but it didn't take long for the other 80% of men to leave the platform all together rather than face the constant rejection. Statistics show that men would swipe right 60% of the time, while women would swipe left, rejecting them, 96% of the time. Unless a man is in the top 15% in appearance, they'll have no success online dating, and the very attractive women are almost all prostitutes using the service to find customers. Combine this with the idea that all men are rapists, and the ingredients add up to a toxic brew of society-destroying implication. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_997_online_dating.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_997_online_dating.mp3 3:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, online dating no Thu, 29 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There's nothing more personal to you than your own health; in fact, being healthy is unique in that only your thoughts are more egocentric. Make no mistake, people constantly talk about their diet, exercise & medicine because it's about them, and nothing is more interesting to you than yourself, but that doesn't make it any less important because nothing is more important to you than yourself. Here are some recommendations that everyone needs to know: most-importantly, there's not many things about your health you can control but your weight is one of them. Being overweight will shorten your life, and obviously, many people have made that choice, but if you're not one of them, keeping to a Low Carb diet is the most impactful thing you can do. Be aware that exercise is not an effective way to lose weight, but it's still important to keep your muscles healthy, especially your heart; brisk walking is the easiest. As for the food you eat; there's no such thing as “healthy” food; Big Macs actually do more to keep you fit & thin than something organically-grown. The best strategy to keep healthy is to set a goal for yourself, like no weight gain. Have easy rules like: no bread, no rice, no fruit & no sugar. If you want a snack, eat nuts. It’s easy to look on the label of a product in the store to see how many carbs there are: anything over 10 better be worth it to you, and some things are; if you love Angle Food cake with strawberries and homemade ice cream for you birthday, that’s worth it but you’re going to need to fast tomorrow. Fasting, coffee and diet sodas are okay, is the easiest & quickest way to lose weight if you can just make it past the afternoon hunger pangs, and you’ll sleep better too. The number one recommendation is to have a routine and favorite low carb foods for every normal day; and on days where your routine is broken, well, start trying to be healthy again tomorrow... politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_996_health.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_996_health.mp3 3:09 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, health, diet, exercise no Tue, 27 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Whenever someone wants to explain their problems to you, they all begin with the refrain, “it’s complicated” in chagrin, to set the expectation of a long explanation, or maybe just to gather their thoughts. The phrase has become so ubiquitous, it can convey almost anything; however, the reality is, it’s not complicated; there’s a logical solution to every problem, no matter how involved things are, but that almost always means someone wins and someone loses, making “it's complicated” a catchall for self interest, irrationally & chance. In popular culture dialect, “it’s complicated” has become a euphemism for a failed relationship, perhaps even other love interests are involved. Often “it’s complicated” is used to end an uncomfortable conversation; once the phrase is uttered, that’s a clue the speaker doesn’t want to talk about something anymore. “It’s complicated” is also a so-called, weasel-word; something somebody says so that they don’t have to explain themselves when a problem is clearly their responsibility. Actually, if “it’s complicated” didn’t exist, some other term would need to take its place because truth & honesty aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be; I’d explain why but it’s complicated. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_995_its_complicated.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_995_its_complicated.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, it's complicated no Sun, 25 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor You may think you’re the center of the universe but that doesn't mean you're any different than anyone else. Statistically, everything you do is almost the same as everything everybody else does. The fact is, none of us stand out; we all fall within the same standard deviation, and even though we may think our problems or experiences are unique, the reality is everyone we know and don’t know is navigating the same ocean. If your life is messy, be assured so are the lives of everyone you see around you; if you are dissatisfied, so aren't we all; if you never get lucky, well, none of us do... At least, statistically speaking; 3% of the time you will be lucky, but you wouldn't bet those odds in Vegas. Your expectations of reality are set by reading stories and watching movies, but that’s fiction written by other people with the expectations they have from reading stories and watching movies of made up values & experiences of the fiction writers before them; it's a continuing cycle of misinformation. Families aren't like they're portrayed in popular culture, neither are jobs, nor relationships, nor anything for that matter. It has to be that way because life is pretty dismally mundane, and without a positive outlook, without optimism, human beings are nothing more than animals. We subconsciously know we’re nothing special, we’re all within the Standard Deviation, but don’t want to admit it to ourselves, so everyone suffers in a community of voluntary delusion. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_994_standard_deviation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-27_994_standard_deviation.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, standard deviation no Fri, 23 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There are endless Pop psychology articles and a whole self-help industry that caters to the illusion that individuals can plan their lives. These so-called, experts, exploit our dual vulnerabilities of self-abortion & thinking each of us is the center of the universe, and our inherent evolutionary sense of optimism. It’s all fantasy; give no credence to any advice from pretenders whose own lives probably leave something to be desired or they wouldn’t trying to be selling snake oil to you. The simple fact is that no one can plan their life without being able to predict the future, which you can’t, and anyone who says they can is a liar. It also requires wisdom, but wisdom requires knowledge, experience & self-awareness that you can only get by living your life, an impossible circularity. What you can do is live your life by following the path of least resistance. If you’re good at sports, do that until you can no longer compete; if you’re good in school, do that until everyone else is better; if your family has a business that you enjoy, enjoy it. If the luckiest opportunity in the world comes along, becoming an astronaut or president of the United States, and you want it, take it. Here’s the most important part of planning your life this way: if you don’t want it, don’t do it. No value can be placed on your own happiness, satisfaction & contentment, and it’s subjective, so what other people think doesn’t matter; and if it does, factor that in too if it’s easy & convenient. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_993_planning_your_life.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_993_planning_your_life.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, plan your life no Wed, 21 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Being the center of the universe is the subjective self-delusion that your goals & desires matter, but it's also true: you are The Center Of The Universe. There's nothing more important in the universe than you because if you're gone then what difference does it make? You're not the first one to think that way, everyone does; in fact, there's a whole philosophy, Solipsism, that postulates everyone but you is a figment of your imagination. The modern manifestation of this idea is that we all live in our own computer simulation; the theory being you control the simulation, you just don't know it, but if you think on something hard enough, it will happen; it's simply the idea of faith transmuted to the silicon age. A presocratic sophist would recite the assertion: nothing exists, and even if it did, nothing can be known about it, and even if it could, knowledge about it cannot be communicated to others. This eventually evolved into the famous truism of “I think, therefore I am,” which obviously defines you as The Center Of The Universe. Being The Center Of The Universe, everything is about you: what you feel, what you want, what you think. This has the decidedly negative ramification that no one else's opinion is valid; it doesn’t matter how educated or successful an expert is, people always go with their own gut. They somehow convince themselves that the expert isn't privy to the information that they have, or simply haven't considered the issue properly yet. Even trying to communicate this concept is a mishmash or first and third person pronouns because language also reflects your universe-centricity: I, I, I, me, me, me, mine. Even if we could all read each other's minds in one giant psychic neural network, such that you wouldn't be you anymore, the hivemind entity would then be The Center Of The Universe. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_992_the_center_of_the_universe.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_992_the_center_of_the_universe.mp3 3:15 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, center of the universe no Mon, 19 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor People want to think they have wisdom in their DNA, not that it comes from knowledge, experience & self-awareness, because those things require tremendous effort & time, and there’s lots of people with more than them. Wisdom is defined as breath of knowledge times depth of experience times-self awareness. Looking into a person’s history, we can usually discern these metrics: educational degrees & professional licenses demonstrate breath & depth of knowledge; entrepreneurship, responsibility, ambition, travel & art demonstrate experience; and a happy & fulfilled life indicates both internal and external awareness. By measuring these things we can determine that, historically, Benjamin Franklin & Richard Burton were wise; as was Francis Bacon, Leonardo di Vinci, Marcus Cicero, Herbert Simon, Imhoptep, Francis Galton, Albert Schweitzer, Avicenna, Baha ad-Din al-Amili, and many others that we don’t know because they weren’t famous. In fact, most people confuse fame with wisdom. Steve Jobs wasn’t wise even though he appeared to be because he was earth-shaking. Gandhi, or any guru, preach only confusion, and live empty lives. Dian Fossey was certainly not wise; she lived alone in Africa and knew nothing about anything but gorillas. A lot of people have self-awareness, entrepreneurship, experience & knowledge in one or two areas, but don’t know anything about anything else; or have limited travel & life experience, which means they couldn’t synthesize advice from the entire panorama of life. It’s actually easy to identify wisdom but quite difficult to find wise people; however, I'd like to know more about Elon Musk? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_991_what_is_wisdom.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_991_what_is_wisdom.mp3 2:52 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wisdom no Sat, 17 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Self-awareness is understanding your own character, motives & desires. One of the aspects of children is that they have no self-awareness; they do not understand their own motivations, nor the motivations of others. Adults know this so excuse a child's lack of courtesy, social awkwardness & inability to complete a complex task; but people are not so charitable to supposedly mature adults. Being self-aware improves everything: relationships, satisfaction & control; while also reducing anxiety, stress & depression. Unfortunately, self-awareness is something that most people lack: in a large study, only a tenth of people showed self-awareness though they all believed they were. Self-awareness also includes recognition of how others interpret you. The most successful people understand that if they want adulation & respect, they must present an outward appearance that attracts it; which includes not doing things that would detract from that impression, because resentment, envy & spite underlay most longterm interactions. You must also be able to determine when other people can be trusted enough to be allies; and if untrustworthy, how to mollify them sufficiently so as not to become active enemies working against you. It’s probably a good thing most people aren’t self-aware because they would be really disappointed to know what other people really think of them. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_990_self-awareness.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_990_self-awareness.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, self-aware, self-awareness, self awareness no Thu, 15 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There are lots of things to review about society: Nothing represents the American psyche better than statistics. It's not a question of if there’s going to be another civil war, only if you'll be on the winning side. Technology allows for multiple virtual societies to exist simultaneously on the same geography. No one can predict the future so no choice is any more inscrutable than any other. Reality TV is a blurry reflection of real reality. The biggest part of mysticism is the magic. People are attracted to superheroes because they want to imagine they are one. Ambition is the defining element of liberty. McDonald's has had the luck or foresight to surf the wave of relevance. It doesn't take many revolutionaries to defeat a complacent population. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_989_societal_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-26_989_societal_concepts.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society no Tue, 13 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Karl Marx said “Revolutions are the locomotives of history.” Growing up in the late 1960s and early 70s, like most kids with a burgeoning sense of history, I had a fascination with revolutionaries. I wrote high school civics papers on the Symbionese Liberation Army, Weathermen & Black Panthers. The most interesting insight I gained about revolution is that it doesn't take many true believers to start one, especially if half the nation is willing to let them hide out in their basements, get them the ingredients to make explosives, and cover for them socially and in the media. Back then, Communist revolutions rocked most nations, eventually controlling half the world; only the Cold War kept them in check; but the Soviet Union fell three decades ago, and egalitarian sympathies have returned with a vengeance, so that revolutionary times are here again, though not yet up to those old levels of U.S. violence: the RFK, MLK & George Rockwell assassinations; riots at the Democratic National Convention, Washington & Baltimore; and Vietnam war demonstrations; all capped by the National Guard killings at Kent State. However; with Social Justice Warriors rioting in Democrat cities around the nation, and a world intent on forced sharing, it's getting close. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-30_988_revolutionaries.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-30_988_revolutionaries.mp3 2:23 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, revolutionaries no Sun, 11 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Every generation wants new music, new fashion, and new places to shop & eat. That's why the icons of the previous generation, the big department stores, movie theaters, and fast food joints, are disappearing; they have failed to remain hip & relevant. McDonald's was a high-profile aberration of the typical slide into oblivion; they were able to hold on a few generations because they innovated with Playlands, Kid's Meals, worldwide expansion & catchy advertising; but now they seem to be on the edge of the abyss. McDonald's has recently been on the receiving end of some vicious press; the Big Mac has morphed from national icon to a symbol of America's over-indulgence. You can tell when a business is in decay when the loyal clientele are mostly people from the previous generation. In the mornings, probably because of the free Senior coffee, and quiet & comfortable seating, the only people in McDonald's are retirees conversing together in flocks. McDonald's has taken the place of coffee shops but they can't possibly be making a profit from these customers; it must be the busy drive-thrus keeping the doors open. Because McDonald's now seems vulnerable, the hypercritical trend-mongers smell blood and they're probably going to go for the jugular soon. McD's is headed for some tough times, but so are we all, and we're going to want something familiar to sit it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-25_987_mcdonalds.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-25_987_mcdonalds.mp3 2:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, McDonald's no Fri, 09 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Ambition is one of those human traits that separates us from animals. Ambition builds cities and lands on the moon; ambition is why we have science & engineering; ambition is the cornerstone of almost every accomplishment that makes life worth living. The thing about ambition is that it consists of more than the desire to achieve; it also includes the willingness to face effort, adversity & failure to do it. Because so many people are unwilling to make those sacrifices, ambition is viewed differently by different cultures, and can even be considered the determining factor between the ideologies of personal agency versus egalitarianism. Though ambition is lauded as a precondition of success in the West, it's discouraged in Eastern traditions because it supposedly imposes on spirituality. However, a less charitable explanation is that the despot rulers of those countries saw ambition as a threat. Ambition is also held in poor regard among the incompetent & lazy, the petulance of losers. Influential philosophers, such as Plato & Aristotle, were suspect of ambition, presumably having little of their own. While ambitious people who succeed have more satisfaction with life, the danger is that those who failed are vexed with anxiety, anguish & despair. But whatever the outcome, ambitious people experience a far more interesting & meaningful existence than those without. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-25_986_ambition.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-25_986_ambition.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, ambition no Wed, 07 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Everyone wants to be a superhero. An important aspect of superheros is that they are unique; most people don’t have superpowers.It's not just being strong or able to jump tall buildings in a single bound that's attractive; it's that other people can’t.It's the recognition, even the adulation that they are seeking, not any particular superior physical trait. Consider how many superheroes have ridiculous, essentially useless, powers: turning into ice or fire, shooting laser beams out of their eyes, stretchiness. A gun works just as well to capture criminals and you don't have to wear googles or flexible underpants. When children imagine themselves, it isn't what they can do but what makes them different from someone else, especially in their teens as they approach adulthood. Obviously, this need to be exceptional is evolutionary, and must have a component of attracting the attention of the opposite sex; or to gain control, which also provides better mating opportunities. The more pragmatic youth imagine themselves to be Ironman or Batman because those superheroes seems within the realm of scientific plausibility; but just as many more ephemeral-thinking children are attracted to Superman from the planet Krypton or Green Lantern who wears a ring from another universe, because there’s no way those powers are possible on earth. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-25_985_superheroes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-25_985_superheroes.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, superheroes, superhero no Mon, 05 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There isn't necessarily something wrong with a society that thinks it takes magic to protect them and solve their problems, whether it be gods or superheroes, but it does show a distinct lack of maturity. To a child, their parents and family are giants who love & protect them. In a child's mind, the mundane capabilities of these giants seem magical since a child does not yet have understanding of the workings of the world around them. It's natural that this perception would follow them into adulthood, but people waiting for Superman never solve their own problems. Religion is full of magical heroes, with god being the most powerful. It’s not enough to just be exceptional, there has to be magic too; Jesus wasn’t The Savior without the miracles, and Mohammad was just another sage in the desert if he hadn't of moved a mountain or rode a flying horse. Medicine is also full of magic: chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncturists, aroma therapists, and all other kinds of cures that don’t involve complicated ideas to understand. That is the most significant aspect of mystics, they are simple to understand: magic is a result of magical powers; the answer may be circular & vague but it is short, specific & easy to comprehend. Societies steeped in mysticism have difficulty understanding the world isn’t flat, and without a conscious effort to reorganize their thinking through scientific education, the belief in magic never goes away. If mystical-thinking is not counteracted with critical-thinking, no society will progress much past a king or commune. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-24_984_mysticism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-24_984_mysticism.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, mysticism, magic no Sat, 03 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It's an odd reality that people are starving for reality; everyone is so fascinated with Reality TV, it must be something fundamental to our ego & evolutionary development. People grasp that their own experiences aren’t matching what they've been told to expect: others don't act like the characters in books & movies; human interaction is fraught with hidden biases & resentments that no one ever talks about, and when they do, it's always about how someone else is at fault; and our inner feelings are dominated by guilt piled onto insecurity and laced with fear so we also don't speak about the shallowness & artificiality of everything either. People's expectations aren't meeting reality, so they are attracted to something that seems more honest & familiar, but even so-called reality TV is scripted; if it was real life, you'd see those people on TV taking psych drugs, having diarrhea, getting minor cuts, sleeping poorly, doubting themselves and spending long periods of boredom wasting their lives. When the cameras turn off, that's the real reality. The few people who do have their lives figured out seem alien and hard to meet, and none of them are ever on Reality TV. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-24_983_reality_tv.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-24_983_reality_tv.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, reality tv no Thu, 01 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor At sometime in your life, you’ve been presented with the quandary of whether one person’s life should be sacrificed for many lives, or whether the life of a child is more valuable than that of an adult. There are 10 famous moral quandaries, titled: Lifeboat, The Mad Bomber, Drug Bust, Hit & Run, Nieces & Daughters, The Pregnant Woman, The Neighbor, Spam Filtering, The Accident, and Concentration Camp. If you take these tests, you’ll find the choices are inscrutable, but there is a logical & rational way to view them, to wit: no one can know the future, no one has all information, and there are no moral choices, so do the most expedient thing given the information you have, no guessing. For example, most things you know nothing about, so don’t act; who knows where the next lightening strike will be; it could be exactly where you’d be standing if you moved. If your children are threatened, save them, and hope the rest of the people transport through a space portal just in the nick of time. Often hostage-taking is used to justify betrayal: if a kidnapper said you had to violate all you believed in or they will kill your son, what are you going to do? Do whatever you can to rescue him but certainly don't let the kidnappers win twice by destroying your honor. To sacrifice yourself so that a child can live, or even a whole town, is futile at best, and could possible make the situation worse: one of the people in that town could be the next Hitler. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-24_982_inscrutable_choices.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-24_982_inscrutable_choices.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, inscrutable, choices no Tue, 29 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Diversity is a real thing, and this country, even this world, by embracing diversity we have become irrevocably divided, which will inevitably lead to some kind of civil war; but modern technology means it doesn’t have to be the shooting kind across physical borders. Instead, what seems to come out of an old Star Trek episode; the concept of a virtual civil war is possible; where people stay where they are but live separately. If we’re not going to have a heterogeneous society like we had in the past, then we can have virtual homogeneous societies ignoring each other. We already watch different news, attend different sports, eat at different restaurants, drink different coffee, listen to different music, etc. We live as multiple different peoples on the same piece of ground, and our phones know the difference so the infrastructure exists to tell us what stores we can go into: Democrat, Republican, whatever? We could extend the separation even further to have our own elected officials and laws. It doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be a war going on, just that nobody would get hurt. It would still technically be a civil war because people would be bickering online, and there would be constant conflict on how shared resources should be divided. The biggest problem with the idea isn’t the technology, but ideology; those who embrace liberty would have no problem, but egalitarians attach mystical guarantees & obligations to people just for being alive, so they would demand that the citizens from another virtual society take care of everyone, regardless of who’s responsible, just like they insist now; and force would be required to stop them. It’s ironic that the major problem with a virtual civil war is that it takes violence to sort things out. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-23_981_implementing_virtual_civil_war.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-23_981_implementing_virtual_civil_war.mp3 2:46 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, virtual, civil war no Sun, 27 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor America never had “diversity” before, we had heterogeneity; people were forced to conform to the basic values of liberty, work ethic & personal responsibility; the so-called Patriarchy. Even if you hated your neighbor, you could expect them to stay out of your business and carry their own weight. And it used to be taboo to even discuss the possibility of there maybe being another American civil war on the horizon, but the signs have finally become too big to ignore. The two sides, liberty vs. egalitarians, have such contempt for each other; and there's so little compromise between the opposing ideologies, that there's no coming back. Once people get over the jump of thinking civil war is possible, it becomes probable. The only way to stop it is for Republicans to win overwhelmingly in elections, then take over education & media in an attempt to re-establish some kind of universal national identity again. Even if that does happen, it's likely the big Lefty enclaves will become city-States that pass their own laws & taxes, but still remain under nominal federal control like Indian reservations. Their voting would only apply to themselves; they already have Urban Growth Boundaries, and de facto tariffs. Even though they claim diversity, they’re actually quite homogeneous in their egalitarian thinking, with a sense of self-righteous certainty that overcomes all rationality. If they were given Reservation-like autonomy, they would probably take it. Then the most likely scenario will be those cities will deteriorate from the inside until that generation of revolutionaries are pushed out, and if that doesn’t work, at least the violence part of a civil war would be postponed, and the warring factions clearly identified so that people have time to choose sides with their feet. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-23_980_is_a_civil_war_coming.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-23_980_is_a_civil_war_coming.mp3 3:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, civil war, liberty, egalitarian no Fri, 25 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor 1% of Americans own 38% of the wealth; 1% of Americans claim to be abducted by aliens; and 1% of Americans are in jail. 13% of Americans live below the poverty line; have never heard of global warming; and are satisfied with how things are going. 27% of Americans believe the U.S. government was involved in 9/11; do not believe a man landed on the moon; and don't vote. 66% of Americans check their phones 160 times a day; fear speaking their minds; and aren’t friends with their neighbors. 90% of Americans are satisfied with their personal life; don’t eat enough fruits & vegetables; and fear economic collapse. And 100% of Americans expect to get Coronavirus. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-23_979_american_statistics.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-23_979_american_statistics.mp3 2:04 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Americans no Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A review of the components of our personality is in order: People’s motives are easily explained by the physical incentive neurotransmitters provide. Positive emotions must have resulted from evolution because we all seem to have the same ones. Luckily, happiness is the most subjective of all emotions because there’s a lot of people who have nothing to be happy about. The smug satisfaction that comes from Virtue Signaling may be society’s greatest flaw. We are encouraged to form evermore memories by the dopamine high we get from remembering. Mindfulness is what babies are good at because they don’t have anything to mind but themselves. It’s the people who can’t earn respect themselves that insist it must be given to everyone freely. I’ve always wanted to be an Ubermensche but I could never learn to spell it. People are always coming up with ways to test your personality, but what they really wanted was an insight into their own. Terms such as “Dark Triad” are used to sully the reputations of successful people. Sympathy, empathy & compassion are actually a civilization-destroying trap. You’ve got to have a way to judge people because they’re certainly judging you. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-21_978_personality_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-21_978_personality_concepts.mp3 2:54 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, personality no Mon, 21 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Being nonjudgmental may be lauded in egalitarian circles but doing so in real-life isn't going to turn out best for your interests; if you don’t judge who you associate with, you’ll spend all your time cajoling, coddling, soothing, defending, and propping up other people at the expense of yourself. It’s better to only associate with people you admire & respect, so you’ll be admired & respected. But how good are you at judging people from what they type? Since nowadays most of the people you get to know are people you'll never meet in person, or even know what they really look like; old-time adages about not judging a book by its cover just don't apply; so how do you judge those people? As a strategy online, assume we usually judge people by your own discomforts: I don't like hearing about personal problems so I just Unfollow those people. There are also a lot of people who think I want to hear repetition a political party's talking points; I Unfriend those types. And then there are those that have a go at me personally; them I Block. I used to try and minimize my Blocking impulses, but as I've gotten older & wiser, I've given free-reign to my inner-Blocker; there's so many people online, that even if I was wrong in my judgment, there's plenty more where they came from; and all your Friends are judging you the same way. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-21_977_judging_people.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-21_977_judging_people.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, judging people, online no Sat, 19 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The ideological divide in America is mostly a sociological divide; trying to gain control over your own life, and possibly control over the lives of others. The ideology of meritocracy will naturally separate into the winners & losers, mathematically half on each side. In response, the losers espouse a competing ideology, egalitarianism, which would flip control to them if something like democracy gives them power to do so. Whereas meritocracy is objective, the other side perforce must be subjective, using feelings and demands to feel a certain way, as leverage; specifically the concepts of sympathy, empathy & compassion. As strategy, first the losing side redefines the words, or deemphasizes the ones that don't advance their goals while emphasizing the ones that provide them advantage. Humans all start with sympathy, which is probably evolutionary, where a person feels sorry for the plight of another, maybe even offering their help, which is called compassion. Highly emotional people are said to be sensitive, while victims are cast as suffering. Religious ideology is full of entreaties to help the destitute, maimed, weak, etc., ostensibly to gain access to heaven. Even though the mystical aspect of sympathy & compassion has lost its motivating power, modern Social Justice Warriors now demand such intervention, even make it legally obligatory; what better way for the losers to gain control than to force others to do their bidding based on subjective notions only the losers can judge? From that perspective comes the concept of empathy, which is like sympathy except instead the victim has the authority to claim you are not empathetic enough, and have no say in the matter. One of the greatest of ironies is that civilization could very well be destroyed by too much compassion. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-21_976_sympathy__empathy__compassion.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-21_976_sympathy__empathy__compassion.mp3 3:10 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, sympathy, empathy, compassion no Thu, 17 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The field of Pop psychology is absolutely chock full of pseudoscience, mostly to prop up or justify the researcher’s personal deficiencies. It’s almost always a matter of applying disparaging labels; name-calling hiding behind post graduate degrees. There's no better example than when they throw around the concept of a dark triad. The Dark Triad is said to be composed of narcissism, Machiavellianism & psychopathy; which doesn’t sound unreasonable until the explicit definitions of those words comes to light. Basically, according to them, everyone who excels in the context of liberty, meritocracy & Protestant Work Ethic are charter members of the Dark Triad. A “narcissist” is what an unaccomplished person calls another person displaying pride in their achievements. Besides the envy & resentment aspects of those who use the label, their primary complaint is that narcissists aren’t spending enough time thinking about them; these are the same people who think ambition is ego. Also, be suspicious anytime you see the word “empathy” applied for or against anyone because that is the word unnoteworthy people use to make themselves the center of attention. Machiavellianism, as most people know is named after a famous wise author whose insights troubled the altruistic sensibilities of timid people, and means simply ignoring the artifices of morality. Morals are notoriously subjective, so whether one sees Machiavellain as a good or bad trait depends on who’s calling who what. The very fact that patience & calculation are considered signs of Machiavellianism is a clear indicator of the predispositions & prejudices of its detractors. These same people intentionally conflate sociopathy with psychopathy; the former is a sign of the highly capable, competent & conscientious among us, while the latter is a medically diagnoses for broken individuals who receive pleasure by hurting others. Since perversity is a trait that all these name-callers seem to share, taking pleasure in other’s misfortunes even when personally detrimental; it’s more likely the people calling other people psychopaths are the majority of psychopaths. Evidently, the darkest thing about the Dark Triad are the ones using the term. