Day: December 28, 2023

Closing Thought–28Dec23

There is a wealth of conspiracy theories out there for the people to uh and awe over….from earth being flat to hollow earth to aliens….

But what are the ones that most believe in?

I am glad you asked for I happen to have an answer for you.

The latest Economist/YouGov Poll asked Americans their opinions on prominent conspiracy theories relating to vaccine-autism links, sex-trafficking among top Democrats, and a secretive shadow government ruling the world. To understand what drives belief in these theories, we looked at how opinions vary based on the social and demographic groups Americans say they belong to, as well as some of their other views and behaviors.

The results of our analysis suggest that belief in some conspiracies is closely linked to views on QAnon, an internet conspiracy theory and political movement that first emerged in 2017 on the anonymous website 4chan. Two-thirds of Americans say they have heard about QAnon and 14% of those who have heard of it say they have a somewhat or very favorable opinion of it. One in five Americans say they know someone – themselves, a family member, a friend, or an acquaintance – who supports QAnon.

https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/41873-which-groups-americans-believe-conspiracies

Just as regions across the US have their own urban legends, many have controversial conspiracy theories as well.

Throughout the US, there are people who believe the government, large organizations, or secretive companies are hiding the truth from the public. These conspiracists strive to uncover the “truth” behind some of the biggest news stories, from supposed UFO sightings to the JFK assassination to the Kentucky Derby.

These are some of the wildest conspiracy theories from around the US.

https://www.insider.com/popular-conspiracy-theories-united-states-2019-5#some-of-the-most-popular-conspiracy-theories-in-the-us-surround-the-kennedy-assassination-1

Which do you believe in?

Ever wonder why some believe in certain theories?

Pre-pandemic, the question I would most often get was, “How do I know whom to trust when it comes to health and science information?”

Over three years after a new virus began sweeping the globe, the question I hear again and again is, “Why is it that my husband/sister/aunt/father believes in all this conspiratorial nonsense?”

As it turns out, the two questions are related (more on that later), but until now, I could only offer empathy and hypotheses. Although conspiracy theories have been stowed away on humanity’s whispers for millennia, research into the people who hold these beliefs only got started in earnest about thirty years ago.

Studies have attempted to see if people who believe in a particular conspiracy theory or who have a general propensity for believing in these theories have something else in common. This link might predispose them to be convinced by stories of sinister machinations or it might be something that is fed by conspiracy theories and grows as a consequence. Either way, scientists were looking for associations and they found plenty. But early on, these studies were not very good or generalizable, which meant there were plenty of contradictions in the literature.

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/who-likely-believe-conspiracy-theories

Enjoy and smile.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Ukraine: A New Direction?

Thanx to Israel we have not heard much about Ukraine and in case you are interested they are still fighting and dying.

Is it time for a re-think about the direction this war should take?

Let’s look at what has happened while you were busy writing glowing stuff about Israel…..

Ukraine’s top general, Valerii Zaluzhnyi admitted that the war with Russia was at a stalemate. In December, Republicans in the US House of Representatives torpedoed the Biden administration’s request for billions in new military assistance to Ukraine. At the European Union, Hungary vetoed desperately needed monetary assistance. President Biden’s mantra that the allies would support Ukraine “as long as it takes” became a pledge to support the country “as long as we can.” From Europe, a stalwart Ukraine supporter, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis reported that “apparently as long as it takes means as long as we can agree.” Clearly, the time of magical thinking is over.
Ukraine’s startling early success in repelling the Russian attempt to take Kiev produced widespread euphoria. Russia’s military was exposed as incompetent and bumbling. The US mobilized its allies to provide arms and support and impose harsh sanctions on Putin. NATO was galvanized and expanded. Putin would be handed a defeat without NATO troop involvement. As the noxious Lindsay Graham put it, “Russians are dying” as Ukrainians fight “to the last person,” so aid to Ukraine is “the best money we’ve ever spent.” Sanctions would isolate and bankrupt Russia. China, Iran, North Korea and other adversaries would learn that aggression doesn’t pay. Putin might even be deposed and hauled before the International Criminal Court. In little more than a year, the US alone rushed $75 billion in largely military aid to Ukraine, a sum nearly as great as the entire annual Russian military budget.
(the nation)
Fight to the last man mentality has done little to secure a victory for Ukraine and the millions sank into this war by the US has done little to secure a victory….then what is the new direction?

The US and its European allies are quietly shifting their strategy in Ukraine from supporting Kyiv’s unrealistic goal of driving Russian forces out to encouraging a defensive posture with future negotiations in mind, POLITICO reported on Wednesday, citing US and European officials.

The US and its close allies have discouraged peace talks throughout the conflict, including in March and April of 2022, when a peace deal was on the table that would have left Ukraine territorially intact in exchange for the country’s neutrality, something that was recently confirmed by Ukraine’s lead negotiator.

Instead of pushing for peace, then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukraine to keep fighting, and the US declared one of its war goals was to “weaken” Russia. Now, Moscow has made it clear any future peace deal must recognize the territory it has annexed as Russian. The New York Times reported on December 23 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been signaling through diplomatic channels that he is open to a ceasefire that freezes the fighting along the current lines.

The POLITICO report said that US and European officials are discussing deploying Ukrainian forces in a defensive posture instead of continuing the failed counteroffensive.

The shift in strategy comes as both the US and Europe are struggling to come up with more funding for the proxy war. Part of the Biden administration’s long-term strategy is to help build up Ukraine’s own military-industrial complex so the country is not so reliant on foreign aid.

The Biden administration has not publicly outlined its shift in strategy, but there are signs that the US is thinking about winding down the proxy war. A mantra commonly repeated by US and NATO officials was that they would support Ukraine against Russia for “as long as it takes.” But when President Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky earlier this month, he said the US would continue supplying Ukraine with weapons for “as long as we can.”

For his part, Zelensky still maintains his war aim is to drive Russian forces out of all the Ukrainian territory that’s been captured. Time Magazine recently spoke with an aide to Zelensky who said the Ukrainian leader “deludes himself” into thinking Ukraine can win. “We’re out of options. We’re not winning. But try telling him that,” the aide said.

(antiwar.com)

All that is needed now is a network of trenches on both sides and we can have a replay of World War One.

Anyone that knows history will tell how moronic that war was on so many levels.

The US just cannot come up with alternatives that will save the country of Ukraine and find a peaceful solution.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”