Author: Brand Smit

Interesting times for the reasonable person

TUESDAY, 1 MARCH 2022

What if it turned out a conspiracy theory was right? And this applies to conspiracy theories in 1500, 1900, 2000 and in March 2022.

It would mean the lone intellectual, or the minority group of thinkers, were maligned, mistreated, their careers destroyed, and in earlier times possibly tortured and killed by a majority of community leaders, politicians, and intellectuals supporting the established narrative.

It would mean the lone intellectual, who stood up for what he believed in – who literally stood up when everyone else remained mum and seated, who expressed his unpopular opinion at the inconvenience of the powerful majority, was crushed – even though it turned out they were wrong, and he was right.

How do we know in March 2022, what with Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the cesspool that is US politics, that the so-called conspiracy theorist isn’t actually right, and the establishment with their fingers at the controls of politics, traditional mass media, social media, academia, and mass entertainment wrong? How can you know unless debate and intellectual curiosity and the free exchange of ideas and opinions unhindered by political correctness and pre-approved ideology are allowed to continue?

Here’s one test: Who is suppressing free speech? Who is maligning scientists, bloggers, podcast hosts and thinkers and journalists who dare speak outside approved narratives?

I know, I know. The phrases “establishment”, “approved narratives”, “political correctness”, and “free speech” already give me an odour of the conspiracy theorist, right?

I thought earlier today that these seem to be interesting times for reasonable and reasonably intelligent non-conformists. But we all conform to rules and regulations in everyday life – I mean, do you speed through every red light? Maybe it’s more appropriate to say these times are shaping up to be interesting for anyone who considers themselves reasonable, and reasonably intelligent.

Then again, isn’t that how we all think of ourselves?

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My opinion on the Russia-Ukraine situation

FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2022

1. I hope for all concerned, especially civilians and military personnel directly involved that the conflict will soon be over.

2. I have sympathy for the Ukrainians who will suffer because of this military operation.

3. Know that NATO and the Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations are the primary cause of this conflict. Their foolishness, ignorance and the greed of weapons manufactures always looking for new markets led directly to this situation.

Kim Iversen, American radio-host and journalist, mentioned, to the chagrin of several people of Twitter, that the best thing Ukraine can do is to give up. According to her, fighting or resisting will only make the situation worse and postpone an inevitable Russian victory.

(In case the tweet doesn’t load, click here for a screenshot.)

One could add: Doing so might be the quickest, least painful, and least costly way to counter the foolishness of NATO and the recklessness of US administrations over the past three decades. Eventually Ukraine will have amicable relations with both the EU and with Russia, but will not be a member state of NATO, and will thus never host NATO soldiers, nor missiles and military hardware pointing in only one direction.

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Responsible, but capable of something

FRIDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 2022

This morning I was reminded again of a good mind hack I learned a few years ago. If you accept responsibility for something for which a reasonable argument can be made that you really are to blame, it sends a message to the subconscious: “If something was your fault, you are capable of making such a thing happen. And if you were able to make it happen, you are quite possibly able to prevent it, or avoid it. Maybe you didn’t do it this time because you were silly or stupid, or irresponsible or reckless. But you are capable of it. And if you are capable of doing it, you have the choice to try harder next time, or to do better. Or you have the choice now to change your behaviour to avoid it next time, or to improve your skill to enable you to avoid it next time. You are capable.”

Consider the opposite. “It wasn’t my fault,” when a reasonable argument can be made that you were, in fact, at least partly responsible for it. It sends a message to the subconscious that you could not avoid or prevent it. You were a victim of a situation beyond your control, or of someone else’s behaviour. You were unable to improve the situation or minimise the consequences. You are not capable. You are, more or less, powerless.

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One of the things wrong with the world

THURSDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 2022

At one point, there were people who were properly and correctly informed on a topic, and who could make a logical argument to prove they were on the right, or reasonable, side of the matter, and there were people who were wrong and uninformed about the matter, and who would resort to ad hominem attacks to conceal their incapability of making a logical, reasonable argument.

In response to the absurd, uninformed statements that one side would make, the informed, reasonable side would sometimes shake their heads, plant their faces into their palms, and say things like, “These people will believe anything.”

Then a terrible thing happened: The uninformed people, who could not make a logical argument to defend their position, began to imitate the reactions and behaviour of the informed, reasonable people. When an informed, reasonable person now substantiates facts and sets out a logical argument, the uninformed, unreasonable person also shakes his head, and occasionally plants his face in the palm of his hand. And, like a parrot who does not really understand the sounds he utters, he too will sometimes say, “These people will believe anything.”

Saturday, 26 February 2022

Then there’s this:

Person A presents a comprehensive, sensible argument with maps, graphs, verifiable facts, dates, confirmable direct quotes.

Person B: “This is propaganda! You’re clearly a puppet of [the enemy leader]! A shill! A useful idiot! Ha-ha! Don’t tell me you still believe that story! Ha-ha! These people will believe anything …”

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My position on vaccines, natural immunity, and masks

FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022

On 11 November 2021, I received my first and only vaccination against COVID-19. At that point, I figured I was going to go to South Africa in the first months of 2022, where the Delta variant was still sowing panic. I already understood that the vaccination would not sterilise me against the virus, but reckoned it might alleviate my symptoms if I did get it. It sounded like a reasonable argument for vaccination.

However, I don’t plan on getting a second shot or any boosters. Reason number one is the fact that it is generally accepted that the symptoms of Omicron – which is now the dominant variant – are more moderate. Second reason is because I believe that SARS-CoV-2 has already become part of the family of more than 200 flu-type viruses that plague humanity every year, and that the only reasonable long-term resistance to it is natural immunity. This natural immunity is built up and maintained with repeated exposure to the viruses so that the immune system can make the necessary adjustments against genetic changes that occur continuously in viruses.

To give my immune system the best chance against SARS-CoV-2, I will do my best to stay fit and healthy, including following a healthy diet, enjoying regular fresh air and sunshine, and exercising at least five days a week. The only alternative is injections every four to six months for the rest of my existence.

This brings me to the third reason for my current position on vaccinations. I reckon there is a high probability that national health departments, international health organizations, and Big Medicine are not honest about the side effects of the vaccinations. And mass media and politicians cannot be trusted to make sure the truth sees the light, because of billions of dollars that flow annually from the coffers of Big Medicine to mass media and political leaders with decision-making powers on these matters.

Since we’re on the subject, I wear a mask when I cycle in traffic and don’t want to inhale the exhaust fumes of trucks, buses, cars, and scooters without the protection of some kind of filter. Also, as a teacher in a classroom with children who showed symptoms of flu or cold, I always preferred if they wore masks to prevent them from sneezing and coughing over me and other students. I also understand that doctors and other medical staff wear masks to protect themselves and their patients from bodily fluids containing bacteria and other germs. To be required to wear a mask everywhere in public, including when walking on your own in the park or on the beach while not actually having any type of flu symptoms, is, on the other hand, absurd.

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