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-20_975_dark_triad.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-20_975_dark_triad.mp3 3:38 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, dark triad, narcissism, machiavellianism, psychopathy no Tue, 15 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Pop psychology personality tests have an almost addictive allure; you strongly suspect they're little more than horoscopes, but you tend to believe them anyway. Is there anyone on the Internet that hasn't taken one online that purports to tell you what kind of person you are? The two most well-known personality tests are Jung Type and Big Five, both of which are supposedly based on real studies, but the Style test is the most popular; you answer 105 agree-or-disagree questions, and it identifies your style out of 15 possible. Other tests are similar though the number the questions differ. The sheer number of personality tests is proof of their popularity, or at least the over-saturation of Psychology PhDs looking for publication, or maybe just space-fillers by people with too much time on their hands. Here is a partial list of online personality tests available: Communism, Authority, Orientation, Dark Core, Gender, DSM Style, Kinsey, Dark Triad, Feminism, Villain, Morality, Anger, Psychopath, Sexual, Lifetrap, Freud, Homophobia, IQ, EQ, Sexism, Faces, Transgender, Rorschach, Attachment, Narcissism, Conspiracy, Adversity, Abuse, Depression, Trump Derangement Syndrome, Chaos, ADHD, Stress, Eating, Perfection, Electability, Friends, Resilience, Breakup, Anxiety, Wealth, EvoPsych, Sizeism, PTSD, Typology, Car, Movie Star, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Hogwarts, and my personal favorite, Winnie the Pooh, I wonder what kind of personality would take them all? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-20_974_personality_tests.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-20_974_personality_tests.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, personality test no Sun, 13 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was the most insightful man in history, but he's been maligned for being too disturbing to read, and his Ubermensche concept was regrettably adopted by the Nazis. Ubermensche, which is German for “overman,” was the idea that humanity will eventually achieve full self-awareness. It comes down from the world's first philosopher, Zarathustra, founder of the world's first major world religion, Zoroastrianism, from which other major religions are derived: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Bahá'í. Gnosticism and Greek philosophy. With a provenance like that, it's probable that striving to become an ubermensche may be the most important goal of every human; in fact, Nietzsche said “ The Ubermensch is the meaning of the earth.” How can something so cardinal be so unknown? The best way to describe an Ubermensche is to enumerate the goals: make your own values. Be selfish in strategic ways. Understand that suffering is a necessary component of good things. Understand that you will be hard to understand. Be gentle toward the weak out of consciousness of your own great strength. Don’t be too humble; delight in your own abilities; and lastly; become devoted to the Earth. Those are outstanding goals, and certainly make becoming an Ubermensch laudable; too bad the Nazi interpretation of becoming the literal overmen ruined it for everyone. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-20_973_ubermensche.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-20_973_ubermensche.mp3 2:44 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Ubermensche no Fri, 11 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In the Male Dominance Hierarchy, the coin of the realm is respect; the more you have, the more control you have over your own life. And like coins, respect can be both given and received, but it must be earned, people aren’t owed respect. The most important kind of respect is self-respect because if you don’t respect yourself, you will not be respected by others either. Courtesy is the handmaiden of respect, and often substitutes for it. Respect is also an important component of personal identity and interpersonal relationships, because once respect is replaced by its opposite, contempt, a relationship is over, which very often leads to violence; so it’s not actually respect we have to be worried about, it’s disrespect. Unfortunately, respect has entered the realm of Social Justice: “People are due respect for the simple fact of being people. Equality is in balance.” If everyone supposedly has respect then no one has, which totally negates its personalized value. Since the word has been lost to mysticism, it’s important to replace it in our consciousness because real respect is very important. We could use one of the synonyms of respect in its place; perhaps “regard,” or “deference,” “honor,” maybe even “admiration?” However, the best word to use would be “esteem,” which is even closer to what we want; the sense of a person’s worth. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-19_972_respect.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-19_972_respect.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, respect no Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There's a lot of words out there that originate in Metaphysics, the opposite of physics, which means they can mostly be ignored; one, however, "mindfulness," comes up repeatedly. The definition is a little hazy; it's either an entreaty to focus on what you're doing now and ignore the complexity of life around you so as not to be overwhelmed, or it means to prevent thoughts of the past from tainting your experience of the present; both descriptions seem appropriate & important to psychological well-being. The term apparently originates in Buddhism, part of the Eightfold path to Enlightenment, an ingredient of meditation, putting all thoughts out of your head except for your immediate perceptions and feelings. Mindfulness is also used in the practice of medicine as a cure for mental & physical illness: patients with pain are instructed to ignore it by instead intensely focusing on other bodily sensations. People who experience intense anxiety, due to dwelling on embarrassing or traumatic events in their past, are taught to assiduously fixate on their life right now. And there’s the “don’t be judgmental” component of mindfulness that would obviously benefit society. It seems mindfulness, as a concept, has lots of uses. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-19_971_mindfulness.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-19_971_mindfulness.mp3 2:15 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, mindfulness, pain no Mon, 07 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the things that separates human beings from animals is extensive memories. Animals have memory, sometimes long ones, but not at the same level as humans; a lot of our intellect is remembering things. Humans want to remember, they desire to remember, they get positive reinforcement by remembering because memory cells are literally bathed in dopamine, the mind's feel good drug. Every time you remember, you derive pleasure from it. It's easy to understand that as humans evolved, those that got a dopamine hit from remembering something, especially something important, wanted to do it again, and again, and again, until the human brain became more a repository for memories than the calculating machine it’s often imagined to be. Memories are the real reason brain beats brawn. The reason the music you grew up makes you feel good but new music doesn't, is because there are no preexisting memory pathways in the brain to stimulate pleasure. The more you hear a particular song, the more pleasurable it becomes. Similar sounding music can stimulate a lot of the same pathways; that's why you can say one song sounds a lot like another, symbiotically generating dopamine. Imagine early humans beating drums, dancing for hours around a fire in wild abandon, high on the repeating rhythm of the drums, where every beat pumped a tiny bit more dopamine & adrenaline into their brains, ultimately collapsing into sexual ecstasy, and it's not hard to understand why homo sapiens were so successful as a species; it’s all due to memory. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-19_970_memory.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-19_970_memory.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, memory, music no Sat, 05 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Virtue is one of those words that requires people who share the same values to discuss because it uses morality in its definition. Similarly, its opposite, vice, has no universal meaning; what may be a vice to some is virtuous to others. Like all the foundational human motives, virtue is a result of chemical interactions in your brain; it triggers a dopamine release. When you are indoctrinated with morals as a child; pathways in your brain are created, and as an adult, when electrical signals traverse those motor-neurons, the stimulation is pleasurable. People are virtuous because it makes them feel good. The interesting thing about virtue is that it doesn’t require any action; just thinking about it is enough; this is why the practice of Virtue Signaling is so prevalent among those without enough self-awareness to know that they are actually being selfish; they are looking for the pleasure of dopamine for no other reason than self-gratification. It would seem that it couldn't get anymore selfish than that but the exploitation doesn’t stop there, the closely related feeling of sanctimony, people finding moral laxity in other people for their own selfish pleasure, is even worse. Virtue is the most abused of all the human emotions. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-18_969_virtue.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-18_969_virtue.mp3 2:09 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, virtue no Thu, 03 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There is nothing more subjective than happiness, which is probably why it has the most amount of trite cliches to describe it: contentment, pleasure, satisfaction, cheerfulness, gaiety, joy, joviality, glee, blitheness, carefreeness, gladness, delight, good spirits, light-heartedness, good cheer, well-being, enjoyment, felicity, exuberance, exhilaration, elation, ecstasy, delirium, jubilation, rapture, bliss, euphoria, beatitude, delectation, jouissance, and it goes on. In fact, there’s an entire pseudo-scientific field of “happiness” literature that appears from the outside to be legitimate, but looking into it makes an objective person shake their head. It’s part of the anti-scientific principles movement currently underway by people who wish to make science about them. Supposed science conducted by biased researchers interviewing biased subjects about their biased feelings can’t possibly turn out well, but the motives are actually more sinister than just getting paid for sloppy, unsupervised work that generates unwarranted acclaim; the actual goal of happiness research is to upend the political order. Existing Western values focus on ambition, meritocracy & accomplishment, and a lot of people, by definition, half, those below the average, fair poorly under those conditions. It’s to every loser’s benefit to change the rules to benefit them, and nothing is more compelling for change than being able to determine the values which produce the most happiness. What good is walking on the moon if you’re not happy about it? The question is easy enough to answer: any feeling that can be generated by sniffing cocaine or shooting heroin shouldn’t be one that guides society. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-18_968_happiness.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-18_968_happiness.mp3 2:55 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, happiness no Tue, 01 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It may be disappointing to know that we act only as a result of chemistries in our brain but the human body isn’t magical, there must be something that controls the inner-workings of our complicated lives. Rather than dwell on the mechanics, it's more productive to identify the positive emotions built on that reality: there's our optimism, hopefulness and confidence about the future, and the successful outcome of the tasks we perform to stay alive; there's compassion, which is the sympathy, pity & concern we have for the sufferings & misfortunes of others; and there's our ambition; the desire & determination for achievement. It's not so much that we have these positive emotions, it's how they manifest themselves as charity, voluntary giving of help to those in need; love, which is the comfort & affection we give to those around us; and ingenuity, the creative & essential inventions we use in solving problems. All of these things are absolutely required for human beings to exist; without any one of them, the species would fail. The same cannot be said for the negative emotions of fear, envy, anger & resentment, which manifest themselves as passive-aggressiveness, spite, perversity & vindictiveness. It's not so clearcut how these things contribute to the advancement of humans; let's hope the positive emotions win out. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-18_967_positive_emotions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-18_967_positive_emotions.mp3 2:15 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, emotions no Sun, 30 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor We are biological robots; everything we do is motivated by a neurotransmitter stimulating some part of our brain. David Hume, one of the Scottish philosophers so important to The Enlightenment, postulated on this in the mid-1700s; he thought that passion rather than reason governed human behavior; that we were only a bundle of causally-connected perceptions. Because the incentive mechanisms of neurotransmitters had not yet been discovered, Hume's thesis had to use contorted rhetoric to explain its operation, but he was on the right track. We now know everything we do is motivated, or rather incentivized, by neurotransmitters; evolution's way of causing the human species to survive since we do not have instinct. Everything we think we do out of reason, we do because we seek the inner-reward of tiny molecules passing into nerve endings, specifically: a dose of serotonin that comes from accomplishment, the dopamine high from altruism, adrenaline pressures us to alleviate anxiety to ourselves or something we cherish, and testosterone provides the impetus for violence, aggression & lust. The reality is, people don't do things because of the inspiration of noble thoughts, but instead because of a primeval drug addiction. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-17_966_neurotransmitters__incentive.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-17_966_neurotransmitters__incentive.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Hume, instinct, neurotransmitters no Fri, 28 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Society is too important to leave unsubsidized; let's review: By many definitions, we're already in a depression. The attraction for Universal Basic Income is too powerful to overcome. Most people don't understand why work is so important to a functional society. The solution to housing the homeless is almost entirely a matter of legal changes. “Saving lives” is the cover used by authoritarians because it tops the sanctimony scale. Boomers may be the last generation to experience the greatest of America. Society's responsibility includes subsidizing the things its people need. A job is too important not to have, even if government has to subsidize it. Whoever is responsible for children controls the direction of society. Schooling should be subsided by government but it should not be government-operated. How government funds education is almost as important as the education. Mandatory charity is used to mask negative motivations deleterious to society. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-17_965_subsidized_society_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-17_965_subsidized_society_concepts.mp3 2:41 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society, subsidize no Wed, 26 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Altruism is genetic, and it's the source of people's profound desire to help other people and other creatures when they see them in need because altruists get personal satisfaction from their charitable actions. Some people even feel altruistic towards things, and become their protectors & custodians, hence the allure of the environmental movement. This is a fundamental human emotion, obviously based in evolution since it seems to be integral to a successful society, at least in the form of charity, which is voluntary. Unfortunately, altruism easily turns into egalitarianism, which turns charity into an obligation. An egalitarian society intends to make all people equal, primarily at the expense of other people. It turns charity into a right; those in need can make demands on another's resources or ability. There are many examples in the past to demonstrate the results of that kind of reversal of responsibility; society will sink to its lowest common denominator: achievement is minimized, meritocracy demonized, and ambition denigrated. Obviously, it's not charity causing these things, but the other evolution-derived traits of envy, covetousness & resentment, which hide behind charity. It's interesting that when charity is viewed as voluntary, it advances society, but when it becomes mandatory, it destroys it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-17_964_charity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-17_964_charity.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, charity, egalitarian no Mon, 24 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Mention “schools,” and everyone always thinks teachers, classrooms & buses. Those things are very expensive, partially, if not completely, because they are government-run, which means political. Everywhere there’s lots of money combined with sanctimony, especially with no one keeping tabs, exploitation runs rampant: public schools, and their tremendously powerfully teachers unions and toady school boards, are possibly the biggest example of this. The best solution for the problem has been known for decades: vouchers, where every student is given an allotment of government money to apply to whatever learning institution or method they want that works best for them. In the beginning, most students will probably still select traditional schooling but a lot will choose a modern alternative technique for learning, which more students will adopt as the advantages become apparent. Funding vouchers is just as important a consideration for such a total re-haul of education. Currently, local property taxes & levees pay for schools, but that's a regressive form of taxation, meaning everybody pays the same, no matter their income; regressive taxes concentrate wealth to the wealthy. Instead, subsidize or supplant that with increased federal grants, which already cover about 10% of education's cost. Federal money comes from progressive taxation, meaning from people who have lots of money. However, we do have to be careful because there's the problem of perverse incentives: when prisons were converted in this way, they began advocating for more prisoners, and public building project bids are sometimes burdened with ideological motives or cronyism; so we’ll have to keep an eye out for such exploitation of vouchers. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-16_963_government-funded_education.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-16_963_government-funded_education.mp3 2:50 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, vouchers, regressive, progressive, funding, education, schools no Sat, 22 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It's in society's interest to ensure citizens are educated, at least so that they can interact with others and with business; to be able to take care of themselves with the least amount of government intervention. What form that education takes is immaterial; there's no reason students should be forced to a particular timetable, location, grouped by age, or forced to engage in propaganda they disapprove of. Making all of those things choices means the best way to handle education is with Markets because education is a product. There's no reason for government to be in the education business; in fact, it's dangerous, as proven by the shift in only one generation from liberty to egalitarianism which was only possible because of public indoctrination in schools. The virus lockdowns proved that education can be done in people’s homes, no need for traditional brick & mortar buildings, classrooms, textbooks, police, hall monitors, and exploitation by public employee unions. Education can demonstrably be accommodated by Market Forces so why is it still being run by government? Of course, government is responsible for funding schools, and just like infrastructure, that responsibility should be performed by private companies because it can be. Government-subsidized schooling rather than government-run schooling would focus on the students rather than the system. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-16_962_subsidize_schooling.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-16_962_subsidize_schooling.mp3 2:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, education, schools, schooling, subsidize no Thu, 20 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Children are incredibly resilient, obviously an evolutionary trait. Children live in an imaginary world because the real world hasn't sunk in yet. Every kid is happy by default; the naivete of childhood is a protective cloak that insulates them from the outside world; except in extreme cases, they doesn't know if they're poor or that their family life is chaos. The traditional family, one where parents are responsible for their children, has worked pretty much the same since the species began. Egalitarian attempts to raise children communally exist, most recently in the former Soviet Union, but those experiments didn't produce remarkably more successful or advanced societies; quite the opposite, in fact. It seems a child can live in a village but it doesn't take a village to raise a child. Society does, however, have responsibility for children. First & foremost, a society's primary purpose is to perpetuate itself, and that takes children, so anything that promotes children is fundamentally a good thing. Secondly, children eventually become society, so its values & ideals needs to be indoctrinated into them young. Unfortunately, today children are taught to be fearful of everything: climate, viruses, even being called names; how could they not turn into desultory, disgruntled & dissatisfied adults. Who was responsible for that? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-16_961_who_is_responsible_for_children.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-16_961_who_is_responsible_for_children.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society, children no Tue, 18 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It's not enough to subsidize employees; to keep as many people working as possible, government needs to subsidize jobs too, much like it did during the Great Depression. Programs were created by Executive Order by President Roosevelt in 1933 in times very similar to these: Emergency Conservation Work, Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration, National Youth Administration, Development of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the quaint, Camps for Unemployed Women. At that time, as now, young people had lost confidence in their government, and more worrisome, they had lost their faith in liberty because liberty requires both freedom & opportunity, but opportunity was lacking. The problem back then was a lackluster economy, while today the problem is the people’s lack of personal focus, and sense of having no control over their life. Public works give people a feeling of accomplishment & personal value, not to mention patriotism. Jobs are way more valuable to society than a means of transferring money from The Rich to everyone else; jobs instill Work Ethic. Everyone should be expected to work in some fashion, and that requires closely-managed, low-end jobs that don't make sense unless all of the benefits to society are added together. Also, if you work, even if your salary is subsidized by government, nobody's going to tell you what to do, but if you don’t work, just sitting around collecting free money, then you can be sure other folks will be telling you how to spend it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-15_960_subsidize_jobs.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-15_960_subsidize_jobs.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, subsidize, jobs, liberty, opportunity no Sun, 16 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A society isn't things, and most of the things in society are optional; people need way less than they consume, and the things they consume are ephemeral too. The reason consumerism is encouraged is that modern society has enough productivity to satisfy the basic needs of every person in it, with a lot of productivity left over. If people didn't consume the non-essential things that other people produce, there would be no need for their effort. Living like the Amish could solve that problem but then no one would be exploring, innovating, discovering, and certainly not landing on the moon. If the human psyche was satisfied with video games, fast food & working on their novel, society could add those simple things to its list of essentials and be done with it; but people need goals, they need ambition, they need success & failure, or they get restless & dissatisfied. It doesn't take long for aimless protests in the streets demanding ever more esoteric things. The question is: what do people do? Traditionally, people were employed in manufacturing, so getting those jobs back, even if it requires a subsidy, is important. However, even then, robots are supposed to take everyone's job, but Amazon is fully automated yet people still shop & eat where other people are, so the service industry obviously isn't going anywhere. Talk of an Information society has been around for a few decades but it turned out to be nothing doing nothing; people need to feel what they’re doing is something, or at least feel the time between what they are doing is something; therefore, society needs to subsidize parks, art, concerts, fairs, celebrations, and promotion of jobs workers can be proud of doing, whatever the cost. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-15_959_subsidize_society.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-15_959_subsidize_society.mp3 2:48 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society, subsidize no Fri, 14 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The word “Boomer” has become an icon for a time in history when life seemed, in retrospect, to be idyllic. Boomers are mocked for their optimism, enthusiasm & positive, go-getter attitudes, but that's more out of envy than belief. No other generation can do better than Boomers as a whole; those times are past. Boomer is obviously more a concept than it is an actual time period during which people were born, but there were some distinct aspects of life that created the Boomer attitude. As a Boomer, we thought getting an education in anything but STEM was a waste, and following your muse was unrealistic. When I grew up, I couldn’t wait to get out of my parent’s cramped house, but my children had multiple rooms and learned to drive stick in a Ferrari. Generations now simply can’t compete so they made new goals, and per Nietzsche's concept of Slave Morality, their goals are the opposite of their Boomer parents: because Boomers believe in liberty, meritocracy & patriotism, what their children want is egalitarianism; since Boomers were high-income consumers who lived in the suburbs, Millennials disdain money & things, and live packed together in cities. Boomers are individualists who think they got where they were by their own efforts, which is only partway true because Boomers had more opportunity and less restrictions. Boomers are poor at self-awareness because they never had to think of anything else, but they were the most creative & pioneering because they could be. A saying of Boomers is that “the world is your oyster,” but what possible sense does that make now? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-15_958_boomers.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-15_958_boomers.mp3 2:48 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Boomers, Boomer no Wed, 12 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Sanctimony can justify anything, and make the sanctimoaner feel good at the same time. The sanctimonious holy grail is “saving lives.” There's no defense to that claim because it isn't logical; if it was then simple comparisons would be persuasive; for example, what about outlawing bathtubs because they're among the Top 10 causes of injuries & death? Choking is another big hazard, so should only soup be allowed? Would you give your car away if you knew there would be no fatal auto accidents? Not to mention childbirth, which is dangerous in its own right? Obviously, extending out the analogy, there would be absolutely no injury & death if there were no people. Illogic & hypocrisy rule in Saving Lives World: the irony of Defund the Police occurring simultaneously with mandatory masks is staggering; or massive BLM rallies but people can't go to church; or being forced into lockdown to save hospitals but hospitals closing because there are no patients. The list is endless, frustrating & maddening. When “saving lives” trumps conscientiousness, it leaves the world devoid of liberty, and smelling like the Middle Ages. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-14_957_saving_lives.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-14_957_saving_lives.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, saving lives no Mon, 10 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It's odd that we, as a society, will let people sleep in tents under bridges, or sleep in church parking lots, but let regulations and building codes keep them out of empty buildings? It’s actually a problem of being over-civilized. Here's what would be required to use vacant commercial space for temporary housing: 1) No liability. The owners of the building have to be totally insulated. 2) No regulations. Bureaucrats would have to be put on a short leash. 3) The place has to be run like an army barracks to provide a sense of order for chaotic lives. 4) It has to be a true charity, not a non-profit that profits the supposed rescuers. 5) Make it easy to donate to, including expired or homemade food. These are all difficult but solvable issues, however, self-righteous, sanctimonious indignation seems to be the biggest stumbling block for providing shelter to people who really need it; the problem is who wants to be the one blamed for pictures of kids sleeping under Space Blankets on the bare tile floors of an abandoned shopping mall. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-14_956_homeless_housing.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-14_956_homeless_housing.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, homeless, housing no Sat, 08 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In the days when people worked to survive, they consumed barely less than they produced. That ratio has progressively moved up so that in modern times, the productivity of 1 person supports 5 people. The question isn't how high can that ratio go, which seems limitless with robots and new technology on the horizon; what's important is why should people work at all? The vast majority of people wouldn’t work if they didn’t have to; the equatorial nations of easy food and temperate weather are proof of that. Without threat to life or comfort, people don’t work past life’s necessities; laziness & sloth are apparently the human default. For several generations, people worked to obtain status & self-gratification but those are subjective & ephemeral things, and require a society that promotes them. When all physical things are universally available, and society no longer fosters a need for conformity, the only viable motive to work would be personal ambition, but that's a difficult trait to understand. Testosterone plays a significant role in making men ambitious & aggressive, but animals have testosterone, and they don't build cities or land on the moon. None of the egalitarian traits of equality, sympathy & envy promote those things either. Inner fulfillment is more religion than fact. Luckily, the primal motivation for men is mating; high status leads to scoring the hottest babes, so men work to increase their status; sex is what makes the wheels go round. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-14_955_why_work.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-14_955_why_work.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, work, productivity, consumption, testosterone, ambition no Thu, 06 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Universal Basic Income, or UBI, as odious as it may be, is an idea whose time as come, and it will only gain ground as there are fewer & fewer jobs untrained people can do. In fact, it's gained academic credibility, and even some presidential candidates have begun basing their campaigns on it; who doesn't want free money? Plus, payments during the virus Lockdown started the ball rolling; it's going to be difficult to pull back from that, especially during distressed economic times. UBI removes the need to work; besides the consumption vs. production problem, it's psychologically unhealthy. There's a long history of free money with Social Security and Disability, but those normally go to older people who have already had full lives. Young people require purpose; a sense of mission & accomplishment. A society of drones, all feeling entitled & complacent, can't possibly last long because there's nothing worse than the restlessness of the idle. Entertainment is simply a distraction, it doesn't lead to satisfaction; soon, bored & unfulfilled folks will be protesting for something, anything, just to give their lives meaning, however trivial, however counterproductive, however perverse. There's nothing more dangerous to civilization than hordes of privileged youth with nothing to do. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-13_954_ubi_is_coming.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-13_954_ubi_is_coming.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, UBI, dangerous no Tue, 04 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Since money is imaginary and can be produced as needed, poor financial metrics are not the best definition of a “depression.” It’s also difficult to get out of the mindset that a depression should have soup lines, but those have been replaced by Welfare checks. Another traditional indicator of a depression is how many people aren't working, now 37%, over a third of the population; approximately the same percent of as during depressions of the past, but again, imaginary money masks that indicator too. The biggest sign that a country is in a depression is when it begins to flirt with Collectivism; when ambition is unrewarded and motivation is lacking. Collectivism surges when people think they can do better by redistributing wealth than they can by creating wealth of their own. If anything, the populist attraction to egalitarianism, the basis of Marxism, is bigger now than during The Great Depression. A depression also fosters extreme partisanship, wealth concentration, and unreliable news sources; all of which we are experiencing right now. But the most telling indicator is the general lack of optimism; the less optimism, the deeper the depression. However, it’s interesting how Tent cities seem to be an established fixture of depression, no matter the age. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-13_953_were_already_in_a_depression.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-13_953_were_already_in_a_depression.mp3 2:25 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, depression, signs no Sun, 02 May 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Not enough emphasis is placed on properly debating online so let's review: Debating is not for the feint of heart nor those with fragile egos. There's a few tips every debater should know or you'll be the newbie. You only need warned once about the pitfalls of debating because they repeat themselves. It's fun to be able to name the common debate fallacies. Not all debate techniques work with all debates. Argument From Authority no longer works now that Google is the ultimate authority. All debates devolve into name-calling eventually. Trolling can be as satisfying to do as it is infuriating to experience. Brigading is highly effective at stifling debate and it's easy. Masculine debate identifies who the males in the room are. Debate by 1000 Cuts is both subtle and lethal. Debating on Facebook is a poor second but sometimes there's no place else to go. