sanity_is_maddening

Thank you for clarifying. I’m sorry if I jumped in with my interpretation. I know who Lysenko was. But not much more than that he was a biologist who kept denying science in behalf of the state. So I didn’t know if that was what you meant and that is why I apologised in the advance if I was misinterpreting it.

But yeah, state dictating science. And the U.S. really seems to be headed to that level of catastrophes you described. I need to read more about Lysenkoism. Like I said, I didn’t know much about Lysenko other than he was a scientist betraying science for the state propaganda. I don’t even know if he believed the nonsense he was spreading. But then again, I don’t even know if the ones doing the same now do either. And I have a hard time reading up on people like that. Makes my stomach turn in revolt.

But as a permaculture enthusiastic and someone who has a project with his girlfriend that uses syntropic theory, I’m very curious to read about what kind of nonsense were they applying to farming back then. Do you have any suggestions to read? Like a book or an article? Or should I just put Lysenkoism in a search engine and eventually find the farming part? Would love to know more about this, so if you have some pointers, I would much appreciate to learn more about this.

I think it is comparing the Soviet’s movement spearheaded by a biologist named Trofim Lysenko to the the current lobbying to destroy science’s credibility. It was akin to the current lobbying against scientific integrity that started in the U.S. and bled everywhere else. People will immediately think of the hacks that move through the podcasts these days, I’m sure you can think of a few too. It’s using a veil of pseudoscience to confuse the layman and advance the purpose of a few under another veil, one of an ideology. Lysenko was very much like the figures of today like that kermit the frog imitation that passes for scientific expert on the “dumbtube”. I don’t want to name these horrific hacks. They’re already taking too much of the bandwidth as it is and for far too long. And I hate that most people that think they’re too smart to fall for their crap, fall right into the next trap, which is to go argue and generate more visibility for them. These people never learned the old online code “Do Not Feed The Troll”. We spotted them and let them starve. But I compared them more to Gremlins, because they multiply. The grifers spot the grift and chime in for the take.

I hope I didn’t misinterpreted the comment you asked about. But Lysenkoism is a great shorthand to describe it all indeed.

We can’t wait for the governments to do the right thing. We have to continue to be the annoying friends and coworkers and costumers that keep beating this drum over and over. We need the individuals to form the mass of change.

I know that we will still be vulnerable because our public infrastructure in our countries will still be susceptible to the same influence and possible harm. But we have to be the pressure that accelerates the change. We always do. In all matters. And the old proverbial “who watches the watchmen” has always been answered the same way throughout time… we all do. We all have to remain vigilant of each other. We can’t delegate vigilance. This is the only way for us to watch each other’s backs as much as each other’s transgressions.

But, there are already small businesses who have made the move, local governments that announced the shift and even the city of Lyon has already stated that will move away from Microsoft in the public sector.

Hell, even Pewdiepie is fighting the good fight. And he has a lot of followers to influence a critical mass. Do I like him? No. Do I trust him? Obviously not. But I don’t have to, as I’ll remain vigilant. And we should remain vigilant at all times. Even with the alternatives. Even with our choices. I have a Proton account. Do I support them? Yes. Do I trust them? Absolutely not. Companies should never ever have one’s trust. Trust can only truly exist within intimacy. As you are embedded in it. One should still be vigilant of both the other and of oneself though. As we are all flawed. But strangers, companies and governments should never ever have one’s complacency. They should only have one’s vigilance.

So… Who watches the watchmen?

The true answer is…

Either we are all watchmen, or no-one is allowed to be.

This is why we truly want FOSS and open protocols to everything. And that is why it is the right thing to do.

As you can see, the replies to your comment are like the reactions in general, they split in two factions. The ones who are embarrassed to death and those who believe this was a necessary step in diplomacy, setting aside ego to prevent even worse outcomes.

While I can entertain the second group’s reasoning, I can only accept it as valid if it comes with a further plan to counter the position that led to the necessity of so much grovelling.

Otherwise - and pardon me for the following crude statement - this is like one rolling the red carpet for one’s own rape and murder.

Except this one person is doing this in behalf of many people.

So if there is no plan beyond the grovelling, this one person is rolling that carpet for us all to be left hanging dry to the atrocities that will come after. And so far, I can’t see a trace of a plan. And my only hope is for that to be part of one.

Otherwise, Rutte is just fondling the balls of a rapist, hoping for a more gentle rape when it’s time.

So, let us all hope for that secret plan that we can’t find any trace of to really exist somewhere.

Beautifully said.