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-13_952_debate_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-13_952_debate_concepts.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, debating no Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Online debate forums are obscure, and Twitter limits length, so most “debate,” if it can be called that, occurs on Facebook. Debating on Facebook is a chore because memes make up the bulk of the posts, name-calling is ubiquitous, and people you would ignore in real-life often take over a thread from sheer stupidity. However, if you should want to use Facebook for debating, first get enough Friends so that there's always someone who will reply to your posts. Hopefully, those Friends will be someone you don’t mind losing as a friend, or they’re close enough to remain courteous & respectful, but don’t ever rely on that. Make a statement of fact, or fiction as the case may be, and let the chips fall. If you don’t want to mess up your own feed with budding enemies but still want the thrill of the conflict, you can always go trolling. First, follow good etiquette and don’t get too sharp on someone's Homepage, that's when spouses & family will really take personal offense; you should be looking for entertainment, not making enemies. Instead wait for topic to enter your feed and respond to that; you’ll just be one of dozens of semi-anonymous posters, and you can always stop posting if it gets too hot. Don’t contribute to the frenzy by calling people names, and if you're going to imply something, keep it subtle, but not too subtle, you are debating on Facebook. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-12_951_debating_on_facebook.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-12_951_debating_on_facebook.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, debating, Facebook no Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Keep cutting with a razorblade and eventually the oak will fall; even the weakest of debate positions can be won with tenacity & perseverance. Longterm debaters, especially in the political realm, practice Debate by 1000 Cuts. Our political structure is such that issues can be won or lost because it seems too petty, contentious, or tedious to pursue: for example, somebody doesn't like guns so they constantly insist on gun-control. The people who want guns say nothing, they think they've got The Constitution on their side, but the cuts keep coming and coming and coming. Regardless how silly or illogical, a few people convinced at a time will eventually add up to 51%. Climate Change is another of these cut-cut-cut strategies: the Climate Changers don't debate any real solutions, they just continually harangue & fearmonger children about the end of the world. Most of it's nonsense but if you should offhandedly agree with something they are promoting, just to be courteous or fair, next thing, Carbon Trading. “Racism” has also entered the pantheon of cutting horrors; endless trolls repeating the same tired slogans. They’re obviously centrally financed and organized, their tactic transparently one of endless cutting, and if no one pushes back, you will again be judged by the color of your skin rather than the content of your character. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-12_950_debate_by_1000_cuts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-12_950_debate_by_1000_cuts.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, climate change, gun control, racism no Mon, 26 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In my debating experience, which is formidable, the most caustic, hysterical & threatening debate competitors are male. Females may be insulting & antagonistic but they rarely resort to serious name-calling; they may say you’re narcissistic, stupid, or immature but that’s about the extent of their verbal arsenal. Males, on-the-other-hand, will go right at the core of your self-respect; insinuating that you are a liar, cheat, or even a pedophile. Another masculine debate trait is endurance, a male will not back down, and will not let go; they will even stalk you across threads, something females never do. Whatever the controversy about transism, the ability for biological men to call themselves women, the easiest way to tell online is simply by debating them: biological males, those who grew up with testosterone flowing through their veins, are much more aggressive in their debating technique than biologic females. Another male can recognize masculinity from their lifelong experience in the Male Dominance Hierarchy, which females can’t mimic, or at least, don’t want to. To defeat a transwoman in a debate about transwomen is to first state that men are bullies; the transwoman will agree with you; then continue the debate about the biological differences between men & women. Remain calm but insistent, and when it’s clear that your opponent is bullying you, responding like a man, point it out. A transwoman who is invested in their new sexual identity will recognize the truth of that revelation and immediately disappear. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-12_949_masculine_debate.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-12_949_masculine_debate.mp3 2:49 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, transwomen, debate, masculine no Sat, 24 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Social Media is defined by plagues of brigaders swarming any idea they disagree with and destroying it’s credibility & impact. Brigading is a coordinated troll attack; popular because everyone can do it, knowledge or intelligence not required; it's easy, just click what they tell you; and there's a dopamine reward, usually from virtue signaling but perversity often plays a part. The most famous brigading groups are the online knitting circles; thousands of women who initially started out knitting together but eventually became a force to be reckoned with by all posting together, what became know as a Twitter mob. And that's not counting the thousands, even tens-of-thousands, of coordinated bots. In fact, bots account for more retweeting and message ranking than real users. Entire Twitter Storms can be nothing but bots on either side. There are several methods of brigading: going to the homepage of a political candidate and typing a scripted disparaging message en mass. There’s ratioing, where Dislikes of a post far outweigh the Likes or retweets. There’s UpVoting which takes activist posts to the top of the feed, to the first page where everyone can see them, and DownVoting things they don’t like to bury that idea though obscurity Even online Buyer Reviews of products are completely open to manipulation, so-much-so that they've become more a weapon than a resource; for example, a Trump campaign App will get a quarter million negative user reviews, dozens by each brigader; the numbers so big that no amount of positive real reviews could make any difference. Trying to continuing a message every fifth post, surrounded by brigader invective, is not a successful strategy; brigaders always win. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-11_948_brigading.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-11_948_brigading.mp3 2:50 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, brigading, twitter mob, bots, twitter storm, ratioing, upvoting no Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Outside of actually changing someone's mind, which never happens, trolling is the most satisfying of all debating tactics. The word “troll” has a bad connotation, people who call names or post nonsense to disrupt a debate, but if trolling is done properly, no one even knows they were trolled. The word comes from fishing, hanging a line with a piece of juicy bait, off the back of the boat then puttering around trying to hook a fish. Crude trolls are obviously trying to start trouble, but an Epic Troll can actually make a point; people will engage with an Epic Troll honestly because they don’t seem adversarial. To pull it off, the Epic Troll cannot leave character; they must appear to be sincere at all times, insidiously peppering the debate with truth that the other side doesn't like to admit, or has never considered. A well-crafted troll is more convincing than a straight-forward argument because there's no rubbing against ego & spite; you appear to be on their side; trolling is a way to bring epiphany to otherwise insightful people. You know you've won when no one responds any longer, even though no anger was present. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-11_947_trolling.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-11_947_trolling.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, troll, epic troll, trolling no Tue, 20 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor You're going to get called names while debating. If you respond by getting angry, you lose. If you try to defend yourself, you lose, and though Blocking people admits defeat, if a name-caller persists, you may have to. There's only two ways to handle name-calling: first & easiest, ignore them; just let the name-calling posts scroll by without responding, even if there's an alluring tidbit embedded in them, because once you've legitimized a post by responding to it, you've incorporated the slur into your reputation. The other way to handle insults is the most fun but you've got to be a troll at heart, and have a lot of self-confidence; simply admit to whatever the accusation is. The most common insults in an SJW world are the easiest to absorb: “Yes, I’m a racist, homophobe, xenophobe, misogynist Russian sympathizer.” This tactic even works against brigading, but whatever real thing you might have wanted to say is gone. You've got to sacrifice what might have been a productive line of debate but it's actually kind of funny: “Yes, I'm a moron. I’m a vile, perverted sicko. I’m off my meds. I’m a loser. I’m stupid.” This kind of response, made right after the slur, very often shuts the name-caller up entirely, and there's a chance you could continue debating, but if not, just keep the game going: “Hehe. I'm a donkey. I'm a boot-licking freak. I'm going to get a MAGA hat. I’m a traitor. I'm going to become a Communist & move to Russia. I’m both retarded and have a small penis.” Admit to all the invective, they don't repeat; soon people will see what you're doing and stop; wait a bit after all is quiet then make one final post to rub salt in the wound: “Wasn’t hard to own this thread.” politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-11_946_name-calling.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-11_946_name-calling.mp3 2:52 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, SJW, debate, name-calling no Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Argumentum Ad Verecundiam, Appeal To Authority, is the common debating tactic of invoking an expert to prove you're correct; linking to an article is how it's normally practiced online. It's also a major source of shutting you down via the sanctimony of so-called “fact checking:” you make a statement then somebody throws up a couple links that imply you're uninformed, wrong, or a liar. Today's Google culture has made everyone an expert: Google scientists, Google lawyers, and even Google doctors, abound. If you should be an actual scientist, lawyer, or doctor, don't expect any added credibility for your argument; it can be dismissed with a single link that purports to prove you wrong. The underlying assumption is that no one is any more of an expert on anything than anyone else. The only way to combat this lack of respect for authority is to first deny links as a presumptive trump card. Declare that since any side of any issue has supporting links, all linking is useless. Make the assertion that since all external authority is suspect, and all debates eventually boil down to your opinion vs. my opinion, let’s only rank our own opinions; state you are a doctor, lawyer, whatever, and expect them to be the same, or they should concede. They won't, of course, they'll use an Ad Hominem attack, cast Suspicion, and begin to Bully you, but anyone reading the thread will grant you your authority and a win. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-10_945_argument_from_authority.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-10_945_argument_from_authority.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, Appeal To Authority, Argumentum Ad Verecundiam, no Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Debate has gone on as long as more than one human gathered together, and after evolving past Might-Makes-Right, some traditional debating strategies emerged to beat an opponent with words; for example, Aristotle's Reductio Ad Absurbum, which means Appeal To Extremes, a method of proving the falsity of a premise by showing that its logical consequence is absurd or contradictory. There is also Argumentum Ad Logicam, Argument From Fallacy, showing that an argument contains an error, therefore its conclusion must be false: i.e. if P then Q but if P is fallacious then Q is false. As venerable, clever & effective as those strategies are, most debates descend into chaos rather quickly, especially if they're successful. More often, Ab Absurdo, Appeal To Mockery & Ridicule, is used, which presents an opponent's argument as absurd, ridiculous, or humorous, and therefore not worthy of serious consideration; but that’s still being relatively civil... Social Media-based debate descends well below courtesy: name-calling and ad hominem attacks are most often used. They're simple and effective because they either drive off the other party, put them on the defensive, or cause them to get angry; all of which are wins. Other’s go after your reputation: if you claim some kind of authority, they’ll undermine it by asking for ever more detailed proof; there's no expertise so great that they can't imply that someone else is smarter; and if one person is more of an expert, then you must be a second rate fraud. The really caustic ones go after a person's reputation at every opportunity, implying they're pedophiles or homosexuals. You’ll get to know your adversaries, which is odd to consider since you'll never personally meet any of them; in fact, it's best they’re essentially anonymous because the relationship is one based on contempt, disgust & disrespect. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-10_944_debate_techniques.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-10_944_debate_techniques.mp3 3:05 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, debating technique no Wed, 14 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It doesn't take long in an online debate before someone calls you names, or tries to attack you personally; that's called an Ad Hominem attack. Though amateurish, it's an effective tactic because most people will try and defend themselves, and that's a hole they can't climb out of; best to ignore it. Also, your opponent will often try to misrepresent your position, “so you're saying you kill babies;” that's called a “straw man” because they've replaced you with their caricature of you. Other named debating fallacies are Special Pleading, Confusion of Correlation and Causation, Anecdotal Evidence & Appeal to Authority. Here's a list of common debate fallacies that aren't specifically named, so I did.   There's “Casting Suspicion;” implying that your opponent's pov is tainted in some way; and a person using a false pretext concealing their real intentions is known as “Trolling.” A “Disingenuous” debater is not candid nor sincere. “Accusations” are claiming the opponent has done something wrong, putting them on the defensive. “Dismissive” is insinuating that the person or argument is unworthy of consideration. “Bullying” is ridicule, belittlement & scorn. “Ganging Up” is when multiple opponents target you, and “Brigading” is when they're organized. Some opponents are intentionally “Obtuse,” repeating a false or illogical narrative despite proof otherwise. Often people assume “Facts Not In Evidence” or have a “Presumption” that the central premise has already been established. The worst is when you get “Stalked;” a person making derogatory comments after everything you post. And you probably already know it, but I'll repeat Godwin's Law: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-10_943_debate_fallacies.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-10_943_debate_fallacies.mp3 3:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, debate fallacies no Mon, 12 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Real debating, not that namby-pamby fluff in high school, is not for the faint-of-heart; the requirements are thick skin, controlled anger, and the optimism that you will eventually prevail, or at least exit the fray with your honor & reputation intact. Here are some things to be warned of: First, avoid staged debates against people whose main tactic is one of accusation, belittlement, scorn, and dismissiveness. If one of these people interrupt a positive debate, ignore them; certainly don’t respond to them, thereby surrendering control of the discussion. If they get abusive, pointedly ask them to leave. If they won’t go away, Block them. In the worst possible case where the interloper has co-opted all productive discussion, discontinue your participation. One-on-one debating with a weak or ill-prepared opponent might seem like it would result in an easy victory, but if the opponent finds an accomplice that also insists the world is flat, then no amount of logical discussion will dissuade them, and even more Flat-Earthers will brigade you; leave the debate. Some people debate as if their words have value on their own accord, with no factual evidence or personal authority. These folks claim "common sense,” or age, or some kind of inborn special knowledge, and they are oblivious to how pedestrian their arguments sound to other people; it's the difference between a pontificator and debater; the solution is to leave the debate. And if you are making an ass of yourself, leave the debate. Am I making my point here...? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-09_942_debate_warnings.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-09_942_debate_warnings.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, strategy, warning no Sat, 10 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The goal of debating is to entertain yourself, and probably others, because it's a rare thing to ever change anybody's mind. If you're just getting started, here's a few debating tips: First, you need a point then support your point with some facts; personal anecdotes or authority help but you might get trumped by someone with more. Second; stay on a winning thread, meaning don't pursue points you've obvious lost. Follow multiple threads so that you don't fixate on just one; being too invested ruins your enjoyment; There's often two or three items under discussion in the same thread or even in the same post, but keep focused so you are only engaging one at a time. If you do want to take them all on, make bullet points so that each can be addressed individually. Third; keep your posts short; nobody's going to read a wall of text, and they will intentionally miss your most important point if it's a winner. And lastly, go ahead and get excited but post as if you're calm; practiced debaters can smell blood over the Internet. It's tough to debate someone who thinks completely differently than you, so avoid them, but there are going to be people who are receptive to your point-of-view; take them through the steps of your argument, find where you first disagree and begin your debate from there. Chances are an open-minded person will see your logic, possibly admire it, and maybe continue further exploration at another time, because online debates can go on for months, years even. Watch out to only use an insult if you want return punches. Most of all, don't take it personally, or you lose. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-09_941_debate_tips.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-09_941_debate_tips.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, internet, online, tips no Thu, 08 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A lot of people don't really know what debating is; they have some vague notion of young men in bow ties making points of order, or panels of political partisans yelling over each other, but the denizens of the Internet, Social Media specifically, have turned debate into a sport. Sometimes, very rarely, somebody actually changes their mind, but the entertainment and the fun is in the contest of rhetoric, logic & personalities involved. There are no special requirements to debate; you don’t have to be especially intelligent, knowledgeable, or even know what you’re talking about; you only need thick skin. Many Newbies, not familiar with online debating, begin with an awkwardly post, get embarrassed & insulted, and leave before they ever get a chance to learn how to engage. They are under the impression they have to win, but highly sophisticated debaters often take the other side of an issue just for the fun of it. Clever rhetoric will beat out logic every time; after some experience, you'll know which arguments are effective and which are failed experiments. It's reasonable & expected that your oral illusions will become more-and-more persuasive as they refine over innumerable debate encounters. No one will be convinced but there may be lurkers who will think differently because of something you said. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-09_940_debating.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-09_940_debating.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, debate, rhetoric no Tue, 06 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Free Speech is under attack like it has never been before; lets review why and by who: Without Free Speech Warriors, there will be no free speech. There is no such thing as Free Speech on the Internet. Egalitarians get to define who The Freedom Champions are, and it ain't us. Disrupting Free Speech isn't Free Speech. Free Speech Zones are the opposite of Free Speech. The Proud Boys learned they can't fight the anti-Free Speechers on their home turf. Yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater is perfectly legal; everybody should try it. Blocking is an important ingredient of online Freedom of Association. Banning is the primary weapon of the anti-Free Speechers. Whistle-Blowers don't have any Free Speech but political lackeys do. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-08_939_free_speech_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-08_939_free_speech_concepts.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, free speech no Sun, 04 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Free Speech includes the concept of a whistle-blower, someone who risks their job & reputation to report a government misdeed they have knowledge of. There’s actually a law that protects whistle-blowers but it’s seemingly ineffective except when abused as a political weapon. In fact, phony, partisan whistle-blowers get all the protections while the people the law was actually intended for suffer just as much or more punishment & censor as ever: Julian Assange & Edward Snowden come to mind. WikiLeaks founder, Assange, an Australian, published a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These leaks included the Baghdad airstrike Collateral Murder video, the Afghanistan war logs, the Iraq war logs, and Cablegate. Phony sex charges were brought against Assange who escaped to the Ecuadorian embassy in London. At one point, the U.S. tried to abduct Assange from there with the embassy’s help; eventually the Ecuadorians handed him over to be jailed.   American Edward Snowden’s disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments. There were literally millions of documents but Snowden only turned over ones he deemed violated people’s rights. Like Assange, Snowden was a true hero who gave up the good life. his career, his fiance, his homeland, and his own freedom. He's a very brave person willing to sacrifice everything for liberty and the truth. I'd like to think that a lot of people would be whistle-blowers if they had to, no matter the cost, specifically me. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-08_938_whistle-blowers.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-08_938_whistle-blowers.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, whistle-blower, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden no Fri, 02 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Banning has always been a favorite of the sanctimonious, and always filled with hypocrisy: the Confederate flag is banned but not the ISIS flag; common gestures like an okay sign are now banned as symbols of hate, but not a clinched Communist fist; and classic songs, like “Baby, it’s cold outside,” are banned as encouraging rape, but hip-hop songs that actually include rape are hits. There's a list of 73 books now banned on Amazon, many of which had been on sale for years, because modern readers can no longer be trusted to read them, or their authors to profit by them, except, apparently, “Mein Kampf;” it’s still for sale. Perhaps the money goes to a trendy diversity organization? However, banning of Speech used to be anathema, considered a pillar of American democracy, seemingly protected in The Constitution. Not anymore; when provocative voices were being banned from powerful, monopolistic Social Media platforms, The Left vigorously defended allowing private companies to do anything they want, even though those same people have a list of things they would like to ban private companies from doing; hypocrisy is obviously immune to cynicism. Often the reason given for the banning is to reduce hateful rhetoric. Ironically, TikTok, the popular Chinese Social Media app for kids, bans “fat, ugly, weirdos” as a means of decreasing hate speech. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-08_937_banning.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-08_937_banning.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, free speech, social media, banning no Wed, 31 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The concept of Blocking, where a person can deny another person from following them on social media, is a new one. In the past, we had private clubs where groups of people could be selective, but never before have we had such exclusivity at a personal level. The primary advantage of Blocking is that it facilitates your Freedom of Association, ridding yourself of odious personalities who make your life worse. The danger of Blocking is that it hardens the walls of the silos we keep ourselves in. However, Blocking can also facilitate online discussion. In Real Life, IRL, when someone of diminished mental or psychological capacity joins your conversation, it only takes a minute or two to mute them: some subtle physical indications; a slight turning of the body, ignoring, a condescending attitude, and other clues the invader usually perceives, and so shuts up; but social media is rife with mental illness & abhorrent behavior precisely because it can’t be adequately moderated. The solution is Blocking. Other solutions, like Ignoring & Up-ranking, can easily be exploited & abused; if you want to have a nuanced discussion without being interrupted by the idiots, Blocking is really the only option. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-07_936_blocked.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-07_936_blocked.mp3 2:16 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, block, online no Mon, 29 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the common tropes used by the people who want to restrict speech is to give an example of restricted speech: “you can't yell 'fire' in a crowded theater,” they smugly claim. This piece of folk legalese permeates popular culture but the simply fact is, you can yell “fire” in a crowded theater; there’s no law against it, knock yourself out. The old 1919 case that inspired that canard is often posited in Year One Law School discussions to take all the cocky newbies down a peg. The law that actually sets the limits on free speech is 1969's Brandenburg case, which says someone cannot incite a riot or credibly threaten imminent harm on another person, particularly the president of the United States; however, even that is obviously a debatable prohibition since so many people do it. So a fire-yeller could be charged both civilly and criminally if they intentionally try to cause havoc & chaos, and someone gets hurt. That's key, their actions must have caused some kind of provable damage; simply saying they caused a little panic, fright or offense is not enough, though the anti-free speechers want it to be. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-07_935_yelling_fire_in_a_crowded_theater.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-07_935_yelling_fire_in_a_crowded_theater.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, yelling fire in a crowded theater, free speech no Sat, 27 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The Proud Boys were created to counteract the anti-Free Speech movement, and they were successful for a short while by basing their credibility of their leader, Gavin McInnes, co-founder of influential Vice magazine. However, Proud Boys made the fatal mistake of thinking they could respond to the anti-Free Speech organization, Antifa, in Democrat-controlled cities, and having identifiable leadership; it didn't take long for them to be vilified by the MSM. The Proud Boys Wiki page is obviously written to misrepresent & defame them. Leftist Tech monopoly-controlled Social Media labeled them an extremist group, and Cancelled McInnes. I looked into Proud Boys because of their exploits in Portland, Oregon, where I live; an anti-Free Speech stronghold promoting itself as a “No Go” zone. The Proud Boys were formed to ensure there were no Free Speech No Go zones and so they went there to protest, but what happened is not what was reported in the media. In the morning, the Proud Boys drove into Portland, got out of their bus, walked around in a circle, got back on their bus, which by then was being attacked by Antifa, and drove away; half-hour tops. All the reporting of violence, mugging, assaults, etc. attributed to them was actually committed by Antifa on innocent passerbys, not even close to the short march area. All 13 arrested after The Proud Boys left were Antifa, but it doesn’t say that in the news articles. With no way to defend themselves, The Proud Boys no longer have the capacity to defend Free Speech; the opposite in fact, they’re an example of what happens to anyone who tries. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-07_934_proud_boys.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-07_934_proud_boys.mp3 2:53 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Proud Boys, Antifa no Thu, 25 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Under the guise of Safe Spaces, the campuses of liberal arts colleges are no Free Speech zones; which is the source of the contagion against Free Speech that has now permeated into Democrat-controlled cities, and enforced on the streets by Antifa. The origins of Antifa go back to the 1930s as Communists in Italy & Germany fought back against the Fascists, then defined by the National Socialists, the Nazis, where they engaged in the same kind of intimidation & violence they use today, though now their enemy is The Patriarchy in general, and Free Speech in particular. Because of that, Antifa has been declared a terrorist organization, but they simply morphed into BLM, which has the same goals, though couched in politically untouchable language and skin-coloring. I have some personal knowledge of Antifa because one of their bogeymen, mixed-race Joey Gibson, is local, and I attended court while he defended his right to assemble and speak freely in a public park. When he obtained an information booth for his organization, Patriot Prayer, at the local community college, Antifa threatened to show up and protest, so the school decided to cancel classes entirely and send staff home rather than support & accept the consequence of free speech. The institution literally enabled a no Free Speech zone; what a pitiful indicator of the state of Free Speech in our educational system, to immediately capitulate to Antifa’s aims. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-06_933_no_free_speech_zones.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-06_933_no_free_speech_zones.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Free Speech, BLM, Antifa no Tue, 23 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor As bizarre as it seems to older people, there are organized efforts to disrupt Free Speech in America, primarily discriminating against Conservatives, and it's gaining steam. It’s rooted in ideology, one intent on overturning the status quo, and Free Speech counter to their narrative of Social Justice makes that difficult. Their argument is the distorted, egalitarian view of liberty, with all the selfishness and none of the responsibility or introspection; the idea that if someone says something that offends you, you can prevent that person from speaking, especially if their message lies outside of acceptable thought. Examples of disrupting Free Speech aren’t hard to find: Conservative speakers barred from college campuses include Jordan Peterson, Dave Rubin, Kathleen Parker, Charles Murray, Ben Shapiro, Christina Hoff, and many more. And if they do get a venue, they're censored with a Heckler’s Veto, noise-making & interruptions. The hypocrisy of obstructing someone else from speaking by claiming Free Speech has already been determined unlawful, but it’s none-the-less effective unless there is a willingness to enforce the law. Another way to suppress Free Speech are the specious claims about safety to justify denying access, or trying to make the speaker financially responsible for additional security. Disrupting Free Speech is tragic but it’s to be expected in a Communist revolution. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-06_932_disrupting_free_speech.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-06_932_disrupting_free_speech.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, free speech, Heckler's Veto no Sun, 21 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The world strives to be egalitarian; only the U.S. is a bastion of liberty, which promotes meritocracy, creating inequality, the opposite of egalitarian. Therefore, whenever some world ranking emerges that purports to measure something with an egalitarian bent, the U.S. tends to do poorly; even something as fundamental to America as freedom. In the eyes of the German think tanks that prepare the World Freedom Index, freedom is measured by how much you can bully other people’s liberty; for example, if you’re offended by what another person is doing, can you force them to stop? And if another person has been more success than you, can you force them to share? Because in the eyes of the oral illusionists who measure “freedom,” equality makes you free. Their components of freedom are: economic, political and press, as measured on an egalitarian scale, which add together for a Total Freedom Score. In that light, it’s not difficult to guess which nations are the freedom champions: There’s Sweden, followed by Norway, Finland, Denmark and The Netherlands. Canada, where you could go to jail for misgendering someone, is in the top 10. Apparently, egalitarian freedom includes ineffectual depression and long summer vacations, because all of those nations specialize in that too. These are nations that would be expected to insure freedom around the world with their militaries, economies & global diplomacy… Or not. Where is the U.S. on the World Freedom Index you might wonder? #27, just below Cyprus but above Slovakia. Perhaps America's Freedom ranking is pulled down because we have to register for the draft; but if we had a Universal Basic Income, we could probably break into the top 20. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-06_931_the_freedom_ch_ions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-06_931_the_freedom_ch_ions.mp3 3:04 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, egalitarian, equality, World Freedom Index, freedom, liberty no Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor When people think of Free Speech, they don’t consider the nuance that the guarantee only keeps the government from restricting speech. In everyday life, your employer, the businesses you patronize, even your church can restrict what you say. With the rise of Tech giants that control Social Media where most speech occurs nowadays, restricting speech seems to be the norm rather than the exception, and has become especially egregious. The examples of bias against conservatives is well-documented, and is encouraged by illiberals who applaud & defend the practice. The specious argument that if you can’t post to Facebook, Twitter or Google, go somewhere else, only requires a few minutes of investigation to perceive that futility. If the monopolies were not biased, perhaps they could be ignored but the danger would always exist to exploit their censorship power at strategic times, for example, just before an election, like they’ve been doing. Even if those companies claim their policy is to be unbiased, they give a wink & nod to employees who abuse their privilege to engage in it. Propaganda works, and the government is the only one we allow to use it because they are supposed to be accountable, but our society is being inundated by totally unaccountable sources; in fact, there are probably foreign actors determining what Americans are seeing & hearing. If ever that was a time for government to intervene to guarantee free exchange of ideas, the time is now. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-05_930_free_internet_speech.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-05_930_free_internet_speech.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, internet, tech monopoly, free speech no Wed, 17 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Social Justice Warriors unironically named themselves that, and maintain their self-proclaimed title proudly even though it’s ridiculed by The Right, actually reaching the status of a slur. Similarly, the term “Free Speech Warrior” is denigrated by The Left, even though Free Speechers don't get offended by the title. Unfortunately, SJWs seem to far outnumber their Free Speech counterparts, and the small number of vocal advocates for free speech are continually besmirched by the media as “Right-Wing,” which they equate with Nazis. The arguments against Free Speech sound bizarre to someone raised to believe it's one of the most basic Rights; SJWs claim your speech is constrained by them being offended; but isn't that exactly the point? This complete misunderstanding about Free Speech is only possible by not teaching students in public schools what it is, how precious it is, and how important it is to protect. A Leftist arguing against Free Speech by burning a U.S. flag at a protest is beyond hypocrisy; especially when at the same time they use Free Speech to smear their rivals. I, for one, would be proud to be called a Free Speech Warrior, but without Free Speech, I guess that won't be possible much longer. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-05_929_free_speech_warrior.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-05_929_free_speech_warrior.mp3 2:24 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, free speech no Mon, 15 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Liberty has value, more than most people even consider; let's review: Conservatives, Liberals & Collectivists are separated from each other by their treatment of liberty. Americans didn't used to be afraid to proclaim their liberty; in fact, they were proud of it. You can identify your allies by how they treat your liberty. The Constitution's guarantee of life, liberty & property means more than the 3 simple words. Libertyists are the natural opposites of Equalists. Both the Left-wing and the Right-wing claim they have liberty, but their definitions are different. Liberty for all is only possible if it's individually constrained. It's frighting & concerning how easily people will surrender liberty. Protecting liberty is as easy and as difficult as learning from the past. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-05_928_value_of_liberty_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-05_928_value_of_liberty_concepts.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty no Sat, 13 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Liberty is under the greatest threat in our lifetime from people making equality, rather than liberty, the goal. This isn't the first time egalitarianism has had a substantial foothold in America; it was stronger than it is now in the late 19th century, and almost lost during The Depression, but WW2 caused the goal of liberty to come rushing back. After that liberty was protected by Cold War indoctrination for several decades. Unfortunately, after the fall of the Soviet Union, we assumed liberty was safe and nobody was left guarding it. In the meantime, egalitarianism didn't go anyway; it festered unnoticed for three decades until now it has reemerged with a vengeance. The fault doesn’t lay with the egalitarians, no, the fault is in all of us who ignored the “long march through the institutions” by The Left. The first step in protecting liberty is to recognize that it's being assaulted; for the majority of the population, that may never happen, but for those of us who’ve been awakened, we have to do something about it. It’s going to be difficult because most of mechanisms: media, entertainment & the workplace; have been compromised through feminism, environmentalism, wokeness & Affirmative Action. White males, especially older ones, have been boxed in, and younger white males have been left to languish while other identity groups were being promoted. We know how to get liberty back, simply return to Cold War methods of indoctrination throughout society; the hard part is regaining the levers of power to do it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-04_927_protecting_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-04_927_protecting_liberty.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, protecting no Thu, 11 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Before the lockdowns, I used to think the most dangerous threat to liberty was democracy, that people would eventually vote away their liberty a piece at a time, but to my utter surprise, people surrendered their liberty, virtually all of it, to the pandemic without so much as a whimper; and were seemingly resigned to continue like that indefinitely. It's especially worrisome how few people were willing to speak against the tyranny: apparently, surrendering liberty is easy but defying authoritarianism is difficult; that sanctimonious mocking, scorn & ridicule from the neighbors is an effective deterrent against standing up for your rights. But perhaps the true cause of our capitulation is indeed democracy because of the nature of the leaders that emerge? A large faction of the political candidates who get elected have authoritarian impulses, needing only the opportunity to unleash them. It's unclear what these demagogues want: is it power? Defeat a president they don’t like? Destroy Capitalism? An entire political party surrendered their liberty without hesitation, doesn't seem to want it back; and wants everybody else to surrender their liberty too, which in fact, we did, almost instantaneously. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-04_926_surrendering_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-04_926_surrendering_liberty.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, surrender no Tue, 09 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor On the extreme Far Right, where Libertarians dwell, is the idea that liberty should be unconstrained, but only kings have unconstrained liberty, so that's the end result if everybody doesn't voluntarily constrain their liberty so as not to infringe on the liberty of others. As important as liberty is, it's not sacrosanct; in fact, it's already limited; people curtail their liberty everyday as it bumps against the liberty of other people, and it' definitely the case that the closer people are packed together, the more they must adjust their liberty; examples are paying taxes, obeying laws & regulations, and common courtesy. You can know your allies by their constraint of their own liberty in the face of yours. Unfortunately, some people are not your allies: there are a lot of snowflakes who contend that their liberty supersedes your liberty; that anything they find offensive must be changed, regardless what other people think. They do not understand that courtesy is not mandatory; and that other people voluntarily choose to limit their liberty. In response, if someone takes your courtesy, restraint & forbearance for granted, you should reassert your liberty so as not to allow their lack of constraint to become habitual. By not doing so, your own liberty erodes while theirs grows, until you do indeed find yourself with a king. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-04_925_constrained_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-04_925_constrained_liberty.mp3 2:30 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, constraint no Sun, 07 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor It's difficult to discuss liberty because so many people outside, and even inside, America have a different definition. For example, both the newly emerging nation of America and revolutionary France were based on liberty, but the definition was not the same. This was against a backdrop of kings & priests whose rule was divine. At the time of The Enlightenment, liberty wasn't personal autonomy as much as breaking away from authoritarian rule using democracy. In fact, the French kept that definition and have State-sponsored liberty, where the group determines how everyone must live, while the Americans imagined liberty at an individual level; the person is paramount. Any past or modern reference to "liberty" outside America is a conflation with freedom, not the personal liberty Americans enjoy, which is making decisions for yourself and reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of your own actions. The Right in America are the noted champions of this kind of liberty, while The Left espouses the State-sponsored version. Right-wing liberty overlaps Left-wing liberty concerning freedom, and both are bounded by law, but they differ in that Left-wing liberty does not include the concepts of consequences or personal responsibility, nor is it limited by the liberty of other individuals. The goal of The Right is to increase personal liberty with fewer laws, while the goal of The Left is to expand State-based liberty with more laws. Both sides can argue they support liberty but like all Left vs. Right ideology, the differences makes the two liberties completely incompatible. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-03_924_left-wing_vs_right-wing_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-03_924_left-wing_vs_right-wing_liberty.mp3 2:50 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, definition no Fri, 05 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The two basic ideologies, liberty vs. equality, are in constant conflict. Liberty is making decisions for yourself and reaping the benefits or suffering the consequences of your actions; which requires conscientious behavior because you are the one ultimately responsible for you. Equalists dramatically differ because they don't include responsibility in their calculations; they believe that people should share to the point where no one has anything more than someone else, regardless of effort. There is no meritocracy; you do not benefit from your own hard work & luck, nor are you responsible for your actions that may have beggared you. The number of people who adopt either ideology are evenly split because it's based on self-interest combined with math. The median wealth is the point where half the people have more wealth than the other half. Libertyists want to retain the rewards of their own work, while Equalists want everyone to benefit from everyone's work, or lack thereof. The defining aspect of Equalists is redistribution of everything that is unequal until it's equal. Since Libertyists are inclined to keep what they've earned, the redistribution normally must be through force, which is why Equalists are necessarily authoritarian. This also explains the divide on guns because authoritarianism requires disarming those who would resist them. Equalists require the presence and capitulation of Libertyists, but the reverse is not true: Libertyists don't need any Equalists to live their lives. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-03_923_libertyists_vs_equalists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-03_923_libertyists_vs_equalists.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, equalist, libertyist, egalitarian no Wed, 03 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The 5th and 14th Amendments of The Constitution promise to defend life, liberty & property, but what exactly that means is the source of much debate. Philosopher John Locke, the 17th century originator of the terms, had rather parochial definitions; he thought of life in its prosaic sense, of simply one's organic life; but America's founders took the definition of “life” beyond face value, to mean no caste system, no indentured servitude or Debtors prisons, so people could live their own lives. “Property” means Real Estate in law; peons in the 17th Century couldn’t own property, but Locke intended the term to include all things people can possess. Locke uses “liberty” as a synonym for freedom but the American definition is vastly expanded and means personal autonomy; people making decisions for themselves, and reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of their own actions; bounded only by the liberty of others. The Preamble of The Constitution supports this expanded definition by stating, “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” At least these are the definitions recognized in American jurisprudence, which is all that matters, really. There are a lot of people who confuse the constitutional guarantees of life, liberty & property with a similar phrase found in the Declaration of Independence guaranteeing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: America does not promise happiness; no nation could; happiness is subjective and the responsibility of the individual, not The State; but The Declaration is not legal canon, and understanding what “pursuit of happiness” means would require reading Benjamin Franklin’s mind, the person who edited it into the document. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-03_922_life__liberty__property.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-03_922_life__liberty__property.mp3 2:53 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, life, liberty, property, pursuit of happiness no Mon, 01 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor America is as divergent a nation as there ever was, built entirely of immigrants. With all the different cultures, customs & traditions, the one thing that held all these people together was a desire for liberty. Liberty is autonomous decision-making and is best for you given the knowledge you possess that no one else does; while other people are presumably doing the same. In the end, the best possible situation emerges because it was managed at every turn by every individual person for their own benefit. Though the implementation isn't perfect, it's as close as any society can get. As long as we shared the ideology of liberty, we were allies with one another. No one owes their allies anything more because fulfilling a contract obligation requires no thanks. We were taught to respect one another, not be offended by them. We certainly didn't impose on their liberty, and we expected them not to impose on ours; and we expect our allies to fulfill their obligations as we fulfill ours. There are no enforced morals, values or ethics, and no foreign interests. Other people are not our unasked for partners, and there is no higher order. Up until now, the alliance was working; however, ask yourself if you feel that most people in America are still allies; and if not, why not? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-02_921_allies_in_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-02_921_allies_in_liberty.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, allies no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Before The Enlightenment, people just took for granted that they would be controlled by kings & priests, with all decision-making power vested in them, and belief in fate reigned. When the idea of liberty first materialized in the minds of philosophers, it took a while for people to adopt, but its acceptance grew until it consumed nations. For example, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof” is inscribed in bronze on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia; “secure the Blessings of Liberty” is the main tenet of the Preamble of The Constitution; “with liberty for all” is in the Pledge of Allegiance; and the word “liberty” is even inscribed on our coinage and was thoroughly embedded in all public institutions. Because liberty requires critical thinking, America trained its people in liberty through educational indoctrination: reciting a pledge every morning in school, prayers, mottoes, television programming, special service announcements, parades, fraternal events; and it was certainly the central component of military training. Unfortunately, the traditional liberty narratives have been discontinued, banned or replaced by the enemies of liberty: the feminists, the environmentalists, and even foreign interests who control media & entertainment. The bitter truth is that proclaiming liberty has been canceled. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-02_920_proclaim_liberty.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-02_920_proclaim_liberty.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty no Thu, 25 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor In America, the differing ideologies are primarily measures of liberty; but some words are used so haphazardly that their definitions are not clear, especially in politics, so people generally try and fit them on the ubiquitous Left-Right scale; in the case of liberty, Collectivists would be on the left, Liberals in the middle, and Conservatives of the right. Conservatives want a society based on strength, which provides stability, as proven by the many civilizations in the past that rose on strength and fell when they became weak. Unfortunately, concentrated strength results in an aristocracy where an upper class of people have maximum liberty, while lower class members of the society have less, or even none. Several hundred years ago, during The Enlightenment, Liberalism emerged, with the idea of redistributing liberty among all the members of society. America was founded on that principle, and has been mostly successful in getting the most liberty to the most people. Liberalism, as maligned as the word has become, created the most advanced civilization in history by providing freedom to create wealth & opportunity, the ingredients of liberty. However, liberty favors the competent, capable & prepared, which creates a pyramid of success. Relatively speaking, half the population is on the top of the pyramid with the rest holding them up. A side effect of liberalism is that it also redistributes strength, and the bottom half of the pyramid uses their strength to push for what would be better for them, which is Collectivism, forced sharing, where individual liberty is reduced in favor of what is supposedly best for everyone. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-02_919_conservatives__liberals__collectivists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-02_919_conservatives__liberals__collectivists.mp3 2:56 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, liberty, conservatives, liberals, liberalism, collectivism no Tue, 23 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor We've got to review the highly confused concept of equality: Biology makes women egalitarian. The Constitution is based on liberty, the opposite of equality. Equality under the law is the only equality America guarantees. Masculine superiority resulting from testosterone will have to be nullified to satisfy egalitarian sensibilities. From an egalitarian pov, the Gender Pay Gap is real, though not from a liberty perspective. Feminists, minorities, weirdos & their sympathizers are now the voting majority. The inevitable direction of democracy feminizes society. Feminists advance their cause by ignoring boys. Men are accustomed to quiet desperation because they learn it young. Male suicide is self-genocide. Jordan Peterson is vilified because he encourages men to act like men, not women. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-01_918_equality_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-01_918_equality_concepts.mp3 2:48 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, equality, egalitarian, liberty no Sun, 21 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There are wise, insightful people who recognize that the shifting societal values are destroying men & boys; the most famous being Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist who tries to reassure young men that the desperation they're feeling is natural, that they're not alone, and that others care and want to help. Peterson came out of nowhere with videos of his lectures on YouTube getting millions of views, presumably by young men desperately grasping for purpose. He explains the situation perfectly, and gives sound, easy to follow advice. To many young men, he is the mentoring father-they never had. The reason Peterson is a hero is that he is engaging the feminists, minorities & weirdos who are causing all of this angst while no one else seems to be fighting back. He's controversial because he advocates that people be responsible for themselves, which sounds obvious to liberty-minded Americans, but is counter to the egalitarian idea that other people are responsible for you. Peterson tirelessly frequents talk shows, and does book tours all around the world, all-the-while under intense scrutiny by the Leftist media, who are soundly defeated by his calm demeanor & flawless logic. Unfortunately, the stress was enough to crush any man, and Jordan Peterson was too sensitive to endure it forever, and since virtually everyone is a coward or incompetent, there may never again be someone else to take Jordan Peterson's place mentoring men. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-01_917_mentoring_men.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-01_917_mentoring_men.mp3 2:40 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Jordan Peterson, mentor no Fri, 19 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Many diseases overwhelmingly affect men; for example, three-quarters of the COVID19 deaths were men but it was hardly mentioned. Imagine if a protected class: women, minorities, or the disabled, were the ones affected? It would be hyped as genocide. But the most egregious statistic is that in the West, four times as many men commit suicide as women, and it's increasing, yet no one says anything about the reasons for it; specifically the feminization of society. If people doubt there is a war between the sexes, male suicide casualties should be proof enough, over 30,000 men a year. But it's worse than that: The Left seems to take great glee in the failure of young white men in society; every Fentanyl death appears to be a win to them. In fact, since men overwhelmingly use guns to commit suicide, The Left uses that as a reason to justify gun prohibition: men kill themselves with guns so take away their guns, as if that's the problem. The accepted theory of why the suicide rates of men has dramatically increased is that male gender roles are under attack since they emphasize strength, independence, risk-taking, economic status, and individualism; so, in short: it's actually the increase of egalitarianism that drives men to suicide. The solution is obvious, men need a return to liberty. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-01_916_genocide_by_suicide.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-09-01_916_genocide_by_suicide.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, male, suicide no Wed, 17 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Nineteenth Century Poet Henry David Thoreau's famous quote, “most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to their graves with the songs still in them,” is less well known today even though it is more applicable than ever. Boys learn to suppress their ambitions when they are traversing puberty; during the failures, during the bullying, during the defeats, during the rejection by women. Their careers are always a fight for second or third place. By the time they are men, they have learned to submit, accept their lot in life, and must not complain because the penalties against violating the unspoken code are severe. As they get older, they become more and more invisible, to society and themselves. They use drugs & alcohol to deaden the disappointment of a life that started with optimism but ending in silence. Girls, though they have their own rights of passage, don’t compete in the male dominance hierarchy, so are not taught to despair until well into adulthood. When they are ultimately made aware that they are not Disney princesses, they have not built up an emotional callus like men have, resulting in regret, anxiety & depression. In frustration, they lash out at society, particularly scapegoating men who seem aloof & sanguine, not understanding that men are quietly subdued because they are already intimately acquainted with desperation. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-31_915_quiet_desperation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-31_915_quiet_desperation.mp3 2:40 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, men, desperation no Mon, 15 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Society is rapidly changing; it’s becoming ever-more centered around the needs of girls. Boys are most affected since now they’re raised like girls, and their testosterone has no place to go. Like all intractable problems, rather than do something about it, it's simply easier to ignore boys, especially considering the cognitive dissonance that comes from women’s subconscious disdain for men. In a society that is at war with itself, split along gender lines, boys are sacrificed. One of the arguments for more immigration, legal or not, is that America needs the manpower, literally, because American boys are a lost cause. The institutions dominated by women have decided to abandon even the pretense of caring what happens to boys. In fact, they revel in boy’s downfall because it signals their own rise. For example, a common complaint of female schoolteachers is that boys won't do as they're told; they won’t sit still; they’re aggressive & competitive; and their antics negatively impact the education of girls. This is all true and will remain so as long as there's a difference in testosterone between the sexes. Wingnut Feminists already recognize this male superpower and demonize testosterone, or its attributes, at every opportunity, with terms like “toxic masculinity.” Women now control the levers of power, so the ultimate result is rather predictable; a call for the literally feminizing boys with anti-testosterone drugs. The Left is ready, just look how accepting they are of transgendering boys to girls. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-31_914_ignore_boys.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-31_914_ignore_boys.mp3 2:55 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, education, ignore, boys, girls, testosterone no Sat, 13 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The claim has always been that underrepresented groups, women being the most visible, had no power and so were exploited by society. This complaint seemed valid and men adjusted to accommodate the demands of women. Of course things changed but the consequence has been that society is now more a reflection of the needs of women than men, to the point that America's entire liberty underpinnings are threatened. A significant proportion of women vote only for women, regardless of political party, so given time & organization, women will occupy the majority of elected positions. All changes are in the direction that benefits females: egalitarianism in school, workplace, even the home. Motherhood had always been treated specially, and it made sense since the primary priority of society is to perpetuate itself. Traditionally, it was women & children first when sacrifices had to be made, and men have been willing to take a subservient role. Liberty was also partly responsible because of its live-and-let-live attitude. Women have used this ingrained response of men to actually push them out of their accustomed, and frankly, genetic, role. Men have also been barred their familiar methods of fighting back: no anger, no violence, no aggression; what used to be considered strengths and admired are now derided and discouraged. Instead men are subject to the penalties exacted by women: shunning, shaming, ostracization, cancelling, harping, nagging. Men simply don't know how to respond, except to capitulate, which is what they would do with a stronger male; or ignore; both strategies which eventually end in a feminized society. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-31_913_feminizing_society.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-31_913_feminizing_society.mp3 2:58 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, women, voting, feminization, society, no Thu, 11 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Society is going through a major metamorphosis because there's a new power-base; one that's been operating behind-the-scenes for decades but now has so completely infiltrated all aspects of opinion-making, media, entertainment, higher education, & tech; that they have virtual control, and possibly even majority control since it has become fashionable among the youth to support them. They are promulgating new ideas like cosmopolitanism, intersectionality & egalitarianism. This not-so-mysterious group is composed of feminists, minorities & weirdos. Who are these groups? Feminists need no explanation except to observe that not all woman are feminists. Likewise, a difference in skin color does not determine a minority; they are instead people who have a minority mindset, a determination to exploit skin color for advantage. Weirdos are people who have been left out because they don't fit into the norm; they dress oddly, speak oddly, like odd things or have odd beliefs, and take pride in their weirdness. Organization, browbeating, bullying & Affirmative Action are the way feminists, minorities & weirdos got the extraordinary power they have today, and there doesn't seem to be any way for white males to retake that ground; the law and public opinion is against them, the Democrat party is dominated by them, and even once dependably loyal institutions like the military & judiciary are compromised. Feminists, minorities & weirdos are the new team to beat. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-30_912_feminists__minorities__weirdos.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-30_912_feminists__minorities__weirdos.mp3 3:01 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, feminists, minorities, weirdos no Tue, 09 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor One of the most common unfounded complaints about gender equality is the so-called, gender pay gap. Uber, the personal taxi company, did a study with well over a million participants, under the best of conditions without possibility of subconscious discrimination. Like the national average, there was a 7% pay gap between men and women drivers, yet they had absolutely equal opportunity, but men drove faster, they would drive at night in bad neighborhoods, and work longer hours. Accounting for such performance there is no gender pay gap, and this isn't the only study that concludes that. But even though the gender pay gap claim has been thoroughly debunked, it won't go away because it's both effective politically, and true if the premise is changed to a from each according to their ability, to each according to their need attitude. Under that assumption, if men are getting paid more than women, for whatever reason, they should give the difference to women until equal. To a person raised on liberty & meritocracy, where a person makes decisions for themselves and reaps the rewards or suffers the consequences of their own actions, this seems totally counter to everything they believe, but to an egalitarian it makes perfect sense. There isn't really a gender pay gap so much as a gender ideology gap. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-30_911_gender_pay_gap.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-30_911_gender_pay_gap.mp3 2:35 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, gender pay gap, egalitarian, liberty no Sun, 07 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Men have had testosterone dumped into their bloodstream every day since puberty, and the machinery that makes up their bodies was defined by it at birth. It's simply a biological fact that, on average, women can’t compete with men because they simply aren't equal to men, physically or motivationally. Because of testosterone, men are stronger, more competitive, more ambitious, more aggressive, more violent, and a host of other important unequal-making differences. There's usually one woman who can beat a man at something traditionally thought of as masculine but the way Bell Curves work, in the end, a general man is measurably superior to a general woman. Feminists denigrate these superior features as “toxic,” but transwoman actually take advantage of them to dominate in female sports. The cost of the testosterone advantage is that for all those men who excel, just as many end up with mental illness, suicide & alcoholism. That is not a trade-off most women want to make so they try and deny men their advantage under the guise of equality. Males are going to do what they’re programmed to do; they don’t have much choice in the matter, whereas females have a choice; they can understand the situation and use it, or pretend outrage and keep up a constant drumbeat for equality which leads nowhere productive, and is actually perverse. Let males do masculine things, which are required to make society function efficiently and propel it forward, and let females accept men as are they. Women shouldn't try to compete directly with masculine superiority because testosterone always wins in the end, and always has. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-30_910_masculine_superiority.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-30_910_masculine_superiority.mp3 2:58 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, testosterone, inequality, masculine, superiority no Fri, 05 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The Declaration of Indepences says that all men are created equal, but not that they have to stay that way, and we can't even be sure the “men” part of that statement included women? Equality is certainly not part of American jurisprudence except as equality under the law as mentioned in the 14th amendment, which means everyone has the same protections and court system as the elites; so if people are looking to find equality, there is none; no one is equal; there is not a person on this earth equal to another person, we all have our own luck. On the other hand, liberty is ingrained in The Constitution's Preamble: “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, ”along with a list of methods to make that happen: “form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, and promote the general Welfare.” Liberty is the opposite of equality; in fact, it actually excaserbates inequality because people making decisions for themselves and reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of their own actions tends to do that. Though people, out of egalitarianism or envy, may wish for equality, America is not the place to find it; it's Marxism that promises equality. However, America's equality under the law is the model for the world. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-29_909_equality_under_the_law.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-29_909_equality_under_the_law.mp3 2:41 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, equality, equality under the law, inequality, liberty no Wed, 03 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Equality isn't part of the American guarantee; we only guarantee "equality under the law," and no prohibition of opportunity based on a recognized class system, commonly called "equal opportunity," though it's far from being the same for everyone. The only place where equality is mentioned in the founding documents of the United States is in the Declaration of Independence, in the famous phrase “all men are created equal,” but the Declaration isn't part of legal canon, and created equal is obviously denouncing castes, where people used to have to be what their lineage forced them to be. Anti-discrimination laws are intended to alleviated some of the artificial inequalities, but equality of outcome was never intended, and is nowhere supported in America's ideological foundation, though it did show up in France's revolution so people often confuse the two: equality of opportunity vs. equality of outcome. The innate inequality of women in general is excused because any individual woman can make a place in the Male Dominance Hierarchy if she wants, though she must be ready & prepared for the competition against men, rather than complain about misogyny, discrimination, sexual harassment, or any of the other excuses used if they rank lowly. Those are the tactics employed by women who are no match against high-ranking males, but since there’s a lot of women, and all our votes actually are equal, it’s an effective strategy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-29_908_equality.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-29_908_equality.mp3 2:35 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, equality, inequality, caste, equality of opportunity, equality of outcome no Mon, 01 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor If women had been fully integrated into government, and enfranchised at the time, The Constitution probably wouldn't be liberty-based: no making decisions for yourself, and reaping the benefits or suffering the consequences of your actions. Instead it would have been more egalitarian: from each according to their ability, to each according to their need. The competing ideologies makes a big difference in society because egalitarianism tries to make people equal, while liberty tends to make them unequal. Not only does liberty benefit men due to the fact that both ambition & competitiveness are boosted by testosterone, but woman also shoulder the bulk of the responsibility in childbearing & rearing, which affects their priorities such that, given the same opportunities, on average, men will excel over them. This has nothing to do with capability or work ethic; it's simply different situations. The result is that, in the aggregate, women would benefit in a sharing society, specifically an egalitarian society where the motivational and situational advantages of men are muted. Combine that with the current aggrandizement of past grievances, and it's easy to understand why women congregate on one political team, and men on the other. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-29_907_women_are_egalitarian.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-29_907_women_are_egalitarian.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, women, egalitarian no Sat, 30 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let's review the many ways we are indoctrinated in society: “The greater good” is always what the person saying it thinks is good. “To each according to their need” puts the needy in charge. The Bible was the source material for Marxism. Americans are raised Marxist; it's a wonder personal autonomy has any foothold at all. Math is what happens if ideologues are not also practical. “The long march through the institutions” has been even more successful than the Marxists imagined. The Left got control of corporate boards while The Right was raiding pension funds. The next civil war is going to be fought by men even though the actual war is between the sexes. Fascism is socialist, regardless of the narrative otherwise. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-28_906_indoctrination_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-28_906_indoctrination_concepts.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Marxism, egalitarian no Thu, 28 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The interpretation of fascism older people grew up with was National Socialism, the ideology of the Axis powers in WW2. Giovanni Gentile is the philosopher who imagined Fascism, and was the ghost-writer of Mussolini's speech on the topic. He was an ardent Marxist; a quote from his biography says: "He found vindication for the rejection of individualism, and acceptance of collectivism, with the state as the ultimate location of authority and loyalty outside of which individuality had no meaning." So the original definition of Fascism was Marxism combined with Nationalism. Now, however, the counter-narrative definition of "fascism" has been changed to not include socialism because the egalitarian-Left wants to call the liberty-Right, fascists, so they say Fascism is different from Socialism; but so is Marxism, so is Communism; but they all include collectivism and controlling the means of production. The difference is that Fascists are in bed with private corporations, they don't actually own them. Nazi Germany nationalized many businesses for the collective furtherment of the nation, especially Jewish ones; then those businesses were given to Capitalist cronies of the State. Italy's fascism was also Crony Capitalism; and so was Japan's. The history & facts speak for themselves; fascism is socialist, as is any ideology that subjugates liberty. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-28_905_fascism_is_socialist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-28_905_fascism_is_socialist.mp3 2:33 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, fascism, socialism, socialist no Tue, 26 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Most people can tell there's a civil war going on but they aren't sure who the sides are? Many think it's racial, but that's only a small, well-publicized component; the real battle is between liberty vs. egalitarianism, which essentially boils down to men vs. women. The ranks of egalitarians has grown dramatically in the past 2 decades; from a small, fringe group during the Cold War to close to half the nation since. Millennial women in particular, are the enemy of older, white men, with old feminists supporting and encouraging the conflict. The sons of single mothers, and low status males with a chip on their shoulder, add to the ranks. Men let this situation develop like boiling a frog because they were reluctant to stop it: fathers didn't want to argue with their daughters, and sons didn't want conflict with their wives, so the cult of egalitarianism got where it is today. The entire Democrat party was captured; as was Education, Entertainment, Tech & the Media; all due to the infiltration by women through browbeating and preferential hiring. No one pushed back because no one could, otherwise they would immediately be labeled a sexist and canceled. It's gotten to the point where violence is the next step: men either have to capitulate or be willing to suffer the consequences of resisting. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-28_904_war_of_the_sexes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-28_904_war_of_the_sexes.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, war of the sexes, egalitarian no Sun, 24 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor How does a company get a President or CEO who's support of Leftist activism that hurts their business keep their position of authority? The fiduciary responsibility of a company's management is to their stockholders, who are ostensibly represented by the company's Board of Directors. That means, somehow these big companies have had their Boards co-opted because their leadership should have been fired as soon as biased ideological antics started to hurt the bottom-line. For example, Jeff Zucker, president of CNN, would be fired if the Board thought news should be unbiased, or he’s losing the company money. Are they so immersed in the Leftism of a big city, and their disdain for the rest of the country so complete, that they become elitist? Is it their wives and daughters at home egging them into egalitarian directions? How are these Boards being manipulated? You either have control of the narrative or it has control of you. The Rothschild’s know this; that’s why they own Reuters and API. The Democratic Party knows this, and the Deep State knows this; that's why almost all Media corps are Leftist. How come there’s no Righties on those boards? A shareholder revolt can be organized: get 10,000 people buying 100 shares of Disney until there's enough shares to get someone on the Board. Even if that 1 vote couldn't swing decisions, at least they could report what's going on. The Righties in Congress could fight back by targeting their IP & liability protections; corporate tax advantages; and block out those organizations’ lobbyists, attendance at Fed functions, access to the White House, etc. As it is now, The Right is being cast in the roll of Nero. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-27_903_does_the_left_controls_corp_boards.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-27_903_does_the_left_controls_corp_boards.mp3 3:06 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, corporate boards, bias no Fri, 22 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor In 1967, German communist student-activist Rudi Dutsche was impressed by the Chinese communist “long march,” referring to Mao's Red army crossing China; and Italian communist organizer, Antonio Gramsci, who described the need for a "war of position" to establish the conditions for an egalitarian revolution. Dutsche combined these two ideas into the slogan, “the long march through the institutions,” which means subverting society by infiltrating its institutions and professions. After the fall of the Soviet Union, when Americans breathed a sigh of relief and let their vigilance against egalitarianism lapse, this unheralded strategy became very effective. There’s an elephant in the room and we’re all conditioned not to see it. Either all Media, Entertainment, Education & Tech are founded and run by Trump-hating Leftists, with absolutely no diversity of thought, or The Long March Through The Institutions has succeeded so well that no one ever mentions conspiracy; not even any public speculation. To any statistician, the situation is problematic, Jeffrey Epstein-level implausible. How much more likely is it that The Left quietly operated under the radar while The Right was absorbed earning money. In the end, The Left will take all the money, so who’s the genius and who's the fool? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-27_902_the_long_march_through_the_institutions.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-27_902_the_long_march_through_the_institutions.mp3 2:40 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, long march through the institutions, conspiracy no Wed, 20 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The egalitarian Left desires to take from one half of the population and give to the other half, which is not the same as the redistributionist Center's strategy of taking from the upper 2% and giving to everyone else, but both ideas inflame The Right. The argument from The Right is that the mega-wealthy earned their money, or presumably their parents did, and no one has a right to take it for any reason, but math is not ideological, so concentration of wealth is not something anyone earned. Some examples are needed to explain this concept: If someone has $50 million, and they know through their elite connections where to get a risk-free 7% return, then their income rises exponentially faster than Joe Middle-Class letting his money manager place $50K for a risky 5% return while skimming 2% off the top. All of this while three-quarters of the population earns nothing on nothing; in fact, they pay 18% on their credit card. To put a final point on it, the folks who earn a decent living, like doctors, pay 35% on their earnings while the ultra-wealthly, who do nothing but gamble, pay only 15% on theirs. It’s an exploitation racket that eventually results in social conflict when enough people understand what's going on and get sick-n-tired of it; it's just a matter of the math. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-27_901_math_is_not_ideological.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-27_901_math_is_not_ideological.mp3 2:40 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wealth, concentration, redistribution no Mon, 18 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Growing up, we are immersed in egalitarianism & authoritarianism, the basic components of Marxism; Anyone raised in a nuclear family can see the ingredients: parents tell you what to do, and you tie your little sister's shoelaces because you can and she needs it. Plus, all the kids are treated equally, and get an equal vote. At church, a Christian family is steeped in Bible stories, many of which are egalitarian; then the kids go to school where they're taught that if everyone can't have a piece of candy, no one can; environmentalist indoctrination of we must do what's best for everyone; and that the bourgeoisie, the Middle Class, are racists. At after-school sports, everyone gets a trophy. Because of this egalitarian envelopment in home, church & school, America has been periodically flirting with Marxism. The Cold War was used to hold it in abeyance because personal sovereignty was emphasized to children during those years, but after the fall of the Soviet Union, believers in egalitarianism: the feminists, minorities & weirdos; got control of public education. Liberty was no longer the ideology, and for the past decades, the natural course towards Marxism has returned. When students finally do hear about liberty, they are horrified how selfish it seems because they were never taught about personal responsibility either. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-25_900_raised_a_marxist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-25_900_raised_a_marxist.mp3 2:42 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, marxism, egalitarian no Sat, 16 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The basis of Marxism is egalitarianism. Karl Marx offered some technical ideas on how to achieve that goal, but Marx wasn't a philosopher, he relied on past philosophers, specifically the Bible; for example:   Proverbs 11:24 There is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. Acts 2:44-45 All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Acts 4:34-35 For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Exodus 16:16-18 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need." The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Those scriptures do describe Communist ideology, but Acts 11:29 is the smoking gun: “Every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren,” is close enough for copyright infringement. Copyright infringement is the use of style & substance of a work, and knowledge of it: Marx's obvious contact with the Bible, combined with the way-to-similar translation of "from each according to his ability to each according to his need" is too coincidental not to be intentional. Marx was obviously a plagiarist. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-25_899_the_bible_is_marxist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-25_899_the_bible_is_marxist.mp3 3:03 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Marxism, Bible no Thu, 14 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Communism has a bad name, rightfully so, and it's credo, “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need,” elicits an unthinking knee-jerk reaction from liberty-loving Americans, but the sentiment is not really so clear cut. In reality, the first part of the sentence, “from each according to their ability” doesn't actually conflict with liberty. It's simply the Willy Sutton rule: when asked why he robbed banks, Willy said “because that's where the money is,” and you can't fault his logic; resources must come from the resourceful. People choose to exchange their wealth for whatever they want, and the pragmatic approach, the one that will keep society functioning and the wealth-concentrators alive, is to spread some of it around; voluntarily if begrudgingly. It's the second part of the statement, “to each according to their need,” that is anathema to liberty because it gives the right to claim things from others. All a Communist has to say is that “I need it and you have it so give it to me,” then armed men come and ensure the transfer. It's not difficult to see how that could be easily abused, and is, just ask any former Communist. They even go so far as to jail people who accumulate anything, or don't work hard enough, or seem to be taking pride in their accomplishments. There is no ideology more counter to liberty than having the needy be in charge. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-25_898_to_each_according_to_their_need.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-25_898_to_each_according_to_their_need.mp3 2:43 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wealth, communism, credo no Tue, 12 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor No phrase has been uttered more often to excuse the most heinous of crimes than, “for the greater good.” It works as excellent cover because good is subjective, so everyone imagines their own good, and they want more of it. It entered the lexicon from philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the early 19th Century as part of his ideology of Utilitarianism, and has been propagated by other famous philosophers, notably John Stuart Mill. For the greater good is the basis of socialism, but it's not a condemnation of Capitalism because it's demonstrable that Capitalism has been for the greater good, so fits comfortably into the Utilitarian ideology; whereas Marxism, which is based on egalitarianism, puts equality over good: it is better for all people to be equally barefoot than only some to wear shoes. Corollary sentiments are “for the common good,” and “the most good to the most people;” which have repeatedly been used to justify Elites making decisions contrary to the liberty of others. Unfortunately, all of these concepts require perfect knowledge and the ability to predict the future; as well as the hubris to claim to know what's best for everyone. But even with these obvious deficits, “the greater good” remains an alluring prospect to many people, especially to the youth with little life experience to recognize that they have no idea what's good. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-24_897_the_greater_good.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-24_897_the_greater_good.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, socialism, greater good no Sun, 10 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let's review the concepts that keep a society running: Political aptitude tests are fun to take but are little more than entertainment. Politics was the intention to rise above tribal values, but it has failed. People know their place and are satisfied with it. There used to be American ideals, but there aren't any longer. How could morals ever be universal if there are so many gods who say otherwise? Compromises erode away the ideology until they become the ideology. The enemy within is a cancer eating away at the body of America. Who needs 3 branches of government when the president has Executive Orders & National Emergency powers? Anarchy is good; as long as it lasts anyway. Society requires that The-Force-Be-With-You. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_896_society_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_896_society_concepts.mp3 2:21 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, society no Fri, 08 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Society is only achieved through the use or threat of force. People don't protect you because they like you; they protect you because society has carefully allocated force: some of us are armed to make sure nobody steals from you or extorts you, and keeps the area around your home & business safe. Unfortunately, many people take society, and the safety it provides, for granted, and do not recognize the role force plays. They fall into two camps: those who think they can live insular lives without sharing their good fortune with those around them, and those who assume everyone will share equally if just indoctrinated to do so. To the first group, many of which call themselves Libertarians, are the equivalent of free-riders; they don’t understand that the streets, utilities & police aren't just something they can pay for; that there’s an implied mutual benefit contract with all of the people who provide that infrastructure. Thinking they can exploit the value of others anytime they want simply with money is naive. The second group is equally naive: they think indoctrination and brainwashing will create a society of equality & justice. These folks seem to have no understanding that all people don’t share the same values, and must be forced to do so. It takes force to make any kind of society work, some more than others. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_895_society_requires_force.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_895_society_requires_force.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, force, society no Wed, 06 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor For some reason, anarchy appeals to a lot of people, mostly the young who imagine themselves climbing to top of the chaotic heap because they're bold, strong, and have nothing to lose. Both extremes of Libertarians and Egalitarians think anarchy, combined with either radical individualism for the former or radical communitarianism for the latter, will somehow work; all they have to do is be left alone. But no one ever leaves anyone alone if they can take their stuff. Anarchists are blind like that; they don't understand that people only don’t rob you because of the consequences, or because someone with a gun is standing between them and danger. The reality is that anarchists need a military & armaments & biological weapons to defend themselves, just like before, except now there's anarchy. For entertainment's sake, imagine all the anarchists were put on a desert island with some Somalia militiamen for 24 hours, and everybody is given supplies and even some gold, and told to leave each other alone. Everybody also gets machine guns & night-vision googles. My prediction is that there will be a lot fewer of both at the end, but I'd put my money on the Somalis because they have more experience with anarchy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_894_anarchy.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_894_anarchy.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, anarchy, libertarian, egalitarian no Mon, 04 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Extreme partisanship in a split congress, one with endless phony investigations, where a president is impeached for purely political reasons, and biased news is nothing but a relentless drumbeat of negativity, has devolved into a farce of a government. Starting with Obama; if he was to have any hope of leading the country, since he couldn’t get any of his legislative agenda passed, he resorted to using Executive Orders, which are presidential decrees. Past presidents had been reticent to use Executive Orders because they could be easily abused, but Obama had no other choice. However, the problem with exploiting loopholes while you're in power is that eventually the other side will get into power, and they always take the distortion to the next level. When Trump came into office, he started his presidency with a flurry of Executive Orders, but when that was not enough, he exercised another underutilized presidential power, the National Emergency. If one president builds a wall with a National Emergency, the next will certainly declare a Climate Change National Emergency; and just think of the draconian lockdowns during the next COVID National Emergency. The two sides no longer negotiate anymore, and probably never will again; so future presidents will have to execute Executive Orders or declare National Emergencies instead; the basis of a coming Imperial Presidency. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_893_imperial_presidency.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-23_893_imperial_presidency.mp3 2:47 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, executive order, national emergency no Sat, 02 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Voting attracts those who want power for themselves, but even more would rather the world devolve to their level. Many people are bitter, resentful, envious & perverse, and there's a lot of them. They will work against the established status quo just for the sense of satisfaction it brings them to tear it down. Combined with those who prefer authoritarianism, especially the kind that forces everyone to the lowest common denominator, and that’s a significant voting block that must be defended against; they are the enemy within, more so than Russia, China or any external threat. A sense of entitlement combined with the lack of responsibility that comes from leisure and narcissistic lifestyles, has created a generation of people full of self-loathing and contempt for authority, who not only will not defend American values but seek actively to destroy them. In the past, malcontents & revolutionaries were treated harshly, especially by religion, but the “you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone” aspect of liberty, and decline in moral institutions, has made America vulnerable. Optimistic Americans must fight against this enemy; unfortunately, they are our children. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-21_892_enemy_within.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-21_892_enemy_within.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, voting, enemy within no Thu, 31 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Compromise seems like a promising solution to deadlocked political confrontation but in practice, not so much. What kind of compromises are good compromises? Supposedly, they're the ones where everybody loses and everybody wins; sounds deep but what does that mean? Can compromise be measured? Can one side compromise more than the other? The King Solomon solution of cutting the baby in half is certainly a compromise, and the mother had to compromise 100%, giving up her child to the woman willing to let the child die. It's always been the weakness of compromise that the side that wins is the side that cares the least what the result is. This is the reason conscientious people reject to compromises. Ironically, even though compromise is intended to smooth relations among differing parties, many small compromises build up like scale, calcifying an intricate mechanism so that it doesn't run smoothly anymore. Compromises give a mixed message of how things should work, and only one generation in the future, no one will recognize that it was compromise that created the Frankenstein, but instead think the founders had some deep wisdom & understanding of the original problem that could only be dealt with an unnecessarily complex solution. Soon, all solutions are unnecessarily complex and misleading; compromising the compromises, until purity is gone and only compromise remains. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-21_891_compromises.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-21_891_compromises.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, compromise no Tue, 29 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Right & wrong, as determined by The Law, are the only morals we uniformly accept; anything further is up to the individual. Morals are also subject to democracy so what was moral for one generation can be immoral to another; and morals differ in different societies. However, many people insist that morals are universal; specifically, their morals; that’s called Western moral arrogance. Your morals mean nothing to other cultures, and certainly do not apply to history; however much you think they should. Often slavery is brought up as universally immoral, or murder, or pedophilia. Greece & Rome were pedophilia-centric;were they immoral? And if so, how is that measured? Certainly not by their success as empires which lasted thousands of years, nor as examples of modernity because that's where most of Western enlightenment came from, including democracy. In fact, history has more slavery than not; was everyone up until 200 years ago immoral? Homosexuality is accepted in many cultures; ours included, but not 30 years ago. Now, even causing offense could be prison-worthy; as it is in Canada. Calling someone’s culture immoral usually leads to deadly conflict, which seems like the most immoral thing of all. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-21_890_universal_morals.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-21_890_universal_morals.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, morals, culture, universal no Sun, 27 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor American ideals were mostly a myth but they motivated people and gave them hope, both short and long term, but now those ideals seem antiquated & anachronistic. Example: liberty to make choices for yourself and to reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of your own actions, is what The Constitution is based on. Another example is guns; that’s an American ideal literally guaranteed in The Constitution. What about Free Speech to say whatever we want even if it hurts other people’s feelings. And meritocracy determines whether someone is selected over another person. Not to mention patriotism. Our ideals also included exploration & discovery, but landing a human on Mars is no longer a priority. Instead, those ideals have been replaced with a sense of entitlement & grievance; the glorification of the famous; and a general seething perversity that would rather see everyone fail than have inequality. It's gotten so bad that at least half the nation actively rejects the old ideals. There will be new American ideals, which may even be the same as the old ones; but there's going to be some violence in-between while we settle on them again. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-19_889_ideals.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-19_889_ideals.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, ideals no Fri, 25 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Society in America has once again reached aristocracy levels, as it did at its founding, and again in the late 19th Century, but there's a lot more people, a lot more money, and a lot more anger involved now. Athletes, entertainers & politicians are the top of the class heap, followed by random famous people, then The Rich, but everyone’s a peon below that. The Elite class, politicians & bureaucrats, think they know better than everyone else, and that they should be in charge, and the rest have accepted their subservient place. The biggest sign of the stratification is the popularity of the idea of a Universal Basic Income so that the proles wouldn't have to work if they didn't want to. Ignoring how that would turn out, the fact that so many people have lost all their ambition, and worse, think they are entitled to a life of leisure and sloth, is the highest form of privileged thinking. Most people don't even want to change their station in life anymore; they're satisfied with their data service, and drinking or getting high with their friends on the weekends is considered an achievement. People understand what class they're in, and they know their place in society, and they're okay with it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-19_888_know_your_place.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-19_888_know_your_place.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, class, status no Wed, 23 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor We don't all have the same values, customs & traditions, so these are the things that define our tribe. Tribalism has its own news, its own entertainment, its own markets, and certainly its own politics. Members only do business and provide opportunities to people of their tribe. The most important value, custom & tradition is to think whatever your tribe thinks, no matter what the facts are. This is the primeval mindset; it probably has an evolutionary component because diversity is divisive. Tribes, unfortunately, get more & more insular, blaming other tribes for their grievances. In our time, the tribes are split along the winners-losers boundary, which makes them mathematically the same size; and each tribe is sure their side will win, and that truth & justice is on their side, which means a coming conflict of tribes is inevitable. In the case of the Civil War, The North won, and tribalism was held in abeyance for a century and a half, but tribes are back with a vengeance. It's gotten so bad that one tribe now takes the exact opposite stance as the other tribe, no matter the issue. When that happens, there is no negotiated settlement because there is intentionally no common ground; only one tribe can reign supreme, dominating the other tribe so that it's no longer a threat. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-19_887_tribes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-19_887_tribes.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, tribes, diversity no Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There is a very famous political test that purports to determine your ideology from answering a list of questions. The reason the test has such wide appeal is that it's a simple box of four colored quadrants, and though it's difficult to understand, it's easy to comprehend. The quadrants are Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism & Libertarianism. Liberalism is progressives, the SJW types; Conservatism is paternalism via culture & traditions; Socialism is egalitarianism, the Equality crowd; and Libertarianism is everyone out for themselves. The horizontal axis between the quadrants linearizes the differences in economic ideology: Free Markets & Capitalism vs. managed markets. The vertical axis delineates those who believe in personal liberty & autonomy, from those who believe the needs of the group supersede the wants of the individual. The very center of the box would therefore be the most complex to define because it's a mixture of all the divergent aspects, but it can be simply described as individual liberty with some socialism while regulating Free Markets. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-17_886_political_quadrants.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-17_886_political_quadrants.mp3 2:14 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, political ideology, political test no Sat, 19 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Let's review why there's so much voting going on: The best definition of Left, Right & Center wound be on a liberty axis. JFK Democrats have no place to go but nobody cares because there aren't enough of them left. #walkaway is what happens when your Party's ideals change but yours don't. An Anarcho-Communist is just a Communist without a gun. Every Special Interest tries to interfere with elections; that's how democracy works. There doesn't seem to be any downside to outlawing lobbying, and lots of upside. A Republic is geography-based democracy. Democracy becomes a fetish to people who aren't equal in anything else. A lot of voters are simply making a statement because they don't have enough information to do anything else. A candidate has to be on the right side of the One-Issue if they're going to have any chance of winning. Initiatives are a way for citizens to make laws without politicians. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-17_885_voting_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-17_885_voting_concepts.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, voting no Thu, 17 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor People have hardly any participation in government other than to vote for someone they don't know, and have no control over if they aren't part of the Special Interests that got the candidate elected. Initiatives are an astounding opportunity to have a say. Some States offer the idea of an initiative, a citizen-sponsored law, rather than using elected representatives. Mostly, Initiatives fail to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot, and the rest fail in the vote, but once in a while, it works and there's a new citizen-made law. However, lawmakers are jealous of their law-making privilege, and often collude with the executive branch to invalidate the new law. The argument against initiatives seems to be loss of control by the Elites who know better than citizens. Advisory votes are similar attempts by citizens to directly engage in government, but have even less impact. Advisory votes hold no authority, they are simply to gauge how popular an issue is; like building a sports center or new bridge. If an Advisory vote supports the project, status quo is maintained; but if the advisory vote fails, the Elites who made the decision have more difficulty explaining themselves. Without Advisory votes, only the government side of the issue gets aired and citizens don’t know what the counter-arguments are. Elites don't like advisory votes because they have already made up their minds, and don't want any hassle from citizens. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-17_884_initiatives.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-17_884_initiatives.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, initiatives, advisory votes no Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor For anyone who's ever voted, trying to decide on a candidate is impossible given the limited information; that's why attractive candidates have the edge; but how can an ugly candidate get elected? Many adopt the tactic of being identified with a single issue, like Pro Life. This is often a successful strategy because no matter what else another candidate may propose, no matter how qualified, talented or experienced they are, if they are on the other side of the One Issue, they're not getting those votes, period. There's both pro and con One Issue voters; those who will vote for because of it, and those who vote against because of it. In many local elections, being on the wrong side of the One-Issue dooms any candidacy, and knowing which side to be on is an exquisite balancing act. Unfortunately, the One Issue may not be something the candidate can choose; often the One Issue is being female, ethnic or young. The two political parties can also be distinguished by One Issues. For example, can you be a Republican candidate for any office if you believe in Wealth Redistribution? Can you be a Democrat candidate for any office if you support the status quo? The most ironic thing about One Issues is that they never come up in actual fact; the person elected never gets to vote on them, or even contribute to the dialog in any meaningful way. That politician was elected on a farce, which makes them a farce. One Issue voting is just another depressing example proving the futility of democracy. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-15_883_one-issue_voting.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-15_883_one-issue_voting.mp3 2:53 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, vote, voters, one issue, issues no Sun, 13 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The whole idea of democracy is predicated on a majority of people using their best judgment to decide a subjective issue, but the reality is, at the individual level, voting is far from an exercise in good judgment, logic & sound thinking; the simple fact is, most people don't have enough information or experience to vote on most things, even with the 1-paragraph blurb in a Voter's Pamphlet, which they probably don't even read all the way through. What's really going on in most voter's minds is that everyone thinks they're making a statement; which means, vote for everyone in their party, or vote against every incumbent, or vote all female or minority. Making a statement is, by far, the most common way to vote, but the biggest way of making a statement is to not vote at all. Not only can later someone brag about not voting, but it's a lot more convenient and less anxiety-inducing to simply bypass the whole thing; that way the results can't be blamed on you. As cynical as the making a statement strategy sounds, it’s actually the most effective use of a vote. Most of the candidates are ineffectual or compromised to begin with, and whichever one wins makes little overall difference so, essentially, voters have no other effect in politics except as a statement of their own perversity. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-15_882_making_a_statement.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-15_882_making_a_statement.mp3 2:27 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, vote, voting, making a statement no Fri, 11 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Because Egalitarianism, the equality crowd, hasn't yet taken over America, people are still forced to recognize that all men may be born equal but we doesn't force them to stay that way; meaning the only thing that is equal is your vote, and in a Republic, even that isn't equal. This is why egalitarians have turned democracy into a fetish, because they obtain all of their power from the fact that their opinion, as expressed in their vote, has the exact same value as someone who is objectively better than them. Democracy is the root cause of the losers versus winners dynamic that defines American politics. Whereas libertyists see democracy as a flawed but effective way to make decisions in a diverse nation, egalitarians view it as a way to force their ideology onto everyone. And, of course, there's a World Democracy Index, obviously prepared by egalitarians, that purports to rank nations democracy from a series of 60 questions, and the U.S. is 25th in their rankings, making us a “Flawed Democracy,” ranking far below the egalitarian nations like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark & Ireland. (Democracy must come naturally to really white people.) But America does rank a couple spots above Botswana. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-13_881_democracy_fetishers.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-13_881_democracy_fetishers.mp3 2:29 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, democracy, fetish no Wed, 09 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Invariably, whenever the word “democracy” is used to describe America, someone responds with the word “republic” as a kind of rebuke, as in: America isn't a democracy, it's a republic; though practically speaking, a republic is just geography-based democracy. Unfortunately, due to poor education, a lot of people are under the mistaken belief that America is supposed to be a popular democracy, probably because that’s how they selected the most popular person in high school, and their local elections operate like that. Tellingly, the U.S. Constitution doesn't even mention democracy, but it does describe how a republic works, and which people can't be denied a vote if there happens to be one. The distinction between a democracy and a republic is an important one at the national level because both chambers of congress are representative: the Senate at the State level, and the House at the Congressional District level. Plus, there's the Electoral College, the main target of plurality democracy advocates, because several presidents have been elected by the representative republic over the popular vote; two in the recent past. In comparison, though America is not a true democracy, Russia and China are; so our representative republic seems to have worked out okay. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-13_880_representative_republic.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-13_880_representative_republic.mp3 2:18 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, republic, representative, government no Mon, 07 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The place where the biggest impact money can make on government is lobbying; the strategy of cajoling and essentially bribing legislators to vote a particular way that has little or nothing to do with voter's interests, except perhaps negatively. Lobbyists aren't needed for issues that are obviously good for voters, so if outside influence is needed, that's how you can tell if it's lobbying, and probably suspect. Lobbyists do have to register but what does that do? Lobbyists aren't difficult to identify; they're the ones with air of superiority, sanctimonious smiles, and arrive in a private jet. There didn't used to be wholesale lobbying, and government ran better than it does today, so outlawing lobbying isn't much of a stretch; lobbying of government officials is already illegal. Elections, which can be similarly exploited, have caps on campaign contributions, so why aren't there at least caps on lobbying? The defense of lobbying is that it's no different than having an attorney represent you, but a lawyer looking out for your best interests doesn’t make it so that everyone else is also serving your best interests. That's an easy private versus public distinction, so why is there still lobbying? Because there are lobbyists who lobby for it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-11_879_outlaw_lobbying.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-11_879_outlaw_lobbying.mp3 2:17 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, lobbying no Sat, 05 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The claim of election interference is muddled because it seems to apply to what elections are: Special Interest groups trying to get their candidate into office. The distinction that it's only interference if foreigners do it is belied by the many international interests, like Climate Alarmists, Globalists & SJWs, who certainly make their preferences known in American elections. Yet the U.S. had to endure 3 years of constant Russia, Russia, Russia mantra that was a complete fabrication. Forget Russia, Israel has way more influence, China has more hackers, and what about the millions of illegal immigrants in America who vote? There are proposals to retaliate with sanctions against nations deemed to be interfering, but what about the long history of the CIA interfering in other nation’s elections? Should all nations retaliate against the U.S., applying sanctions for our interference? It's all theater, no counter-measures against interference will be enacted because those would affect all the interests the anti-interference people want interfered with. The charge of election interference is simply a pretext to attack political opponents, and possibly leverage enough support for so-called “election security” legislation, primarily from The Left, that are actually packed with all kinds of ideological goals, like Open Borders, an almost unbelievable hypocrisy encouraging even more election interference by people who don't live here. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-11_878_election_interference.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-11_878_election_interference.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, election, interference no Thu, 03 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor There are some strange hyphenated political ideologies people claim to be; for example, a Libertarian-Socialist is the ultimate oxymoron since it combines the two extremes of the Left-Right political spectrum; where radical individualism and radical authoritarianism meet together in a circle. Such a label is rhetorical gibberish, and nothing more than extreme selfishness; people who want society to do everything for them but owe nothing in return. An Anarcho-Communist is essentially the same thing. Anarcho-Communist currents have been around since the English and French Civil wars in the 17th century, and even established anarchist territories during the Spanish and Russian Revolutions, then again in North Korea. They were all quickly taken over by real Communists because of the obvious weakness of anarchy to defend itself against organized attack. Anarcho-Communists wear black balaclavas to hide their identities as they riot against any kind of coherently expressed ideology: when they break store windows, they are Anti-Fascists, when they throw Molotov cocktails, they are Anti-Globalists; and if they weren't wearing masks, everyone would be able to tell what dorks they are. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-09_877_anarcho-communist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-09_877_anarcho-communist.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, anarcho-communist no Tue, 01 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor As the Democrat party radicalizes more and more towards egalitarianism, authoritarianism, even Communism; the people left behind are one-by-one recognizing they no longer fit into the ideology; but it's difficult to leave what is essentially a religion, so spontaneously, a support group popped up called #walkaway, where people post videos of themselves explaining their reasons for leaving the Democrat party. It's eerily similar to AA meetings, and serves much the same purpose of providing moral support during a time of turmoil & angst. The problem is, the apostates are left with no representation, since neither side of the political divide considers them their ally. This is perhaps the biggest weakness of a 2-Party system because democracy is used to stabilize society, but it only works if the vast majority of people feel they at least had their say. The number of #walkawayers could become significant; either the Republican party expands its umbrella to include them, or they regain control of the Democrat party, or there will be consequences, because these are just the people who won't wait around to be Disappeared when one of the sides eventually takes over. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-09_876_walkaway.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-09_876_walkaway.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, walkaway, Democrat no Sun, 29 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Democrats and Republicans were not always so partisan as they are now. Through a fluke of history, the Civil War, many were “Blue Dog” Democrats, primarily from the South, who had a lot in common with Republicans, but they were racists, and Republicans freed the slaves, so these legislators became Democrats out of perversity. When there’s a block of people who think like you but they’re on the other side, coalitions can be made, so they would often cross Party lines to vote with Republicans. A lot of bipartisan legislation was passed during the time of this anomaly, which lasted several generations. However, by this millennium, that aberration has disappeared, and cross-party coalitions are a rarity. Now, because there is diversity, there is divergence, and once sacrosanct ideals, like liberty & freedom, are under serious debate. The model Democrat used to be President John F. Kennedy; his inauguration speech included the famous phrase, “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” That is no longer true; for the past decade, the ideology of the Democrat party has slipped more and more into egalitarianism & collectivism, until it’s now closer to Communism than it is to JFK's Democrats, leaving JFK Democrats no where to go. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-07_875_jfk_democrats.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-07_875_jfk_democrats.mp3 2:34 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Blue Dog Democrats, JFK Democrats no Fri, 27 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor In political comments, it seems everybody has their own definition of Left & Right, which leaves Center a no-man's-land. This confusion arises because the words have become accusations rather than descriptive terms. However, with the radicalization of The Left, and its tight association with Social Justice & Identity Politics, a clearer distinction has arisen: liberty, personal autonomy, individuals making decisions for themselves and reaping the rewards or suffering the consequences of their actions, is Right; so Libertarians would be hard Right. Egalitarian-thinking, equality, from each according to their ability to each according to their need, is Left; so Marxists would be hard Left. Obviously, somewhere between those two concepts is Center. Boiled down to its essence, the ideological difference is the nature of responsibility: Right is you are responsible to yourself, and you are in charge of yourself; versus Left, where others are responsible for you, or in charge of you. Those are completely conflicting attitudes, which leaves no natural Center, so it has to be defined pragmatically. If America is to maintain its liberty-democracy nature, then Center would be the place where liberty still benefits the majority so that they would vote for it. Unfortunately, once liberty is lost, the Center is no longer obtainable. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-07_874_definition_of_left__right__center.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-07_874_definition_of_left__right__center.mp3 2:43 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, left, right, center no Wed, 25 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Reviewing your opportunities is always a good bet: Losers will always try to reverse the scales against the winners. Modern feudalism is just feudalism without the starvation. Everyone's a slave; it's simply a matter of definition. Lucky societies are the ones that accommodate lucky people. The youth need to get back to following opportunity rather than passion. Free Markets don't need Capitalism, but Capitalism needs Free Markets. You're not really committed unless you drink Coke and sleep under your desk. Incompetent people aren't just going away... Everybody loves a lottery winner. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_873_opportunity_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_873_opportunity_concepts.mp3 2:06 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, opportunity no Mon, 23 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor One thing everyone can do, even the most incompetent, is buy a lottery ticket. In America, wealth is so admired that it makes no difference where it comes from: earned, inherited, stolen, and especially lottery winnings. Everyone is both glad & envious when they hear someone wins the lottery because it proves that they too may also win the lottery someday; so people buy lottery tickets even though the chances are winning are essentially nil. The power of this naive optimism cannot be understated: abjectly poor people will remain placated as long as they believe there's even a small chance of breaking out of their miserable lives, even though it is a not so subtle tax, it's one people are willing, even anxious, to pay. This winning-the-lottery mentality is what our society is built on, because the American Dream sells the “success” story to people. Even if there’s only a 1% chance of anyone personally making it big, but somebody they know does: maybe their kid, or their uncle, or the hard-working lady at their church; that's enough. However, if even that remote chance is taken away, revolution beckons. As real opportunity dwindles, it makes the ability to buy a lottery ticket all the more important, so we can broadcast the winners’ giant smiles on television. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_872_winning_the_lottery.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_872_winning_the_lottery.mp3 2:31 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, lottery, optimism no Sat, 21 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor 10% of the population, that's people with an IQ lower than 86, are incurable incompetents who will fail spectacularly if left to their own devices. They can’t even enlist in the military because they require too much oversight. Most incompetent people don’t graduate from High School, and many of the ones that do, shouldn’t have. Plus, a lot of people get incompetent as they get older. The big problem is that our society is getting more and more complicated, and incompetents have no place to go except Welfare or the streets. As it turns out, in a society as productive as ours, 10% is 30-50 million people in American that cannot produce more than they consume, however, it's small enough to ignore, which is what we do. Everybody working would be a far better solution for social stability reasons, but these people are not competent enough to do anything worth paying for, and the only jobs they could have done were “Free” Traded away; there's not nearly enough jobs at the Salvation Army or any charitable organization. Incompetent people require such heavy supervision that it's not cost effective to keep them, so of course, any business would get rid of them. That’s the problem: incompetent people consume more time & effort than they’re worth if you’re just talking economics. There would have to be incentives to businesses that agreed to take care of them, but then up pops the Living Wage argument that demonizes employers who do this; stalemate on conscientious behavior. The egalitarian Left exists because of the difficulty of incorporating incompetent people into a modern society. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_871_incompetents.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_871_incompetents.mp3 2:46 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, incompetent no Thu, 19 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Ambition is the spark of business but capability & commitment are close seconds; and all three are supercharged by testosterone. This explains why almost all scions of business are male because it's all about the status & power, from which comes the attention of females, propagating a line of human beings with ambition, capability & commitment, who eventually walked on the moon. Evolution knew what it was doing. On a more personal scale, I witnessed this phenomena as a computer programmer and termed it “drink coke, sleep under your desk” because during an all-nighter, there would always be at least a couple young male programmers getting some sleep curled up under their desk; and invariably there would be a forest of empty Coke cans on top. Predictably, there would never be any females under their desks but evolution had them at home with the future ambitious, capable & committed children. Successful societies rewards this kind of synergy; it's what makes them lucky. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_870_drink_coke__sleep_under_your_desk.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-05_870_drink_coke__sleep_under_your_desk.mp3 1:56 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, ambition, capability, commitment no Tue, 17 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Capitalism rides the coat-tails of Free Markets, but markets don't require Capitalism. Capitalism is using money to make money but Markets use productivity to make money; the former is imaginary, the latter is real. Because Capitalism is a made up game, it's easy to exploit the rules. If you were explaining Capitalism to a child, it would go something like this: “Imagine you have money; that means you don't have to work, so you can play all day & eat ice cream; but if you don't have money, you'll need to dig ditches every day and worry about bills.” Of course, your child would ask “What's money?” Won't you feel silly answering, “Oh, that's imaginary.” This distinction is lost on most people who conflate Free Markets with Capitalism because they think Socialism is bad. Socialism tries to manage markets, which requires predicting the future; which is why Socialism is bad, not why Capitalism is good. Free Markets use Emergent Order, which doesn't require anybody predicting anything, events occur spontaneously, like nature. There doesn't have to be a Stock Market or non-participating investors for Free Markets to work. Those artifices, the Capitalism parts, were just tacked onto markets to make them work better and more efficiently. The side-effect was those artificial things could be manipulated, so too many people got a lot of imaginary money for doing nothing, and once they had it, their heirs could do nothing too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-03_869_markets_vs_capitalism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-03_869_markets_vs_capitalism.mp3 2:53 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, capitalism, markets no Sun, 15 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Another of the core Protestant Work Ethic values that is deteriorating is the idea of taking your best opportunities, which has been replaced with the egocentric idea of pursing your passion. This is one of the manifestations of selfish liberty, the egalitarian kind without responsibility, where individuals are trying for maximum happiness, as judged by themselves. Unfortunately, almost everybody's “passion” is to be the center of everything, and if they can't get that then they remain unhappy; it's disenchantment caused by delusion masquerading as good advice. Without the concept of best opportunity, needed jobs go lacking while superficial activity, and plain sloth, are accepted. For example, for almost everyone in the military, that was the best opportunity for them, even if it's dangerous. Similarly, if there's a high-paying oil field job in North Dakota; that’s opportunity even if it’s far away from everything; hauling garbage is steady work, but has low status; and ditches need dug, though it's back-breaking labor. Encouraging children to desire irrelevant, eve mystical, goals is destructive, and only possible when a society has been so productive that its most privileged members take it for granted, and want to be even more privileged, when instead they should be following their best opportunity. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-03_868_best_opportunity.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-03_868_best_opportunity.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, opportunity, passion no Fri, 13 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Why are Western societies so lucky? If you examine the history of America, for example, its establishment and expansion was just one lucky incident after another; it couldn't have been planned. There was no grand strategy fashioned by the Founding Fathers; they were simply the right people in the right place at the right time; in short, they were lucky. Societies are lucky because the people in them are lucky; not all the people, of course, but there's enough lucky people to make things happen, and Western societies allow them to retain the rewards of their luck, encourage it even. Obviously, the question of lucky societies boils down to the nature of luck. Luck exits: you've certainly been lucky yourself on occasion; and luck is distributed like any random event, so on a societal level, there are some percentage of people who accomplish their goals, not necessarily because they have more merit than others but they are definitely luckier. At the extreme head of the curve, there are people who have had extraordinary luck; they've flipped heads ten times in a row, so to speak, and no one begrudges them, because if society builds on their luck, it can land a man in the moon. Recognizing how important luck is, societies that focus on the lucky accomplish great things, while those societies that hold back for the unlucky get mired down. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-01_867_lucky_societies.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-01_867_lucky_societies.mp3 2:28 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, luck, society no Wed, 11 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Everybody's a slave: conscientiousness is the yoke, and personal attachments are the chains; obligations are just as binding as cold iron. There are all kinds of slavery: you're a slave to your family, a slave to your job, and certainly a slave to your responsibilities. It's not just metaphorical, there are also tangible measurements of slavery: how big is your Student Loan debt? How many more years do you have to serve in the military? When do the Child Support payments end?   We're slaves held in velvet handcuffs: a monthly cable television bill and payments for a nice car, who eat so much we have to lose weight, with soft beds we can't sleep in due to anxiety. One of the disgraces of traditional slavery was the exploitation of sex, but that hasn't changed, just the whip has; and most people have no control over their lives; government or business or society orders them what to do. The gifts of modernity are still slavery wrapped in a different package. We know because people who subconsciously recognize their slavery exhibit what Nietzsche termed “slave morality,” a perversity-based egalitarianism; just looking at the rising popularity of ideologies like feminism, environmentalism, intersectionality, and even blatant Marxism; it's obvious that slavery is as endemic as it ever has been. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-01_866_everyones_a_slave.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-01_866_everyones_a_slave.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, slavery, modern no Mon, 09 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Conservative Americans dismiss the threat of modern feudalism as an idea from Medieval times, not applicable in an era of personal liberty. But in a very real way, average people now are just as much vassals, and the elites are more than lords, than anytime in history. It's not a slavery situation, even in the past there was a veneer of commoners being paid in some way; low-wage jobs are the modern form of feudalism. How is a multi-billionaire that owns vast tracts of wilderness where only they can go, with imprisonment threatened against anyone who dares trespass, any different than the feudal penalties for hunting on lord's estates. French kings allowed peasants into the castle to see how royalty lived, including watching sexual congress between the gentry; and in these times, whole reality television series are centered around that very premise. It's all there: the modern fixation on movie & pop stars; the idolization of the rich & famous; the rise of the political & pundit class into dynasties; the same families intermarrying, doing business with each other and concentrating power among themselves. Even at the extremes; who doubts that the old custom of a lord sleeping with another man’s wife on their wedding night could be made common practice if enough money was involved? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-30_865_modern_feudalism.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-30_865_modern_feudalism.mp3 2:22 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wealth, concentration no Sat, 07 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Politics will always be the losers against the winners. The winners want to maintain the status quo because they already have control, and whatever sophistry the losers use as justification for overturning the established order can be ignored because they simply want control. In a democracy, as long as the numbers aren't too lopsided, the status quo will continue because it takes a lot more losers versus a single winner to change anything, but those numbers are raising because the winners aren't making sure there are enough themselves. Winners continue to exploit the power of compounding gains to accumulate everything, but they eventually have to share, the easy way or the hard way. The most popular philosophy of losers is egalitarianism, equality, which imposes sharing on the winners. Using median wealth as a dividing line, by definition, half the people are in the loser camp; however, using the mean, the average, especially when the winners have vast concentrations of wealth, way more than half the people are losers. Pundits are correct to suspect a war between the winners and losers is coming because it’s always coming, because there’s always losers, and without wealth redistribution of some kind, the ratio of losers to winners will continue to increase. Frustratingly, all the winners in this contest have to do is not engage in nepotism and stop creating dynasties, but that’s the way our biology works, so though the solution is obvious, it seems unlikely to be implemented. The inevitable result will make them losers too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-30_864_winners_vs_losers.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-30_864_winners_vs_losers.mp3 2:50 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, wealth, redistribution no Thu, 05 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The concept of racism definitely needs review: Stereotypes are racist but so is everything else. Intersectionality is the idea that some people are owed based on past grievances. Your Intersectionality Score determines your place in the grievance hierarchy based on traits you have no control over – kind of like racism. The new definition of racism doesn't include the actual racists. All things can be considered racist if you stare at them long enough. Time is racist because why wouldn't it be? Reparations are reverse slavery. The new view of racism is the opposite of color blind. If there really are such things as Nazis, I've never met one. White Nationalists are like Black Nationalists, except they're white. Get woke, what a joke. The diversity gods require that you worship them with pledges & oaths. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-28_863_racism_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-28_863_racism_concepts.mp3 2:44 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, intersectionality, racism no Tue, 03 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor The quest for diversity has jumped the shark; colleges and businesses have started hiring Vice Presidents of Diversity. What are these people to do in such a high-level job? The result is frightening: now as part of the job application process, the three things an applicant must include are a resume, Applicant letter, and a mandatory Diversity Oath. The Oath isn’t just a check box or signature, it's required to be a written personal commitment to “diversity,” listing exactly what the applicant is going to do to promote it. If the Oath is not up to the VP of Diversity’s subjective diversity standards, the application is rejected without even notifying the applicant why. This isn’t even a subtle attempt to keep diversity of thought out of education. Similarly, now to renew a Law license in Canada, the applicant must swear a diversity pledge. Very worrisome, there are some U.S. State bars considering this requirement too. Another example: Washington State government has stated their three goals, one of which is diversity, but honesty & integrity didn't get listed. Diversity indoctrination is everywhere, yet diversity is not a goal listed in America's founding, nor is it compatible with personal liberty and Freedom of Association. Luckily, people are starting to fight back against this authoritative overreach. Just like Loyalty Oaths were found to be odious, diversity is even more divisive. If there’s going to be oaths on job applications, the only one allowed should be to not require one. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-28_862_diversity_oaths.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-28_862_diversity_oaths.mp3 2:56 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, diversity oath no Sun, 01 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 politics & humor Wokeness was made popular by Black Lives Matter during the last decade. It's supposed to be applied to Whites who acknowledge their racist guilt and wallow in self-loathing because of it. It's not a quest for knowledge or redemption; Whites don't get points for consciousness of their wokeness; in fact, their very mention of how woke they are is deemed cultural appropriation. The idea is to get woke and shut-up about it then submit to any race-hustler scheme that would make things more equal; like diversity hires, affirmative action and, of course, reparations. Unfortunately, being woke has become fashionable among young people: for example, MTV News identified it as a key teen slang word for 2016; and there's an acclaimed movie, “Dear White People,” that even had a followup TV show. Then there’s the whole Colin Kaepernick debacle, the NFL quarterback turned woketivist, who started kneeling during the national anthem. Nike even pulled an image of the Betsy Ross flag off of it's shoe honoring America's independence; the reason being that it was racist because it was around during slavery. Being “woke” is The Left's rebuttal to getting “red-pilled,” except it's poisonous. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-28_861_wokeness.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-28_861_wokeness.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, woke no Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor It's tough to tell the difference between White Supremacists, White Separatists & White Nationalists because all 3 terms have been demonized by conflating them so no one wants to admit they can tell. The White Supremacist label evokes another time, one modern sensibilities can't quite grasp because clearly, Whites are not on the top of the intelligence scale. It's particularly difficult to separate White Separatists from White Nationalists; they might even be the same thing? The argument used by White Nationalists isn’t that people with pale skin are better than anyone else, but that “good fences make good neighbors.” They think the world is big enough for every Identity Group to have their own piece; as impractical as that may be in reality. To egalitarians, Whites are the ones on the hook for Reparations, and they dare not think they can leave. There's also Black Nationalists but they don't get a lot of air time on the MSM. As innocuous as remaining separate seems, a concept at the heart of most religions, the idea has been integrated into the Scapegoating Whites narrative as something unforgivable. Ask Google, “What's wrong with White Nationalism?” and there is no answer to that question; instead there are endless links about “hate” groups. This narrative virulently plays itself out in social media: Facebook has determined that White Nationalism is White Supremacy, and has redirected all searching of those terms to a website called “Life After Hate.” Personally, I think the idea of any kind of separatism is idiotic, but the Amish seem to like it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-26_860_white_nationalists.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-26_860_white_nationalists.mp3 3:04 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, white nationalist, white separatist, white supremacist no Wed, 28 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The word "Nazi" has entered the realm of Oral Illusions as a way to control a narrative. I've never met a Nazi of any kind. When Antifa doxxed a couple supposedly Neo-Nazis near where I live, I emailed them to see if they would join my political forum, and tell me what it was they are thinking? But they never responded after multiple attempts, so I don't know how real that was; they were probably imaginary Nazis. I've also heard of White Nationalists, and White Supremacists, but those groups just seem like boogeymen; I don’t know any, and I’ve never talked to any either. Conversely, I can get onto Facebook and find a Marxist in just a few minutes. Those people are real and they are very dangerous. Many dress up as Antifa; in fact, I think they are Antifa; and they do commit violence; yet I have seen "Nazi" applied literally hundreds of times to non-violent people who look and think like me, therefore I must be a Nazi too. Apparently “Nazi” is the N-word for liberty-minded white males, in which case I embrace my Nazihood, and understand why Antifa who would come to my house to hurt me. And if there are any real Nazis, you're welcome to come over to my house too, so that I can see you actually exist, and to explain your ideology to me. Caution: if you're not firm in your understanding of what you’re for, I’ve been known to convince people to my way of thinking; you probably won't walk away a Nazi. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-26_859_are_there_really_nazis.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-26_859_are_there_really_nazis.mp3 2:45 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Nazi, Antifa no Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor In the 1960s, America decided it was going to “fix” its race problem. It got a lot of news coverage, and incessantly talked about in politics, even getting some serious Civil Rights legislation passed in 1957, 1960, 1964, 1965, and 1968; and it went right to the big gun: indoctrination. Starting young, the first day of kindergarten perhaps, school kids began being taught that all people should be treated the same; that they shouldn’t even see race. The brainwashing worked; the generation that grew up during those decades were color blind. It seemed like discrimination in its raw form had been defeated. Unfortunately, poor inner-city minorities didn't turn out any differently; maybe worse? Discussing the causes of this civic failure are highly controversially, but beginning in the new millennium, with the advent of egalitarian sensibilities, the causes became immaterial; the only solutions were in the form of making people equal. Color blindness was decried as racist because it absolved the responsibility of white people to make things equal. In a complete reversal of the previous half-century, recognizing the differences in races was celebrated because if the solution to inequality is to take from one group and give to another, then defining the groups on the basis of color benefits those who have it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-24_858_color_blind.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-24_858_color_blind.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, color blind, racism no Sat, 24 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Reparations is the proposed solution to correct past injustices in the pantheon of all things must be made equal. The concept of Reparations violates the liberal doctrine that sons are not responsible for the sins of their fathers, but egalitarianism is decidedly not liberal; in fact, it's illiberal. It's quite disorienting to hear advocating of reverse-slavery because we are so habituated to arguing with the colors switched, however, since it comes up so often and has become doctrinaire in the Democrat Party; Reparations must be examined objectively: Who pays money to who? How much? How long? Who decides? Are Reparations only to people with black skin? How black? Are dark people from Australia or India black? Do all people with black skin get the money or do they have to trace their ancestry back to slavery? What about the people in the ghettos who don't trace back to slavery? What about recent immigrants? What about Illegal immigrants? Are just white people supposed to pay Reparations? Are light-skinned people from Mexico White? Are Asians supposed to pay too? Is there partial credit for past good deeds like a white relative dying in the Civil War? Would a one time payment do it, or would it be recurring until equality was achieved? Is the payment means-tested, meaning do rich black people get just as much money as poor black people? What about the half of the white population that don't make enough to pay taxes; is their responsibility to the past simply abdicated? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-24_857_reparations.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-24_857_reparations.mp3 2:45 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, reparations no Thu, 22 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The All Things R Racist category now includes the concepts of “on time” and “time efficiency.” Apparently, the very idea that a person should use their time wisely and productively is a creation of Whites. According to diversity training guidelines, expecting people from other cultures to show up on time is racist, and chastising them for being late is oppressive. In fact, the claim goes so far as to insist that white people own time; that the concept of time comes out of histories of European thought. Apparently time is an unwanted cultural appropriation. I’ve traveled a lot and I can attest that many other cultures do not hold as high an appreciation of time as I do: everything is dirty, trash is everywhere, and no one feels any urgency toward repairs so nothing works, certainly not something as complicated as a flush toilet. In the spirit of equality, as penance for forcing time management onto other races, instead Whites should slow down, or better yet, as reparations, become the time slaves of those who they been oppressing time after time. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-22_856_time_is_racist.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-22_856_time_is_racist.mp3 2:19 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, racism, time is racist no Tue, 20 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor With the new definition of racism, one Martin Luther King wouldn't even recognize, where only white people can be racist; it turns out things can be racist too. The list is long but here are some examples: Credit scores, Car insurance, Crime statistics, Halloween costumes, Disney movies, White chefs who make burritos, Milk, Tanning, Math, Science, Proper English grammar, Patriotism, Makeup, The SAT, Electronic music, Pornography, Families, Nostalgia, Soda taxes, Bulletproof glass, Property taxes, School grades, Background checks, Atheism, Capitalism, Socialism & Marxism, Highways, Diabetes, Climate Change, Pollution, The Bible, Police, Snow, Witches, Fairytales, Beauty pageants, Lies, Swans, Sheep, Rhinos, Dreadlocks, Hard work, Flour, Salt, Sugar, The American Way, Cartoons, Cold, The Winter Olympics, Solar eclipses, Air, Dogs, Babies, Farmer’s Markets, Obesity, McDonald’s, Craft beer, and of course, Time. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-22_855_racist_things.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-22_855_racist_things.mp3 2:07 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, racism, racist things no Sun, 18 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The traditional definition of racism was someone who judged other people, not from the content of their character, but by the color of their skin. This concept may sound familiar; it's a twist of Martin Luther King's famous quote, and was the definition of racism up until this millennium. American law requires both action & intent for something to be criminal, and assumes we cannot read another person's thoughts, so an act could not be racist unless there was evidence of a person’s thoughts that went along with it. There's also some evidence that racism in the technical sense, subconscious stereotyping on the basis of color, is instinctual, but cognitive humans can easily suppress such feelings. Whatever the thoughts are, if there is no act, there is no racism; at least that's the way it used to be... But with the advent of intersectionality, racism has been radically redefined; most strategic for the race hustlers, now only whites can be called “racist;” the word isn't even applicable to anyone else; and unfortunately, whites are born racist and have no ability to overcome their racism; consequently no other evidence is required, and no act has to occur; and since racism is a form of oppression, it explains why nonwhite people require equity; meaning whites are morally obligated to give up some of what they have to the people who have been oppressed, just to equal things up. That's social justice; and whites really have no say in the matter. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-20_854_racism_definition.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-20_854_racism_definition.mp3 2:57 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, intersectionality, racism no Fri, 16 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Intersectionality, the new face of egalitarianism, purports to be analytical, and has a simple test to “calculate your oppression, gain social justice for the marginalized, fight oppression, and make America great.” It consists of 13 sliders labeled: white, straight, male, cisgender, rich, young, able-bodied, English first language, born in USA, higher education, Christian, Muslim & Jewish. They claim that the Intersectionality score measures the systematic oppression & discrimination faced by an individual due to their multiple identity factors, and that the score can be used in an office setting to give exclusive opportunities & promotions to people with high scores. They also recommend a group meeting for everyone to compare their scores, even encouraging the use of the calculator on other people to identify oppressors. However, it does warn that a high score doesn't completely immunize someone from being called an oppressor from someone even more disadvantaged; giving the example that a gay black man could still be accused of being a misogynist by a poor, immigrant woman. So far over 1.2 million people have taken the test. The most up-ranked comment on the page was: “It's condescending, patronizing crap like this, dressed up in academic verbiage like a pig in makeup, which at last exposes the intellectual derangement of mainstream progressivism.” Finagling the sliders, I was able to get the lowest “2” score, and found the age slider made no difference or I'd be a “0.” The Intersectionality score farce concludes with the claim: “all scores are accurate.” politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-20_853_intersectionality_score.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-20_853_intersectionality_score.mp3 3:20 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, intersectionality no Wed, 14 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The fundamental ideological split in politics, any politics, anywhere, is the winners vs. losers of the status quo; it's a simple fact that half the population will benefit from taking from the other half. Few people want to state it as blatantly as that because it warns those from who the taking will occur, so instead, language is distorted and conclusions are assumed; the biggest one being that we all should be equal. Of course, that's not true, but people who would benefit from that assumption immediately start proposing solutions, all of which are eventually discredited, like Communism. But new ways to wrap the old egalitarian package continually pop up; the newest is called Intersectionality. Intersectionality proposes that a person's identity consists of multiple, intersecting factors: gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, weight, height, appearance, and any other distinguishing characteristic that one feels is causing others to have some kind of control over them, usually in the form of discrimination; that discrimination is the reason there isn't equality, and oppression is the way the inequality is maintained. Intersectionality assumes things would be naturally equal except for exploitation by privileged people of oppressed people, and even claims to be able to analytically measure that oppression and use the score to triage corrective measures; such as affirmative action, diversity quotas & reparations. From those to those until equality is achieved, with the intersectionalists deciding what & when that is. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-18_852_intersectionality.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-18_852_intersectionality.mp3 2:52 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, intersectionality no Mon, 12 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Jews are smart; Mexicans work hard; Asians persevere. Stereotypes are good more often than they aren't, and the impression only lasts for the first minute anyway, then the person underneath comes through. Preconceptions are how the human brain works; an oak tree is an icon in your head; you know it will lose its leaves in the winter without waiting for it to happen. How could we, as humans with all the myriad information we are presented with every single second, possibly operate without stereotypes; and since other people are our most important interactions, and there's a lot of them, stereotypes are invaluable as lubrication in a polite & courteous society; whether it be about culture, sex, religion, body, beauty or origin. The few things, like skin color, that don't mean anything and tend towards discrimination, can easily be singled out and discouraged in childhood. I'm an old, white, male, and am treated like one the instant someone meets me for the first time. Some people on The Left immediately emanate a feeling of disgust bordering on hate, and they don't even know me; they are working off their stereotype. Yet these are the same people who disclaim & condemn the stereotypes I may have about them. The hypocrisy is overwhelming, and must be pushed-back against. Here's the deal: I won't care about your stereotype of me as long as you don't act on it negatively, and vice versa. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-18_851_stereotypes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-18_851_stereotypes.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, stereotypes no Sat, 10 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor What things in the business environment need review? Modern Monetary Theory is a non-modern theory that money is imaginary. The Money Supply can't be measured because it’s unlimited. There hasn't been much devaluation of the dollar because the alternative currencies are worse. Negative interest rates force people to spend their money or to invest. Without profit motive, society would be farming with oxen. Stock buybacks are a completely corrupt method of manipulating the Stock Market. Public-Private Partnerships are mostly private; the public just pays for it. When did business & politics ever mix that it turned out okay? Small Business can't save money so why should Big Business be able to? It's better for society to subsidize employees than simply pay them Welfare. Professional licensing is little more than gatekeeping for the benefit those already licensed. “Made In China” needs to go back to having a bad reputation. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_850_business_environment_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_850_business_environment_concepts.mp3 2:39 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, business, capitalism, stock buybacks, MMT, Modern Monetary Theory no Thu, 08 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor China's stated national policy is “One Sun,” meaning they want to be the World's leader. They don't have the military might but they do know how to exploit the inherent greed of Capitalism. There's a reason the U.S. always had cold relations with China, because a Communist-dictatorship is as far from liberty as it gets, but of all the disastrous policies implemented by president Clinton, opening trade relations with China topped the list. How could China possible make things so much cheaper without exploiting something? The fact that their debt is almost 4x their GNP is the first hint: China uses the power of imaginary money to subsidize its exports. This ends up concentrating all manufacturing to them, including strategic supplies like drugs, medical equipment, and essential computer parts, so that China is the only source. And they require that foreign manufacturers, like Apple, surrender any intellectual secrets. Also, unlike the West, China doesn't allow foreigners to own property or business: China is for the Chinese. Contrarily, China is buying up oil fields and shipping ports in the U.S. Trade with China is a timebomb about to go off, stopping trade with them, but American manufacturers can make anything we need, and there is plenty of cheap land and unemployed people in the Fly-over States. The happy result being, Walmart quits buying the widget from China and instead buys it from an American company for a few cents more, while paying American workers and American taxes; and to ensure international Market Forces keep prices in check; India, Japan & SE Asia are waiting in the wings. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_849_made_in_china.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_849_made_in_china.mp3 2:46 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, china, trade, made in no Tue, 06 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor As odd as it may seem, a lawyer in California can't practice in Washington State without a license; neither can doctors, accountants, or engineers? And the requirements to become licensed in another State are not uniform: some require more years of medical residency, or a different kind of Bar exam, or more professional references. There's no way people who have never gotten one of these licenses have any idea how difficult they are to get; in fact, many novices thinks a license comes along with a degree: get an Engineering degree; bam, you're a Professional Engineer. There are lots graduates of Medical or Law school out there who couldn't license for one reason or another; usually the proficiency exam or the number of years required as a journeyman. Licenses are a significant barrier to entry to performing something people were formally trained to do. The reason all this is important is because professional licensing, whatever the justification given by the licensing agencies, which are mostly private organizations, is to keep competitors out of the field. Licensing is the purest form of gatekeeping, an intentional market distortion, the way people already in the business maintain their artificial scarcity. There may be a case for a doctor to prove competence once, but certainly not State-by-State. And to make things more blatant, there's no reason at all to license contractors and hairdressers. If there has to be licensing, it should be strictly justified, consistent, and applicable all over the world. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_848_professional_licensing.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_848_professional_licensing.mp3 2:37 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, professional licensing, licensing, professions, gatekeeping no Sun, 04 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The argument for both a Minimum wage and a Living wage make an employer responsible for the choices and circumstances of their employees. In a Free Market, employers pay what a job is worth to them, not what the employee wants. If picking up trash, washing dishes, babysitting, etc. cost too much, they won't get done, but these jobs teach Work Ethic, especially to those who need it, which is extremely valuable to society. Most employers would go ahead and hire someone who's untrained or unproductive, and oversee them, just to help out, but if they had to pay more, forget it; let somebody else carry the burden. The often-heard example that Walmart employees can't afford healthcare is a condemnation of the high cost of healthcare in America, not Walmart, who's just looking for a part-time stockboy. If a society wants higher wages then society should pay for them: let Markets figure out what a job is worth, then government can subsidize them through Welfare. A lot of people are simply incompetent in life for one reason or another; they consume more than they can produce, and need government assistance; that’s what Welfare’s for. However, it’s a sliding scale, some need lower levels of assistance; those ones can work performing low-wage jobs with Welfare filling the gap. Potential low wage workers sitting at home getting government money doing nothing because there's nothing they can do worth paying a living wage for, is a bad idea, and generates a lot of resentment & animosity from working people. Arguments against subsidizing marginal employees are either sanctimonious, egalitarian, or people who claim it will cause higher taxes; and none factor in the value to society of teaching people how to work. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_847_subsidized_employees.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-16_847_subsidized_employees.mp3 2:56 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, welfare, employees. Living Wage, Minimum Wage no Fri, 02 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Small business literally can't save money for a rainy day or future expansion because they must pass the profits through to the owners, so it's the owners, not the business, doing those things. Most small business owners obviously don't do their own taxes because it's amazing how many of them don't understand that they pay personal taxes on all the business's profits at their own federal tax rates, plus Self Employment tax on what they consider their salary. What they leave in the business is essentially a new loan to the business. 99% of businesses are pass through like this. Small businesses finance through founder loans, bank loans, or stock; however, 1% of business, the giant C corps, can save money, which is one of the biggest distortions of the Capitalist System. These companies exploit their ability to hoard cash to slight their shareholders, bypass federal taxes, and subsidize the lifestyles of The Rich. They rarely hand out the profits in the form of dividends, and when they do, The Rich pay only a fraction of taxes they would normally pay because they're subsidized by all the other stockholders. If the corporation was not allowed to save profits, then The Rich would have to pay taxes on their income at their own progressive tax rates. If corporations couldn't save money, they wouldn't have elaborate off-shore tax schemes, they would be more likely to reinvest, or reward their stockholders. It would be better for everyone involved if no business be allowed to save money. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-14_846_small_business_cant_save_money.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-14_846_small_business_cant_save_money.mp3 2:44 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, small business, big business no Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor When I went to Business school, we were taught to stay out of politics, only unethical businesses had lobbyists, and business certainly shouldn't identify their partisanship by giving campaign contributions. Boy, how things have changed; not only are businesses unafraid to take sides, they are actually partners with advocacy groups interfering with the Rights of their customers. It's scary that credit-card companies have been cutting off service to businesses whose politics they don't agree with; and sporting goods chains now self-select who they will sell guns to. Big Tech is the scariest of these ideological takeovers: filtering search results, blocking access, redefining & censoring speech; because there's no alternative information source. How this happened was that Lefty activists have been getting on the boards of these giant international organizations, and in cahoots with Diversity hires, have been flanking The Right who thought business was immune. Anyone who noticed and warned what was happening were dismissed as cranks, and now that battle has been lost. There are new Conservative businesses opening up; some are the fastest growing in the nation; and Conservatives could still organize and buy back control of Big Business; however, the ever-increasing politicization of business will probably lead to “Conservatives Welcome” or "No Democrats Allowed" signs in the near future. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-14_845_politicizing_business.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-14_845_politicizing_business.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, politicizing business no Mon, 28 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor One of the buzzwords you'll hear in government circles is “public-private partnerships.” This concept really started to gain steam in the 1970s as the so-called “Reagan Revolution” occurred when Baby-Boomers started voting to lower taxes and increase government benefits. What used to be covered by the public coffers: university tuition, infrastructure, utilities; found themselves without funding, and government desperately grasped at whatever straw was offered. Private industry was there to make a devil's bargain: they would provide the money if the operation was turned into a profitable enterprise for them; hence, for-profit transportation, communication, and healthcare. Worse, it was the difference between government accounting practices and generally accepted accounting principles that let elected officials con the public into these unequal, ridiculously byzantine contracts without anybody being the wiser; news sources certainly didn't seem to know or care what hidden obligations the public was being saddled with. And it didn't stop there: anywhere government officials thought they could pursue their own unfunded pet projects, they went to the private sector and prostituted out public goods: sports stadiums, broadcast bandwidth, toll roads & bridges, hospitals, and anything else that the public could be badgered into paying for, all under the guise of “it’s good for everyone.” However, whatever public-private partnerships were supposed to be, of course, like all unsupervised power, they're actually conduits for graft, bribes, monopolies, market distortion & sweetheart jobs for government official’s children. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-12_844_public-private_partnerships.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-12_844_public-private_partnerships.mp3 3:03 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, public private partnership no Sat, 26 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The stock market is held aloft by companies buying their own stock, and people assume that's a good thing because they naively think that a company wouldn't do that unless they knew everything was copacetic, but the truth is almost the exact opposite. First, stock buybacks are a scheme to increase corporate earnings per share because there are fewer shares outstanding per the profit, which triggers big bonuses for the CEO and other managers. Secondly, companies buy back their stock to intentionally increase its price then reissue new shares to take advantage of the increased price they precipitated in the first place. It's an easy way for a company to make money by manipulating the game, and sometimes the only way a company makes money. Normally, such a scheme would be discouraged due to interest costs so it’s only possible when The Fed is trying to gin up the economy by keeping interest rates near zero. The companies never even pay off the debt with any of their own money, they just keep borrowing more to only pay the interest, and The Fed continues to facilitate the Ponzi scheme by purchasing the corporate debt used to buy the stock, so-called junk bonds. Stock buybacks, private individuals getting ultra-wealthy simply by exploiting the holes in the financial system, are an example of what gives Capitalism a bad name. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-12_843_stock_buybacks.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-12_843_stock_buybacks.mp3 2:25 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, stock buybacks no Thu, 24 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Liberty includes profiting from your own actions, but no one likes to be measured against others and come out wanting, especially if the gap continues to grow, so egalitarians react by saying everyone should be equal and stay that way; they demean profit and accumulation of wealth under the guise of altruism. The perverse & resentful Left use “profit” like a curse word. Rather than defend profit motive, consider what it would be like without it? We actually have good examples from the egalitarian countries: the former Soviet Union, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, etc. People who didn't benefit from their additional effort, didn't do any. In fact, that slippery-slope becomes doing the least amount as possible, all the way to doing nothing because they're going to receive the same as everyone else, no-matter-what. The only way the nonprofit system works is to replace profit with force, which is why egalitarian systems must be authoritarian. However, the same people who prefer egalitarianism also prefer authoritarianism because it's not just outlawing profit; they want to eliminate any activities or goals that makes them feel inferior. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-10_842_profit_motive.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-10_842_profit_motive.mp3 2:13 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, profit motive no Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor A modern economy requires people to spend money; in fact, in a flagging economy, saving money is actually a bad thing and borrowing money is a good thing. The way The Fed encourages borrowing is to lower interest rates, so far to the point where there is almost no incentive to keep money in a bank except for the convenience. In times of dire economic slowdown, where the goal is to get people to borrow money but interest rates are already zero, it's obvious negative interest rates are next, meaning money in the bank is decreasing in value; this actively encourages people to spend their money. This is already happening in the Euro zone banks. Saving money for a rainy day is a conscientious axiom; everybody believes it though the majority of Americans don't do it. Saving money for retirement is even more ingrained in the American economic psyche. Negative interest rates will certainly cause anguish & turmoil similar to rising inflation because they are essentially the same thing, and incentivize the same thing: spend now. Young people typically don't have much retirement, nor savings of any kind, so negative interest rates that encourages lenders to lend more at lower interest rates benefits them. Young people are typical the producers, and people with savings are typically not, so if the goal is to encourage production, negative interest rates do that too. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-10_841_negative_interest_rates.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-10_841_negative_interest_rates.mp3 2:26 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, negative interest rates no Sun, 20 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor When there's a lot of money printing, economists bemoan that it's devaluing the currency, but practically speaking, devaluing the dollar is only important in relation to other currencies; for example, it takes more dollars to buy the euro or the yuan. Ultimately, this means that imports become more expensive, causing Americans to buy less of them; a good thing for American workers. It also means that U.S. made goods are cheaper in foreign markets, which is also a good thing for American workers. In fact, devaluation is such a lucrative trade-off that China manipulates the currency markets to devalue their yuan on purpose, which is supposedly illegal because, of course, every nation would want to do it. However, the U.S. does essentially the same thing by printing money. Apparently, if the past decades are any example, currency devaluation doesn’t cause economic collapse, nor even an overall change in trade. In fact, even with all the devaluation of the dollar, it's still the strongest currency. Many people attribute that to its reserve status, meaning it's the world's currency, but the reality is that all nations are devaluing their currency in some manner or another, sometimes purposefully, so that in comparison, the dollar is still a pretty good deal. None of this makes any difference unless a nation's consumption exceeds its production including trade, and something like virus lockdowns, mass retirements, or a UBI could change that, then currency devaluation turns into inflation. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-08_840_devaluation.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-08_840_devaluation.mp3 2:32 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, devaluation, currency no Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Even though the term “money supply” sounds self-explanatory, there are several iterations of it: M1, M2, M3, etc.; each more esoteric than the last. The simple explanation is that in an age before people understood that the supply of money was endless, and where inflation was seen as the great bugaboo, tying the amount of money to something tangible, like gold or debts, was seen as natural and preventive. Even when the absolute proof perfect that money is imaginary, Bitcoin, came along, people still tried to explain that the value of their coins were somehow tied to the number of computer operations performed to get them, and as those increased then so did the supply of Bitcoins. The reality is that the whole concept of money supply is an illusion to achieve a predetermined limited 3% increase per year. In fact, the entire U.S. monetary system is tied to this anachronism: since borrowing increases the money supply, supposedly The Fed can limit it by increasing interest rates, but that's simply an illusion too, used to mollify economists & investors, and nothing more than a made up rule in a made up game; a minor one at that. Quantitative Easing, purchasing of Treasuries & bad debt, and indirect participation in the Equities Market are the Fed's real power, and those activities show there is an unlimited supply of money. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-08_839_money_supply.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-08_839_money_supply.mp3 2:36 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, money supply no Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Modern Monetary Theory, or MMT, is not that modern; it was academically proposed by Georg Knapp in 1905 as a contrast to the Gold Standard. There were hints of it before by Adam Smith, John Stewart Mills and even Karl Marx. Economist Randall Wray is a contemporary proponent, and Socialist Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, based his proposed economic policies on it. The term “Modern Monetary Theory” was actually coined by Wall Street trader Warren Mosler in the 1970s when he became rich by understanding that money is imaginary. Few other people understood the MMT concept because they could not grasp that money is imaginary; they were taught that money is a bartering convenience so that people don't have to trade chickens, and that it's simply a stand-in for something real; but Knapp argued “money is a creature of law,” which means The State can wish it into existence. Exploiting the fact that money is imaginary leads to the idea that it can be created as needed to fund public policy, and there would be no national debt because government would not need to borrow money, nor collect taxes. The risk of MMT is inflation, which can be held in check as long as production equals consumption. In past practice, most MMT implementations have failed spectacularly, resulting in hyperinflation, but those were all examples where consumption exceeded production, caused war, famine, collectivism, or some other production-limiting catastrophe. The U.S. actually practices MMT via its giantic National Debt, though most economists don't admit it. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-06_838_modern_monetary_theory.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-06_838_modern_monetary_theory.mp3 2:57 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, MMT, modern monetary theory no Mon, 14 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Let's review what happened to the media: The Left has gotten control of The Media, and they're not letting go. The Media is The Left's most powerful weapon for destroying their opponents. Propaganda works; always has; always will. There's more hoaxes than real news because a lot of people seem to like them. Witch hunting is quite fashionable again, but it never really went out of style. Fox News has actually become the most Fair And Balanced news source. CNN is called the Clown News Network for good reason. RT is how news used to be done, but with a Russian accent. Most people get their news from the basements of YouTubers. The Intellectual Dark Web may not be dark nor intellectual, but the name sure is catchy. The Left-controlled news is irrational because they can't win rationally. You may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-06_837_news_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-06_837_news_concepts.mp3 2:35 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, news, media no Sat, 12 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The almost total bias of the MSM is irrational, especially the ridiculous overstatements, unsourced hoaxes, and inane claims of foreign interference in elections. It wasn't like this 20 years ago; what happened? This is a result of the successful strategy of The Left to take over the narrative. It was mostly hidden, a subtle boiling of the frog, because the prevailing ideology was liberty, older people still espoused liberty, laws are based on liberty, and liberty had the inertia, so letting the cat out of the bag too soon would have doomed their goal of making equality paramount over liberty; but then they got royally triggered. The momentum of egalitarianism seemed unstoppable, it's success almost assured with Hillary Clinton running for president, and it was icing on the cake that Donald Trump, a stooge in their eyes, was the nominee against their sure thing. They were arrogantly dismissive, already celebrating & joking, but when Trump won, the joke was on them, the schadenfreude was overwhelming; cognitive dissonance set it, and irrationally ensued. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-06_836_why_is_the_news_irrational.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-06_836_why_is_the_news_irrational.mp3 2:13 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, MSM, schadenfreude no Thu, 10 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor YouTube has made some unlikely people famous: Jordan Peterson, for example; a soft-spoken clinical psychologist who went against the full force of Leftist elitism all by himself, earning him First Chair in the Intellectual Dark Web, a term used by an informal group of pundits who oppose the ideology of The Left: post-modernism, post-structuralism, and political correctness. Its personalities identify as both conservatives and liberals, and is a regular Who's Who of iconoclasts: Eric Weinstein, Sam Harris, Jonathan Haidt, Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, Steven Pinker, Carl Benjamin, and even podcaster par excellence, Joe Rogan. These people can definitely debate, or at least foster a reasonable debate, but they are not more notably intelligent nor entertaining than others who think the same way, they were just in the right place at the right time when the term was coined because, in reality, there is no Intellectual Dark Web; it was just a provocative idea of a Lefty magazine article bemoaning the high quality of the arguments raised against egalitarianism, which even normal thinkers can exploit. Whether the web actually exists or not, I'd still like to be part of it... politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-04_835_intellectual_dark_web.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-04_835_intellectual_dark_web.mp3 2:19 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Intellectual Dark Web, Jordan Peterson no Tue, 08 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Since watching broadcast news is both boring and even uninformative due to the extreme bias, many people have switched to watching news aggregaters on YouTube. The most prominent are journalist Tim Pool, of TimCast, commentator Tarl Warwick, under the name Styxhexenhammer666, and author Scott Adams, as in “Coffee With.” Their audiences are mostly men judging from the thousands of comments under each of their videos, usually at least 2 per day. All three are also Old School liberals, who have an audience of Old School liberals that have no place to go since The Left has gotten so extreme. Their ideology is important because you can trust their judgment to separate the hundreds of news stories they must sift through to determine fact or fiction, and especially identify the hoaxes. None are biased in the way the MSM is; if anything, they all seem apologetic for not taking an editorial stand on most issues, which leaves their reporting feeling wishy-washy, but they're clear on what they think are obvious misstatements and falsehoods. Most of their followers probably only listen to the first couple minutes of each video, enough to get the gist, then form their own conclusions and move on. The amazing thing is how someone with only a cellphone can influence national politics through honesty, work ethic & self-awareness. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-04_834_youtube_political_personalities.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-04_834_youtube_political_personalities.mp3 2:26 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, youtube personalities no Sun, 06 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor Russia-Today, the Russian government-funded news program, was renamed “RT,” presumably to obscure the Russia connection after all the bad Trump press. It was created in 2005 and broadcasts in 5 languages, English being the most influential, and even has some content local to the regions they operate in. They have had some excellent, intelligent shows, including: Chris Hedges, Larry King, Jesse Ventura, Julian Assange, Ed Schultz, and other high-profile personalities from both political parties; made even more impressive because of the Russia-connection stigma. Curious, I watched some RT on YouTube; first thing I noticed was the big warning tacked onto the bottom of their videos by YouTube, "financed by the Russian government." It was a typical news show interview of a Venezuela-apologist explaining the failure of Venezuela's socialism was mostly due to the U.S. In fact, the guest said most of the problems in South America are intentionally caused by the U.S. The female RT host seemed quite based; she pushed back against the guest's narrative, undermining most of what he said. My impression was that RT is more news-like than any U.S. MSM sources are now. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-02_833_rt.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-02_833_rt.mp3 2:19 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, RT, Russia Today, news no Fri, 04 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor When Ted Turner created CNN at the dawn of the Cable age, it was a tedious 24-hour loop of the same truncated news stories. However, the genius of its marketing was the idea of monopolizing airports; airports carry the mystique of sophistication & glamour, and CNN's legitimacy was established. Decades ago, it was “the most trusted name in news,” but, oh, how the mighty have fallen. Now CNN is the NewSpeak equivalent of “news,” in that it's anything but news. Everything CNN reports on is so politically biased, it's humorous. It's news anchors are caricatures of reality TV stars. It's reporting is so dystopian that it seems unreal & frightening. CNN is the epitome of so-called fake news; stories that are intentionally misinterpreted, or completely made up. and they often make the news about themselves. The excuse given for CNN's obvious and complete lack of objectivity is that they “get clicks” or “eyeballs” or some other new-tech word for viewership, but CNN had a 25% decline in viewership year-to-year since Trump. What company would keep doing that? Retaining Jeff Zucker as president of CNN makes no sense? They've got to be controlled by an anti-Trump cabal, or possible a foreign interest, or maybe Communists; certainly it's not Capitalists; Capitalists wouldn't be so inept? politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-02_832_cnn.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-07-02_832_cnn.mp3 2:38 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, CNN, news no Wed, 02 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor About a decade ago I watched Fox News because they had a perspective that was being ignored by the other news channels, though it was biased and obviously pandered to men; its cutesy female anchors provided some kind of sex fantasy that made its success both frightening & embarrassing. At the time, the age of their average viewer was 68, and now it's 65, with by far the most cable news viewers and almost all of the Top 10 program slots. Back then, “Faux” News was a laughingstock, but all MSM news is faux now, so-much-so that Fox News seems mild in comparison. In fact, a third of Americans think Fox News is the only honest source of news; my white-bread pappy's arguments are Fox News' arguments. The fact that their most successful anchor today, Tucker Carlson, is an old-school liberal; makes their claim of being “fair and balanced” seem appropriate. It was interesting to watch Fox News go from being Never Trump to Trump cheerleading. First they dumped their CEO, then their Trump-hating analysts, and even a couple prominent News anchors. However, there's still Trump-hating going on at Fox as part of their “balanced” claim. The Fox News YouTube channel, which is where most young people get their news, shows clips of Tucker and other bite-size highlights, and has millions of views. Who sits and watches TV anymore? Fox News can be expected to continue its dominance as long at they are the seemingly only voice on The Right. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-30_831_fox_news.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-30_831_fox_news.mp3 2:43 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, Fox news no Mon, 31 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor The early politics in America had episodes of extreme political vitriol, malevolence & rancor, bordering on hysteria, where the attempted savaging of an individual's reputation was considered just part of the process. Accusing people of the most heinous of things: being murderers, rapists, and witches; was not uncommon. This appetite for destruction has again been normalized. The modern era of witch hunting began with the investigation of all things Clinton, but went supernova during the Trump presidency, facilitated at the highest levels of government: the FBI, CIA, and of course in the U.S. House of Representatives. The clangorous call for heads mostly comes from the MSM, which is now extremely partisan. The once-venerable NYT and WaPo have become little more than smear merchants. Witch hunts start by finding some salacious or offensive conduct from a person's past then treating it as if it happened yesterday. Decades-old allegations should be ignored, even if they're true; nobody is the person they were, and times have changed. The law recognizes that delayed investigations are vindictive; that's why the Statute of Limitations exists. A prime example is the witch hunting of Supreme Court justice Brent Kavanaugh; there were a lot of lawyers on both sides but every single one of them chose to view truth based on their party affiliation. If either person's story had any relevance, doesn't it seem likely that folks would have differing views no matter which party? What makes it so hypocritical is that when the presidential candidate of the other political party was accused of sexual misconduct, including supporting evidence, the same people flat out said, “I believe her but I'm voting for him anyway.” politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-30_830_witch_hunts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-30_830_witch_hunts.mp3 2:56 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, witch hunt no Sat, 29 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Calling intentionally misleading news stories, “hoaxes,” began during the Trump administration by pundits looking at what was happening to him. It all started before the election and still fell into the realm of dirty but acceptable political maneuvering, but blew up within days of Trump taking office with the Russia Hoax, soon followed by The “fine people” hoax. The hoaxes seemed effective, so an ever-increasing number followed: the Mocking a Disabled Person hoax, Wikieaks hoax, Feeding Fish hoax, Ukrainian hoax, Owes China Billions hoax, Drinking Lysol hoax; innumerable hoaxes based on what Trump did or did not do simply intended on undermining his authority. These hoaxes follow the typical trajectory of a Leftwing news outlet reporting a misleading headline that smears Trump with a story of questionable authenticity, followed by other Trump-hating outlets carrying the story without critical examination. The hoax is soon debunked, but there is no retraction or correction by any of the outlets, and the hoax is still repeated as true by sycophants. Hoaxes appear almost every day, such that their impact has diminished significantly from the early days, and that public trust in the News Media has dipped below 10%. Unfortunately, hoaxes still dominate online search results, severely damaging the credibility of Google, etc. as a source of honest, factual information on political matters, or any matter since now all things are political.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-28_829_hoaxes.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-28_829_hoaxes.mp3 2:41 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, hoaxes, Trump no Thu, 27 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Indoctrination is saying something enough times that people internalize it as one of their core beliefs that control how they act. Indoctrination is especially effective on children, and even more so if the information is from an authoritative source. Indoctrination is the most influential method of conditioning a society to a particular message; the message itself is called propaganda; not necessarily a negative thing unless you want a competing message, which is why highly propagandized societies tend towards censorship. Those who control the propaganda control the indoctrination, which means they control society. Propaganda comes from Catholicism and means to propagate their faith. Politics is a secular religion, and uses propaganda is the same way. The political Left knows the value of propaganda, and it fits well in their collectivist, egalitarian view of life. The Right, focusing on individual autonomy, tends to overlook the value of propaganda, even though they were more molded by it than anyone, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage in the control game. The Right doesn't seem to understand that Media, Entertainment & Education are the primary sources of propaganda, and have ceded them to The Left, to their own future demise.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-28_828_propaganda.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-28_828_propaganda.mp3 2:28 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, propaganda, indoctrination no Tue, 25 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Doesn't it seem odd that over 90 percent of the MSM reporting on president Trump is negative? When did that kind of bias begin? Surely, when I used to watch the news back in the day, what I saw was mostly true? There used to be a mythology about journalists as honest seekers after the truth against the powers-that-be. They exposed corruption and malfeasance, they didn't create it. It could be the news was always a propaganda machine but were able to hide it, or it could be their virtual monopoly was so profitable that they could afford to keep a wall around the newsroom that kept the temptations of the world out? But it's not like that now; the media has become as powerful a political weapon as in any Communist nation of past or present, which might explain what happened... Most likely, the weakness of Capitalism was exploited and all the opinion-making institutions were sold to the highest bidder, and upstarts were financed for the exact purpose of acting as brainwashers to get what their owners wanted through democracy. They control the narrative by first stating their premise, which is the most important part because it keeps their goals always in front, then constantly mischaracterizing their opponents as dishonest, stupid or evil, while propping up or ignoring the malfeasance of their allies. Luckily, if I'm not again being fooled, and if there actually are true facts & stories out there, I can use technology to by-pass MSM indoctrination. Specifically, I watch news aggregators on YouTube who have sensibilities similar to mine, who sort through 100s of stories every day and suss out what's true and what's not. I can spend as little as 10 minutes keeping up with world events. I listen to Scott Adams, Tim Pool, Styxhexenhammer666, and Joe Rogan. All of these guys are Old School Liberals like me who have no other place to go.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-26_827_weaponized_media.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-26_827_weaponized_media.mp3 2:54 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, media, news, bias no Sun, 23 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy The MSM, entertainment, Tech & education are all totally dominated by one political ideology that's almost completely out of sync with half the population; how can that be? Is there no interest from that half for news & information? The claim is that there is no conspiracy, that the media simply makes money appealing for clicks & ratings with the most outrageous headlines, but then why are the ones that do it, so poorly rated and don't seem to be viable operations without mysterious influxes of money. It can't be about money because there isn't any, and the reporting is too biased to not be collusion; so who controls them? For example, When Newsweek, the famous legitimate news magazine went broke, they were bought up by a so-called “investor,” who turned them into a partisan rag. Certainly they can't be a profitable; who's propping them up? Same with The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the online smear merchants. First on the list of suspicious behind-the-scenes players is China, which has literally trillions of U.S. dollars from unbalanced "Free" Trade. They've put a lot into Treasuries, and bought a lot of prime Real Estate in American Cities, but there's still 100s of billions left-over. If you were a Marxist, and you understood the power of propaganda, and you knew America's institutions, especially the news & media outlets, were for sale to the highest bidder; what would you do? A second possibility is that the portion of the population that is egalitarian-leaning because they would benefit from forced sharing, have combined with those who would benefit from reversing the status quo. Everyone knows that the weakness of Capitalism is that those with the capital set the tone and make the rules, and so the comrades have infiltrated all the areas of propaganda & control through Affirmative Action and sanctimonious brow-beating. Scratch someone who claims "diversity is our strength,” and you'll find a feminist, minority or weirdo with plans to change the world in their image, and they're all working in unorchestrated synchronicity.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-26_826_controlled_media.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-26_826_controlled_media.mp3 3:22 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, media, bias no Fri, 21 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy There's a lot more things about healthcare to talk about; let's review: Healthcare has been a “r” right since 1986, and seems likely to be a “R” Right in the future. Of course there's a Right to Other People's Labor; you get an attorney don't you? There are very successful examples of Free Market healthcare that work for the Middle Class but it's still more than The Poor can afford. High healthcare costs are the natural result of market distortion, manipulation & collusion, made possible because some people will do anything for their health or wealth. It's not that difficult to cut healthcare costs but the people getting the money won't let you. People who purport to “measure” healthcare can't even agree on what they're measuring. Ranking healthcare through an egalitarian perspective could make Andorra #1. Great Britain has the best healthcare for everybody, and the U.S. has the best healthcare for you. If you don't want vaccinations, you can always just catch the disease to become immune. COVID19 is the first politically-generated virus. Lockdowns are the result of egalitarianism: if everybody can't go outside, nobody can. ou may get your news somewhere else but take your advice from me, the Wysest Myn in the Wyrld.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-24_825_other_healthcare_concepts.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-24_825_other_healthcare_concepts.mp3 2:51 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, health care no Wed, 19 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Benjamin Franklin famously said, “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety.” The Corona virus scare tested Americans on this issue and we failed; at least the half the nation was willing to give up Freedom of Movement, Right to Assemble, Freedom of commerce, and even Freedom of Speech if it conflicted with the State-sponsored narrative; all because they chose life over liberty. It shouldn't even have been a contest: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my county,” “give me liberty or give me death,” “better to die for freedom than remain a prisoner,” are the sentiments Americans used to aspire to. Life means little if you sacrifice what you're living for, but the only choice given was healthy people had to stay indefinitely confined to ostensibly save the lives of unhealthy people; a measure of how much our liberty is worth in comparison to a slight risk to their life. Human life is definitely not the primary imperative: we send our best to be killed in war for our way of life; we drive even though there is epic lose of life in automobiles; not to mention extreme sports. People try to insist the choice is between life and money but it's definitely life vs. liberty, and there was another choice rather than choosing lockdowns. The liberty solution, the one Sweden adopted, was that people can make the individual decision of what risks to take for themselves and others; and their economy was saved along the way. When the priority is liberty, the details always seem to work themselves out.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-24_824_lockdowns.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-24_824_lockdowns.mp3 2:51 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, lockdown no Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & humor There's lots of respiratory, meaning they affect your breathing, viruses, thousands maybe? The common flu is also a respiratory virus, which is why COVID19 is often compared to the flu, and rightly so regardless of any sanctimonious posturing about life & death you might hear. The various flu strains are estimated to kill about 50K people a year but the actual cause of death is normally listed as pneumonia, or fever. Contrarily, COVID19 is often listed as the cause of death, even when something else was the actual cause. COVID19 is only dangerous to people with compromised breathing, or weakened immune systems, usually the very old. There are no drugs that cure flu, and flu kills children but COVID19 rarely does. There are no cases of a child passing COVID19 to an adult. With a comparison like that, obviously health officials need to examine their priorities. Masks don't prevent people from catching a virus because viruses are way too small. Masks just stop those who are contagious from sneezing on the food at the grocery store. However, masks seem to placate people; makes them think their doing something proactive even if they are ridiculous. Since only retirement-age people are at high risk; another plan would be for younger people to live their lives while those at risk self-quarantine. In fact, several nations, Sweden in particular, did not lockdown, but decided to let the virus spread naturally to obtain herd immunity while protecting their vulnerable, which worked and showed that lockdowns are primarily to facilitate authoritarians’ lust for power & control. politics & humor https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-15_823_covid19.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-08-15_823_covid19.mp3 2:59 martin@hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash politics, humor, COVID19, lockdown no Sat, 15 Aug 2020 07:57:31 -0700 politics & philosophy Vaccines rely on the person’s natural immune system, and that’s different from person to person. Different vaccines have varying methods of action; for example, the most famous, polio, has both an active and inert versions. The active works almost exactly like exposure, but inert only gives the recipient immunity and can still be contagious. Europe uses active but the U.S. won’t accept the side effects so uses inert. The alternative to vaccination is to intentionally contract diseases to get immunity, after which you are not contagious. This is a perfectly acceptable strategy if it could be organized properly: go live with your friends in a commune for 3 weeks, get sick, get immune and come back to public life. The only legitimate claim that Anti-vaxxers make is that a tiny fraction of children will respond antithetically to the vaccine. It’s a terrible price to pay but so are many trade-offs in life, and it's a 1 in 10 million chance; less than the danger of taking a bath. In comparison, the death rate from Chicken pox is significantly higher than the death rate from vaccination, and Chicken pox causes Shingles later in life if you are exposed to unvaccinated people. It's the in-between vaccines that most people don't seem to need, like MMR, Measles, Mumps & Rubella, that anti-vaxxers most object to: Measles may be harmless to kids but it's deadly to fetuses; the death rate from Mumps is certainly higher than the death rate from vaccination; and Rubella is a real killer, way, way more than from vaccination.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-22_822_vaccinations.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-22_822_vaccinations.mp3 2:45 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, vaccination, anti-vaxx no Thu, 13 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy While training as a doctor, I did my Basic Sciences in England, and while there utilized their fully socialized National Health Service, the NHS. In comparison, during my medical training rotations in the United States, I served in The Bronx, East Oakland, and South Miami, three of the most notorious hospitals in the nation. I've also visited over 100 countries, spent a year touring Africa, and I'm an attorney. In my estimation, the British healthcare system is best, not because of the NHS, but because it has both public healthcare and private healthcare options, with preferences among its citizens about evenly split. If a Brit wants free healthcare, there's the NHS, and it's fine but Americans would have to get used to not being such prima donnas. The rest of the population uses U.S.-style, insurance-based private healthcare, with service & capabilities very similar to the U.S. This is where Market Forces play a part: healthcare in the UK is free but utilitarian; no glass & chrome palaces so 40% of their population opts for private healthcare, but because the alternative is free, private healthcare costs are kept low. It’s an effective market choice trade-off that has little to do with quality of care or wait times, those are mostly the same; it's more for status, a benefit British companies can offer significantly cheaper than the U.S. Great Britain has the best of both worlds except that the people who use private healthcare still have to pay for the public one.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-22_821_us_healthcare_vs_great_britain.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-22_821_us_healthcare_vs_great_britain.mp3 2:47 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, NHS no Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy There are political agendas in ranking healthcare among nations. Technically, world healthcare rankings don’t even use the same reporting criteria, but the biggest difference is they aggregate everybody’s outcome, not personal outcome. This measurement difference affects the very definition of “healthcare;” rationing by everyone receiving the same care, the egalitarian ideal, to rationing the best care to those who can afford it, which are two very different ways to rank. It's the same continuing battle between sanctimony and conscientiousness, so with that in mind, it's not difficult to believe that according to the discredited World Health Organization, the WHO, France has the best healthcare in the world; followed by Italy, San Marino, and of course, Andorro. The United States is ranked 37th, which is better than Slovenia but not as good as Costa Rica. These rankings result because, according to the WHO, the goals of healthcare have components of quality, equity, responsiveness & fairness. The word “quality” is insidiously misleading because it means the health of everybody, not the kind of care you personally could expect to get in a hospital. Equity means everybody receives the same healthcare, no buying up. Responsiveness is a subjective measure of what people expect rather than any actual measurements. Fairness is whatever anybody wants it to mean. I suggest anybody in the WHO, or believes in the goals of the WHO, go to Andorro the next time they have a brain embolism.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-20_820_ranking_healthcare.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-20_820_ranking_healthcare.mp3 2:47 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, ranking no Sun, 09 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Demagoguery is perhaps the most exploitable aspect of healthcare because it's literally a life-or-death situation. This, of course, leads to political manipulation based on ideological grounds, specifically, the ubiquitous liberty vs. egalitarian battle. One of the egalitarians most effective tactics is to “measure” healthcare, which sounds reasonable, except they pick the metrics, and there's a blatant lack of any measure of actual quality; like the level of training of doctors, the comfort of the patients, or even the availability of modern technology, treatments & equipment. Instead their intention is to discredit meritocracy in favor of subjective social platitudes like empathy & equality, without knowing how many knee replacements & heart stints have been performed, or how quickly & professionally. Life expectancy doesn’t mean anything: America has strict recording methods about infant mortality, and there's lots of obesity. In America, you have the liberty to destroy your health. America’s healthcare system is excellent, and there’s plenty of it; the problem is the cost. Many people are one injury away from bankruptcy. This situation particularly affects the Middle Class, people who have too much to get healthcare for free because they have something to lose. Unfortunately, they're only about 20% of the population, so in a democracy, they don't have enough voting power versus the healthcare industrial complex. Still, every measurable real thing about America's healthcare is best, if you’re rich, or if you're poor.     politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-20_819_measuring_healthcare.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-20_819_measuring_healthcare.mp3 2:40 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, measurement no Fri, 07 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Healthcare plays on people’s fear, vanity & self-righteousness; that's a deadly combination that politics can’t fix, and a formula for upward spiraling costs. Only adversarial relationships can contain costs so the goal is for healthcare to remain as Market Forces driven as possible, with both private and public options, while recognizing that it’s a natural monopoly, and that business goals are not the same as societal goals. With that in mind, here’s a short list of things that could be done to lower healthcare costs: The first step has got to be to force health providers to publicly list their prices. For example, post all-inclusive prices for surgery. Some facilities have been doing this for decades and it's been spectacularly successful, but runs into the insurance manipulation juggernaut. Eliminating State-by-State licensing would facilitate franchising and doctor availability. Start physician training right out of high school like other nations, no prerequisite undergraduate degree, which lowers the cost of education. No cap on medical Residencies. Currently, many aspiring doctors with M.D.s cannot practice because they can’t get a Residency. But do place caps on Medical Liability Awards; the States with caps have lower costs. Let Medicare negotiate prices. Right now, by law, they can't. And make Medicare an option for ACA insurance at its cost. Don’t let drug companies advertise. Only the U.S. and New Zealand allow drug advertising, which is 90% of the money the pharmaceutical companies spend; only a tiny fraction goes to R&D and manufacturing. And no public funding of “alternative” medicine, or any other quackery like chiropractic or acupuncture, which has been completely debunked using the same kind of scientific studies used to verify real medicine. Finding solutions to the high cost of healthcare are easier than identifying the problems.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-18_818_cutting_healthcare_costs.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-18_818_cutting_healthcare_costs.mp3 3:30 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, costs no Wed, 05 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy There are a variety of reasons healthcare in the U.S. is so expensive; most people know that insurance is a poor way to handle healthcare costs because insurance is the practice of everyone pooling their money for rare, expensive events, but healthcare is not rare, everyone needs it regularly; therefore the insurance strategy is the main culprit; but there are other, less known and more insidious reasons for the high cost of American healthcare: First, the 1973 HMO Act allowed the development of for-profit healthcare organizations; before that they were nonprofit, not Capitalism-based. The profit motive of hospitals adds layers of investors and managers that simply aren’t needed. Secondly, the reason Emergency Room costs are so outrageous is that since hospitals are reimbursed by the government for healthcare to non-paying patients, they make the prices as high as they can. Insurance companies have negotiated away those high costs so only the government and people without insurance pay the super-high prices. Obamacare exacerbated this exploitation. Plus, there’s perverse incentives for hospitals to charge an exorbitant amount to cash-buyers but accept a reasonable amount from insurance companies because of kickbacks to mysterious insurance brokers that work behind the scenes to manipulate prices. Another huge component of healthcare cost is psychological; first there's the democracy component: as long as a considerable voting block gets free healthcare, they don't much care if the other people have to pay high prices. And who wants “choice” in healthcare? Everyone wants the very best; and because there’s a status-prestige aspect to healthcare, it becomes a fashion statement: “My Dr. went to Yale,” “My clinic has escalators,” “My nurse held my hand the whole time.” American healthcare offers the very best in glass & chrome medical palaces because the cost of the facilities are presumably indicative of the care. In these circumstances, why would anybody be surprised American healthcare is the most expensive on the planet?   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-18_817_high_healthcare_costs.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-18_817_high_healthcare_costs.mp3 3:46 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, costs no Mon, 03 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy Healthcare consumers can be divided into three groups: those who can afford it and don't really care how it's provided as long as they get the best; then there's those who can't afford it and want the government to provide it as long as they get the best; and lastly, Free Market types who would be willing to shop around. These are mostly self-employed people not covered by an insurance plan because they are too expensive. Free Markets are typified by price transparency, meaning you know up front what you're going to pay with no unexpected charges. Because of the nature of your health, that requirement best applies to treatments with a predictable process, like surgery, that are also traditionally very expensive, so the savings are worth the inconvenience of traveling someplace else. The Free Market Medical Association is a prime example of how this works in practice with their multi-decade record of low prices with excellent outcomes. They don't take insurance, not that they wouldn’t but insurers won’t take them. Insurance is one big pricing scam, as evidenced by how the stocks of those companies soared upon passage of Obamacare then cratered upon the issuance of the Executive Order from the White House for Price Transparency. The transparency requirement is the first step in unwinding the too-cozy relationship between government and their crony healthcare industry. State regulations that prevent Free Market healthcare also have to be overcome for it to gain wide acceptance, so you wouldn't have go to Oklahoma City to get treatment.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-16_816_free_market_healthcare.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-16_816_free_market_healthcare.mp3 2:34 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare, free market no Sat, 01 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0700 politics & philosophy One of the repeated complaints against socialized healthcare is that people don't have the right to other people's labor; that patients can't force doctors to treat them. That's an easy argument to counter because as everyone knows, defendants have the right of an attorney in a criminal trial, and if they cannot afford it, the court will provide one. That's essentially a right to someone else's labor though the attorney does get paid by the government. Similarly, if someone shows up injured at an Emergency Room, the doctors there must serve them, that's the law too; and those doctors get paid, as does the hospital, even if the patient is indigent. However, a doctor is not required to help an injured person at an accident or any other time. The conflating of providing healthcare and “forced labor” is a specious one because it's only in hospital Emergency Rooms. Hospitals that do not want to provide that labor simply don't have Emergency Rooms. The argument isn't rather doctors are forced to work or have to work for free, but whether institutions must provide healthcare in proscribed situations. Probably, the people who don't like socialized healthcare know all of this but “no one has the right to other people's labor” sounds reasonable even though it's demonstrably untrue; ask any schoolteacher.   politics & philosophy https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-16_815_right_to_other_peoples_labor.mp3 https://www.martinhash.com/podcast/?name=2020-06-16_815_right_to_other_peoples_labor.mp3 2:21 Martin@Hash.com (Martin Hash) Martin Hash humor, politics, healthcare